My sermon notes for Sunday morning, March 31^st. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. The notes are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:30 on Facebook. We also provide the services through  YouTube by Sunday afternoon.  You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

Ephesians 2:1-10

INTRO

• Easter Sunday.  He is Risen?
• Luke 24:36-49; Acts 1:1-11
• What now? What does this mean for us today?
• I am afraid we have turned Easter into and event.
  • Sunday best… going to church
  • Family gatherings
• Easter is about a person
• And the hope we have in that Person…JESUS
• As we consider:
  • Who we were without Christ
  • Who we are in Christ
  • Who we are for Christ

WITHOUT CHRIST

We are spiritually dead – v. 1

• Dead to spiritual things
  • Not sick, but dead
• In trespasses and sins

We are spiritually enslaved – vv. 2-3a

• Dead, but alive
• To the world
  • Values and morals apart from God’s truth
• To the devil
• To our own flesh
  • Sin nature

We are spiritually condemned – v. 3b

• Children of wrath

IN CHRIST

But God did something!

God’s rich mercy – v.4a

• Not getting what we do deserve

God’s great love – v. 4b

God’s immeasurable grace – v. 7

• Giving us what we do not deserve
• His Grace through Faith
• Precious gift of eternal life

We are alive together with Christ – v. 5

• Clothed with His righteousness
• Resurrection power…ALIVE

We are raised up in Christ – v. 6a

• Death to life
• New creation

We are seated with Christ – v. 6b

• Authority
• Lord and master

Colossians 3:1-4

made us alive … raised us up … seated us. These are historical events in the life of Christ: His resurrection from the dead and enthronement at the right hand of God. But Paul also applies them to believers. Paul teaches a union between Christ and those who come to trust in Him (1:3; Col. 3:1–4), so that what is said of the Redeemer can also be said of the redeemed. What once happened to Jesus will one day happen to believers as well (2 Cor. 4:16): they will be resurrected to glory at His return (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15). For the present, there is a new mind (4:23, 24; Rom. 12:1, 2), a new identity as God’s children (Rom. 8:14–17), and a new ability to live free from the control of Satan (Rom. 8:1–4; 2 Cor. 5:17). These realities are all part of what it means that the believer is united to Jesus Christ in His resurrection.

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2093.

FOR CHRIST

So that we may live for Christ.

• It is a gift
• His workmanship
  • Our value, purpose, mission
• For good works
  • Living for His glory
• Which God prepared before hand
  • GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES
• Walk in them
  • Daily, Passionately, Purposefully