A True and Greater Inclusion

Father, we ask that you grant us self-knowledge.

Father, grant us not so much self-knowledge that we just get really depressed,

but help us, Father, to have a proper self-knowledge of who we are

in light of you, in light of the real world.

And so, Father, we ask that the Holy Spirit would fall with gentle but deep power

as we open and look at this confusing passage of Scripture.

And we ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

Please be seated.

So, one of the things that I have to warn people about when I'm trying to help them

to learn how to preach better is that sometimes you can give an analogy or an example.

And what happens is it doesn't actually help people to think about what's next in the sermon.

It gets them thinking about what I've given the example about.

And before you know it, they've spent 15 minutes on the example,

and they're not paying any attention to my sermon whatsoever

because they get sort of captivated or mad or angry or delighted about my example.

So, I'm going to take that risk right now with my opening example.

Canada doesn't have universal health care.

If you think about it for a second, I used to think Canada had universal health care.

And then one day, quite a few years ago, I had a conversation with somebody

and just asked me to think this very simple thought experiment.

Daniel Alfredson, this is when he was still playing for the senators,

Daniel Alfredson hurts his leg on an evening, a Saturday evening at 9 o'clock.

You hurt your leg on a Saturday evening at 9 o'clock.

Who's going to have their MRIs done quicker?

Who's going to have the surgery done quicker?

How's that going to work out?

And, you know, I have to confess it never dawned on me that, in fact,

gosh, Daniel Alfredson doesn't have to wait as long as I would have to wait

if we both hurt our legs the same night.

This just sort of came up.

And this recognition that we don't actually have universal health care

is connected to what can often happen to us when we come face to face with it.

And it can reveal a type of enmity and resentment about others.

So a friend of mine, he'd had some sort of minor but important surgery done,

but they botched it.

The surgeons botched it for whatever reason.

And he went in, and obviously they were looking at it,

and they were going to have to redo the surgery.

And he was telling me this like a couple of days after he'd been in to see his doctor,

the GP or whatever.

And the doctor told him, because he couldn't actually go see the specialist,

the doctor told him that he had to wait a month to call up the specialist,

not to see the specialist, but to make an appointment to see the specialist.

And the appointment would then be maybe three months after that.

And then, of course, he'd have to wait after that for the surgery.

Now, I'm telling you this all very calmly.

He was almost spitting mad about this.

And as he's telling me this story, he keeps going.

And he's not making any political comments whatsoever.

He says, do you think Justin Trudeau or Scheer or Elizabeth May would have to wait that long

just to call to make an appointment?

And he was just livid and furious.

And that sort of underlying enmity that we actually do have about social class

and other types of things like that emerges when you're faced with something like this.

Now, why am I mentioning him?

One of the things which is very puzzling about this passage of Scripture for us as Canadians

is that when we look at this passage about differences and dealing with differences

and dealing with the other, what happens is we talk about the text

and think about the text out of one side of our mouth.

It's like we have two minds or we are schizophrenic

and we forget about one part of us when we look at it.

And so we just sort of think, well, you know, this text is just talking about trying to live

with differences and living with the other.

But in Canada, we don't have to worry about that because in Canada, we're all one.

In Canada, we don't have those types of enmity that exist in other cultures or other places.

But we forget.

I mean, as I said, my example just right off the top, all of a sudden,

he's face to face with botched surgery with those long wait lines.

And the enmity, the anger, is there instantly.

It's not as if you had to think about it, think about it, think about it, think about it, think about it.

It's instantly there.

That at an unrecognized level, there's enmity.

Which is why at the same time, on one level, we Canadians would say,

well, I don't know why we need to have Jesus and deal with these things about the other.

Because, you know, in Canada, you know, we don't have those things.

But on the other hand, we forget all of a sudden about French and English differences.

As I've been learning from some of my Francophone friends,

between Francophone Ontarians and Francophone Québécois differences,

and between black and white and everything else like that.

There's lots of differences.

And not often hidden, but outward enmity.

So this text is talking about something in the very, very real world.

What happens when you become a Christian in a world where there is lots of division,

where there's others, where people are broken down and separated?

And on one level, we try to hide it in Canada, but in many places in the world,

it's just right up front.

It's right in your face.

I've shared with you before, if you haven't, I'll tell you the story again.

When I was in Angola a couple of years ago, very, very, very, very, very poor country,

and about a 10-minute walk, this is one of the, if you've traveled in third-world countries,

this is one of the things which is curious about the third-world countries,

is you can have, like, literally, I'm walking down the street,

and I'm having to avoid the garbage,

and when I walk, I have to step over the little streams in the street,

because that's sewage overflow, and that's how I'm walking,

and the road is like this.

It keeps the traffic at a slower speed, because it's so bumpy.

But then 10-minute walk from where I was staying was a mall that could have looked like it was in Canada,

like it's just weird, surrounded with poverty,

and a mall that looks like it was in Canada,

with a movie theater that showed the same movies that were playing in Ottawa at the same time.

And I come up to the mall, and there's lots of security guards, right,

because there's lots of poor people in Angola,

and because I'm white, and obviously not from Angola,

they just let me in.

I mean, there's no, they're not looking at me.

I mean, they're looking at me a little bit, because why is this white guy here?

Because part of Angola I'm in, there's like, there's virtually nobody who's white, right?

So they look at me a little bit like that, but they don't, I mean, I'm just, I'm accepting.

But they just, for many parts of the world, they just, the fact that there's differences,

the fact that there's hierarchies, they just accept it.

They're proud of it.

It's in that world that Paul is writing.

So in some ways, you see, for an Angola, it might be easier for them to read this text,

because they're just open about the fact that there's differences.

Just one more example from Angola.

Huge lineup to get gas.

And one of the things which was so interesting about the huge lineup to get gas,

I mean, I mean a huge lineup to get gas,

that twice while I was there, somebody just came and sauntered up to the front

and got their gas and left, and nobody commented.

And I asked my guide, and they said, well, they're whatever,

they're with the ruling party, or they're, you know, they're this tribal person,

and they just go to the front.

And nobody disagreed, they just, that's just the way the world works, right?

So, easier for them than us, but that's what they're looking at.

So let's look at the text.

It's a long introduction to an important topic,

and it's Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 to 22.

Ephesians 2:11–22

Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 to 22.

Ephesians 2:11–22

And what's just happened before this is that Paul has talked about

how we're made right with God by having faith in Jesus.

And it's God's grace that we receive by faith,

and our faith is in Jesus, and there's no works,

there's no ground for us to boast.

And out of that, we are to live a life that reflects that,

that we do good works.

But now Paul's going to deal with, well,

how does that affect the fact that in the world there's division?

You see, in Paul's day, they were very, very open about divisions.

There were citizens and non-citizens.

There were slave and free.

There were men and women.

They were very open about the divisions.

And the divisions mattered.

In the city of Ephesus, which is where this is written at the time,

there were 250,000 people who lived in Ephesus.

And the second largest city in the Roman Empire.

But how many citizens were there in Ephesus?

250,000 people?

There were 1,000 citizens.

1,000 citizens.

250,000 people, but only 1,000 of them are citizens

with full rights and protection.

And they wouldn't have hid it.

It would have been just on display.

So what does it mean to be saved by grace and a Christian

in a world where there's such division?

That's what Paul is going to walk towards.

And if you don't have your Bible, it'll be up on the screen,

at least parts of it.

Did I do the...

Yes, there we go, the right one.

So verse 11.

Yes.

Now just sort of pause here.

Circumcision, of course, is sort of the defining rite or ritual

that you needed to have to become a part of the covenant people

of the Jewish people.

And for Jewish people at that time, and still, I guess,

to some extent today, the whole world was divided

between Jews and non-Jews.

And if you're a non-Jew, you're a Gentile.

So what Paul is doing here is he's actually walking towards

the biggest problem.

And it's, is God, in fact, behind maintaining division?

So that what's going to happen when you become a Christian?

You're a slave Christian, or you're a woman Christian,

or you're a freedman Christian, or you're a citizen Christian,

or you're a former pagan Christian, or you're a former Jewish Christian.

Is that how things are going to work?

And you'll notice up there that, first of all,

it's not as obvious in English, but in the original language,

Paul uses distancing language throughout this.

By which it means that he's saying that not necessarily

that he thinks this way, but this is how people think.

And he puts a very, very subtle thing in here

to get us to think about things in a bit of a different way.

Look again when he says,

remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,

and then called the uncircumcision by what is called

the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands.

And what Paul is saying here,

basically the same word is used two different ways in the New Testament,

and you have to sort of figure it out by context.

Usually when Paul uses the word flesh,

he means that part of us which is in rebellion against God.

But there's another use,

usually for instance in the Gospel of John,

the other use is used,

and that just means flesh is a way of referring to the fact

that we are frail and finite.

Frail and finite.

And so what Paul is saying here is,

just for a moment,

people make these divisions between Gentile and not,

between circumcision and not,

but what really is ultimately circumcision and uncircumcision?

It's something that we do with our hands,

on the body,

and it emerges out of frailty and finiteness.

And in fact, all human divisions,

isn't that what they emerge out of?

I mean, people go to war,

over religion.

They go to war over class differences.

They go to,

they fight for parking spots.

They make distinctions of rank,

and they make big deals sometimes

about race and ethnicity and language.

But all of these things,

what do they do?

If you think about it for a second,

they all emerge

out of that which is finite and frail.

Which is one of the reasons why,

when we think back of,

when I came to the Eganville,

I was a pastorate in Eganville,

one of the things that people like to tell me is,

if you've ever go to Eganville,

there's,

the Bonachere River divides the little village of Eganville.

Eganville has about 2,000 people.

It divides the village.

And on one side of the village

is a huge Roman Catholic church

that you can see from everywhere.

And on the other side of the village,

on the other side of the river,

there's lots of churches.

There's a big Lutheran church

and then smaller churches

and smaller churches.

And one of the things that they like to tell me

was that at,

there were many,

many years where at the,

I'm not making this up,

at the Anglican cemetery

on the top of the hill

on one side of the river,

they had a cannon,

decommissioned cannon,

pointed at the Catholic church.

Now, we all chuckle.

And they chuckle.

But you know,

why do we chuckle?

It emerges out of finiteness and frailty,

doesn't it?

And it passes.

That's what happens

with anything that just emerges

out of frailty and finiteness,

it passes.

It's a big, big deal.

In whatever, 1930,

it's a big deal.

But now, later on,

at best we just think

it's really funny.

But at the same time,

we think it's funny,

we don't realize our own ways

that we make divisions

out of frailty

and out of finiteness,

out of flesh

that has no real ultimate power.

And so,

Paul begins by that,

but he also adds this other thing,

which it seems as if God in the past

has made this big distinction

based on rules and commandments

and ethnicity

between one people

and all the others.

But now,

he's talking to a group of people

who are mainly ex-pagans,

and he said,

so just remember,

it begins with therefore, right?

Remember,

so therefore,

you're made right with God

by what God has done

out of grace

through Jesus,

and you receive it by faith

with no works.

So how does that fit in

with this fact

that in the world,

there's all these divisions?

Well,

let's look what he says.

He says this,

verse 13,

but now in Christ Jesus,

you who once were far off

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus,

you who once were far off

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

And the blood of Christ

is just a very graphic way

of referring to the fact

that Jesus died

a sacrificial death.

And what Paul is saying here,

which is very significant,

is,

well, you know what's

at the back of his mind

is a particular type of image,

which is hard for us Canadians

to get into our mind,

but it's very important.

You see,

when we think about

these types of things

in Canada,

we don't realize

that we have

two different types of stories.

The average Canadian

has two stories

running as the background story

in their minds,

in our minds,

when we think about these things.

And one of the things

that we think about

is that the reason

we don't really have to take

the claims of Christianity

very seriously

is because,

as we all know,

evolution is true.

And on the other hand,

we have this other story

going on in our mind

that human beings

are fundamentally good.

And those are the fundamental

sort of baseline stories

going on in the back

of our mind,

and we often express it

just out in the front.

And we never sort of

actually think about them

and look at them.

And Paul knows

that both of these stories

have great, great problems.

So, for instance,

the idea of evolution,

and that means

God doesn't exist.

A few years ago,

Louise and I

were out walking

after dark.

This is when we still lived

on Robina Street,

and we were right by the edge.

We walked right by the edge

of the green belt.

And as we were walking

along the grass,

the green belt,

a big wall of trees

in the green belt

right over there,

all of a sudden,

we heard the most

fearsome scream

and squealing

of an animal being attacked.

And for the next,

it seemed like a long time,

but it was probably

only 90 seconds,

you'd hear this

heart-rending scream

of an animal being attacked

followed by thrashing

and silence

and then another scream

and silence

and thrash,

like thrashing,

and then this final

long scream,

scream, squeal,

which all of a sudden

was cut short.

the strong eats the weak.

And when some people

talk about evolution

being true,

they don't really

think about the fact

that that means

that the strong

eat

the weak.

but if, in fact,

we all come to be

because the strong

eat the weak,

well, then,

how in Canada

can you actually

try to understand

or believe

that the strong

should be taxed more

or that

we should give

aid to another

country that's

tearing itself apart?

Like,

if the governing

story about

why God

doesn't exist

and we don't have

to pay any

attention to him

and how we

understand ourselves

is that the strong

eat the weak

and the strong

survive

and the weak

die

and the strong

just keep

getting stronger

because the strong

eat the weak,

where does love

and concern

for other people

come in?

Like,

huh?

Like,

how does that fit?

And how is it

that we think

that we're

fundamentally good

when,

as I gave

in that illustration,

all it takes

is the tiniest

little bit

of effect

on our lives

and waiting times

as my friend

was telling me

about the fact

that you have

to wait a month

just to actually

make an appointment

that would be

three months

after that

you know what?

And that little

tiny thing

on one hand

not very significant

reveals this

deep enmity

and anger

within him.

You see,

Paul,

as he's thinking

about all of

these things,

he has

a very,

very different

baseline story

by which he

understands things.

And the baseline

story that he

has

is that

all things

came to be

out of the

Father

and the Son

and the Holy

Spirit,

three persons,

one God,

living in harmony

and unity.

And out of this,

in a sense,

fundamental harmony

and unity,

they work together

to create

all things.

And human

beings,

at some point

in time,

after they were

created good

and created

to be in harmony

with each other

and harmony

with themselves

and in harmony

with God,

it is out of

harmony,

it is out of

life and love

and harmony

that human

beings are

created.

And enmity

and hatred

comes into

the world

when Adam

and Eve

decide that

they don't

trust God

and they

want to be

like God

themselves.

And if you

go back

and you read

Genesis 3,

the second

they decide

that they

want to be

like God

themselves,

well,

here's the thing,

isn't this how

it works?

If both

Louise and I

want to be

God's,

aren't we

only going

to fight?

We can only

have one

God.

And if all

of my kids

want to be

God as

well,

we're just

going to

fight.

And the

fact of the

matter is,

as you go

back and you

read that

story,

as soon as

there is

this desire

to be

like God,

the first

thing that

happens is

that they

realize that

they are

at enmity

with themselves,

they feel

uncomfortable

with themselves,

and they're

at enmity

with God,

they blame

God for

what's going

on,

and they're

at enmity

with each

other.

Each of

them blames

somebody else

for what's

going on,

and all of

a sudden

there's

enmity,

and enmity

has come

into the

world.

And because

human beings,

separate from

God,

are just

frail and

finite,

they cannot

fix themselves.

themselves.

And so

what's being

described here

in this

Bible verse

is that

Christ,

the creator

and sustainer

of all

things,

God,

the son

of God,

takes upon

himself human

flesh and

enters our

mess.

Enters our

mess.

If you go

back and you

read Genesis

1 to 11,

this is the

other type of

story.

It's a very,

very interesting

story.

All religion

and all

spirituality

and much

philosophy

and just the

common way

of thinking

about things

is this

idea that

somehow or

another we

can still

reach out

towards God

or become

like gods

ourselves.

That somehow

or another

that's just

going to be

able to

happen.

But there's

this ancient

story where

in Babel it

brings that

whole first

11 chapters

to a

significant

end.

It's very,

very comical

but very,

very powerful

story.

The human

race is all

one and

they're traveling

from one

place to

another and

they decide

they want to

make a tower

that reaches

all the way

to heaven.

And so they

make this

tower that

they're all

very,

very pleased

at and

there's a

note of

irony in

the text.

If you go

back, it's

not as obvious

in English but

it's there in

the original

language.

There's a

note of

irony that

God's in

heaven and

he says,

in a sense,

it's one of

those early

texts which

show that the

Old Testament

teaches something

like the

Trinity.

And it's

as if God

says,

look at

those human

beings down

there.

They're doing

something that's

so very,

very tiny,

I can't even

see it from

up here.

Remember,

they're down

there thinking

that they've

built this

tower that's

reaching to

heaven.

But God

says,

look at

that,

they've made

something down

there,

good grief.

I wonder

what that is.

It's so far

away and so

tiny, I can't

see it.

I guess I

better go down

to see what

it is.

And the

result of

this human

desire to

reach God

is that human

beings are

scattered and

divided.

And so it

is that the

Bible teaches

that just as

with our

original parents,

Adam and

Eve, the

more that we

try to see

and be like

God, the

more that what

happens is

enmity and

division.

And we are

frail and

finite and

cannot fix it.

So what Paul

is describing

right here is

that Christ

comes down.

We who are

far off,

Christ comes

to where

we are

and dwells

among us

to accomplish

something that

we cannot

accomplish

ourselves.

It's described

here.

Look at

verses 14

to 16.

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 nullifying

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.

Some of you

might remember

that last

week I

described,

Paul gave

this very

powerful image

of how

every human

being is

like a

corpse.

Apart from

Christ,

I had

roses up

here,

and I

used the

example of

every human

being is

like a

cut flower.

The one

thing we

know when

a baby is

born is

that the

baby will

die.

That's just

as soon as

there's a

zygote.

It's just

we're like

cut flowers.

We're separated

from God

and we

will die.

And I

described how

Paul earlier

describes how

salvation works

is that

everything to do

with our

salvation is a

gift that

comes from

God.

Even our

speaking and

asking Christ

to come into

our lives is

something that

God gives us

the power by

his grace.

And Paul gives

these powerful

images that

it's as if

I'm lying

there dead

or I'm the

cut flower

and I ask

Christ to

come and

it's as if

Christ puts

his arms

around me

and holds

me and

completely and

utterly becomes

in a sense

we're both

different but

he becomes

at one

with me.

And I

described last

week how

on one level

of course

the cross

is something

that took

place once

at time

in history

but because

it's God

the son

of God

who has

taken on

flesh

who's

dying

it's also

something

which is

taking place

outside of

time and

therefore is

available to

everybody who

lives in

time.

And what

happens is

that Christ

comes and

takes me

who is

dead

and he

unites

himself to

me so

that what

happens is

on the

cross I

die with

Christ.

And after

the cross I

am co-made

alive with

Christ and I

am co-raised

with Christ and I

am co-seated

with Christ.

Christ and

in this

profound act

of identification

of Jesus

with me who

has come

down from

heaven and

is united

to me.

In this

profound act

of uniting

the sin

that deserves

punishment

becomes his

and the

righteousness

that is his

becomes mine.

And now

Paul takes

this further

image.

It's not

as if

there's a

Muslim way

to become

a Christian

and then

there's

a special

gospel for

Muslims.

And it's

not as if

there's a

slave's way

of becoming

a Christian

and so

there's a

gospel for

slaves.

And it's

not as if

there's a

citizen's way

of becoming

a Christian

so there's

a citizen

gospel and

there's a

male way

and a

female way

or anything.

No, no.

In every

single human

being there's

that same

thing.

But now

Paul takes

this very

very different

image.

Because the

fact of the

matter is I

don't know the

depths of my

own hostility and

enmity towards

others.

I don't know the

full depths of the

enmity that I have

at myself and my

past and different

parts of me.

I don't know the

full extent at which

I am at war within

myself, at war with

my wife, at war with

my kids, at war with

my church, at war with

the citizens, at war

with creation.

I don't understand the

depth of the

hostility and the

enmity that I have.

And what happens is

it's just almost as

if a parent who

loves their child

who's getting so

angry and they

just hug their

child and hug

their child and hug

their child until

the enmity and the

hostility and the

anger and the

screaming somehow

comes another to a

stop.

But in a far more

profound way that

Paul illustrates it,

the enmity that I

have towards God and

the enmity that I

have towards others

and the enmity I

have towards myself

that Christ

embraces me and I

become one body in

him and it's as if

all of that enmity,

all of that hostility,

all of that is

swallowed up by him

in his death upon the

cross.

Like some of us, as

we get closer to

Christ, begin to know

even now in small

ways on this side of

the grave, the ways

that our anger and

enmity and hostility

are swallowed up by

his love.

But when we see

Christ face to face

and the full depths

of our enmity and

hostility and anger

are made clear to us,

we will just stand

amazed at what Christ

has done for us.

It's all swallowed.

It's all consumed.

It's all dealt with

as he clutching us

to himself.

In all of the

divisions.

And he doesn't do

this just one way for

one group and a

different way for

another group.

It's just everybody

with their own

different hostilities

and their own

different differences

which we all think

are so important.

They're all dealt

with and swallowed

and consumed in

Jesus who's come

from heaven.

He's not finite.

He's infinite.

He is love himself.

He is light himself

in which the darkness

cannot survive.

He is love himself.

And it's a work of the

full Trinity.

You see this whole thing

about how Paul,

remember I said how Paul

has this other story

and you look here and

you'll see how the whole

Trinity is at work in this

profound act of peace.

Verse 17 and 18.

And Jesus 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.

See that?

The Holy, the Trinity

working together

through Jesus.

All human beings have

access in one Holy

Spirit to the one

Father.

See this is the

profound thing which

we see in the

Gospel.

We don't have to

puzzle over how in

a world where the

strong eat the weak

we should love one

another.

And we don't have to

puzzle over how we

can have this fervent

delusional idea that

we're perfectly good

yet at the same time

our friends say look

at how they hurt me

and we do these

wrong things and we

get upset with

people's pride.

In terms of how God

created human beings

to be we were made

to be at peace with

ourselves, at peace

with each other, at

peace with the

creation out of the

Father and the Son's

eternal love for each

other and the Holy

Spirit.

And in redemption we

see the Father and the

Son and the Holy

Spirit moving and

working to bring an

end to peace, to bring

an end to hostility and

enmity that we might be

at peace.

And then the text

continues to give us

an idea and an image

of what it will be

like as we live now

and as we move

towards the future.

Look at verses 19

and following.

So then you are no

longer strangers and

aliens but you are

fellow citizens with

the saints and members

of the household of

God.

Just pause here for a

second.

Paul uses the language

stranger as a legal

term in the Roman

empire as is aliens.

So strangers are

people who had no

rights whatsoever.

Zero rights.

Zero rights.

Aliens had in Ephesus

a limited number of

rights and protections

and obligations but

they were very, very,

very limited.

But you are fellow

citizens.

Citizen is the third

class.

I don't know what the

full statistics are to

the 250,000 people in

Ephesus.

A thousand only were

citizens.

I don't know how

many had the status

of aliens and how

many had the status

of strangers.

But Paul here says

this remarkable thing.

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.

So Paul gives, so the

congregation would have

had men and would have

had women.

It would have had

slaves and free.

It would have had

citizens probably and

non-citizens.

And it would have had

because it was a world

city and a port.

It would have had

people of different

races and different

ethnicities.

It probably had Romans

and Greeks and it

probably had some Jews

and it would have

had other different

people.

And what he said is

the way you have to

understand yourself is

that there's not a

slave church and a

citizen's church and a

black church and a

white church and a

woman's church and a

man's church.

The way you are to

understand yourself is

that given that Christ

has so embraced you,

so embraced you at the

deepest levels of your

soul and spirit, so

embraced you, become

closer to you than you

are to yourself, closer

to you than your own

breathing.

And in being so close

to you, the enmity and

the anger and the

hostility and the

jealousy and the pride

that you have is in a

sense swallowed up by

him and dealt with by

him in his death upon

the cross.

And a righteousness of

Christ which is not your

own, that his perfect

relationship with the

father, his perfect life

love and light, that

somehow now clothes you.

This has been so

powerful.

And it's not, and it's

how every single human

being is made right with

God.

And so God himself has in

effect for every Christian

created a brand new human

being.

And so how are you to

understand how to live?

You are to live in such a

way that you are modeling

to put to death the

divisions that the world

believes are so important.

Why?

Because whether you are a

slave in Ephesus or

whether you are a freed

man or a citizen, every

single one of you is

equally a citizen in

Christ's kingdom.

What else are you?

Whether you are a slave,

whether you are black or

white, whether you are

Greek speaking or Roman

speaking or some other

language, whether you are

old or young, every single

one of you in Christ should

understand that they are a

child in God's household.

Your father has a

household and you're all part

of it.

And then he gives this third

image and you are to

understand yourself as

that God has chosen you

and he's now made you a

living stone.

And he's chosen you and

he's chosen you and he's

chosen you and he's chosen

you and he's chosen you

he's chosen you he's chosen

you.

You're each living stones

and he's taking these

living stones.

He's taking them and he's

not making you like a

temple.

Doesn't say like he says he's

making you into a temple.

A temple

where he dwells.

One temple

that he's building

out of living stones.

And a temple is where people

go to meet God and it is through

that temple, these living stones

unworthy as we are

that the world can meet God.

You see one of the things

which is so interesting in this text

is that when he says

that Christ came and preached peace

to those who are far off in here

what he's saying is that

when you and I, when this church

when we proclaim Christ

it's Christ

proclaiming.

Because we're his temple.

So as we're gripped by the gospel

as we're truly gripped

by the gospel

as it becomes real to our hearts

all racism

and all prejudice

should wither and die.

And as we are gripped

by the gospel

as it becomes deeper

and more real to our heart

when we understand

what Christ has done for us

our desire to build bonds

of affection

between other churches

should grow.

And as the gospel

grips us

as we understand

that the story

which is the true story

of the world

and of the universe

is not that

the strong eat the weak

and somehow or another

we developed

but that the Father

and the Son

and the Holy Spirit

created human beings

and when we had fallen

and brought enmity

into the world

the Father and the Son

and the Holy Spirit

act to bring redemption

and out of that redemption

there is to be

this one new humanity

which is

every person who's in it

is part of God's one household

that we're all citizens

in one kingdom

that we're all living stones

in one building

and if you think about it

for a second

in the book of Revelation

you see that there is no temple

because the entire world

becomes in a sense

God's dwelling place

and we are in that world

so we know that

from the past

and the present

and the future

there is just

citizens in one kingdom

one new humanity

and that as we draw

close to Christ

racism and prejudice

should die

where the gospel

is not real

to our hearts

but when you stand

in such a story

gripped

by the wonder

of what God

has done for us

in the gospel

when we look at the world

when we look at the world

not only do we pray

for the bonds of affection

between churches

to increase

but if Christ

so acted

to bring an end

to hostility

so will I

so will I

so should we

please stand

Father some of us

know we have

anger problems

and

others of us

don't think we do

and some of us

Father know

that we struggle

with enmity

and prejudice

and racism

and class

consciousness

and some of us

don't realize

that those things

are probably

going on in our minds

and our hearts

and our lives

in different ways

and we give you

thanks and praise

Father

that Jesus knows

us better

than we know

ourselves

and that when

he unites himself

to us

that he comes

closer to us

than we are

to ourselves

and he knows

and experiences

the full depth

of our prejudices

and our angers

and our enmity

and our anger

and hostility

and he tastes it

full

with nothing

left out

and he deals

with all of it

in his death

upon the cross

out of love

for us

that we might be

your children

in your household

citizens in your

kingdom

living stones

in your temple

where you will dwell

Father we thank you

for the cross

we thank you

for Christ

make us disciples

of Jesus

who are gripped

by the gospel

learning to live

for your glory

and this we ask

in Jesus' name

and all God's people

said

Amen