The Sermon in a Nutshell: October 11

This week was the second week of our sermon series, “The Church & Me.” This week's sermon was titled “The Church & Me: Called Out To Live.” The Scripture text was taken from the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2 verses 1-10. In this rich passage, Paul is telling the Ephesian church that there were two ways a person can walk. There is the way of the world (Eph 2:2), and there is God's way which is the way of good works (Eph 2:10). In this passage, Paul describes for us the characteristics of each of these ways of walking. The way of the world is marked by death, slavery, and condemnation. Paul says, “You all were dead in your transgressions and sins...when you walked in the ways of this world” (2:1-2). The way of the world is the way of slavery, both to “the ruler of the kingdom of the air,” who is the devil, and to our flesh which we can think of as all of our selfish impulses to gratify ourselves (2:2-3). This life of death and slavery can end only in condemnation as God created us for life and freedom in obedience but in following the way of the world, we became “objects of wrath” (2:3). This whole passage hinges on one word in verse 4, the word “but”. The way of the world is death, slavery and condemnation BUT there is a different way, God's way. In contrast to the way of the world, the church is called out to live. God has called the church out from among the world and “made us alive with Christ” (2:5). Not only that, but God has “raised us up with Christ” (2:6) just as He raised Christ when Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). And, having “raised us up with Christ,” God has “seated us with him [God the Father] in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). Lest we, as the church, let all that God has done for us go to our heads, Paul goes on in this passage to explain why God has called the church to live. God has called the church to live because God, in His love, mercy, and faithfulness is at work to redeem this world which has turned its back on Him. In redeeming the world through Christ and working through the church do it, God shows us just how gracious He is (2:7). In fact, one of the clearest ways that non-believers can see God's grace is when it is expressed to them through the church. This is why the church is called to walk in the way of good works, which is God's way (2:10). “Good works” has nothing to do with “earning our salvation” and everything to do with God using the church to shower His world with the love of Jesus Christ. The church is called out to live but if we are going to truly live up to our calling (no pun intended), we need to own the power which is at work in our lives. The same power by which God raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2,000 years ago is still at work in the church today! We have been “made alive,” “raised up,” and “seated with [God]” (2:5-6). This means there is nothing we cannot overcome, both as a church and as individuals who make up that church! There is no sin, no addiction, no temptation, no God dishonoring habit or behavior pattern that we cannot overcome by the power of God in our lives because God has called us to live and He will use us to glorify His name as we partner with Him in redeeming His world. Amen.