Sunday Preview: Because of His Great Love

During the month of September, we have been focusing on an incredible truth—God’s Great Love. We will dive into Ephesians 2:4-10 on Sunday, particularly verses 4-7. In this passage, Paul lays out the details of our salvation and reveals how God initiated the process, why He did it, and what the results are. The core truth is that our salvation is centered on Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from Him.

How God Saved Us
Ephesians 2:4-6 is a powerful proclamation of God’s action in our lives: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.” In these verses, Paul outlines several key points about how God saved us:

• He Made Us Alive: Although we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, God made us alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5). This is a spiritual resurrection.
• He Raised Us Up: God didn’t stop at making us alive; He also raised us up and seated us with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). This shows that our position has changed—from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ, seated in the heavenly realms.

How Did God Take the Initiative?
God took the first step in saving us. He acted out of several key attributes:

• Mercy: Mercy is not giving sinners what they deserve. It is rich, limitless, and boundless.
• Love: Even though we were the opposite of anything lovable to God, He chose to love us. As Romans 5:8 declares, "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." In John 15:13 Jesus said "No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends."
• Grace: Grace gives us what we don’t deserve—God’s favor and forgiveness. We are pardoned, forgiven, and set free through grace.
• Resurrection: We have been infused with life through Christ’s resurrection. Romans 4:24-25 reminds us that Jesus died for our sins and rose for our justification.

Why Did God Save Us?
So, why did God go through all of this to save us? Ephesians 2:6 tells us that He has seated us in the heavens. This signifies that we are now alive to God, living for His purposes and under a heavenly agenda.

Moreover, our salvation displays God's immeasurable grace and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. We are not saved merely to escape hell; we are saved so that God can show the riches of His grace. Ephesians 3:10 says that "God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens."

The Call to Faith
The message is clear: God asks for our belief. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift." Salvation is not something we can earn; it is a gift freely given by God. Once we are saved, we become God’s masterpiece, created in Christ for good works, Ephesians 2:10. The works we do in this life are the natural outcome of our relationship with God.

If you’ve been made alive in Christ, never doubt the power of God available in your life. The God who raised you from spiritual death continues to work in and through you. Take hold of His power today and live out His gracious salvation.

OPENING / WELCOME
Eric Renegar
SONG LEADER
Jim Grushon
PRAYER OF PRAISE
Jason Schofield
LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Tony Bumbalough
 ASSIST LORD’S SUPPER
John Key
Jeff Livingston
Rich Jacobs
Billy Robbins
SCRIPTURE READING
Chris Terrian
Ephesians 2:4-10
PREACHING
Matthew Allen
CLOSING PRAYER
Dave Pennington
CLOSING COMMENTS
George Wacks
WELCOME CENTER
Judy Hickey / Diann Coffman
USHERS
Justin Spargo / Paul Braden
SONG DEVOTIONAL
Rich Walker
COMMUNION PREP
Sadonna Schofield
CLOSING THE BUILDING
Josh Childers