God is glorified in his unified church

That was Ephesians 2 verse 11.

Ephesians 2:11

In Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility,

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances,

that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

For through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,

but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

in whom the whole structure, being joined together,

grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

how the mystery was made known to me by revelation,

as I have written briefly.

When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations,

as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs,

members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace,

which was given me by the working of his power.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints,

this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God,

who created all things,

so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known

to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

This was according to the eternal purpose

that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Well, good morning, everyone.

Why don't we pray as we come to God's word?

Father, my simple prayer is that you would give us a vision of your church that you have.

And I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, I don't think this is a profound statement,

but we all crave connection, don't we?

Studies have shown that a newborn child,

deprived of all physical touch,

have serious issues growing up,

all physical touch.

Solitary confinement in prison is one of the worst punishments

you can inflict on a human being.

And even that relational connection

is one of the best ways to overcome addictions of various kinds.

We all crave connection, community.

But don't we try and do it on my terms?

A child wants to be part of the family,

but despises sharing the household chores

or their parents saying no.

We want the hospitals and the roads

and the protection of police and the justice system,

but we hate paying taxes.

We want to be part of the sports team,

but only when it's convenient for me.

I even heard of a local amateur sports team

where the coach paid the players to come to training.

And as the season went on,

they still didn't come.

We want to be married.

We want that deep intimacy and common purpose,

but do we really want to submit all our choices to our spouse?

And we just settle for transactional relating.

I'll do this if you do that.

You might want to fully belong to this church family,

but if you only give yourself to others

and what's going on here when it's convenient and safe

and requiring little sacrifice,

just don't be surprised if you don't feel very connected.

But then we know from other cultures and from history

that the antidote to that isn't to elevate the group,

the family, the nation, the church,

as supreme to the point where the individual is lost altogether.

It gives all the power to those in charge

where the individual life can become very, very cheap.

And it can create division between groups,

between families, between tribes and nations

that the bloodshed in history shows us

that that doesn't work either.

So I think we're kind of stuck.

We crave connection as human beings

and we try and have it on our own terms,

but it doesn't work.

It keeps us at arm's length self-protection

and unity that lasts is almost impossible to maintain.

We saw in Genesis, before the fall,

before sin entered the world,

how central in God's purposes that God wants a people.

We hear it in the command to fill the earth with his people.

We hear the Lord's surprising declaration to Adam,

who is in paradise, relating to the Lord,

it's not good to be alone.

He needs someone of the same flesh,

the same nature to relate to.

We have here not only the commencement of marriage,

but the start of the human race under Adam and Eve.

What should have spread was Adam's family

ever increasing and worshipping the Lord

without any shame, only blessing.

So as we come to the end of our sermon series,

we've covered a lot of ground, haven't we?

We've gone on so many topics.

But it would be incomplete and it would be tragically distorted

if we viewed everything we've covered so far,

if we viewed it individualistically.

So if we think of the Christian hope of heaven

as simply me being resurrected so that I can see the Lord face to face,

now that's true and it's wonderful,

but it's incomplete.

If we understand that the Lord is personal

and he speaks through his word to me,

I can know him through his word.

That's true, but it's not complete.

The sovereign creator is still sovereign

and he's working all things for my good

to conform me to the likeness of his son.

That's true, but he's got a bigger goal than that.

That I can know the triune creator,

God as father, because I belong to the son

filled with his spirit.

Again, individualistically, that's true,

but it's more than that.

That I'm made for worship, to love, trust and obey God,

build my life on God, not some created thing.

That sin is trying to be in control

when really God is the one who should be in control.

That I'm made in the likeness of God,

to be like God, to reflect the glory of God

as I go about in the world.

All these things, individualistically, is true,

but it's incomplete.

It's not God's picture.

Of what he intended creation to be,

not the full picture.

Because we see in Genesis that God's goal is rest

and at the heart of rest is God dwelling with

his worshipping people.

One way to understand the story of scripture

is to look at it through the theme of

two competing, two alternatives to community.

One is a man-made community with man at the centre

and the other is a God-made community

with God at the centre.

So we see this at the end of scripture in Revelation

where you've got the city of Babylon,

man-made, living life for self,

but it comes to an end.

What city lasts?

God's city.

But we see this theme starting off in Genesis.

We come to it in Genesis 11

where we've got the Tower of Babel.

And here at the Tower of Babel,

you've got people sinfully trying to go,

let us make a name for ourselves.

Now what are they trying to do?

They're trying to build a kingdom without the king.

Let us make a name not for God but for ourselves.

Let's build a society where we've got security,

where we've got our own purpose,

where we're going to get all the acclaim ourselves,

where we're going to guarantee our future.

It's trying to build a kingdom just without the king.

So that's one option.

And we've been trying ever since.

Building community without God at the centre.

But then in Genesis 12,

God steps in, calls Abraham out,

and he starts his program

to build a people for himself.

So the rest of the Old Testament

zooms in on Abraham's descendants,

the nation of Israel.

But in the end,

even this privileged nation

who had God speaking to them,

all the privileges in the world,

even they,

instead of being a light to the nations

to draw them in,

they end up becoming like the nations.

So we can see there's two communities,

two alternatives.

One is man-made,

God-made.

One is man-centred.

One is God-centred.

So if the nation of Israel didn't work,

does that mean that God's desire for a people

failed?

Did it fail?

And here we come to Ephesians.

I think Ephesians says it most explicitly and clearly,

which is why we're going to look at it today.

Here we have in Ephesians 3,

so open your Bibles to Ephesians 3,

we'll be spending our time here,

2 and 3.

In Ephesians 3,

we're told that God has had

a greater plan

than just national Israel,

that he is moving all history

towards this goal.

Paul says that God,

the creator of all things,

had an eternal purpose in mind,

an everlasting goal in mind,

but that God had kept it a mystery.

Now, that word mystery

doesn't mean it's totally unknowable.

It doesn't mean it's like a murder mystery,

where if you just picked the right pieces,

you could have worked it out yourself.

It's more like MasterChef,

where you've got the mystery box.

You don't know what's under that mystery box

until the lid is lifted.

It's real.

It's just hidden.

So God

had a plan

from the start,

and he gave himself testimony

throughout the Old Testament,

so it's not like this came out of nowhere,

but he has lifted the lid,

Paul is saying.

He has revealed it

to the apostles and prophets.

What could be so important

to the creator,

the climactic purpose of history,

this mystery

that he's now revealed,

this mystery is so profound

that when angels

and heavenly realities

look at it,

they are in amazement.

Now,

either I'm not saying this properly,

which is possible,

or you're asleep,

or you're addicted

to your smartphone,

something chronic,

or you are so confident

in your own purpose to life

that you don't care

what the creator's is.

I mean,

like the creator of the world

has a mystery

and he's revealed it.

What is it?

Verse 6,

this mystery

is that the nations,

the Gentiles,

that's you if you're not a Jew,

that's me,

our fellow heirs,

members of the same body,

partakers of the promise

in Christ Jesus

through the gospel.

Verse 9 tells us

the purpose in all this,

to bring to light

for everyone

what is the plan

of the mystery

hidden for ages

in God

who created all things

so that through the church,

the church,

the manifold wisdom

of God

might now be made known

to the rulers

and authorities

in the heavenly places.

God lifts the lid

of his eternal plan

to the apostles,

they preach it

through the gospel message

throughout the world

and the society

that this gospel creates,

heavenly realities

are looking at the society

and going,

wow,

God is incredible.

The world might see

the church as outdated

and irrelevant,

a weird bunch of people,

sorry,

who need a crutch

to get through life,

maybe even bigoted,

intolerant,

dangerous.

The world might see

the church that way.

You might see it

as useful at times.

Surround your kids

with other moral kids,

the occasional uplifting sermon,

a bit of relationship.

Maybe a necessary duty.

God sees it

as the climax

of his created purposes.

He sees his unified church

as central

to his eternal purpose

because it's through

the unified church

that the Lord is glorified.

How is the Lord glorified

in the church?

sin has alienated us

from God.

We hear that regularly

but it's also alienated us

from one another.

Sin has created hostility

between us and God

but it's also created hostility

between one another.

And in the church,

Christ has achieved

a double reconciliation.

Here in the second half

of Ephesians 2,

the focus is on

the divide between Jew

and Gentile

which I'm taking this

as a greater

to lesser point.

This is the greatest divide

there is between societies,

the chosen people of God

and everyone else.

if this war can be broken down,

any war can be broken down.

I think we need to remember

and I don't think this,

Ephesians 2,

Ephesians 2,

God says that we need to remember,

verse 11,

at one time

what our condition was.

We need to remember

what our condition was

so that we can marvel

at his grace.

We live in a time

when personal choice

is just

all that matters basically.

Like, yeah,

of course I can belong

to the church

if I want to.

Yes, you can walk

in these doors

and attend

but

you

had no right

and me,

you had no right

to belong

to God's spiritual

heavenly church

based on your choice.

Before we came

to Christ in faith,

our spiritual condition

was utterly hopeless,

we're told.

We were separated

from Christ,

we were alienated

from Israel,

we were tourists,

we had no rights,

got all God's promises

to Israel,

not for you.

No promises to you.

We were hopeless,

and we were without God,

we had no true knowledge

of God

and if we don't have God,

what do we really have?

Nothing in the end.

I think our far away condition

is pictured in the temple,

the physical temple

that existed

when Paul was writing this

in Jerusalem.

So,

you want to be close to God,

his name dwelling

in the temple?

Well,

you've got,

first of all,

you've got the inner

court for the priests

who were serving

and then you've got

another area after that

for the men of Israel

and then another area

for the women of Israel

and then you went down

a bunch of steps

and behind a thick wall

and then everyone else,

if you're not a Jew,

you can go there.

And there was a sign

which basically said,

you cross this wall,

your death is on your hands.

I think that just gives us

a taste of spiritually

how far we were

from God

before we knew Christ.

That's not saying

that Jews didn't need

the gospel.

The gospel was preached

to them who were near.

They had every privilege.

They still needed

their sins forgiven.

But we were

a long,

long way off.

Verse 13,

but now,

God has acted

to change all that.

But now,

in Christ Jesus,

you who once

were far off

have been brought near

by the blood

of Christ.

Christ,

in his flesh,

has broken down

every dividing wall

of hostility

between people.

Verse 18

is the climax.

For through him,

through Christ,

we both,

Jew and Gentile,

every person

with faith,

through him,

we both have access

in one spirit

to the Father.

That's the kind

of God he is.

He wants us

to have full access

and he's now

created that

in Jesus.

He's broken

down the law

that keeping

the law

produces

self-righteousness

and condemns

anyone who's

not keeping

the law.

Jew and Gentile

all come in

on the basis

of faith,

all come in

on the basis

of grace.

It is by his

death we are

all forgiven.

It is by being

united to him

that we all

live.

God was

rightfully

wrathful

toward our

rebellion

and we hated

his claim

to rule over

our lives.

But Jesus

kills,

I love the

wording,

he kills

the hostility.

He murdered

the hostility

by himself

being murdered.

that sin

that produced

the wrath

at us

is gone.

And now

when we look

at God

we don't

see a

condemning

judge

that we

actually

hate

and we

don't want

him to

control

our lives.

We go,

wow,

if you

are this

loving,

go ahead,

control my

life.

He kills

the hostility

between man

and God

and God.

But he

also breaks

down the

wall of

hostility

between people

and people,

Jew and

Gentile.

God

because it's

by grace

alone that

we belong

to God,

that we

are near

to God.

There is

no separation

between people.

I thought

of the

story of

Jim Elliott,

a missionary,

and four

others who

were killed

when they

tried to

take the

gospel to

Ecuador,

to a

tribe in

Ecuador.

You might

have heard

this story

before.

One of the

guys who

was killed

along with

Jim Elliott

was Nate

Saint.

So when

they arrived,

the tribe

speared these

men to

death.

They didn't

have a chance

to speak

the gospel.

Now,

why,

like,

I saw

pictures of

them as I

was preparing

this and

they're in

their 30s,

young and

married,

got young

children.

Why they

took this

risk in the

first place

is pretty

astonishing.

But even

more incredible

than their

sacrifice for

the gospel

is that

eventually the

tribe did

welcome the

wives,

the bereaved

wives in,

and the

gospel went

to this

tribe.

And Steve

Saint, who

was only five

years old,

he grew up

in this

tribe,

and he

befriended

the men

who murdered

his dad,

and he

was,

sorry,

he was

baptized by

them,

and embraced

as a son in

the tribe.

Like, what is

that?

What is that?

That you can

genuinely love

the people who

murdered your

dad?

Like, what

is that?

That's the

church.

That's what

Christ has

done.

This wasn't

faking.

This is

real peace.

Christ

didn't die

to merely

create an

institution

or social

movement.

A key

phrase is in

verse 16.

So that

he might,

the second

half of

16,

that he

might create

in himself

one new

man in

place of

the two,

so making

peace.

Now,

notice that

isn't plural.

Yes,

when we come

to Christ,

we are made

new, we

are born

again, but

this is

singular.

This is

talking about

the church,

picturing the

church as a

whole, the

spiritual

church.

Christ has

one new

man.

What it's

saying is

Christ has

created a

new humanity.

It's not

just an

institution,

it's not

just a

movement,

it's a

new human

race.

One

flesh,

his flesh,

his body.

So just

reflect, do

you see the

church that

way?

Do you

see the

church as

just a

local community

that help

one another

out?

Or do you

see the

church as a

new human

race?

Now, I'm

mindful that

that phrasing

sounds pretty

arrogant.

It almost

sounds like

superior race

kind of

language, but

this race is

created and

motivated by

grace.

It's knowing

how much we

don't deserve

it.

And it's

animated by

his spirit,

the same

spirit who

chose to be

killed to

make peace.

I don't

think it

creates

superiority.

I think it

creates,

well, I

feel like

Jim Elliot

and Nate

saying,

a new

humanity.

And then

we're given

three pictures

of what this

unity looks

like.

The first

one is we

are fellow

citizens of

the kingdom.

There's no

need to have

an imposter

syndrome in the

church if

you're riddled

with sin and

shame.

If you're

filled with

sin and

shame, you

may not

feel like

you belong

here right

now.

We can even

feel like

that when

we're

underdressed

and things

like that.

We don't

need to feel

that way.

You are

full citizens

of the

kingdom by

faith in

Christ.

You're not

an outsider.

You're not

even a

permanent

resident.

You're a

full citizen.

The second

picture adds

a more intimate

note.

We are

members of

his

household.

We have

one father.

We're in

the true

royal family.

I don't

think this is

sentimental

language like

our workplaces

want to talk

about our

work family.

They just want

you to do

your job

properly.

That's just

sentimental

language I

think.

This blood

that runs

through this

family is

more precious

than any

human blood.

You better

get used to

the people

sitting around

you.

You're going

to be with

them for a

very, very

long time.

But I

also want to

be real about

it.

We have

serious

differences

in this

room.

I heard

someone

describe it

as we

don't look

at each

other and

go,

wow, I

just feel

so much

affection for

you.

We look

at each

other and

go,

I'm

surprised

you're in

the family

of God.

Now, there's

something wrong

about that

joke too,

but there

are serious

differences.

Let's not

downplay those,

but I

think the

beauty of

Christ is

seen when

despite all

those differences

we can

unite in

worship in

the same

Christ.

When we

genuinely

display brotherly

love,

despite those

differences,

differences,

that's when

the wisdom

of the

cross is

displayed in

all its

fullness.

So we

are full

citizens of

the kingdom.

There is a

brotherhood

united in

sacrificial love

for one

another.

And the

third picture

is that of

the temple.

God has

this grand

building project.

He's building

his home to

live in.

This living

temple isn't

about your

body being

the picture of

health.

It's about

relationships in

the church

are meant to

be the

picture of

health.

And Christ

underpins this

structure.

He is the

cornerstone.

We are built

on him.

What governs

our church is

his word through

the apostles and

prophets.

It's not what

you think.

It's not what

I think.

But we sit

under the

authority of

his word.

That's how we

are built up.

And it's a

permanent

building.

The world

is busy

creating

organizations.

The average

organization I

heard the

other day

lasts for

30 to 40

years, the

average

business.

Everything the

world is trying

to build will

collapse.

But this

building project

is permanent

because Christ

has risen.

It's in

him.

It's built

on him.

His temple

is forever.

So all

these pictures

of the new

humanity that

Christ has

created, full

citizens, members

of one family, a

living temple for

God to dwell in.

I think it

tells us something

about the nature

of God, what

he's like.

God is a

uniting God.

He's an

in-gathering

God.

He's a

peace-loving

God.

So I'm

hesitant to

say the

next line.

It's almost

blasphemous, but

I don't think it

is.

God doesn't

want to think

of himself

apart from

his people

is the

import I'm

getting from

this.

He wants

to dwell in

his people.

Christ wants

to be the

head of his

body, the

church.

He wants

to be united

more than a

husband and

wife is

united.

God is a

uniting God

between God

and man,

between man

and man,

and heaven

and earth.

That's his

goal.

United in

the love of

Christ, God

is glorified in

his united

church.

So if

God's plan

since creation

has now

been revealed

to be the

unity of

his church,

and if

Christ gave

his blood

to create a

new and

eternal

people for

God, how

can we

approach

church from

our own

self-interest?

It's not

what we're

called to,

it's not who

we are, and

it's not what

we're called

to.

The glory

of God is

seen in

individuals being

saved, but

that's not the

end of the

story.

We have a

high calling

to be the

church, the

resurrected new

community.

We're meant to

be showing the

world a

different way.

We are

called to

display to

the heavens,

whoever they

are watching,

the glory of

God.

what an

incredible

purpose.

Imagine the

difference it

would make

if we didn't

approach church

according to

what I got

out of it,

but if we

saw the

church as

what we

are.

We are

his body,

we are

his kingdom,

we are

his new

humanity,

we are

one family.

Imagine if

we thought of

ourselves that

way.

go away

however the

spirit is

convicting.

Let's think

about that.

None of us

view the

church fully

as we

ought to,

as God

does.

We've all

got to

grow in

this area.

As our

society tries

to define

itself more

and more

by what an

individual does,

we can show

a better

way.

We can

be so

secure in

ourselves

because we

know who

we are.

I don't

have to

prove who

I am,

I don't

have to

find who

I am,

I know

who I

am,

I am

his

church,

I belong

to him.

As our

society

increasingly

mistrusts

authority,

anyone in

authority because

it threatens

personal

choice,

we need

to focus

on being

the church

to show

a better

way.

If we

see the

unity of

the church

that those

who are

given

authority are

to use

it like

serving another

member in

the body,

just wanting

the one

body to

thrive,

and those

who are

under

authority,

I will

give myself

to those

above me

because in

the end I'm

doing it for

my head,

I'm doing it

for Christ's

sake.

Imagine if we

showed a

different way

of doing

authority.

Or as

our society

increasingly

takes

offence at

disagreement

and cancels

and divorces,

we need to

focus on

being the

church,

knowing we

are all

saved by

grace.

Imagine

the community

of people

who said,

I deeply

disagree with

you on

that,

but I'm

going to

keep dying

for you

because you're

my brother,

you're my

sister.

I really

disagree,

but

by my

actions and

words,

I still

love you.

Imagine if

we sat

under the

authority of

God's word

and patiently

tried to

persuade each

other on

issues.

I think

this view

of church

will

increase

our grief

because we

all know

the church

and myself

and myself,

we all

don't live

up to

this vision.

It increases

our grief

that we

have robbed

God of

his glory

when we

stuff this

up.

But I

don't think

we should

be disillusioned

because the

creator

whose goal

is his

unified

church to

his glory

has promised

that the

bride will

be adorned.

We will

have the

glory of

God

so we

can keep

growing,

we can

keep

pursuing

peace and

unity.

if you

see the

glory of

God

depending

on our

genuine

unity

in the

love of

Christ in

the church,

then hear

the call

in Ephesians

4.

I urge

you to

walk in

a manner

worthy of

the calling

to which

you have

been called

with all

humility and

gentleness,

with patience,

bearing with

one another in

love,

eager to

maintain the

unity of the

spirit in

the bond

of peace.

God

is at

stake.

We have

this high

calling to

show the

heavens and

the world a

different way,

that the

new creation

has begun

here in

the church

universal.

I urge

you to

walk in a

manner worthy

of the

calling to

which you

have been

called.

show the

world a

better way.

Let's

pray.

Father, I

pray that

out of

an

understanding

of what

Christ has

achieved,

that knowing

that we

have unity,

not that we

have to

create it,

but that we

have to

maintain it,

I pray

that you

would be

convicting

each one

of us

where we

need to

be.

I pray

that where

there's

hostility in

relationships in

this room,

that you

would give us

the resources

and the

help and

the perspective

to seek

real peace.

Lord, I

pray that

when

disagreements

arise,

that we

will submit

to your

authority and

seek your

glory and

not our

own sense

of justice.

Lord, I

pray that

we would

not just

love with

words, but

we would

love in

actions and

in truth,

in the way

that we

carry each

other's

burdens and

bear each

other's

sorrows and

urge one

another on

to live

for you.

So, Lord,

I pray that

you would

however we

need to

change, I

pray that

you would

make us

more of

this unified

church to

the glory

of your

name.

Amen.