After giving the grand view of God’s plan in chapter 1, Paul turns His focus on how this plan changes peoples lives. He puts it so clearly. “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.” (Eph 2:1-2a NLT) It is amazing that Paul can make a universal statement that applies so specifically to everyone. It is so true that I was once dead in sin. Yes a church boy like me was dead. For me personally my sin was in thinking that I could gain God’s approval by my efforts. There are two words that Paul uses, transgressions and sins. The NLT calls it disobedience and sins. Essentially there are those things that we knowingly disobey and other things that are wrong pursuits whether we knew it or not. Both lead the person to death, spiritually, emotionally and eternally.
The cause of this is following “the devil- the commander of the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
Bob Dylan wrote the song “Gotta Serve Someone in 1979. And John Lenon wrote a song to mock Dylan’s work called: Serve Yourself. It is so interesting that both Dylan and Lenon were in agreement with Paul. In the end it leads to death. This is not the plan that God has for the people that He loves.
BUT GOD! That’s a big but.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Don’t read over this too fast. God is so rich in mercy. I have heard of people who had money to burn. I have personally never experienced that, but I have heard of others with that problem. God is rich in mercy. He has mercy to burn. Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that God wastes his mercy. His mercy is well placed. And even though you might think it was wasted because you made blew it. God doesn’t see it that way. He knows that His mercy will find it’s place.
God loves us so much. Paul includes himself here. He says God loves me. I am sure Paul said that with wonder. God loves me. I believe the most important thing that a human can do is to tell themselves, Yes Jesus loves me. God’s action is based upon His character. He loves because He is love. He cannot disown himself.
God’s love sparks His grace, the undeserved power of God at work. The minute that it becomes about anything other than God it ceases to be grace. When you are at your end you are at the place of miracle. When you can’t do it, God is about to do it, if you will let Him.
Now look at the full picture here. God joins us together with Christ in heavenly places. The tense of this is now. We, together, are seated with Christ, together in heavenly places. We are seated with each other and with Him. Our position determines our perspective. The wrong perspective can cause a poor judgement. Football fans can relate to this. That is why there is now the booth review. With the cameras and slow motion and zoom there is a better chance of getting the call right. There is a hint of things to come here. If you are struggling with the “togetherness” with each other, than you will struggle with the “togetherness” in Christ and you will lose your perspective. The result is you become judgmental.
God has made us into examples of His kindness in ages to come. For all eternity God wants to put you on display as a testament of God’s love, His kindness, and His ability. Last night I tweeted a response to Pastor Dani’s tweet to me. She said “I’m pretty sure we as a church family are on the edge of something great.” I love that expectancy. This was my response: “I’m ready for God to do something so amazing that people will have to say God did that, because they aren’t smart enough or good enough but He is.” Let’s be the display of God’s grace.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Salvation is activated when you believe. This is key. God has done the work in Christ Jesus. It is free. You can’t earn it. It is only available when you believe. You must quite relying on yourself and trust God’s work completely.
WE ARE GOD’s MASTERPIECE! I have had the joy of seeing some amazing things that God has created. Niagra Falls, The Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, The Great Oceans, Margot (my wife), but none of these are the masterpiece. We are God’s masterpiece. The amazing work of God in our lives, that is when grace is amazing.
Now check this out God has prepared us and the work for us that He has intended for us to get to be a part of this perfect plan. This plan has been in motion for a long time. It is ready for us to be a part.
Oneness and Peace in Christ
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Have you ever been on the outside looking in? Paul reminds the reader what it was like so that the heart would be one to be together. How can we make people today feel like they are on the outside looking in? Does this happen in the church? OK let’s turn this positive, how can we bring people together? How can we make people feel accepted? If we are going to friend someone to Christ we must first know how to be a friend.
This may sound weird, but if you feel like you don’t fit in anywhere, then you fit here! Some of you may have heard me talk about Crazy Steve before. When I was pastor in the KC area I was also driving school bus to help make a living. One of my stops was at a middle school. One day as I drove into the bus line I noticed another bus driver outside his bus practicing martial arts. Now let me assure you he didn’t look like Bruce Lee or anything. Another time at that school when I drove up I saw him looking intently at the sky. He told me he was a storm chaser and he didn’t like the look of the clouds forming in the west. I made a comment about a meteorologist on the local news channel. Crazy Steve informed me he was able to forecast storms better than this meteorologist. Another day as we were waiting for the students I began to share a little bit with Crazy Steve about God’s goodness and I invited him to church. I knew he would come and sure enough he did. When he entered our little church he arrived late. The music was playing as Crazy Steve danced down the isle wearing a black 10 gallon hat. He chose a seat next to a reserved member of our church who was a physician. He nodded his head the hat rolled down his arm and he gave a quick twist of his wrist to tuck his hat under his arm.That morning I shared of God’s love and grace. By the end of the service, Steve had his arm around Dr. Miller swaying back and forth as God showed him his love.
Crazy Steve kept us in stitches. One day after church we noticed that Steve had pulled over a car while driving his blue Ford Ranger with lights. Steve was not a police officer at the time at all, but he told us that the driver looked suspicious. A little crazy right? Another time Steve was helping me move something in that Ford Ranger. As we backed out of our drive a heard: “beep beep beep.” You guessed it Steve had installed back up warnings on his Ford Ranger.
Later that day as I was preparing to move to IL, Steve said, Matt I know that people think I am little strange, but you showed me that God loves even me. And God can do something great even in me. People the Church is for Crazy Steve’s and reserved Dr. Miller and those Messed up Marvin's.
A Temple for the Lord
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.


A Temple for the Lord
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Living in South Florida I have been amazed at the stories of different people that have come to this nation. I count it a real privilege to be born a citizen with the opportunities afforded to me. A few years ago I went to Cuba. When we landed in Havana and proceeded through customs I noticed the people waiting to see their family arrive. Then when we left the look in the peoples eyes struck me. There seemed to be such a longing for the freedom that I have so freely.
In Christ there are no outsiders looking in. Instead we all have been given the incredible Grace of God. And we are made to be a part. This is where God lives by His Spirit. God dwells in that place where those who were once outside looking in are made a part. God’s Spirit dwells where people are together in the grace work of God.
It is one thing to speak of the beauty of dwelling together in unity. It is quite another to work towards building that place of unity and togetherness.

• What can you do to build this place of unity and togetherness?
• Living in a place of great diversity has its challenges. What challenges does New Hope have in building unity and togetherness (community)?
• With unique challenges come unique blessings. What unique blessing does God have in store for us at New Hope as we build this unity, togetherness, this community?