Untitled Sermon (13)

A. No Longer

A. Foreigners

A. foreigners

B. Strangers

b. Strangers

B. Are Now

a. fellow citizans with the saints

b. members of the houshold of God

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II. The Building of The Church v.20

A. Foundation

a. Apposles

b. Prophets

B. The Prophets

B. Cornerstone

a. Jesues Christ

II. The Resaults v.21-22

A. Through Christ

a. The Building

The Whole Building is put together

it Grows into the Holy temple of the Lord

b. In Him

You are being built together for God’s dwelling place.

Eph 3

Ephesians 2:19–22 CSB

19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

Introduction

A. In this Passage Paul is writting to the gentiles who for centuries had been excluded from the relationship between God and Isrel.

a. When God creatad man no person, natinality or reace was supirior to any other. Even when God chose Isreiel to be His people it was his plan that through them he would bless all the nations of the earth.

B. Unfortenetly the Jews through time viewed themselves as exclusive and created division betweeen themselves and the gentiles. Jews felt theat they were both morally and ratially more pure than the gentiles.

Unfortenetly the Jews through time viewed themselves as exclusive and created division betweeen themselves and the gentiles. Jews felt theat they were both morally and ratially more pure than the gentiles.

a. In Paul’s day, a wall forms a barrier to keep Gentiles out of the inner Jewish courtyards of the temple. There are notices warning that trespassers will be executed. Paul calls this ‘the dividing wall of hostility’

C. In This passage Paul is declaring that an outbreak of Peace must occur.

a. the division between the Jew and Gentiles must end. in the Church.

b. The emphisis is that this Peace is not by circumsision, special diet, or keeping clean. This peace takes place through Christ;s Death on the cross for both Jews and Gentiles.

b. this Peace is not:

circumsision,

special diet,

or keeping clean.

This peace takes place through Christ’s Death on the cross for both Jews and Gentiles.

I. The Standing of the Gentiles

Ephesians 2:19 CSB

19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,

This passage begins with a reminder that the believers were no longer strangers, They were on the same team.

A. No Longer

a. forigners

The Focus is before Christ’s death on the cross the gentiles were outside the covenent, they were alians to the People of God.

b. Strangers

they were strangers and sojouners.

This can be difined as

people that might live alongside them in a countery but are not accual citizens

THis was the position of the Gentiles, but as Paul instructs it is no longer the position. Paul says they are now “Fellow citizans with the saints”

He is conecting all the People of God together.

Paul used citizanship as an expresive way of telling the truth concering the position of the gentiles in the Kingdom of God.

How does this relate to our contery today?

Too often do Churches take social justace up like imigration Many Independent Baptist Churches might as well be called the first Baptist Church of the Republican Party. It is not our job to push a political agenda, even if we agree with it, it is our Job to Share the gospel and preach the Gospel

A big hot-button issue in our countery today is imigration and may churches, and even pastors talk about there frustration with it, What a mission field God is bringing to our frount door with imigration

The point that Paul was making here is that all the Christians weather they were Jew or jentile had the same standing with GOd.

Whatever the individual’s social standing is His social standing is the same with God!

B. Are Now

a. Fellow citizans

Although Gentiles used to be outsiders they now belong to God’s family. God has adopted Jew and Gentile alike through His son Jesues Christ.

b. Members of God’s Houshold

forigners and alians is a person who has been givin certin priviliges but posess no citizan rights it is this lack of status that paul is addressing here.

Because of Christ’s death on the cross all have the same citizanship rights in The Kingdom of God. and Paul uses this picture to Show that the gentiles are no longer foreigners but are full members of the Houshold of God

Ephesians 1:5 CSB

5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

II. The Building of the Church

Ephesians 2:20 CSB

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

Eph

“A more litteral rendering of this passage would be “Christ Jesues himself is the cornerstone, and upon Him the aoopstles and prophets built the foundation

A. Cornerstone

a. Jesus Christ

This is yet another proof that The Church was Built upon Christ Himself and not Peter. “Christ Jesues being the cornerstone.”

The Key is Christ is the rock the cornerstone, this comes from Psal 118:22

Psalm 118:22 CSB

22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Which is reiderated in

Mark 12:10 CSB

10 Haven’t you read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Rember When Christ said He would build His church upon himself

Matthew 16:18 ESV

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

B. Foundation

a. Appostles

b. Prophets

So WHat we see is

1. Christ is the cornerstone

2. The appostles Built upon the foundation of His cornerstone

3. all other bilivers in the early Church built upon this fondation.

III. THe Resaults v. 21-22

Ephesians 2:21–22 ESV

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.

Ephesians 2:10–11 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 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—

Eph

A. Through Christ

a. The Building

The Whole Building is put together

This verse draws the vitel point that the entire Body of Christ is Joined together by The cornerstone, which is Christ.

it Grows into the Holy temple of the Lord

The Phrase The Holy temple of the Lord Shows that the Body of Christ is a living and growing orginizam as new belivers are added to the body of Christ. it grows

b. In Him

The function

Ephesians 2:22 ESV

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

God places individula People into the Structure of The Body of Christ.

A Christian Should tresure the Gift of The Body of Christ

It is importent to note that the Church and Iserial are distict.