Walk It Out
Ephesians 5:1-21
Walk It Out
Ephesians 5:1-21
Main Idea: In Christ, we imitate God by walking in love, light, and wisdom.
I. Walk in Love (5:1-2)
a. Imitate the love of the Father (1)
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1)
“ In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)
b. Imitate the love of the Son (2)
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)
“but God shows (demonstrates) his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)
II. Walk in Light (5:3-14)
8 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Eph 5:8)
a. Sex, Greed, Speech (5:3-5)
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:3-5)
"With some (Christians) the last part of their nature that ever gets sanctified is their pockets." ~ Charles Spurgeon
5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; (Ephesians 5:5–7)
“18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
b. Goodness, Righteousness, Truth (5:9-10)
9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:9–10)
c. Expose and Transform (5:11-14)
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
(Ephesians 5:11–14)
III. Walk in Wisdom (5:15-21)
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:15–21)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
New Life in Christ
Ephesians 4:17-32
New Life in Christ
Ephesians 4:17-32
Main Idea: Our new life in Christ empowers us to live in a transformed way.
I. A New Identity (4:17-24)
The “once… but now” pattern of Ephesians shows up again here. Paul urges the church to no longer walk as the ‘Gentiles’ (speaking morally, not ethnically) do. He compares their old and new selves:
1. The Old Self (4:17-19)
Their mind was futile and darkened, their hearts were hardened and callous, and their actions were impure, immoral, and insatiable. The totality of who they were (head, heart, and hands) was ‘alienated from the life of God.’
2. The New Self (4:20-24)
Paul reminds these Gentiles that they have been taken to the “school of Christ” (4:20-21), where they have learned him, heard him, and taught him who is himself the truth. Because of Christ, we have a new way of thinking, a new way of responding, and new behaviors.
“If a man becomes Christ’s disciple by conversion, he must remain Christ’s disciple, throughout the rest of his life, by sitting at his Master’s feet, and receiving instruction from him; for it is only as we are taught of God that we shall be able to keep up the high spiritual distinction between ourselves and the rest of mankind. We are under the tutorship of the Holy Spirit; he has taken us into his school; he has taught us something already, he is teaching us more now, and he will keep on teaching us more and more till we shall know even as we are known.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
Just as we get dressed and put on clothes each day, we are to “put off the old self” and “put on the new self,” which is Christ himself (Rom. 13:14, Col. 3:9-10, Gal. 3:27). This putting off of the old and putting on of the new has already happened decisively at salvation, and we now live out this new reality daily.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
The bridge between this “putting off” and “putting on” is to “be renewed” in the present. This is the work of the Spirit who is conforming us into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). This is the sanctification process of the Christian life, where we become functionally who we already are positionally in Christ.
II. A New Way of Living (4:25-32)
Paul now practically applies this new identity to a new way of living, marked by ongoing repentance, faith, and gospel transformation. “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.” ~ Martin Luther
This new way of living is described in the same pattern in these verses:
Repentance (negative: stop doing this…)
Faith (positive: instead, do this…)
Theological / gospel motivation
1. Truth-telling (4:25)
Repentance: Put away all falsehood
Faith: Speak the truth with our neighbor
Theological: We are members of one another; the body is strengthened and united by truth, not falsehood (Eph. 4:15-16)
2. Anger (4:26-27)
Repentance: Turn from unrighteous anger
Faith: Live with righteous anger
Theological: Do not give an opportunity to the devil, who is the Father of lies and a murderer from the beginning (Jn. 8:44)
3. Work (4:28)
Repentance: No longer steal or work dishonestly
Faith: Work hard and honestly
Theological: We work hard in order that we might be generous toward those who are in need
4. Speech (4:29-30)
Repentance: No more corrupting speech (cf. ‘rotten fruit of Mt. 7:17-18)
Faith: Edifying speech for building up, full of grace
Theological: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, who has sealed us and is transforming us from the inside-out
Luke 6:45: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
5. Attitudes (4:31-32)
Repentance: Bitterness, wrath, (unrighteous) anger, clamar, slander, and malice must be put away
Faith: Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to one another
Theological: Christ has forgiven us and acted toward us in this very way
When we realize that Christ has treated us in all of these ways out of his grace, kindness, and mercy, we begin to realize the power to change and be transformed. The gospel does not call us to a list of moralistic activities, but to a new life and a new way of living marked by Christ himself (5:1-2).
The Resurrection of Christ | Easter
John 20: 1-18
The Resurrection of Christ
John 20:1-18
Main Idea: The resurrection of Christ means the curse is reversed and we have hope.
I. The Tomb is Empty (20:1-10)
Sunday morning begins with Mary Magdalene going to the tomb early in the morning while it is still dark on the “first day of the week.” John presents the resurrection as being the beginning of a new creation, with the “darkness” being pushed back by a glorious light.
Mary is presumably traveling to the tomb to mourn the death of Christ. Despite Jesus’ predictions that he would be raised, no one is expecting or looking for a resurrection. This did not fit into either the Jewish or the Greco-Roman worldview. Mary assumes a grave robbery has occurred.
As Peter and John show up at the tomb, they realize the burial linen cloths and the face cloth are both neatly folded up. Peter and John begin to “theorize” what has happened, and John himself “believes” as he steps foot in this empty tomb.
Acts 2:24: God raised him [Jesus] up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Isaiah 25:7–8: And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
Though they do not realize it yet, Christ “must rise from the dead.” Everything hinges upon the resurrection, and the empty tomb is an invitation for us. “The reason the stone was rolled away on Jesus's tomb was not so that Jesus could get out, but so that we could get in.” ~ Tim Keller
“The truest fact of the universe is an empty tomb. The Resurrection is the only evidence that love triumphs over death, weakness prevails over strength, and beauty outlives ashes. If Jesus is risen in actual history, with all the palpability of flesh, fingers, bone, and blood, there is hope that our mourning will be comforted, and that death will not have the final word.”
~ Tish Harrison Warren
II. The Curse is Reversed (20:11-18)
This resurrection encounter shows us that the curse of sin and its impact on the world is being rolled back. We see this in three categories:
The Setting: Jesus is buried in a “garden tomb” (19:41); gardens have great significance in the Scriptures from the Garden of Eden all the way to the “Garden-City” of the New Heavens and the New Earth (Rev. 21-22)
The People
Angels: In the Garden of Eden, angels were placed by the Lord to prevent anyone from entering & accessing (Gen. 3:24); in this garden, the angels are welcoming Mary into the empty tomb
“The Gardener”
“Mary’s intuitive guess, that he must be the gardener, was wrong at one level and right, deeply right, at another. This is the new creation. Jesus is the beginning of it. Here he is: the new Adam, the gardener, charged with bringing the chaos of God’s creation into new order, into flower, into fruitfulness. He has come to uproot the thorns and thistles and replace them with blossoms and harvests.”
~ N.T. Wright
Mary:
Unlike Adam and Eve who hide from the presence of the Lord and his call in Genesis 3, Mary’s eyes are opened and her faith is ignited as the “Good Shepherd” calls her name. John 10:27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Eve is deceived in a garden by the serpent, and sin enters the world and spreads to all of creation. Mary, who had felt the full weight of the serpent’s schemes (cf. Lk. 8:2), is the first to encounter the risen Christ in a garden, and is commissioned to announce the gospel that will spread to all of creation.
3. The Message
Jesus did not want Mary to “cling” to him because his presence was going to come to be with them in the Holy Spirit. Christ’s followers would have an even greater intimacy and relationship with him through the indwelling Spirit, our great “Helper” (Jn. 16:7).
The alienation of the Garden of Eden between humans and God and humans with one another has now been solved because of the finished work of Christ: “go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
All of humanity is living in one of two story lines: we either walk out of a garden into a tomb, or we walk out of a tomb into a garden. By God’s grace and in the power of Christ’s resurrection, we are being invited to new life and into a “living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3).
The Cross of Christ | Good Friday
John 19:16b-37
The Cross of Christ
John 19:16b-37
Luke 9:23-24: And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
I. A Forsaken King (19:16b-22)
It was customary for the charge against the crucified one to be displayed above them. For Christ: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The haunting, divine irony of the situation is that they are indeed crucifying the true King of all kings. Pilate’s stubbornness communicates this truth in three different languages, symbolic for the universal, world-wide reign of Christ.
“The Crucified One is the true king, the kingliest king of all; because it is He who is stretched on the cross, He turns an obscene instrument of torture into a throne of glory and reigns from the tree.” ~ F.F. Bruce
II. A Forceful Shame (19:23-24)
Though the physical pain of crucifixion would have been unthinkable, the emphasis in the gospel accounts is on the shame, disgrace, and forsakenness of the cross. Jesus’ death was a “curse-bearing” death:
His nakedness echos the nakedness of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:7)
He is mockingly given a crown of thorns (Gen. 3:18)
Jewish Law stated that everyone who was “hanged on a tree” was cursed by God (Deut. 21:22-23)
John indicates that there is more going on than we might realize in this scene; he sees the fulfillment of Psalm 22, which Jesus directly quotes in other gospel accounts. The Holy Spirit spoke through David in this Psalm to transcend his own experience and point us to the cross of Christ.
III. A Family Crisis (19:25-27)
Mary’s presence at the cross is a fulfillment of Simeon’s words in Luke 2:34-35 and a reminder of the faithfulness of God from Psalm 22:9-11.
“Even as Jesus’ disciples fled from him in shame, he could cite Psalm 22 while looking out from the cross at his mother. In the moment of his greatest desolation, Jesus could see the invisible outline of God’s mercy and presence there in the one whom, in his human nature, he learned to trust a fathering, nurturing God. He learned that from his mother. And there she stood.” ~ Russell Moore
John (the beloved disciple) is also there with Mary, even though he does not yet believe or understand. Jesus gives them to one another in this moment and this “adoption” is the beginning of the church, a new family joined together by the blood of the cross.
IV. A Finished Work (19:28-30)
John does not present Jesus as a helpless victim who is powerless on the cross; Jesus knows that a greater story is being written. His physical “thirst” (Ps. 22:15; Ps. 69:21) is part of the larger story of God’s plan for redemption that has led to this climactic moment.
Jesus’ cry of “it is finished” is not a cry of defeat or a comment on his impending death. It is a phrase meaning “mission accomplished” and the completion of a task. His death was the fulfillment of his introduction as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, 1 Cor. 5:7)
“Jesus is not on the cross by mistake… The crucifixion was not just an unfortunate thing that happened to Jesus on his way to the resurrection. It is not a momentary blip on the arc of his ascent to the Father. It is precisely on the cross that the work of Jesus is carried through to its completion.” ~ Fleming Rutledge
V. A Fulfilled Promise (19:31-37)
The ‘blood and the water’ from Jesus’ side was to show that he really was dead. But even in the aftermath of this horrific scene, John reminds us of the faithfulness of God. His faithfulness and his promises were still true even at the place of the skull.
“The lack of broken bones there at the cross was a sign to Jesus that whatever happened could not go any further than God’s purposes, and that God’s purposes were good… God might seem absent at the cross, but he was not. He was there providentially ruling, even through the most wicked actions imaginable… Jesus could count all his bones because of the mystery of God’s providence, which works behind, and through, even the most awful things that happen to us. Jesus’ intact skeleton was a sign that no matter how much it seemed that he had been abandoned, the steadfast love of God would not depart. God was still there.”~ Russell Moore
Body Building in the Local Church
Ephesians 4:7-16
Body Building in the Local Church
Ephesians 4:7-16
Main Point: A local church grows into its mature, functioning reality as each of us speaks the Truth to one another in love.
In this passage we see:
What does a mature, functioning local church look like?
Where do the resources for becoming such a church come from?
Where does the responsibility lie for becoming such a church?
How does a local church become more mature and functional?
I. What does a mature, functioning local church look like?
It looks like a healthy, active adult human being.
A healthy, active adult human being is one that can be fully engaged with what it was made to do without giving a thought to itself. In a similar way, the maturing, functional local church is one that can be fully engaged in the work of ministry to which Jesus called it without tripping over itself, getting in its own way.
II. Where do the resources for becoming this kind of local church come from?
They come from Jesus as expressions of His kingly rule over the right-now world as foretold in the Scriptures.
The two basic resources Jesus provides for His people to become mature functional local church communities are GRACE and “GOSPELIZERS.”
GRACE here is the embarrassment of riches Jesus gives to the local church through the skills and capabilities inherent in the believers who are its members.
In addition to this, He has given a cohort of gifted individuals I have lumped under the label “GOSPELIZERS.”
III. Where does responsibility lie for becoming this kind of local church?
The responsibility for becoming this kind of local church lies with each of us. We are “the saints” who need to be equipped for the work of ministry so that we can build up the body of Christ, which, in this usage, is obviously the local church in Ephesus. (4:12)
Our responsibility is two-fold. We are to:
Arrive at mature adulthood in Christ.
So that we can stop being like immature children.
IV. How does a local church become more mature and functional?
The answer is simple and straightforward: By speaking the Truth to one another in love.
In context, the Truth Paul has been talking about is the gospel as revealed in Jesus. In other words, the local church’s growth into healthy maturity is directly correlated to the gospel fluency of each and every member of that local church.
The Least of These
Matthew 25:31-46
The Least of These
Matthew 25:31-46
Main Idea: True disciples of Jesus are so transformed by the gospel that the King’s interests joyfully become their own.
I. The Sheep
The ‘sheep’ are sorted from the ‘goats’ at the coming judgment, evaluated by their care & concern for the “least of these.” The sheep provided the basic necessities for human life to those in need: food, water, clothing, shelter, and companionship.
Jesus indicates that the ‘least of these’ are ‘my brothers,’ having in mind needy Christians. If we can’t begin with caring for the ‘least of these’ within the church, we will be unable to move outward to those in need in the world. Galatians 6:10: So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
On the surface, the sheep and the goats seem to contradict the message of salvation by grace. A few important observations from the passage that push against this:
The surprise of the sheep (25:37-39) reveals their actions were evidence of their citizenship in God’s kingdom, not the cause. Their tangible care was the fruit of salvation, not the root (cf. James 2:14-17).
The sheep are rewarded their ‘inheritance’ from the Father (25:34), which is not earned but received.
“A man does not fear to lose that which he wins by descent from his parent. If heaven had been the subject of earning, we might have feared that our merits had not really deserved it… but we do know whose sons we are; we know whose love it is that makes glad our spirits, and when we “inherit” the kingdom we shall enter it not as strangers or as foreigners, but as sons coming to their birthright.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
The Kingdom is prepared “from the foundation of the world” (25:34)
II. The Goats
On the other hand, the “goats” failed to act when they had an opportunity to do so, and are equally as surprised as the “sheep” at the judgment from the King. Their lack of concern for the least of these shows their misunderstanding of the gospel of the Kingdom.
In Jesus’ final teaching in Matt. 25, a common theme develops in his parables:
The foolish bridesmaids failed to prepare for the groom (25:1-13)
The wicked servant failed to increase the talent entrusted to him (25:14-30)
The goats failed to act when they saw those in need (25:41-43)
Each group is guilty of sins of omission (cf. James 4:17). Indifference to the needs of fellow brothers, sisters, and neighbors (cf. Parable of the Good Samaritan) is ultimately an indifference toward the interests of Jesus himself.
“Hell is real and eternal because God’s holiness is real and eternal… the frightening thing is that, to enter hell, all one has to do is nothing… all you have to do to go to hell is not rock the boat. Accept the status quo. Hell is quite easy to enter. Because outside of Christ we stand condemned already (Jn. 3:18), we need simply do nothing.” ~ Jared Wilson
III. The King
Though Jesus is “hidden” right now to most, a promised day is coming where all will recognize his universal kingship as he sits on his “glorious throne” to judge the nations.
To be transformed by the gospel we must first look at the King. This passage shows us that Jesus identifies profoundly with his people (cf. Matt. 12:46-50, Acts 9:4). For the King to identify with the “least of these” in his Kingdom is an incredible picture of his character and nature.
In order to be transformed in this way, we must recognize ourselves in the least of these. When we are swept up in the reality that Jesus has met us at our worst and in our place of need with his grace, the interests of our King will joyfully become our own. Have you recognized yourself in this place of need?
The Unity of the Church
Ephesians 4:1-6
The Unity of the Church
Ephesians 4:1-6
Main Idea: We must diligently maintain unity by walking in Christlikeness and remembering our common confession of faith.
I. The Attitudes of Unity (4:1-2a)
As Paul hits the “hinge” point of his letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts the church in Ephesus to pursue four attitudes necessary for unity:
1. Urgency
Paul exhorts the Ephesians to “walk” in a manner consistent with their calling in Christ. Our walking in unity will not happen accidentally or nonchalantly, but takes urgency and intentionality.
Colossians 2:6: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him…”
2. Humility
Humility is an essential attitude to unity, but in Roman culture this concept was used in a derogatory way. Jesus entered this world in the “form of a servant” in ultimate humility, and we are to take up this same mindset in the church, considering others more significant than ourselves (Phil. 2:1-11).
“The truth is this: pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you. Under the banner of the truth, give yourself up to the meek and humble spirit of the holy Jesus. Humility must sow the seed or there can be no reaping in heaven. Look not at pride only as an unbecoming temper, nor at humility only as a decent virtue: for the one is death and the other is life; the one is hell and the other is heaven. So much as you have of pride within you, you have of the fallen angel alive in you; so much as you have of true humility, so much you have of the Lamb of God within you…Humility is the only soil in which graces root” ~ Andrew Murray
3. Gentleness
Gentleness is not timidity or weakness; it is “meekness” (cf. Mt. 5:5) which has the idea of strength under control. It means dealing with others kindly rather than harshly, and with compassion rather than demanding. This is following after Christ who himself is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt. 11:28-29).
4. Patience
This is the posture of being ‘longsuffering’ with the people around us in endurance and steadfastness, just as Christ has been patient with each one of us.
II. The Actions of Unity (4:2b-3)
Forbearance in love
Ephesians 4:15–16: Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
We are not called to create unity in the church but instead to maintain unity. We are already united in the Spirit as Jesus has made peace (2:15). The church must do this “eagerly,” making every effort to continue on in this work.
“Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
III. The Anchor of Unity (4:4-6)
Paul appears to be quoting an early “Christian” creed modeled after the OT ‘Shema’ from Deuteronomy 6:4. This creed has a trinitarian structure:
We are one in God the Spirit (4:4): Despite all of our differences, as one body we share the same Spirit and the same hope of our calling.
We are one in God The Son (4:5): In the Lord, we have one faith and one baptism.
John 17:20–23: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.We are one in God the Father (4:6)
“The unity of the church is as indestructible as the unity of God himself. It is no more possible to split the church than it is possible to split the Godhead.” ~ John Stott
Prayer’s Power to Form and Fill
Ephesians 3:14-21
Prayer’s Power to Form and Fill
Ephesians 3:14-21
Main Point: Attending to God in prayer is how he takes you from here to there.
In prayer we attend to the care of the Triune God
In prayer we access the cache of the Father’s riches
In prayer we acquire the capacity of the Spirit’s power
In prayer we ask for comprehension of Christ’s love
A Mystery, a Purpose, and a Paradox
Ephesians 3:1-13
A Mystery, a Purpose, and a Paradox
Ephesians 3:1-13
Paul’s main point: The Church is the most important thing happening in the world right now.
Two Bold Theological Claims about the Church
1. The Church is the crowning achievement of Christ’s purposes in the World. (Eph 3:1-6)
The Church is the “mystery” now revealed and confirmed in Christ. The culmination of everything the Scriptures foretold about the Messiah blessing all the nations of the earth.
The Church is the Inheritance promised by the Father to the Son. (Ps 2:7-9)
The Church is the Prize that Jesus purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)
The Church is the Gathering being carried out by the Spirit, through the proclaimed gospel. (Eph 2:22)
The Church is that general assembly of the First Born, the writer of Hebrews mentions and that John saw in Revelation.
2. The Church is the crowning achievement of Christ’s preeminence in the Heavenly Places. (Eph 3:7-12)
The Church is “the eternal purpose” that “God who created all things” “realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,” the means by which His manifold wisdom is made known to “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” It is the definitive proof point of Jesus’ triumph over “all the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
The Church is the means by which His manifold wisdom is made known to “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
It is the definitive proof point of Jesus’ triumph over all the efforts of organized Evil.
Paul and the Ephesians were among “the first to hope in Christ” with the end result that they “might be to the praise of his glory.” (Eph 1:12)
Like us, they “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Eph 1:13)
One Paradoxical Risk for members of the Church right now: “Losing heart” by becoming more focused on our current situation than on our ultimate reality. (Eph 3:13)
At the time Paul is writing and right up to today, the full and complete story of the Church in the world is still unfolding.
Equally obvious, the marvel of King Jesus enthroned in the heavenly places is hidden from our eyes. For now.
This is the paradox. One would like to think that in the glare of such glory as Paul has just described, it would be virtually impossible to lose heart. But it is not.
The Church Together
Ephesians 2:11-18
The Church Together
Ephesians 2:19-22
Main Idea: The church has been brought together as citizens and family and built together as God’s new temple.
I. Citizens in God’s Kingdom (2:19a)
The Gentiles, who were ‘strangers’ and ‘aliens’ in Christ are now fellow citizens and saints. Citizenship in the Roman Empire was a big deal, as only citizens experienced full protection, right, and privileges.
We do not live on a passport in the Kingdom of God but on a birth certificate (Martyn Lloyd-Jones); we have a born-again birth certificate with all the rights & privileges that come with it. There are no “second-class” citizens in this Kingdom, and it is the only one Kingdom that has no end (Luke 1:33) and whose citizenship is eternal (Phil. 3:20).
Implication: Our highest allegiance in the church of Jesus Christ must be to King Jesus & the Kingdom of God. We are to live as ambassadors of our King, with local churches being embassies and outposts of this Kingdom.
II. Members in God’s Family (2:19b)
The church is primarily described in the New Testament as the family of God or the “household of faith” (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 3:15). Christians are called ‘brothers and sisters’ more than any other designation. This familial relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the church was simultaneously challenging and revolutionary.
Both Jews and Gentiles have been welcomed into the life of the Trinitarian God in the church; they have both been adopted by God the Father (1:5), both are brothers with Jesus (Heb. 2:11), and both have access to God through the indwelling Spirit (2:18). The church is a family not bonded by the blood of biology but by the blood of the cross.
“By their simple and repeated use of the term brothers and sisters, the writers of the Epistles underscore that the people in the pews around us are in, in fact, our family. Like the members of our biological family, we haven’t chosen them for ourselves, but they have been chosen for us, and we are therefore inseparably bound to them. Because we are allied with Christ, we are allied with his family.” ~ Megan Hill
Implication: We are called to live together as a true family, opening up our lives and our homes to one another. We are to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) and seek to know and to be known in the household of faith.
III. Stones in God’s Temple (2:20-22)
Each picture Paul uses builds in intimacy & intensity both vertically with God and horizontally with one another.
Vertically: Jesus is our King (citizens), God is our Father (family members), and the Holy Spirit indwells within us as God’s temple.
Horizontally:
“You are united to other citizens through a social contract. You’re united to other brothers and sisters in a family even more tightly than you are to your neighbor or your fellow citizen, because genetics and shared historical [and] lived experience attach you to your brothers and sisters. But when it comes to the idea of the building, if Christians are like the blocks in a building, they’re cemented together. I don’t know how much closer you could get than that.” ~ Tim Keller
This ‘new temple’ is described in great detail in these verses:
The Foundation (2:20a): The ‘apostles and prophets’ are shorthand for Scripture; their authoritative teaching and writing is the basis for the Word of God.
The Cornerstone (2:20b): Christ himself is the ‘cornerstone.’ This was the most important ‘stone’ in the building, as it dictates the shape of the entire structure. The rest of the foundation and walls are oriented to the cornerstone, not the other way around.
“Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us... I have community with others and I shall continue to have it only through Jesus Christ. The more genuine and the deeper our community becomes, the more will everything else between us recede, the more clearly and purely will Jesus Christ and his work become the one and only thing that is vital between us. We have one another only through Christ, but through Christ we do have one another, wholly, for eternity.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Building (2:21-22): We are individual stones in this building, being built together and formed to the cornerstone. We are to be a ‘holy temple’ as we are sanctified by Christ.
1 Peter 2:4–5: As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Implication: The church is to be the meeting place between God and man, being built up in love and holiness.
“It would be hard to exaggerate the grandeur of this vision. The new society God has brought into being is nothing short of a new creation, a new human race, whose characteristic is no longer alienation but reconciliation, no longer division and hostility but unity and peace. This new society God rules and loves and lives in.” ~ John Stott