No Longer Strangers

Introduction When the Wall Comes Down

Out here, we understand land and boundaries. Fences mark where one property ends and another begins. Sometimes those fences are helpful—protecting livestock, preserving privacy. But over time, some fences start to tell a deeper story. They become symbols of division—family fallouts, bitter disputes, or old wounds that never healed.

Paul, in Ephesians 2, talks about a wall much bigger than any wooden fence or barbed wire boundary. It was the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles—two groups who were historically, culturally, and spiritually estranged. But more than that, it symbolized the separation between humanity and God. That wall was reinforced by sin, shame, hostility, and pride. And yet, Paul says: Jesus came to tear that wall down. The gospel doesn’t just patch relationships—it demolishes divisions. In Christ, strangers become family.

Open your Bible with me to

Ephesians 2:11–22 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

1. Remember Who You Were (vv. 11–12)

Paul begins with a single word: “Remember.” It’s not a suggestion. It’s a command. “Remember,” he says, “that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh... separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

That’s a devastating description. Spiritually, we were homeless. Outsiders. Not just disconnected from the religious community, but disconnected from the very promises of God. Before Christ, we may have had land, heritage, or family—but we were still on the outside looking in. No peace. No access. No hope.

Some of us know what that feels like sitting in church but feeling spiritually distant. Knowing stories about God, but not knowing God Himself. Trying to fill the emptiness with success, education, or comfort—yet still feeling the ache of separation.

Paul doesn’t call us to remember in order to shame us, but to magnify grace. If you forget how far you were, you’ll never rejoice in how near you’ve been brought. Grace doesn’t shine bright until you remember the darkness it rescued you from.

2. Remember What Christ Did (vv. 13–18)

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Those two words, “But now” are some of the most hopeful in Scripture. Once far off; now brought near. Once strangers; now family. Once divided; now united. How? By the blood of Jesus.

“He Himself is our peace.” Not just that Jesus gives peace, He is peace. On the cross, Jesus took the hostility and hate, the pride and prejudice, the sin and separation and put it to death.

Paul says Christ has “broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” He’s referencing the literal wall in the Jerusalem temple that separated Jews from Gentiles—a wall that warned Gentiles they would die if they crossed it. But Paul is also speaking spiritually: Christ has demolished every wall that once kept people apart—whether racial, social, religious, or generational.

Paul tells us His purpose: “that He might create in Himself one new humanity in place of the two.” Jesus didn’t come to make Gentiles more Jewish or Jews more Gentile. He came to create something entirely new: a family united in Him.

Why so “that He might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross.” Reconciliation with each other begins with reconciliation to God. We can’t expect horizontal peace without vertical restoration. Unity in the church doesn’t come from shared politics or preferences. It flows from the cross where all of us, equally guilty and equally loved, find grace.

Verse 18 finishes with a final note: “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” One Savior. One Spirit. One Father. The church doesn’t have back doors for some and VIP entrances for others. The ground at the cross is level—and everyone enters the same way.

3. Remember Who You Are Now (vv. 19–22)

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (v. 19)

What a breathtaking reversal. No longer strangers. No longer outsiders. In Christ, you are:

Fellow citizens — You belong to God’s kingdom. You’re not a second-class spiritual immigrant you’re a full citizen with all the rights of grace.

Members of the household of God That’s not just legal language; that’s family language. God is not only your King; He is your Father. And you don’t just get into the kingdom—you get invited to the table.

A holy temple in the Lord — Verses 21–22 describe the church as a living temple, built stone by stone, life by life. Christ is the cornerstone. The apostles and prophets are the foundation. And each believer—young or old, rich or poor, native or newcomer—is being joined together into a place where God’s Spirit dwells.

This is not just spiritual poetry. It’s reality. In Christ, we’re not simply individuals who attend the same service. We are a people—unified, reconciled, rooted, and renewed.

4. Living as “No Longer Strangers”

If this is who we are, how should we live? Paul gives us a gospel identity so we can live out gospel unity. If Christ destroyed the dividing wall, why are we still stacking bricks of bitterness, pride, or preference?

Is there someone you avoid in this church?

Are you holding onto a grudge that Jesus already paid for?

Do you look at someone and think, “They don’t belong here”?

Then you’re rebuilding a wall Christ died to destroy. Repent. Lay your bricks down and pick the cross back up.

When someone walks into this church—especially someone who doesn’t look, talk, or dress like you remember: if they are in Christ, they are family.

Church isn’t just where we worship; it’s where we welcome. It’s not enough to share a pew we must share our lives. Pray for one another. Serve one another. Make room at your table. Don’t let anyone stay a stranger.

Because God is building a temple, not a tower of pride. The Spirit unites us; the flesh divides us. Friends, invite someone unlike you over for a meal. Learn from someone older or younger than you. Ask someone how they came to know Christ—and really listen.

Each time you reach across a dividing line, you declare, “The wall is down.”

Unity doesn’t mean avoiding conflict it means facing it with humility and grace. Sometimes that means hard conversations. Other times, it means letting your preference die for the sake of peace.

Churches do not drift toward unity. They drift toward division unless they intentionally cling to the cross. The gospel doesn’t just save you—it shapes how you treat your brothers and sisters.

Conclusion: The House God Is Building

Picture this church like a house under construction. Christ is the cornerstone. The apostles and prophets laid the foundation. And each one of us different shapes, stories, and struggles is being built into a living temple. A place where the Spirit dwells. A house where peace reigns. A family where no one is a stranger.

What God is building at Prospect CC isn’t small or insignificant. It’s eternal. It’s holy. It’s beautiful. And it’s possible because Jesus tore the wall down.

If you don’t yet know Christ, you’re still on the outside looking in. But here’s the good news: the door is open. The cross makes a way. You don’t have to be a stranger anymore.

If you do know Christ, but you’ve been keeping some walls up—between you and others—it’s time to let them fall. Lay down the bricks. Open your heart. Live like the wall is really down..

In Christ, you are no longer strangers. You are fellow citizens, family members, and stones in God’s eternal house.

Closing Pastoral Prayer

“Father, thank You that when we were far from You, You brought us near by the blood of Jesus. Thank you that in Christ, we are no longer strangers, but part of Your family. Lord Jesus, You are our peace. You tore down the wall of hostility at the cross. Forgive us for the ways we’ve rebuilt walls—in our hearts, our homes, even in our churches.

Holy Spirit, help us to repent of pride, prejudice, and fear. Build us together into a dwelling place for God—a place where no one stays a stranger for long. Make this church a living picture of the gospel—a place of welcome, grace, and unity. Use us in this city to show that Jesus really does make strangers into family. In His name we pray, Amen.”