1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,540 Today I'm actually in the hills behind my house. I surfed one of my favorite spots this morning called a shark tooth 2 00:00:05,540 --> 00:00:09,560 It rarely breaks a little longboard spot over in Doheny cut a lot of waves 3 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,920 Thanks to a big South swell that hit town really glad you can be with us today 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:18,960 We're in gonna be in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 10. Thanks for joining along today 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,680 I believe this is our 169th episode of Bible on the beach 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,340 We're just on a journey going through the Bible trying to figure out 7 00:00:25,340 --> 00:00:30,580 Each day something that God can say to us to encourage us to build us up in our lives 8 00:00:31,380 --> 00:00:33,100 That's why his word is here 9 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:38,300 And so in that spirit let's open up our hearts to what God wants to say to us today 10 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:44,140 Now it says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 and his fullness fills you even though you were once like 11 00:00:44,380 --> 00:00:47,100 corpses dead in your sins and offenses 12 00:00:48,140 --> 00:00:53,140 It wasn't long ago that you lived in the religion customs and values of this world 13 00:00:53,140 --> 00:00:59,060 So there's a lot going on here and Paul immediately points out that we were dead 14 00:00:59,660 --> 00:01:01,660 in our spirits 15 00:01:02,780 --> 00:01:04,780 prior to us 16 00:01:05,620 --> 00:01:11,160 Coming into union with Jesus coming into relationship with Jesus and so 17 00:01:11,980 --> 00:01:16,540 Now that we have relationship with Jesus, we have new life. We have a new spirit 18 00:01:16,620 --> 00:01:21,860 We have a new perspective and we're to thank God for that every day 19 00:01:21,860 --> 00:01:23,340 and 20 00:01:23,340 --> 00:01:28,140 He says it wasn't long ago that we lived in the religion customs and values of this world 21 00:01:28,260 --> 00:01:30,980 So what Paul's saying here is that we have a culture 22 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:35,460 That we all live in and so my culture for example is in California 23 00:01:35,460 --> 00:01:42,080 And I've grown up around the ocean and and grown up around surfing and so that's it's really part of my culture 24 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,080 It's what I know. We all have a culture 25 00:01:44,500 --> 00:01:48,900 To to deny it is to deny, you know living in reality 26 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:51,900 So one of the things we need to do in our life is we need to identify 27 00:01:52,140 --> 00:01:58,860 Our customs our beliefs and our attitudes about things and and get comfortable with them so that God can begin to use them 28 00:01:59,340 --> 00:02:03,380 And and flow by the power of the Holy Spirit into our life 29 00:02:03,380 --> 00:02:08,860 Now Paul is saying that we that we were obeying the dark ruler of this earthly realm 30 00:02:08,940 --> 00:02:15,980 Who fills the atmosphere with his authority and works diligently in the hearts of those who are disobedient to the truth of God now 31 00:02:15,980 --> 00:02:17,980 What Paul is saying here is that? 32 00:02:17,980 --> 00:02:23,540 prior to coming into a relationship of Jesus that we were actually under the 33 00:02:24,300 --> 00:02:26,940 influence and the perspective of 34 00:02:28,260 --> 00:02:35,460 The evil one and so Jesus gives us new eyes to see new ears to hear new heart 35 00:02:35,620 --> 00:02:43,920 To feel and be led by the power and by the Spirit of God in our life and from that all things 36 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:50,000 Become new we're no longer slaves to anything except the power of the Holy Spirit 37 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,680 Working in us and through us in our lives now 38 00:02:54,680 --> 00:03:01,600 He says the corruption that was in us from birth was expressed through the deeds and desires of the self-life. So 39 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:08,040 The call to follow Jesus is the call to be unselfish now for some of us 40 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,920 Were unselfish more easily than others are unselfish, but 41 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,720 regardless of 42 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,600 What comes easy to you or what comes hard to you God calls us 43 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,880 increasingly into a life of others centered living a life of 44 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,160 unselfishness a life of 45 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,960 Having our life being poured out as a blessing and 46 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:36,840 to other people and 47 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,240 To help them be blessed in their life 48 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,760 He says before we live by whatever whatever natural cravings and thoughts our mind 49 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:51,080 Dictated living is rebellious children is subject to God's wrath like everyone else. So we all have selfish 50 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,720 Inclinations that God wants to free us from in fact every day 51 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:01,720 We just want to say God align my desires up with your desires and as God does that 52 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,040 You'll really feel him working and flowing in and through your life 53 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:07,640 and so 54 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:13,240 What it means to follow Jesus is we lay aside our natural cravings and we sow into 55 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:19,880 Unselfish cravings into spiritual cravings into godly desires into godly intentions into godly 56 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:24,600 Attitudes into a godly mission and purpose for why we are here on earth 57 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,640 He says but God still loved us with such great love 58 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,560 He is so rich in compassion and mercy 59 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,760 Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins 60 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:39,800 He united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace. So 61 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:41,320 God 62 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:46,120 Looks at us through his son Jesus and God looks at us through 63 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:52,120 The lens of Jesus having paid for all of our sins 64 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,560 And God says, you know what? I'm gonna do for you what you can't do for you 65 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,480 I'm gonna help you out even though you're not able to help yourself 66 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:04,360 That's why he sent Jesus to make us right to give us a right relationship with God 67 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:10,920 To give us a perfect relationship with God so we don't have to strive and in our life, but that we can accept God's grace 68 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:17,000 Grace is getting what we don't deserve. We don't deserve the life. We have we don't deserve the blessings that we have 69 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,640 But God gives them to us and then he watches to see what we're going to do with him 70 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:28,680 You know every blessing that we have in our life, whether it's your income or your education or where you live or your influence or your culture 71 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,680 God looks to see how you're going to use it. Are you going to spend it on yourself? 72 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,360 You're going to spend it trying to help others. God keeps perfect score 73 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:41,640 You know, there's only one judge in the universe and it's not you and I it's j. E. S. U. S 74 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:47,080 And so he's watching very closely to see how we're using our life 75 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,080 Are we using it for ourselves? 76 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,200 Or are we using it for others are we using it to bless others and the quality of our life is 77 00:05:54,920 --> 00:06:02,440 Totally correlated to the amount of blessing that God is able to pour into our life to bless the other people that are around us 78 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,000 That's a godly perspective 79 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,840 About life he says in verse 6 he raised us up with christ the exalted one 80 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,840 We ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm 81 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:21,000 For we are now co-seated as one with christ so jesus makes us right with him. He gives us a relationship with him 82 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,040 Verse 7 throughout the coming ages. We will be the visible display of the infinite riches of 83 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,600 Grace and kindness which was showered upon us in christ jesus. So 84 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,640 God's we are all trophies of grace 85 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,760 God looks down from heaven. He says look at my kid there. Look at that bright 86 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:44,600 Shiny trophy of god's grace. That's what you and I are. We're bright shiny trophies 87 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,960 Of god's goodness of god's grace of god's plan of god's mercy 88 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:56,600 Here on earth, so let's make sure that we have a perspective that we're a trophy of grace 89 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,480 We're not self-made. We're god-made 90 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,320 We're not 91 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,720 Self-entitled we're christ-entitled 92 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:07,880 We're not self-entitled. We're christ-entitled 93 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,080 So he says here 94 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,280 Verse 8 for it is by grace. You've been saved through faith 95 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:19,560 Nothing you did could ever earn the salvation for it was the love gift 96 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,400 from god that brought us all to christ so 97 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:31,480 Our salvation is totally by grace. It's a gift through faith. Have you ever put your trust in jesus? 98 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:36,200 What it means to accept jesus into your life is that you put your trust in him you say god 99 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,200 I trust you for my life 100 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,520 Not my plan your plan 101 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:46,120 I follow you. I lay down my will for your will I lay down my path 102 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,960 For your path. I lay down what I want for what you want. I'm following you 103 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,040 I'm not asking you to follow me 104 00:07:54,040 --> 00:08:01,320 I'm asking to follow you. In fact, i'm stating that I want to follow you 105 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,800 That's it. That's what it means to be a disciple a follower of christ 106 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,800 Not god following you but you following 107 00:08:10,420 --> 00:08:15,480 Jesus that's what it means to be a disciple a follower of christ 108 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:17,640 so 109 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:23,640 Says in verse 9 so no one will ever be able to boast our salvation is never a reward for good works 110 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,640 for human striving so 111 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,160 we 112 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:33,400 Can never do enough in our life to be right with god. It is totally a gift. It is totally 113 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,440 Something that he gives to us 114 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:37,880 so 115 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,200 Why do we try to do good with our life? We try to do good with our life out as a out of uh, 116 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,360 Like a thank you to god 117 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,800 Thank you that you gave me all this god. Thank you that I get to live here 118 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:52,360 Thank you that I get to teach the bible. Thank you that I get to have my family. Thank you that I get to have my friends 119 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:59,240 Lord, please help me. I know I pray this lord. Please help me pastor people the best that I can please help me to 120 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:04,440 Preach your word the best that I can please help me to plant churches the best that I can 121 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:10,680 Please help me to provide water the best that I can that's what god's called me to do with my life pastor people 122 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:12,600 preach the word 123 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:18,760 Plant churches provide water so I stay focused on that. I get up every day at the same time 3 30 am 124 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:26,680 6 days a week on sundays. I don't that's my day to sabbath. No plans. No schedule rest eat whatever I want 125 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,160 Be with my family enjoy life 126 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:34,760 God commands that but it's all focused back to what god's asked me to do 127 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,760 The rest of my life isn't me trying to earn my righteousness with jesus 128 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:44,600 It's me trying to take everything that god's given me and be the best steward that I can to bless as many 129 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,240 people as possible 130 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:53,560 In verse 10, he says for we've become god's poetry think of your life as a poem. You know god wants 131 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,680 People to look at your life and say that is really amazing 132 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:02,440 What god is doing in and through that person a recreated people that will fulfill 133 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,600 The destiny he's given for each of us. Did you know that god recreates us? 134 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,120 He literally makes something totally new 135 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:12,760 out of our life 136 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:18,280 For we're joined to jesus the anointed one even before we were born god planned in advance our destiny 137 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,040 And the good works we would do to fulfill it, you know god has 138 00:10:22,980 --> 00:10:28,120 Amazing things in store for us things. We can't even fathom. We can't even imagine 139 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:29,400 and 140 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,400 We just have to trust him 141 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:37,400 That he knows what he's doing better than we do. That's the invitation to follow jesus. It's a trust game 142 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,720 God, I trust you even though I don't understand what's going on right now 143 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,360 So in that spirit, I hope you're blessed today. Thanks for joining me. Have a beautiful day 144 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,760 If you think this will help someone text him reach out to him email him 145 00:10:50,760 --> 00:11:12,360 Email him whatever we're across all the different platforms. I just hope you're blessed until next time bible on the beach. Hope you have a beautiful day