Sermon Recap — December 3, 2023

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:26-27

“All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him, the iniquity of us all” Isaiah 53:6

“Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in this world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace” Ephesians 2:12-14

Once in the wilderness of our sin
We wandered lost and without hope
Into our desert waste, God in grace
Came to restore and bring us home
Let the redeemed of God rise up and sing
You take the darkness and make it as light
Hearts that were dead in sin, You raise to life
You take a barren place and make it a spring
Let the redeemed of God rise up and sing

Application: So what does this mean for us this Christmas? This is cause for great rejoicing! We were dead in our sins! We were under the judgment of God, and apart from cosmic rescue, there was no way out. But Christ has come to raise the dead to life! By His grace you have been saved. And God is the One who did it! God made us alive! Praise Him.

Questions for Discussion/Application:

• Consider taking time to read Ephesians 2:1-10 out loud. What observations/insights do you have from reading the text?
• In verse 1, Paul says that prior to our conversion we were “dead” in our trespasses and sins. Jeremy said on Sunday, “Paul pulls no punches in beginning to describe our hopeless state before the Lord
  He is not speaking to a certain faction of particularly evil people in Ephesus. He is describing the universal human condition. We were dead in sin. Not comatose, not limping along in our sin, not simply impaired by our sin–no, we were dead in sin. That means no responsiveness towards the Lord, no inclination to Him. We were spiritually immobilized – not moving – not able to lift even a finger.
  That’s what dead means. It’s not like we were looking for God but just hadn’t found Him yet (Rom.3:11). There were none of us that were looking for God! No, we were all dead in our trespasses and sin – all of us.” Discuss: What is a spiritually dead person like? What are the defining qualities of someone who is spiritually dead? How does it make you feel to consider that apart from the mighty, regenerating work of the Spirit of God, you would be spiritually dead?
• In verses 4-10, How is God’s great mercy and love revealed? God, by the Holy Spirit  “_____________together with Christ (verse 5).” What does it mean to be “made alive” ? Consider: How does the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead parallel what believers experience when they are born again? Describe the spiritual resurrection that has taken place in the life of anyone who genuinely puts their faith in Christ. What did that change look like for the Apostle Paul Himself? What was He like before God caused him to be born again? How was Paul converted? How did he change after he was saved?
• Consider and discuss: Where would you be, what would your life look like if God by His Spirit had not given you new life in Christ? Would anyone want to share their story of the God raising you from death to life spiritually?
• Jesus’ death and resurrection secured our salvation—that includes the new birth. How can reflecting on this stir joy and gratitude to God in this Advent Season?
• Evangelism Application: Who is God calling you to reach out to this Christmas Season that is currently spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins and in need of the mighty regenerating work of the Spirit?
• Consider taking time to pray, asking God to help us, in this Advent Season to rejoice in the salvation Christ Jesus came to give us. Consider also praying for lost friends, family members and coworkers–that God would move upon their hearts in this Christmas season and draw them closer to Christ.