Series: The Church
Sermon: The Church: The Poiema “Handiwork” of God
Bible Passage: Ephesians 2:10
I. In Greek literature and the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word poema and its related words refer to divine creative activity[1]
II. God is known partially through His creation
1. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork
2. Psalm 143:5-6 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land
3. The psalmists are led to worship when they saw God’s creation/poiema
III. The Scripture teaches that the Church is God’s poiema—“we are a masterpiece of God”
1. The Church does not become a masterpiece of its own
2. The masterpiece of someone else
3. This statement claims that the Church belongs to God through Jesus
IV. What makes a “handiwork” special/unique? it’s a “masterpiece” out of trash
1. Trash (what were the members of the Church prior to their salvation?)
a. Dead in transgressions and sins (verse 1, 5)
b. Association with God’s enemy (verse 2)
c. Indulging the flesh (verse 3)
d. Deserving God’s condemnation—nothing good in us!
2. Transformation (God’s process of turning the trash into His masterpiece)
a. Grace, salvation, gift (verse 5, 8)
b. Made us alive with Christ (verse 5)
c. Raised us (the trash) with Jesus and lifted us to the right hand of God (verse 6)
d. No boasting because it is not a human effort (verse 9)
e. New destiny for the trash turned “masterpiece)
f. God’s plan is that the Church will be the crowning example of His infinite wisdom, power, and love (Edmond Hiebert)
3. The poema is unique because it is God’s creative work in Jesus—(check the language)
a. Make/create alive with (recreation)—(verse 5)
b. Raised together— (verse 6)
c. Is seated together—to be seated together (verse 6)
d. “Having been created in Christ Jesus” (verse 10)
4. Jesus is the mediator of the recreation/poiema
V. The purpose of His poiema/masterpiece is for “good works”— (verse 10)
1. When God regenerated sinners, he implanted in the Church/believers the ability to do good
2. Because the recreation happened in the realm of Jesus, the Church is purposed to do works which they were unable to do prior to their regeneration
3. What makes an action “good work”?
a. Anything that pleases God,
b. Anything that has God’s approval
c. Anything that are beneficial to others
4. “Good works” are the fruit, never the root, of salvation (Edmond Hiebert)
5. Good works are impossible as a means of salvation, but they are nevertheless vitally important as the proof of the reality of our salvation (Edmond Hiebert)
6. Whenever a professed believer does not manifest any good works we may well question whether he or she has truly been born again
7. From this verse we understand that good works are God’s will for the believer
VI. Divine origin of the poiema—“which God prepared beforehand
1. The origin of the “good works” is God Himself in Jesus Christ
2. Look at the expression “to prepare beforehand” —our good works are marked out for and assigned to each one of the members
a. These good works are the fruit of God’s regeneration
b. The fruit of that new life they reveal its true nature
VII. The life of the members of the poiema needs to be characterized by doing divinely prepared “good works”—That we might walk in them
1. God desires that our lives are lived out according to His plan
2. Prior to becoming the poiema, they lived however they wanted (cf. verses 1-2)
VIII. Therefore, being part of God’s poiema is a new identity and call/mission
1. You are part of God creative activity
2. Your past or upbringing do not determine what you are and what you need to do
3. By virtue of you being part of the poiema, you are called to live in “good works” that God has assigned to you
4. Just as God is partially known through His creation, God may be known a lot better through this local poiema
Take Away:
Live worthy of your calling (4:1)
