First, I want to offer a thank you, particularly to, well, especially to Pastor Greg, Pastor Nick, and Pastor Matt.
I say that not only because I want to say that, but also because I understand the privilege.
I understand the seriousness of the opportunity to stand before you.
I want to thank you and present what I believe the Lord put on my heart for this text for you.
And I really appreciate it.
I want to say thank you to those three, first of all.
Secondly, I want to also briefly tell you, say thank you to two people who are not here, but they're very much the reason why I'm here now.
Those are my parents, Dexter and Vena Park.
They've both gone on to be with the Lord, but they both had a passion for both the Lord and a passion for his word.
And he was also a bivocational pastor.
And through the, my friends used to call it 24-hour church.
They somehow were able to convey and pass this faith on to me.
So this is the reason why I'm here.
And part of the reason why I'm here, those two are part of the reason why I'm here.
Not only just because of my parents, but because of just their influence in the faith.
Let us pray.
Father in heaven, Lord, we thank you for your faithfulness.
We thank you for your grace, your power, your love.
Father, I pray that you would speak through me today, Lord.
Send your Holy Spirit to just illuminate your word, illuminate everything I have to say.
I pray, Lord God, now that the word of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will be acceptable in your sight.
O rock of my redeemer, in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
So, are we cool?
We're good?
I'm not talking too loud.
Okay.
So today we're looking at Ephesians 2, verses 8-10.
And let me read.
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing.
It is a gift of God.
Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
In verse 10 it says,
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
About a month ago, I had the opportunity to see,
more like experience the brilliance of Savion Glover.
For those of us who don't know who Savion Glover is,
Savion is considered to be, by most, as Willie Huff,
the artistic director of the Duke Ellington Jazz Series at Yale School of Music,
aptly declared, the world's greatest living tap dancer.
Mr. Glover, who is also a choreographer,
performed with his jazz quartet called The Others with a Z at the end
at Sprague Memorial Hall on Yale's campus.
Not only dancing as Huff declared that he would do,
as David of the Bible did with all his might,
but he also conducted his quartet as he was dancing.
And his performance literally turned Sprague Memorial Hall upside down
with emotion, applause, and sheer beauty.
One of the most compelling things about his performance
were the moments where Savion appeared to be squarely in another world.
He especially noticed this when he was just,
he just closed his eyes at times,
facing the audience and dancing effortlessly,
with a smile from ear to ear,
his whole being engaged and relaxed.
He seemed as if he was experiencing a moment of joy,
somehow transported by the experience he was creating for us
into a world where we were no longer present
or available to provide him the energy to perform
or the validation that he may have needed,
assuming he needed any validation from us at all.
And it was a moment that read to me as transcendent
or surpassing the ordinary.
And in this transcendent moment,
he seemed truly alive.
And I could not help but think about the combination
of something transcendent and alive
that was operating out of a gift given to Savion
that I and others were encountering that night
that was making me feel so blessed and inspired
like much of the audience was feeling, I'm sure.
Here in the second chapter of Ephesians,
it tells us that we've been made alive in Christ.
But before that, we were dead in our trespasses and sins,
which he writes in verse one.
And then in verse five, he writes again,
this again about being dead.
And then he writes that we were made alive together with Christ.
Then he writes that by grace you have been saved.
And then he says again here in verse eight.
And this is where we pick up.
By grace.
For by grace you have been saved.
There's three things in this passage of Ephesians 2,
eight through 10,
I want to look at briefly tonight.
First thing is,
I want to look at some elements of the character of God's grace.
Some elements of the character of God's grace.
The second thing I would like to look at is the undeserved gift that God's grace gives.
The undeserved gift that God's grace gives.
And finally,
I want to look at the responsibility of being God's masterpiece.
The responsibility of being God's masterpiece.
First,
let's look at some of the elements of the character of God's grace.
Grace is the unmerited favor of God.
We heard deacon Jonathan,
Elder Jonathan say that last week.
The unmerited favor of God.
It comes from the Greek word charis,
which means a generous gift or charitable act in the most technical sense.
In verses six and seven,
we are told that God saves us so that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace
and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The word grace here is most likely speaking to a theological dimension of his meaning
that refers to God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Yet what is interesting is that when Ephesians declared that God saves us
so that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
It's almost as if he,
if the,
this,
this kindness implicit within or part of this generous or charitable act,
charitable act of God,
within our author's mind is,
is not descriptive enough to express what God's grace is or has done for us.
So this grace of God seems to hold the distinction of being a generosity demonstrated by God in Christ
that is beyond kindness.
That should be expected,
you know,
in a generous or charitable act.
This kind of kindness should be expected.
It's almost as if the author was sitting there asking himself when writing this epistle,
you know,
how can I describe a type of generosity that is more than kind,
than,
than kind,
uh,
the kind that you find in generosity itself?
Or how can I describe a generosity so kind that it's indescribable?
So God's grace is not only generous act.
It's not only a generous act.
But it is an indescribably kind,
indescribably kind,
stumbling over those words,
indescribably kind,
in this generosity.
So God's grace contains a generosity that is,
that is indescribably kind.
Next,
God's grace is full of wealth.
In verse seven,
we are told the riches of God's grace are immeasurable.
Now try not to think of money,
although God's shows favor in all areas of our lives,
including finances.
But think of the things money can't buy,
like favor,
healing,
restoration,
protection,
peace,
wisdom,
discernment,
power to overcome in trials,
divine directional guidance,
power to overcome sinful habits,
or just power to overcome ourselves,
power to overcome our past,
present,
and future,
a grace that is the same yesterday,
today,
and forever.
The immeasurable riches of God's grace.
So grace is rich.
A final thought on grace is,
not only is it a grace that is indescribably kind,
and rich,
but God's grace is also costly.
God's grace is also costly.
Meaning that it didn't come cheap.
In writing about grace,
German pastor and theologian,
Dietrich Bonhoeff,
a great book actually,
declared that true,
the book is called,
Cost of Discipleship,
declared that true grace,
which comes from God,
is costly.
He writes,
costly grace is a treasure,
is the treasure hidden in the field.
For the sake of it,
a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.
It is a pearl of great price to buy,
which the merchant will sell all his goods.
He goes on to say that it is costly,
because it costs a man his life.
And it is grace,
because it gives a man the only true life.
In other words,
it is in this true life,
where a man is made alive.
And this is accomplished,
as Ephesians points out,
verse eight,
through faith.
Before I talk about faith,
and just the undeserved gift of grace,
there's one more thing I want to say about grace,
and it's funny,
I didn't think about it this morning,
until I heard Pastor Nick preach,
and I ran into this quote,
and I said,
man,
I have to say this quote,
by the same lady he quoted this morning.
The grace of God is ultimately a mystery,
that we can never fully understand.
It's ultimately a mystery,
and the quote comes from author Anne Lamott.
She sums it up when she writes,
I do not understand the mystery of grace,
only that it meets us where we are,
but doesn't leave us where it found us.
So ultimately,
God's grace is beyond our comprehension,
but it does something to us.
And here I want to talk about one of those,
one of the things it does,
and here I want to talk about the undeserved gift
that God's grace gives.
The gift is salvation through Jesus Christ,
but it is accessed by or through faith.
The writer in the book of Hebrews,
in chapter 11 of verse one,
gives a definition of faith where he writes,
now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Another translator puts it,
and I love this one,
it says,
now faith is confidence in what we hope for,
and assurance about what we do not see.
In verse two of the same chapter in Hebrews,
one translator writes,
for this kind of faith,
the men of old gained divine approval.
Why was divine approval a combination given from God
to men and women of old,
as scripture points out?
It's simple.
Because they trusted what God said was true.
In other words,
what God says here in Ephesians
about being saved by grace through faith
can be trusted.
And faith is important
because faith plays a big part,
not only in our conversion,
but also in living the Christian life
day by day by day.
Now we know this because scripture tells us
that the just shall live by faith
in Romans 1.17 and Galatians 3.11.
A prominent theologian,
when describing the character of faith,
wrote,
and I love this,
faith is a living and unshakable confidence.
A belief in the grace of God
so assured that a man would die
a thousand deaths for its sake.
This kind of confidence in God's grace,
and I would add God's character,
this sort of knowledge of it
makes us joyful,
high-spirited,
and eager in our relations with God
and with all mankind.
So faith is a big deal.
Who you and I put our faith in
is an even bigger deal.
It's such a big deal
that if you and I put our faith
in the right place,
meaning the God of the Bible,
the keeper of our souls,
through our relationship with his son,
Jesus Christ,
then divine approval is attached to it.
Then divine approval
is attached to it.
Now the author tells us
in the second half of verse 8
through verse 9,
it's interesting,
he says,
not of your own doing,
seems to break it up,
not of your own doing,
it is a gift of God,
not the result of works,
so that no one may boast.
Now I don't know about you,
but I found myself wondering
why our author felt the need
to write this,
but he wrote,
not of your own doing,
it is a gift of God,
not the result of works,
so that no one may boast.
If we take a look at Ephesus
in antiquity,
or in biblical times,
the social context was interesting,
you know,
in a very unique way,
distinct way.
You know,
it was an honor-shame culture,
where honor and shame
were values
that shaped everyday life.
Honor,
the primary measure
of social status,
was based upon
ascribed honor
and acquired honor.
Inherited or ascribed honor
was social standing
due to being part
of a social unit,
principally a family.
For instance,
for those born to rulers,
those born to rulers
were held in high esteem
due to the family honor.
Now,
acquired honor
was gained
through meritorious deeds
or public performance.
The public forum
provided something
called challenges
for gaining
or losing honor.
A challenge,
depending on
where you ended up,
might show
the superiority
of one person
or group
over another.
Shame,
on the other hand,
was not simply
the opposite of honor.
Both positive
and negative shame
did exist.
Shame could be handled
positively
by knowing
how to keep matters
out of public awareness.
For example,
a woman
could bear shame
well by
remaining covered
in public
and avoiding
male-dominated arenas.
I told y'all
that was antiquity,
right?
So,
or shame
could also be
designated honor,
designated dishonor,
dishonor,
or loss of honor.
So,
most moral appeals
were made
to honor
or disgrace.
And because
of this reality,
members of the lower class
often knew
that the only way
they could get ahead
was through patronage,
which was typically
a mutual relationship
between those
of unequal status
and which both benefited.
So,
the giving and receiving
of favors,
not one's
industriousness
or hard work,
was a pathway
in most cases
to social elevation.
In other words,
you had to have
the hookup.
So,
this was the social
context
which existed
in Ephesus
and biblical times.
Therefore,
our author is putting it
in a context
to an audience
of individuals
who can understand
the relevance
and or consequence
of being hooked up
or not hooked up
in a society.
Work or work
in their relationships
or their status
or their savvy
to get something
they wanted
or something
that is being offered
or something
that's available
that's good.
But he's telling them
that you can't
utilize the culture's
customs
to get this gift
of salvation.
The gift does not have
and will never have
anything to do
with your hustle,
your good people-ness,
your connections
or your social status
or non-status.
There's no network
you and I can work.
There's no palm
that you or I
can grease,
literally or figuratively.
You do not have
to be down
with so-and-so.
If you have
the hookup,
wonderful.
If you don't,
that's wonderful too.
Everyone has to walk
through the same door
to acquire it
and that door
is Jesus Christ.
Now once we walk
through that door,
scripture tells us
in Ephesians
that we are made alive
although we were
once dead.
But it doesn't stop there.
It gets better.
The responsibility
of being
God's masterpiece.
Next,
according to the book
of Ephesians,
we now become
God's workmanship
in Christ Jesus.
One translator writes
that we are
God's masterpiece
or work of art
because we have been
created in Christ Jesus
something only God
can do.
Now what could this mean?
God's masterpiece.
Not only does it
mean something
but it carries with it
a responsibility.
Now if we think
about a masterpiece
or a work of art,
first thing that comes
to mind for most
is something visual.
Something to be viewed,
to be appreciated
with our sense of sight.
But we also know
that art or masterpieces
can come in many forms.
It could be musical
or poetic,
packaged in your favorite
song or poem
and therefore heard
to be appreciated
as opposed to being seen.
It could have an aroma
like your favorite dish.
If you're me,
for me,
you know,
if you're from Jamaica,
if there's Jamaicans in here,
that dish would be
stew peas,
the pork version,
not the vegan version,
whatever that is,
cooked by a master chef
and the master chef
in my case
would be one of my aunties.
And that can ultimately
not only be smelled
but tasted.
A masterpiece can be touched
like a scarf
someone knitted
just for you
or a beautiful
handmade Persian rug
under your feet.
but I submit to you
that the best art
moves beyond impacting
the individual peculiarities
of the five senses
and becomes something
that is fully experienced
and done so in a way
that everything around it
or that comes in contact
with it
can become blessed by it,
encouraged by it,
strengthened by it,
and ultimately
transformed by it.
So as God's masterpiece
or as God's workmanship
made the image of God
and transformed
by the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
we have a job to do.
We have a responsibility.
In fact,
this is possibly the reason
why those in Christ
are called
God's masterpiece
because God wanted
to do something
with us
being his people
that would extend
beyond our own benefit
or that of our own
immediate community
or of people
who look like us
or act like us
or who may see life
in the same way
as we see it.
In other words,
as God's masterpiece,
we now
are put in a position
to bring a
transcendent experience
to earth
through the power
of God's Holy Spirit
that dwells in us
because of our commitment
to the risen Lord.
Well, how do we do that?
As my pastor in L.A.
would say,
you know,
you ask good questions
on a Sunday night,
725 on a Sunday night.
Well, Ephesians
provides us a clue
by telling us
in verse 10
that we are created
in Christ
for something
called good works.
And these are
good works
that God created
beforehand
specifically for us
so that we should
walk in them
or that they should
be our way of life.
These good works
that Ephesians
refers to
are a necessary
component
of our walk
with the Lord.
Why?
Scholar Richard F.
Lovelace writes
in reference
to Jonathan Edwards'
conclusions
on the nature
of good works
and why
they're necessary
to bring about
full-fledged renewal
in the world
points out
that good works
had to involve
a balance
between personal
concern for the
individual
and social concern.
It went beyond
that proliferation
of religiosity
in the form of
meetings,
prayers,
singing,
and religious talk
to emphasizing
works of love
and mercy
which will bring
the God of love
down from heaven
to earth
to set up
his tabernacle
with men on earth
and dwell with them.
So God has
designed us
as masterpieces
to be experienced
especially as we
move out
from the familiar
much like great art
when put on display
so that people
will get to know God
so that people
will get to know
God.
We are those
works of art
that are created
to
now I'm quoting
Pastor Matt
on this one
display God's
nature,
character,
and work
in the earth
or in short
God's glory.
And even more
than Savion Glover's
performance that night
our lives
will then become
something more
transcendent
emanating
and shining bright
the beauty
of the Lord.
I want to add
that the nature
of good works
means that
it can be
almost anything
because it will
be different
for each individual
in this room.
So I can't tell you
what God has designed
for you to do
but scripture
gives us a clue
concerning how
we can examine
what we are doing
as we pursue
what God has designed
for you and I
to do
and in doing so
pursue God's
will and way
in the process.
Here's a clue.
2 Corinthians 5
17-20
we read
therefore if anyone
is in Christ
he's a new creature
the old
has passed away
behold
the new has come
all this is from God
who through Christ
reconciled us
to himself
and gave us
the ministry
of reconciliation
underline
ministry of reconciliation
verse 19
that is
Christ in God
was reconciling
the world to himself
not counting
the trespasses
against them
and entrusting to us
here's the other part
the message
of reconciliation
therefore we are
ambassadors for Christ
God making his appeal
through us
we implore you
on behalf of Christ
be reconciled
to God
so we have been
reconciled to God
in Christ
and we have been
given both
a ministry
and a message
of reconciliation
to help others
to be reconciled
to God
to reconcile
means to
cause people
or groups
to become friendly
again
after an argument
or disagreement
or misunderstanding
those of us
who know Christ
through his death
and resurrection
we now have
peace with God
theologian James
the oldest Roberts
writes
the reconciliation
of man to man
through the reconciliation
of man to God
releases the healing
power of the cross
of Christ
into this
anxious
broken
and bitter world
only redeemed
men
can serve
as agents
of reconciliation
so these good works
that God designed
might well be attached
to this ministry
and message
of reconciliation
and it's interesting
that we
we hear the terms
ministry
and message
because the scripture
does not say
that this
ministry and message
is only for pastors
or extroverts
or div school students
or popular people
in church
no
it's for all of us
because if you're
an introvert
God knows that already
or if you are not
the best communicator
God knows that too
but he also knows
that everyone
everybody can do
something
because God
designed us
to do
whatever that
something is
specific to how
he created
and wired us
and there are no
exceptions
therefore
it is something
that you and I
must seek
after from God
and if there's
any prayer
that you and I
can trust
the Lord
will answer
is a prayer
that asks God
to point us
towards what
he has designed
for us
it is in God's
will that
we know
and do
these good works
and it is in
his will
that we know
and we do
these good works
that he's designed
for us
in Christ
and we can trust
that praying
with God's will
in mind
is a great way
to pray
because he will
respond to our
desire for his
will
and his way
in our lives
in Christ
we are God's
masterpiece
we are God's
work of art
and again
because we've
been made alive
in Christ
if you know
Jesus Christ
in this specific
reality
we can then
manifest God's
beauty
in closing
Dr. Tim Keller
in his book
The Reason
for God
points out
that the existence
of God
can be seen
or proven
within what he
calls the clue
of beauty
the clue
of beauty
that is often
associated with
great art
he writes
that such clues
give a sense
that life is
not a tale
told by an idiot
full of sound
and fury
signifying nothing
great art
fills you with
hope
and gives you
the strength
to carry on
though you
cannot define
what it is
that moves you
but as God's
workmanship
created for good
works
we know
what not only
moves us
but also
what is capable
of moving others
and transforming
their lives
the lives
of their
communities
and the world
just like we've
been
and are continuing
to be transformed
in the image
of Christ
by the power
of the Holy Spirit
by the way
let me take
some pressure
off all of us
we also know
that because
of God's grace
we are allowed
to be a masterpiece
and a works
in progress
at the same time
because we've
been made alive
in Christ
who's merciful
towards us
scripture tells us
in Micah 7
18 to 20
that he delights
to show mercy
I love how the message
says it
it's his favorite part
he's a God
of steadfast love
and compassion
and we
as his workmanship
are an everlasting
work
made alive
in Christ
whose scripture
declares
is Christ
in you
the hope
of glory
in closing
closing
given the times
we're in politically
given the fact
that Tuesday
is fast approaching
I want to
encourage everyone
as
a few of the
pastors have already
done
I want to
encourage everyone
here by declaring
that this hope
we have
in Christ
is unchanging
it will remain
the same
no matter what
happens
or does not
happen on Tuesday
heaven
will not be
shocked
by the outcome
of Tuesday's
election
the God
whom we belong
to
and whom we serve
will not be
wringing his hands
about it
but one thing
is for certain
leaders may
change
governments may
change
turmoil will
come and go
but the kingdom
of God
of whom we
are citizens
of whom we
are citizens
remains rock
solid
and consistent
and it is
as the book
of Hebrews
declares
it is an
unshakable
kingdom
so let us
keep our focus
here
and then set
our face
like Flint
to the good
works he has
designed for us
to do
God bless you
let us pray
I just want to
say thank you
thank you that
you
you're mindful
of us
like
the psalmist
says
what is
no
what is man
that you're so
mindful of us
that you care
for us
you care for us
so much
Lord God
that you sent
your son
to die
and be
resurrected
so we can
have life
true life
be made alive
in him
Lord
Father we also
thank you in advance
Lord God
for what you have
for us to do
I pray Lord God
that myself
included
that we would
be able to
Lord move in the
direction Lord God
you designed for
our lives
Lord God
with dead set
determination
and with
complete trust
in who you are
and what you say
knowing Lord God
that the plans you
have for us are
good plans
plans not to
harm us but to
give us a hope
and a future
help us Lord God
to complete
the job
assignment you've
had for us
to do Lord God
in that
those good works
you've designed
for us Lord God
in Christ
so when it's all
said and done
Lord God
you'll be able to
say just well done
thou good and
faithful servant
we thank you Lord
we give you the
honor and glory
and praise Lord God
for who you are
and what you've done
we thank you and ask
this in Jesus name
Amen