Welcomed into the courts of the King: Ephesians 3:1-7 Remembrance Sunday

• Why is the inclusion of the Gentiles a mystery to first century Christianity?

• Why is the inclusion of the Gentiles a mystery to first century Christianity?

• Why does God hold some things in mystery?

• What is the place of revelation. Why is this a crucial part of our faith

• I’d be preaching particularly on revelation for this passage – that God reveals himself and his ways to us, in order that we can come to truly know him

• Moses 3 – God revealed himself in the burning bush

• V 6 is the critical verse here

Ephesians 3:1–7 NIV

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

Today we remember our nation and particularly a different moment of our history.

A time of not just economic and financial uncertainty, but of concern for the future freedoms of the United Kingdom, as the face of Europe and in fact many other parts of the world started to change through war.

Our minds are drawn particularly to the First and Second world wars, but we are also very aware that war hasn’t left the world today, and we know of so many places which are currently under persecution, opression, and where communities and whole countries fear for their lives and their futures.

We remember for many reasons today the sacrifice of all those who have given their lives in fighting for our freedom, and it is important to look back at our own history so we can see where human greed, envy, division and hate have caused so much pain in our world.

As we get nearer to Christmas, one of the titles we use for Jesus is ‘prince of peace’. (Isaiah 9:6)

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Last week we explored how he came and preached peace (v17) to the world.

but what is peace?

Milton Jones suggests that

“Peace is knowing the reason not to be frightened by the facts this time.”

We often think of peace as being more than just an absence of violence.

We often think of peace as being more than just an absence of violence.

But this understanding barely scratches the surface of the Hebrew use of the word shalom. In different contexts, shalom is translated as; well-being, prosperity, welfare, everything being all right and as safety, a sense of creation being renewed and restored. We can go deeper still as shalom. this hebrew word for peace has other undertones meaning to be completed, fulfilled, finished, rewarded and even repaid.

And this is what we pray over our world. For the peace of God, the well being of all, that all would flourish and grow, that no-one would live in opression, or under persecution, or fear for their lives.

As a Church we’re exploring the book of Ephesians. Often people ask how the Bible has any relevance to our lives today. In St Marks, as followers of Jesus, we believe that the Bible is as relevant today as it ever has been, and we hear God’s voice speaking to us through it everytime we come to it.

As a Church we’re exploring the book of Ephesians. Often people ask how the Bible has any relevance to our lives today. In St Marks, as followers of Jesus, we believe that the Bible is as relevant today as it ever has been, and we hear God’s voice speaking to us through it everytime we come to it.

So I’d love us to sit back and watch this overview of where we’ve travelled over the last few weeks before unpacking it more in a moment.

Roll the Video

On our journey, we’ve seen the two groups, the Jews and the non-Jews coming together as followers of Jesus.

However, there were still divisions between them.

Ephesus is a Greek city, and in that setting the Jewish people were a minority group who were seen as atheists because they only believed in one God and not many. They were pushed to the sides of the Greek culture in their day to day lives.

And yet, in church, these Jewish Christians considered themselves the top dogs. They believed they were the original chosen people of God, the ones who had followed God for thousands of years, with their food and cleansing laws. They felt privaleged and what paul saw was the way many Jewish Christians lorded over the non-Jewish Christians the privalege of being the original chosen people of God.

Now in the Ephesian churches, they’d actually been working hard to see these divisions taken down, and Paul here is encouragaing them in this.

Ephesians 3:6 NIV

6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:6–7 NIV

6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

There is now longer a dividing wall between the Gentiles, the non-Jews and the Jewish Christians? When they all accept Jesus as God, they are united together as the children of God, as those who will all inherit everything that God wants to give his children.

Eph 6-7

It is interesting that in amongst rembrance this year there is also a celebration going on in Germany. After 40 years of the West of Berlin being seperated from the East of Germany, the Berlin wall was opened 30 years ago this week and demolishment started in June 1990

I want us to step back for a minute.

War starts from human greed and jelousy. We know that the Nazi regieme was full of hard line rhetoric, words were used as weapons, and people who had lived alongside eachother in peace for a long time, were pitted against eachother.

I’ve recently watched a children’s adaptaion with the kids about the life of Corrie Ten-Boom. An incredible woman who was a ducth watchmaker with her Father and sister living in Amsterdam.

As the Nazi forces took posession of Amsterdam they saw many friends disappear because of their relgion or other aspects of life which didn’t fit in with the Nazi ideology.

Corrie, her Father and Sister used their clock shop as a hiding place for Jews within Amsterdam. They created a secret room by shortening her bedroom where the Jewish people who they were harbouring could hide when the soldiers came searching for them.

For Corrie, her Father and Sistser, they didn’t see enemies, they saw friends. They saw other people created in the image of God, loved for by him, and they risked their own lives to save others.

This crime did lead to their imprisonment in a concentration camp. And her story is one of how God gives oppertunities to serve him whereever we are, to work to see his peace and his love shown to all.

It’s a powerful story, of the power of God using 2 dutch woman and an old man to save many lives. And if you want to know their story in full we have a professional theatre company coming to bring us her story on the 27th February right here in St Marks.

I want us to take a look around at the current divisions in our world.

Barry a couple of weeks ago spoke into the divisions between people, particularly through prejudice. Where colour of skin, percieved social class, what we have and what we haven’t get in the way of us being united. And how God wants to see all divisions broken down.

I’d like us to look at some other things which we often allow to get between us.

We’re living in very uncertain times, we all know this. And I’m not afraid of the future, because I know God holds it in his hands.

But I am alarmed at the way some of our leaders are speaking at the moment.

When a tweet from a president can have such harsh language which doesn’t feel very well thought through. As if it’s acceptable to sling an accusation or a gut response at someone else just because we can.

Our own governement, indeed our own primeminster has been called to account for some of the language they’ve used recently, provoking a response.

And in a world which is so apathetic, in one sense it’s understandable that our leaders want to get our attention and move us out of the stale mate it feels we’re in.

However, not at the cost of dividing our country further.

As St Marks church, we believe we’re going through a time of preparation for what God is calling us to do over the next few years, in reaching the people of Haydock with the love of Jesus through our actions and through our words. And I believe part of this preparation needs to be done in our own hearts.

It was heart breaking seeing families fighting over brexit 3 years ago, and many of those wounds haven’t healed. And why has it caused such hurt among families, friends and communities?

Because of the fear of the future, because we feel emotionally connected to the way we voted, whether we still agree with our vote or not. Because through the brokenness of humanity, we have taken a side, and to acknowledge someone with a different oppinion is counter countercultural, and we tend to see each other as enemies.

In my own family, we were split 50:50 in the way we voted, and we’ve agreed that we can have a certain amount of respectful conversation around Brexit before needing to change the subject because we’re committed to eachother above our political views.

Friends, with the general election coming up, and with Brexit tabled for January, let’s pray for our nation, lets pray for our community, lets pray for our leaders, and pray for eachother.

Ephesians 3:1–7 NIV

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

You know that I am passionate about good conversation. Good conversation takes place when we come round the table together as brothers and sisters of Jesus. We come as we are, and our voice is welcome. Everyone is heard, and no-one is shouted over. In everything we do, we want to follow Jesus, the prince of peace, the one who has made us right with God, and the one who calls us to be made right with eachother.

Lets commit to speaking to eachother in love, for the sake of peace. Lets share our thoughts, but lets do it with love, which is the thing lacking in these big harsh statements which are bannded around from many current global leaders.

Lets follow Jesus example of speaking the truth in love

Paul writes in

Galatians 3:26–29 NIV

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3.26-

Paul’s not denying race, or gender or social status here, but he is clearly stating that these things don’t matter to God. We are all equal under him, and made one through him.

Let us commit oursleves to the work of peace in our world, in our families, in our commuinity.

So I wonder how you react to those who hold different views to yourself?

Do you find yourself getting defensive, or can you hear what they have to say with love?

Do you feel your identity is first and foremost as a child of God, or is something else defining you?

peace vertical and horizontal

Berlin Wall