Ephesians 2:11-22
To Detest Who We Were vv.11-12
- Separated from Christ
- Alienated and Strangers
- Hopeless and Godless
Philippians 3:18 “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”
In order to have a healthy view of who we were, we must grasp a biblical view of the gospel and conversion.
“Have we heard the gospel? Have we believed it with our lives or are we still playing at religion? Do we attend church occasionally when our curiosity is up or our guilt is aroused, while regularly and with great satisfaction serving ourselves first? To really hear the gospel is to be shaken to your core. To really hear the gospel is to change. Have you heard the gospel- not a soothing word about goodness, or about God’s acceptance, or about Jesus’s inoffensive willingness to befriend all and sundry, or even some convicting word about getting rid of some sin your life? Have you heard the Bible’s great message about God? Does it sound like the best news you’ve ever heard. Old sins forgiven! New life begun! A personal relationship with your God, your Creator, now and forever! What better news could you hear? – Mark Dever
To Declare What Christ Did vv.13-18
- Made a Bridge v.13
- Brought peace v.14
- Made us one vv.14-16
- Destroyed Separation vv.14-16
- Preached peace v.17
- Access to God v.18
“We need to ask God what he values in his church because we love his gospel in our lives and we want to accomplish his mission in the world. The church is the means God has established for the defense, display, and declaration of the gospel. God has designed this distinct community called the church to satisfy and gratify his people while we spread his grace among all peoples.” – David Platt
To declare what Christ did we must have a biblical view of expositional preaching and biblical evangelism. Expositional preaching is proclaiming a passage of Scripture in context, taking the point of the passage to be the point of the message. The benefit is nourishment and not preaching to felt needs, or the pastor’s comfort. According To the Bible, evangelism is simply telling the good news; it does not include making sure that the other person responds to it correctly. The fruit of evangelism comes from God, not from our clever techniques or personal passion for what we are doing.
2 Cor. 5:15 “and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
To Develop Into What We Should Become vv.19-22
We are called to grow as we see in verse 21.
- Citizens of God’s Kingdom v.19
- Members of the household of God v.19
- Building Blocks in the temple of God v.20-22
To develop into what we should become, we must have a biblical view of discipleship. We can always run further and faster with a coach. We must be concerned with growing spiritually! Just because a plant grows and is green, doesn’t mean that it will produce fruit. It may in fact be a weed, an undesirable plant. Developing in Christian maturity means being a student of and practitioner of God’s Word, in which you are being poured into and you are pouring into others to fellow Christ. (Discipleship is the receipt of continual life!)
2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”