Fellowship Series

INTRODUCTION

• PC VIDEO- Berlin Wall.

• SLIDE #1

• Can you imagine living in a place where there was a dividing wall that you would be shot if you tried to get to the other side?

• I cannot imagine living under such circumstances.

• On June 12, 1987, when President Reagan encouraged Soviet leader Gorbachev to tear down that wall, I think many people thought President Reagan was crazy.

• I bet the people of Germany thought the wall would never come down, that their country would stay divided.

• That barrier had been there since 1961, I am sure it looked hopeless. In June of 1982, President Reagan said he would like to ask the Soviet leaders why the wall was there.

• November 9, 1989, the wall was torn down.

• This event was a time to celebrate for both Germany and the whole world.

• Today we are going to talk about a barrier that had lasted longer than 28 years, it was a barrier that lasted for centuries.

• This barrier was not really a physical barrier as much as it was a spiritual barrier, a barrier between Jew and Gentile, and between man and God.

• In the same vein as last week’s message, we will see this tension between Jew and Gentile, as when you first engage in the text it may be tempting to think that what Paul has to share with us has little to no impact on you today.

• As we follow the text, you will see that what Paul speaks of in this passage has a tremendous impact on all of us to this day.

• Let’s turn to Ephesians 2:11-22 together this morning as we that God reconciles people to each other through Jesus.

• And when we are walking in fellowship with God, we can walk in fellowship with other believers in spite of our differences.

• SLIDE #2

• Ephesians 2:11–12 (CSB) — 11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. Our former collective condition apart from Christ. (11-12)

• Once again, we see that YOU and WE language in this part of chapter 2.

• Verse 11 starts with the phrase SO THEN, or THEREFORE.

• This tells us what is being stated, ties back to the previous verses we examined last week.

• The fact that we are made alive in Christ.

• YOU represent Christians who came from a gentile background and the WE to those like Paul who had come from a Jewish heritage.

• The first barrier that Paul shares with us is a physical barrier that separated Jew and Gentile, circumcision.

• At the time of the writing of this letter, most of the Christians in and around Ephesus were by birth or physical descent, gentiles.

• Baby boys were circumcised when they were eight days old.

• Circumcision was a sign, a seal of the covenant first made by God with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-27) and later it was incorporated into the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:3).

• In verse 12, Paul reminds the Gentile Christians how poorly they were treated by their Jewish counterparts.

• The Jews were quick to tell gentiles they were not God’s chosen people.

• The Jews labeled the gentiles with the derogatory term “the uncircumcision” while they proudly labeled themselves “the circumcision.”

• Paul was not condemning the practice of circumcision, but rather the attitude the Jews had concerning the issue.

• Paul pointed out this act was done by human hands and by pointing this out, he inferred that to many Jews, this act had no spiritual significance spiritually for them.

• It was merely a religious act. (Romans 2:28-29).

• This physical barrier was also a spiritual barrier since the Gentiles were not a part of the citizenship of Israel.

• 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

• Verse 12 says at the time before their conversion, they were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God!

• These folks had no expectation of a Messiah, no forgiveness of sin, nothing.

• Before their conversion, they were as hopeless as hopeless could be.

• They were excluded from the citizenship of Israel. Since they were not citizens, they had no claim to the rights the citizens of Israel enjoyed.