Welcome to The Ridge - Part 4 [Notes]

You’re invited to join us for “Welcome To The Ridge,” a six-week series focused on our past, present, and future as a church. Whether you’ve been at The Ridge for a month, a year, ten years, or thirty, our hope is that this series will give us all a clear, compelling, and unifying vision of who we are, where we’ve been, where we are, and where God is leading us in the future. Each week, we’ll study a different Bible passage that has shaped us, guided us, and kept us focused. This series is not only for those who call The Ridge home, but it’s also a perfect opportunity to invite others to come and experience it with you. Welcome To The Ridge!

Takeaway: As we look to the future, we want to gather together and go together so more people come alive in Christ.

Week 1 – The foundation of Chestnut Ridge Church is Christ.
Week 2 – We have the privilege of joining Jesus in His mission to seek and save the lost.
Week 3 – Our vision is to be an inviting church that leads people into a growing relationship with God and others … every day.

As we look to the future, we want to gather together and go together so more people come alive in Christ.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
– Ephesians 2:1-10 (HCSB)

As we look to the future, we want to gather together and go together so more people come alive in Christ.

• Without Christ, people are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-3)

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.
– Ephesians 2:1 (HCSB)

“One who is dead spiritually has no communication with God; he is separated from God. ‘Transgressions’ are false steps and ‘sins’ are acts of missing the mark. Both suggest deliberate acts against God and His righteousness and thus failure to live as one should.”
– The Bible Knowledge Commentary

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
– Ephesians 2:1-3 (HCSB)

“Because of sins, humans are the living dead. They live in keeping with a world order that ignores God and in keeping with a dark tyrant who works to cause disobedience. In their enslavement they follow desires and distorted reasonings that leave God out of the picture, therefore they are under God’s wrath.”
– NIV Application Commentary

As we look to the future, we want to gather together and go together so more people come alive in Christ.

• Without Christ, people are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-3)
• With Christ, spiritually dead people are made alive (Eph. 2:4-10)

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,
– Ephesians 2:4 (HCSB)

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
– Ephesians 2:4-5 (HCSB)

“Over against human rejection of God, Paul painted a picture of the new life manifested in God’s gracious acceptance of sinners because of Christ. The strong contrast (to verses 1–3) points to God’s answer to people’s dreadful situation.”
– HCSB Study Bible

Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,
– Ephesians 2:6 (HCSB)

"Besides being made alive, former unbelievers also have been raised … up with Christ. This speaks of their being positionally resurrected. Christ’s post-resurrection state was new, powerful, and unique. So too Christians, in whom Christ dwells, have a new, powerful, and unique life and position. This new life, power, and position demand that believers have a new set of values, as Paul stated in his companion letter to the Colossian believers: ‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things’ (Col. 3:1–2)."
– The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
– Ephesians 2:6-7 (HCSB)

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.
– Ephesians 2:8-9 (HCSB)

For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
– Ephesians 2:10 (HCSB)

“In conclusion, 2:1–10 demonstrates that though people were spiritually dead and deserving only God’s wrath, God, in His marvelous grace, has provided salvation through faith. Believers are God’s workmanship in whom and through whom He performs good works.”
– The Bible Knowledge Commentary

As we look to the future, we want to gather together and go together so more people come alive in Christ.

The King is in the Room // The Lord Will Provide // Holy Forever // Death Was Arrested // Courage

You can watch or listen to past messages online!

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