July 2, 2017
Morning Service

Last week we looked at the saving grace that God offers to all of us.  His unmerited favor has created a plan of salvation that comes to us as a gift to be received.  We cannot earn or in any way pay for it; Jesus paid for it in full upon the cross.  It is in Him and through Him that we are offered forgiveness of sins and a personal relationship with our Creator.  We also found that we were created with a purpose in mind.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

·         Workmanship was also translated as His masterpiece.  He created us just as we are with a purpose in mind.  There is a part in His plan that includes us.  We are created to good works.  Jesus will use us to serve, help and love others.  That thought is expanded upon in today’s lesson.

·         Paul now begins an explanation of the oneness God’s grace has created among all His followers.  This is in response to one of the biggest issues he has had to deal with in his ministry; blending Jewish and Gentile believers into the unity of the faith.

Ephesians 2:11-12  Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;  (12)  and that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

·         The OT way to salvation was an exclusive one.  You had to be of Jewish descent to even be considered to try to keep the Law God had given Moses.  All others (Gentiles) were alienated from God without His promises, hope or even knowledge of Him in their lives.  The Jews took this seriously and treated all Gentiles like infidels always keeping themselves separated from them.

·         This is a shadow of what today we would call someone who is lost.  They do not know God nor enjoy His blessing, comfort, or promises.  The difference is they do have hope.  There is a hope that they will one day call upon the Lord and accept that free gift of salvation.  If you have family or friends who are lost, don’t give up.  They may be without God at this time, but He is standing at the door with the light on waiting for them to come home.  He does that because the price for their sins has already been paid.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who were once afar off are made near by the blood of Christ.

·         This is in short the good news of the gospel message.  The sins of the world were paid for in full by the blood of Christ and now we are all able to be included into God’s family.  It is now “whosoever will” call on the name of the Lord shall be saved; everyone is welcome and no one is excluded.  All of this is possible because Jesus’ faithfulness to His calling.  He made all things new.

Ephesians 2:14-16  For He is our peace, He making us both one, and He has broken down the middle wall of partition between us,  (15)  having abolished in His flesh the enmity (the Law of commandments contained in ordinances) so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, making peace between them;  (16)  and so that He might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity in Himself.

·         Jesus’ blood has now brought peace and unity to all believers.  There are no longer walls that separate different races and all stand before God on level ground.  It is shame that we had to turn around and again build walls of denominations to separate us.  Imagine what the Church of Mitchell would look like if we were all united together as one group of believers.  I do see even some of those barriers coming down as well.

·         This separation between the Jews and Gentiles was one of the biggest challenges the early church faced.  The Jews wanted to hold onto the OT traditions so strongly that it caused division within the church. Imagine how hard it would be for the Jews to be taught their whole lives to be separate from and now they were asked to be in unity with the Gentiles. It was addressed at the first council meeting of the church leaders in Acts 15 and should have been put to rest there but wasn’t.  Today we should be a champion for unity within the church to preach, teach and follow the scriptures given to us by God.

 

 Ephesians 2:17-19  And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to those who were near.  (18)  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.  (19)  Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

·         It is through Jesus that we all have access to God through the same Spirit.  Why if we all are accessing God the same way do we look to separate ourselves from other believers?  We are all members of the same big family of God.  Do we agree on every aspect of scripture?  Certainly not, but if we agree on the foundation principles shouldn’t we be able to worship and serve God together?

 

Ephesians 2:20-22  and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,  (21)  in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord;  (22)  in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.

·         Jesus is the key building block to our foundation; the chief cornerstone.  He handed the authority over to the apostles who then, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, completed the foundation of what we now call Christianity.  The apostles then established churches and handed the authority over to their leadership.  Our foundation is solid, built upon the Rock, and does not change from generation to generation but remains constant.  The church is to being built upon that unchanging foundation; and remembers you are the church.

·         You are a brick in the wall of God’s church.  Alone we have very little impact, but placed masterfully in a unique position within the body of Christ we are all essential to the stability of the church.  We are better together.  We all have gifts and talents and when we blend them together into one (unity) it creates something great.  With Jesus as the head of the church and willing vessels as His tools, there is no limit to what can be done.  He created us with these good works in mind.  Let’s quit being just “fans” of God and become a “player” for Him.  

·         We as Christ’s body are to follow His lead and be a shining example of what love really looks like.  If the world sees discontent and strife in the church, why would they want to come?  We all need to be unified in our goal to fulfill our part in making God’s church a lighthouse for those who are lost.  

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessings of being part of Your family and church and may each of us play our part to the best of our ability to bring You glory.