When
you run to Jesus, everything changes!
Ephesians
2:1-10
Intro:
A
few weeks ago (1st Sunday in June) I tried to preach a message
entitled (If
only I could run away.) In that message I tried to talk about
the fact that (when
you run) everything changes. In that message I talked
about Elijah running from God and not really consulting God on what he should
do. Today, I want to tell you that if you run to Jesus, everything will change
for the good! Debits in your personal checking account are not always for
the good. Credits in your checking account are
for the good! So, for a little while this morning, I want to tell
you that
if you run to Jesus, everything will change.
Sometimes
change is difficult!
When
the railroads were first introduced to the
As
you may know, Mr. President, 'railroad' carriages are pulled at the enormous
speed of 15 miles per hour by 'engines' which, in addition to endangering
life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside,
setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children.
The Almighty God certainly never intended that people should travel at such
breakneck speed. Martin
Van Buren Governor of
Change
# 1
What
was dead is now alive! V. 1 and
V.5
The
Apostle Paul knew something about the process of change. He knew what it was
like to be dead in trespasses and sins and to be made alive unto Christ. The
story of Paul’s conversion is one of the most thrilling stories in the
Bible. Found in Acts 9, this story was a life
altering occasion for the then persecutor, killer of Christians.
As the light beamed its way out of Heaven on to the persecutors pathway Paul
became very much aware of the voice of God that said, “Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting Me?” Saul was confronted
with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and now here in Ephesians,
because of 1st hand experience he is saying to us that if we have
accepted Christ as our personal Savior then we are no longer dead in our trespasses
and sins but we are made alive by Christ Jesus because of the grace that was
offered to us by God in Heaven. I don’t know what your experience was
like when you got saved but I can tell you that it was the most life altering
experience I have ever had in my life. Going to
Change
# 1
I.
What was dead is now alive! V.
1 and V.5
Change
# 2
II.
What was worldly is now spiritual V.2-3 (slow down, make yourself understood,
please ask questions if you have any)
Paul
says (you once walked according to the course of this world.)
What
does it mean to walk according to the course of this world? Well, I'm so glad
you asked! When we were dead in trespasses and sins we were allowing the world
to set our agenda. We were allowing the flesh to take control!
In
what ways were we allowing the flesh to take control?
v.2
According to the prince and the power of the air.(Satan and evil forces) We
were first allowing the devil himself to cause us to march to the beat of
his own drum. We were taking our cues from the devil and it was all down hill
from there.
We
conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind. Our desires
were fleshly and our mind was saturated with that of a worldly approach to
life. We set out to fulfill the desires of the flesh. We wanted what we wanted
and no one else in the world was going to stop us.
Sad
fact. this process of following after the flesh is not only present prior
to salvation but sometimes creeps into the church among those who call themselves
Christian. Paul was writing to the
It's
too hot to have camp in June. Those seats are too hard for my frail body!
Preacher,
I just can't seem get into spending time in prayer for the services, I am
so busy!
Preacher,
I need to become like the world so I can win the world! Preacher, I need to
make some changes in my life so I can be more effective in evangelism, prayer,
I don't have time for Wednesday service-Campmeeting
because I have to reach people in my home and share scripture with them. No!!
what usually happens is this. When people make big changes in their life they
are usually hurting spiritually and they never once ask someone who is spiritual
what they ought to do. (Preacher, should I skip church regularly?) They start
laying out of church because they are too busy to take time for God!
Paul
is saying to us: Don’t continue, after you have become a Christian,
don’t continue in the path of fulfilling the desires of the flesh. Be
spiritually minded. Be filled with the Spirit!
Change
# 1
I.
What was dead is now alive! V.
1 and V.5
Change
# 2
II.
What was worldly is now spiritual V.2-3
Change
# 3
III.
What was separation is now heavenly satisfaction v. 6-7
Heavenly
satisfaction in this life?
Evidently! Actually---most certainly! What is it that causes Paul to say that
we can be elevated to sit in a heavenly place? How is it that in this life
we have the privilege of having a little bit of heaven to go to heaven in?
Before
we were saved we were dead in our trespasses and in our sins! Before, we walked
according to the course of this world. Before, we walked according to the
prince and the power of the air! Before, we were concerned with things of
the flesh rather than things of the Spirit! Before, we fulfilled the desires
of the flesh and of the mind. Before,
we were chasing after the world with all the strength that we had in us! Before,
we were scared to pillow our head at night because we were not at peace with
God! Before, we were bound by chains of sin. But God, who (v.4) is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, when we were
(emphasis on were) dead in our trespasses, I want you to know HE made us to
be alive together with Christ, by grace have you been saved, and you have
been raised up and you have been given the awesome privilege to sit together
in HEAVENLY places in Christ Jesus! What was separation is now heavenly satisfaction.
I love coconut pie! I love the dish my wife makes, Velveeta cheese and carrots,
I loved that Velveeta cheese that Bill gave me the other day during country
store, but I can tell you that I remember what it was like to be dead in trespasses
and sins! I can tell you what it was like to be following after the desires
of my own flesh! But thanks be to God, I can tell
you what it is like to sit together in heavenly places because I have been
raised from the dead! I have been made alive to Christ!
My
friends, what was separation is now heavenly satisfaction
because we have been raised up together in heavenly places!
(I'm
too far from where I've started and too close to where I'm going to think
of ever turning around, for my eyes are fixed on Jesus and I love this narrow
way, this old world holds no attraction, I'm heaven bound!
Change
# 1
I.
What was dead is now alive! V.
1 and V.5
Change
# 2
II.
What was worldly is now spiritual V.2-3
Change
# 3
III.
What was separation is now heavenly satisfaction v. 6-7