Rob's Expository Sermon Preparation | Ephesians 2:14–18 (2)

Introduction:

· Christmas feels anything BUT peaceful

· Paul shows us how we can have “peace” that is like a current underneath all the chaos.

LET’S LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON’T HAVE PEACE, AND HOW JESUS BRINGS US THE PEACE WE LONG FOR.

I) Performance Based Religion Creates A Dividing Wall of Hostility

A. The “Barrier”: Sin Alienates us from One Another

i. Performance-based religion alienated Jews from Gentiles

1. Paul is writing to Gentiles – who had long-believed they were excluded

2. The Law was a “fence” that excluded Gentiles (vs. 14)

ii. Performance-based religion creates hostility towards others (vs. 14b, 16)

1. This isn’t us, is it? Oh yes: Vaxed/not; mask/not; grocery store judgmentalism…the tiniest “virtues” we turn into a form of righteousness

2. This creates a hostility rooted in our own self-righteous performance

a. How do you look at “masked” people? Un-Vaxed?

b. Walking through the grocery store, judging?

B. The “Dividing Wall”: Sin Alienates Us from God

i. Performance-based religion fools us into thinking we can climb up to God

1. The “Wall”: only Jews could get closer to God (vs. 14)

2. Religion: we can establish “peace with God” based on performance

3. EXAMPLE: Michael Jordan…who later feared losing this “peace”

ii. Yet, we can never “perform” enough, so we will always fall short

1. Yet – why do we feel we’re never doing enough?

2. EXAMPLE: Holiday gatherings for some will be more than just gatherings – you’re “performing” – a clean home, perfect family…à deep restlessness!

THAT’S THE CLUE THAT THE PEACE WE SEEK IS SOMETHING MORE PROFOUND.

II) Jesus Brings Peace by Tearing Down the Wall of Hostility

A. Jesus IS our Peace (vs. 14, Is. 9:6)

i. The nature of peace isn’t “feeling” but a person

1. 700 years earlier, God promised a far better peace to us

2. JESUS is our peace the peace we long for is found in a person!

ii. Jesus secures peace for us by performing in our place (vs. 15, Rom 5:1)

1. Jesus “abolishes the [fence of the] law” by obeying perfectly

2. Jesus pays the “pain of death” that excluded Gentiles

3. Peace means that you get the score before the performance!

B. Jesus BRINGS us Peace by tearing down the wall of hostility

i. Jesus creates a new body by reconciling us to one another (vv. 15b-16)

1. Jew and Gentile alike find salvation ONLY in this “Prince of Peace”

2. Not just individuals saved, but joined to Christ’s body and reconciled

ii. The New Reality: No longer strangers & Aliens by fellow-Citizens

1. APPLICATION: to those who don’t feel like you belong (failures? Etc.)

2. APPLICATION: The person in the grocery store; the person under the bridge; the person with the different parenting style… ALL are brought to God only through Christ

C. Because Jesus is our Peace, we experience…

i. Access to God through the same Spirit (vs. 18)

1. EXAMPLE: Airlines with different reservation numbers… no more!

2. God gives his spirit so that we ALL access him through this Spirit

Transition:

Conclusion

Let us seek the peace that Jesus is for us!