But God – David Nasser
Overview:
Embracing accusations
Tonight we continue our Mor(ph)e series from Ephesians 2. Up to this point, the news has been pretty rough. In fact, “it is worse than we thought”. Within the first few verses, the Apostle Paul has done an incredible job of reminding us just how bad off we are without Christ ruling and reigning over our hearts and lives: we are dead; possessions of the prince of the power of the air (Satan); children of wrath; given over to our nature that “holds the seed of every sin”…BUT GOD…! With these two words Paul transitions, in dramatic fashion, to deliver some of the greatest news found within all of Scripture.
These verses are full of accusations; face-to-face with accusations made by God. Many accusations can be devastating to us but the difference between accusations made by the enemy and accusations made by God is the intent behind the accusations. The enemy accuses in order to destroy…BUT GOD…accuses in order to build up and restore.
Verses:
“BUT GOD”
Ephesians 2:1-4
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Psalm 9:17-19
The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God. But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
Psalm 66:18-20
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Romans 5:7-8
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Corinthians 1:26-28
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
1 Corinthians 3:5-6
6 I planted the seed,Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God makes things grow.
“BUT YOU”
Matthew 21:13
“‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.”
Matthew 23: 23-24
24 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
John 10:25-27
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Revelation 3:16
16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Quotes:
“The source of an accusation is the power of an accusation.”
“The intent of the accuser
“But me”: is always tragic, always destructive. Always not enough. Always falling short.”
“But God”: is always constructive, always redemptive, always full of hope.”
“You will never really appreciate the positive accusations found in Ephesians 2:4-10 if you do not understand and grasp the harsh reality of the accusations made in Ephesians 2:1-3.”
Questions:
1) What accusations are you believing in your life right now?
2) Who is the accuser and what is his motivation? Is the accusation meant to hurt or meant to help?
3) Who does God say I am?
4) What are some “BUT GOD” moments from your life where you can clearly see the hand of God on display?
God’s track record: Andrew Jones
1. Noah was a drunk But God used him to save humanity
2. Abraham was too old But God gave him a Son
3. Joseph was abandoned & left in a ditch but God placed him in pharaoh’s palace
4. Moses had a stuttering problem but God used him to proclaim truth
5. Gideon was afraid but God made his army victorious
6. Rahab was a prostitute but God placed her name in the lineage of Christ
7. Jeremiah was too young but God saw his youthfulness as an asset
8. David was an adulterer and a murderer but God called him a man after His own heart
9. Elijah was depressed but God used him to reign down fire from heaven
10. Jonah had an attitude problem but God still used him to save the Ninevites
11. Job went lost everything but God restored what he lost times 2
12. Peter denied Christ but God built his church upon his confession
13. The disciples failed Jesus but God used them to turn the world upside down
14. The Samaritan woman was divorced but God made her a great evangelist
15. Paul was a Christian-killer but God turned him into the greatest missionary the world has ever known.
16. Oh…and Lazarus was dead but God raised him to life!
17. YOU and you…and me….we were once dead BUT GOD RAISED US TO LIFE!