Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Wall and barriers

As Paul is reminding the church at Ephesus of who they are he calls for them to look back in

remembrance of what life was like before.

Being able to look at what our lives were like before has a

way of helping us to appreciate what life is like now and also it can help remind us of the hope that we

have.

To really grasp the heart of the text we must know that there is a great tension that the church would have felt when reading this letter from Paul.

For one there had always been a great hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles.

The Jews were God’s covenant people so therefore they viewed God as their God only.

“the oath to the ancestors”

“circumcision as a sign”

The Gentiles were anyone who was not Jewish.

This hostility was bad and it lasted for years.

In fact that is what a lot of the book of Acts is dealing with especially the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.

Some Jewish believers believed that the only way a Gentile could be saved was to adopt Jewish culture (also in Galatians 2-Titus).

A huge problem with this is that it takes away from the sufficiency of Christ (Christ plus works).

Here’s the big idea: True community is centered around Christ alone.

1. Outward condition.

They were Gentiles — “the Uncircumcision” (ver.

11).

2. Inward condition,

Ephesians 2:12 (CSB)

12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

denoted by five negatives:

(1) without Christ;

(2) without a country;

(3) without promises;

(4) without hope;

(5) without God (ver.

12).

Their current state

How?

“dividing wall (of hostility-added for emphasis)”

There was a barrier both literally and spiritually.

In Jerusalem, between the temple proper and the Court of the Gentiles, there was a stone wall on which there was an inscription in Greek and Latin: ‘No one of another nation to enter within the fence and enclosure round the temple.

And whoever is caught will have himself to blame that his death ensues

It is strangely significant that Paul was finally arrested and condemned by the Jews in Jerusalem on the basis of a false accusation that he took an Ephesian, Trophimus, beyond this barrier (Acts 21:29–30)

It is Christ who is our peace.

(Paul-Jew, Church-Gentile, Both-Enemies with God).

wall of hostility- This is a picture taken from the temple.

The temple was surrounded by a series of courts.

Each court had a high wall separating it from the preceding court.

As one approached the temple, he entered first of all the outer Court of the Gentiles.

This is where the buying and selling of animals and the exchanging of money for foreign worshippers took place (see note—• Mark 11:15).

Then there was the Court of the Women.

A Jewish woman was limited to this court unless she had come to make a sacrifice.

The next court was the Court of the Israelites.

This is where the whole congregation gathered on the great feast days and where sacrifices were handed over to the priests.

The Court of the Priests was next.

This court was in the temple proper where the temple itself stood.

This area was considered sacred and was accessible only to the services of the priests.

Finally, within the very heart of the temple stood the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place where the very presence of God was to dwell.

Only the High Priest could enter the Holy Place and he could enter only once a year—at the great Passover Feast

-Partition after partition separated people from the presence of God.

The picture is that of Jesus Christ breaking down all barriers and walls that separate man from God.

All men can now approach God equally through the death of Jesus Christ.

Men build all kinds of barriers and prejudices against other men.create in himself one new man-one body of people (THE VEIL TORE)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Place where we divide ourselves today.

Revisit the big idea: The Gospel Binds Us (restores both relationships

The wall is down and access to God is through Jesus.

A NEW PEOPLE