WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.519 Well, again, I say welcome to Church of the Advent. 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:14.759 My name is Tommy. 00:00:14.820 --> 00:00:15.900 I'm one of the pastors here. 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:21.699 I could have just sat there singing that refrain for the next half hour at least. 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:25.240 That was exactly, exactly what I needed to hear this morning. 00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:32.159 And I pray that as we turn our attention to God's Word, we will have that experience yet again. 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:35.939 That we will hear something of what we need to hear from the Lord this morning. 00:00:36.299 --> 00:00:43.060 That's what we believe when we open God's Word, that He has the power to speak to us in ways that we need to hear. 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:47.959 So I'm excited to open God's Word together and look at these two passages that we've just heard read. 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:54.959 This is week two of a series that we started last week, looking at the DNA of our church. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:02.079 We've been through so much change over the last several years that it's time to revisit the reason that we started the church, 00:01:02.179 --> 00:01:06.980 the sense of calling that we have to the city of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding region. 00:01:07.260 --> 00:01:08.060 Why we're here. 00:01:08.140 --> 00:01:09.219 What animates us. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:20.520 And our mission, as we state it, is that we exist to join people to God, to one another, and to Christ's work of renewal in Washington, D.C. 00:01:20.540 --> 00:01:22.460 If we could get that up on the screen, it would be really great, Joe. 00:01:22.540 --> 00:01:22.920 Thank you. 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:31.760 We exist to do three things, to join people to God, to one another, and to Christ's work of renewal in Washington, D.C. 00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:33.480 and through it, the world. 00:01:33.659 --> 00:01:35.920 So last week we looked at the first part of this. 00:01:35.980 --> 00:01:37.820 What do we mean by joining people to God? 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:39.340 Why does that matter? 00:01:39.460 --> 00:01:40.200 How does it happen? 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:45.719 And this week we're looking at the next part of this, which flows out of the first part. 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:48.840 We exist to join people to one another. 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:56.880 That's one of the things that we hope to see happen among all of the people in this room, that we would somehow, we're going to talk about that in a minute, be joined together. 00:01:57.180 --> 00:02:01.180 Not just today or for the next couple of years, but for all of eternity. 00:02:01.540 --> 00:02:03.659 And how does that actually happen? 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:06.980 The gospel is not just about individual salvation. 00:02:07.820 --> 00:02:11.400 It's not just a way for an individual to get right with God. 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:15.620 God is actually building a community in the world. 00:02:15.939 --> 00:02:21.480 And it's a family made up of people from every tribe and tongue and nation. 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:27.219 So being joined with God means that you were also joined with God's people. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:28.920 They're one and the same. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:31.920 To be joined to God is to be joined to God's people. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:37.299 In fact, in a little while, when we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, that is what will be happening here. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:43.919 Is that the people who are baptized are joined with God sacramentally and they're joined with God's people in the church. 00:02:44.839 --> 00:02:46.919 So we're going to be talking about this this morning. 00:02:47.079 --> 00:02:51.599 And to do that, we're going to look at Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 to 22. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:58.039 We're also going to take a glance at Luke chapter 18 to learn more about what I'm talking about here. 00:02:58.079 --> 00:03:01.119 And we're going to see four things in Ephesians chapter 2. 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:03.879 We're going to see a glimpse of the community that God is building. 00:03:04.980 --> 00:03:10.659 We're going to see the problem of division that thwarts this community. 00:03:11.140 --> 00:03:13.159 We're going to see the source of that problem. 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:16.680 And then lastly, we're going to look at God's answer to the problem. 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:23.879 So the community that God is building, the problem of division, the source of that problem, and then God's answer to that problem. 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:24.960 Let's pray. 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:28.340 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:35.700 Lord, we thank you that the great question is not whether you'll show up. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:36.439 You're here. 00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:38.039 You've been here. 00:03:38.219 --> 00:03:39.360 You were here before us. 00:03:40.659 --> 00:03:42.840 Lord, the great question is whether we'll show up. 00:03:43.219 --> 00:03:45.920 Lord, we're here in person physically. 00:03:46.060 --> 00:03:47.000 We're here online. 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:50.780 But Lord, I pray that we would be present in heart and mind. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.319 I pray that you would give us the grace to turn our attention to you. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:57.039 That you would give us the grace to open our hearts to you. 00:03:57.379 --> 00:04:00.680 And that you would have the grace to speak to us as only you can. 00:04:00.780 --> 00:04:02.280 We pray this in your son's holy name. 00:04:02.819 --> 00:04:03.060 Amen. 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:03.140 Amen. 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:08.599 So first of all, a glimpse of the community that God is building in the world. 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.699 Not just at Church of the Advent, but all across the world. 00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:14.879 Across space and time. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:19.180 You see this vision most fully realized in the book of Revelation at the end of the Bible. 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:21.340 But we see a glimpse of it here. 00:04:21.339 --> 00:04:30.000 In verses 19 through 22, which is sort of the end of our passage, we see this glimpse of the community that God is building. 00:04:30.119 --> 00:04:37.219 It's this incredibly diverse community made up of people from different races and ethnicities and socioeconomic classes. 00:04:37.539 --> 00:04:39.299 And they're all coming together. 00:04:39.419 --> 00:04:40.639 They're all joined together. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:42.179 And then it gives us these images. 00:04:42.719 --> 00:04:48.579 You know, think of these relationships as people becoming citizens in God's kingdom. 00:04:48.819 --> 00:04:51.279 Or members of God's family. 00:04:51.500 --> 00:04:53.939 Sons and daughters of God the Father. 00:04:54.099 --> 00:04:58.359 Or the third image, living stones in God's temple. 00:04:59.099 --> 00:05:07.039 Three wonderfully rich images that all convey the same thing about what it means to be joined together and what this kind of community looks like. 00:05:07.039 --> 00:05:13.259 This is the kind of community where everyone's differences can be celebrated and enjoyed. 00:05:13.459 --> 00:05:15.159 They're no longer sources of division. 00:05:16.179 --> 00:05:18.459 But rather, it's the kind of community that celebrates difference. 00:05:18.459 --> 00:05:21.599 It's the kind of community where everybody belongs. 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:27.279 It's the kind of community where everyone is known and loved. 00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:30.759 There's no such thing as being just a number in this community. 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:34.480 It's the kind of community where everyone matters equally. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:38.740 There's no such thing as favoritism or preferential treatment or privilege. 00:05:39.159 --> 00:05:41.560 Everyone matters equally. 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:44.639 It's an amazing glimpse of a wonderful community. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:49.319 And I think that even if you're here or if you're listening and you're not a Christian or not sure what you believe, 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:54.060 I would chance a guess that this is probably a compelling vision for you. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:59.180 I don't know many people who wouldn't want to be a part of a community like that. 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:02.060 Many people try to build those kinds of communities in the world. 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:03.680 But there's a problem. 00:06:04.819 --> 00:06:10.519 And that is if you think about reality, a lot of churches don't look like this. 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:16.699 And, you know, the church in Ephesus actually didn't look like this. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:23.819 And the reality is that most churches, most communities at large, not just churches, most communities are fairly divided. 00:06:25.159 --> 00:06:28.519 And so what I want to look at now is the problem of division. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:29.579 It's a very real problem. 00:06:29.740 --> 00:06:30.539 It's a problem today. 00:06:30.699 --> 00:06:33.959 It was a problem in Paul's day in places like Ephesus. 00:06:34.459 --> 00:06:38.459 Now, the Christians in Ephesus were divided because of a physical difference. 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:42.819 Basically, the Jews were circumcised and the Gentiles were not. 00:06:42.919 --> 00:06:44.739 So Jewish Christians had been circumcised. 00:06:45.339 --> 00:06:47.799 Gentile Christians had not been circumcised. 00:06:48.239 --> 00:06:52.019 And what we need to understand about circumcision is that it started out as a very good thing. 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:58.159 God said to his people in the Old Testament that circumcision was to be a symbol of their relationship with him, 00:06:58.219 --> 00:06:59.859 their special covenant relationship. 00:07:00.139 --> 00:07:03.439 So it started out to be a good thing and a symbol of God's love and grace. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:11.019 But over time, the Jews had turned circumcision into a symbol of their own righteousness. 00:07:11.219 --> 00:07:16.000 In other words, their own inherent moral and spiritual superiority. 00:07:17.180 --> 00:07:21.519 And when Paul refers in this passage to the dividing wall of hostility, 00:07:21.659 --> 00:07:26.879 he's most likely referring to an actual physical wall that existed in the temple. 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:33.540 There was a section for the Jews, and then there was a section on the other side of the wall further back for the Gentiles. 00:07:33.860 --> 00:07:39.279 So the Jews literally sat closer to where the presence of God was supposed to be. 00:07:40.199 --> 00:07:42.079 That's the dividing wall of hostility. 00:07:42.939 --> 00:07:48.319 Now, most of us probably can't identify with the Jewish perception of circumcision. 00:07:50.659 --> 00:07:52.480 But we all want to feel good about ourselves. 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:56.840 We all want to feel a sense of personal worth. 00:07:57.960 --> 00:08:03.420 We all want to feel a sense that we are good enough according to a standard that actually matters. 00:08:04.140 --> 00:08:09.040 We all want to feel a sense of our own validity or our own personal credibility. 00:08:09.960 --> 00:08:14.759 And I think almost every human being out there feels some desire to know that they're good enough. 00:08:16.280 --> 00:08:16.680 Right? 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:22.200 And the Bible would actually say that that's kind of a longing that every human being has to know that we're righteous. 00:08:22.819 --> 00:08:24.680 It's a longing for rightness. 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:25.780 Right? 00:08:25.840 --> 00:08:29.819 We use terms like being on the right side of history or one of the good guys. 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:32.259 You know, that's essentially what that is. 00:08:32.300 --> 00:08:34.940 This desire to know that I'm doing the right thing. 00:08:35.019 --> 00:08:36.039 I'm living the right way. 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:38.840 And there's somebody out there who's given me their stamp of approval. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:41.259 And I know I'm good enough. 00:08:41.259 --> 00:08:47.179 And so in order to get that, obviously, we need some standard to measure ourselves by. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:53.139 We need a standard of worth, a line in the sand, and we need to make sure that we're on the right side of that line. 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:54.539 Now, this could be anything. 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:56.659 And I think for most people it's pretty arbitrary. 00:08:57.259 --> 00:09:03.139 It could be a physical characteristic like circumcision or skin color or hair color. 00:09:03.139 --> 00:09:09.059 It could be some belief that you have or some value that you hold to. 00:09:09.460 --> 00:09:13.620 It could be something that you do particularly well or particularly faithfully. 00:09:14.179 --> 00:09:15.639 It could be almost anything. 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:27.139 But the point is almost everyone out there, everyone out there I know, has some sense of a standard or a rule that they live by that assures them that they're good enough, that they're valid. 00:09:28.059 --> 00:09:31.799 And so that obviously leads us to consider that question for ourselves. 00:09:31.939 --> 00:09:32.480 What about you? 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:33.080 What about me? 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:36.120 What do you count on? 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:37.879 Just think for a minute about your life. 00:09:38.539 --> 00:09:43.200 What do you count on to give you a sense of personal credibility or worth? 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:50.720 What you will find, I mean, if you're anything like me when I was doing this inventory for myself, is there's a lot of things that you don't care about not being good at. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:54.320 There's a lot of standards that you don't care about meeting probably. 00:09:55.820 --> 00:10:00.320 But I guarantee you, you'll find something if you look hard enough that you do care about. 00:10:01.780 --> 00:10:07.140 So what is it in your life that tells you that you're a good enough person or maybe even a little better than most other people? 00:10:07.300 --> 00:10:08.780 That you're in the top 50%. 00:10:08.780 --> 00:10:10.759 Right? 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:13.679 So here are some examples behind me on the screen. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:14.720 I'm not going to go through all of them. 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:16.860 But here are some of the things that it might be for you. 00:10:18.179 --> 00:10:21.000 Some of us have a kind of legalistic righteousness. 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:22.679 These are all sources of righteousness. 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:23.000 Right? 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:24.840 Some of us have a kind of legalistic righteousness. 00:10:25.059 --> 00:10:27.700 That's a, you know, people who say, you know, I don't drink. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:28.620 I don't smoke. 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:29.899 I don't use foul language. 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:32.519 I rarely watch movies that are worse than PG-13. 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:35.079 I only dance if it's liturgical dance. 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:40.360 And because of that, I feel really like I'm a real Christian. 00:10:40.980 --> 00:10:44.539 Unlike all of those other Christians who don't care about holiness at all. 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:47.379 And I wish more Christians took holiness seriously. 00:10:48.439 --> 00:10:50.439 But I'm closer to God because I do. 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:52.780 Or there's parenting righteousness. 00:10:53.660 --> 00:10:53.920 Right? 00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:56.640 I do things right as a parent. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:00.120 I parent my kids in a godly way. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:05.860 I'm a more godly parent, if I'm totally honest, than all of those other parents who can't control 00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:06.420 their kids. 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:09.200 And who let them run all over the place and climb over the pews. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:13.140 I'm more godly because I keep my kids in line. 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:15.280 Or there's a mercy righteousness. 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:15.600 Right? 00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:23.259 I just care more about the poor and the marginalized than anyone else around me. 00:11:24.560 --> 00:11:27.879 And because of this, I'm a real Christian and I'm closer to God. 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:30.500 Or there's an anti-tech righteousness. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:33.300 I'm not on social media. 00:11:33.740 --> 00:11:34.480 Gave all that up. 00:11:35.180 --> 00:11:36.300 I don't even have a smartphone. 00:11:36.420 --> 00:11:37.180 I have a flip phone. 00:11:38.180 --> 00:11:38.580 Right? 00:11:38.580 --> 00:11:40.340 I only do one hour of screen time a year. 00:11:42.660 --> 00:11:48.400 And because of that, I'm actually spiritually more advanced than all of those people who 00:11:48.400 --> 00:11:49.379 are addicted to their devices. 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:49.879 Right? 00:11:50.180 --> 00:11:52.259 Or I'm theological righteousness. 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:53.100 Right? 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.680 I have the most biblical doctrines. 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:01.020 And because of this, I'm closer to God than all of those people with bad theology. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:02.660 I mean, they're saved. 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:04.500 But I'm closer to God. 00:12:05.300 --> 00:12:05.740 Right? 00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:07.040 Or woke righteousness. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:07.680 Right? 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:10.739 I care more about racial justice than anyone I know. 00:12:11.620 --> 00:12:14.839 I can barely stand to be in my church because nobody cares as much as I do. 00:12:15.419 --> 00:12:16.739 Because of this, I'm a real Christian. 00:12:16.859 --> 00:12:21.539 And unlike other Christians, I'm doing a lot to act on those beliefs. 00:12:21.539 --> 00:12:27.599 So these are all examples of what the Bible would call self-righteousness. 00:12:27.599 --> 00:12:30.779 Not in the way we use it in kind of popular culture. 00:12:31.419 --> 00:12:33.399 But self-generated righteousness. 00:12:33.659 --> 00:12:33.759 Right? 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.879 Righteousness that comes from what I believe or how I live. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:41.379 And there's an almost infinite array of examples that we could give. 00:12:41.379 --> 00:12:47.220 You know, in our staff discipleship time this past week, we're reading a book together called The Gospel-Centered Life. 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.399 And this question that I asked a little while ago comes out of that book. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:56.220 So we all kind of took time to go around on our team and just, you know, how does this play out in your life? 00:12:57.100 --> 00:12:58.799 And Deborah said the craziest thing. 00:12:59.019 --> 00:12:59.539 No, I'm just kidding. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:00.600 I'm not going to tell you what Deborah said. 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:01.720 But I'll tell you what I said. 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:03.959 Tell you what I said. 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:09.660 But as I thought about this for myself, I realized that for me, it's actually my ability. 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:28.340 One of the ways that I do this, the one that I feel comfortable sharing with you, is that I tend to think of my ability to see both sides of most every issue as something that kind of makes me a little above people who I perceive to be close-minded. 00:13:28.340 --> 00:13:35.240 And I realize how easily that creeps into my thinking, my sense of my own sophistication in that way. 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.680 So I like to call that my insight righteousness. 00:13:38.800 --> 00:13:44.800 But it's just as pernicious and just as ugly as any of the examples that we put up on the screen. 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:48.879 And I guarantee you, if you take a moment to reflect, you will find something in your life. 00:13:49.160 --> 00:13:53.379 So it could be something that you do well or something that you take pride in not caring about. 00:13:54.340 --> 00:13:54.680 Right? 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:56.200 It could be either side of that coin. 00:13:56.200 --> 00:14:01.960 But these are all ways, these are all sort of things, standards that we draw in the sand. 00:14:02.040 --> 00:14:03.580 And this leads us to the third point. 00:14:04.020 --> 00:14:06.480 This really is starting to get at the source of the problem. 00:14:06.640 --> 00:14:07.840 Why do we have such division? 00:14:08.220 --> 00:14:09.420 Why do we do this? 00:14:10.560 --> 00:14:15.740 The problem is, no matter what your source of righteousness is, they all share something in common. 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:26.720 These are all ways for us to bolster our own ego by judging and condemning and excluding other people. 00:14:27.720 --> 00:14:28.159 Right? 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:29.240 So here's the problem. 00:14:29.680 --> 00:14:31.419 I want to feel good about myself. 00:14:31.560 --> 00:14:33.060 I want to feel like I pass muster. 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:34.600 I want to feel like I meet the standard. 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:47.920 And the only way I know to do that is to, instead of loving and serving others, use them to feel better about myself. 00:14:49.060 --> 00:14:49.320 Right? 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:57.080 If there's a line and I'm on the right side, there has to be somebody on the wrong side for it to count that I'm on the right side. 00:14:57.080 --> 00:14:59.700 And so I have to put somebody over there. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:06.160 And so instead of loving and serving people in the community or people in our neighborhoods or people at our work or wherever, 00:15:06.420 --> 00:15:11.660 we end up using them in subtle ways to bolster our own sense that we are good enough. 00:15:11.980 --> 00:15:12.180 Right? 00:15:12.400 --> 00:15:18.139 And I think this is actually one of the main things that is causing such division in our society. 00:15:18.139 --> 00:15:24.400 I mean, this on a basic level is what drives racism and ethnocentrism and classism and nationalism, 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:31.899 not to mention a lot of our politics, is driven by the ability to define who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. 00:15:32.819 --> 00:15:33.259 Right? 00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:38.120 And I think that there's profound self-righteousness on every side of every issue. 00:15:38.340 --> 00:15:45.840 We have all of these special interest groups and they're all yammering at each other and everybody is claiming the moral high ground. 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:52.480 And so what you have are you don't have, you know, debates are not just about figuring out what is true. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:58.820 Debates in our society are much more about defining who is righteous and who is not. 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:04.039 And so that's why many of the debates that most divide our society have a highly moral quality to them. 00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:06.100 I mean, think of the mask debate. 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:14.019 We're not having a kind of benign conversation about how effective they are and whether or not we should be wearing them. 00:16:14.800 --> 00:16:20.259 There is an incredibly high amount of moral language in this argument. 00:16:20.259 --> 00:16:20.620 Right? 00:16:20.819 --> 00:16:24.279 So there's such a thing as, I think, mask righteousness. 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:32.299 You know, I'm a good person because I wear my mask and I love my neighbor and I prioritize their safety and that makes me a good person. 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:36.080 Unlike all those people who don't care about anybody but themselves. 00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:36.919 Right? 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:39.799 And the other side you have the kind of anti-mask righteousness. 00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:44.240 I'm a good person because I live by faith and not by fear. 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:48.740 I'm not a sheep that allows the government to tell me what to do and I obey blindly. 00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:53.740 I actually believe in freedom and what's more, I'm willing to take a stand for it. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:54.620 Right? 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:58.980 And so incredibly moral language being used here. 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:02.100 Each side is claiming moral superiority over the other. 00:17:02.100 --> 00:17:07.180 I sometimes wonder if the debates really aren't about establishing what's right and wrong at all. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:10.039 If we're almost like vampires. 00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:16.200 Just trying to suck as much of a sense of righteousness out of other people as we possibly can. 00:17:17.500 --> 00:17:20.620 I also think this is one of the main reasons the church is divided. 00:17:20.619 --> 00:17:30.759 I mean, any time you gather a whole bunch of people together who are committed to doing good and loving and serving their neighbors and making the world a better place, 00:17:31.239 --> 00:17:36.559 self-righteousness is crouching at the door waiting to devour people. 00:17:37.419 --> 00:17:39.019 It's only a matter of time. 00:17:39.899 --> 00:17:43.839 And you know, we've all heard stories, and they're horror stories, 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:49.240 of individuals who have been judged and condemned by church communities. 00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:52.740 And those are horrible stories. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:54.959 And whenever they happen, they're horrible. 00:17:56.679 --> 00:18:02.819 What we don't often hear about, but in my experience, what happens all the time is actually the opposite. 00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:08.879 You also sometimes have individuals who judge and condemn entire church communities. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:10.279 Right? 00:18:10.379 --> 00:18:13.500 So over the years, I've been a pastor in D.C. something like 14 years. 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:21.539 And I've just seen over the years in the DMV area certain people who just sort of drift from one church to the next 00:18:21.539 --> 00:18:25.039 because they can't ever find a church that lives up to their standard. 00:18:26.059 --> 00:18:30.599 You know, they're so theologically sophisticated, and they have their doctrines in such clear order, 00:18:31.140 --> 00:18:35.680 and they can't ever find a church that can match them in theological precision. 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:40.319 Or their aesthetic sensibilities are so high or so precise. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:48.259 They can't ever find a church that really meets their desire for a certain worship style or a certain feel or a certain aesthetic. 00:18:49.159 --> 00:18:53.019 People who care more than anyone else they know about justice and mercy, 00:18:53.159 --> 00:19:00.339 and they can't ever find a church that is as passionate as they are about loving and serving and caring for the poor and the oppressed. 00:19:00.339 --> 00:19:05.740 And so people just sort of drift from one church to the next, one disillusionment to the next. 00:19:06.399 --> 00:19:07.399 It's never good enough. 00:19:08.259 --> 00:19:12.539 They're alienated from the community of God's people because of self-righteousness. 00:19:14.379 --> 00:19:16.379 And self-righteousness, here's the real rub. 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:19.899 Self-righteousness doesn't just divide people from one another. 00:19:20.299 --> 00:19:24.079 Self-righteousness is the thing that alienates us from God. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:27.379 It is the thing that alienates us from God. 00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:30.179 Back in verse 1, Paul names our core problem. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:31.220 Verse 1 of chapter 2. 00:19:31.539 --> 00:19:35.220 He says, apart from God, human beings are spiritually dead because of sin. 00:19:36.199 --> 00:19:38.859 Now, just in case you miss the force of that, 00:19:39.679 --> 00:19:43.240 what that's saying is we can't save ourselves. 00:19:44.059 --> 00:19:49.599 For a human being to save themselves would be like a dead body trying to give itself CPR. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:52.219 It's just impossible. 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:53.119 It's not going to work. 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:55.139 He says we're spiritually dead. 00:19:55.959 --> 00:20:00.719 Now, practically what that means is that we can change everything about how we live. 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:04.139 You can change everything about how you're living right now. 00:20:04.299 --> 00:20:09.799 You could go out and say, God, from here on out, I'm doing it all better. 00:20:10.939 --> 00:20:11.139 Right? 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:12.579 You can change everything about how you're living, 00:20:12.740 --> 00:20:14.719 but that's not going to bring you any closer to God. 00:20:15.919 --> 00:20:16.179 Right? 00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:19.640 So you can live a life of sexual promiscuity, 00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:21.860 and then you can go out and totally change your life. 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:23.539 You can get a purity ring. 00:20:23.799 --> 00:20:26.360 You can commit yourself to being a secondary virgin, 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.400 which is a term that used to get thrown around in the purity movement. 00:20:30.560 --> 00:20:33.400 You can devote yourself from this day forward to sexual purity. 00:20:33.620 --> 00:20:35.140 That's not going to bring you any closer to God. 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:42.200 You can be a white supremacist who becomes an anti-racism activist. 00:20:42.820 --> 00:20:44.320 That's not going to bring you any closer to God. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:51.799 You can be a greedy, money-grubbing miser who transforms into a generous philanthropist. 00:20:51.939 --> 00:20:53.419 It's not going to bring you any closer to God. 00:20:55.359 --> 00:21:00.819 In fact, that might actually drive you further from God. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:03.059 It might deepen the wedge. 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:07.019 Now, am I saying that these changes don't matter? 00:21:07.700 --> 00:21:08.599 Absolutely not. 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:11.200 I mean, these would all be great changes for you to make. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:15.080 The world would probably be better off if we all made these kinds of changes. 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:20.380 But the question I'm asking is, would these bring you any closer to God? 00:21:21.420 --> 00:21:24.180 And the answer is, not necessarily. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:26.799 And probably not. 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:29.319 Why not? 00:21:30.440 --> 00:21:32.500 Doesn't God want us to do these things? 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:34.799 Doesn't God want us to live this way? 00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:36.579 Yeah, He does. 00:21:37.559 --> 00:21:41.799 But the thing that is keeping people away from God is not their sin. 00:21:43.639 --> 00:21:45.039 God has already dealt with sin. 00:21:46.099 --> 00:21:48.259 God's amazingly adept at dealing with sin. 00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:52.419 God's made absolutely sure that sin can never divide people from Him. 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:54.240 He's done it once and for all. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:55.359 He's taken care of that. 00:21:56.680 --> 00:21:59.500 The thing that keeps people far away from God is not their sin. 00:22:00.399 --> 00:22:01.940 It's their self-righteousness. 00:22:01.940 --> 00:22:04.700 It is their self-righteousness. 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:09.600 It's their sense in their heart that they don't actually need God. 00:22:09.820 --> 00:22:12.160 That they don't actually need God's mercy. 00:22:12.500 --> 00:22:15.380 It's their sense in their heart that they can actually do it themselves. 00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:17.240 That they can be their own saviors. 00:22:17.340 --> 00:22:20.400 That compared to most people out there, they're really not that bad. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:23.259 That's the thing that keeps the wedge in place. 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:26.420 And so the more you try to be your own savior, the more you think, 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:29.580 well, now that I've turned my life around, God is going to love me so much more 00:22:29.579 --> 00:22:32.460 and I'm going to be so much closer to Him, the deeper the wedge goes 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:35.139 and the further from God we go. 00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:45.539 So you can have a morally upright, you can have a morally exemplary, 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:49.460 philanthropic, crusader for justice over there, 00:22:49.460 --> 00:22:55.259 and you can have a greedy, racist, sex offender right here. 00:22:56.539 --> 00:22:59.380 And this guy might actually be closer to God. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:02.779 This guy might actually be closer to God. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:05.140 And you say, well, that doesn't sound fair at all. 00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:06.579 Bullseye. 00:23:07.340 --> 00:23:08.259 It's not fair. 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:10.319 It's not even remotely fair. 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:12.279 There's nothing fair about it. 00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:16.279 If that's offensive, we're going to have to take it up with Jesus. 00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:19.639 Because that's almost exactly what Jesus says in Luke chapter 18. 00:23:20.859 --> 00:23:23.839 Jesus tells this parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:25.299 who both go into the temple to pray. 00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:27.579 What you need to understand is, by all accounts, 00:23:27.940 --> 00:23:29.420 Pharisees were amazing people. 00:23:30.259 --> 00:23:33.539 The Pharisee is, by all accounts, a better human being. 00:23:33.879 --> 00:23:34.859 He's morally upright. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:36.119 He gives to the poor. 00:23:36.399 --> 00:23:37.420 He's a community leader. 00:23:37.700 --> 00:23:39.220 He sets an example for the kids. 00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:40.319 He's a role model. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:40.759 Right? 00:23:41.939 --> 00:23:45.000 The tax collector was the scum of the earth. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:48.819 I mean, a tax collector was a Jew who worked for the Romans 00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:52.240 to squeeze money out of people who were already dirt poor. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:55.939 I mean, these were sellouts who had betrayed their own people 00:23:55.939 --> 00:23:57.500 and worked with the oppressors. 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:00.919 But look at how these men pray. 00:24:01.439 --> 00:24:02.439 The Pharisee prays, 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:05.240 God, I thank you that I'm not like other men, 00:24:05.639 --> 00:24:07.980 extortioners, unjust, adulterers, 00:24:08.099 --> 00:24:09.659 or even like this tax collector. 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:11.120 I fast twice a week. 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:13.080 I give tithes of all that I get. 00:24:14.360 --> 00:24:17.220 The tax collector, by contrast, beats his chest, 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:18.720 and he cries out, 00:24:20.220 --> 00:24:22.440 God, be merciful to me, 00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:24.300 a sinner. 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:25.440 He won't even look up. 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:28.500 Then Jesus drops the bomb. 00:24:29.800 --> 00:24:30.080 He says, 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:46.119 The main source of division, I believe, in the community 00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:49.399 and in our relationship with God 00:24:49.399 --> 00:24:52.359 is not simply sin. 00:24:53.879 --> 00:24:55.399 It is self-righteousness. 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:57.540 It's self-righteousness. 00:24:58.320 --> 00:25:01.060 So what's God's answer to the problem? 00:25:03.060 --> 00:25:06.720 Well, the only answer that we can possibly put our hope in 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:09.780 is finding another source of righteousness. 00:25:09.779 --> 00:25:13.539 If every kind of righteousness we generate 00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:16.000 leads to division between us and other people 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:17.700 and alienation from God, 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:19.940 if every kind of self-generated righteousness 00:25:19.940 --> 00:25:21.819 just pushes me further away from God, 00:25:22.019 --> 00:25:24.879 then the only answer is to find another source of righteousness 00:25:24.879 --> 00:25:26.240 outside of me. 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:27.980 Somebody to give me CPR 00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:29.859 and wake me up 00:25:29.859 --> 00:25:31.399 and fill me with life 00:25:31.399 --> 00:25:33.359 and give me a clean record 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:35.139 and fill my account. 00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:37.500 And in our society, 00:25:37.500 --> 00:25:39.960 there are a lot of walls that divide us. 00:25:40.300 --> 00:25:41.980 There are a lot of walls that we build 00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:43.600 to divide ourselves from one another. 00:25:44.120 --> 00:25:45.600 And race and politics, 00:25:45.780 --> 00:25:48.540 these are walls that we feel like are insurmountable. 00:25:49.540 --> 00:25:51.780 But there is one dividing wall 00:25:51.780 --> 00:25:54.060 that matters more than all the rest. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:55.940 And that is the dividing wall 00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:58.980 that stands between human beings and God. 00:25:59.580 --> 00:26:01.460 That is the one that matters the most. 00:26:02.060 --> 00:26:03.660 And the Bible actually says 00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:05.560 that we have all built this wall 00:26:05.560 --> 00:26:07.580 and that we all hold it up. 00:26:08.300 --> 00:26:09.880 And as much as I might be able to feel 00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:11.480 like I'm on the right side of this line, 00:26:11.620 --> 00:26:12.779 if I'm looking at you, 00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:14.920 when I look at God, 00:26:14.980 --> 00:26:16.960 I recognize I'm very much on the wrong side 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:19.080 of that line and that wall. 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:20.840 We all hold it up. 00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:22.220 Jews and Gentiles alike. 00:26:23.180 --> 00:26:24.100 And the Bible says that 00:26:24.100 --> 00:26:25.940 every single human being has rejected God 00:26:25.940 --> 00:26:28.140 so that we can live as we please. 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:30.779 That's why we're in this condition to begin with. 00:26:31.160 --> 00:26:32.040 And then the Bible says 00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:34.059 that unless God intervenes, 00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:35.799 what Paul says in verse 12, 00:26:36.159 --> 00:26:37.779 we are separated from Christ. 00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:40.000 We're alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:42.200 We're strangers to the covenant of promise. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:43.240 Listen to this last phrase, 00:26:43.559 --> 00:26:46.399 having no hope and without God in the world. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:47.940 Unless God intervenes, 00:26:48.259 --> 00:26:49.700 here's your life. 00:26:49.940 --> 00:26:50.899 You have no hope 00:26:50.899 --> 00:26:52.420 and you're without God in the world. 00:26:53.480 --> 00:26:54.920 And so that's why the gospel 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:56.099 becomes such good news 00:26:56.099 --> 00:26:57.180 because the gospel says 00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:57.920 that Jesus, 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:00.639 because of his love for all people, 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:01.900 went to the cross. 00:27:02.820 --> 00:27:05.480 And because Jesus died on the cross, 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.960 the wall between humanity and God 00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:09.320 came crashing down. 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:10.080 And guess what? 00:27:10.340 --> 00:27:11.480 When that happened, 00:27:12.280 --> 00:27:14.460 the walls separating human beings 00:27:14.460 --> 00:27:15.300 from one another, 00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:18.060 they also come crashing down. 00:27:18.540 --> 00:27:18.660 Right? 00:27:18.800 --> 00:27:20.880 So this is the grace of the gospel. 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:23.060 Here's the grace. 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:24.820 Here's the solution to the problem. 00:27:24.819 --> 00:27:27.119 It is Jesus' righteousness, 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:29.559 not my righteousness, 00:27:29.939 --> 00:27:31.439 that saves me. 00:27:31.799 --> 00:27:33.439 It is Jesus' righteousness, 00:27:33.879 --> 00:27:35.059 not your righteousness, 00:27:35.480 --> 00:27:36.839 that saves you. 00:27:38.899 --> 00:27:39.200 Right? 00:27:39.259 --> 00:27:40.480 So the grace of Christ, 00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:42.559 once your source of righteousness 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:43.759 is found in Christ, 00:27:43.939 --> 00:27:45.439 that begins to transform 00:27:45.439 --> 00:27:47.179 how you see yourself 00:27:47.179 --> 00:27:48.859 compared to other people. 00:27:49.259 --> 00:27:50.339 I mean, here's the way it works. 00:27:50.339 --> 00:27:53.079 You can't possibly see yourself 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:55.839 as superior to anyone else 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:59.279 when you know that apart from Christ, 00:27:59.399 --> 00:28:00.579 you would be utterly hopeless 00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:01.720 and without God in the world. 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:04.519 I don't care if you're not on social media. 00:28:05.379 --> 00:28:05.519 Right? 00:28:05.639 --> 00:28:07.439 I don't care how you parent your kids. 00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:09.039 Right? 00:28:09.079 --> 00:28:11.519 I don't care what time you get up in the morning 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:12.659 or how hard you work 00:28:12.659 --> 00:28:13.939 or whether or not you drink. 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:17.099 I mean, those things matter. 00:28:18.220 --> 00:28:19.679 But here's the truth about you. 00:28:21.099 --> 00:28:22.519 Apart from Jesus Christ, 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:24.099 you would be without God 00:28:24.099 --> 00:28:25.159 and you would be hopeless. 00:28:27.019 --> 00:28:27.379 Right? 00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:29.059 Also, on the other side, 00:28:29.139 --> 00:28:30.740 you can't possibly think of yourself 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:32.699 as inferior to other people. 00:28:34.439 --> 00:28:34.799 Right? 00:28:34.939 --> 00:28:35.779 You look at that person 00:28:35.779 --> 00:28:36.740 who gets up at 6 o'clock. 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:37.559 You look at that person 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:38.639 who keeps their kids in order 00:28:38.639 --> 00:28:40.079 and your kids are climbing the walls 00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:41.079 and tearing things down. 00:28:41.379 --> 00:28:42.419 You know, you look at that person 00:28:42.419 --> 00:28:44.240 who does their quiet time every day 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:44.599 and you're like, 00:28:44.639 --> 00:28:46.319 I think I prayed once this last year. 00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:47.119 You know? 00:28:47.740 --> 00:28:48.659 You look at the person 00:28:48.659 --> 00:28:49.939 who volunteers for everything 00:28:49.940 --> 00:28:50.559 in the community 00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:51.400 and like you don't even want 00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:52.259 to talk to your neighbors. 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:53.240 You know? 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:55.640 The Bible would say, 00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:57.160 how dare you feel inferior 00:28:57.160 --> 00:28:57.960 to that person 00:28:57.960 --> 00:29:00.100 when you know that Jesus 00:29:00.100 --> 00:29:01.920 went to the cross for you 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:04.180 because you were worth dying for. 00:29:04.180 --> 00:29:05.940 And if you feel inferior 00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:07.480 to anyone in your life, 00:29:07.600 --> 00:29:09.120 you're calling Jesus a liar. 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:13.360 How dare you feel inferior? 00:29:14.340 --> 00:29:15.420 And what you see here 00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:16.740 is that the grace of Christ 00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:18.299 is the great equalizer. 00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:21.019 It's the great equalizer 00:29:21.019 --> 00:29:22.799 because it tells us 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:24.600 that we were all equally hopeless 00:29:24.600 --> 00:29:25.420 before God 00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:26.440 and that by faith 00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:28.180 we can all be equally blessed 00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:29.200 in Christ. 00:29:29.900 --> 00:29:31.299 That's the only source 00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:32.160 of true equality 00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:33.060 you're ever going to find 00:29:33.060 --> 00:29:33.519 in the world. 00:29:34.540 --> 00:29:35.660 And this is why, 00:29:35.779 --> 00:29:36.940 just to kind of bring this back, 00:29:37.019 --> 00:29:38.220 this is why our mission 00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:39.980 is not only to join people 00:29:39.980 --> 00:29:40.640 to God 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:41.940 but also to join people 00:29:41.940 --> 00:29:42.880 to one another. 00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:43.800 It's the vertical 00:29:43.800 --> 00:29:45.540 and the horizontal. 00:29:46.620 --> 00:29:47.779 Because that's exactly 00:29:47.779 --> 00:29:48.820 what grace does. 00:29:49.340 --> 00:29:49.460 Right? 00:29:49.779 --> 00:29:51.300 Grace not only connects us 00:29:51.300 --> 00:29:52.540 to God in Christ 00:29:52.540 --> 00:29:54.460 but grace also connects us 00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:55.460 to each other. 00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:59.539 If we are all living stones 00:29:59.539 --> 00:30:00.600 in the temple 00:30:00.600 --> 00:30:01.900 that God is building 00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:03.620 then grace is the mortar. 00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:06.420 Grace is the glue. 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:09.559 Grace is what binds us together 00:30:09.559 --> 00:30:11.340 and holds us together. 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:14.500 And so grace is what makes it possible 00:30:14.500 --> 00:30:15.759 for us to have 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:16.720 the kind of community 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:17.720 like we talked about 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:18.720 at the beginning. 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:20.039 Do you want a community 00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:21.600 where everyone's differences 00:30:21.600 --> 00:30:23.200 can be celebrated and enjoyed? 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:24.100 Do you want a community 00:30:24.099 --> 00:30:25.459 where everyone belongs? 00:30:25.779 --> 00:30:27.619 Where everyone is known and loved? 00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:29.439 Where everyone matters equally? 00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:30.980 The only way to establish 00:30:30.980 --> 00:30:32.039 that kind of community 00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:34.679 is to saturate ourselves in grace. 00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:38.519 Only if we are built on, 00:30:38.740 --> 00:30:39.399 centered in, 00:30:39.659 --> 00:30:40.759 saturated by, 00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:43.719 devoting ourselves to grace, 00:30:44.199 --> 00:30:44.919 the righteousness 00:30:44.919 --> 00:30:46.199 that comes from Christ, 00:30:46.619 --> 00:30:48.659 will we ever look like that. 00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:50.500 And the thing is, 00:30:50.899 --> 00:30:53.279 the moment we start to forget this, 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:54.720 the moment I start to think, 00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:55.240 you know, 00:30:55.420 --> 00:30:56.859 I care more about grace 00:30:56.859 --> 00:30:58.059 than anyone else around me. 00:30:58.119 --> 00:31:00.279 That makes me a real Christian, right? 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:01.740 The minute we start to do that, 00:31:02.399 --> 00:31:04.180 we will start to slip back 00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:05.119 into self-righteousness. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:06.799 And that's why, 00:31:06.899 --> 00:31:08.279 if you look at this entire passage, 00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:10.059 Ephesians chapter 2, 00:31:10.099 --> 00:31:11.180 verses 11 to 22, 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:13.440 all of this is controlled by 00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:14.579 and flows out of 00:31:14.579 --> 00:31:16.019 Paul's central exhortation. 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:18.000 This is all about one word 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:19.339 that Paul says to these people. 00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:20.299 Remember. 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:20.740 Remember. 00:31:21.940 --> 00:31:22.460 Remember. 00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:23.539 He says, 00:31:23.899 --> 00:31:26.039 remember that you were once alienated from God. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:28.119 Remember that you were once hopeless. 00:31:28.759 --> 00:31:30.500 Remember what Christ has done for you. 00:31:31.619 --> 00:31:33.000 If you look at the liturgy 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:34.259 that we follow here on Sunday, 00:31:34.339 --> 00:31:35.200 it's essentially designed 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:36.440 to help us do that one thing. 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:38.159 Remember, 00:31:38.619 --> 00:31:39.119 remember, 00:31:39.619 --> 00:31:40.079 remember. 00:31:40.980 --> 00:31:41.180 Right? 00:31:41.259 --> 00:31:42.799 So when you catch yourself judging 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:44.559 or looking down on other people 00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:45.359 for any reason, 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:46.079 remember. 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:46.159 Remember. 00:31:47.199 --> 00:31:49.879 When you catch yourself being self-critical 00:31:49.879 --> 00:31:51.079 or feeling inferior 00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:52.399 or beating yourself up, 00:31:52.740 --> 00:31:53.119 remember. 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:54.960 When you catch yourself 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:56.619 building walls of hostility 00:31:56.619 --> 00:31:57.319 in your mind 00:31:57.319 --> 00:31:58.819 between people who are like you 00:31:58.819 --> 00:31:59.899 and other people, 00:32:00.019 --> 00:32:00.699 some other group, 00:32:01.099 --> 00:32:01.539 remember. 00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:03.759 The word remember 00:32:03.759 --> 00:32:04.980 brings those walls down. 00:32:06.599 --> 00:32:08.199 Grace is what joins us together. 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:10.399 Grace is what keeps us together 00:32:10.399 --> 00:32:11.699 as God's family. 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:12.599 This is why we have 00:32:12.599 --> 00:32:14.199 some of the values that we have. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:15.720 If you want to put the values 00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:16.539 on the screen, Joe, 00:32:16.740 --> 00:32:17.980 just a few of the values 00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:19.580 that flow out of this commitment 00:32:19.580 --> 00:32:20.860 to joining people to one another. 00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:22.360 We value being 00:32:22.360 --> 00:32:23.779 and becoming a diverse family 00:32:23.779 --> 00:32:25.039 because we believe 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:26.500 that grace-filled communities 00:32:26.500 --> 00:32:27.840 are diverse communities 00:32:27.840 --> 00:32:29.860 where differences can be celebrated. 00:32:29.980 --> 00:32:30.740 So whether it's racial 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:31.600 or socioeconomic 00:32:31.600 --> 00:32:33.180 or life stage 00:32:33.180 --> 00:32:33.799 or age 00:32:33.799 --> 00:32:36.220 or political persuasion, right? 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:36.960 We have people 00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:37.960 on both sides of the aisle 00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:38.480 in this church. 00:32:38.840 --> 00:32:39.980 That means that we are, 00:32:40.059 --> 00:32:41.420 that's a little bit of evidence 00:32:41.420 --> 00:32:42.880 that there is grace here. 00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:44.460 When you see people 00:32:44.460 --> 00:32:45.600 who are divided in the world 00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:46.980 sitting in the same pews, 00:32:48.020 --> 00:32:49.360 that's just a little bit of evidence 00:32:49.360 --> 00:32:50.260 that there's grace 00:32:50.260 --> 00:32:51.800 in this community, right? 00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:52.860 We are also, 00:32:53.140 --> 00:32:54.640 we value being a sacrifice, 00:32:54.820 --> 00:32:55.500 a community 00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:56.720 of sacrificial generosity 00:32:56.720 --> 00:32:57.360 because we think 00:32:57.360 --> 00:32:58.500 that grace-filled communities 00:32:58.500 --> 00:32:59.660 are generous communities. 00:33:00.080 --> 00:33:01.520 We've seen that in spades 00:33:01.520 --> 00:33:02.680 over the last 14 years. 00:33:04.620 --> 00:33:05.580 We're a community 00:33:05.580 --> 00:33:06.180 that practices 00:33:06.180 --> 00:33:07.160 gracious hospitality 00:33:07.160 --> 00:33:08.180 because we believe 00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:09.280 that grace-filled communities 00:33:09.280 --> 00:33:10.600 are welcoming communities. 00:33:10.599 --> 00:33:12.019 because we remember 00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:12.939 that at one time 00:33:12.939 --> 00:33:13.799 we were alienated, 00:33:14.439 --> 00:33:14.959 cast out. 00:33:15.179 --> 00:33:16.099 And that it's only because 00:33:16.099 --> 00:33:16.899 Jesus was willing 00:33:16.899 --> 00:33:17.779 to be cast out 00:33:17.779 --> 00:33:20.480 that we were welcomed in. 00:33:22.299 --> 00:33:24.219 So grace is what joins us together. 00:33:24.859 --> 00:33:26.240 Grace is what keeps us together 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.519 as God's family. 00:33:27.939 --> 00:33:28.379 Let's pray. 00:33:30.939 --> 00:33:32.519 Lord, we thank you for your word 00:33:32.519 --> 00:33:34.219 and we thank you for the grace. 00:33:34.220 --> 00:33:36.120 we thank you that 00:33:36.120 --> 00:33:38.079 it is your righteousness 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:39.319 and not our righteousness 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:41.799 that joins us to you, 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:43.299 that joins us to one another. 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:45.660 Lord, I pray for all 00:33:45.660 --> 00:33:47.000 who feel any sense 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:48.180 of their own excellence, 00:33:48.420 --> 00:33:50.100 any sense of their own 00:33:50.100 --> 00:33:52.500 self-sufficiency. 00:33:54.079 --> 00:33:55.420 I pray for conviction. 00:33:56.200 --> 00:33:57.360 I pray for these words 00:33:57.360 --> 00:33:58.200 to sink deep. 00:33:58.900 --> 00:34:00.000 I pray that they would hurt. 00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:02.299 I pray that they would lead 00:34:02.299 --> 00:34:03.019 to repentance. 00:34:03.019 --> 00:34:03.180 repentance. 00:34:03.980 --> 00:34:05.079 I pray for anyone 00:34:05.079 --> 00:34:05.859 who is struggling 00:34:05.859 --> 00:34:06.859 with a sense of their own 00:34:06.859 --> 00:34:07.720 inferiority. 00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:09.420 Lord, anyone who's 00:34:09.420 --> 00:34:10.480 beating themselves up. 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:12.039 Anyone who lays awake 00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:13.019 at night at three o'clock 00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:13.539 in the morning 00:34:13.539 --> 00:34:14.679 rehearsing things 00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:15.619 that they wish they had said 00:34:15.619 --> 00:34:16.280 or done differently. 00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:18.199 Anyone who's locked 00:34:18.199 --> 00:34:19.280 in a shame cycle. 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:21.460 I pray that the gospel 00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:22.820 would speak words of comfort 00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:24.019 and love 00:34:24.019 --> 00:34:24.759 and belonging. 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:26.440 I pray that they would be 00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:27.619 lifted up out of the mire. 00:34:28.259 --> 00:34:29.239 I pray that they would be, 00:34:29.340 --> 00:34:30.380 they would have a vision 00:34:30.380 --> 00:34:31.800 of themselves 00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:33.500 seated at a place of honor 00:34:33.500 --> 00:34:34.340 at God's table. 00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:35.780 I pray that they would have 00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:37.360 a vision of coming 00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:38.200 down the road 00:34:38.200 --> 00:34:39.580 and the father running out 00:34:39.580 --> 00:34:40.800 and embracing them 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:41.920 in his arms. 00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:44.400 Lord, I pray for conviction. 00:34:44.660 --> 00:34:45.480 I pray for comfort. 00:34:46.240 --> 00:34:47.080 I pray for the great 00:34:47.080 --> 00:34:48.200 equality of standing 00:34:48.200 --> 00:34:49.280 that comes through grace. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:50.680 That we would all 00:34:50.680 --> 00:34:51.440 see ourselves 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:53.260 as citizens of your kingdom, 00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:55.200 as members of your family, 00:34:55.700 --> 00:34:56.700 and as living stones 00:34:56.700 --> 00:34:57.140 in the temple 00:34:57.140 --> 00:34:57.640 that you're building 00:34:57.639 --> 00:34:58.119 in the world. 00:34:58.739 --> 00:35:00.239 For your glory 00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:01.440 and in your son's name 00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:01.920 we pray. 00:35:02.460 --> 00:35:02.779 Amen. 00:35:02.779 --> 00:35:02.900 Amen. 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:02.960 Amen. 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:03.039 Amen. 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:05.000 Amen. 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:05.019 Amen. 00:35:05.019 --> 00:35:07.039 Amen. 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:07.199 Amen. 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:09.139 Amen. 00:35:09.139 --> 00:35:09.519 Amen. 00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:11.359 Amen. 00:35:11.359 --> 00:35:12.079 Amen. 00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:12.279 Amen. 00:35:12.279 --> 00:35:12.299 Amen. 00:35:12.299 --> 00:35:12.819 Amen. 00:35:12.819 --> 00:35:13.819 Amen. 00:35:13.819 --> 00:35:13.900 Amen. 00:35:13.900 --> 00:35:14.019 Amen.