Ephesians 2:11-18

WELCOME GUESTS!!!

Eph 2:11-

Intro:

Life is filled with stories of “humble beginnings”

In the world of big business.. many of the leaders began their careers.. in more humble settings..

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John Thompson, the guy who heads Hewlett-Packard, started out working in a textile factory.

Chuck Robbins, the head of Cisco, started out repairing lawn mowers..

The head of Google began his career, scrubbing pots and pans.

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The Business world, in most every nation, can boast of many who came up from humble beginnings, to be incredibly successful leaders.

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Humble beginnings.. our Bible is full of these kind of stories.. ..

of individuals.. who were raised up from obscurity.. to a place of tremendous impact.. ..

Of David.. who was the least qualified son in his family..

And yet, as a young child who watched sheep for a living..

He was anointed to be the king..

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Of Joseph.. who became the #2 ruler of all Egypt..

And yet.. before that, he was a prisoner.. and before that, he was a slave.. and the whole time.. he wasn’t even an Egyptian..

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Of Gideon.. who was a member of the lowest family, in the lowest tribe..

And he was raised up to lead Israel.. by miraculous measures..

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The story can even come right on down, to greatest hero in all the Bible..

Our Savior.. Jesus..

Who was conceived out of wedlock.. born in a barn.. lived out his final years as a homeless man.. and died as a criminal in the city dump..

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When we think of these examples.. from both modern history, and Biblical history..

it should be an encouragement.. to each and every one of us..

That we have a tremendous potential in life..

And yes, to a degree, that potential is even great w/in our own efforts and our own ambitions.. .. .

But to a much greater extent..

That potential multiplies exponentially, when God is in charge.

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God made it happen.. for David.. for Joseph and for Gideon..

And, as Paul is telling us today.. in Eph 2..

God has already made it happen, for each and every one of us…

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Ephesians 2:11–13 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.

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Think about this for a moment..

David was a teenage shepherd boy.. but he was brought to the throne of Israel..

Joseph was an imprisoned foreigner slave.. but he was brought near to the throne of Egypt..

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And we.. – what were we? Depraved and separated from God. Unable in our own merit, to attain the perfection necessary to gain acceptance in the presence of God.. – and yet..

.. through the gift that Jesus has given us..

We have been brought near.. to God..

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We have been brought into, the place of greatest privilege..

This is not a visit.. this is not, a temporary opportunity..

No way.. this.. “nearness to God”

..is an issue, of permanent standing.

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In vss 1-10, Paul just outlined the great privilege we have in Christ..

Especially, the means by which we have received our salvation..

We received it freely..

We did not do any kind of work.. to gain it..

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No way, in fact..

We ARE the work..

God has created us.. as His workmanship.. for His purpose..

Just as He did.. w/David, Joseph and Gideon..

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We are to remember.. that we have great privilege w/God..

But with that, comes another reminder..

Because of our privilege..

We are also instructed.. to remember..

Our humble beginnings..

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The information found in vss 11-13.. is the outline.. the topic.. the content.. of what we are being told to remember..

Don’t forget.. the place from where you once came..

Don’t forget.. the transformation.. that God has created.. in you..

Don’t forget.. the void of separation, that existed, between you and God.. which has now been filled.

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Now.. these verses are speaking very directly to the believers in Ephesians..

For the most part.. these folks were converted Gentiles..

They did not rise up from the roots and foundation of Judaism..

.. like the Apostles had..

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They were, like most of us.. foreigners to the concepts and workings of God.. before they met Jesus..

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In these verses.. they are defined as being:

w/o Christ..

Before Jesus came into their lives.. they were most likely worshipping the goddess Diana, in addition to many other deities that were popular in their culture..

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Before Jesus came into our lives… what were we worshipping?

Probably things like:

Personal satisfaction..

Personal gain.. and..

Personal worth..

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Jesus said: in:

John 10:16 ESV

16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

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The believers in Ephesians.. and the believers gathered here today..

We are.. the “other sheep”..

And we have heard His voice..

We have been gathered..

And we are under… Christ..

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They were also told.. that they were w/o citizenship..

Colossians 1:21 ESV

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

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We were once.. citizens of a temporary kingdom..

The kingdom of this present carnal world..

The kingdom.. that is destined for destruction..

And slated for a glorious replacement..

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But.. concerning the Kingodom of Heaven..

Concerning the citizenship we have w/God..

Well, previously.. we were aliens..

But in Christ.. our citizenship has been swapped..

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Now, we have an eternal citizenship w/God..

And in this world.. we are aliens.. we are just wandering pilgrims.. passing through.. – Just visiting.

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They were also reminded.. that they were w/o the covenants of promise..

The Jews would have said, that the covenants of God are possessed merely by obeying the law..

But Paul clearly stated.. in

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Galatians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

the covenant we have in Christ.. is not by the law.. but rather..

.. it is by a promise.. one that was made 430 years before the law was even established..

That promise.. was made to Abraham.. and through his Seed, (a singular seed, which refers to Christ)

All of the nations of the earth will be blessed..

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Finally, they were told.. that they were w/o hope.. and they were w/o God..

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The two.. go hand in hand..

Having God and having hope… they are tied to one another…

For God assures the state of our future..

And hope, is an expected anticipation that is rooted, confidently in the promises of the future..

W/o God.. there is no hope.. ++

Before Jesus.. like us.. these were a people who served many different gods..

But under Christ.. they learn.. that there is one God.. and this is the only place, where true hope is found.. ++

Isaiah 44:6 ESV

6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

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Not only is this a cool verse, that refers to God the Father and God the Son as being an entity that refers to itself in the singular..

But it also make a strong proclamation..

That God.. is one.. that God.. is the only God..

From beginning, to End..

there are other ‘gods’… other created spiritual beings… some fallen, some not… - But our God, is the only one who is from beginning to end. ++

The Ephesian believers.. served their many different hungers of flesh..

And these hungers, were met out, through the guise of idolatrous worship.. ++

In today’s culture.. we don’t need religion as much, to justify our behavior..

We just do it, because we’ve totally rationalized it as being.. okay.. ++

In the cultures of Bible times..

Their practices of sexual indulgence.. and drunkenness.. were done under the guise of worship..

The unwanted pregnancies that were created.. were disposed of, again, by sacrifice.. under the guise of worship. ++

We have the same issues going on today..

Many different gods.. many different hungers of the flesh..

All offering a temporary satisfaction..

But none.. offering hope. ++

This is defined.. very well.. in

1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 ESV

1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

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Simply stated.. we have been called.. to please God.. and not our flesh..

Before.. we lived.. to please ourselves..

And our bodies are like a nest.. filled with a thousand little hatchling birds..

All w/their beaks wide open.. squawking to be fed.. ++

We try to please all these little gods..

And yet.. none of them offer us hope..

No.. in fact.. many of them, offer us despair, disease, broken relationships.. bondage and addiction. ++

God gives us this option.

We can try to serve all these little gods..

And have no hope..

Or, we can serve Him..

And have all the hope… ++

The great emphasis, of this little passage in Eph 2.. is this..

Remember.. where you came from..

Remember.. what you were.. what you served.. what you had.. ++

Did you have: Christ? Did you have: a covenant? Did you have: citizenship? Did you have.. hope?

No.. you did not..

But now .. (verse 13).. Now.. by the blood of X..

..we have been brought near. ++

I want to encourage you to think on this for a moment..

ponder these questions..

and answer them, in your heart.. to yourself.. ++

What does it mean.. to me now.. knowing, that I have been saved out of such a despairing place?

Have I grown so accustomed to it.. that I take advantage of it?

Am I easily given to hopelessness and despair.. because I loose sight of the impact of my own salvation?

Does the great work.. that Christ did for me then.. still impact me.. today??? ++

The first two words of vs. 11.. are this:

“therefore.. remember”

Therefore… looks back to the previous verses… -Because we have received.. such an amazing salvation..

We need to remember..

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Paul tells us right here what to remember… We remember…

Where we were.. and what we were.. when we were “without”.. ++

Ephesians 2:14–18 ESV

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.

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In the temple.. where the Jews worshipped God..

there was a wall of separation..

the gentiles were not allowed to pass this wall. ++

If they did.. the penalty.. was death..

In fact.. in Acts 21.. the Jews thought that Paul had brought a Gentile past this wall.. and threatened to kill him.. ++

Paul now tells us.. that his wall of separation..

is disqualified.. in Christ.. ++

Romans 10:12–13 ESV

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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It’s quite possible.. that the Gentile believers.. might have thought of themselves..

.. as second-rate Christians..

This new faith, had indeed sprung up through a religion.. that promoted separation from the gentiles..

.. it referred to gentiles as being.. unclean..

.. there was great prejudice.. towards the Gentiles.. ++

So.. w/this history.

It would have been very easy for the Gentile believers in Ephesus to think..

.. oh, they are second rate.. they are not as “good”..

They’re.. God’s Junior Varsity Team..

They’re.. the second string..

They’re.. the red-headed step-child of Christianity.. ++

This message is so incredible..

Because Paul is driving the point, of their great privilege.. to an extreme..

God’s work of redemption.. was not just.. “good enough to save”

No way.. it was abundantly good.. ++

It was the best.. it was premium.. it was the gold package..

And He doesn’t save and restore people to levels of acceptance in His Kingdom..

No way..

His work is so great.. that we all.. enjoy, and benefit..

From equal reconciliation.. in Christ.. ++

There’s a message here.. for those of you, who think that you’re not very good Christians..

Maybe you think.. that you’re second rate..

Because you don’t have it all together..

Because you still struggle with your addictions and your vices..

Because you live at a different economic level..

You dress differently.. you drive a different kind of car..

You go to church in a warehouse, or a school gym, or a rented store front… rather than a traditional sanctuary w/stained glass windows..

You don’t know as much about the Bible.. than those other people..

You’re never the first one to suggest that “we pray about something” ++

So.. you think..

I’m not good like those other Christians..

I don’t do all the good stuff and say all the right things and sometimes I cuss and listen to my old AC DC albums..

Therefore.. I’m second rate.. ++

Which might cause some to wonder..

Does God have “rate plans” on salvation?

Does God offer different “service packages” on redemption..

Are some bought back into a place of great privilege..

And some are bought back.. to place of ..

… well, at least I’m saved… ++

Folks..

No matter who we are..

No matter how crummy we think we are.. compared to other people we see around us..

We can all rejoice in knowing..

That we are equally reconciled to God.. ++

We have all experienced the same rich, abundant privilege..

And we all.. have it.. incredibly good. ++

in the flesh.. in this world..

we might be in different places..

but our privilege is the same..

and our opportunities.. are still, not limited to our backgrounds.. nor, to our current situation.. ++

To those of you who struggle with these feelings..

these feelings of being “second rate”..

I totally identify.. ++

When I get around other Pastors..

Especially, the denominational guys..

I automatically think of them as being “real pastors”

Me, I’m just pretending.. ++

Those guys.. are the real deal…

They did the seminary.. have the nice facility.. have the titles.. the right look.. say the right things.. come off as being very intelligent..

And.. when I’m around them..

I’m intimidated.. ++

I don’t have the seminary.. we spent 16 years meeting in a warehouse.. I don’t have titles..

I don’t say the right things..

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I have these feelings.. they are real to me. I naturally and automatically think of myself as being.. second rate..

But.. the reality is.. that’s my flesh..

That’s my own.. weakness.. my own.. insecurity..

And it’s completely wrong.. ++

I am equally reconciled to God..

that privilege is so great..

it puts everything else to shame..

I have no reason for shame.. ++

Sure, we want to improve ourselves..

We want to grow and be better..

We want to excel in holiness and be strengthened in our abilities.. ++

But these things will come.. they will grow and develop in us over the years..

We are not.. second rate..

No way..

We have received equal abundance.. from God..

Unto salvation.. ++

For this reason.. we all should rejoice.. and walk away.. completely.. blown away..

By how Good we have it!!! ++

Conclusion..

Folks.. let this be the challenge that sits on our hearts this week..

God has called us.. to Remember!!!! ++

That’s our command.. our challenge.. our expectation from God.

Write it down..

Make notes for yourself..

Put one in the car..

Put on the mirror in your bathroom..

Make it the welcome message on your phone..

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send out emails and text messages to one another.. with this one word: “remember”

If you have a journal..

Write it on the top of the next 10 blank pages..

Remember! ++

Tell your kids to tell you..

Mom, dad.. don’t forget, you’re s’posed to remember..

Remember what?

Remember..

Where we came from apart from God.

And what we’ve become with God.