Teaching Tuesday: What Are We Doing Here? - Alive in Christ

Series: What Are We Doing Here?
Sermon: Alive in Christ - Ephesians 2:1-10 (1.19.25)

Sunday we studied Paul’s words to the Christians in Ephesus (Ephesians 2:1-10).
 
Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
 
Before we were immersed into Jesus we were dead in our sins and followed the ways of Satan.

When we realized that Jesus’ grace (His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave) was because He loved us we committed our lives to Him.
 
Now we are alive in Christ.
 
Ephesians 2:44 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
 
Now we are new in Christ.
 
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...
 
Now we are blessed in Christ.
 
Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
 
We have gone from death to life because we accepted Jesus.
 
Jesus promised this life if we believe in Him.
 
John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live."
 
The Apostle John writing from Ephesus toward the end of his natural life reminded Christians in Asia Minor that they had passed from death to life because of Jesus. The proof that they were alive in Christ is because they loved each other.
 
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
 
Can you prove you are alive in Christ because you love your brothers and sisters?
 
John recorded Jesus saying this in His ministry:
 
John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
 
Loving others is key to living a Christian life. If we are not loving, we are not good disciples and we must keep growing in our dedication to the way of Jesus.
 
Jesus also taught us to love everyone; our neighbor and our enemy.
 
Love your neighbor.
 
Mark 12:28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
 
Love your enemy.
 
Matthew 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
 
Love is the proof that you are in Christ.
Love is the proof you have passed from the death of sin into the life of righteousness.
 
Love one another
 
Two quick applications.
1.     Love those who disagree with you.
2.     Love those who have not been born.
 
Love the Pre-Christian and love the Pre-born.
 
As Christians, we are spiritually alive in Christ.
 
In light of this past Sunday being the Sanctity of Life Sunday I want us to think about physical life for the pre-born. With Roe v Wade being overturned the battle is now on a state level to protect innocent children in the womb.
 
Let’s love the child enough to make a difference.
Let’s love the mother enough to make a difference.
Let’s love the father enough to make a difference.
 
If you didn’t pick up a baby bottle to fill to help support the Pregnancy Care Center you can donate online.
 
Donate to one of MCC’s supported missions to save babies and parents: https://www.pregnancyresourcecenter.org/donations/
 
Support the miracle of life by supporting the life of the unborn.
 
Below are some sites to remind us that the “fetus” (an unborn offspring) is alive. Dictionary definition - Fetus, from the Latin meaning - an offspring of a human or other mammal in the stages of prenatal development that follow the embryo stage (in humans taken as beginning eight weeks after conception).
 
In the medical world, we say a person is brain-dead if there are no brain waves. That should mean that where there are brain waves the person is alive. A baby in the womb has brain waves by six weeks of fertilization. By the way, her heart has already been beating for three weeks. The baby in the womb is alive and is worthy to be protected from those who want to harm her.
 
Let’s grow together in Jesus’ love,
Pastor Jim
 
Resources
Living Alternatives (MCC-supported mission): https://www.pregnancyresourcecenter.org/
 
Illinois Right to Life: https://illinoisrighttolife.org/
 
Miracle of Life: https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/your-body/inside-pregnancy-weeks-1-to-9_10302602
 
Minds are changed by watching a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xWQHhqOAcg and: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxou1UADa4E
 
Development of a baby: https://illinoisrighttolife.org/science-of-life/ and: https://www.babycenter.com/2_inside-pregnancy-weeks-1-to-9_10302602.bc
 
WARNING: Gruesome videos of what an abortion looks like: https://www.abortionprocedures.com/ and https://www.livingwaters.com/movie/180movie/