Father, we ask that you grant us self-knowledge.
Father, grant us not so much self-knowledge that we just get really depressed,
but help us, Father, to have a proper self-knowledge of who we are
in light of you, in light of the real world.
And so, Father, we ask that the Holy Spirit would fall with gentle but deep power
as we open and look at this confusing passage of Scripture.
And we ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Please be seated.
So, one of the things that I have to warn people about when I'm trying to help them
to learn how to preach better is that sometimes you can give an analogy or an example.
And what happens is it doesn't actually help people to think about what's next in the sermon.
It gets them thinking about what I've given the example about.
And before you know it, they've spent 15 minutes on the example,
and they're not paying any attention to my sermon whatsoever
because they get sort of captivated or mad or angry or delighted about my example.
So, I'm going to take that risk right now with my opening example.
Canada doesn't have universal health care.
If you think about it for a second, I used to think Canada had universal health care.
And then one day, quite a few years ago, I had a conversation with somebody
and just asked me to think this very simple thought experiment.
Daniel Alfredson, this is when he was still playing for the senators,
Daniel Alfredson hurts his leg on an evening, a Saturday evening at 9 o'clock.
You hurt your leg on a Saturday evening at 9 o'clock.
Who's going to have their MRIs done quicker?
Who's going to have the surgery done quicker?
How's that going to work out?
And, you know, I have to confess it never dawned on me that, in fact,
gosh, Daniel Alfredson doesn't have to wait as long as I would have to wait
if we both hurt our legs the same night.
This just sort of came up.
And this recognition that we don't actually have universal health care
is connected to what can often happen to us when we come face to face with it.
And it can reveal a type of enmity and resentment about others.
So a friend of mine, he'd had some sort of minor but important surgery done,
but they botched it.
The surgeons botched it for whatever reason.
And he went in, and obviously they were looking at it,
and they were going to have to redo the surgery.
And he was telling me this like a couple of days after he'd been in to see his doctor,
the GP or whatever.
And the doctor told him, because he couldn't actually go see the specialist,
the doctor told him that he had to wait a month to call up the specialist,
not to see the specialist, but to make an appointment to see the specialist.
And the appointment would then be maybe three months after that.
And then, of course, he'd have to wait after that for the surgery.
Now, I'm telling you this all very calmly.
He was almost spitting mad about this.
And as he's telling me this story, he keeps going.
And he's not making any political comments whatsoever.
He says, do you think Justin Trudeau or Scheer or Elizabeth May would have to wait that long
just to call to make an appointment?
And he was just livid and furious.
And that sort of underlying enmity that we actually do have about social class
and other types of things like that emerges when you're faced with something like this.
Now, why am I mentioning him?
One of the things which is very puzzling about this passage of Scripture for us as Canadians
is that when we look at this passage about differences and dealing with differences
and dealing with the other, what happens is we talk about the text
and think about the text out of one side of our mouth.
It's like we have two minds or we are schizophrenic
and we forget about one part of us when we look at it.
And so we just sort of think, well, you know, this text is just talking about trying to live
with differences and living with the other.
But in Canada, we don't have to worry about that because in Canada, we're all one.
In Canada, we don't have those types of enmity that exist in other cultures or other places.
But we forget.
I mean, as I said, my example just right off the top, all of a sudden,
he's face to face with botched surgery with those long wait lines.
And the enmity, the anger, is there instantly.
It's not as if you had to think about it, think about it, think about it, think about it, think about it.
It's instantly there.
That at an unrecognized level, there's enmity.
Which is why at the same time, on one level, we Canadians would say,
well, I don't know why we need to have Jesus and deal with these things about the other.
Because, you know, in Canada, you know, we don't have those things.
But on the other hand, we forget all of a sudden about French and English differences.
As I've been learning from some of my Francophone friends,
between Francophone Ontarians and Francophone Québécois differences,
and between black and white and everything else like that.
There's lots of differences.
And not often hidden, but outward enmity.
So this text is talking about something in the very, very real world.
What happens when you become a Christian in a world where there is lots of division,
where there's others, where people are broken down and separated?
And on one level, we try to hide it in Canada, but in many places in the world,
it's just right up front.
It's right in your face.
I've shared with you before, if you haven't, I'll tell you the story again.
When I was in Angola a couple of years ago, very, very, very, very, very poor country,
and about a 10-minute walk, this is one of the, if you've traveled in third-world countries,
this is one of the things which is curious about the third-world countries,
is you can have, like, literally, I'm walking down the street,
and I'm having to avoid the garbage,
and when I walk, I have to step over the little streams in the street,
because that's sewage overflow, and that's how I'm walking,
and the road is like this.
It keeps the traffic at a slower speed, because it's so bumpy.
But then 10-minute walk from where I was staying was a mall that could have looked like it was in Canada,
like it's just weird, surrounded with poverty,
and a mall that looks like it was in Canada,
with a movie theater that showed the same movies that were playing in Ottawa at the same time.
And I come up to the mall, and there's lots of security guards, right,
because there's lots of poor people in Angola,
and because I'm white, and obviously not from Angola,
they just let me in.
I mean, there's no, they're not looking at me.
I mean, they're looking at me a little bit, because why is this white guy here?
Because part of Angola I'm in, there's like, there's virtually nobody who's white, right?
So they look at me a little bit like that, but they don't, I mean, I'm just, I'm accepting.
But they just, for many parts of the world, they just, the fact that there's differences,
the fact that there's hierarchies, they just accept it.
They're proud of it.
It's in that world that Paul is writing.
So in some ways, you see, for an Angola, it might be easier for them to read this text,
because they're just open about the fact that there's differences.
Just one more example from Angola.
Huge lineup to get gas.
And one of the things which was so interesting about the huge lineup to get gas,
I mean, I mean a huge lineup to get gas,
that twice while I was there, somebody just came and sauntered up to the front
and got their gas and left, and nobody commented.
And I asked my guide, and they said, well, they're whatever,
they're with the ruling party, or they're, you know, they're this tribal person,
and they just go to the front.
And nobody disagreed, they just, that's just the way the world works, right?
So, easier for them than us, but that's what they're looking at.
So let's look at the text.
It's a long introduction to an important topic,
and it's Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 to 22.
Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 to 22.
And what's just happened before this is that Paul has talked about
how we're made right with God by having faith in Jesus.
And it's God's grace that we receive by faith,
and our faith is in Jesus, and there's no works,
there's no ground for us to boast.
And out of that, we are to live a life that reflects that,
that we do good works.
But now Paul's going to deal with, well,
how does that affect the fact that in the world there's division?
You see, in Paul's day, they were very, very open about divisions.
There were citizens and non-citizens.
There were slave and free.
There were men and women.
They were very open about the divisions.
And the divisions mattered.
In the city of Ephesus, which is where this is written at the time,
there were 250,000 people who lived in Ephesus.
And the second largest city in the Roman Empire.
But how many citizens were there in Ephesus?
250,000 people?
There were 1,000 citizens.
1,000 citizens.
250,000 people, but only 1,000 of them are citizens
with full rights and protection.
And they wouldn't have hid it.
It would have been just on display.
So what does it mean to be saved by grace and a Christian
in a world where there's such division?
That's what Paul is going to walk towards.
And if you don't have your Bible, it'll be up on the screen,
at least parts of it.
Did I do the...
Yes, there we go, the right one.
So verse 11.
Yes.
Now just sort of pause here.
Circumcision, of course, is sort of the defining rite or ritual
that you needed to have to become a part of the covenant people
of the Jewish people.
And for Jewish people at that time, and still, I guess,
to some extent today, the whole world was divided
between Jews and non-Jews.
And if you're a non-Jew, you're a Gentile.
So what Paul is doing here is he's actually walking towards
the biggest problem.
And it's, is God, in fact, behind maintaining division?
So that what's going to happen when you become a Christian?
You're a slave Christian, or you're a woman Christian,
or you're a freedman Christian, or you're a citizen Christian,
or you're a former pagan Christian, or you're a former Jewish Christian.
Is that how things are going to work?
And you'll notice up there that, first of all,
it's not as obvious in English, but in the original language,
Paul uses distancing language throughout this.
By which it means that he's saying that not necessarily
that he thinks this way, but this is how people think.
And he puts a very, very subtle thing in here
to get us to think about things in a bit of a different way.
Look again when he says,
remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,
and then called the uncircumcision by what is called
the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands.
And what Paul is saying here,
basically the same word is used two different ways in the New Testament,
and you have to sort of figure it out by context.
Usually when Paul uses the word flesh,
he means that part of us which is in rebellion against God.
But there's another use,
usually for instance in the Gospel of John,
the other use is used,
and that just means flesh is a way of referring to the fact
that we are frail and finite.
Frail and finite.
And so what Paul is saying here is,
just for a moment,
people make these divisions between Gentile and not,
between circumcision and not,
but what really is ultimately circumcision and uncircumcision?
It's something that we do with our hands,
on the body,
and it emerges out of frailty and finiteness.
And in fact, all human divisions,
isn't that what they emerge out of?
I mean, people go to war,
over religion.
They go to war over class differences.
They go to,
they fight for parking spots.
They make distinctions of rank,
and they make big deals sometimes
about race and ethnicity and language.
But all of these things,
what do they do?
If you think about it for a second,
they all emerge
out of that which is finite and frail.
Which is one of the reasons why,
when we think back of,
when I came to the Eganville,
I was a pastorate in Eganville,
one of the things that people like to tell me is,
if you've ever go to Eganville,
there's,
the Bonachere River divides the little village of Eganville.
Eganville has about 2,000 people.
It divides the village.
And on one side of the village
is a huge Roman Catholic church
that you can see from everywhere.
And on the other side of the village,
on the other side of the river,
there's lots of churches.
There's a big Lutheran church
and then smaller churches
and smaller churches.
And one of the things that they like to tell me
was that at,
there were many,
many years where at the,
I'm not making this up,
at the Anglican cemetery
on the top of the hill
on one side of the river,
they had a cannon,
decommissioned cannon,
pointed at the Catholic church.
Now, we all chuckle.
And they chuckle.
But you know,
why do we chuckle?
It emerges out of finiteness and frailty,
doesn't it?
And it passes.
That's what happens
with anything that just emerges
out of frailty and finiteness,
it passes.
It's a big, big deal.
In whatever, 1930,
it's a big deal.
But now, later on,
at best we just think
it's really funny.
But at the same time,
we think it's funny,
we don't realize our own ways
that we make divisions
out of frailty
and out of finiteness,
out of flesh
that has no real ultimate power.
And so,
Paul begins by that,
but he also adds this other thing,
which it seems as if God in the past
has made this big distinction
based on rules and commandments
and ethnicity
between one people
and all the others.
But now,
he's talking to a group of people
who are mainly ex-pagans,
and he said,
so just remember,
it begins with therefore, right?
Remember,
so therefore,
you're made right with God
by what God has done
out of grace
through Jesus,
and you receive it by faith
with no works.
So how does that fit in
with this fact
that in the world,
there's all these divisions?
Well,
let's look what he says.
He says this,
verse 13,
but now in Christ Jesus,
you who once were far off
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
But now in Christ Jesus,
you who once were far off
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
And the blood of Christ
is just a very graphic way
of referring to the fact
that Jesus died
a sacrificial death.
And what Paul is saying here,
which is very significant,
is,
well, you know what's
at the back of his mind
is a particular type of image,
which is hard for us Canadians
to get into our mind,
but it's very important.
You see,
when we think about
these types of things
in Canada,
we don't realize
that we have
two different types of stories.
The average Canadian
has two stories
running as the background story
in their minds,
in our minds,
when we think about these things.
And one of the things
that we think about
is that the reason
we don't really have to take
the claims of Christianity
very seriously
is because,
as we all know,
evolution is true.
And on the other hand,
we have this other story
going on in our mind
that human beings
are fundamentally good.
And those are the fundamental
sort of baseline stories
going on in the back
of our mind,
and we often express it
just out in the front.
And we never sort of
actually think about them
and look at them.
And Paul knows
that both of these stories
have great, great problems.
So, for instance,
the idea of evolution,
and that means
God doesn't exist.
A few years ago,
Louise and I
were out walking
after dark.
This is when we still lived
on Robina Street,
and we were right by the edge.
We walked right by the edge
of the green belt.
And as we were walking
along the grass,
the green belt,
a big wall of trees
in the green belt
right over there,
all of a sudden,
we heard the most
fearsome scream
and squealing
of an animal being attacked.
And for the next,
it seemed like a long time,
but it was probably
only 90 seconds,
you'd hear this
heart-rending scream
of an animal being attacked
followed by thrashing
and silence
and then another scream
and silence
and thrash,
like thrashing,
and then this final
long scream,
scream, squeal,
which all of a sudden
was cut short.
the strong eats the weak.
And when some people
talk about evolution
being true,
they don't really
think about the fact
that that means
that the strong
eat
the weak.
but if, in fact,
we all come to be
because the strong
eat the weak,
well, then,
how in Canada
can you actually
try to understand
or believe
that the strong
should be taxed more
or that
we should give
aid to another
country that's
tearing itself apart?
Like,
if the governing
story about
why God
doesn't exist
and we don't have
to pay any
attention to him
and how we
understand ourselves
is that the strong
eat the weak
and the strong
survive
and the weak
die
and the strong
just keep
getting stronger
because the strong
eat the weak,
where does love
and concern
for other people
come in?
Like,
huh?
Like,
how does that fit?
And how is it
that we think
that we're
fundamentally good
when,
as I gave
in that illustration,
all it takes
is the tiniest
little bit
of effect
on our lives
and waiting times
as my friend
was telling me
about the fact
that you have
to wait a month
just to actually
make an appointment
that would be
three months
after that
you know what?
And that little
tiny thing
on one hand
not very significant
reveals this
deep enmity
and anger
within him.
You see,
Paul,
as he's thinking
about all of
these things,
he has
a very,
very different
baseline story
by which he
understands things.
And the baseline
story that he
has
is that
all things
came to be
out of the
Father
and the Son
and the Holy
Spirit,
three persons,
one God,
living in harmony
and unity.
And out of this,
in a sense,
fundamental harmony
and unity,
they work together
to create
all things.
And human
beings,
at some point
in time,
after they were
created good
and created
to be in harmony
with each other
and harmony
with themselves
and in harmony
with God,
it is out of
harmony,
it is out of
life and love
and harmony
that human
beings are
created.
And enmity
and hatred
comes into
the world
when Adam
and Eve
decide that
they don't
trust God
and they
want to be
like God
themselves.
And if you
go back
and you read
Genesis 3,
the second
they decide
that they
want to be
like God
themselves,
well,
here's the thing,
isn't this how
it works?
If both
Louise and I
want to be
God's,
aren't we
only going
to fight?
We can only
have one
God.
And if all
of my kids
want to be
God as
well,
we're just
going to
fight.
And the
fact of the
matter is,
as you go
back and you
read that
story,
as soon as
there is
this desire
to be
like God,
the first
thing that
happens is
that they
realize that
they are
at enmity
with themselves,
they feel
uncomfortable
with themselves,
and they're
at enmity
with God,
they blame
God for
what's going
on,
and they're
at enmity
with each
other.
Each of
them blames
somebody else
for what's
going on,
and all of
a sudden
there's
enmity,
and enmity
has come
into the
world.
And because
human beings,
separate from
God,
are just
frail and
finite,
they cannot
fix themselves.
themselves.
And so
what's being
described here
in this
Bible verse
is that
Christ,
the creator
and sustainer
of all
things,
God,
the son
of God,
takes upon
himself human
flesh and
enters our
mess.
Enters our
mess.
If you go
back and you
read Genesis
1 to 11,
this is the
other type of
story.
It's a very,
very interesting
story.
All religion
and all
spirituality
and much
philosophy
and just the
common way
of thinking
about things
is this
idea that
somehow or
another we
can still
reach out
towards God
or become
like gods
ourselves.
That somehow
or another
that's just
going to be
able to
happen.
But there's
this ancient
story where
in Babel it
brings that
whole first
11 chapters
to a
significant
end.
It's very,
very comical
but very,
very powerful
story.
The human
race is all
one and
they're traveling
from one
place to
another and
they decide
they want to
make a tower
that reaches
all the way
to heaven.
And so they
make this
tower that
they're all
very,
very pleased
at and
there's a
note of
irony in
the text.
If you go
back, it's
not as obvious
in English but
it's there in
the original
language.
There's a
note of
irony that
God's in
heaven and
he says,
in a sense,
it's one of
those early
texts which
show that the
Old Testament
teaches something
like the
Trinity.
And it's
as if God
says,
look at
those human
beings down
there.
They're doing
something that's
so very,
very tiny,
I can't even
see it from
up here.
Remember,
they're down
there thinking
that they've
built this
tower that's
reaching to
heaven.
But God
says,
look at
that,
they've made
something down
there,
good grief.
I wonder
what that is.
It's so far
away and so
tiny, I can't
see it.
I guess I
better go down
to see what
it is.
And the
result of
this human
desire to
reach God
is that human
beings are
scattered and
divided.
And so it
is that the
Bible teaches
that just as
with our
original parents,
Adam and
Eve, the
more that we
try to see
and be like
God, the
more that what
happens is
enmity and
division.
And we are
frail and
finite and
cannot fix it.
So what Paul
is describing
right here is
that Christ
comes down.
We who are
far off,
Christ comes
to where
we are
and dwells
among us
to accomplish
something that
we cannot
accomplish
ourselves.
It's described
here.
Look at
verses 14
to 16.
For he
himself
is our
peace,
who has
made us
both one
and has
broken down
in his
flesh
the dividing
wall of
hostility
by nullifying
the law
of commandments
expressed in
ordinances
that he
might create
in himself
one new
man in
place of
the two,
so making
peace,
and might
reconcile us
both to
God in
one body
through the
cross,
thereby
killing the
hostility.
Some of you
might remember
that last
week I
described,
Paul gave
this very
powerful image
of how
every human
being is
like a
corpse.
Apart from
Christ,
I had
roses up
here,
and I
used the
example of
every human
being is
like a
cut flower.
The one
thing we
know when
a baby is
born is
that the
baby will
die.
That's just
as soon as
there's a
zygote.
It's just
we're like
cut flowers.
We're separated
from God
and we
will die.
And I
described how
Paul earlier
describes how
salvation works
is that
everything to do
with our
salvation is a
gift that
comes from
God.
Even our
speaking and
asking Christ
to come into
our lives is
something that
God gives us
the power by
his grace.
And Paul gives
these powerful
images that
it's as if
I'm lying
there dead
or I'm the
cut flower
and I ask
Christ to
come and
it's as if
Christ puts
his arms
around me
and holds
me and
completely and
utterly becomes
in a sense
we're both
different but
he becomes
at one
with me.
And I
described last
week how
on one level
of course
the cross
is something
that took
place once
at time
in history
but because
it's God
the son
of God
who has
taken on
flesh
who's
dying
it's also
something
which is
taking place
outside of
time and
therefore is
available to
everybody who
lives in
time.
And what
happens is
that Christ
comes and
takes me
who is
dead
and he
unites
himself to
me so
that what
happens is
on the
cross I
die with
Christ.
And after
the cross I
am co-made
alive with
Christ and I
am co-raised
with Christ and I
am co-seated
with Christ.
Christ and
in this
profound act
of identification
of Jesus
with me who
has come
down from
heaven and
is united
to me.
In this
profound act
of uniting
the sin
that deserves
punishment
becomes his
and the
righteousness
that is his
becomes mine.
And now
Paul takes
this further
image.
It's not
as if
there's a
Muslim way
to become
a Christian
and then
there's
a special
gospel for
Muslims.
And it's
not as if
there's a
slave's way
of becoming
a Christian
and so
there's a
gospel for
slaves.
And it's
not as if
there's a
citizen's way
of becoming
a Christian
so there's
a citizen
gospel and
there's a
male way
and a
female way
or anything.
No, no.
In every
single human
being there's
that same
thing.
But now
Paul takes
this very
very different
image.
Because the
fact of the
matter is I
don't know the
depths of my
own hostility and
enmity towards
others.
I don't know the
full depths of the
enmity that I have
at myself and my
past and different
parts of me.
I don't know the
full extent at which
I am at war within
myself, at war with
my wife, at war with
my kids, at war with
my church, at war with
the citizens, at war
with creation.
I don't understand the
depth of the
hostility and the
enmity that I have.
And what happens is
it's just almost as
if a parent who
loves their child
who's getting so
angry and they
just hug their
child and hug
their child and hug
their child until
the enmity and the
hostility and the
anger and the
screaming somehow
comes another to a
stop.
But in a far more
profound way that
Paul illustrates it,
the enmity that I
have towards God and
the enmity that I
have towards others
and the enmity I
have towards myself
that Christ
embraces me and I
become one body in
him and it's as if
all of that enmity,
all of that hostility,
all of that is
swallowed up by him
in his death upon the
cross.
Like some of us, as
we get closer to
Christ, begin to know
even now in small
ways on this side of
the grave, the ways
that our anger and
enmity and hostility
are swallowed up by
his love.
But when we see
Christ face to face
and the full depths
of our enmity and
hostility and anger
are made clear to us,
we will just stand
amazed at what Christ
has done for us.
It's all swallowed.
It's all consumed.
It's all dealt with
as he clutching us
to himself.
In all of the
divisions.
And he doesn't do
this just one way for
one group and a
different way for
another group.
It's just everybody
with their own
different hostilities
and their own
different differences
which we all think
are so important.
They're all dealt
with and swallowed
and consumed in
Jesus who's come
from heaven.
He's not finite.
He's infinite.
He is love himself.
He is light himself
in which the darkness
cannot survive.
He is love himself.
And it's a work of the
full Trinity.
You see this whole thing
about how Paul,
remember I said how Paul
has this other story
and you look here and
you'll see how the whole
Trinity is at work in this
profound act of peace.
Verse 17 and 18.
And Jesus came and
preached peace to you
who were far off and
peace to those who
were near.
For through him we
both have access in
one spirit to the
Father.
See that?
The Holy, the Trinity
working together
through Jesus.
All human beings have
access in one Holy
Spirit to the one
Father.
See this is the
profound thing which
we see in the
Gospel.
We don't have to
puzzle over how in
a world where the
strong eat the weak
we should love one
another.
And we don't have to
puzzle over how we
can have this fervent
delusional idea that
we're perfectly good
yet at the same time
our friends say look
at how they hurt me
and we do these
wrong things and we
get upset with
people's pride.
In terms of how God
created human beings
to be we were made
to be at peace with
ourselves, at peace
with each other, at
peace with the
creation out of the
Father and the Son's
eternal love for each
other and the Holy
Spirit.
And in redemption we
see the Father and the
Son and the Holy
Spirit moving and
working to bring an
end to peace, to bring
an end to hostility and
enmity that we might be
at peace.
And then the text
continues to give us
an idea and an image
of what it will be
like as we live now
and as we move
towards the future.
Look at verses 19
and following.
So then you are no
longer strangers and
aliens but you are
fellow citizens with
the saints and members
of the household of
God.
Just pause here for a
second.
Paul uses the language
stranger as a legal
term in the Roman
empire as is aliens.
So strangers are
people who had no
rights whatsoever.
Zero rights.
Aliens had in Ephesus
a limited number of
rights and protections
and obligations but
they were very, very,
very limited.
But you are fellow
citizens.
Citizen is the third
class.
I don't know what the
full statistics are to
the 250,000 people in
Ephesus.
A thousand only were
citizens.
I don't know how
many had the status
of aliens and how
many had the status
of strangers.
But Paul here says
this remarkable thing.
So then you are no
longer strangers and
aliens but you are
fellow citizens with
the saints and members
of the household of
God built on the
foundation of the
apostles and prophets.
Christ Jesus himself
being the cornerstone in
whom the whole structure
being joined together
grows into a holy
temple in the Lord.
In him you also are
being built together
into a dwelling place
for God by the
Spirit.
So Paul gives, so the
congregation would have
had men and would have
had women.
It would have had
slaves and free.
It would have had
citizens probably and
non-citizens.
And it would have had
because it was a world
city and a port.
It would have had
people of different
races and different
ethnicities.
It probably had Romans
and Greeks and it
probably had some Jews
and it would have
had other different
people.
And what he said is
the way you have to
understand yourself is
that there's not a
slave church and a
citizen's church and a
black church and a
white church and a
woman's church and a
man's church.
The way you are to
understand yourself is
that given that Christ
has so embraced you,
so embraced you at the
deepest levels of your
soul and spirit, so
embraced you, become
closer to you than you
are to yourself, closer
to you than your own
breathing.
And in being so close
to you, the enmity and
the anger and the
hostility and the
jealousy and the pride
that you have is in a
sense swallowed up by
him and dealt with by
him in his death upon
the cross.
And a righteousness of
Christ which is not your
own, that his perfect
relationship with the
father, his perfect life
love and light, that
somehow now clothes you.
This has been so
powerful.
And it's not, and it's
how every single human
being is made right with
God.
And so God himself has in
effect for every Christian
created a brand new human
being.
And so how are you to
understand how to live?
You are to live in such a
way that you are modeling
to put to death the
divisions that the world
believes are so important.
Why?
Because whether you are a
slave in Ephesus or
whether you are a freed
man or a citizen, every
single one of you is
equally a citizen in
Christ's kingdom.
What else are you?
Whether you are a slave,
whether you are black or
white, whether you are
Greek speaking or Roman
speaking or some other
language, whether you are
old or young, every single
one of you in Christ should
understand that they are a
child in God's household.
Your father has a
household and you're all part
of it.
And then he gives this third
image and you are to
understand yourself as
that God has chosen you
and he's now made you a
living stone.
And he's chosen you and
he's chosen you and he's
chosen you and he's chosen
you and he's chosen you
he's chosen you he's chosen
you.
You're each living stones
and he's taking these
living stones.
He's taking them and he's
not making you like a
temple.
Doesn't say like he says he's
making you into a temple.
A temple
where he dwells.
One temple
that he's building
out of living stones.
And a temple is where people
go to meet God and it is through
that temple, these living stones
unworthy as we are
that the world can meet God.
You see one of the things
which is so interesting in this text
is that when he says
that Christ came and preached peace
to those who are far off in here
what he's saying is that
when you and I, when this church
when we proclaim Christ
it's Christ
proclaiming.
Because we're his temple.
So as we're gripped by the gospel
as we're truly gripped
by the gospel
as it becomes real to our hearts
all racism
and all prejudice
should wither and die.
And as we are gripped
by the gospel
as it becomes deeper
and more real to our heart
when we understand
what Christ has done for us
our desire to build bonds
of affection
between other churches
should grow.
And as the gospel
grips us
as we understand
that the story
which is the true story
of the world
and of the universe
is not that
the strong eat the weak
and somehow or another
we developed
but that the Father
and the Son
and the Holy Spirit
created human beings
and when we had fallen
and brought enmity
into the world
the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit
act to bring redemption
and out of that redemption
there is to be
this one new humanity
which is
every person who's in it
is part of God's one household
that we're all citizens
in one kingdom
that we're all living stones
in one building
and if you think about it
for a second
in the book of Revelation
you see that there is no temple
because the entire world
becomes in a sense
God's dwelling place
and we are in that world
so we know that
from the past
and the present
and the future
there is just
citizens in one kingdom
one new humanity
and that as we draw
close to Christ
racism and prejudice
should die
where the gospel
is not real
to our hearts
but when you stand
in such a story
gripped
by the wonder
of what God
has done for us
in the gospel
when we look at the world
not only do we pray
for the bonds of affection
between churches
to increase
but if Christ
so acted
to bring an end
to hostility
so will I
so should we
please stand
Father some of us
know we have
anger problems
and
others of us
don't think we do
and some of us
Father know
that we struggle
with enmity
and prejudice
and racism
and class
consciousness
and some of us
don't realize
that those things
are probably
going on in our minds
and our hearts
and our lives
in different ways
and we give you
thanks and praise
Father
that Jesus knows
us better
than we know
ourselves
and that when
he unites himself
to us
that he comes
closer to us
than we are
to ourselves
and he knows
and experiences
the full depth
of our prejudices
and our angers
and our enmity
and our anger
and hostility
and he tastes it
full
with nothing
left out
and he deals
with all of it
in his death
upon the cross
out of love
for us
that we might be
your children
in your household
citizens in your
kingdom
living stones
in your temple
where you will dwell
Father we thank you
for the cross
we thank you
for Christ
make us disciples
of Jesus
who are gripped
by the gospel
learning to live
for your glory
and this we ask
in Jesus' name
and all God's people
said
Amen