Sermons
Transformed By the Power of God
Transformed By the Power of God
Eph. 2:10
Introduction:
1. Eph. 2:1-10 describes a radical transformation.
2. It is a transformation from death to life.
3. From walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, disobedience, and living in the lusts of the flesh, to doing good works.
4. It is a transformation brought about by the work of God.
5. It is a work accomplished through Jesus Christ.
6. It is a transformation achieved by the grace of God.
7. Many have been transformed by this power, but not all. How is it that some are transformed and others not? And what about me? Will I be transformed? Have I been transformed?
8. I have been asked to consider three major characters in this discussion: King David, Moses and King Agrippa. More particularly, I have been asked to consider three episodes in their lives.
a. David and his encounter with Nathan, the prophet (2 Sam. 12).
b. Moses and his encounter with God as he wascommissioned to go to speak to
Pharoah (Ex. 3).
c. Agrippa and his encounter with Paul when he said, “Almost you persuade me to
be a Christian” (Acts 26).
9. The three characters and their experiences. (Considered in the order they were
given to me.)
Discussion:
I. “The Lord sent Nathan to David” (2 Sam. 12:1).
A. The Lord is in the business of transforming.
B. He sent a messenger. (Who are the Nathan’s God has sent to you? Are you
a Nathan sent to others?)
C. With a message that aroused David’s compassion and his sense of injustice.
D. God reminded David of His graciousness to him (12:7-8).
E. God asked David, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord? Why have
you despised Me?” (12:9-10). We generally focus on the gravity of David’s
sin as the sexual violation. Less so on his murder of Uriah. God sees
David’s activities as “despising Him.”
F. David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (12:13).
G. Nathan said, “The Lord has taken away your sin; you shall not die” (12:13).
Reflections:
1. Why did God even bother with David? It certainly wasn’t because David
was so good. Cf. 2 Pet. 3:9.
2. It was the grace of God that motivated the transformation. What are the
evidences of the grace of God in this text?
3. How is the grace of God similar in this text to the grace of God in Eph. 2:1-10?
4. God operates on us to transform us into what He wants us to be. But this is
not apart from our compliance. We sometimes sing that song, “Make me as
clay in the potter’s hand” (“Clay In the Potter’s Hand,” Clyde Williams,
HFWR, 111). It is founded on Isa. 64:8 that speaks of our Father as a
potter and we as the work of His hands. Pottery is NOT made from bricks,
but moldable clay. So, what makes soft hearts? What makes my heart
soft? How can I help soften the hearts of others?
5. God uses His grace to soften our hearts and create transformation.
Consider Ezek. 11:19-20; 36:25-27; 37:14.
6. Without humility grace is despised. Isaiah was brought to humility by
experiencing the glory of God (Isa. 6:1-8). And so, was commissioned to
take the message of God’s grace to the people.
II. Moses was commissioned to take the message of God’s grace to Israel (Ex. 3).
A. He too saw the glory of the Lord in a bush that was burning but not
consumed by the fire. God called to him from the bush. The Lord spoke to
him. “Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (6).
B. God grace had been communicated by the selection of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. “I have seen the affliction of My people. I am aware of their
sufferings. I have come to deliver them into a land flowing with milk and honey”
(7-8).
C. Moses was hesitant. “What if they will not believe me? What if they will not
listen?” (4:1). “I have never been eloquent” (10).
D. What is Moses’ problem? He is diminishing himself. Is this humility? (Self-
diminishing is not necessarily humility.) Humility is recognizing the
awesomeness of God by comparison to yourself.
E. The Lord asked Moses, “Who made man’s mouth?” God said, “I will be with
your mouth and teach you what you are to say” (12).
Reflections:
1. When has God sent you on a mission when you did not know what to say?
2. God transforms the mute into speakers, the deaf into hearing, the blind into seeing and sheep herders into deliverers. God is the power behind the mission! It is not us.
3. He sends Galileans into the world with the great commission. Tax-collectors, fishermen, the uneducated and the educated, Pharisees, violent aggressors, and persecutors, men and women, Jews and Gentiles, He transforms them all and empowers them to do extraordinary things (good works, Eph. 2:10). He takes minds marred by ignorance, stubbornness and unrepentance (Rom. 2:4-5) and renews them with His word (Rom. 11:33; 12:2). Cf. Titus 3:3-7.
4. What was your life like before you became a Christian? How have you been transformed? Have you felt like Moses insufficient for the task? When? What is that like? How has God empowered you?
5. What gifts has He given you? Cf. Rom. 12:6-8. What gifts has He given others to use in empowering you? Cf. Eph. 4:7, 11-16.
6. What works of service (“good works,” Eph. 2:10) are you doing? How has He empowered you to do these things? What works of service is God calling on you to do?
7. I have a book written by the 18th chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs of the U.S., General Martin E. Dempsey. It is entitled No Time for Spectators. In the Lord’s army there are no spectators. Every joint does its work, according to the proper working of each individual part and so the body grows (Eph. 4:16).
III. Agrippa was lead toward transformation, but did not become a Christian (Acts 26).
A. Paul preached the grace of God to Agrippa by telling his own story of
transformation.
1. He told how he was a persecutor and a blasphemer.
2. He told of how he was commissioned. Interestingly, he saw the glory of the
Lord. Cf. Isaiah.
3. He spoke of faith and forgiveness of sins.
4. He told Agrippa how he taught in Damascus, Jerusalem and among the
Gentiles repentance, turning to God and the performance of deeds
appropriate to repentance.
5. He even spoke of having help from God, and of Christ, his sufferings and
resurrection and the preaching of light to the Jewish people and the Gentiles.
B. While hearing and believing the prophets Agrippa remained untransformed.
1. His heart was not soft enough.
2. He was not awed enough by the glory of God’s grace.
3. A lack of humility left him in his lost condition.
Reflections:
1. What other kinds of things may have influenced Agrippa to not respond? The views of others? Failure to investigate further? A lack of interest? Focus on other things?
2. One of the lessons that we learn here is that not everyone responds to the gospel of God with faithfulness. Does this mean that the gospel has failed? Or is this part of its design to separate believers and unbelievers? To leave unbelievers knowledgeable of having despised of the word and grace of God and therefore objects of His justice?
3. In what ways have you been like Agrippa? Why might we choose not to listen to the word of God?
Conclusion:
1. The communication of the grace of God softens hearts. Humility is the chief characteristic of soft hearts. Have you seen the glory of God’s grace?
2. God transforms hard hearts if they are willing.
3. He brings His power to bear on our weaknesses to do things that we cannot do on our own.
4. Are you persuaded?
5. George Will once wrote, “It is extraordinary how extra-ordinary the ordinary person is!” BUT God takes ordinary people and transforms them into His own perfection (Matt. 5:48).
