A Reality Check

Well tonight I'm preaching from a favorite passage and let me give you a little history I was with my daughter Abigail, her husband and we were in the car traveling somewhere together and out of the blue. Abigail said if you could only preach one sermon, what would you preach and what would it where would it be from lots like asking a kid in the candy store what your favorite candy right so you know I gave a couple minutes thought to that and I told her I said I think is upset me right now in here not question cold I think would be Ephesians chapter 2, the first 10 verses I give her some reasons why that was so since then I've had time to think about that and thinking okay if not you have more time to think about it. Is there anything else you would nurse lots of places that you can never lose you mean you know what I'm saying you go anywhere you go in the Bible is rich, but in terms of places that I would go.

I still think I still think I would go to Ephesians chapter 2 say will why will you know it's a subjective thing, but there's some objectivity to it just as well a number one because it it sets before us with clarity man's true spiritual condition. Outside of Christ, and has the order correct doesn't tell us about the love of God, it doesn't tell us about the purposes of God until it sets before us what our condition is outside of Christ, and will never appreciate because it talks about the love of God, but will never appreciate the love of God until we understand it in the context of the bad news of what we are outside of Christ.

I like it because it exalts God and humbles me. I love it because it sets Jesus Christ before us in those first 10 verses five or six times Christ is mentioned or Christ Jesus is mentioned in it. It takes us back to every blessing we know and have experienced and will experience is grounded in source in the person of Jesus Christ and what he did on Calvary's are looking for that and the fact that it's such a God centered passage. The man is needs is there but it starts with God and his deeds not first banning his his needs. While it speaks to man his needs and how God's remedy perfectly fits man's true condition. No doctor is very handicapped. If he doesn't have the ability to accurately diagnose the patient that comes to them for treatment. Maybe the best doctor in the world, but if he misses the diagnosis, then that which he prescribes for the cure will be off man's true condition. His diagnosis is set before us. Crystal clear, and the beauty is that God's remedy for man's condition since his knee is dead in his trespasses and sins.

What's God's remedy.

He makes us alive were dead. We need to be made alive.

So the some of the reasons that this passages so favor to me and how rich it is in gospel centeredness look back through my record of sermons and I can only remember or find a record where I preach this one time.

The church that will fit your favorite.

You've only been here. What well I've heard others preach from it, and I've probably taught from Sunday school and made many, many references to it, but let me just set a a very simple outline before you that really gets to the heart of these 10 verses and then on move away from that outline and take a different approach.

K. So in verses 2 to 3 we see the answer to a question. What is that correct question.

Who is man who we were. If you want to write down Rome I who we were, who we were and what were we like what was our condition while we were dead we were disobedient we were sons of disobedience. We were deceived and that we were given to the loss of the flesh, and following the course of this world and taking orders from the devil himself in the fourth day we were doomed. We were doomed. We were children of wrath, the wrath of God was hanging over us.

That's what we were.

Another reason I love this passages the first two words of verse four but God, not because of obligation, but because he wanted to he will do a desire to do something about our sinful condition.

But God so verses one through three. What we were verses four through six.

What God did. So who we were, what God did. God made us alive. God raised us up with Christ. God you see the passage there, seated us in the heavenly places, raised us up together and finally verses seven through 10. Not only who we were and what God did, why, why God did, such as a simple outline ever get an opportunity to preach street preacher, what, wherever I can think of a better place to go. I think it's fairly easy to remember that outline who, what and why, but for our purposes tonight wanted I want to deal with the passage but I want to do it in such a way that it has it has a confronting appeal to it. It is, it's, it's confrontational. It's it's a reality check. It's a reality check in. I pretty much know who's going to be here on Sunday night but I don't know who's going to be listening by lifestream or who may visit sermon audio and pulled us up and listen so as a preacher.

Now, after I have to think beyond just the audience that's present here. I was thrilled six or eight years ago. Member the church came to me and said you know my brother said you have met your brother talk to Mrs. God save him civil praise the Lord hallelujah he said he used to sermon you preached your beacon listen to on the radio or on the sermon audio God views that instrumentally and bring them to Christ. What's humbling to know is encouraging to know because the word of God has a kind of power doesn't is the power to save as a power to transform you have the power to give life to those who are dead, so reality check want to give you three grim realities that you need to deal with. If you're a believer the night God and his grace has enabled you to deal with these three grim realities.

But if you're here tonight in your lost, here are the grim realities number one, you've got a God sized problem. You got a God sized problem at all with that in a moment number two you have a serious lack of power. Number three.

You've got an inborn resistance to grace those are three grim realities that I'll bring in concluding emphasis at the end of the message but let's walk through these three grim realities. Grim reality number one, you've got a God sized problem.

A God sized problem is if your biggest problem is ignorance and you can probably get some education. If your biggest problem is inner conflict, relational conflict, you can get some biblical counseling to help with that.

If you're drowning you just might be able to claw your way and make your way to save ground but you did. If you're dead spiritually.

I think that's really a misunderstood idea. What is it mean to be dead in trespasses and sins him alive. It means your dad toward God. You have your natural man, the Bible makes a distinction. There are two categories, there's the natural man and there is the spiritual man and everybody born into this world comes into this world is a natural man in the natural man receives not the things of the spirit because there foolishness to him. Neither can he know them. So in terms of his is a natural man he's dead toward God.

He can't relate to God he can't do anything that pleases God because there is a barrier between him and God, and it is a sin bearer and that sin barrier needs to be dealt with our passage tonight. Ephesians 2133 speaks, the father God sized problem we have.

Let me read it again and you pay made alive. You know is you look through this passage carefully you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Verse five even when we were dead in trespasses, he made us alive.

You see again the connection between our condition and God's remedy for our condition. He starts with what God did for us and you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins in winch in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the year. The spirit and now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others in terms of salvation.

Does that condition that's being described. Therefore's doesn't sound like you and I outside of Christ can do anything for ourselves spiritually is raining we can do to remedy this deadness and we have doesn't sound like you're a key player in your salvation you a key player in your salvation you been around your long, you know what we do to taken members of the go through a discipling program with the site of the cycler render their testimony come before the membership committee render that and then come before the congregation render their testimony and we don't write people's testimony for them. We listen to their testimony because God brings people to Christ through various providences in ways we all have a journey in grace. But one thing were looking for.

When we listen to somebody render their testimony were listening for I works I did this I did that I did this or that and if that gets somehow confused with how they came to Christ, we say way mentor. What's your part in this art. One man say here's my part, I send, and God saved.

That's my part was I sin I did send in God saving know it sounds to me like were not key players in our salvation. Because what is our condition how bad off.

Are you how bad off. Are we. I don't know. A description more hopeless than being dead in trespasses and sins sound like a dead man can do much for himself so left to ourselves spiritually. We can even see our need, let alone grasp the wonder of the gospel.

Second Corinthians 4 forces, the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, dead in our trespasses and sins, blinded by the evil one.

We've got a God sized problem that is grim reality.

Number one, grim reality, number two, you've got a serious lack of power you've got a serious lack of power because, given the condition that we are in an and is described for us in verse three of those words in verse four were not there. There's no hope for us. But God had God not come to rescue. Had God not send his son to save to save those who were lost. If God did not send his son to give his life a ransom for many. If God had not sent him to redeem and to reconcile us unto himself that God had not given his son, the common be the propitiation for our sins and the bare our sins in his own body on the tree there be no hope for us. But God, who is rich in mercy, how rich in mercy as he rich enough to dispense mercy to every single one of us and not impoverish himself one bit enough mercy for any and every one will bow the knee and acknowledge their knee and come to Jesus. God was rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us what why why is God set his love on us for the Bible tells us that God set his love on the elect. The foundations of the world, so that tells us logically that has nothing to do with you or me has nothing to do with our performance has nothing to do with our marriage or our demerits. God loves because he is love. He sets his love on the wells it is prerogative to do that is under no obligation. One thing that should grip us is the fact that God had no remedial plan for the fallen angels. They fell once no second chance no damage and no salvation. Rescue no for the fallen angels, what, why were we treated similarly. That's a good question. I asked God was under no obligation. His character is his. His personhood is not diminished. One Betty, his glory will be manifested in the just judgment of sinners, so he was under no obligation we should stand in awe of a God who would set his love on us analysts all thoughts. John 316. The emphasis is on the nature of that love God so loved us that he gave his only begotten son.

I can comprehend my love for my only son is so far below the love that the father has for the sun but does it just as a human father to think that I would give my son and if the quality of my son and his ability was that he could save others. I still would be like. I'm not sure I'm willing to give up my son for you or for anybody else but God did not is because of this grim reality.

We have a serious lack of power there wasn't anything we could do to save ourselves. Listen to Romans chapter 5 verses six through 10 for when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, much more than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Three things there and those few verses, Christ died for us. Number one, verse six.

While we were helpless we were totally helpless. Nothing we could do to help ourselves verse eight while we were sinners, Christ died for us and number three verse 10.

While we were enemies, Christ died for us dead in trespasses and sins.

You know the condition of the corpse really makes no difference if were talking about deadness right dead is dead.

A resurrection is needed.

In either case, if there's going to be life restored and is no more difficult for God to save a big center than it is for him to save a little sunlight. Think you might think that your sin is too great.

Your past is to sort listen to me there's more grace in God's heart than there is sin in your past. I there's more grace and God's heart than there is sin in your past.

I don't care who you are.

I don't care what you've done.

So that's an awfully nice sentiment is ready Scripture to back that up. Hebrews 7 verse 25 says therefore he is able to save to the uttermost to the other most those who come to God through him. That's good news folks. That's good news.

All of us have a past. I don't know anybody who has a clean past. I don't know how you know anybody who doesn't have a basket in some respects they wish they could go back and relive. We all the past but God is rich in mercy, so were dealing with three grim realities.

Grim reality number one, you've got a God sized problem.

Grim reality. Number two.

You've got a serious lack of power and reality. Number three.

You've got an inborn resistance to grace as I think about that. There's two categories of people I have in mind there's a group of people who are so racked with guilt and they just can't believe that God would forgive them freely in Christ Jesus for everything they've done have gone places that I'm ashamed even mention I've done things. I'm so guilty I'm so ashamed I've so sin there's there. There's no way God would save me. There was no way God would show mercy to me when you explain grace to them. They just can't accept that they can't receive it because they just don't see themselves as candidate is they will have a hard time envisioning somebody you think that way.

Let me let me come at it from another direction. I know spouse who prayed for their lost me endured a difficult marriage because what fellowship has light with her. How can two walk together unless the B-1 so here's a spouse who's a believer here's spouse is an unbeliever. Toward the end of that unbelievers life. There was strong evidence that God had mercy and say that person now, what would you think would be the response of that spouse who prayed for that lost spouse for 40 years.

You think they'd be rejoicing.

I was dumbfounded when I heard they were angry, they were literally father troubled upset kidding me. After all, they did to me.

I'm supposed to be a difficult time believing that God could justify us declare us righteous despite what we've done despite with someone else's and you what that person is failing to acknowledge is God didn't sweep sin under the rug right all that sin that was forgiven was paid for by him who bore our sins upon the tree right so that forgiveness came at a great cost.

Therefore, there is reason for rejoicing a second on a person's struggles with grace is a self-righteous person. They do volunteer work they've never been in trouble with the law. They've got a bad shortlist of pins as long as every Sunday school class. Perfect attendance for 30 some years there. The kind of person that always returns the shopping cart to the place never leaves it in the parking lot never cheated on her taxes never cheated on their spouse that hard time with grace was that will have been a good person.

Look at me compared to someone so I think with a lot of folks like that around us who think that relatively speaking, there pretty good shape before God. The problem is twofold. They've not fully appreciated the holiness of God love these little glimpses in the Gospels where men are encountering the Lord Jesus Christ, whose glory is failed by his humanity. But every every few times there's a number times in the gospel accounts were his glory shines through one of those times is when he's in a boat fishing with Peter and you never would. Peter did when he realized who he was in the boat with he had just done some horrible thing that made him acutely conscious of his sin, but they are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He realized he was in the presence of not just the person but the God man he felt was needed in the boat and he said, depart from the Lord, for I am a sinful man is what he did. Failure to appreciate the holiness of God and until we do, whatever be gripped by our sinfulness.

So there's this pressure to bring God down and elevate my know this inborn resistance to grace.

The fact is sometimes a more crippled we are by sin, the better our chances of seeing our need and being ready to receive the grace of God because grace is the unexpected. It is the unearned love of God and Christ Jesus.

Romans chapter 5 I made reference to this in Sunday school this morning where we were answering the question, why did Jesus, and we came up with 18 or 20 correct answers to that question, but one of the answers to that question. Why did Jesus come is he came to undo is the second Adam what the first Adam failed to do listen to Romans chapter 5 for verses there and listen to the emphasis in the reference to the free gift or the gift. Romans five verse 15 but the free gift is not like the offense for if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many in the gift is not like that which came through the one who sin for the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life of an think and through a series of messages that I've thought about entitling urban legends, things that people say in Christendom in the church that under careful examination are really falsehoods miss caricatures of Scripture and the one that comes online right now that would be in that series, and you've heard this maybe even said it made even believe it yourself. God helps those who help themselves to hear that from the guy you work beside you hear that from the clerk at the grocery store that's the way people think God helps those who can't help themselves and those of the only kind of people.

God helps Titus chapter 3 verse four and five but when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us through what the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. Many a man will fail to come to Christ in this life because he's hanging on to something. He believes grandson Mary before God and asked why Agusta stalk ladies him is so powerful when he's penned these words, not the labors of my hands can fulfill the law's demands. Could my zeal, no respite, no. Could my tears forever flow all first sin could not atone. Thou must save, and thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling naked come to the for dress helpless look to the for grace file I to the fountain fly wash me Savior or I die. That's it and it's a frightening thing. It's a difficult thing to be in a place where were shut up. We have no hope. There's nothing we can do work. We must cast ourselves upon the mercy of God on the old man who God was dealing with for a significant period of time and he was under the conviction of sin being exercised by the spirit of God, but he was really unsure of whether God had saved him and he said that he finally came to this place look to God and said, Lord, if I'm going to be saved. I'm going to be saved by trusting you. The best way I know how. I don't know my facings deficient I don't seem to have an assurance, but if I'm going to hell I'm going to hell. Believe in you. The best way I know how let's work of grace in a man's heart and life. He wasn't presuming upon the grace of God. He knowingly showed up to the mercy of God and of God didn't have mercy on him.

He was doomed. He was lost forever, so three grim realities. You've got a God size problem. You've got a serious lack of power and you've got any inborn resistance to grace I can say more about that in fact they may say just one more word about that inborn resistance it seen in people who profess to know Jesus Christ and they are confronted with the doctrines of grace and they bow up. Don't you tell me that God is in charge of who is saved and who is not. You know what I'm talking about. That is an inborn resistance to grace. Man's pride rises up money deal with the last few verses here of the passage Ephesians 4 because it tells us why God dispense mercy why he made alive, those who were dead why he gave his son verse seven that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God is couple of verses answer very important question why does God save people if he's under no obligation to do so gets to the motive it gets to it at answers the why question.

The first reason God came to save us is to display his grace God wants to put those that he's redeemed on display as trophies of grace. This is exhibit a of the manifestation of my grace. God is saying and he wants to manifest. He wants to display he wants to show throughout all the ages he says that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, so were to be shown where to be manifest for whose benefit with angels to demons to humans and anyone anyone else who might catch a glimpse of God's generosity. So the first purpose. The first reason for God saving us is for his own glory to draw attention to him that we might be trophies of his grace and regardless of how beautiful and how splendor the trophy might be the trophies only to point us to the one who earned the trophy right so it's all about him. See throughout eternity. People are going to be asking who are the redeemed. Let me see them when they see us. The redeemed the going to be saying where's the Redeemer where's the Redeemer I want to see the Redeemer. Let me see the person who could take such broken Martin*sinful people and make them trophies like this I want to see him. That's what heaven will be like in the second purpose of salvation to the first is more directed toward God. The second is more directed toward us. The second purpose of God. Salvation is directed to us.

God was rich in mercy, because of his great love which which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. Why did God stoop to save whenever one to show the glories of his grace, but number two in this realm, to do us good for all eternity to do us everlasting good to lavish grace upon us to show divine favor to us. That's why God did what he did and when God sets his love on a people and makes them his own adopt them into his family makes the mayors of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What can we say we can say the psalmist concludes Psalm 23. Regardless of how long we live if we live long indoor years were going to be able to say you know what goodness and mercy as follow me all the days of my life and I'm gonna dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Goodness and mercy. That's kind of God is he delights in showing goodness and mercy and doing people God, everlasting, good.

You may say what what is the connection here to the Lord's table. Will the application to this message tonight is to provoke you to cause you to have a greater appreciation for what God is done for you to deepen your worship to review again.

Take due this reality check to realize who you are what you are what God did, why God did all of that and I love what one of the great theologians of the past has to say. He says gratitude follows grace gratitude follows grace like thunder follows lightning gratitude follows grace like thunder follows lightning. So if your heart has been moved to gratitude has been moved in worship tonight as we thought about this and consider these wonderful truths then as we bow in Lincoln reflect on Christ and his cross work there something amiss in your heart. You and I don't know how you could sit here and be miserable. Instead, at the same time be a born-again believer. If you're a believer you heard the preaching from this great passage talking your heart not be stirred.

How can your heart not be provoke to gratitude and and an appreciation and love and a desire to sale God.

I want to partake of these elements tonight. I'll not remember the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't remember his body that he gave the body you prepared for him. How I remember his shed blood all that he did for me and I want to reflect on my life and whatever life I have left that I want to live as an offering to God in gratitude for all he's done for me into deepen our appreciation for what is done in making this a part of this body and not some other body that were a family.

This is a family and the more you're here, the deeper the ties grow and we we bleed with one another. We weep with one another.

We rejoice with one another. We bear one another's burdens. All that's tied up in communion or one body we so let me bow and praying vestibule, and will transition to the Lord's table service.

Father how we thank you tonight for the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. How your gospel is so fitted to our need and how your gospel so takes away any effort that man could bring to accomplish salvation so that in your presence. No man can boast snowman will boast when when we are in your presence. We will be preoccupied in worship of you for what you did for us that we could never have done for ourselves.

Thank you for your word that exalts the Lord Jesus Christ and humbles man sets before us, our Savior and such wonderful ways because your word to bear fruit in our lives. We pray for Jesus sake. Amen