Saved for Good Works (Ephesians 2.1-10 and Exodus 19.1-8)

All Saints' AGM Talk 2013

I read recently about a man called Tim White who had a little boy called Ryan. Ryan was born with multiple complications and needed over 30 operations in the first ten years of his life. And this is what Tim White said about one point during that time in his life.

When Ryan was about eight years old, he was in hospital for another surgery.

The medical staff began to roll his surgical bed to the operating room. As usual, we accompanied him to the two big doors that led to the theatre. That is where we stopped, and told him all would be OK.

This day, as we got to the doors and they opened, he sat up in the bed, looked at me in the eyes and pleaded, ‘Dad, don’t let them take me!’

At that moment my heart was broken. I would have done anything to take him off that bed except for the fact that he had to have the surgery. That knowledge didn’t ease the pain in my heart at all. I just stood trembling as the doors closed, and he disappeared. That is when I broke down in tears.

Shortly after, when I was asking God how such a good love could hurt so much, it struck me that he had gone through the same thing. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed: ‘Father, if there is any other way, let this cup pass from me.’ Translated into the language of a child, ‘Daddy, don’t let them take me.’

I allowed the surgeons to take my child for his own good. But God allowed the crucifiers to take his Son for our good. That is how much God loves us.

That is what it means in our passage when it says “It is by grace that you have been saved.” Jesus has already paid the price of sin – so you don’t need to.

Salvation is never painstakingly acquired; it can only be gratefully accepted.

What is striking in the 10 verses we read in Ephesians 2 is the contrast between before and after.

We were “dead” says Paul in v1-5, “captives” (v2), deserving of wrath (v3). It doesn’t look good does it?

But then in the middle of the passage, two little words change everything. “But” and “God (v4).”

But because of his great love for us, God… breaks in.

From that point on we are described as “made alive” (v5), “saved” (v5 and 8) and “raised up” (v6).

Incidentally, as I was saying at Saint Mary's last Sunday, the Bible has no sliding scale for “salvation.” You’re either spiritually dead or spiritually made alive. Either you’re saved or you’re not. 

To be saved, you must come to Jesus Christ, say sorry for past sin and decide that he is going to be your Lord and master.

And when that happens, God:

• cancels all past sin
• fills you with joy
• gives you a purpose in life
• crowns you with love and acceptance
• adopts you into his family
• assures you of eternal life; heaven, glory, new creation, joy forever

It really is an amazing programme. 

The question I have today is this: Why doesn’t God just take us to heaven now? Why the gap? What's all this time for between being saved and experiencing the full measure of glory and new creation?

The answer is in v10. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The only reason God doesn’t just take you and me off to heaven now is because he has been carefully setting up a whole programme of exciting projects (good works) for you and me to get involved with. That’s one of the reasons he saved you.

And this is nothing new. God has always worked that way. It was the same in the Exodus reading. God did a miraculous deliverance for his people, out of slavery, through the Red Sea, towards the Promised Land. For 400 years those people slogged away making bricks for Egypt's grand buildings with no dignity, no holidays, no days off, no freedom of movement... just 365 days a year blood, sweat and tears.

And God, out of nowhere, decided to take them out of all that and give them freedom in a land flowing with milk and honey.

How much did it cost them? Nothing! It was a free and gracious liberation from slavery in Egypt.

But - never forget - once they had been saved from slavery, God said to them, “Now here’s how I want you to live.” And then he gave them the commandments as a way of showing gratitude for all he had done. He had prepared good works (respect for other people's property, truthfulness in court, wholehearted worship, proper rest on the Sabbath, faithfulness in marriage...) in advance for them to do.

So what are the good works God has prepared in advance for us to do?

Big highlights of the last year

Outreach 2012 - Love Stockton, Camp of Champions, Jubilee, Olympics

Roof - amazing generosity and unity on the project

Youth missions to Mexico and Chester

We have made progress on some of the things mentioned in last year’s AGM talk

Banners - we are on the way to rejuvenating them

Reinvigorate 6:30pm service - The Source, and Refresh are in a good place, Messy Church is coming soon and we are going to gather for prayer on the 4th Sunday

Prayer - new initiatives are springing up

Here's an example of what happens when churches pray that came in my e-mail this week:

While at our church cafe today I noticed someone standing outside so went to the door to talk with him. He’s a young man who lives in the neighbourhood who I've met before, given a 'try praying' booklet to and witnessed to. He said, pointing to our 'try praying' banner, that he's been doing that every day and he didn't know what was happening, but this peace came over him. He read through the 'try praying' booklet and is somewhat amazed that his prayers are being answered. He has come off drugs and is now coming off methadone and wants to get baptised.

Coming up

We will building up our pastoral network, Connect and Treasure Seekers ministries as we prepare to send Sylvia out

The Growing Leaders course will take 12-14 more leaders and give them training for their roles

Messy Church begins next month and is the big thing this year for discipling whole families

We will strengthen our 9:00am service - familiarity is good, staleness isn't

We will consolidate our 10:30am - it's in a great place now but let's not lose our commitment to using spiritual gifts as the congregation grows

We will host a regional New Wine Conference with Ian Parkinson, Mark Tanner and others in October

We will hold a church weekend in February as we prepare to refocus on our vision for what's next

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 14th April 2013