We are the United In Christ

Intro: Story about being an alien or alienation.

Intro Game- RIVALRIES

We live in a world of Rivalries Republicans vs Democrats, NORTH VS. SOUTH, Mac vs PC. Coke vs Pepsi. For Iowa it’s Iowa State. For Michigan its Ohio State. For Duke its North Carolina.

In our Text this morning Paul is talking about a deeply rooted rivalry between the Jewish Nation and the gentiles. Understand that when Paul says Gentiles he means all Non-Jewish people.

This rivalry wasn’t their local high schools or their college athletics it was so much deeper than that.

It was a rivalry at the center of their religion culture and race.

It was a religious rivalry- From the time of Abraham the Jews were God’s chosen people. An ethnic group that God set aside to bless and lead

It was a cultural rivalry- The jews had their own rituals, their own practices and their own ceremonies that set them apart from all the other groups of the world.

It was a racial rivalry- The Jews were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This meant that their blood line had been at the center of Humanity and God’s blessings.

Because of these drastic differences the Jewish people were at odds with the gentiles of their time.

It is said that between 1500 BC and 850 AD there were 7,500 covenants agreed upon that would bring peace to various nations at war. Not one of them ever lasted more than 2 years.

Do you realize that the American Government has made over 900 treaties with other sovereign nations since 1776 when we became a country. in the hope of bringing peace between nations. and almost all of them have been broken.

In our text today we will see that the ONLY Covenant that has lasted and will last for all eternity is the one made by the eternal God, and sealed by the blood of His Son Jesus.

When We look at Christ’s Covenant of Peace we will see three very important biblical words at the center of it. Seperation, Reconciliation and Unification.

Text

Ephesians 2:11 “Therefore, remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands—2:12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 2:14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 2:15 when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, 2:16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. 2:17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, 2:18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 2:19 So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 2:20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 2:21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Last week we looked at the first 10 verses of chapter 2 which vesers 8-9 sum it up well. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Paul begins this chapter with saying that God has accomplished your salvation in its entirety. and as He continues in our passage today He says therefore- Because Your salvation in completely in Christ, remember where you came from and who you are now.

Separated: What the Gentiles were before Christ

Without Jesus -

v.12 “that you were at that time without the Messiah”

The Ephesians Gentiles were Polytheistic, they Worshipped many Gods including their famous god Dianna. Before the gospel was brought to them, they knew nothing about Christ. Look at what Paul says in describbing the many gods that they worsgiipped

He said YOU WERE WITHOUT A MESSIAH. - this means that alll of their pagan gods had no saving power. they were utterly useless.

Before Christ the gentiles were without a god who had the power to rescue them from their sin.

Without Citizenship-

“2:12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel”

God made a covenant with Abraham and Said that I will make you and your descendants a nation.

God’s plan in eternity past was to bless the descendents of Abraham with the blood line of the Messiah. He chose to bless them, He chose to lead them, He chose to dwell in their midst.

God gave His laws and His blessing to the Jewish nation.

They were God’s Chosen people

Up until this point in history gentiles could not become full equal citizens of the nation of Israel

Israel was God’s chosen nation and this set them apart from everyone else.

Trans; not only did the gentiles have no messiah, not only were they not in God’s blessed nation God had no covenant with them.

Without Covenants-

Eph. 2:12 “that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise”

In Gen. 12:1- we see the covenant of Promise that God made with Abraham “

Gen. 12:1 “Now the Lord said to Abram,“Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.12:2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing.12:3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name.”

Understand that the gentiles could recieved some blessings as a biproduct from Gods covenant with Israel. It says that if they showed favor to the nation of Israel God would repay them with favor.

but they never recieved their own covenant from the Lord.

This became a haughty disguising mark for the jewish leaders. In fact many of the Pharisees would pray daily, “O God, I give thanks that I am a Jew, not a Gentile.”

The Gentiles were not part of God’s covenant of Blessing. They seemed to be outside God’s redemptive story at that time.

Without Hope

Eph. 2:12 “that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope”

When we study the first century Roman empire We quickly see that they lived in a world of hopelessness. Many world views were clashing together in an attempt to influence the people of that day. The Romans were teaching to work hard for your country even when it doesn’t benefit you, the emerging greek philosophers were empty and brought no hope to dying people, and religion was full of empty traditions that left people powerless and helpless in their life and death.

These first century Gentiles were longing and looking for anything that could bring them some kind of hope and purpose in their lives.

Paul now puts the nail in the coffin He wraps all of the gentiles hopeless in to one small phase

Eph. 2:12 “that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God”

Without God

The ephesian gentiles had no problem finding a god. In fact history tells us that the streets of Ephesus were lines with shines and statues of the hundreds gods that they worshipped. They didn’t want to affend any god by leaving them out and so shrines were built up and down the streets.

What is saying is that even though the ephesian gentiles had many gods in their culture the were without the one true God.

The God that was missing was the only God that truly has any power.

What we need to understand is this. the sad story of mankind did not start with many gods and lead to the one true God. But it started in Genesis 1

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”1:27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.”

mankind began with the knowledge of the one true god, In fact the first 2 humans walked side by side with God in the perfect garden of eden. And it didn’t take long walk away from the one true god and to the manmade gods of this world.

From Genesis 2 all the way to Genesis 11 see see mankind walking farther and farther away from the one true God. and then in Genesis 12 God steps in again, and choses to seperate the descedents of Abraham, the jews from all of the other people of the world.

And what we see today n our passage is that God’s purpose in this seperation was to bring a Messiah, A savior for the entire world. for both the jews and all the gentiles.

God chose to reveal himself to all of mankind through the jewish descendants of Abraham.

Through the Jewish bloodline God chose to bless all of mankind.

Romans 9:1-5 “I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit—9:2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, 9:4 who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.”

God’s plan was

Through their bloodline We have God’s Holy Word the Bible to the world.

Through their bloodline We have Jesus Christ , the Savior of the World

Before Pentecost - God chose to work in and through the Jewish people, but when Christ died and rose again, He made a new covenant with a promise. and that covenant is for everyone both Jews and gentiles who believe in Jesus.

Transition: When it comes to the gentiles Before Christ they were without a Messiah, they were aliens to God’s family, they were outside of Gods covenant to mankind, they had nothing in this world that could bring them hope. All of this is because their patriarchs walked away from God.

The second thing that Jesus did for the Gentiles is that He Offers them Reconciliation

Reconciled:What God did for the gentiles through Christ

TEXT: EPh. 2:13 “2:13 But now in Christ Jesus

This is the Second “but God” phase Paul uses in this chapter- This parallels the grace that God gave us in Christ. Before Christ we were Dead in our sins but god made us alive in Christ. Christ

Here we see that same transformation again

“Before Christ you were without God but But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 2:14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one.”

To reconcile means to bring back together again.

Reconciliation is taking two people who are at odds with one another and bringing peace between them.

What we see here is that Christ death....

Reconciled the Jews and the Gentiles back together

-which brings with it Peace.

God made a distinction between the Jews and the gentiles through Abraham. He did this so that His redemptive purposes of bring a savior to mankind could be fulfilled.

But now since Christ has come and His redemptive work is completed in full, there is no more difference Between the Jew and the Gentile when it comes to a relationship with God.

This is the concept that the Jewish Christians were struggling with. The idea that gentiles who were once unclean to God are now equal with them in God’s sight was hard for them to grasp.

For centuries they had distinguished themselves in their dress, their diet, their their religious practices, and their laws.

We see this struggle between the Jews and the Gentiles in Acts 11-15- The account of Peter going to Cornilus a gentile man and eating with him in his house. The church was upset that Peter - The head of the church, would eat with a gentile. Something that was culturally and religiously not allowed.

Then in Acts 15 we see the account of Paul and Barnabas before the church leaders giving an account of God saving many gentiles through their ministry. and it heated debate on wheither Gentiles should have to follow Jewish traditions in order to be part of the new Christian church.

We need to understand that it was the Law that was the partition that seperated the Jews from the gentiles

The law drew distinctions on how the Jews were to act and live differntly than the gentiles

The law is what dictated how the Jews would be set apart as Gods chosen people.

In order for reconciliation to happen this partitian had to come down. The law had to be abolished.

In verse 15 we read “15 when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,”

When Christ died on the cross He completely abolished and tore down the wall that divided the Jews from the gentiles.

instead of bringing division between to 2 cultures and religions this newly formed church brought equality and peace for everyone.

We need to understand this morning that because of Christ death on the cross we no longer live under the rule of the law but in God’s Grace.

Through Jesus, God brought Reconciliation between the Jews and the gentiles.

but thats not the only reconciliation that Christ brought with Him.

in verse 16., We See that through Jesus, God Brought the Gentiles Reconciliation with God.

Reconciled the Gentiles and God.

vs16” ‘and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.”

God didn’t just restore the relationship between nations but Christ death brought restoration to the gentile’s relationship with God.

This means that they are no longer outside of God’s Chosen people, but through Christ they now become God’s chosen Sons -equal with the Jewish nation.

Jesus is the source of all peace in this world. He alone can bring peace between cultures, between nations and between lost sinners and God.

As we continue on through this text we see the 3rd thing that Christ brought the Gentile believers and that is UNITY

Eph. 2:15 “He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,2:16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.

Eph 2:15–16).”He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,  and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.  And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,”

United: What The Gentiles and Jews are in Christ

One Salvation (v18a)

“2:18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father”

When Christ brought Unity to the church He didn’t make a new way for the gentiles to be grafted into Gods family.

Jews were saved because of their faith in God. and Now the gentiles have this same access to God. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit leading them to a point of faith in God alone.

The Unity that jesus gave to the gentiles is that Salvation is the same for everyone.

One Citizenship (19a)

Eph. 2:19 “So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints... ”

The gentiles were no longer foreigners living with the Jews trying to follower the jewish customs but were now equal citizens of the church here on earth and of the eternal church in Heaven.

In fact they were not even just citizens but were also equally God’s children.

One Household (19b)

Eph. 2:19b “So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints... and members of God’s household”

To be a citizen brings rights and privileges as you live out your life but to be a child of God’s household brings with it so much more.

As a child of God

We are able to talk to him as our loving father any time we need to. (1 Jn3:1)

We have His eternal security that never changes

We are the recipients of His loving discipline in our lives

We inherit His eternal that He has planned for us.

What all of this means is that In Christ we as the church are all one family regardless of race, culture, nationality or physical differences. If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ you completely and equally part of God’s family.

To the gentile believers ain Ephesus this was an amazing New truth. They no longer worshipped the God of the Jews but their own Heavenly Father. The God of the United Church

Transition: Not only were the Jewish christians and the gentile Christians united as Citizens of Heaven, United as a family- but they are also United as One Temple.

One Temple (20-22)

Eph. 2:20-22 “2:20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 2:21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Look at what this verse says

Paul speaking to the gentiles says“ because you have been built on the foundation of the Jewish apostles and the Jewish prophets an with Christ as the Corerstone, you are built into the same temple as the Jewish Church.

Again the story of mankind began in a garden where man walked with God.

God was with man, and He walked beside mankind as his intamate friend.

But even in this perfect environment man chose to disobey God. Because of this Mankind could no longer walk face to face with a Holy God. and so Man was kicked out of this perfect union with God.

“ the story of the Bible from this point on is God working to redeem mankind and to restore this union with Him. The Bible is all about God revealing His perfection and His love to mankind.

As we see throughout all of Scripture God has always desired a dwelling place with His prize creation.

In Exodus we see that God chose the Jewish nation to be the pathway that He would use to redeem ALL of mankind. back into a perfect relationship with Himself.

1.He dwelt with them in the tabernacle. He led them by fire and a cloud through the wilderness and into the promised land. But because of their sin We read in 1 Sam4 that the glory of the Lord departed from them.)

2. And then In 1 Kings as Israel repents and comes back to God we see that God chose to live among the Jews in the temple. A special place where built around His glory. A place were the priest could go and worship God and seek His leading over the nation of Israel.

But again Israel sinned against God and the temple was destroys.

God’s next dwelling place was in and through the body of Christ, Christ lived among the jews He shared His unconditional love with them.. he served them , He blessed, and He forgave them, But the Jews once again turned and rejected the presence of God and they nailed Jesus to the cross and crucified Him.

God’s plan in eternity past was to us the blood line of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to bring Redemption for All of Mankind. not just the jewish nation.

When Christ Rose from the grave He didn't just bring victory for the Jews But He brought redemption for anyone who wold believe in Him regardless of race, religion, or economic status.

And as we will see in Chapter 3 of Ephesians that Our hearts are now Christ dwelling place. We are the temple of God. No longer do we have to go to a priest to pray and talk to God, No longer do we need to make sacrifices for our sins. Why, Because Christ dwells in Us. Our own lives as believers are the temple of God.

1 Cor. 6:19-tells us this truth “19 do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 6:20 For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.”

CONCLUSION

When Christ came died and rose again He fulfilled all of the Law, and now we live under Grace

When the Gentile Ephesians read this passage I am convinced that It got them excited to live for God’s glory, Because they understood that were were now people of the promise. that they now were people under a New Covenant with God.

The new covenant is God not merely giving us another human priest who can go to God on our behalf, but its God Giving us Jesus to pay our debt entirely on our behalf.

The New covenant is different than all of the other covenants in scripture in that This time, instead of taking life as he did when he flooded the earth in the days of Noah or requiring sacrifices for sin in the Mosaic covenant,

God offered himself as the sacrificial substitute for sinners on the cross where he shed his blood in their place.

This why when We take communion and remeber what Christ has doen we say this is the new covenant with Promise.

BEcause of Christ the Gentiles who once were without a Messiah, without a covenant relationship with God, without Hope and without God.

NOW have Reconciliation with the Jews and with God through His blood.

And this brings UNITY to the church. bec ause we all are saved with One Salvation, and into one family , and are all equally one temple of God as the church.

So what does this mean for us today?

first we should rejoice because we are Gentiles who now have recieved the glorious grace of God.

How does this passage help us make and equip followers of Jesus?

first because we are greatful for Christ redemption in our lives it should cause us to want to bring Him glory. Ans the best way to bring God glory is to share Him with the world.

Second, because we are now Part of God’s chosen people we can go directly to him and confess our sins, and seek His leading in our lives. This means that we can become more like Him daily which equips us to go.

Finally when we understand that God is the one who saves the lost and is equipping the saints for ministry it should get us excited knowing thar we are the dwelling place of Christ - And He is working in and through us to make and equip followers a of Jesus.

We are God’s conduit to bring His redemptive story to the world.

Are we going to be a people like Israel and turn away from God and seek the pleasures of this world. or are we going to be vessels that proclaim the glory of Christ in our community.

Pray