Ephesians 2:11-22
A Body & A Building
INTRO: Have you ever noticed how
many fitness magazines there are in publication? Shape; New body; muscles; body building; runner; jogging; men's
health; men's fitness - go on & on
A.)This time of the year they are giving their remedies on how to get
into shape. interesting titles/101 ways
- to live smarter; look younger;
B) The best 20 min workouts I loved this one {a Healthy Person's guide to pizza }
C) Looking at a mag rack at
your local super market reveals we are
a culture obsessed with image
1.) You see it in commercials & ads - that suggest you can have a
new body! You can
Build a new you
D) People spend a lot of time; hard work & even money to achieve
that status!
1) People can do a lot to make themselves feel and look better physically - but can't make a new you! Real You in who are
on inside
2) can't do anything in our strength to change
ourselves spiritually - no
routine - no program / Only God can make
a new man!
We saw in our last study a few wks ago how we were dead in
sin! MESS / V. 4 - BUT GOD !!!! Made
us alive! Saved by Grace
A.) Then in v.10 Paul revealed to us a wonderful truth - we are Gods
workmanship - work of art- HIS MASTERPIECE !!!!
B.) People look at us - say - you a work of art? We can say You Should have seen us before! God has done a work - /
doing a work
C.) As we move into v.11 - Paul
moves from individual analogy to the collective
analogy - Christ has made a Whole New
Body of believers v.11-12
Prior to Christ's death and resurrection there were 2
groups of people: Jews and Gentiles
A.)The Jews were God's chosen people; promise to Abraham build a great
nation/ From nation come Messiah - Savior of world
B.) Given mark of circumcision - signified separated unto God
1.) They were given special covenants - agreements Between God
&them.
They were given the
Law
C.) Why
did God choose and bless Israel? Deut 7:6 .. "For you are a holy people to the LORD
your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a
special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. "The LORD did not set His love on you
nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you
were the least of all peoples;
D.) Not because They were big and mighty but small barren and weak & because He
loved Them{ He would do a great work thru a weak vessel
1) It would be a testimony
of God's grace and faithfulness and power!
So on one hand you had Jews - God's chosen people - on other
hand Gentiles - everyone else
A.)In v.11,12 - Gentiles are described as being without Christ;
w/out
citizenship; without covenant; without hope!
B)Historians testify that a big cloud of
hopelessness covered the ancient world
1) Philosophies were empty;
traditions were disappearing; religions were
powerless to help men
face either life OR death
Hopeless!!!
C) Paul identifies the real reason
in v.12 They
were w/out God!
Separated by sin
D.) Same is true today: For man
who doesn't know God!
1) Here tonight Dont know
Christ That is You!!!
So Collectively that was our Place/ But then in V.13 We are
given a Blessed interruption: V.13 - parallels v.4 - But God! READ V.13-18
A.) Jesus brings hope! He made
peace: He broke down the wall First between Man & God
B) V. 15 He broke down the enmity that is the law of commandments
1) That is what Separated Jew & Gentile unlike from God was our
Inability to Keep the commandments
C) He met those requirements perfectly then Died for our failures
Col 2:13-15
He has made alive
together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,14 having wiped out
the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross.15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He
made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
D) Picture of Disarmed public spectacle
1) v.18 Now in Christ Both
Groups would have Access to the Father !!!
So First God fixed the enmity
that was between man and Himself and then he fixed the separation between Jews
& Gentiles
A) Gentiles and Jews
didn't like each other: God set apart
the Jews
to be a help and
blessing to Gentiles
B) Original plan in promise to Abraham - Jews would
be channel of
revelation of His goodness to other
nations
C.) Jews instead of seeking to help Gentiles - disdained them
-looked down on them ( watch church
doesn't do same)
1.) Rabbis taught - Gentiles good one thing: "Fuel fires
of hell"
D.)In Herod's temple there was a wall that separated the court of Gentiles from rest of temple!
E) Archeologists - plaque inscription: "No foreigner
may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure.
Anyone caught doing so will be punished
by death!"
So there was this heavy hatred between the two classes they
avoided each other and wouldn't help each other!
A.) If a Gentile was dying or giving birth a Jew wouldn't help
because - Gentile was unclean!
B.) But now Paul says v.14 Jesus is our peace -He has broken down wall/ No Race / No color differences /
1) From the two groups the Lord was going to make ONE NEW MAN !!!
Now Paul uses this analogy in His writings a lot idea of
seeing the church as Christ's body
A.) "One body, many
members and functions in Romans.
Diff gifts in Eph 4 / 1 Cor 12 ; 14
B) All the members are equally important & necessary all have a function!
1.) human body
- eyes; toes; feet; hands All important have a function
C) The same is true of the Body of Christ Many members not all
alike different functions but all equally important !!!
D) A human body is complete at Birth that Child has everything it
needs to function as a healthy normal productive human being
1) All that is needed is for growth & maturity to take place
!!!
E) THE SAME IS TRUE SPIRITUALLY -
You have all you need available in Christ Just need to grow &
mature !!!!
Now Paul closes out this section with another
analogy of our oneness not just a Body but we are a Building Rd v. 19-22
In Matt 16 Jesus asked "Who do men say that I am?"
A) Several different opinions:
John B, Elijah; Jeremiah; one of prophets
1.) Who do you say? "You are Christ, the son ... God"
B.) V. 17,18"Blessed are
you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My
Father who is in heaven. "And I also say to you that you are Peter,
(Petros Little stone )and on this rock ( Petra
Huge Rock) I will build My
church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
C) The Foundation of the Church is based upon the teachings of the
Prophets and the Apostles ABOUT CHRIST
1) The prophets pointed ahead to that rock -
Is 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold,
I lay in Zion a stone for a
foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever
believes will not .......Shame
D.) I like Deut 32:31 - Their rock is to like our rock!
1) Two kids comparing / Pulls out shinny stone / other a Pts to a Mt.
E.) Rocks of this world can
look shiny and new - fancy, but no comparison
to our Rock!
The prophets looked ahead - the Apostles looked back!
A) PAUL 1 Cor 10:3-5 all ate the same spiritual food,4 and all drank the same
spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and
that Rock was Christ.
NKJV
B) PETER : 1 Peter 2:6-8 "Behold, I
lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect,
precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who
believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders
rejected Has become the chief
cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling - And a rock of
offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also
were appointed.
Notice: Jesus is referred to as the Cornerstone
A.)This was the most important stone in the building. From the cornerstone the whole building WAS joined
together
1) If YOU removed it would all fall apart!
B.) Catch the significance of this: Jesus is
not only the foundation, the rock upon
which the church is built
1.) House is only as good as it's foundation!
C.) But He is also the chief
cornerstone - he holds us all together!
D.) Important
because if we remove Christ from being the focus of our lives; our
church - it crumbles
E) If we begin to get caught up
in programs and principles instead of
a person - we our lives /
church - doomed to failure
1) If we focus on each other TROUBLE FLAWS imperfections
F) Our
goal is to point to Jesus! Stand on Jesus! Worship and exalt Jesus! share the gospel of Jesus .. crucified
In Matthew 7:24-27 - Jesus told the story of two men built
houses
A) one man - (foolish man) built on sand. - Jesus says whoever hears my words - doesn't follow - men on
sand!
B) The person Hears the truth - but ignores - follows philosophies of
the world! Live for self
C) Jesus said - that foundation is sand!
Storms come and waves crash - that
house falters!
D) But The wise man builds on the rock - hears word and follow. Rock is
Christ - storms still come - stands - why?
1.)
built on the
Rock!
YOUR LIFE TONIGHT
As we
prepare our hearts to approach the Communion table
A) Lets remember as we do that we are RE
AFFIRMING OUR
ONENESS
B) Realizing we are one here at the CROSS ONE NEW MAN
1) One Body - One in the sense of being equal
NO ONE BETTER
than anyone else Sinners who needed a
Savior
But as we
come to the table lets also Exalt our ROCK
A) Our Rock is not like their Rock
B) Our Rock is Precious
to us
C) IN Christ our Rock that our Stability is
Found
But as we
come to the table tonight also a time to Consider :
A) Is Christ Precious to me or is he a Rock of offense a stumbling block that
I keep stumbling over ?
B) What is my life
built upon tonight
1) Sand
Ignoring Gods word or Rock because I
have embraced Gods word