Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: tell the story of Bulgarian history,

Intro: tell the story of Bulgarian history,

I will never be Bulgarian, the story of Bulgaria is not my story

Context: Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison in rome.

He was arrested for proclaiming what moses and the prophets said came to pass, that the Christ had to suffer and die and be raised from the dead, and that he would proclaim light, not only to the jews but also to the gentiles.

This is why Paul says in 3:1 that he is prisoner on behalf of the gentiles.

The gentiles of Ephesus who believed what Paul said would have been understandably upset by his arrest.

How can what Paul says about the promised messiah of the jews was their messiah If the jews don’t believe him?

Do the promises of scripture actually apply to them like paul said or is it only for the Jews?

Was the world still divided between Jews and Gentiles?

Paul wrote this letter as a circular to all the churches he helped plant in asia, starting with Ephesus to show that the promises of the Old testament are for jews and gentiles, and what that means for them.

Today we too live in a divided nation where our race, economic class, and opinions have separated us into tribes.

Saying one thing wrong will get you immediately exiled from the community.

our cities are divided by race and by neighborhood.

Even our churches are divided.

What Martin Luther King said 50 years ago, that sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the US is still true, whether by race, age, socio-economic class, and small theological distinctives.

we don’t like worshipping with people who look and think differently from us.

We are often isolated from each other: earlier this year, CIGNA did a nationwide survey and found that

When asked how often they feel like no one knows them well, more than half of the respondents (54%) surveyed said they feel that way always or sometimes.

• Just under half of all those surveyed report sometimes or always feeling alone (46%) and/or feeling left out (47%).

• At least two in five surveyed sometimes or always feel as though they lack companionship (43%), that their relationships are not meaningful (43%), that they are isolated from others (43%), and/or that they are no longer close to anyone (39%).

Being relational is a big part of what makes us human, and yet for many people in our culture, this basic human need is not being met.

Does the gospel have anything to say about this?

Let us read what paul says in eph 2:11-22

why are we so lonely?

What on earth can bring us together?

why are we so lonely?

What on earth can bring us together?

Let us read what paul says in eph 2:11-22

Big Idea: In Christ we are reconciled together

FCF: we behave like we are still alienated from each other.

Main Point 1: vs 11-12 who we were

Main Point 2: vs 13-18 who we are

Main Point 3: vs 19-22 what we will be

MP1:

what was your condition before coming to Christ?

The gentiles in Ephesus came from all over the place!

Some were rich, some were poor, some practiced witchcraft, others worshipped artemis in the huge temple, some were slaves and then there were academics from the school paul taught in.

Although they all came from all different backgrounds the gentiles in the Ephesian church had one thing in common before knowing Christ, they had all sinned against God and all deserved judgment.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ death and resurrection brings forgiveness to you?

Unless you are Jewish by birth, you are in the same boat as the gentiles in Ephesus!

You are not in any way related to Abraham, what right do you have to sing the children’s song “father Abraham?”

What right do we have to the promises that God made to his people through the prophets?

What right do we have to pray to God? What right do we have to the hope of eternal life?

we have all sinned in terrible ways, what right do we have to grace?

What right do we have to the Holy Spirit?

What right do we have to call Jesus the messiah?

By birth we have all the rights of the children of Adam which because he and we have sinned means we have a right to death and hell!

Every one of us, whether Jew or Gentile has a problem.

It’s called sin.

When Adam and Eve sinned, their deep relationship with God was broken, and they were cast out of the garden.

But in addition to that they sinned against each other and were isolated from each other, from then on there would always be a barrier between people because in our sin we try to destroy someone else to build ourselves up. to this day, sin continues to isolate people from God, and groups from each other, and individuals within that group from each other.

before being in Christ, we were not only hopeless before God, we were isolated from each other by the sin of our fathers and our own sin.

God made a covenant with Abraham to begin the process of reconciling all the nations to himself and each other, but by Jesus’ day that covenant was twisted to mean that only those to whom the covenant was given were really people and all others were dogs to be fuel for the fires of hell.

not only are we divided by tribes, but within those tribes we are isolated by shame.

One time i was at a concert for a band called the Oh Hellos.

one of their songs is called “I was wrong” and it’s about Adam and Eve.

The chorus of that song simply repeats “I was wrong and I’m so so sorry.”

In that concert hall everybody whether Christian or no was singing along because everyone knows that at least once they were wrong, and they hurt someone and they don’t know what to do with it.

everyone feels that burden of being wrong and having broken something or someone, and being unable to make things right.

what can fix a broken relationship?

One time i was at a concert for a band called the Oh Hellos.

one of their songs is called “I was wrong” and it’s about Adam and Eve.

The chorus of that song simply repeats “I was wrong and I’m so so sorry.”

In that concert hall everybody whether Christian or no was singing along because everyone knows that at least once they were wrong, and they hurt someone and they don’t know what to do with it.

everyone feels that burden of being wrong and having broken something or someone, and being unable to make things right.

what can fix a broken relationship?

How many of us have broken a relationship with someone and are afraid to even try to put it back together.

How many are afraid to have a deep conversation with your friend in church because if they knew the real you, you are certain they would reject you?

How many of you have experienced that betrayal from friends you love and trusted because you did let them in?

How often are we afraid to ask for help because we don’t want our brothers and sister to perceive us as weak?

How many of us won’t invite our neighbors to church because you don’t think they’d fit in?

They look, sound, behave, and smell like someone who doesn’t belong?

Brothers and sisters, these things are not the work of the Spirit, but the devil who wants to divide the body of Christ!

When you are isolated by sin or shame you are living as if you were still strangers to the covenants of promise.

But Paul teaches us a better way by showing us who we are now.

How many of us have broken a relationship with someone and are afraid to even try to put it back together.

How many are afraid to have a deep conversation with your friend in church because if they knew the real you, you are certain they would reject you?

How many of you have experienced that betrayal from friends you love and trusted because you did let them in?

How often are we afraid to ask for help because we don’t want our brothers and sister to perceive us as weak?

How many of us won’t invite our neighbors to church because you don’t think they’d fit in?

They look, sound, behave, and smell like someone who doesn’t belong to our church?