You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
Turn with me, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 3, Ephesians 3.
After a brief detour last week, we're back in Ephesians again this morning.
We're going to be talking about a mystery Paul writes about in these verses.
There's very little I love more than a good mystery.
I grew up on the Hardy Boys, read all of those that I could find,
and I still love a good intriguing drama with the suspense of whodunit and how's everything going to turn out.
The mystery Paul talks about is a little different from those,
but it's really good news for us.
Listen as he mentions this mystery three times in these six verses.
Ephesians 3 at verse 1, hear God's holy word.
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles,
surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you.
That is the mystery made known to me by revelation as I've already written briefly.
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
which was not made known to men and other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit
to God's holy apostles and prophets.
This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel,
members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but these words of our God will stand forever.
Let's pray together.
Father, our hope is that because these are your words,
because they indeed are living and active,
that you will be at work in our hearts this morning.
That's why we've come to put ourselves under your word,
to submit our hearts to it,
and we would pray, Father,
open our eyes that we might behold wonderful things in your word.
Do that by your Spirit, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Our nation has been horrified this week
as stories have come from Oklahoma University
about a fraternity on a bus
singing and chanting very disgraceful racist words.
We've been horrified.
Rightfully so.
As new information has come out and new videos have leaked,
just can't believe that this is happening.
Most of the interviews I've seen say something like that.
I mean, it's 2015.
I can't believe that stuff like this is still going on.
And I can relate to that feeling.
At one level, I agree.
You'd think we could have left hatred like that behind by now.
But on the other hand,
it's not just one group of young people
that struggles with separating from others
based on a unique aspect of their identity, is it?
For others, it may not be skin color.
Think about the increasingly polarized state of our politics in this country.
Where identifying as Democrat or Republican
or actually neither but any other name you want to use
means that I'm not likely to work alongside you,
someone else of a different political commitment or affiliation.
But it distances me from you.
It identifies me as against you.
I can't work with you in many cases.
We see it to some extent with our country in general.
That we're Americans and so there's us and the rest of the world.
Some of them we even have names like Third World.
Two steps removed.
We're defined as Americans.
We find our identity often in our success.
Be that our lifestyle, our morality, our power.
Something that we feel sets us apart from everybody else.
And what you realize very quickly is that
we as people have a natural tendency to find our identity
in some aspect of ourselves that distances us from others.
From those who don't share that particular trait.
It can be race, politics, or nationality.
It can equally be many other things.
I remember when I was a child and desperately wanting to fit in.
To belong somewhere.
That the best way to do that was to find a group
that I could be a part of
and belong there where others didn't belong.
You could say things like,
I'm an athlete
and therefore I'm distinguished from others who aren't.
But I belong in the we're the athletes group.
That doesn't work for me anymore.
Unfortunately.
But I've just gotten more creative as an adult.
I think of other things that can set me apart.
Things that we look at that give us value.
That help us belong somewhere.
It could be our parenting philosophy.
We're good moms and dads who do things like this
and would never do that or say this.
Our educational level.
We honestly feel we're above some others
who don't know what we do
or talk as we do
or think the way we do.
Even our theological persuasion.
We've got it right and others don't.
Presbyterians are really good at that.
But regardless of what it is,
we see this tendency to find our identity,
our sense of belonging
in something about ourselves
and thereby separate or distance ourselves
from others who aren't described the same way.
Who don't have that trait.
And Jesus says,
not so among my people.
Jesus says the way it's supposed to work
is like this.
That the defining identity of my people
is not something particular about them at all.
It's that they're connected to me.
They belong because they are in Christ,
Ephesians has been saying.
And that that shared reality of being in Christ
connects them also to each other.
Even otherwise very different people
connected by that.
Go back and remember chapter 1.
Do you remember talking about
everything that happens in Christ?
Every spiritual blessing that is ours in Christ?
The new identity that Jesus gives us
because of what He has done?
Because He has given His life for us?
Now as we get to chapter 2,
what Paul says is,
it's not just a new identity for you.
That new identity in Christ connects you.
The fact that you're connected to Him
connects you to many others.
All His people are connected in Christ.
That's why we've been using this image
for this sermon series.
It's not just an image of saying
we're connected to God in Christ,
although that's certainly true.
But that reality connects us also to each other.
And so that arm in arm and hand in hand,
because of Jesus,
that's what His people are to look like.
And that's actually the mystery
that Paul is unfolding here in chapter 3.
That previously separated and disconnected enemies
like Jews and Gentiles
are now connected together
because of Jesus.
Look how he says it in verse 6.
The mystery,
he's going to tell us what it is,
the mystery is that through the gospel,
the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel,
members together of one body,
and sharers together in the promise
in Christ Jesus.
That's the mystery.
He tells us when Paul uses the word mystery,
it's actually different from the things
the Hardy Boys solve.
He actually is talking,
when he uses that word,
of something that is now apparent
and understood,
but that has been more hidden in the past.
Something that was less clear
than it is now,
and now it's more fully revealed.
In particular, when Paul uses it,
it means the truth revealed in a new way
in Jesus the Messiah.
That was previously less clear
in the Old Testament.
Look at verses 4 and 5.
In reading this,
you'll be able to understand
my insight into the mystery of Christ.
That's the Greek word for Messiah.
The one who's promised to come.
That's the mystery.
The mystery was not made known
to men and other generations
in the way that it has now been revealed
by the Spirit.
In other words,
something has come into focus better.
Something has been more fully revealed
than it was,
and it's something that happens in Jesus.
Now you know the Jews and Gentiles
had a great distaste for each other.
Jews viewing Gentiles as unclean
and unworthy.
Greeks largely viewing Jews
and any non-Greeks as barbaric
and not civilized like they were.
The animosity between these groups
was every bit as strong
as the racial tensions in this country
that I alluded to earlier.
It was race, ethnicity,
and religious heritage
all tied up in one.
Defining their basic identity
against the others
who were clearly not like them.
But you may also be thinking,
what does Paul mean?
This is a new revelation
of this mystery.
I thought the Old Testament
already talked about
the salvation of the Gentiles
and that that was part of God's plan.
And it was.
And it absolutely does
talk about that.
There are clues, so to speak,
all the way back to Abraham
where the nations are to be blessed
through God's people.
But the promised Messiah
is always pointed to
as the time things will really change.
Things are really going to be different.
And Paul's saying
it's even more dramatic a shift
than the Jews had realized.
Let me explain what I mean by that
by talking about the temple
for just a few minutes.
The temple's a huge issue in Ephesians
and the temple in Jerusalem
is a marvelous structure
in any iteration of it.
A wonderful work.
And this is one picture of it.
You see the big central location
there in the middle?
I'll describe that in a minute.
And then the courtyard
around the outside.
I'm going to show you a diagram
so we can talk a little bit more clearly
in just a minute.
But I want you to see the picture
because the diagram's going to lose
a lot of the grandeur and beauty
of this temple.
But there's the temple in Jerusalem.
And then let's look at the diagram
for a second.
Here's a diagram of the temple.
That large center structure
that you see is right at the center
of this diagram
with a dark black line around it.
It's called the Holy of Holies.
The very center of the temple.
The place where God dwelled.
It was holy because God lived there.
In the Old Testament,
that was where He took up residence
among His people
in the Holy of Holies.
And so that was the center
of the entire temple complex.
And near it,
surrounding that,
you had the court of the priests.
That next little block around it
where only the priests could go.
And beyond that,
you had what was called
the court of Israel.
Places where Jewish men
and women could come.
They could offer sacrifices.
There were altars there.
The worship of God happened there.
And Gentiles did not.
No Gentiles.
Too close to the presence of God
for Gentiles.
They couldn't come
into the court of Israel
where the Jews could come.
They can't get near God.
And so it's the outer courtyard,
the court of the Gentiles,
where they stop.
That's as close as they can get.
They're unclean.
They're unworthy.
They can't approach any closer.
They can't go in with the Jews
to worship their God,
to be near Him.
They're separated by walls
and stairs from the presence of God.
Unclean.
Unworthy to enter any closer.
Look back at the picture.
You see the walls
around that center area?
Do you see now
that this outer courtyard
is where the Gentiles were?
And huge, beautiful walls
and stairs saying,
you stay out there
in the courtyard.
That's where the Gentiles were
in the temple.
And they took this very seriously.
The penalty for a Gentile
entering the court of Israel
was death.
Paul, a Jew,
experienced this firsthand.
He says at the beginning
of our passage this morning
that he is in prison
for the sake of the Gentiles.
Verse 1.
What does he mean by that?
How's Paul in prison
for the sake of the Gentiles?
Look back at Acts.
Paul actually went through a lot
that had to do with the temple
to end up in prison.
If you look in Acts,
you'll find out that Paul
was in this very temple
we've been talking about
in Jerusalem
doing some purification.
And look at what happens.
Acts chapter 21,
verse 27.
The Jews from Asia,
from places like Ephesus,
saw Paul in the temple
and stirred up the whole crowd
and laid hands on him,
crying out,
Men of Israel, help!
This is the man
who's teaching everyone everywhere
against the people
and the law
and this place.
Against the Jews
and our law
and this temple.
Moreover,
he even brought Greeks
into the temple
and has defiled
this holy place.
They get stirred up
against Paul
to the point of,
look at verse 30,
what happens?
All the city was stirred up.
The people ran together,
seized Paul,
dragged him out of the temple,
shut the gates
and as they were seeking
to kill him,
the death penalty
for bringing a Gentile
into the court of Israel,
word came to the tribune
of the cohort
that all Jerusalem
was in confusion.
This is no small city.
The temple's big enough.
The whole city in confusion.
An uproar over this man,
Paul.
Now it turns out
that Paul hadn't actually
brought a Gentile
into the court of Israel.
But the message
that he's preaching,
they still can't stomach.
He's going to the Gentiles.
And that lands him in prison.
The prison, in fact,
from which he writes Ephesians.
They're still angry
at what they hear
he's been teaching
in places like Ephesians 2.
The message to the Gentiles
that the barriers
between Jew and Gentile
have been broken down
and that together
they're being built
into a holy temple
in which God lives
by His Spirit.
You remember that
from the end of chapter 2?
Jew and Gentile
now together
built into a holy temple
where God lives
by His Spirit.
And the Jews say,
Ridiculous!
Never!
Take His life!
Paul, you're removing
our very distinctiveness.
There's going to be nothing
that separates us
from them anymore.
You're destroying
our unique identity.
Maybe some of them, Paul,
could become
a little bit more like us,
but never this.
Wipe the temple out
and build a new one?
No way.
Do you hear what Paul's saying
in a passage like this one
in Ephesians 2?
Where at the end
of that chapter
he's saying
the whole group,
Jew and Gentile alike,
are going to be
a holy temple
to the Lord.
And he's going to dwell
there by His Spirit.
Do you hear what he's saying
when he says that?
He's saying
that the mystery
is not merely
that Gentiles
could now be invited
into the Jewish part
of the temple
near to God,
but that Jesus
was building
an entirely new temple
altogether.
A new structure
completely
with Jesus
as the cornerstone.
Now God dwells
not in Jerusalem,
not in a building
where He's contained,
but His presence
shows up in His people
who are connected
to Jesus.
Jews and Gentiles.
Amazing.
Something completely new.
The mystery
of the new temple
is solved,
Paul says.
It's fully unfolded.
The presence of God
used to be contained
in this temple
and now Jews
and Gentiles
and all sorts of people
are connected to Jesus
and are being built
into a new temple.
because the presence
of God
will be there.
And that's what
made the temple special.
That's why it was holy.
Because God was there.
Because He lived there
and now
He lives
with them.
And that makes
all the difference.
Being connected
to Jesus,
having the presence
of God show up
is now the thing
in common
that so supersedes
all the differences
you thought
were so important.
Now Paul says
the mystery is
that together,
together,
Jews and Gentiles.
We don't even have
English words
for what he says
in verse 6.
In fact,
Paul's probably
making up
some Greek words.
What he does
is he takes
a prefix
for with
or together
and just throws it
on the front
of three different nouns.
So that Jews
and Gentiles
are now
heirs together
and members together
and sharers together.
How could you not
be a sharer together?
It's redundant.
It's for emphasis.
They're together.
Jews and Gentiles,
no distinction.
All of God's riches,
all the privileges
of membership
in God's people,
all the benefits
of His promises
now held jointly,
together,
in Christ Jesus.
That new identity
is so redefining
that the differences fade.
And what most matters,
what most defines us
is shared.
The Gentiles
aren't just
in the temple,
they're stones
making up
the temple,
right up alongside
the purest Jew
with no distinction.
You don't have
to be circumcised,
purified,
catechized
to be a part
of this temple,
do you?
Do you feel
the scandal in that?
Probably not a lot.
You're not a
first century Jew.
But that was radical.
That was a dramatic shift.
In fact,
I'll say it this way,
you don't have to be
American,
Southern,
Presbyterian,
or Republican,
do you?
It's a little less friendly,
isn't it?
We're just getting started.
Your religious heritage
doesn't define you
in God's temple.
You're not a more
honored stone
because your theology
is more accurate.
Your past is more pure
or your worship style
is more relevant.
You're not.
That needs to rattle
some of us
so that we see
where we've made
an idol
of something good.
Where we've found
something that's important
and we've used it
to find our sense
of identity
and belonging
and keep others
at a distance.
We find our identity
over and against
someone else.
But guess what else
is true?
You're not left out
or disconnected
or a less honored stone
because of the reverse
of these things.
Your history,
the past sins
you've committed
or sins that have been
committed against you,
they don't define you
in God's temple.
You're not left out.
You're not a second class
Christian.
There are no
second class Christians.
What defines all of us
is that because we are
connected to Jesus,
God is there.
God is willing
to dwell with you
despite the shame
you have from your past
or your present.
Isn't that good news?
God will dwell with you
and that makes
all the difference.
You belong.
Your identity
is found in someone
beyond yourself.
in your connection
to Jesus
and God's dwelling
in you by His Spirit.
He's in each of us
individually
and there are passages
that talk about that
but the idea
in these verses
is of the corporate temple.
All of us diverse people
together in Christ
are in one unified building
to house the very presence
of God
where God dwells
by His Spirit.
God dwells there.
Oh, if God dwells there
what sorts of amazing things
might happen?
Things we couldn't
otherwise predict
or expect.
I love it when we see
evidence
of these beautiful realities
in our local community
here at Southwood
in our relationships.
You can catch a glimpse
of it week in
and week out
in small groups.
Let me read you a comment
made by a Southwood member
last week
on our small group blog.
She wrote this,
Coming from a place
where commonalities
brought people together
I had my share of complaints
when I first came to Southwood
and felt so deeply
that these are not my people
but I've been astounded
at the grace of God
that unites those
who confess their need
and delight
in a Savior
who has rescued us.
When I look around
on Communion Sunday
I ponder this amazing gift.
People from different backgrounds,
ages, stages
and perhaps even understanding
of the Gospel
and I think
with humbling gratitude
these are my people.
We're brought together
because of Jesus
regardless of our differences.
Small groups
have been a valuable place
for me to discover
what true unity
is all about.
Amen.
We get a glimpse of it
in working alongside
our ministry partners
both locally
and globally
praying for someone
in South Sudan.
I was reminded
of this again
at the work day
last weekend
as I had the joy
of shoveling mulch
and pulling weeds
alongside brothers
and sisters
who live in different
parts of town
who have different
perspectives on life
and how they think
about things
who have different
skin colors
and who are part
of the temple
that God's included
me in too.
I got a glimpse of it
at Bible school
last summer
when I saw a video
of a retired
submarine captain
washing the feet
of young kids.
An elder in the church
but kneeling down
to those
I don't know
a lot of years
younger than he is.
Anything else
gives away his age.
Beautiful.
What connects us
is not age
or intelligence
hobby
or household income
it's Jesus
and so God
builds us together
and shows up
in remarkable ways
right in the midst
of us.
Imagine what God
might do
if he was really there
not just in these moments
not just in a few examples
I can give you
but through us
corporately
all the time
if he was there
where and how
are you experiencing
his presence
among his people
it's good isn't it
when you're a part
of that.
We've also got to ask
ourselves the question
this morning
not just where are we
experiencing it
but where are we
missing these opportunities?
Where is diversity
lacking
or a barrier
coming up?
Where are we
separating ourselves
from brothers and sisters
we should be
celebrating with?
Here's the rub
for us
God says
if I've taken up
residence there
if I've connected
them to my son
you dare not
back away
and disconnect
from them
if I'm willing
to dwell with them
you dare not
move further
away
don't rebuild
a barrier
Jesus has torn down
that's Paul's warning
to the Jews
and Gentiles
in Ephesus
with whom has your heart
built a barrier
that shouldn't
separate you
who doesn't
perform up to
your standards
who doesn't
get the gospel
the way you think
they should
I encourage you
to dig down
just a little there
when you think
about those questions
you don't have to
go far
what you'll likely
find
is the thing
or one of the things
you're using
to define yourself
so that you belong
and they don't
quite fit in
or measure up
you wouldn't
you wouldn't say
it that way
you're not
trying to kick
them out of heaven
or even the church
but be honest
with yourself
you think you're
a little better
than they are
a little worthier
a little more
important in the kingdom
you say I'm
I'm just more
mature
and you mean
I'm I'm more
valuable
others of you say
I'm more real
or transparent
you mean more
important
what's the thing
you're basing
that on
what's the thing
when you feel
that in your heart
that that's what
allows you to feel
that way
what makes you
belong more
or be
better
on the positive
proactive side
who are you
connecting with
moving toward
developing relationship
with who's
not like you
in age
perspective
marital status
race
church background
what barrier
are you proactively
continuing to push down
that tries to
creep up
remember
it's not just
okay
if a few of them
become a little
more like us
the gospel
says we have to
deal actively
with the thing
that makes us
feel we belong
and gives us
unique identity
and separates us
from them
that's an issue
in our hearts
that we must
deal with
I assure you
that Jews and Gentiles
didn't immediately
look and act
the same
just because
they all met
Jesus
in fact
Paul says
in some ways
they shouldn't
there are things
they shouldn't
do the same
people with
different backgrounds
and experiences
may dress
parent
act
speak
and so forth
differently
from you
but they may
well be rescued
by the same
Savior
and indwelt
by the same
Spirit
as you
and if we're
going to let
God tell us
what matters
what really
defines us
and makes us
belong
if he gets
to be in charge
of that
I hope he does
that's it
that's all
where he shows
up and dwells
that's what
matters
that's what
brings you
together
and he dwells
in the temple
the temple
built of those
connected
to his son
that's the only
thing that defines
them or makes
them belong
don't you make
a higher standard
than God has
we belong
with him
he says
we don't need
another club
to include us
one last thing
before we're done
this morning
for those of you
who are here
and thinking
to yourself
this just
confirms everything
that I thought
about the church
already
they're just
one more club
like all the rest
just one more
click with a
different set
of things
that set them
apart
separate them
from others
I hear that
concern
and understand
it
in fact
I've watched
it
and I've done
it
a lot of
times
found a way
to make myself
feel good
and thereby
separate
from others
a lot of times
churches
and Christians
act like that
separating
ourselves
from others
saying you
need to be
more like us
to belong
here
and be a part
of our
community
we've said it
with our
words
and with our
actions
and we need
to ask your
forgiveness
because among
other things
when we've done
that
we've lied
to you
about Christianity
we have
there's actually
a difference
with Jesus
from all the
other clubs
you'd lump
us in
with
there's actually
a difference
with Jesus
instead of
pushing away
and separating
from you
Jesus draws
near and
invites you
in
all of you
that's what the
incarnation
Christmas
is all about
and reminds us
of
that Jesus
moves towards
us and
enters into
relationship
he doesn't
stand far
off and
demand that
you be
better and
change to
get into his
club
he invites you
to come into
his family
where we're all
defined
not by something
about us
but by being
loved
by him
not by how
well we've
cleaned up
but by how
wonderful our
savior is
where we're
all dressed
in rags
until he
gives us
the perfect
robes of
his
righteousness
welcoming
inviting
safe
that's the
kind of
community
you should
find in
Jesus
followers
even though
you often
don't
and I would
say to you
this morning
don't let
that be
a reason
that keeps
you from
Jesus
instead
come help
us
help us
live and
love
others
more like
he does
may we
be a
community
where
finding our
identity
only in
Christ
binds us
to each
other
deeply
and moves
us towards
others
constantly
let's pray
to that end
father if
that's really
going to be
true of
me
if that's
really going
to be
true of
Southwood
if that's
really going
to be
true of
the church
of Jesus
Christ in
Huntsville
and around
the world
your spirit
is going to
have to
convince us
it's safe
to be defined
by being in
Jesus
not by all
the other
things we
love to
take credit
for
things about
us that we
feel like would
distinguish us
Holy Spirit
would you do
that work
would you
start here
in our
hearts and
in this
church and
would we be
a place that
indeed reflects
the welcoming
and inviting
heart of
our Savior
would we
find ourselves
completely
dependent upon
him
and on
nothing else
father send
your spirit
here do that
work in new
and different
ways moment
by moment in
each of our
hearts
we ask in
Jesus name
amen
for more
information
visit us
online at
southwood.org