You Are God’s Masterpiece
Key Scriptures: Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 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. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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. 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.
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Lesson One: You are created for the Master’s purpose.
• God chose the time and place in history in which you would live—and gifted you to serve him during that time
Psalm 139:13-16, For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Acts 17:26, From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
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Lesson Two: You have everything you need to accomplish God’s purpose.
• We need to focus on our own gifts instead of the gifts of others
• We need to focus on how God has gifted us instead of on how he hasn’t
2 Peter 1:3, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Exodus 4:10-12, Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
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Lesson Three: God uses everything in your life to accomplish his purpose.
• God will use the good and the bad things in life to shape you into who he needs you to be for his purpose to be fulfilled
Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Jeremiah 18:3-6, So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands so, the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.