49 Preaching/Teaching: Ephesians 2:11-22

Identity Crisis

The Church has an identity Crisis

Many who are believers and some who think they are believers do not even know what the basics of Christianity are.

Since this is true: many churches do not know their identity.

What is the church?

What is the churches calling?

What are we supposed to be doing?

How are we doing?

Only when we know who we are can we become what God has created us to be.

I love the Jason Bourne series. Jason Bourne had an identity crisis. He was formerly Derrick Webb and he was recruited by the CIA to be an assassin. He gave up his old name and became Jason Bourne. A guy who could kill the top bad guy secretly. In one of his missions he is left for dead and forgets his identity. The three movies are him trying to figure out who he is.

Today the church is has an identity Crisis.

When and if I ask people what the church is here are many thoughts:

The Church is the building.

The Church has a pastor

The Church is a program

{Look at the upper room vision}

The most important part of the church is going once a week.

We have these ideas of what the church is that we have defined either knowingly or unknowingly.

The last couple of weeks God has been showing us who he is and who we are if we are followers of him.

Today we are going to see what are identity is as the church, a community of believers.

Three TRUTHS about the churches identity that we must embrace.

The first truth we must embrace about the churches identity is:

1. membership is available through the blood of the lamb [Jesus] (2:11-13).

There was a time when these Ephesians were not Christians. Which means not only were they not part of Christ. They were non believers.

Before Christ!

Ephesians 2:11 NASB95

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—

In this context the Ephesians were mostly gentiles which simply means they were not Jewish and they were characterized by the Jews as uncircumcised.

Ephesians 2:12 NASB95

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Here is who these believers were without Jesus-

Separate from Christ-

We were created for a relationship with God and because of our sin we are separate from Jesus.

Excluded from the commonwealth of Israel-

Strangers to the covenants of promise-

Abrahamic covenant, Noahic Covenant, Davidic covenant.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:12

These covenants—all pointing to “the promise” of the Messiah and of blessings through Him—assured Israel of a national existence, a land, a King, and spiritual blessings.

Having no hope-

Life has been very hard during COVID. This last week in Paisley’s class two fathers passed away, around my age un-expectantly. We have actually gotten to know one of the families and minister to them. Car ride home, she could not sleep. And I was thinking how hard this situation would be to deal with for anyone, and I was reminded, whether I go today or @ 100, I have hope. But you know I know what it is like to live without hope as well.

Without God in the world-

We are without the very thing we were created for.

IN Ephesians we have one of the best words in the Bible.

BUT

As one of my friend says one of the best looking BUTTS in the Bible.

Ephesians 2:13 NASB95

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

How do we enter the church-When we believe in Jesus! When you believe in Jesus not only do you become a child of God-you become a part of his church.

After Christ

We have been brought near by the blood of Christ!

The church is the only fellowship in the world where the one requirement for membership is the unworthiness of the candidate. — ROBERT B. MUNGER

In any club, sport or job you are welcomed in because you bring something. But the church is the one place where you are brought in because you are not worthy.

We are brought close to God because of what he has done for us @ the cross of calvary.

Application:

We don’t become part of the church by:

being born in a christian family

by being baptized

by giving money

by being morally right

We are brought near by the blood of Christ.

Jason Bourne-was torn because he did not know who he was. He had these unbelievable skills but he did not know why and he did not know what to do with them.

We need to know who we are.

One of the things that we need to know is how to share our story.

Last weekend we had breakfast with Justin and Amelia and it was so great to hear them share their story about how God had brought them near.

Do you have a story?

Do you know how to share your story?

Could you share your story in 90 seconds.

Drew and Tandi

Drew-called me I shared the good news

Ladies Bible Study working on sharing their testimonies.

The next truth we must embrace about the churches identity is:

2. Loving relationships are the gold standard (14-18).

The Church is to be categorized by it’s love for God and love for others.

The greatest commandment is found in Matthew 22:37-39.

Salvation is both personal and corporate.

It deeply intimate, but when we believe in Jesus we are brought into His church. Which is a glorious thing. But in this glory, the reality is when we are with other people (and we are all a work in progress) we all bring our baggage. Christians have baggage )(that is why we need forgiveness), you have baggage, I have baggage. But the standard God has for his church is loving relationships.

But we have also heard many people say I am not going to church because hypocrites go there.

Have you ever been a part of a church that did not love each other well?

Have you ever been a part of a church that did love each other well?

We are called to live in peace with others-

We can’t say we love God if we don’t love our family

Peace is mentioned 4 times in these verse

Ephesians 2:14 NASB95

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

In the temple where the Jews worshipped their was a court for the Jews and a court for the Gentiles.

The Jews and Gentiles had differences and they knew their were differences.

The Jews followed tons of laws and even eating restrictions and they saw themselves as unclean and anyone who was not Jewish as unclean. And before Jesus Gentiles could follow God but they had to become Jewish to do it.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:11

This physical difference between Jews and Gentiles affected every area of their lives. A great social and spiritual boundary existed between them.

Notice why we live in peace, because he himself is our peace. The result of having peace with God is we should have peace with others.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:14

The structure of the Greek words suggests that the dividing wall describes not a physical barrier, but the spiritual enmity between Jews and Gentiles, which separated them. Since Christ destroyed this enmity (cf. v. 16), Jewish and Gentile believers should have no hostility.

Martin Luther King Jr. said that church hour is the most segregated hour in our society.

If you are a believer: the church consists of people from every tongue, tribe and nation, every socio economic background. Jesus has broke down the dividing wall.

Two purposes in in ending the hostility: (Enmity) 1. to create in Himself one new man out of the two.

Ephesians 2:15 NASB95

by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,

When I married Heather the two became one.

We identify by different things.

Some by nationality, some by socio economic, some by race. But Because Jesus. Our new identity is that we are a part of the church, a we are the new man.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:15–16

This “new man” (Eph. 2:15), or “new humanity,” is also called “this one body” (v. 16), the church. In the church, Gentiles do not become Jews, nor do Jews become Gentiles. Instead believing Jews and Gentiles become Christians, a whole new single entity.

Ephesians 2:16–18 NASB95

and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

Two purposes in in ending the hostility: (Enmity) 2. to reconcile both Jewish and Gentile believers to himself.

As much as it is true that we were far from God, he hated it and wanted to bring us back to the purpose we were created for.

This is the very heart beat of God

This is one of the reasons we planted RCC because we want to see people far from God come to know God.

Application

RCC I have seen us live out this identity.

The last truth we must embrace about the churches identity is:

3. it is forward moving: It cannot be stopped (19-22)

Jesus said the the gates of hell cannot stop:

Matthew 16:18 NASB95

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Christianity started with a small group of people and spread to the known world in a 300 year period where it was severely persecuted.

Christianity started with a small group of people and spread to the known world in a 300 year period where it was severely persecuted. there. I can go on and on, but God’s church cannot be stopped and it is growing. It will continue growing until every tribe, tongue and nation is represented.

We are a part of the greatest story ever told!

Ephesians 2:19 NASB95

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

As a Christ follower we get to be a part of this story we are a fellow citizen with all the believers of all time we are actually a part of God’s household.

It says we are fellow Saints-Because of Jesus I am on the same playing field as Peter and Paul.

We are of the house of God!

God made the church not us, it is his idea and has been his from the beginning.

Ephesians 2:20 NASB95

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

Another way to say this is

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:20

“the foundation which consists of the apostles and prophets.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:20

In ancient building practices “the chief cornerstone” was carefully placed. It was crucial because the entire building was lined up with it. The church’s foundation, that is, the apostles and prophets, needed to be correctly aligned with Christ. All other believers are built on that foundation, measuring their lives with Christ.

A cornerstone is the thing in your house that is the center of the house the most important part. Jesus is the chief cornerstone. he is the climax of the Bible.

Ephesians 2:21 NASB95

in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,

It is amazing that the way he grows the temple of the Lord is he grows you and me. God’s church is growing into a holy temple of the Lord.

When I was in Cuba before Covid we were learning from this movement that God was multiplying-Guy who was sharing about how they were renovating their house. Chad asked them how much would it cost to build out your whole house-500 dollars-When he was done sharing his story, Chad gave him 500 dollars. The church even with me and you in is what God is growing into his holy temple. It cannot be stopped. He is the master builder

Ephesians 2:22 NASB95

in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

In the Old Testament God had a temple and his glory would come down to the temple and it would blow people away. But in the N.T he says the temple is not a building but it is his people.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:22

But the temple in Ephesians 2:21–22 refers to the Holy Spirit’s corporate “dwelling” (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 6:16), His “temple” composed of all Jewish and Gentile believers.

When Jason Bourne new his identity he was unstoppable.

Church if we will know our identity we will be unstoppable.

So far in Ephesians we have seen our identity as individuals and today we have seen our identity as God’s church.