Ephesians 2:11-17

We just had some fun outside. For those of you who've seen it most everybody here in the building has already seen it, but for those of you on Watching us on zoom. There's a Rubber ball like a beach ball Out on the property and there are three turkey buzzards out there playing with.

Yes, so dr. Ford are they're gonna choose sides now and perhaps play soccer for something. Buzzard ball. I have noticed in our yard probably everybody's got this if there's a Something on the ground and there's a little bird that's trying to play with it or get to it or something.

And a bluebird sees it. They they will chase that little bird away. They're just They're unfriendly towards all other birds. Blue jay, thank you. Yeah, blue jay blue jays. They're just They are they're very mean birds and it's and they don't you know, they don't necessarily go after each other, but I have also noticed Up at Cooperstown we have They're not seagulls.

They're whatever it is lots of them and There's always the alpha bird. You know and if he wants to get to that piece of bread that was dropped nobody nobody else can touch it.

They're very very.

Territorial. Yeah. Where we're at in Ephesians 2 has nothing to do with birds.

Good.

But it does but it does have to do with perceived privilege. And and and almost being territorial in other words.

I.

Have the right and the privilege to be doing this. You don't fit my demographics. And so I I perceive you to be something less than I am. And this was of concern in Ephesus at the time we had Paul on his second missionary journey.

Met with the people in Ephesus and large numbers of people came to know. The Lord Church was planted at the end of his third missionary journey. He couldn't get to Ephesus because the harbor was no longer navigable.

So he went to Miletus and he called for the elders and he gave them more instruction. So the church was growing and thriving. And at the same time we had the diaspora going on. Anybody know what the diaspora was.

Why.

Yes, the Jewish Christians. Scattering of the Jewish Christians. They were becoming somewhat of a threat to the To the elite Jews if you would in Jerusalem, and so they were were scattering them. And so now there became this question of Well should Gentiles become Circumcised like Jews.

Are they less worthy of? God's grace and mercy and everything else. We're God's chosen people. We're that special people. We've gone into chapter 2. And we started out in the first three verses with a very Graphically bleak picture of the condition of all mankind without Christ dead in your trespasses and sins and.

Then we went into verse 4 through 7 and it starts out with the phrase in the Greek Oh to fail, but God and it talks about how God in his mercy And in his sovereign love But provides the way for all your dead and trespasses and sins Raises up together in heavenly places then at the end of verse 7.

It's really for his glory. Anyway, and and then last week Jeff brought us into an amazing discussion of.

Salvation.

By grace through faith. And that God is really the author of all of this. We cannot take credit for any of it.

And.

He now goes into this discussion because he wants to assure Those new believers in Ephesus that they are not second-class citizens. When it comes to their standing before God. There is not the 18 and then everybody else there.

There is this reality that there is one family in God. So he's going to go into a section now in verses 11 through 17 That are going to assure us my one take away from this Section is that God's offering is not just for the Jews.

God's offering is not just for the Jews. Hallelujah to that. Yeah. Yeah. But it is also for the Jews. So it's not that the Jews are now totally excluded. But it's not just for the Jews. Would you open us in a prayer, please?

Yes.

Father thank you so much for grafting us in. Yes. Thank you Lord for the such a great salvation Lord. Help us never to take it lightly or to drift away from so great a salvation Lord. We thank you for it.

We pray now as we consider these realities and these these words from Holy Scripture that we would be Transformed by them and that you would use your word to strengthen us and to sharpen us sanctify us by the truth.

Your word is truth in Jesus name. Amen.

I'm gonna ask you to give me Jeff verses 11 to 17 and Carol I'm going to ask if you would get Romans 8 5. I'm going to talk to the first one. Thank you.

And.

First Corinthians 15 22. Bob. I'll ask if you'll have that ready. I'll talk to the second Corinthians when we get there, but give me 11 to 17, okay.

We are in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 11 to 17. Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the Uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands.

Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and Strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself One new man in place of the two so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross.

Thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

So the awesome stuff we start out with that word therefore Takes us back. He's just gone into you were dead. You are brought into life. You are raised up in heavenly places. Reminding them of all this kind of stuff, but he wants now to get as I said to get them into this Assurance that there are not classes within God's God's economy.

We are all sons of Adam daughters of Eve. We are all in the same boat. Yes, the Jews are his chosen people. But when it comes to our relationship with him, we're all the same. And so he says remember at one time you were and then he says you were Gentiles in the flesh.

Says you were called on circumcision by those who are the circumcision in the flesh. Made by hands, so he he calls to mind the fact that okay. You really you are Gentile that's that's a given fact that that's a that's a fact but what's going on right now is Almost the world is identifying or calling you something that God necessarily does not call.

How does the world generally decide the value of a person. Thank you. Well prestige. How else does the world perceive you?

Looks.

You know what they're how much in the news and stuff like that racial profiling. Whatever, but then again the attractive almost attract more positive attention. I know my time on the school board. I've become very aware.

There is something like 15 of the students in Mount Laurel between K and 8. That are are mentally disabled. And and they need to be handled Appropriately there are differentiations. There are differentiations.

It's not something we can get away fact. In fact When the world looks at us when the world looks at people We should not be surprised that these are the things that they use they use their own observation their own set of Rationale because we know in first Corinthians 2 14 and says that natural man can't even perceive things of God.

So there's no reason that we would expect the world To look at us any differently than by the exterior now. They sure they look at things. Are you a kind person? That kind of stuff, but it's still all very very Superficial Romans 8 5 you have that Carol.

So when we have in this case we have Jews who Unfortunately, we're probably talking at this context because of the diaspora. We're probably talking about Jewish believers. There's the ones that scattered the regular Jews who were not calling themselves Christians had no reason to leave home Occupation family behind there would have been Jewish believers that would have left and their household perhaps.

But but even amongst even amongst them there was this Tendency to look at people on the outside when People you made the world especially.

Are.

Perceiving things based on our own fleshly nature. Well, that's what we're going to see. We're going to see things that way. I just wanted to stop here and just briefly admit the fact that just because.

Just because a person has been born again this process that we looked at in Ephesians 2. With Ephesians 8 9 and 10 just because that happened does not mean that we are void of the Tendency of judging things by the flesh, but in this case he says remember you are Gentiles.

Remember that you have been called the uncircumcision by that which is the circumcision made in the flesh. That's probably hurtful to them. But here's the truth. It's true. What what these people have been accusing them it is in fact true now at one time.

Prior to the salvation prior to this process culminating in verses 8 9 and 10. They were without they were Alienated they were not.

In fact.

At that time they were not circumcised, but now they are. To what extent? Were the Jew Gentiles not circumcised, but now they are.

They weren't circumcised physically, but their heart was circumcised.

Exactly that's scriptural. Yeah, we have been circumcised in the heart now. They say that there are those who perceive you because they're circumcised in the flesh and you're not. But there there is another message in there that without Christ you are Uncircumcised with Christ you have the circumcision in the heart and that that nature is cut away.

First Corinthians 15 22. You see the the the Ephesian believers they do need to recognize that prior to their salvation. They were in Adam and they are dead now. It's different in Christ all have been made alive.

So there is the importance of them. Remembering that second Corinthians 5 17 tells us that we're a new man in Christ. All things have passed away. All things are made new. And so while at one time they could say this isn't right the Jewish believers Accusing us of being the uncircumcision because they're circumcised and are we all one in the same?

Well, yes we are. But also there's a second level that says don't forget. Don't forget that that is true. That's that's who you were. It does go on and in verse 12. Give me verse 12 again in Exodus 29.

So if you would get the Exodus 29 passage the Jeremiah 31 stand if you would get that and the Jeremiah 29 candy if you would have those ready, please give me verse 12 again.

Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world. That's a pretty tough list.

Yeah of reality, there's five things in there at least. They have no fellow they had at that time no fellowship with God. Now we the Jews worry, we're a special people and They still are Right. Now we're kind of in this parentheses called the church age, but the Jews definitely were a special the Exodus 29.

So do you have that please? This is the to this is to the nation in entirety. And it is a it's a promise that God gives. It does not seem to be at that time. Conditional that you're being obedient or not being obedient now.

We go we know we go to Deuteronomy the curses the blessings and the curses what would happen? But his presence with them I will be your God and in fact as Joshua's getting ready to take the nation into the promised land He tells them no one's going to stand against you because I will be with you.

Now in reality the people even at that point have not been the model of perfection around. You know in the relationship with God. But this was a promise God gave them is that I will be with you and no one can stand against you now again.

There's a little asterisk to that. We know what happens After Jericho when they go to fight AI what happened and AI the first battle of AI.

So.

That's the cause. What happened in AI first battle. You're right. What happened in the first battle of AI. They were defeated. They were clobbered. And there were many many reasons for it. One of them is that there was sin that hadn't been dealt with and another was a Joshua Decided to go in battle with AI without ever consulting the Lord.

He knew how to take care of it. So those those are all there, but you see the nation of Israel had this special special promise with God and that lasted until Things went so bad That the Shekinah glory left the temple left Jerusalem left the nation of Israel completely vulnerable and unprotected.

So.

But this is this is something that the nation of Israel had as a people fellowship with God that the Gentiles never had that and in fact.

When.

When the spies went to Jerusalem and met Rahab Rahab reported that the people's hearts melted with fear. Because they had heard how the Lord had fought for them on the other side of the river. So there is this there is this Difference between Gentile and Jew.

The Jew did have fellowship with God. The Gentiles did not at that time. In fact the Gentiles Did not have something that the Jews did and that's citizenship within a theocratic state. The one true God they never had that as Gentile Individuals did.

We do know that Rahab professed. We know that Ruth did we know that Nineveh did repent. So there are times where God does react to to a faith response by people. But the nation of Israel had this had this special blessing and in fact Genesis 12 God tells Abraham all of these promises the Abrahamic promise.

What was God going to do for Abraham?

Pastor. Give them a land bless them and those who bless Abraham and his people will be blessed. So the nation's blessed through that seed.

Now this is how it's really exciting. We'll talk about this at the end of the lesson. There were promises of Things that God was going to do for Abraham and for his his descendants. I will bless you, etc, etc.

But at the end of it verse 3 and all nations will be blessed through you. So there there there is an extension that's to be given. But but generally speaking the Abrahamic promise is something that the nation of Israel could stand on.

In fact, it was repeated over and over again over and over again and the promises of God being with him. Eventually the Prophet Jeremiah Expands this concept of a covenant promise. What do we have Stan in Jeremiah 31?

Time is coming declares the Lord When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers When I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt.

Because they broke my covenant though I was a husband to them declares the Lord. This is the covenant. I will make the house of Israel After that time declares the Lord. I will put my law in their mind and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will my man teach his neighbor or a man his brother saying know the Lord because they will All know me from the least of them to the greatest declares the Lord.

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Pastor when does this covenant come to fruition in the new covenant when Christ? Dies and rises from the dead in his blood his blood. Yeah, and and then a second fulfillment. In the eschaton. Yeah second fulfillment the eschaton.

It's interesting because in that particular prophetic Proclamation it's given to Israel under the house of Judah. All right. All right now we know that Gentiles are now grafted into the tree so we can claim this but here's the thing prior to being grafted into that tree Gentiles do not have even that promise.

Prior to being grafted into that tree. It says we have a true hope. We have knowledge of God. Jeremiah 29 11 candidate of that. The Jews have a promise and there's hope in that promise and again the Gentiles as a People don't have that.

Gentiles who do turn and are grafted and will have that hope. But at that time it says remember that you at that time were separated. And it goes on with this stuff without the privileges that God gives to his people Ephesians were desperately lost.

And you go back to verses 1 2 3 to see exactly how desperately lost People are. Now give me 13 Through 15 second Corinthians 5. John totally if you would have that. And Matthew 5 17 rich if you would have that ready.

Give me 13 to 15, please.

Ephesians 2 13 to 15. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh The dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of Commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two so making peace.

The word but often when you're in this.

Very bleak.

Passage and the word but is sent followed by just the amazing blessings that are that are made available. What we have in these few verses are the obstacles are removed and they're removed by the act of one on the cross.

Why was? the cross.

Necessary. So you actually brought out the two most important points. One is payment was needed.

My sins are an egregious offense to God and they had to be paid for and they're either going to be paid for For propitiation or we're going to pay for them for the rest of eternity. There's no escaping the payment for sin.

But you brought up the second point is that the cross was adequate for the propitiation of that sin. But now in Christ Jesus you who are sometimes far off are now brought by Brought near by the blood of Christ.

This is the this is the amazing thing removing the obstacle of verse 12. The horrible obstacles were so we're completely alienating an alien without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus. You who were far off are now bought now.

We were alienated. We are far away from God without him in the world, but now we're bought in by his flesh. It says he is our peace. He's broken down that dividing wall of hostility. Now on one side that dividing half wall of hostility can look like the Jews Finding themselves to be the privileged ones the Gentiles outside of the privilege and there's a dividing wall of hostility.

And to a large extent that's a true statement. Because the Jews needed to understand that there was no wall and the Gentiles needed to understand that they weren't being held back by any wall, but the real wall of hostility was between any man and God and So it's brought down by the blood of Christ.

He's our peace and then it says that he has abolished the law of commandments made in ordinances a Lot of things here a lot of obstacles to be talked about. The first one is that What I am and who I am as a sinner requires Restitution.

And in Galatians 2 20 is this profession that Paul says I am crucified with Christ. Yeah, nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me.

So having.

Blood of Christ having washed us clean. Having the process that Jeff went through the whole last week. There's nothing I can do to make this happen. I now have this new identity. I now have the Holy Spirit living within me.

It's no longer I who live that he who lives within me second Corinthians 5.

Yeah, can I first say you mentioned that you know Our sin is an offense to God and I've heard people say so conveniently that well I don't believe in sin, so I don't believe that I've offended God and I don't need to see.

Because I don't believe in sin.

Yeah, so I. If you want to get into a debate you're usually now you're talking to the atheist if you want to get into a debate on That you can go down the path of saying Are there are there laws in the municipality where you live?

And and it's hard to say there aren't the laws. Then you say well why? Well because there's a standard of behavior. There's a standard of behavior and if municipalities set up standards of behavior So that society can live with reason Why can't God set up standards of behavior?

Breaking those standards of behavior in the municipality is a misdemeanor or a felony. Well, it's it's sin. There's absolute truth and breaking that absolute truth is it said if you really want to get into a debate.

But I got news for you trying that argument isn't going to convince anybody so the Holy Spirit's going to do it. I know because I've tried it with my brother.

To grant me in 518 and 19. Yes. All this is from God who through Christ Reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is in Christ. God was Reconciliation was reconciling the world to himself not counting their trespasses against them and trusting to us the message of reconciliation.

The passage uses the word a few times. Reconciliation. Yeah, give me a definition of reconciliation.

Making friends of people who had become enemies. There you go. Okay, that's a great that's a good like mine a little better.

No, no, that's great. I was gonna say I know you've been involved in in marital counseling. Typically what you're seeking for in marital counseling is a reconciliation.

And that.

Kind of Suggests that there was a fracture of the relationship and and so some way there's a there's a Restoration of a common bond a common mind common set of goals. Well, the reality is that we are because of Our acceptance of Satan's lie that you can be like the Most High.

We're separated from God the only way to reconcile that is to say I cannot be like the Most High God and everything I've done has been wrong and The by the blood of Christ that that's our reconciliation.

These obstacles that are brought into our lives that that separate us from God They are removed and to the point where he is now our peace. And to have to have a relationship of Peace the mandates that neither side is.

Yes.

Yes.

And there goes the word of unless you are born again. There goes that phrase unless you are born again when when God in the sixth day He created a whole lot of stuff including including man. How did he perceive that creation?

No.

Very good on the first five days. It was good on the sixth day. It was very good. And when he described the discussion that goes on inside the Trinity, right. Let us make man in our own image. This has nothing to do with taking a snapshot and photoshopping it on.

It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with the attributes of God that can be imparted upon man.

But man.

Can spit it out. And so now one by one by one by one by one man has the opportunity To be reconciled to what we were conciled. So that we are now made right in our relationship with God. Does that work for you?

It's a beautiful picture of what you know. What happens at that point of salvation. Is it what was in the way can now be removed so that we can Now have this fellowship with God. That's not to say that we always live in fellowship with God.

But it's there but it's there it's there for us. He says that I came to abolish the law of commandments made in ordinances and rich. Give me Matthew 5 17.

I'm not.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, it says here in Ephesians that Jesus did not come to a limit. Then he came to abolish the law of the commands of Matthew. Jesus says I have not come to abolish the law. Yes, it does.

Here's what here's what is being abolished. The ordinances the way that man Believes the law can be kept that's abolished. The law is still there. In fact, Jesus says what's the first and greatest commandment?

Love the Lord your God all your heart your soul and your mind. Second is like it love your neighbor to self. And on these Hang all the laws. He never came to abolish them. But what he came to abolish was man's need to set up.

Limits.

Do's don'ts to be. Good enough to satisfy God. That's what he came to abolish. The law is still there, but you you just need to accept God and not have God except you. Those things that stood as obstacles between man and God are removed by.

Christ.

Jesus and by him alone. There's nothing any one of us can do to eliminate these obstacles. But the good news is that they are all eliminated by Christ Jesus. Give me verses 15 and 16, please and have a kick one.

We'll go back to you Carol if you would get that. We're starting to now we're okay. Second Corinthians 5 Bob if you would have that and Hebrews 10 Sue if you would have that and Romans now I can talk to the rest of them.

Go ahead.

So Ephesians 2 15 and 16 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two so making peace and Might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross.

Thereby killing the hostility. Oh, man, there is no there's there's no longer. You're a saved Jew. You're just a Gentile. None of that. None of that applies anymore. Through Christ through Christ He creates this one new man out of the two.

Out of the two so that he can he makes peace and he made it on the cross For us and the intent of that cross Was to reconcile us back to God. Killing killing that hostility. Have a kick one you've got that.

Just the first phrase of it.

Yeah.

Okay, that's enough. God's perfectly just and justified. Sin cannot come to him. Some kidnapped cannot be in his presence. When when Satan approaches the Lord every day And says did you see what John did yesterday?

He's right. He is right. I am a sinner.

But the.

And he is sitting at the right hand of the father saying please look at John through my blood. Please look at him through my blood because my blood washes that and my blood takes that sin and takes it as far as the East is from the West.

So his sin is not in your presence father. Because I paid for it and my blood paid for it. In fact that's 2nd Corinthians 5. Do you have that Bob?

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness.

Go ahead what do you got.

One says Wow. It's great, but it's a referral to Colossians 4 2 6 Matthew 5 48 just just that. The fact that.

And this.

One of the questions that people ask is why would God turn his face from? Christ Jesus why hast thou forsaken? Yeah, and it's because It was said and God can't look at he made Christ to be sin.

So there's the abandonment God forsook Jesus, yeah, there's a there's a term called imputation.

And.

The sin of Adam is imputed on us. Okay on the cross. My sin was imputed on the Lord. Was teaching a college class college and career class. And we were going over attributes of God and I was talking about the holiness of God and at the beginning of the class I said somebody give me a definition of the holiness of God and this one young man.

Raised his hand and he said when the father turned his face. From the son when he was on the cross. I said we're done. I can't teach anymore than that. Yeah. Here's here's an amazing thing because Christ's righteousness is imputed to us.

This does not say if I read this it does not say that I will become Capable of doing righteous acts. That's not what it says here. It says that I become righteous. So if I looked at my passport to go to heaven it says righteous.

That that's that's who we are from what we were. To what we are we are and we are actually become righteous. And so Hebrews 10 19 gives us this beautiful opportunity.

The Jews.

Were.

Terrified.

Of the very very presence of the holy place So much so that the high priest What did the how did he go into the holy of holies to do his ministry? With bells on his on the hem of his garment so that if they stopped hearing the bell jingling and And a rope around his ankle.

They couldn't go in to get him. They could pull him out. Could not go in without without the righteousness of it. The ark is falling off the cart. Was it taken?

Yeah, yeah.

After that is he was now aching he was dying anyway. Forget. Nothing can be done in God's presence, but but righteousness. We actually We actually have access to the holy of holies. It says in Mark 15 that the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

We now have access directly in Reconciled us to God in one body through the cross. That's what we have. Romans 10. Did I give you that did I give that to you? See it? No Romans 10. Yeah, Romans 10 12.

But there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. Same Lord.

All right.

There is no distinction between Jew or Greek the same Lord is the Lord over all who call on him. The beauty of this passage is the fact that although sin places a barrier and man cannot cross that barrier the Cross restores that access that we have takes away all the barriers through the blood of Christ.

Give me a verse 17, please.

And he came and preached peace to you who are far off and peace to those who were near.

This is also kind of interesting because he got he got a look at that scripture as it says, you know in Luke 4 Jesus says I must go to the cities and preach the peace of the kingdom of God and where is it?

He says he goes to the synagogues. He goes to the city to the cities to the Jews and preaches in the synagogues. And in Matthew 10 He takes the 12 and sends them out and this time when he sends them out He says don't go to the Gentiles or to the Samaritans.

And at that time the Word of God was being given to the Jews Uniquely to call the Jews to him First 2nd Peter 3 9. He says I wish that none would perish but that all would come. Acts 17 says God declares to men all everywhere to repent.

And then acts 2.

Has a.

Transfer of exact words from Joel 2 and it basically says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

It's no longer.

Only the Jews who get the message it's all of humanity that gets the message. Candy would you give me acts 1 verse 8? It's not on the list. I get acts 1 verse 8, please and I want you to note the sequence of this command.

You know that sequence from Jerusalem to Judea.

Jews.

And that's even to Samaria Hated people and to the uttermost parts of the world this gospel message. The Evangelion is now going to be given not just to the Jews But to everybody. I want you to understand that this section here this passage is such a Teaching on the fulfillment the promises that our faithful God gave us.

John did totally. I'm gonna ask you to have Romans 116 ready, please. Genesis 12 we talked about. God gave a promise to Abraham that he would be a great person his offspring would be as the sands of the sea.

It also said that all nations will be blessed through you. Now listen to the power of Romans 116.

It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes first.

It does say to the Jew first and when Jesus came he would preach to the synagogues. And he would send his folks to the to the Jews. And in fact when Paul would go on his missionary journeys He would start out in the synagogues.