1 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,880 Heavenly Father, we thank you for our Sunday school. 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,760 We thank you for the children of our church, and we just pray 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,240 today as they go to Sunday School. 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,920 Lord that the hearts will be open to hear the word that you 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,560 want them to hear. We thank you for our Sunday 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,160 School teachers. We thank you for their 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:30,150 dedication to teach our our young people your word and just 8 00:00:30,150 --> 00:00:32,070 Lord give them clarity of thought and mind. 9 00:00:32,390 --> 00:00:35,470 Today we pray and Lord, as Jeff comes up, we just thank you for 10 00:00:35,470 --> 00:00:38,670 his willingness too to bring us the word of God and Lord, may 11 00:00:38,870 --> 00:00:43,270 our hearts be open, may our ears be open, and Lord, may you 12 00:00:43,270 --> 00:00:47,430 change us through your word. We pray as we ask in Jesus name. 13 00:00:47,910 --> 00:00:51,910 Amen. For what a delight to be with 14 00:00:51,910 --> 00:00:59,400 you, I have to say. This building has grown since I 15 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:07,200 was last in it, and I'd like to thank you for the invitation to 16 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,800 join with you and to open the scriptures with you. 17 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:16,840 If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to make a suggestion help you 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:21,200 improve on things. You might want to start a 19 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,420 building program. You're already full. 20 00:01:28,660 --> 00:01:31,100 No. Do you want me to sit down? 21 00:01:37,180 --> 00:01:43,620 He was being kind. I'm not a Christian till I've 22 00:01:43,620 --> 00:01:48,940 had my third cup of coffee, so that's why I responded to my 23 00:01:48,940 --> 00:01:52,460 good friend Paul. Well, lovely to be with you. 24 00:01:52,460 --> 00:01:57,380 I mean that most sincerely. And how encouraging to see so 25 00:01:57,380 --> 00:02:03,180 many different ethnic groups represented here and different 26 00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:06,180 age groups represented here. It's a beautiful thing. 27 00:02:06,660 --> 00:02:09,699 We're going to be talking about the importance of that today. 28 00:02:10,300 --> 00:02:15,300 If you have your Bibles with you, we are turning to the book 29 00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:18,340 of Ephesians, where I understand you've been. 30 00:02:19,340 --> 00:02:25,300 Spending some time together and the passage that I have been 31 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:35,100 assigned today is Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 through 22. 32 00:02:37,260 --> 00:02:43,980 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by 33 00:02:43,980 --> 00:02:48,360 birth. And called uncircumcised by 34 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:53,520 those who call themselves the circumcision that done in the 35 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:59,000 body by the hands of men. Remember that at that time you 36 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:04,600 were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in 37 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:11,080 Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise without 38 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:19,700 hope and without God. In the world, but now in Christ 39 00:03:19,740 --> 00:03:26,020 Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought near 40 00:03:26,020 --> 00:03:31,420 through the blood of Christ, for He Himself is our peace, who has 41 00:03:31,420 --> 00:03:35,300 made the two one, and has destroyed the barrier, the 42 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:41,180 dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh. 43 00:03:41,740 --> 00:03:45,220 The law with its commandments and regulations. 44 00:03:46,580 --> 00:03:51,180 His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the 45 00:03:51,180 --> 00:03:57,140 two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both 46 00:03:57,140 --> 00:04:01,820 of them to God through the cross by which he put to death their 47 00:04:01,820 --> 00:04:06,780 hostility. He came and preached peace to 48 00:04:06,780 --> 00:04:11,640 you who were far away. And peace to those who were 49 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:17,959 near, for through him we both have access to the Father by 1 50 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:23,080 Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer 51 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,000 foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens, with God's 52 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,840 people and members of God's household built on the 53 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:36,000 foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus 54 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,040 himself as the chief cornerstone. 55 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,680 In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to 56 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,640 become a holy temple in the Lord. 57 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,560 And in Him you two are being built together to become a 58 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:59,240 dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. 59 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:07,480 These verses that we have read this morning are probably old 60 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,460 hat to you. If you've been a Christian for 61 00:05:11,460 --> 00:05:15,140 any time, you would have wandered through the book of 62 00:05:15,140 --> 00:05:19,260 Ephesians at some stage and you would have read these verses. 63 00:05:19,260 --> 00:05:23,380 And yes, yes, I remember these. I've read these over and over 64 00:05:23,380 --> 00:05:25,620 again. I understand what they're 65 00:05:25,620 --> 00:05:33,780 saying, but we would have lost in the years between when Paul 66 00:05:33,780 --> 00:05:39,130 wrote this and our reading this. We would have lost the scandal 67 00:05:39,810 --> 00:05:43,650 and the shock value of these verses. 68 00:05:45,810 --> 00:05:53,930 Back then, when Paul wrote this letter, the place was alive with 69 00:05:54,330 --> 00:05:59,970 hostility. If you have a look at the text, 70 00:05:59,970 --> 00:06:04,970 you will find that there is in verse 14 the dividing wall of 71 00:06:04,970 --> 00:06:09,270 hostility. And then as you go down, you 72 00:06:09,270 --> 00:06:14,750 find in verse 16 through the cross by which he put to death 73 00:06:14,750 --> 00:06:19,310 there hostility. It's important to understand 74 00:06:19,310 --> 00:06:23,390 that this was a period of alienation. 75 00:06:24,070 --> 00:06:26,670 And you get that in verses 11:00 and 12:00. 76 00:06:27,790 --> 00:06:31,870 And then you move on and find out that there's a solution to 77 00:06:31,870 --> 00:06:37,350 this hostility and alienation. And it's called reconciliation. 78 00:06:37,710 --> 00:06:40,990 And you find that in verses 13 through 18. 79 00:06:41,670 --> 00:06:45,350 And then the chapter finishes out with what I've called 80 00:06:45,510 --> 00:06:49,270 unification. And that's the taking of Jews 81 00:06:49,270 --> 00:06:54,310 and Gentiles, the dividing wall of hostility being broken down. 82 00:06:54,510 --> 00:07:00,790 And now together we are one family, we are one building, we 83 00:07:00,790 --> 00:07:04,940 are one temple in the Lord. And so I've called that 84 00:07:04,980 --> 00:07:08,260 unification. But we want to begin with 85 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:13,180 alienation. You will realize, of course, 86 00:07:13,180 --> 00:07:19,100 that after the nations of the earth were formed in Genesis 87 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:26,940 chapter 10 and 11, God went on to create a special nation, a 88 00:07:26,980 --> 00:07:29,380 unique nation, the nation of Israel. 89 00:07:29,790 --> 00:07:33,670 And he did that when he called Abraham out of earth, called 90 00:07:33,670 --> 00:07:39,430 these, and and said to him, Come with me, go to a land that I 91 00:07:39,430 --> 00:07:45,590 will show you, and I will bless you, and I will make of you a 92 00:07:45,750 --> 00:07:50,630 great nation. And your descendants will be as 93 00:07:50,630 --> 00:07:55,150 many as the stars of the sky, or the sand of the seashore, or the 94 00:07:55,150 --> 00:07:58,690 dust of the earth. Now if God had told me that I 95 00:07:58,690 --> 00:08:02,490 would have fainted, especially being Abraham's age, I would 96 00:08:02,490 --> 00:08:08,770 have said no go and no show. It's all over Red Rover and I'm 97 00:08:08,770 --> 00:08:13,370 well beyond that kind of stuff. And especially with his wife, 98 00:08:13,370 --> 00:08:16,490 who had been barren ever since they were married. 99 00:08:16,810 --> 00:08:20,970 And God said, now I'm going to give you the biggest family you 100 00:08:20,970 --> 00:08:24,970 ever imagined and the most important family on the face of 101 00:08:24,970 --> 00:08:29,860 the earth. And God created out of a miracle 102 00:08:30,540 --> 00:08:34,500 the nation of Israel. I don't know if you realize, but 103 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:38,460 the three patriarchs have wives who are all barren. 104 00:08:40,020 --> 00:08:44,980 And when God said I will make of you a great nation, He meant He 105 00:08:44,980 --> 00:08:50,220 would do it, not them, And he would overcome the barrier of 106 00:08:50,220 --> 00:08:55,340 barrenness and create a great nation out of Abraham. 107 00:08:55,740 --> 00:09:00,340 Isaac and Jacob. And that nation was to have 3 108 00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:04,900 purposes in the world. They were, of course to bring 109 00:09:04,900 --> 00:09:11,460 the revelation of God, and in their history you could see the 110 00:09:11,460 --> 00:09:15,460 God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, who 111 00:09:15,460 --> 00:09:17,940 happened to be the creator of the universe. 112 00:09:18,660 --> 00:09:23,260 You happen to see him break into history and reveal himself. 113 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,760 Sometimes and acts of deliverance sometimes and acts 114 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:31,000 of power. Sometimes miraculously, 115 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,760 sometimes sovereignly. But all the time he's revealing 116 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:42,640 himself in the nation of Israel. That was purpose #1, to reveal 117 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,880 God. Purpose number two was to record 118 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:51,560 the Scriptures, and the Bible tells us that to the Jews belong 119 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:55,490 the oracles of God. Romans chapter 3, verse 2. 120 00:09:56,130 --> 00:10:00,930 And so their second purpose was to bring to the world the Sacred 121 00:10:01,010 --> 00:10:05,730 Scriptures, the ones that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 122 00:10:06,050 --> 00:10:10,410 had given them. Their third great responsibility 123 00:10:10,410 --> 00:10:15,610 in the world was to bring into the world the Messiah. 124 00:10:16,210 --> 00:10:20,130 They were to be the channel through whom this special 125 00:10:20,130 --> 00:10:22,410 individual would come into the world. 126 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:29,280 Back in Genesis 315, after Adam and Eve had sinned, God promised 127 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:35,320 that someone would come one day who would put his heel on the 128 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:41,080 head of the serpent and get rid of sin and all of its problems 129 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,680 and repercussions, forever and ever and ever. 130 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:50,880 He would destroy the devil, he singular, not they. 131 00:10:51,620 --> 00:10:54,180 A committee could never pull this one off. 132 00:10:54,780 --> 00:10:57,660 And so God said, no, it's not going to be a committee. 133 00:10:58,220 --> 00:11:03,140 It's going to be an individual. And that individual would be a 134 00:11:03,140 --> 00:11:08,780 male, and that male would be of the seed of the woman. 135 00:11:09,100 --> 00:11:12,740 It's not going to be a Martian. It's not going to be an Angel. 136 00:11:13,060 --> 00:11:15,940 It's not going to be some extraterrestrial being. 137 00:11:16,220 --> 00:11:21,160 It's going to be a human being. And through suffering, he's 138 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:27,760 going to put his heel on the head of the serpent and crush 139 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:33,760 him and be victorious over him. That, of course, has been the 140 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:38,440 hope of the ages. And it's not until you get to 141 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,240 Genesis Chapter 9 that you find out that individual is going to 142 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,520 come through the line of sham. It's going to be Semitic 143 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:49,530 individual. And then by the time you get to 144 00:11:49,530 --> 00:11:54,290 Genesis chapter 12, you find out that individual is going to be 145 00:11:54,290 --> 00:11:57,890 from the line of Abraham. He's not only going to be 146 00:11:57,890 --> 00:12:01,250 Semitic, he's going to be actually Jewish. 147 00:12:02,650 --> 00:12:06,330 And and so we see how special that is. 148 00:12:06,330 --> 00:12:11,130 By the way, every Christmas we think about God becoming a man, 149 00:12:11,570 --> 00:12:13,690 but he never became a generic man. 150 00:12:15,330 --> 00:12:19,870 God became a Jew. In the person of Jesus of 151 00:12:19,870 --> 00:12:28,870 Nazareth and we we often overlook that he's not American, 152 00:12:28,870 --> 00:12:32,230 he's not German, he's not Japanese. 153 00:12:34,230 --> 00:12:41,350 God incarnated himself into the human race through the Jewish 154 00:12:41,350 --> 00:12:44,960 nation. And when Jesus was born, you 155 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,040 could trace his Jewish genealogy right back to the very 156 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,200 beginning. He's the son of David, the son 157 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,120 of Abraham. Well, that's the three purposes 158 00:12:55,440 --> 00:13:00,240 of the Jewish nation tucked away in Romans Chapter 9. 159 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,040 These amazing words Paul is writing. 160 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:08,000 And he says, For I could wish that I myself were cursed and 161 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,200 cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers. 162 00:13:12,070 --> 00:13:16,430 Those of my own race, the people of Israel. 163 00:13:17,510 --> 00:13:22,550 There's is the adoption of sons, there's the divine glory, the 164 00:13:22,550 --> 00:13:27,390 covenants, the receiving of the Lord, the temple worship and the 165 00:13:27,390 --> 00:13:30,630 promises. There's of the patriarchs. 166 00:13:30,830 --> 00:13:35,830 And from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is 167 00:13:35,830 --> 00:13:40,390 God over all, forever praised now. 168 00:13:40,860 --> 00:13:45,300 What I want to do is put that in bullet form for you and here it 169 00:13:45,300 --> 00:13:46,980 goes. If you're wondering what's 170 00:13:46,980 --> 00:13:52,460 special about Israel, it's this. They are have the adoption as 171 00:13:52,460 --> 00:13:57,780 sons. That means God has placed them 172 00:13:57,780 --> 00:14:03,140 in a special relationship with himself and Exodus 422. 173 00:14:03,300 --> 00:14:07,180 Israel is called my first born son. 174 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:13,000 And so God has elevated this nation above all of the others. 175 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,640 And while he's God of the whole world, this nation stands in 176 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,960 relation to him in the special relationship. 177 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:25,880 So there's is the adoption of sons, there's is the divine 178 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,200 glory. Can you imagine that? 179 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,200 Right through the history of Israel, the Shakinah glory of 180 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:37,040 God was manifest And he showed up at the burning Bush and he 181 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,600 showed up. On the the release of the 182 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,720 children of Israel from Egypt, and through the pillar of fire 183 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,600 and the cloud, he guided them all the way. 184 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,280 And then when they established the Tabernacle and later the 185 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:57,560 temple, the Shekinah glory came and dwelt in both of those 186 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:05,280 structures. And so God was resident with the 187 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,100 nation of Israel. And to them belong to divine 188 00:15:09,100 --> 00:15:13,020 glory. No other nation had God in 189 00:15:13,020 --> 00:15:16,980 residence, to them belong to covenants. 190 00:15:16,980 --> 00:15:20,780 Can you imagine? God had entered into legal 191 00:15:20,780 --> 00:15:25,300 contract with the nation of Israel and the great covenants 192 00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:28,900 of the Bible, the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, 193 00:15:29,140 --> 00:15:33,140 the land covenant, the Dividic covenant, the New covenant, all 194 00:15:33,140 --> 00:15:37,360 of these great. History determining covenants 195 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:42,320 belong to the nation of Israel. God had not entered into that 196 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,120 kind of contract with any other nation. 197 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:51,320 And then to them was given the lore, the the commandments of 198 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:57,480 God, and to them the temple worship, and to them the 199 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:02,200 promises emanating from Genesis 315. 200 00:16:03,550 --> 00:16:06,950 To them belong the great patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and 201 00:16:06,950 --> 00:16:09,710 Jacob. And then from them would come 202 00:16:09,710 --> 00:16:14,790 Messiah, who is God over all, forever blessed. 203 00:16:15,430 --> 00:16:17,270 That's pretty special, don't you think? 204 00:16:19,470 --> 00:16:22,070 I think that is. I mean, if you're going for 10 205 00:16:22,070 --> 00:16:27,750 out of 10, it's right there. But what happens when you put us 206 00:16:27,750 --> 00:16:30,270 Gentiles up? Well, it's not looking so good. 207 00:16:31,930 --> 00:16:35,730 You see here, here. Here's a blue funk right here in 208 00:16:35,730 --> 00:16:42,490 the Ephesians chapter 2. Remember that formally you, who 209 00:16:42,490 --> 00:16:47,290 are Gentiles by birth and called the uncircumcised by the 210 00:16:47,290 --> 00:16:52,330 circumcision, you were separate from Christ. 211 00:16:52,970 --> 00:16:56,810 You were excluded from the citizenship in Israel. 212 00:16:57,290 --> 00:17:00,890 You were foreigners to the covenants of the promise. 213 00:17:01,910 --> 00:17:04,869 You were without hope. Can you imagine this? 214 00:17:06,230 --> 00:17:10,150 You imagine how dreadful this is without hope? 215 00:17:11,589 --> 00:17:13,670 Now the Jewish nation was full of hope. 216 00:17:14,829 --> 00:17:17,750 They were standing on tip toes waiting for Messiah. 217 00:17:18,550 --> 00:17:21,550 Now they were confused about the role Messiah would play. 218 00:17:22,030 --> 00:17:25,869 But they were expecting Messiah to come and deliver Israel from 219 00:17:25,869 --> 00:17:30,380 all of their oppressors. And to establish the Kingdom of 220 00:17:30,380 --> 00:17:36,660 David again on earth that would not only rule over Israel, but 221 00:17:36,660 --> 00:17:40,620 rule over the entire planet. They were standing on tip toes. 222 00:17:40,620 --> 00:17:44,780 They were waiting for Messiah. They were a nation filled with 223 00:17:44,780 --> 00:17:46,380 hope. You only have to read the 224 00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:52,060 prophets to realize that Israel was a nation that was jammed 225 00:17:52,060 --> 00:17:57,500 with hope, brimming with hope. But not the Gentiles. 226 00:17:59,270 --> 00:18:02,990 Life was confusing for them. Life was tragic for them. 227 00:18:04,110 --> 00:18:08,830 You get into some of the philosophers of the day and you 228 00:18:08,830 --> 00:18:12,190 will find out that they are pretty despondent. 229 00:18:12,470 --> 00:18:16,390 They are filled with despair. Life is meaningless. 230 00:18:17,550 --> 00:18:22,670 In fact, the best thing you can do is be born, and the second 231 00:18:22,670 --> 00:18:25,390 best thing you can do is to die quickly. 232 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:31,280 Because that's how bad life is. It it it is bad. 233 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,800 But for the Jews, they were filled with hope, not us. 234 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:41,320 We were without hope and without God. 235 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:47,320 Now the Gentiles had created their gods, but if you read the 236 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,320 Psalms, their gods were not that good. 237 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,360 They had eyes that could not see. 238 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:54,880 They had lips that could not speak. 239 00:18:55,900 --> 00:19:00,060 They had arms that could not move, and they had legs that 240 00:19:00,060 --> 00:19:03,740 could not walk. And you'd say to yourself, why, 241 00:19:03,740 --> 00:19:08,380 in the name of seven bald cats with anyone want to worship a 242 00:19:08,380 --> 00:19:11,940 God that had eyes that couldn't see, ears that couldn't hear, 243 00:19:12,300 --> 00:19:16,460 lips that couldn't speak, arms that couldn't move, and feet 244 00:19:16,460 --> 00:19:19,460 that couldn't walk, why in the world would you? 245 00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:24,700 Well, because it's convenient. No one's keeping an eye on you. 246 00:19:24,740 --> 00:19:26,700 No one can hear the lies you tell. 247 00:19:26,700 --> 00:19:29,580 No one can see the immorality you commit. 248 00:19:30,020 --> 00:19:31,940 No one can say anything about it. 249 00:19:31,940 --> 00:19:35,540 Because their lips don't work. They can't intervene because 250 00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:37,220 they have arms that will not move. 251 00:19:37,220 --> 00:19:40,820 And when you leave town, you leave them behind and you can go 252 00:19:40,820 --> 00:19:43,420 do what you want, when you want, how you want. 253 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:48,020 That's the absurdity of idolatry. 254 00:19:50,380 --> 00:19:55,500 So here are us Gentiles, separate from Christ, excluded 255 00:19:56,580 --> 00:20:05,580 from citizenship in Israel, Foreigners, strangers to the 256 00:20:05,580 --> 00:20:12,260 covenants and to the promise. Well, the chapter then turns to 257 00:20:12,380 --> 00:20:15,340 reconciliation. Don't you love that little word 258 00:20:15,340 --> 00:20:20,460 but tucked away in verse 13? But now in Christ Jesus, you who 259 00:20:20,460 --> 00:20:24,940 were once far away have been brought near through the blood 260 00:20:24,940 --> 00:20:28,260 of Christ, while suddenly the whole picture moves. 261 00:20:28,500 --> 00:20:35,340 It was a blue funk until you get to verse 13, and now it's jammed 262 00:20:35,340 --> 00:20:42,020 with excitement. But now in Christ Jesus, you who 263 00:20:42,020 --> 00:20:47,070 were once far away have been brought near to God through the 264 00:20:47,070 --> 00:20:51,390 blood of Christ. Well, how has he done that? 265 00:20:53,030 --> 00:20:57,070 Well, he's our peace. Who has made the two one? 266 00:20:58,390 --> 00:21:03,110 You see now he's taken the Jews who was separated off there by 267 00:21:03,110 --> 00:21:06,350 the regulations and and the commandments of the law. 268 00:21:06,870 --> 00:21:12,880 And he has made out of the two one new man, and he has 269 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,720 destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. 270 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,720 What was that dividing wall of hostility between the Jews and 271 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:22,760 the Gentiles? Well, it was the law. 272 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,120 Have a look. How did he destroy the dividing 273 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:29,680 wall of hostility? He abolished in his flesh the 274 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,720 law with its commandments and regulations. 275 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:39,480 In other words, when Christ died, He abolished the law. 276 00:21:40,710 --> 00:21:44,190 He took the full penalty of the violations of the law. 277 00:21:44,630 --> 00:21:49,150 He paid the debt in full. It can never be brought to 278 00:21:49,150 --> 00:21:53,990 account again. It's all been done with and done 279 00:21:53,990 --> 00:21:56,550 away. And why? 280 00:21:56,870 --> 00:22:00,670 Well, his purpose was to create in himself one new man out of 281 00:22:00,670 --> 00:22:07,590 the two, and thus making peace, and in this body to reconcile 282 00:22:07,590 --> 00:22:12,090 both of them to God through the cross by which he put to death 283 00:22:12,490 --> 00:22:16,610 their hostility. And so now out of these two 284 00:22:16,610 --> 00:22:21,930 factions, Jews and Gentiles, God has created one new man. 285 00:22:22,610 --> 00:22:26,090 If you go over the 1st Corinthians 10 talks about the 286 00:22:26,090 --> 00:22:31,890 Jews, the Gentiles and the Church of God, well now he's 287 00:22:31,890 --> 00:22:35,650 broken down that wall of hostility, that separation 288 00:22:35,650 --> 00:22:39,950 between the Jews and the Gentiles, and now he has brought 289 00:22:39,950 --> 00:22:47,990 both to be one new person, and he's done that through the blood 290 00:22:48,070 --> 00:22:52,030 of his cross. His purpose was to create in 291 00:22:52,030 --> 00:22:57,190 himself one new man out of the two that's making peace, and in 292 00:22:57,190 --> 00:23:01,950 this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross 293 00:23:02,310 --> 00:23:04,790 by which he put to death their hostility. 294 00:23:05,190 --> 00:23:09,190 So he came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace 295 00:23:09,190 --> 00:23:12,710 to those who were near. And through him we both have 296 00:23:12,710 --> 00:23:16,350 access by to the Father, by 1 Spirit. 297 00:23:16,710 --> 00:23:21,790 So we start off with alienation. The Jews over here, the Gentiles 298 00:23:21,790 --> 00:23:24,710 over here. But now these two opposing 299 00:23:24,710 --> 00:23:27,950 groups have been brought together, and the wall of 300 00:23:27,950 --> 00:23:32,630 hostility between the two has been demolished through the 301 00:23:32,630 --> 00:23:36,570 death of Jesus Christ. And through his death he's 302 00:23:36,570 --> 00:23:41,290 brought Jews and Gentiles together to the Father, and we 303 00:23:41,290 --> 00:23:45,690 both now have access to the Father by 1 Spirit. 304 00:23:46,730 --> 00:23:52,610 This is a wonderful thing. And then the chapter finishes 305 00:23:52,610 --> 00:23:55,330 with unification. Well, what's he done with these 306 00:23:55,330 --> 00:23:57,610 two? Well, consequently, you 307 00:23:57,610 --> 00:24:00,970 Gentiles, verse 19, are no longer foreigners. 308 00:24:01,490 --> 00:24:05,960 You're no longer aliens, but your fellow citizens with God's 309 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,040 people and members of God's household built on the 310 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:12,640 foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus 311 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,840 himself as the cornerstone. And in him the whole building is 312 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,520 joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the 313 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,600 Lord. And in Him you too are being 314 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:27,840 built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by 315 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,280 His Spirit. Isn't that a wonderful thing? 316 00:24:32,450 --> 00:24:37,810 No longer on the outside, no longer a stranger, no longer 317 00:24:37,810 --> 00:24:42,330 excluded. You and I, since the death of 318 00:24:42,450 --> 00:24:46,890 Jesus Christ, have been brought into one family. 319 00:24:47,210 --> 00:24:51,810 We've been brought into one body, we've been brought into 320 00:24:52,010 --> 00:24:57,730 one building, and we have become the temple of the living God. 321 00:24:58,250 --> 00:25:01,410 And he dwells here and lives among us. 322 00:25:03,130 --> 00:25:05,530 Now. Apparently a sermon is meant to 323 00:25:05,530 --> 00:25:09,330 do 4 things. First thing it's meant to do is 324 00:25:09,330 --> 00:25:13,130 stretch your mind, give you something to think about. 325 00:25:14,290 --> 00:25:18,290 Second thing it's meant to do is tan your hide. 326 00:25:19,010 --> 00:25:21,650 You know what I mean? It's profitable for correction. 327 00:25:22,730 --> 00:25:27,130 Third thing a sermon is meant to do is warm your heart. 328 00:25:28,660 --> 00:25:31,860 And the fourth thing is sermon is meant to do is provoke your 329 00:25:31,860 --> 00:25:35,340 will. So let me do some provoking 330 00:25:35,740 --> 00:25:47,300 because I'm lacking on coffee. How important is the church to 331 00:25:47,300 --> 00:25:52,820 you? How important is the Church to 332 00:25:52,820 --> 00:25:56,860 you? Now you've seen how important it 333 00:25:56,860 --> 00:26:01,310 is to God. His son has broken down the 334 00:26:01,310 --> 00:26:05,310 hostility and out of the Jews and the Gentiles. 335 00:26:05,310 --> 00:26:10,950 He's made one new man, and this is now his dwelling place in the 336 00:26:10,950 --> 00:26:15,350 Spirit, not in the Temple. Now mark it well. 337 00:26:15,750 --> 00:26:18,270 We Gentiles have not become Jews. 338 00:26:19,230 --> 00:26:22,590 We have not entered into the citizenship of Israel. 339 00:26:23,670 --> 00:26:27,630 Those geopolitical promises that God made to Israel are going to 340 00:26:27,630 --> 00:26:31,190 be fulfilled in the future. In the meantime, he has done 341 00:26:31,190 --> 00:26:36,150 this one new man thing. He's put us both together in one 342 00:26:36,150 --> 00:26:39,910 body and he's done that deliberately. 343 00:26:42,710 --> 00:26:48,710 And now our business is to function together in that one 344 00:26:48,710 --> 00:26:51,820 body. And what excites me so about 345 00:26:51,820 --> 00:26:57,340 this morning is I look around, I see different ethnicities and I 346 00:26:57,340 --> 00:27:02,500 know there's some of our Maori people here. 347 00:27:02,580 --> 00:27:06,500 There are some folks from India here, some folks from Fiji. 348 00:27:06,700 --> 00:27:11,660 I know there's some from Ireland, some from England, and 349 00:27:11,660 --> 00:27:14,100 there must be many more from what? 350 00:27:14,100 --> 00:27:16,940 And here we are gathered together. 351 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,920 Now I know we're here for a service, but we're actually 352 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:27,280 placed in one body, and we are meant to live together and 353 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,680 function together in this one body and to love one another. 354 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,920 You know, the Lord Jesus said, by this shall all men know that 355 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:42,920 you're my disciples. If you love one another and you 356 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,120 and I've got that down, we say, well, we don't get too excited 357 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:47,880 about that. Well, that's true. 358 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:53,760 We have heard it so many times. Let me take you to John 17 and 359 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:59,120 Jesus says this in verse 23. May they be brought to complete 360 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:06,360 unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them 361 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:11,080 even as you have loved me. Did you get it? 362 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:18,640 May they be be brought to complete unity, to let the world 363 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:24,000 know that you sent me. See, our world is shot through 364 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,120 with hostility, isn't it? If ever we lived in a broken 365 00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:32,520 world, it's now. There are problems not over only 366 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:36,000 in the Ukraine and Russia. You go down Africa, there are 367 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,400 problems there. You go to America, there are 368 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,240 problems there. We've got our own problems here. 369 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,520 There are problems all over the world. 370 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,880 That's the problem of China and Taiwan. 371 00:28:46,270 --> 00:28:48,670 There's a problem with China and the Pacific. 372 00:28:48,910 --> 00:28:51,750 Doesn't matter what part of the globe you go to. 373 00:28:51,990 --> 00:28:56,470 We are all terrified of the developments that are recurring, 374 00:28:58,750 --> 00:29:04,910 and people are shot through with hostility and with division and 375 00:29:04,910 --> 00:29:10,070 with hatred. But here in this little 376 00:29:10,390 --> 00:29:19,170 organization called the Church, that hostility disappears, and 377 00:29:19,170 --> 00:29:22,810 these people of all different ages and all different 378 00:29:22,810 --> 00:29:29,690 ethnicities have come together in love and in unity through the 379 00:29:29,690 --> 00:29:34,850 shed blood of the Lord Jesus and the activity of the one's 380 00:29:34,850 --> 00:29:40,830 spirit. And the reason is so that God 381 00:29:40,830 --> 00:29:46,190 can get the attention of the world and tell them that unity 382 00:29:46,190 --> 00:29:52,390 does not come from politics, it comes from faith. 383 00:29:54,630 --> 00:29:59,430 And so this group here and all of God's people in the invisible 384 00:29:59,430 --> 00:30:05,270 church are functioning together that the world might know you 385 00:30:05,270 --> 00:30:08,490 have sent me. So when people see us, they say, 386 00:30:08,490 --> 00:30:10,130 how in the world does this happen? 387 00:30:12,130 --> 00:30:17,050 I I mean, these Indian guys eat so much hot Curry, it would kill 388 00:30:17,050 --> 00:30:20,810 the rest of this. How can they sit down, have 389 00:30:20,810 --> 00:30:23,490 lunch together and enjoy one another's company? 390 00:30:25,090 --> 00:30:27,770 Well, the answer is the blood of Jesus. 391 00:30:28,890 --> 00:30:30,930 See, they're bowing at the feet of Jesus. 392 00:30:30,930 --> 00:30:32,850 We're bowing at the feet of Jesus. 393 00:30:32,850 --> 00:30:37,970 His blood has cleansed them and his blood has cleansed us. 394 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:42,080 Doesn't matter where you go in the world, you find this amazing 395 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:47,080 fellowship in the people of God. And it's meant to say to the 396 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:52,920 world, look, there's only one person who can bring unity out 397 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:57,760 of division, and it's him. And that's why it's so important 398 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:02,480 that we love one another, so that the world might know that 399 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:06,420 God has sinned, the Lord Jesus into the world. 400 00:31:06,660 --> 00:31:09,620 Who's responsible for this? This group? 401 00:31:09,900 --> 00:31:13,780 Who's responsible for this homogeneous group of diverse 402 00:31:13,780 --> 00:31:17,940 people? Only one explanation, Only God 403 00:31:17,940 --> 00:31:21,020 could do this. You see how these people of 404 00:31:21,020 --> 00:31:24,340 different ages love one another? You see how young people love 405 00:31:24,340 --> 00:31:28,660 the older people? Well, on Tuesdays anyway. 406 00:31:28,660 --> 00:31:32,580 But have you seen how older people love the young people? 407 00:31:35,780 --> 00:31:37,380 See? It's so important that we 408 00:31:37,380 --> 00:31:41,220 function because people out there have no hope. 409 00:31:43,580 --> 00:31:47,300 What they see and hear is something quite unique or should 410 00:31:47,300 --> 00:31:52,420 be. And that's why Jesus said love 411 00:31:53,060 --> 00:31:56,300 one another. Now, the trouble with that word 412 00:31:56,300 --> 00:31:59,900 love is that it's so greasy, isn't it? 413 00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:07,270 I mean, it slips through your fingers like you wouldn't 414 00:32:07,270 --> 00:32:13,390 believe. I mean, we say, well, I love the 415 00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:21,230 All Blacks and then we take that word and we say I love steak, 416 00:32:23,350 --> 00:32:28,830 sirloin, medium rare. Love it. 417 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,440 Now there are some people on the planet, believe it or not, who 418 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:38,160 say I love golf and I don't understand that. 419 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,040 Seems to me a lovely walk ruined by a small white ball. 420 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,480 And then we say I love ice cream. 421 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,400 Well, you know I do. I didn't get this shape by 422 00:32:54,400 --> 00:33:05,150 looking at it. And then you say I love you. 423 00:33:08,150 --> 00:33:11,750 Well, really. Well, what do you mean by that? 424 00:33:15,070 --> 00:33:19,070 It was CS Lewis who wrote a book called The Four Loves and 425 00:33:19,070 --> 00:33:22,350 alerted us to the fact that there are different words for 426 00:33:22,350 --> 00:33:32,230 love. This word aeros, as you know the 427 00:33:32,230 --> 00:33:34,470 word aeros is an interesting word. 428 00:33:34,470 --> 00:33:40,110 It means I love you because you flicked my switch. 429 00:33:42,550 --> 00:33:47,350 Read into that what you want. I love you because you turned me 430 00:33:47,350 --> 00:33:51,670 on. Here's a little poem about that 431 00:33:51,670 --> 00:33:58,540 kind of love. John's girl is rich and haughty. 432 00:34:00,380 --> 00:34:07,260 My girl is poor as clay. John's girl is young and pretty. 433 00:34:08,699 --> 00:34:15,620 Mine looks like a Bale of hay. John's girl is smart and clever. 434 00:34:17,580 --> 00:34:24,500 My girl is dumb but good. Would I swap my girl for John's 435 00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:27,020 girl? You bet your life I would. 436 00:34:30,409 --> 00:34:36,889 That's Eros was Richard Wembrandt, who years ago warned 437 00:34:36,889 --> 00:34:43,850 us that the man who says I want you for the rest of your life 438 00:34:45,449 --> 00:34:51,290 and the man who says just tonight will do both. 439 00:34:51,290 --> 00:34:58,550 Say I love you. Yeah, it's a greasy word. 440 00:35:00,870 --> 00:35:07,950 Then there is the love that says I love you because you're 441 00:35:07,950 --> 00:35:10,950 related to me and I have a moral obligation. 442 00:35:12,990 --> 00:35:19,070 It's a genealogical necessity. I love you because I can't do 443 00:35:19,070 --> 00:35:24,590 anything about it. Someone did a blood test and 444 00:35:24,590 --> 00:35:28,890 found out that we together store gay. 445 00:35:29,930 --> 00:35:32,130 I love you because I'm related to you. 446 00:35:32,930 --> 00:35:38,090 And then of course you know that famous one, Filetto, from which 447 00:35:38,090 --> 00:35:40,970 we get the word Philadelphia City of Brotherly Love. 448 00:35:40,970 --> 00:35:44,890 Filetto means I love you because you're a good friend. 449 00:35:48,570 --> 00:35:54,250 But when the Bible describes the love that the Lord Jesus has for 450 00:35:54,250 --> 00:36:00,010 us and the love we're meant to have for one another, it leaves 451 00:36:00,010 --> 00:36:03,570 those words and it takes up another word and fills it with 452 00:36:03,570 --> 00:36:07,530 new meaning. And that is the word agape. 453 00:36:10,250 --> 00:36:14,810 And agape is essentially not a feeling, You know? 454 00:36:14,810 --> 00:36:17,970 Some people are always feeling their feelings to feel how their 455 00:36:17,970 --> 00:36:22,160 feelings are feeling. And they find out that their 456 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,080 feelings are not feeling the way their feelings first felt when 457 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:27,960 they felt their feelings to see how their feelings were feeling. 458 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,520 So it gets a bit complicated and a bit exhausting. 459 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:41,040 Our love is not a feeling. We make the mistake of thinking 460 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:45,440 that love is a noun. Actually, it's a verb. 461 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:51,220 Love one another. You can't command a feeling. 462 00:36:53,180 --> 00:36:58,980 You can't command an emotion, but you can command an action. 463 00:37:00,580 --> 00:37:06,740 And love is essentially an action word for God To love the 464 00:37:06,740 --> 00:37:11,100 world, He gave his one and only son. 465 00:37:12,900 --> 00:37:17,940 The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me. 466 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:25,440 Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave 467 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:33,720 himself up for it. Yeah, love can be commanded 468 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:39,240 because love is not a feeling. You don't have to sit here next 469 00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:43,160 to each other and try and whip up an emotion or a feeling. 470 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:49,720 We simply have to realize that through the shed blood of Jesus 471 00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:54,080 Christ, each of us from different backgrounds and 472 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:59,480 ethnicities and cultures have been brought together into one 473 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:04,360 family. And now we are brothers by 474 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:12,480 blood, not ours but His. And it is our job now to put 475 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:20,970 this as a top priority and say, Lord Jesus, I've read about what 476 00:38:20,970 --> 00:38:26,010 you intended. Now what do you want me to do 477 00:38:27,730 --> 00:38:32,290 this week and for the rest of my life? 478 00:38:33,490 --> 00:38:40,330 To foster the unity and the love and the oneness here at 479 00:38:40,330 --> 00:38:45,290 Hookanooey Bible Church. That's what the sermons meant to 480 00:38:45,290 --> 00:38:48,180 do. It's meant to stretch your mind. 481 00:38:49,780 --> 00:38:57,620 It's meant to warm your heart, It's meant to tan your hide. 482 00:38:59,380 --> 00:39:01,300 And it's meant to provoke your will. 483 00:39:03,260 --> 00:39:10,340 So as we go out that door, don't leave the Unity behind because 484 00:39:10,340 --> 00:39:18,960 the world is watching and while it doesn't want to admit it, no 485 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:26,600 one else can do with people what the Lord Jesus has done through 486 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:30,120 His shed blood. So there it is. 487 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:40,680 Church love one another so well that the people out there will 488 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:46,750 be knocking on our door saying, how did the world, how, how in 489 00:39:46,750 --> 00:39:50,230 the wide world did this get to happen? 490 00:39:51,630 --> 00:39:57,630 And then you'll have a chance to tell them about the answer, who 491 00:39:57,630 --> 00:40:01,670 is your answer, and their answer as well. 492 00:40:03,270 --> 00:40:07,310 Now, our Father, we thank you for these words of Scripture. 493 00:40:08,970 --> 00:40:11,650 We believe with all our heart that you have given us these 494 00:40:11,650 --> 00:40:17,530 words, specifically not to make us smarter sinners, but to make 495 00:40:17,530 --> 00:40:23,170 us more like the Lord Jesus, and be pleased to help us to see the 496 00:40:23,170 --> 00:40:27,970 relevance of this world, of this word, in the world that is shot 497 00:40:27,970 --> 00:40:31,930 through with division and hatred and tension and agony. 498 00:40:34,410 --> 00:40:39,410 And we long, Lord Jesus, for that wonderful day when you will 499 00:40:39,410 --> 00:40:45,090 come again, and you will establish your reign of peace 500 00:40:45,130 --> 00:40:55,890 and righteousness on this earth. And then the Father's will will 501 00:40:55,890 --> 00:40:58,090 be done on earth as it is in heaven. 502 00:41:00,930 --> 00:41:05,450 And your name will be honored and hallowed and glorified. 503 00:41:06,690 --> 00:41:13,960 Until then, until that day let us give the world a little taste 504 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:19,960 in our relationships. Here and now. 505 00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:24,400 We bring you our morning worship in Jesus name. 506 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:25,480 Amen.