2 walls to build the church
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Recap - we have been going through Ephesians one verse at a time, walking through to really break down each passages.
Recap - we have been going through Ephesians one verse at a time, walking through to really break down the passages.
It is important to have background so you can understand the text. with anything context is everything.
Funny story of me missing the context of a conversation -
I was at my brother and sister in laws house this past few days and they have two children. My nephew who is three was trying to explain something to me. He was obviously frustrated at this. However, all I could understand at the time was “ I exercise and James exercise, and I exercise and it went on like that for about a minute. The only word i could make out was exercise and he said it about 12 times.
It wasn’t until the next day that I saw James climb onto these bars from a child seat attached to the countertop, and realized what my nephew had been trying explain to me. In that moment the entire conversation suddenly made sense.
“ Becky Imo - I was playing on that by pulling myself, and then James came over and was doing it also. I was upset because I was doing it first and he should have asked for a turn instead of just taking a turn.” CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING!!!!
So let us being with a quick recap. Last week we talked about
Pastor spoke last week on verses 11-16
Remember you were once far from God, separated from him.
his blood makes us whole and bring peace to the jews and gentiles with the new law. two nations become 1.
no more need for fleshly circumcision, but by the heart.
He brought PEACE.
So continuing this conversation lets read verse 17-22
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.
Lets read it in another version. I let the way he breaks it down and makes it so clear in the Message
The Message Chapter 2
Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
19–22 That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
Lets pray!
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
It is important to have background so you can understand the text. with anything context is everything.
Funny story of me missing the context of a conversation - ?
So let us being with a quick recap. Last week we talked about
First lets define who HE is- He being Jesus
Preached Peace -No more discord between the Jews and gentiles, but PEACE. He came so that we could be in unity with one another. and not have ought amongst us.
Those who were far = the Gentiles . they had not yet had the opportunity to know God until Jesus came.
Those who are near = were the Jews. They were close to God, they had built a relationship with him. they were at that time “Gods chosen people”
He came that we would ALL be able to know him and hae relationship with him.
What does this mean for us? It means that No one is unreachable, He came that all would know him and have peace with him.
those who were far and near. No one is unreachable, He came that all would know him.
your co-worker - yep he died for them
those who were far and near. No one is unreachable, He came that all would know him.
your brother, sister, aunt, family member - yep he died for them
The person at the drive in window, the snooty person who cuts you off in traffic, the person who out right says they hate you and goes out of their way to tell you and show you that its true. - yep he died for them too.
Tell my story about Margie and the baby shower.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Through JESUS we… whose we?
As previously discussed last week by Pastor Dustin - Jews and Gentiles alike.
we both have access IN one spirit - THE Holy spirt - to the Father.
When we ask Jesus to come into our heart and lives, to be our King we have access to him through the working of the holy spirit in our lives. The holy spirit convicts our hearts, and he brings us to the father. We have relationship with Jesus in what the Holy spirit has done in us to bring us to a point of reconciliation. Only in the spirit do we have that opportunity.
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,
We are no long strangers or aliens, we are citizens.
What is a Citizen? Lets define- a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection.
Owes allegiance - or Loyalty to the household of God. The opposite of loyalty is treason and treachery.
What side are you on? Allegiance or Treachery?
If we have excepted the call on our heart to have Jesus come in then we are in allegiance and we agree to the culture of the kingdom of heaven.
WE CANNOT EXPECT THOSE WHO DO NOT YET KNOW THE CULTURE TO ACT AS IF THEY DO. someone who has yet to be introduced to Jesus cannot be expected to act as if they have a relationship with him.
However, If you have been introduced, and have accepted a relationship with him then, because of verse 18 you are no longer strangers - but members of the household of God
because of verse 18 are no longer strangers - but members of the household of God
Entitled to the protection - by God using the word citizen here it means he intends to be our protection. he will fight for you, he will guard you.
Jews and Gentiles alike are now equal - we both, through the death and resurrection of christ have the same inheritance. This dramatically changes the cultural ideas of the day. The Jews for thousands of years before Christ have been “Gods chosen people” with this new declarative both Jews and gentile are Gods people!
I find it interesting that in verse 14 he says
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.
eph 2:
the household of God built on the foundations of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together,
I find it interesting that in verse 14 he says
in whom the whole structure, being joined together,
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
He first had to break down the old wall of hostility before he could build the new wall of peace where he is the cornerstone.
Let me expand on this - If you are going to build house on a piece of land that already has a building on it, what do you have to do first in order to build your house?
You must first tear down the old before you build the new. Once you tear down the old, then there is much work to do in order for you to begin to build. You have to prepare the land for the new foundation.
In our lives we must first allow christ in us to deal with the old stuff before we can have new growth. If we don’t allow Christ to break down the old walls in our lives then we are left with am old wall in the middle of our lives.
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
Foundation - definition
“the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level.”
“the action of establishing an institution or organization on a permanent basis, especially with an endowment.”
I myself have never built a house. In my studies however, I looked up the process of preparing the land for a foundation..... there is a lot you have to do first even before you can start to pour concrete.
First you have to dig up the ground, and prepared the soil, remove the large rocks, and debris and the old roots, level ground, add little rocks to level, put in rebars, then you can pour concrete.
The apostles and prophets laid the ground work they did all the manual labor so that Jesus could pour his blood out as the foundation for our faith. as his blood was spilled so it was as concert being poured out to prepare the permeant dwelling place for his people.
tabernacle- temporary tent the Israelites carried around with them. Before christ - old law
“the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level.”
“the action of establishing an institution or organization on a permanent basis, especially with an endowment.”
tabernacle- temporary tent the Israelites carried around with them.
Temple permanent dwelling - one location to draw everyone in. after Christ - new law.
old law - point of the law at this time was temporary like the
what is a corner stone?
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Cornerstone
The phrase ‘head of the corner’ can indicate one of the large stones near the foundations of a building which by their sheer size bind together two or more rows of stones, but it is more likely to refer to the final stone which completes an arch or is laid at the top corner of a building (so Jeremias). This idea underlies Eph. 2:20 (Gk. akrogōniaios, sc. lithos), where Paul pictures the stones of the new temple as joined together by Christ who as the cornerstone gives the building completeness and unity. Christ
So in this text he is specifically referring to the 2 walls as being the Jews and Gentiles. He came and did away with the old law, which was temporary in order for him to come and bring the new law into place. He died so that he could join the jews and gentiles together and build one Church. Without Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we, as Gentiles would never have had the opportunity to know Jesus. Thats what he did! He is the corner stone that brings everything (everyone) together.
“a stone that forms the base of a corner of a building, joining two walls.”
2 walls- jews and Gentiles
he joins us together so we can create a much bigger temple.
so as exactly to fit together.
in whom the whole structure, being joined together,
verse 22
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
what does this mean?
You also- The gentiles
being built together- with the Jews
For a
Into a dwelling - The temple
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is only by the work of the spirit that we have the unity. The holy spirit gives us the unity to be one CHURCH and accomplish much.
With out the work of the holy spirit in our lives we are left alone to our own devices to figure things out ourselves. But he DID give us help and guidance he gave us the holy spirit to which we confide in are are led by.
Look at the complete picture here that God paints of the trinity (which is a churchy word for “All 3 parts of God”) all working at the same time.
Trinity is a word referred to as “All 3 parts of God”
Jesus - cornerstone - joining us together by his sacrifice,
Holy spirit - continuing to do the work in our hearts
God - who is the presence among his people.
Takeaway -
Closing-
Maybe you have created walls in your life opposing others, or opposing God. He wants you to know that he is ready with a sledge hammer to break down the wall that separates you from him, so that he can then in turn bring you new life by joining you with himself in the body of Christ. He says he has come to give you life, grace and freedom from the brokenness of this world.
He not only “Breaks dividing walls, but he rebuilds into something better! If you need to have some walls broken down this morning, I encourage you to allow the holy spirit in to do his work in your life.
