A Life Lived For God ALONE!

By Pastor Matt Black

19 November 2006
Lord's Day morning
Ephesians 2:10

Open your Bibles to Ephesians 2, and let’s read verses 1-10.  The title of this morning’s message is “A Life Lived For God Alone!” 

[Read Ephesians 2:1-10].

Main Text: Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Introduction:  Nearly 2,000 years ago, Rome tried to eradicate Christianity. Ultimately, Rome, not Christianity, was changed! How can that kind of change happen again today?  D.L. Moody said, “Give me ten men who love only God and hate only sin and I will change the world”.  We need to realize that we have only one life to live!  Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last!  Are you living the life that God ordained for you?  Are you living for God and God alone?

I. Are you living a life that is in Service to God? Your life is either in service to God or it is OUT OF ORDER!  You see, if you are “his workmanship”, if you are “created in Christ Jesus” then you are in service to God!  You are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works”.  You see you are either IN SERVICE or your life is OUT OF ORDER! 

If you are saved, you are in service.  Otherwise you are OUT of ORDER!  If you are saved, then you are serving!  This is in the very context of this passage.  Look at verses 1-3.  We were dead in trespasses and sins!  We were not useful!  But God took us from there.  Ephesians 1:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ”  God took a life that was out of order, and put it in service.

Do you have a sign on your life that says, “out of order”? 

You will be known by your fruits.  That’s what Jesus said!  Your life speak louder than your words.  James asks in 3:12, “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh”  Christ says in Matthew 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Here’s the thing.  You are in service to someone.  You are bringing forth fruit every minute and every day.  And it is either good or bad.  It can’t be both.  An apple tree does not have both good apples and poisonous grapes.  You are in service right now.  What I’m asking you is “who are you in service to?”  You cannot serve two masters!  Who are you in service to?  What does the fruit of your life say?  You are either in service or out of order!  Are you living a life of SERVICE to God?

II. Are you living a life that is a Sacrifice to God?

A. A life in sacrificed God is a life of Commitment. 

Someone aptly said, “There are many full churches, but our pulpits are filled with empty chatter.  Many words are spoken, but too few that are true and genuine.  Much professed faith, but little observed obedience.  Many commitments made, but few seem truly committed.  Yet commitment is the very cornerstone of Christian service.  Commitment must have an object.  We must be committed to something.”

1. You are committed to the people of God.

Some of you say you are saved, but all you can do is come on Sunday morning.  Now, you say, can’t come at night because… and you have your reason.  But if there was a grand opening at Red Lobster or your favorite restaurant, and they said, everybody’s gonna eat free tonight, you’d be there!  If someone died that you loved, and their funeral was at night, you’d find a way!  You’d make a way!  But you can’t make a way to church.  Why?  You are not committed.  You are not committed to God or His people.  If you all are saved here this morning, you need to be here tonight for the evening service.  And you need to be here on Wednesday night. 

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

If you love someone, you’re with them.  The greatest sign of love is a person’s presence.  God loves us.  How do we know, because He’s given us His presence in the Spirit of God.  That tells us that we are His and He is ours.  He says, “I am with you always”.  He says “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

God says stop talking about your commitment to me, if you can’t show your love to my people. 

Illustration: Now what would you think of a father who said he loved his children, but he never showed up for supper.  In the morning the father says to his wife, “I love you sweetheart.”  But when dinner time comes, and she has a banquet prepared for him, she and the children call for the father, and he doesn’t answer.  Where is he?  They don’t know.  Day after day, he tells her he loves her, but he’s never at the table with him.  He’s never home.  Oh, he’s working, he’s got important things to do.  Would you say that this man is committed to his wife and children?  No!

What would a committed man do?  He would get a job that would allow him to be home with his family! 

Some of you say you cannot come to church because of your job.  Dear friend if you have a job interview, the first thing you ought to say is, I cannot work on the Lord’s Day and on Wednesdays.  You may not get that job.  But if you obey God, do you think He’s going to provide a job for you?  Luke 11:11-12, “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?”

Is God now powerless to give you a job where you can honor Him with God’s people?

You say, now wait a minute, you can’t prove to me from the Bible that we need to be here every service. 

Turn to Acts 2:41-46, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  42 ¶  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship [THAT’S WHAT WE CALL CHURCH], and in breaking of bread [THAT’S WHAT WE CALL COMMUNION, THE LORD’S TABLE], and in prayers [THAT’S WHAT WE CALL PRAYER MEETING—THEY DID IT TOGETHER—MET TOGETHER FOR PRAYER “STEADFASTLY”]. 43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44  And all that believed were together [THEY WERE TOGETHER—THEY LIVED THEIR LIVES SIDE BY SIDE.  THEY LIVED THEIR LIVES IN A WAY WHERE THEY SAW EACH OTHER OFTEN.  HOW OFTEN? WE’RE COMING TO THAT], and had all things common; 45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple [THEY CONTINUED IN THE PUBLIC PLACE OF WORSHIP DAILY!  AND WE COMPLAIN ABOUT GATHERING TWICE A WEEK OR TWICE A SUNDAY], and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart [FRIENDS, THEY HAD SINGLENESS OF HEART!  THEY ALL AGREED TOGETHER.  THEY CAME TOGETHER EVERY DAY], 47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved [A CHURCH LIKE THIS IS GOING TO GROW, IT’S GOING TO SEE FRUIT!  THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY!  THEY MET TOGETHER, AND GOD ADDED TO THE CHURCH EVERY DAY!.”

So if you really want to talk about Biblical commitment, the elders in the church of Jerusalem decided it was important for them to meet every day.  And that’s what they all did.  It wasn’t a question.

Some of you look at your attendance to church as you service to God.  You’ve got it wrong!

Coming to church is not service!  It is to prepare you for service!  You will get no advance in rank for going through basic training in the armed forces.  Basic training is not service.  It prepares you for service!  Christians think if they just go to church faithfully, they’re not only going to be fine, they’ll have medals to show.

2. You are committed not only to the people of God, but more than that, you are committed to the purposes of God.  As our text says, We are “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained”.  It’s not our purposes and ordination.  God ordains what we are to do for His purposes.

B. A life sacrificed to God is a life of Crucifixion.  You are “created in Christ Jesus”.  If you are in Christ, then you must follow the way of Christ.  “All they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”  Spurgeon said: There are no crown wearers in heaven above that were not cross bearers on earth below. What did Christ say about commitmen   Matthew 16:24, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Some of you say, “Yes, I know about crucifixion! God is putting me to the test!  I’m feeling it.”  Maybe you feel opposed simply by the circumstances of life, but listen, if you know Christ, every moment of pain is useful, and it is ordained for your good and God’s glory!

C. A life sacrificed to God is a life of Provision. 

God never calls us to do anything that He does not also give us the power to accomplish by the power of His Spirit.  In your service to God, He will never demand more of you than you can do.  At issue here is the character of the provider.  When God calls you to a task, it’s His honor at stake, not yours, and He always provides. 

It is this dependability on the character of God that allows us to be spiritual risk takers.  For while God will never demand more from you than you can do, He is often willing to do more than you think possible.  “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). 

He has “ordained” or “prepared” the good works for us.  “Ordain” is such a distant, cold word.  It ought not to be to you.  God’s ordination is His faithful loving promise.  God has ordained our good works.  That means He has promised several things:

(1) He has promised to provide a consuming power

(2) He has promised to provide a clear path

(3) He has promised to provide an encouraging promise to bring it to pass

God is glorified when you take on something bigger than you are.  His “strength is made perfect in weakness.”

III. Are you living a life that is Sanctified?  We are called to “GOOD works”.  That means holiness. 

We are confronted with the truth that how we serve God is just as important as that we serve Him.  One of the most extraordinary commands in all of Scripture is where God says, “Be holy, even as I the Lord am holy.”  It is an extraordinary command because in and of ourselves we are incapable obeying it.  That is the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit Who by indwelling the hearts of believers enables us to live holy lives. 

Leonard Ravenhill once said,

“The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world, and make him holy, put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.”

IV. Are you living a life that is Unstoppable? We are “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

When God ordains something, it is unstoppable.  If you are in Christ Jesus, you are like a hammer that God has picked up.  God is swinging the hammer.  No nail is going to stop the hammer.  He’s going to use you for His purposes.  God’s purpose is like a hammer.  He cannot fail.  And if you are in God’s hand, His purposes for you WILL NOT fail! 

God’s going to do His work in you!  Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

V. Or are you living a life that is Successful?

Success in our service has nothing to do with this world’s definition of success.  Success for the Christian is simply pleasing God.  Obedience in every endeavor.  It is better to fail in this life while serving God, than to succeed in this life while serving the devil.  Frank Wright said, “What a tragedy to climb the ladder of success only to realize the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.” 

God may use us to change the world, but that is not why God uses us.  God could change the world with a Word.  What God really wants to change is YOU and ME. 

Christ already gained success through the cross.  We have the ultimate guarantee of success.   

Our nation will not be transformed by the next set of laws but by the this generation of believers.  Are you ready to transform the world.  It begins with a single commitment.  I will do in every little moment that which pleases God.  I will do what He wants me to do—I will go where He wants me to go; I will say what He wants me to say.  

Conclusion:  Where are you in submitting yourself to the Lordship of Christ, and committing yourself for His service?  You are here.  In God’s plan, He had you here today so that you could listen to this message.  Having heard it, what are you resolved to do? 

The motive of my message this morning is not recruitment.  I am speaking to you, God’s people—you are a people that ought to need no convincing.  If you’ve been bought by the blood of Christ, then Jesus Christ is your Lord and Master.  You cannot say No, Lord.  It is an impossibility.  If you say know to Christ, then He is not your Lord!

I understand that you are a Christian, is that right?  You don’t need to volunteer.  You have already committed your life to the Master and Lord of all.  I don’t need to ask you to serve Him, because if you know Christ, He has conquered you, and you are His bondslave. 

Is it a burden to serve Christ?  Yes!  But His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 

We are God’s workmanship, and our responsibility is to serve Him!

Closing Hymn:  418 Trust and Obey