Categories
Writings on Christianity

Eph 2:11-22 Sermon: “How to Get Along!”

Back in 2013 I preached a sermon in Chicago on Eph 2:11-22 “How to Get Along.” Here’s my notes:

Eph 2:11-22 “How to Get Along”

Intro: We live in a world where people do not get along.  Some even hate each other.

Playful rivalry: Mac users and PC users, cubs and white sox fans, democrats and republicans;

Serious hostility: religious extremists blowing up bombs, different nations putting individuals to death, inner city gangs spraying their bullets in the streets. 

Hostility during biblical times:  Jews and non-Jews (hatred, slander, violence, oppression)

Eph  2:11-22: astonishing work of reconciliation, as God reconciles sinful humanity to Himself and people groups who hate each other.  

Relevant today:  God continues restore us to Himself and ‘seemingly irreconcilable groups’ to each other.  

In Christ, we are empowered to have true unity with others and experience real fellowship with God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Context of 2:11-22: Paul is writing a letter to help Christians in the city of Ephesus live out their faith and understand their new identity in Christ.  2:11-22 builds on 2:10—We as Christians are God’s ‘workmanship’ by grace through faith in Christ.  Now Paul unpacks this workmanship: it is a new humanity made up of Jews and Gentiles, united together by the Spirit as one people, household and temple of God. 

Structure of 2:11-22: The passage can be broken down into three main sections: (1) v. 11-12 is a reminder to the Gentiles of their former alienation from God and from the people of God; (2) v 13-18 is a description of how Jesus reconciled Gentile believers to God and made them into the people of God along with the believing Jews;  (3) v 19-22 recaps the earlier sections and elaborates on the new identity.

1. We Do Not Get Along (11-12)

                a. Ephesian Gentiles “Remember”  “Uncircumcision”

                                1. With the people of God (Titus 3:3) “separated…strangers…alienated”

                                2. With God Himself “No hope or God”

                b. Usà OUR STATE TOO OUTSIDE OF CHRIST

                                1. With each other

                                2. With God

                c. True Problem: Sin—Separates us from God, each other, self, nature  

2. How to Get Along (13-18)

                a. Through the PERSON of Christ: “in Christ…by blood Christ” v. 13, “one body through the cross” v. 16

                b. Through the RECONCILING WORK of Christ

                                1. PEACE with fellow man: “peace…dividing wall of hostility…law of commandments” v13-15

2:14- Gentiles could not enter the temple enclosure in Jerusalem.  This large paved area surrounding the temple and its inner courts was itself enclosed by a double colonnade of pillars standing 37 feet high.  Gentiles were not allowed access to the inner courts or the temple… there have been found stone slabs on the wall which read “No foreigner is to enter within the forecourt and the balustrade around the sanctuary.  Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death”  … Paul’s language appear to make allusion to this barrier—a symbol of the alienation of Gentiles from the Jewish people, from citizenship in Israel, from the promises of the covenants, and from access to the one true God. … while the physical balustrade at the temple still stood, the fence prohibiting direct access to God was destroyed.

                                2. PEACE with God: “reconcile” v16, “preached peace” access in one Spirit to Father” v 18

TRINITY!!!

                c. Through the CREATIVE WORK of Christ: “one new man” v. 16 (Gal 3:28)

d. SOLUTION:

NOT:  

With God: Good works, trying hard, more sacrifices.

With others: Uniting on secondary issues, or a delusion ecumenical unity with other religions (pretending your united for the sake of unity).

ONLY:

The gospel.  Reconcile us with God and Man.

3. How to Keep Getting Along (19-22)

                a. Live out New identity

                                1. Fellow Citizens v 19—stronger than citizenship of Rome: People of Israel

                                2. Joint Members of God’s Household v19—closer than bonds of blood/family (God is Father)

                                3. Temple of God v20-22 “Christ is foundation…built on apostles and prophets…By Spirit”

TRINITY!!!

                                                a. Not a physical building BUT

PLACE WHERE: God’s Presence, Glory, Wisdom, Pleasing Worship

                                                b. Where knowledge of the glory of God and His Redeeming work goes forth in Christ.

                                                                1. OT Temple was supposed spread God’s word

                                                                2. Great Commission, NT temple spreads in the world

GLORIOUS REALITY

GLORY OF GOSPEL-UNITY VERSUS GLORY OF A SUBSTITUTE UNITY

BEAUTIFUL, TRUE UNITY IN CHRIST                                UGLY, DELUSION UNITY OUTSIDE OF CHRIST

1. Every race joined together, filled with hope and joy, worshipping the one true God. 2. Pure glory cascading throughout the world, spreading the knowledge of our Triune God 3. Beautiful (objectively and in reality) 4. Healed hearts, made alive by the Holy Spirit 5. Invisible but ontologically real1. Profane and delusion unity based on causes that will ultimately pass away. 2. Tainted, selfish, vain glory creating division and enmity wherever it spreads 3. False Beauty, ugly in reality 4. Hurts suppressed, false self of renewal 5. Visible, but only superficially uniting

Implications:

1. Recognize the idols and sins which are hindering your unity (WHY WE DON’T GET ALONG)  and Repent:

Common enemies of unity in the church:

1. Sin. Jealousy (coveting what is not mine), Insecurity (not being satisfied in who God made me, or trusting in His goodness), Pride, Selfish agenda, Gossip, slander, adultery (in the heart or in actions), lying, stealing, and any sin which is practiced and not repented of will rip apart a Christian community.

2. Lack of forgiveness. Holding a grudge and not letting go of past hurts prevents us reaching out and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.

3. Prioritizing secondary issues. Trumpeting your hobbies, interests , home business,  secondary theological issues, political viewpoints, financial opinions or other value outside of the gospel, will lead to smug, divisive attitudes and prideful, separated hearts. 

4. Racism. Thinking negatively about those with a different skin type or culture will breed hostility and evil dissensions.

5. Ageism. Believing that young people are naïve, old people are out of touch, or middle age people are too concerned with their families, will sprout the seeds of schism and division.

6. Social/economic snobbery. Judging and putting down others who are poor or rich, stylish or behind the times will kill unity in the church.

7. Intellectual/anti-intellectual elitism.  Looking down on those who are poorly educated or on those who are smarter than you will distance individuals from sharing their thoughts with each other and creatively working together. 

2. Believe the gospel and let it kill the hostility you have with others (HOW TO GET ALONG):

The Gospel Kills Hostility and Creates Unity in the Church:

1. Jesus dealt with our SIN:jealousy, coveting, pride, selfishness, idolatry, slandering, lying, stealing, adultery.

2. Jesus provides forgiveness.  As we have been forgiven, we forgive.

3. Jesus shows us what must be our first priority. ‘We preach Christ alone!’

4. Jesus kills the hostility of racism.  Every tribe and tongue

5. Jesus died for people of every age. 

6. Jesus died for the poor and the rich

7. Jesus died for the ignorant and wise. 

c. Embrace your REAL new identity and live out the unity which you ought to have:

NOT: Let’s be united with each other and then we’ll really be the people of God

YES: We are a new creation in Christ, united to Him and each other through his death and resurrection and through the Holy Spirit.  This is who we truly are, so let’s live this way.

BONHOEFFER:Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.  The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it.”Bonhoeffer Life Together p30

By Tom Schmidt

Christian, husband of Rach, Church Planter,musician,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *