A Love Like No Other
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Ephesians 2:1-10
October 23, 2011
Today I am continuing a sermon series based on Maxie Dunnam’s book,
Irresistible Invitation: Responding to the Extravagant Heart of God.
Last week I shared about how God loved us so much that he
created the world just for us,
made human beings unique among all creation,
and gave each one of us special talents, abilities and spiritual gifts.
Today I want to share about how God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to us.
Our scripture today from Ephesians 2:1-10,
tells us what an amazing gift Jesus turned out to be.
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of
this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those
who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the
desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But
God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead
through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and
raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the
ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in
Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it
is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has
made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way
of life.
Prayer
Holy and awesome God, we are reminded today of the great gift you gave us
through your son, Jesus Christ.
How blessed we are that he came into this world as a poor child,
that he went to school and worked for a living,
that he showed us how to treat one another,
and that he gave up his life for our sake.
May we receive with joy the gift of his forgiveness that comes with
abundant life today and eternal life when we die. Amen.
Message
Perhaps you have heard about the classified ad Maxie Dunnam described in his book:
Lost: One dog. Brown hair with several mange spots. Right leg broken due to auto accident.
Rear left hip hurt. Right eye missing. Left ear bitten off in a dog fight.
Answers to the name of “Lucky.” Reward to finder.
Who would call a dog “Lucky” when so many things obviously went wrong for him?
The truth is in spite of all his troubles, somebody still wanted this dog,
wanted him enough to offer a reward for his return.
That is precisely the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
even though we don’t amount to much on our own,
because we have rebelled against God and turned away from God’s plan for our lives,
Jesus offered up his life on the cross to pay the price for our sins.
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A Love Like No Other
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Ephesians 2:1-10
October 23, 2011
In writing to the church at Ephesus Paul says that we were all dead in our sins.
Imagine one of those weight loss ads with the incredible before and after photos.
The “before” picture is always the most unflattering view you can imagine;
while the “after” picture looks like an entirely different person.
That is what Jesus offers to each one of us: a more beautiful “after” life.
I heard a story about a woman who went to a photographer
and said she wanted a photo that did her justice.
The photographer looked her over and responded, you don’t need justice, you need mercy!
Justice is getting the punishment you rightfully deserve for what you have done wrong,
while mercy is getting something better than what you deserve.
That is what Christ offers each one of us: something much better than we deserve.
So, who is this Jesus, anyway, that we should care at all?
The story of Jesus begins with the angelic announcement to a poor young couple,
that they would soon become the earthly parents of the Son of God.
In the language of the church, Jesus is the incarnation of God, that is, God with a human body.
There have been many prophets throughout recorded history
who have offered to humanity great teachings,
but only Jesus has made the claim to be a divine being in human form.
There are many advantages for us to a deity who takes on human form,
but the greatest is that an incarnate God understands what life is like for human beings.
Jesus was born into poverty in a small, rural community.
His father was a carpenter who taught Jesus to work with his hands to earn his living.
He was not born into the lap of luxury with a silver spoon in his mouth,
and a trust fund to cover his living expenses.
Jesus’ father died before Jesus began his public ministry, and as the oldest child
he took on the responsibility of caring for his mother and his younger brothers and sisters.
Finally, Jesus experienced the same kinds of temptations we all experience,
including the option to care for himself at the expense of others,
yet he continued to work for the good of others.
By virtue of his human form, Jesus directly experienced the same kinds of ups and downs
that all human beings experience.
Jesus was also a great teacher, who provided us with a living example of how to serve others.
He taught that the greatest commandment was to love God and other people,
and he lived out that commandment by his example of regular prayer
and the care and compassion he offered to people ignored and neglected by others.
He spent time with people his culture and society rejected,
including tax collectors, lepers, and prostitutes,
encouraging them to seek the life transforming power of God.
He gave of himself, offering healing and wholeness to people from his own Hebrew background
and people from the dominant Roman society in which he lived.
He was a man who effectively lived out the life lessons that he taught.
Finally, although Jesus was innocent of any crime against God or humanity,
he endured a brutal beating and execution
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A Love Like No Other
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Ephesians 2:1-10
October 23, 2011
as the punishment for the wrongdoings of all people.
Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross for our sake showed his love for us.
His love is unconditional, meaning he loves us in spite of what we have done,
and that love is far more than we deserve.
Through his personal sacrifice, Jesus declared that we are guilty and yet forgiven.
Moreover, three days after Jesus’ body was sealed in a tomb,
he rose from death and appeared to his followers as a living witness
to that fact that the death of our bodies does not mean the death of our spirits.
Jesus then offered to all who would choose to follow his teachings,
that is, to actively love God and love other people,
abundant life in this world, and eternal life in the next.
To the Christian, the gift of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus is only possible
because there is more love in God than wrongdoing in us.
After the resurrected Jesus appeared to his earthly followers,
he promised them that when he returned to God he would send God’s Spirit
to be with them and us, as a comforter and guide.
He then commissioned his followers to take over his work of loving and saving the world.
Some people have the misconception that Christians are saved by the good things they do,
but instead we are actually saved by Jesus in order to accomplish good things.
This is not an easy concept for even long-time believers in Jesus to grasp.
Consider, for example, the story of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement.
It is commonly believed throughout the winter of 1737-8,
John Wesley suffered from severe depression which brought him to the brink of death.
Although he had been a priest in the Anglican church for a decade,
even though he thought himself to be a learned and scholarly person,
who should have been someone with all the answers,
Wesley found himself struggling with even the basic beliefs of his faith
…including his salvation.
That is, until May 24, 1738, when Wesley recorded in his personal journal:
“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street,
where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans.
About a quarter before nine, while he was describing
the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ,
I felt my heart strangely warmed.
I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation, and an assurance was given me
that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death…
I was now thoroughly convinced; and, by the grace of God, I resolved to seek it unto the end…”
The love of God is a love like no other.
Jesus chooses to be alive in us, and calls every Christian to some good works.
We have been offered abundant life in this world.
That abundance means not material goods, but the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which are
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
These fruit are best cultivated as we continue the work started by Jesus.
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A Love Like No Other
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Ephesians 2:1-10
October 23, 2011
You may not think of yourself as anything special, but to God you are even more precious
than a mangy dog named “Lucky.”
Prayer
Incredible and glorious God, we are awestruck by your love for us and your confidence in us.
In gratitude for your great love and care, may we be inspired to serve you more faithfully.
In the name of Jesus our Savior, we humbly pray. Amen.
Benediction
The Gospel of John tells us that God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son.
May we go forth from this place with the clear assurance that Jesus came to world
so that we might continue his good work! Amen.
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