The Chosen One's: Reconciliation
Sermon Series: The Chosen One's: How Shall We Now Live
Sermon Title: The Chosen One's: Reconciliation
Sermon Text: Ephesians 2:11-22
Sermon Purpose: To call the hearers to live out the peace and unity initiated by the death of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Proposition: There are 3 concepts of corporate reconciliation in the church.
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh - who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands - 12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 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 members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-22 (NKJV)
Introduction: God is no longer dealing with earthly divisions of nations. He is dealing with a new nationality of people, a new body of people who make up the true citizens of His Kingdom. These citizens are individuals from all nations of the world who now approach God through the Lord Jesus Christ. God promises to spiritually regenerate any person who approaches Him through Chirist. God causes that person to be born again; He makes a new man out of him. God further promises the new man that he will become a member of God's new body and new nation of people - His true church (1 Cor. 10:32). It is these belivers - those who believe in Christ - who are to constitute tht true family of God and to inhabit the new heaven and earth which God is to create in the future (2 Peter 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1f)
I. The expression of corporate reconciliation. v.11-13
A. The expression of social alienation. v.11 (Romans 1:20-22)
B. The expression of spiritual alienation. v.12 (Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 49:5-6, 57:17-19)
II. The explanation of corporate reconciliation. v.13-18
A. Christ brings us near to God. v.13 (Hebrews 9:14; Romans 5:1; 1 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 9:6)
B. Christ brings us peace with God and one another. v.14-15 (Luke 18:31ff)
C. Christ brings us reconciliation. v.16-17 (Acts 10:28; Romans 10:12; Colossians 1:20; Proverbs 22:2)
D. Christ brings us access to God. v.18 (Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4-5)
III. The examples of corporate reconciliation. v.19-22
A. The 1st example is the picture of a new nation. v.19a
B. The 2nd example is the picture of God's family. v.19b (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10)
C. The 3rd example is the picture of God's building. v.20
D. The 4th example is the picture of a growing organism. v.21a
E. The 5th example is the picture of a world wide temple. v.21b
F. The 6th example is the picture of a local temple. v.22
"The Christian may be a very ordinary person, but he acquires a new value and dignity and greatness because he belongs to God. The greatness of the Christian lies in the fact that he is God's." - William Barclay
"They dwell in their own countries but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws in their lives. They love all, and are persecuted by all. They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are completly destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance. They are reviled, and yet they bless. When they do good they are punished as evildoers; undergoing punishment, they rejoice because they are brought to life." - Epistle to Diognetus, author unknown, written about AD 130. This is one of the earliest descriptions of Christians.
"Because we are governed by new principles, we should be viewing events in a different way - our whole attitude towards everthyting is essentially different from the non-Christian attitude. Our view of death should be different, and our view of all other people should be different as well." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones