Please turn with me to Ephesians 2.  We are going on in our look at the first three chapters of Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus and others beyond Ephesus that Paul is also writing to. 

How many of you like M&M’s?  I have here one peanut M&M.  Would anyone like it?  I have here a whole bag of peanut M&M’s.  Given a choice would you rather have a - singular - M7M or a whole bag of M&M’s?   Anybody want this bag?

The passage we’re coming to today is familiar.  Many of us have memorized verses 8 and 9.  “For by grace you have been saved…”  We’ve heard the gospel:  God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.  But, we’re separated from God by our sin.  Jesus died so that our sins can be forgiven.  We need to personally accept God’s gracious gift by faith so that that we can know God.

All that’s an incredible reality.  Yes?  And all that is like having 1 M&M while God wants us to have the whole bag.  As we go through this passage think about what it is that God is offering to us.  What it means to have the whole bag.

Look with me at Ephesians 2 - starting at verse 1:  And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Let’s pause there.  Verses 1 to 3 are Paul’s description of Our Condition in this world.  Paul writes, “You were dead.”  Underline these words:  “You were dead.”  Let’s say that together.  “You were dead.”

Paul gives two descriptions of what it means for us to be dead - this condition that we find ourselves in.  First is Paul’s description of the Physical world we live in.

In the last two Sundays we’ve described the world we live in as a what kind of world?  A Humpty Dumpty world.

Relax, I’m not going to have you recite the rhyme.  But, we do want to remember the obvious - that the world we live in is fallen - cracked - whatever all the kings horses and all the kings men have tried to do - there is no way Humpty is getting put back together again.

If we were able to take humanity and turn mankind loose on a planet and let them create whatever kind of world they’d like to create - whatever philosophies and politics and economics and culture - whatever - the best that they’d be able to come up with is pretty much what we see going on around us.  A fallen - cracked - world messed up by people who are dead spiritually.

Second Paul describes the world behind the world that we live in - the spiritual world influenced by Satan. 

Behind the valley of the shadow of death - this near hell experience that we live in - behind all that is Satan and his minions - influencing what we see happening around us - nudging us down this path of destruction where evil is called good and good is called evil.  Where so many people live wounded - broken - hopeless - searching - empty - without purpose and meaning in their lives.

Slowly destroying ourselves endlessly searching for an answer - knowing that the answer is within us - or at lease humanity raising ourselves above our inhumanity.  Satan’s great deception:  Life is about me!  God is whatever I think He is.  Self not God.  Somehow it’ll all work out.

Remember this guy?  Ed Norton.  Worked in the Sewer - and loved it.  That’s the lostness of this world.  Humanity living in a sewer deceived into thinking this is all good.  Not great.  But good.

Paul writes - verse 2 - Paul writes that “you” formerly walked according to the course of this world.  When Paul wrote this letter he intended for it to be read not only in Ephesus - but also by believers in other places.  Which we’re doing today.  Ephesus and surrounding areas being Gentile not Jewish.  “You” is us. 

Then in verse 3, Paul writes, “we too” - meaning the Jews.  We all we’re caught up in the stuff of this world. 

Do you eat to live or live to eat?  One is preservation.  One is passion.  Most of us error on the side of passion.  We’re passionate about gratifying our desires - doing what pleases us.  We too lived in the lusts of our flesh - indulging the desires of our bodies and minds.

Paul writes that we all were living like the sons of disobedience.  What does this sign mean?  70 mph?  75?  What about this one?  “Good Luck!  Like I’m goin’ 50 mph for 416 miles.”  God lays down His law and we’ve all broken it.

Paul writes that we all were by nature children of wrath.  The end point of this path of destruction is death - physical yes - spiritual more so.  God’s wrath - eternal death - separation forever from God.  On that path we’re dead already. 

A corpse has no power - no ability.  A corpse decays.  It stinks being a corpse.  It has no hope of being anything more than dead.  That’s us.  Its not pretty.  Its a blow to our pride.  Paul writes, “You were dead.”

Let’s go on.  Verse 4:  “But God.”  Underline those two words.  Let’s say them together.  “But God.”  Verses 4 to 7 are God’s Answer to our deadness.

But God, being rich in mercy - God not giving us what we deserve - us deserving His wrath - eternal death - But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us - because God is Himself the source and definition of love - even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace - by God’s undeserved - unearnable favor - by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

There are four parts to God’s answer.  First:  God made us alive.  Say that with me, “God made us alive.”

God - at the core of who we are - the core of what makes us us - that core that was spiritually dead - at the core of who we are God has made us to be alive.  When we come to trust in Jesus as our Savior God places His Spirit within us.  God Himself comes to take up residence inside us.  God with us as close as the core of who we are.  As we go through life with God we find that its God who desires to enable and empower and guide and gift and bless us with everything that we need to live life. 

Because of what God has done for us in Jesus - we get to experience life with the living God.  Not as an enemy of God or living in fear of the God of wrath or seeing God as a great and terrible judge - condemning us to eternal death.  But we get to experience life knowing God as our loving Heavenly Father.  We belong to Him.  We’re His children.

Second part to God’s answer:  God has raised us.  Say that with me, “God has raised us.”

Jesus is raised from the dead.  When we come to Christ as our Savior we’re joined to His resurrection.  God raises us to real life.

Let’s be honest.  The stuff of this Humpty Dumpty world can be pretty enticing.  Yes?  Sin - for the most part - feels pretty good.  Otherwise why would we ever go there?  There’s different things that we involve ourselves with that - on the surface - or at first - those things may not seem so bad.  Its easy to follow along with the deception and get caught up in the things of this world.

God raises us out of the sewer - by His grace gives us a totally different understanding of what we see going on around us.  God opens up to us the understanding that the stuff of Humpty Dumpty Land leads to death.  Its a trap - a kind of living death.  God raises us up to a whole new life - free of all that - with no need to go back to any of that.

Third part of God’s answer:  God has seated us.  Try that with me, “God has seated us.”

Back in chapter 1 - verse 20 - part of what we looked at last Sunday - in chapter 1 - verse 20 - we read that God - by His power raised Jesus -   from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places - the position of power and authority in creation and beyond - far above - no thing - no one even comes close - far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  That’s everything and everyone - now and forever.

We saw - looking at Philippians 2:9-11 - that one day - every rational being will physically bow - every tongue will audibly confess - with one voice - in agreement - openly - in acknowledgement - no one is greater than Jesus.  No one deserves greater respect - honor - worship.  He has first place in everything.  The dominion of Jesus is greater.  He is Lord over all of creation.  Jesus is the Savior.  Jesus is the Christ.  Jesus is the Sovereign Lord God - Jehovah Himself.

That’s the reality that Paul is referring to here in verse 6.  Hold on to that image of Jesus.

Paul - using that image - here in verse 6 - Paul writes that God has seated us with Jesus in the heavenly places - in His kingdom.  That’s a mind bender.  Isn’t it?

The heavenly places aren’t some place way out there.  What Paul is saying is that right here and right now we’re already part of God’s kingdom.  Already - right here - right now - each of us - in Christ - has in that kingdom a place of authority - of power - of privilege.

Fourth part of God’s answer:  God’s Purpose.  Let’s say that together, “God’s purpose.”

In verse 7 Paul writes that God has made us alive - raised us - seated us - so that - God’s purpose - so that in the ages to come God can show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

That word “show” is important for us to understand.  Back in the original Greek - on one hand “to show” has the idea of proving something.  God showing us - proving to us - the surpassing value of His grace and kindness towards us.

Surpassing is the Greek word we get “hyperbole” from.  Exaggerated beyond reason.  Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.

God making us alive?  God raising us?  God seating us?  How can we explain that?  God’s exaggerated pouring out His grace and kindness on us goes beyond our ability to mentally process.  Its just too much.  And yet, God purposes to go on unreasonably pouring out on us His grace and kindness on us forever and ever and ever.  To show us - to prove to us - just how greatly He loves us.

On the other hand - in the original Greek “to show” has the idea of putting someone or something on display.

This is what?  The Mona Lisa.  The great 16th century masterpiece by Leonardo (da Caprio) da Vinci.  Have any of you ever seen this in person?  Great crowds of people file by each day to just get a glimpse of this masterpiece.  When people look at that painting - the painting is impressive.  But when people see the painting one has to marvel at the skill of the artist - at the artistic genius of Leonardo da Vinci.

God makes us alive - raises us - seats us - but we still live in Humpty Dumpty Land where other people need to be shown God’s love - His grace - His mercy - to be made alive - raised up - seated in His kingdom.

God’s purpose in all this exaggerated pouring out His love on us is to demonstrate to others what it means to be loved by God - to be recipients of His grace and kindness.  Here in the sewer we are God’s masterpiece - on display - as He pours out His grace and kindness on us - so that - purpose - so that others will be attracted to the artist - to God.

Verses 8 to 10 are Paul’s Explanation.  Paul’s explanation of what God’s done for us.  This is where we need to make sure we’re reaching for the whole bag of M&M’s and not just one.  

Verse 8:  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship - read masterpiece - His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

There are two parts to Paul’s explanation.  First:  Its not of ourselves.  Let’s say that together, “Its not of ourselves.”  Whatever surpassing love, grace, mercy - faith itself - whatever we’ve received from God - salvation - it all comes from God.

If we owe a debt to someone for $5 trillion billion dollars and someone offers to pay it for us.  And that person writes us a check for $5 trillion billion dollars.  And we reach out and take it from him.  What would it sound like if we said, “Well, it was my own ability that got me this money - taking the check from this person like I did.  And what I did was for his benefit.  If I hadn’t taken the check what good would it have been for him to write it?”

Paul reminds us that we’re dead - lost - disobedient - separated from God.  If it wasn’t for God reaching down to us we’d be toast.  Every brush stroke.  Every ability.  Our identity.  Our hope.  Everything that’s worth having and that God has blessed us with comes from God.  Its His initiative.  His grace.  His love poured out.

With what God has done for us - we have no right to say anything about ourselves - to boast in ourselves - to take credit for any of this.  We had absolutely nothing to do with what God’s done.  We didn’t come up with it.  Couldn’t have made it happen even if we had thought it up.  We’re just not sufficient.

That’s huge.  God purposes to show His grace and kindness to us.  To draw us into a personal saving relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  But, notice - there’s more than one M&M here.

The second part of Paul’s explanation:  We are God’s workmanship.    Try that with me, “We are God’s workmanship.”  A masterpiece of God’s work put on display for Him.

Paul writes in verse 10 that “beforehand” - before we were saved - before Christ went to the cross - before creation was creation - God prepared - laid out - the good works that He has for us to do - so that when - because of His unsurpassable grace and kindness - God purposes to save us - to make us alive - to raise us - to seat us - in Jesus to create us to be His workmanship - meaning that its by God’s artistry not our ability - created us to be His workmanship so that we would be His masterpiece on display in this world.

We aren’t some paint by numbers garage sale item that God picked up for 25 cents so He could line the bottom of a drawer with us.  We’re a masterpiece that God planned - before creation - planned and prepared to proudly hang on display as a testimony of His very own character and workmanship.

Are you grabbing what Paul is getting at here?  Being saved from hell - fire and brimstone - eternal consequences for our sins.  Salvation is an awesome thing.  But God has purposes for us that go beyond salvation - that we should live on display for Him - even in this Humpty Dumpty world.  That is huge.

Do you see yourself that way - as a masterpiece of God?  Say this to yourself, “I’m a masterpiece of God.”  Share that with someone near you, “You are a masterpiece of God.”

Do you know who Susan Boyle is?  Back in April Susan Boyle - age 47 - somewhat frumpy - unglamorous - unfashionable - unknown - appeared as a contestant on “Britain’s Got Talent” - the British version of American Idol.  When you watch this clip - notice the audience’s initial reaction.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk&feature=related)

Since Britain’s Got Talent - on YouTube - clips with Susan Boyle have gotten millions - maybe 100 million hits so far.  She’s sung before the Queen.  She’s a Disney movie ready to happen.  Her popularity is astronomical.

Maybe because most of us can related to being the one laughed at.  Most of us would like to be valued - seen - as a masterpiece.  Maybe even if we have trouble seeing ourselves that way.

On several occasions the Mona Lisa has been vandalized.  But the awesomeness of Leonardo da Vinci’s talent has never been diminished.  Our being a masterpiece is about God’s grace - God’s workmanship - God on display through us.  Seen that way - regardless of what others may see - we are always a masterpiece.

Maybe God will put us on display like Carrie Prejean - of The Rock Church in San Diego.  Carrie as Miss California was as a contestant for Miss America.  She got asked the politically loaded question “Do you think every state should legalize same-sex marriage?”  Carrie’s answer - based on her morals - her upbringing - her faith - Carrie’s answer:  “I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman.”  That answer probably cost her the title of Miss America.  Its an answer she’s been shredded for.

Or maybe God will put us on display like Shuang Shuying of Beijing, China - arrested multiple times - beaten - tortured - denied medical aid - went from 110 pounds down to 73 - lost her vision while serving her last sentence - released just in time to visit her husband just before he died.  Her crime?  She’s a Christian.

God hangs His masterpieces in the strangest places - in our homes - at work - at school - in this Humpty Dumpty world.  Sometimes the masterpieces get vandalized.  But we are God’s masterpiece.  May we hang for His glory.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.