SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Back from the Dead
Ice Breaker: What special gift have you received recently?
Video: If practical in your setting, watch “The Bible Project’s ‘Book of Ephesians’ “ (video timestamp: 2:55 to 4:20). (5 min)
Introduction:
From Ephesians Chapter 1 we learned that:
- 1) We (I) have been RECRUITED as part of God’s love and work into His big eternal plan.
- 2) We were reminded of the importance of being thankful for fellow Christians in our life, the church and the world.
Sermon Emphasis – God’s big story is to “bring those who are spiritually dead and make them alive in Christ Jesus.”
I. Born “Dead” (2:1-3, also in v.5) – (30 min)
Questions:
1. What do you think Paul means by being dead in transgressions?
2. What are the lies people tell themselves about their mortality and spiritual condition?
- I can save myself.
- My good work will get me to heaven.
- If I am spiritual and religious, then God will be pleased.
- I am a good person or at least better in comparison to others.
- I have been a Christian my whole life.
3. When is the proper time or conditions to introduce others to what the Bible says regarding their spiritual condition?
II. Made “Alive” (2:4-9) – (30 min)
4. What do you think Paul means by being made alive in Christ through Grace? (2:4-9)
5. What does Paul say are the conditions to being saved?
Grace is a “gift” from God and that truth should be reflected in how we live.
From the sermon:
“We can do nothing to earn salvation, All we can do is receive the gift, and accept what God has done through Jesus Christ. It is whom you believe that saves you not the act of believing it. The object of our faith is Jesus, not the ability to merely have faith in something.
“You just gotta have faith”. No. You need Jesus Christ.” Pastor Dave
3 Parts to Saving Faith
- I must hear – Romans 10:17
- I must accept – Acts 16:30-31, I Corinthians 15
- I must commit – Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38
Questions continued:
6. In what ways have you experienced or worked through the above-mentioned points?
Grace is a “gift” from God and that truth should be reflected in how we live.
III. Salvation “Demonstrated” (2:10) – (20 min)
Questions:
7. Describe an incident where you had to rely on God’s provision, direction, and/or care through “Faith” (i.e., the integration and action taken related to hearing, accepting, and committing to what God’s Word has spoken to your life).
8. What are some ways, practices, and/or habits that you can use to put God’s Word into your life for the purpose of sharing it with others?
In the context of the “Spiritual Warfare” – You have been BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD as part of God’s love and work in His big eternal plan of building a multi-ethnic forever family.
LEADERS VERSION
SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Back from the Dead
Leader Notes & Scriptures
The following scripture passages are taken from the NIV. They have been arranged in the order presented in the student handout.
Ice Breaker(s): (15 min)
Leader Note: It is recommended that you provide a time limit for each individual. You can use a sand timer, stop watch, computer count down timer, etc., otherwise there is a good possibility that you will not be able to cover the following materials in the total time allotted for your meeting. For extra-large groups, consider breaking into subgroups.
Ice Breaker: What special gift have you received recently?
Video: If practical in your setting, watch “The Bible Project’s “Book of Ephesians” (video timestamp: 2:25 to 4:20). (5 min)
Introduction:
From Ephesians Chapter 1 we learned that:
- 1) We (I) have been RECRUITED as part of God’s love and work into His big eternal plan.
- 2) We were reminded of the importance of being thankful for fellow Christians in our life, the church and the world.
Sermon Emphasis – God’s big story is to “bring those who are spiritually dead and make them alive in Christ Jesus.
I. Born “Dead” (2:1-3, also in v.5)
Ephesians: 2:1-3, 5 – 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath…. 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.
Death: is introduced in Gen 2:17. God created man to live forever, both physically and spiritually. By man’s disobedience, however, death became his lot (Rom 5:12). The day Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he did not die physically but lived on and reached the age of 930 years (Gen 5:5). However, with that act of disobedience he died spiritually and was separated from God’s fellowship (Gen 3:24) …. (from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
Genesis 5:5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
Genesis 3:24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Statement: You and I and every other person on this earth were born spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1-5, Romans 5:12, 6:23. Eternity awaits every individual after the death (extinguishment) of their human body. The death of our body can occur at any time and for nearly any reason. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. James 4:13-14, Proverbs 16:9, 27:1, Hebrews 9:27
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 4:13-14 (13) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” (14) Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
Questions:
1. What do you think Paul means by being dead in transgressions
2. What are the lies people tell themselves about their mortality and spiritual condition?
- A. I can save myself.
- B. My good work will get me to heaven.
- C. If I am spiritual and religious, then God will be pleased.
- D. I am a good person or at least better in comparison to others.
- E. I have been a Christian my whole life.
3. When is the proper time or conditions to introduce others to what the Bible says regarding their spiritual condition?
II. Made “Alive” (2:4-9)
Ephesians 2:4-9 (4) But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,(5) made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (6) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (7) in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (8) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (9) not by works, so that no one can boast.
4. What do you think Paul means by being made alive in Christ through Grace? (2:4-9)
5. What does Paul say are the conditions to being saved?
Grace is a “gift” from God and that truth should be reflected in how we live.
Leaders Note: The passage refers to both mercy (2:4) and grace (2:5 & 2:8). Even though, they can appear synonymous, they are different. Mercy refers to God not giving us what we deserve, namely the consequence of our sin which is death. Whereas Grace is getting what we don’t deserve, namely God giving us salvation and an eternal relationship with Him as a free gift purchased by Jesus on the cross. As verse 8 clearly states, it is by this act of grace that we have been saved. Therefore, there is nothing we can do to earn salvation. We need only to accept the gift of grace that God offers through our belief in Jesus.
From the sermon:
“We can do nothing to earn salvation, All we can do is receive the gift, and accept what God has done through Jesus Christ. It is whom you believe that saves you not the act of believing it. The object of our faith is Jesus, not the ability to merely have faith in something.
‘You just gotta have faith’. No. You need Jesus Christ.” Pastor Dave
3 Parts to Saving Faith
- I must hear
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
- I must accept
Acts 16:30-31 (30) He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (31) They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.”
I Corinthians 15:1-4 (1) Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. (2) By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (3) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
- I must commit
Matthew 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Luke 13:3-5 (3) ”I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. (4) Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? (5) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins….”
6. In what ways have you experienced or worked through the above-mentioned points?
III. Salvation “Demonstrated” (2:10)
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Questions:
7. Describe an incident where you had to rely on God’s provision, direction, and or care through “Faith” (i.e., the integration and action taken related to hearing, accepting, and committing to what God’s Word has spoken to your life).
8. What are some ways, practices, and or habits that you can use to put God’s Word into your life for the purpose of sharing it with others?
In the context of the “Spiritual Warfare” – You have been BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD as part of God’s love and work in His big eternal plan of building a multi-ethnic forever family.