“It’s all about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and universe big to say something about himself.” – John Piper
Sermon Title: GOD’S TROPHY OF GRACE
Sermon Text: EPHESIANS 2:1-10 (NIV)
Sermon Series: EPHESIANS: GOD’S PLAN FOR GOD’S PEOPLE
By: PTR NESTOR SY
Sermon Notes:
EPHESIANS 2:1-10 ESV
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We are God’s trophy of grace.
THE BAD NEWS OF OUR CONDITION (vv. 1-3)
ROMANS 5:12 ESV
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--
Unless we face the truth about our own condition, we can never be saved.
BUT GOD (vv. 4-7)
God doesn’t love us because we’re valuable. We’re valuable because God loves us.
BEYOND SALVATION (vv 8-10)
God’s work in us:
“we are his workmanship”
God’s work through us:
“created in Christ Jesus for good works”
You are saved for good works, not by good works.
Takeaway #1.
IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD.
“It’s all about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and universe big to say something about himself.”
John Piper