Alive from the Dead! Eph 2:1-5 Sermon Outline

Sermon Title:   Alive From the Dead!

Sermon Text:  Ephesians 2:1-5   deadness/reversed

(Introduction)

Attention:  One of the first Protestant Systematic Theology books starts with these words:  “True wisdom consists in two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”  This text will give us an honest look at ourselves and the God of the Bible.

Need:  Ephesians 2 is a foundational text that every Christian must use to interpret the rest of the Bible.  If you set this text off to the side, you will misunderstand other passages.  This one is foundational to biblical understanding.

Textual Idea: Paul teaches the Ephesian Christian’s about the reversal of their spiritual deadness.

Sermon Idea: People today need a Divine reversal of their spiritual deadness.

Interrogative:   Why do people today need a Divine reversal of their spiritual deadness?

Transition w/ Key Word: We will see in this text 3 reasons why we need a Divine reversal of our spiritual deadness.  The first reason is:

(Body)

Division 1 Statement   WE ARE STUCK IN OUR DEADNESS.  vs. 1, 5

Explanation:  All men are born spiritually dead.  Not weak, sick, but dead.  But God is spiritually alive.  Look at – word dead. Dead means dead.  Jesus and Lazarus were dead – Separated from life.  Eph. 2 – dead in the realm of sin.  Separated from spiritual life that comes from God.

Illustration:  When Adam wrecked the car of our spiritual life, he did not just dent the fender.  He totaled it.  Spiritually, before Christ was in our lives, we were like a corpse.  No pulse, no breath, no brain waves.  Totally separated from spiritual life.  Dead.

Argumentation:  Let’s take a moment and compare Scripture w/ Scripture.  In Rom. 3:10-23 Paul argues that there is none righteous, no one who seeks for God.  In 1 Cor. 2:14 he boldly asserts that the natural man is completely unable to understand spiritual truth.

Application:  Spiritual life comes from God.  He is the source.  Thus, we must ask God to give – lost hearts of flesh, remove hearts of stone.  We must give God the praise for our salvation.  Look at your God in this text.  Isn’t He great?  Awesome.  He loves sinners, makes the dead alive.  When we were w/o strength, Christ died for the ungodly. We must pray and share as if the lost are spiritually dead, because they are.  Not weak, dead.  But we can pray to the Holy One who can make then alive.  Trust God.  Believe His book.

Transition:  Not only are we stuck in our deadness, but the next reason why we need a Divine reversal of our spiritual deadness is:

Division 2 Statement WE ARE POWERLESS TO CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR.  vs. 2-3

Explanation: We cannot produce significant, eternal, lasting, permanent change on our own for the right reasons and with the right motives.  Here is why -Look at the word Walk – walk of life, conduct, lifestyle of – dead, living sinfully. Prince – air – is Satan.  How does he work?  Works effectively in deceived followers. In Whom? Children of disobedience.  Major characteristic = disobedience Living among = acting just like the other pagans, under the control of the lust of our flesh.

Illustration: Thomas Boston – Scottish theologian – unconverted man is like a man in a pit, he may get out 1 of 2 ways, climb side of the pit, get out by works, or pull himself up by the gospel rope.  But – man has a slight problem, he is dead bottom pit.  Think of fish floating top Neuse river, goes w/ current, and a hard task masker pushes it even faster by shoving w/ oar from boat, and since fish is dead, it follows – direction of current and task masker.

Argumentation: Let’s leave our text for a moment and see broader context of the Bible.  Can this idea be supported elsewhere? Psa. 51 tells us we were conceived in sin – Spiritually dead.  Born w/ a sin nature, therefore we sin by nature. 1 Tim. 5:6 “She who lives in pleasure is dead, even while she lives.”  We love our sin, and enjoy its pleasure while seeking to drown its guilt.

Application: Why do dogs bark? Dogs.  The lost act the way they do, because – lost.  How do you change a society?  One heart at a time.  How do you permanently change a drunk or a thief?  Is it enough to get a guy sober for a few years by a program, if he still ends up in hell?  Only the gospel applied makes eternal changes.  The dead are powerless to change themselves.  Reformation w/o regeneration is of some, but little value.  Jesus’ power is needed for real change that lasts.

Transition: So the first reason why we need a Divine reversal of our spiritual deadness is we are stuck in our deadness, the second is we are powerless to change our behavior, and the third reason we need a Divine reversal of our spiritual deadness is:

Division 3 Statement WE ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE GOD’S GIFTS.  vs. 4-5

Explanation:  Look at your God in vs. 4-5, He is rich mercy, overabounding in compassion, not giving us all we deserve, He has a great love, an amazing love for wicked lost sinners.  He has great grace – unearned loving favor, giving us the opposite we have earned, salvation comes by His grace.  Now, can a spiritual corpse receive beneficially mercy, love, or grace?  No.  It all about God.  First, He makes us alive, the dead get a resurrection just like Jesus and connected w/ Jesus’ resurrection.  We were powerless; He raised us from the dead.  To God be the glory!  Regeneration changes everything!  Now should we not trust a God like this?

Illustration:  In 1978 and 1979 there was a drunk that tried to quit drinking over and over again.  It would last for only weeks.  But then, God took him to the bottom of the barrel.  He lost 4 thos. saved money in an investment, lost his job, girlfriend, and found himself in Great Lakes, IL. For Navy boot camp.  He finally surrendered to Christ, that 1st day, after 18 ¾ years of running from God.  That drunk stands before you now, and because of Jesus, he has been sober for 25 ½ years.  The power of the gospel to make the dead alive, the bound set free.  To God be the glory, Great things He has done!

Argumentation:  Now, consider our inability while spiritually dead from a few other places in the Bible. Col. 2:13 “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven all your trespasses.”  1 Cor. 6:10-11, Thieves, drunkards, and such were some of you, but you were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.  Bible is clear, God makes the difference.

Application:  God is in the business of raising the dead.  Jonah was right, salvation is of the Lord.  For lasting change reformation must follow regeneration.  Otherwise, you are making them double the sons of hell, still owing the debt of their sin, but now trusting in their own goodness for salvation.  Only God can take out a heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh.  Don’t pray for the lost to have more time in their deadness, pray for their spiritual resurrection.

Transition: We have seen in this text 3 reasons why we need a reversal of our spiritual deadness.

(Conclusion)

Visualization:  If you go to a graveyard w/ no visitors, & yell out, Anyone who desires this $10,000.00 case of money, come and get it.”  How many dead men will be able to respond?  NONE.  But join the prophet Ezekiel preaching to dead men’s bones.  When the Holy Spirit gives life to the dead, the living will respond.  “But God made us alive.”  He alone get the credit.

Reiteration: So the first reason why we need a Divine reversal of our spiritual deadness is we are stuck in our deadness, the second is we are powerless to change our behavior, and the third is we are unable to receive God’s gifts while spiritually dead.

Action:  Pray that those who live like they are lost will have a spiritual resurrection.  Don’t assure the dead that they have a free pass to heaven.   The front of the church building is a place of prayer in a Baptist church, but not a magical spot.  Our motive in coming forward should be to embrace Christ by repentance and faith because the Holy Spirit has opened their hearts to the truth of the Word of God, not to empress someone or help our business.

Appeal:  Only Jesus saves.  Don’t assume the dead are alive because they are in a worship service.  If they are committed to the lifestyle of the dead they may still be spiritually dead.  The spiritual resurrection of the dead is where the new life begins.  Pray for the spiritually dead and trust God – believe Him to do a work with Divine power in their live.  Our God has the power to save, call on Him in faith.  Surrender to Him as Lord.  Now is the time to surrender and to call on Jesus to do what only He can do.