Our Eternal Identity
The Priesthood of All Believers • Sermon • Submitted
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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.
The Priesthood of All Believers
APEST - last time
Today I’ll talk about the context in which we operate as a community of believers.
Ephesians - beautiful letter that Paul wrote, for two Sundays we studied from Ephesians 4, but I do not want to miss what it tells us about who we are in Christ.
Questions:
Where does your identity come from?
The family you were born to (All of you have a last name, no Madonna here)
The country you are a citizen of
Your occupation (One of the first things you ask,, what do you do?)
With this identity that you have:
All your life, have you ever felt like an outsider?
Did you ever experience being disenfranchised?
Have you been rejected by someone or by a group of people?
You see that people want to have a sense of belonging. You see this in people’s social media accounts
You belong!
The second chapter of Ephesians first talks about a great embracing that happened between you and God.
You were once dead because of your trespasses and sins,
Now God has made you alive together in Christ!
He then talks about you being saved by grace through faith in verses and 8 and 9.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Then in verse 10 we are told that we have become God’s workmanship - His masterpiece, created ---
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Since you belong to Jesus, there are good works that God prepared for each and everyone of you to do.
I believe that good works here are not just nice things that people will see you do and get applauded for, but rather they are works done in the context of a ministry.
Again it goes back to the principle of “Every member a minister”
in verse 12:
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.
Study the phrases that you see here that described us before:
We were:
a. Separated from Christ
b. Alienated from Israel
c. Strangers to the covenants of promise
d. Having no Hope
e. Without God in the world
Israel is a nation chosen by God.
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Imagine being part of a nation that God chose to have all these --- for centuries they thought that they were the only nation approved by God.. the rest of the world, the Gentiles are outside and so far off and disenfranchised..
But praised be the Lord Jesus Christ:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
So from being dead, separated, alienated, strangers having no hope and without God, once far off..
you have been made alive and brought near to God by the blood of Christ.
Jumping to our main text this morning:
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,
You now belong...
To a Nation.
The nation of God.
“You are no longer strangers and aliens”
Israel as a nation rejected God.. and Gentiles....
God is not done with Israel yet.. (talk) Gospel is going back to Jerusalem
In the Meantime, if you have accepted Jesus as Lord, you are citizens of a nation, you are citizens of heaven.
Nationalism --- The prestige..
You now belong...
2. To a Family.
Members of the Household of God
You have been born into God’s family..
What does family do..
We love one another
People will see (they expect that from biological families)
The interest of a whole..
You now belong and are a part of...
3. God’s Temple
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.
God no longer dwells in a temple made by human hands
we are God’s temple because the Holy Spirit dwells in us individually..
We are God’s Temple Collectively as the Church of Jesus.
God laid the right foundation, Jesus is the foundation.. but also the apostles and the prophets — while we talked about APEST in terms of spiritual giftings and roles in the church which included Apostolic .. some of you may be apostolic, there will always be just the twelve Apostles (with a capital A)..
Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone..
21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
Talk here.. holy temple
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Being built together describes our purpose that God is working in us.. in the context of the church.
Discipleship, Evangelism and Mission
Everyone can be used in the Church of God
At the end of the Bible, we read that someday God will claim us as the bride of CHrist..
So let us go back to our identity.. where do you get it from?
Family you were born to. (You now belong to the family of God)
Your country (You are now a citizen of Heaven)
3. Instead of Your occupation (You are now defined by your eternal purpose
The Holy Spirit is what binds us together
