We will begin with Ephesians 2:11-16.
This is what I want you to notice in this reading. You have two very different groups of people Paul acknowledged. The first group was the Jews who were God's "called out people" for over 1400 years. For 1400 years they received God's scripture. In fact, this scripture was written to them. For 1400 years they heard God's prophets. The prophets were God's voice to them. For l400 years they have had specific forms, specific ways of doing things. Those forms included everything from the way they worshipped to the way the treated each other.
The second group, known to Jews as Gentiles, were all people who were not Jews. God did not write any scripture to these people. All the known prophets from scripture were Jewish prophets. These people who were not Jews had a different set of gods, a different set of forms, differences in the way they worshipped, and differences in the way they treated each other [morality codes].
The problem: most Jews who were Christians adamantly declared that people who were not Jews and became Christians had to do things their way. If religiously people who were not Jews did not do things their way, then God could not possibly accept them as His people.
As we read, this is what I want you to notice.
Read with me as we look at Ephesians 2:11-16.
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh,
who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in
the flesh by human hands--remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,
excluded 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 formerly
were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our
peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in
ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus
establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the
cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Did you notice what Paul said to the Christians at Ephesus?
The second statement from Paul I want you to notice is found in this same letter to the Christians at Ephesus. It is found in Ephesians 4:20-24.
In this statement Paul focused their attention on God's goal in all of them. Not their goal, but God's goal! One of the reasons they had problems as Christians accepting each other was caused by this: they substituted their goals for God's goal.
As we read this statement, ask yourself one question: "What was God's goal?" As we read together, ask that question, and see if you hear Paul's answer.
Ephesians 4:20-24 But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
In Paul's statement to the Christians at Ephesus, what was God's goal? God's goal is to create again or anew any and every person who comes to Him through Jesus Christ. If a person is in Christ, God's goal to is recreate that man or woman. Instead of being the person he or she was, he or she will become a new, recreated self. And how will it be visibly evident that this person has been recreated? By God's standards, he or he is committed to being a righteous person dedicated to holiness.
May we be only God's people who are concerned with God's goal, not our preferences. May the goal be to be spiritual, to be the recreated people of God dedicated to righteousness and holiness. And may we respect and encourage each other as we pursue that goal.
A Worship Worksheet July 6, 2003 In the reading from Ephesians 2 there are two very different groups of people. One is the ____________. The other is the _________________. These two groups had real ________________ accepting each other. Paul wanted them to understand that God did not care if they were Jews or gentiles as long as they lived in ______________. The problem was a _______________ problem. Notice what Paul said to the Christians at Ephesus: The problem you have in ___________ to differences is your problem, not God's and what you consider a problem God considers an accomplished ____________ in Jesus Christ. In the second reading from Ephesians 4 Paul focuses their attention on God's goal in _______ of ___________.
From this reading what do we learn of God's goal?
Since Jesus died and was resurrected long ago, what is God's goal in your life and mine?
We are all _______________. No two people in our gathering __________ on everything. A hard lesson to accept is that a congregation would not be healthy if everyone is like ______. The various learning methods people use include: _________________________, ___________________________, _________________________________, _____________________________________. God invested ________________ of years in creating the nation of Israel in order to send Jesus. When the nation _______________ God did not give up. We should be concerned with God's goal, not our __________________. provided by Gary Brown |
Link to next sermon
Link to other Writings of David Chadwell