Eph. 3:1-6 - The Mystery of the New Temple

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Turn with me, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 3, Ephesians 3.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

After a brief detour last week, we're back in Ephesians again this morning.

We're going to be talking about a mystery Paul writes about in these verses.

There's very little I love more than a good mystery.

I grew up on the Hardy Boys, read all of those that I could find,

and I still love a good intriguing drama with the suspense of whodunit and how's everything going to turn out.

The mystery Paul talks about is a little different from those,

but it's really good news for us.

Listen as he mentions this mystery three times in these six verses.

Ephesians 3 at verse 1, hear God's holy word.

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles,

surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you.

That is the mystery made known to me by revelation as I've already written briefly.

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

which was not made known to men and other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit

to God's holy apostles and prophets.

This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel,

members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but these words of our God will stand forever.

Let's pray together.

Father, our hope is that because these are your words,

because they indeed are living and active,

that you will be at work in our hearts this morning.

That's why we've come to put ourselves under your word,

to submit our hearts to it,

and we would pray, Father,

open our eyes that we might behold wonderful things in your word.

Do that by your Spirit, we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Our nation has been horrified this week

as stories have come from Oklahoma University

about a fraternity on a bus

singing and chanting very disgraceful racist words.

We've been horrified.

Rightfully so.

As new information has come out and new videos have leaked,

just can't believe that this is happening.

Most of the interviews I've seen say something like that.

I mean, it's 2015.

I can't believe that stuff like this is still going on.

And I can relate to that feeling.

At one level, I agree.

You'd think we could have left hatred like that behind by now.

But on the other hand,

it's not just one group of young people

that struggles with separating from others

based on a unique aspect of their identity, is it?

For others, it may not be skin color.

Think about the increasingly polarized state of our politics in this country.

Where identifying as Democrat or Republican

or actually neither but any other name you want to use

means that I'm not likely to work alongside you,

someone else of a different political commitment or affiliation.

But it distances me from you.

It identifies me as against you.

I can't work with you in many cases.

We see it to some extent with our country in general.

That we're Americans and so there's us and the rest of the world.

Some of them we even have names like Third World.

Two steps removed.

We're defined as Americans.

We find our identity often in our success.

Be that our lifestyle, our morality, our power.

Something that we feel sets us apart from everybody else.

And what you realize very quickly is that

we as people have a natural tendency to find our identity

in some aspect of ourselves that distances us from others.

From those who don't share that particular trait.

It can be race, politics, or nationality.

It can equally be many other things.

I remember when I was a child and desperately wanting to fit in.

To belong somewhere.

That the best way to do that was to find a group

that I could be a part of

and belong there where others didn't belong.

You could say things like,

I'm an athlete

and therefore I'm distinguished from others who aren't.

But I belong in the we're the athletes group.

That doesn't work for me anymore.

Unfortunately.

But I've just gotten more creative as an adult.

I think of other things that can set me apart.

Things that we look at that give us value.

That help us belong somewhere.

It could be our parenting philosophy.

We're good moms and dads who do things like this

and would never do that or say this.

Our educational level.

We honestly feel we're above some others

who don't know what we do

or talk as we do

or think the way we do.

Even our theological persuasion.

We've got it right and others don't.

Presbyterians are really good at that.

But regardless of what it is,

we see this tendency to find our identity,

our sense of belonging

in something about ourselves

and thereby separate or distance ourselves

from others who aren't described the same way.

Who don't have that trait.

And Jesus says,

not so among my people.

Jesus says the way it's supposed to work

is like this.

That the defining identity of my people

is not something particular about them at all.

It's that they're connected to me.

They belong because they are in Christ,

Ephesians has been saying.

And that that shared reality of being in Christ

connects them also to each other.

Even otherwise very different people

connected by that.

Go back and remember chapter 1.

Do you remember talking about

everything that happens in Christ?

Every spiritual blessing that is ours in Christ?

The new identity that Jesus gives us

because of what He has done?

Because He has given His life for us?

Now as we get to chapter 2,

what Paul says is,

it's not just a new identity for you.

That new identity in Christ connects you.

The fact that you're connected to Him

connects you to many others.

All His people are connected in Christ.

That's why we've been using this image

for this sermon series.

It's not just an image of saying

we're connected to God in Christ,

although that's certainly true.

But that reality connects us also to each other.

And so that arm in arm and hand in hand,

because of Jesus,

that's what His people are to look like.

And that's actually the mystery

that Paul is unfolding here in chapter 3.

That previously separated and disconnected enemies

like Jews and Gentiles

are now connected together

because of Jesus.

Look how he says it in verse 6.

The mystery,

he's going to tell us what it is,

the mystery is that through the gospel,

the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel,

members together of one body,

and sharers together in the promise

in Christ Jesus.

That's the mystery.

He tells us when Paul uses the word mystery,

it's actually different from the things

the Hardy Boys solve.

He actually is talking,

when he uses that word,

of something that is now apparent

and understood,

but that has been more hidden in the past.

Something that was less clear

than it is now,

and now it's more fully revealed.

In particular, when Paul uses it,

it means the truth revealed in a new way

in Jesus the Messiah.

That was previously less clear

in the Old Testament.

Look at verses 4 and 5.

In reading this,

you'll be able to understand

my insight into the mystery of Christ.

That's the Greek word for Messiah.

The one who's promised to come.

That's the mystery.

The mystery was not made known

to men and other generations

in the way that it has now been revealed

by the Spirit.

In other words,

something has come into focus better.

Something has been more fully revealed

than it was,

and it's something that happens in Jesus.

Now you know the Jews and Gentiles

had a great distaste for each other.

Jews viewing Gentiles as unclean

and unworthy.

Greeks largely viewing Jews

and any non-Greeks as barbaric

and not civilized like they were.

The animosity between these groups

was every bit as strong

as the racial tensions in this country

that I alluded to earlier.

It was race, ethnicity,

and religious heritage

all tied up in one.

Defining their basic identity

against the others

who were clearly not like them.

But you may also be thinking,

what does Paul mean?

This is a new revelation

of this mystery.

I thought the Old Testament

already talked about

the salvation of the Gentiles

and that that was part of God's plan.

And it was.

And it absolutely does

talk about that.

There are clues, so to speak,

all the way back to Abraham

where the nations are to be blessed

through God's people.

But the promised Messiah

is always pointed to

as the time things will really change.

Things are really going to be different.

And Paul's saying

it's even more dramatic a shift

than the Jews had realized.

Let me explain what I mean by that

by talking about the temple

for just a few minutes.

The temple's a huge issue in Ephesians

and the temple in Jerusalem

is a marvelous structure

in any iteration of it.

A wonderful work.

And this is one picture of it.

You see the big central location

there in the middle?

I'll describe that in a minute.

And then the courtyard

around the outside.

I'm going to show you a diagram

so we can talk a little bit more clearly

in just a minute.

But I want you to see the picture

because the diagram's going to lose

a lot of the grandeur and beauty

of this temple.

But there's the temple in Jerusalem.

And then let's look at the diagram

for a second.

Here's a diagram of the temple.

That large center structure

that you see is right at the center

of this diagram

with a dark black line around it.

It's called the Holy of Holies.

The very center of the temple.

The place where God dwelled.

It was holy because God lived there.

In the Old Testament,

that was where He took up residence

among His people

in the Holy of Holies.

And so that was the center

of the entire temple complex.

And near it,

surrounding that,

you had the court of the priests.

That next little block around it

where only the priests could go.

And beyond that,

you had what was called

the court of Israel.

Places where Jewish men

and women could come.

They could offer sacrifices.

There were altars there.

The worship of God happened there.

And Gentiles did not.

No Gentiles.

Too close to the presence of God

for Gentiles.

They couldn't come

into the court of Israel

where the Jews could come.

They can't get near God.

And so it's the outer courtyard,

the court of the Gentiles,

where they stop.

That's as close as they can get.

They're unclean.

They're unworthy.

They can't approach any closer.

They can't go in with the Jews

to worship their God,

to be near Him.

They're separated by walls

and stairs from the presence of God.

Unclean.

Unworthy to enter any closer.

Look back at the picture.

You see the walls

around that center area?

Do you see now

that this outer courtyard

is where the Gentiles were?

And huge, beautiful walls

and stairs saying,

you stay out there

in the courtyard.

That's where the Gentiles were

in the temple.

And they took this very seriously.

The penalty for a Gentile

entering the court of Israel

was death.

Paul, a Jew,

experienced this firsthand.

He says at the beginning

of our passage this morning

that he is in prison

for the sake of the Gentiles.

Verse 1.

What does he mean by that?

How's Paul in prison

for the sake of the Gentiles?

Look back at Acts.

Paul actually went through a lot

that had to do with the temple

to end up in prison.

If you look in Acts,

you'll find out that Paul

was in this very temple

we've been talking about

in Jerusalem

doing some purification.

And look at what happens.

Acts chapter 21,

Acts 21:27

verse 27.

The Jews from Asia,

from places like Ephesus,

saw Paul in the temple

and stirred up the whole crowd

and laid hands on him,

crying out,

Men of Israel, help!

This is the man

who's teaching everyone everywhere

against the people

and the law

and this place.

Against the Jews

and our law

and this temple.

Moreover,

he even brought Greeks

into the temple

and has defiled

this holy place.

They get stirred up

against Paul

to the point of,

look at verse 30,

what happens?

All the city was stirred up.

The people ran together,

seized Paul,

dragged him out of the temple,

shut the gates

and as they were seeking

to kill him,

the death penalty

for bringing a Gentile

into the court of Israel,

word came to the tribune

of the cohort

that all Jerusalem

was in confusion.

This is no small city.

The temple's big enough.

The whole city in confusion.

An uproar over this man,

Paul.

Now it turns out

that Paul hadn't actually

brought a Gentile

into the court of Israel.

But the message

that he's preaching,

they still can't stomach.

He's going to the Gentiles.

And that lands him in prison.

The prison, in fact,

from which he writes Ephesians.

They're still angry

at what they hear

he's been teaching

in places like Ephesians 2.

The message to the Gentiles

that the barriers

between Jew and Gentile

have been broken down

and that together

they're being built

into a holy temple

in which God lives

by His Spirit.

You remember that

from the end of chapter 2?

Jew and Gentile

now together

built into a holy temple

where God lives

by His Spirit.

And the Jews say,

Ridiculous!

Never!

Take His life!

Paul, you're removing

our very distinctiveness.

There's going to be nothing

that separates us

from them anymore.

You're destroying

our unique identity.

Maybe some of them, Paul,

could become

a little bit more like us,

but never this.

Wipe the temple out

and build a new one?

No way.

No way.

Do you hear what Paul's saying

in a passage like this one

in Ephesians 2?

Where at the end

of that chapter

he's saying

the whole group,

Jew and Gentile alike,

are going to be

a holy temple

to the Lord.

And he's going to dwell

there by His Spirit.

Do you hear what he's saying

when he says that?

He's saying

that the mystery

is not merely

that Gentiles

could now be invited

into the Jewish part

of the temple

near to God,

but that Jesus

was building

an entirely new temple

altogether.

A new structure

completely

with Jesus

as the cornerstone.

Now God dwells

not in Jerusalem,

not in a building

where He's contained,

but His presence

shows up in His people

who are connected

to Jesus.

Jews and Gentiles.

Amazing.

Something completely new.

The mystery

of the new temple

is solved,

Paul says.

It's fully unfolded.

The presence of God

used to be contained

in this temple

and now Jews

and Gentiles

and all sorts of people

are connected to Jesus

and are being built

into a new temple.

because the presence

of God

will be there.

And that's what

made the temple special.

That's why it was holy.

Because God was there.

Because He lived there

and now

He lives

with them.

And that makes

all the difference.

Being connected

to Jesus,

having the presence

of God show up

is now the thing

in common

that so supersedes

all the differences

you thought

were so important.

Now Paul says

the mystery is

that together,

together,

together,

Jews and Gentiles.

We don't even have

English words

for what he says

in verse 6.

In fact,

Paul's probably

making up

some Greek words.

What he does

is he takes

a prefix

for with

or together

and just throws it

on the front

of three different nouns.

So that Jews

and Gentiles

are now

heirs together

and members together

and sharers together.

How could you not

be a sharer together?

It's redundant.

It's for emphasis.

They're together.

Jews and Gentiles,

no distinction.

All of God's riches,

all the privileges

of membership

in God's people,

all the benefits

of His promises

now held jointly,

together,

in Christ Jesus.

That new identity

is so redefining

that the differences fade.

And what most matters,

what most defines us

is shared.

The Gentiles

aren't just

in the temple,

they're stones

making up

the temple,

right up alongside

the purest Jew

with no distinction.

You don't have

to be circumcised,

purified,

catechized

to be a part

of this temple,

do you?

Do you feel

the scandal in that?

Probably not a lot.

You're not a

first century Jew.

But that was radical.

That was a dramatic shift.

In fact,

I'll say it this way,

you don't have to be

American,

Southern,

Presbyterian,

or Republican,

do you?

It's a little less friendly,

isn't it?

We're just getting started.

Your religious heritage

doesn't define you

in God's temple.

You're not a more

honored stone

because your theology

is more accurate.

Your past is more pure

or your worship style

is more relevant.

You're not.

That needs to rattle

some of us

so that we see

where we've made

an idol

of something good.

Where we've found

something that's important

and we've used it

to find our sense

of identity

and belonging

and keep others

at a distance.

We find our identity

over and against

someone else.

But guess what else

is true?

You're not left out

or disconnected

or a less honored stone

because of the reverse

of these things.

Your history,

the past sins

you've committed

or sins that have been

committed against you,

they don't define you

in God's temple.

You're not left out.

You're not a second class

Christian.

There are no

second class Christians.

What defines all of us

is that because we are

connected to Jesus,

God is there.

God is willing

to dwell with you

despite the shame

you have from your past

or your present.

Isn't that good news?

God will dwell with you

and that makes

all the difference.

You belong.

Your identity

is found in someone

beyond yourself.

in your connection

to Jesus

and God's dwelling

in you by His Spirit.

He's in each of us

individually

and there are passages

that talk about that

but the idea

in these verses

is of the corporate temple.

All of us diverse people

together in Christ

are in one unified building

to house the very presence

of God

where God dwells

by His Spirit.

God dwells there.

Oh, if God dwells there

what sorts of amazing things

might happen?

Things we couldn't

otherwise predict

or expect.

I love it when we see

evidence

of these beautiful realities

in our local community

here at Southwood

in our relationships.

You can catch a glimpse

of it week in

and week out

in small groups.

Let me read you a comment

made by a Southwood member

last week

on our small group blog.

She wrote this,

Coming from a place

where commonalities

brought people together

I had my share of complaints

when I first came to Southwood

and felt so deeply

that these are not my people

but I've been astounded

at the grace of God

that unites those

who confess their need

and delight

in a Savior

who has rescued us.

When I look around

on Communion Sunday

I ponder this amazing gift.

People from different backgrounds,

ages, stages

and perhaps even understanding

of the Gospel

and I think

with humbling gratitude

these are my people.

We're brought together

because of Jesus

regardless of our differences.

Small groups

have been a valuable place

for me to discover

what true unity

is all about.

Amen.

We get a glimpse of it

in working alongside

our ministry partners

both locally

and globally

praying for someone

in South Sudan.

I was reminded

of this again

at the work day

last weekend

as I had the joy

of shoveling mulch

and pulling weeds

alongside brothers

and sisters

who live in different

parts of town

who have different

perspectives on life

and how they think

about things

who have different

skin colors

and who are part

of the temple

that God's included

me in too.

I got a glimpse of it

at Bible school

last summer

when I saw a video

of a retired

submarine captain

washing the feet

of young kids.

An elder in the church

but kneeling down

to those

I don't know

a lot of years

younger than he is.

Anything else

gives away his age.

Beautiful.

What connects us

is not age

or intelligence

hobby

or household income

it's Jesus

and so God

builds us together

and shows up

in remarkable ways

right in the midst

of us.

Imagine what God

might do

if he was really there

not just in these moments

not just in a few examples

I can give you

but through us

corporately

all the time

if he was there

where and how

are you experiencing

his presence

among his people

it's good isn't it

when you're a part

of that.

We've also got to ask

ourselves the question

this morning

not just where are we

experiencing it

but where are we

missing these opportunities?

Where is diversity

lacking

or a barrier

coming up?

Where are we

separating ourselves

from brothers and sisters

we should be

celebrating with?

Here's the rub

for us

God says

if I've taken up

residence there

if I've connected

them to my son

you dare not

back away

and disconnect

from them

if I'm willing

to dwell with them

you dare not

move further

away

don't rebuild

a barrier

Jesus has torn down

that's Paul's warning

to the Jews

and Gentiles

in Ephesus

with whom has your heart

built a barrier

that shouldn't

separate you

who doesn't

perform up to

your standards

who doesn't

get the gospel

the way you think

they should

I encourage you

to dig down

just a little there

when you think

about those questions

you don't have to

go far

what you'll likely

find

is the thing

or one of the things

you're using

to define yourself

so that you belong

and they don't

quite fit in

or measure up

you wouldn't

you wouldn't say

it that way

you're not

trying to kick

them out of heaven

or even the church

but be honest

with yourself

you think you're

a little better

than they are

a little worthier

a little more

important in the kingdom

you say I'm

I'm just more

mature

and you mean

I'm I'm more

valuable

others of you say

I'm more real

or transparent

you mean more

important

what's the thing

you're basing

that on

what's the thing

when you feel

that in your heart

that that's what

allows you to feel

that way

what makes you

belong more

or be

better

on the positive

proactive side

who are you

connecting with

moving toward

developing relationship

with who's

not like you

in age

perspective

marital status

race

church background

what barrier

are you proactively

continuing to push down

that tries to

creep up

remember

it's not just

okay

if a few of them

become a little

more like us

the gospel

says we have to

deal actively

with the thing

that makes us

feel we belong

and gives us

unique identity

and separates us

from them

that's an issue

in our hearts

that we must

deal with

I assure you

that Jews and Gentiles

didn't immediately

look and act

the same

just because

they all met

Jesus

in fact

Paul says

in some ways

they shouldn't

there are things

they shouldn't

do the same

people with

different backgrounds

and experiences

may dress

parent

act

speak

and so forth

differently

from you

but they may

well be rescued

by the same

Savior

and indwelt

by the same

Spirit

as you

and if we're

going to let

God tell us

what matters

what really

defines us

and makes us

belong

if he gets

to be in charge

of that

I hope he does

that's it

that's all

where he shows

up and dwells

that's what

matters

that's what

brings you

together

and he dwells

in the temple

the temple

built of those

connected

to his son

that's the only

thing that defines

them or makes

them belong

don't you make

a higher standard

than God has

we belong

with him

he says

we don't need

another club

to include us

one last thing

before we're done

this morning

for those of you

who are here

and thinking

to yourself

this just

confirms everything

that I thought

about the church

already

they're just

one more club

like all the rest

just one more

click with a

different set

of things

that set them

apart

separate them

from others

I hear that

concern

and understand

it

in fact

I've watched

it

and I've done

it

a lot of

times

found a way

to make myself

feel good

and thereby

separate

from others

a lot of times

churches

and Christians

act like that

separating

ourselves

from others

saying you

need to be

more like us

to belong

here

and be a part

of our

community

we've said it

with our

words

and with our

actions

and we need

to ask your

forgiveness

because among

other things

when we've done

that

we've lied

to you

about Christianity

we have

there's actually

a difference

with Jesus

from all the

other clubs

you'd lump

us in

with

there's actually

a difference

with Jesus

instead of

pushing away

and separating

from you

Jesus draws

near and

invites you

in

all of you

that's what the

incarnation

Christmas

is all about

and reminds us

of

that Jesus

moves towards

us and

enters into

relationship

he doesn't

stand far

off and

demand that

you be

better and

change to

get into his

club

he invites you

to come into

his family

where we're all

defined

not by something

about us

but by being

loved

by him

not by how

well we've

cleaned up

but by how

wonderful our

savior is

where we're

all dressed

in rags

until he

gives us

the perfect

robes of

his

righteousness

welcoming

inviting

safe

that's the

kind of

community

you should

find in

Jesus

followers

even though

you often

don't

and I would

say to you

this morning

don't let

that be

a reason

that keeps

you from

Jesus

instead

come help

us

help us

live and

love

others

more like

he does

may we

be a

community

where

finding our

identity

only in

Christ

binds us

to each

other

deeply

and moves

us towards

others

constantly

let's pray

to that end

father if

that's really

going to be

true of

me

if that's

really going

to be

true of

Southwood

if that's

really going

to be

true of

the church

of Jesus

Christ in

Huntsville

and around

the world

your spirit

is going to

have to

convince us

it's safe

to be defined

by being in

Jesus

not by all

the other

things we

love to

take credit

for

things about

us that we

feel like would

distinguish us

Holy Spirit

would you do

that work

would you

start here

in our

hearts and

in this

church and

would we be

a place that

indeed reflects

the welcoming

and inviting

heart of

our Savior

would we

find ourselves

completely

dependent upon

him

and on

nothing else

father send

your spirit

here do that

work in new

and different

ways moment

by moment in

each of our

hearts

we ask in

Jesus name

amen

for more

information

visit us

online at

southwood.org