The Power of the Cross - Number 2
Ephesians 2:11-19
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Series: The Book of Ephesians
(Prepared March 23, 2024)
Note: The previous sermon in this series was prepared for Memorial Day in the United States. This is a very similar sermon for any time of the year.
MESSAGE:
*Think about all the people who have helped you over the years. One of those people for me was Mrs. Lois Culver Jordan. She was the excellent, tough teacher who taught me in the 7th grade, 31 years after she taught my daddy in the 7th grade.
*Another very helpful friend is Richard Mencer. Back in the mid-1990's Rich owned a kiosk Christian Bookstore at the mall in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He also served on staff in a church up there. I got to know Richard through his in-laws at Emmanuel Baptist Church.
*In early 1997, I was going through the most discouraging time in my ministry. Then one day Richard called out of the blue. He told me that he was going on a mission trip to Ukraine that summer. He said they needed another pastor to go with them, that they had prayed about it, and felt like the Lord was leading them to ask me. Then Rich said he had shared this with the city-wide singles group he was leading, and they had volunteered to pay the $3,000 cost for the trip. I couldn't believe it!
*God did a lot of great things on that trip. But on top of everything else, He used that trip to give me a new burst of encouragement. God used those dear people to help me in an unexpected, wonderful way.
*But our greatest source of help is from God Himself! Psalm 46:1 tells us that "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble," and He surely is. In Acts 26 the Apostle Paul had been falsely imprisoned for at least two years. And Paul was called to appear before King Agrippa for one of the trials he endured. There Paul clearly explained the reasons why he had been falsely imprisoned. And in Acts 26:22-23, Paul gave this word of testimony for God: "Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.''
*Even though Paul had gone through more trouble than most people, he could boldly say that God had helped him all the way. Christians: Now we can look back and see many examples of God helping us. But the greatest way that God ever helps people is through the cross of Jesus Christ!
*There is no way that we can exaggerate the importance of the cross in our world. And as Paul speaks to Christians in these verses, God shows us what the cross of Jesus Christ can do in our lives.
1. FIRST: THE CROSS CAN PUT REAL HOPE IN OUR HEARTS.
*Paul reminds us of this truth in vs. 12-13, where he describes our lives before we trusted in Jesus:
12. . . at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ.
*Believers: Without Jesus, we had no hope. And I care enough about you to tell you that if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are without hope right now. But Jesus Christ can give you real hope. And Jesus will give you real hope, if you will trust in Him. But what is real hope?
*Pastor James Chandler helps us understand with a story from his early childhood. One Thanksgiving James was asked to say the family prayer at the big meal. And in that prayer he said, "Dear God, I sure hope the Oakland Raiders make it to the Super Bowl!" James remembers that prayer, because he found out real fast that it "wasn’t really appropriate." And James said, "As I grew, I also learned that real hope is not the kind of hope I mentioned in my prayer. Real hope is not a wish, but confidence in a certainty." (1)
*I like that definition: "Real hope is confidence in a certainty." Real hope, godly hope, biblical hope, is joyful confidence in something that is certain. That is the kind of hope Paul is talking about in vs. 12. It's confidence in the certainty of everything we gain when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior: The forgiveness of our sins, a place in the family of God, future perfection, a perfect home forever in Heaven, and much more.
*Jesus will give you this joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. But it came at the highest price for Him, and that is "the blood of Christ" in vs. 13, the blood that Jesus poured out when He died on the cross for our sins. But three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead! And when we receive the Risen Lord as our Savior, we have hope.
2. THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST CAN PUT REAL HOPE IN OUR HEARTS. IT CAN ALSO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN US.
*Paul highlighted this truth in vs. 11-15 where he was talking about Jesus and said:
11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands
12. that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ.
14. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us,
15. having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
*Jesus Himself is our peace! He "has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us." Pastor Jim Black helped us understand these verses when he said, "Remember that Paul is talking to Gentiles, like (probably all of us here today). 'Uncircumcision' in vs. 11 was a typical disrespectful term used by the Jews to describe the Gentiles. We Gentiles were considered to be God-rejected heathens, clearly not the people of God."
*And Jim said, "It would be hard to adequately describe in today's terms the bitter scorn that the Jews and Gentiles had for each other. It was far worse than the racial divides in America. The divide was racial, but extended far beyond race. It was political, but extended far beyond politics. It was religious, but extended far beyond religion.
*Other ancient Jewish writings refer to the Gentiles as 'fuel for the fires of hell.' In the Temple in the first century there was a literal dividing wall which separated the important part of the Temple, the Court of the Israelites from the Court of the Gentiles. Signs were posted in Latin and Greek to warn Gentiles not to go any farther into the temple under the penalty of death." (2)
*There was a huge wall between Jews and Gentiles. But the cross of Jesus Christ can turn the worst of enemies into best friends. And this matters to us, because there are all kinds of walls between people today. Think about your relationships in your family, at school, at work, and even at church.
*Satan does everything he can to build walls between us. He uses our pride, our prejudice, and our personal preferences to build walls. So the walls go up between husbands and wives, between parents and children, between Christian friends. But we must remember that Jesus is our peace. "He has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us."
*I am married to one of the best women I have ever met. But there have been times when enormous walls came up between us. There was no way we could get over the walls on our own, and sometimes we didn't even want to. But one time years ago, God showed me that I could stand on this verse. I asked the Lord to break down the walls between us. And by His grace, He always came through.
*Of course I realize that there are some impossible situations. There are those cases where no matter what you do, it wouldn't be enough. You could stand on your head for 24 hours a day, and it still wouldn't help, because the other person was not willing. That's why Romans 12:18 tells Christians, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." And remember the Lord's sad cry in Matthew 23:37, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"
*Yes there are impossible situations. But you keep trying. And you keep trusting in the Lord, because "He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us."
3. THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST CAN BREAK DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN US. IT CAN ALSO SAVE US FROM GOD'S HOLY HOSTILITY.
*Please listen again to what Paul said about Jesus in vs. 15-17:
15. having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16. and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
17. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
*"Hostility" -- That's the meaning of that word "enmity" in verses. 15 and 16. And yes, Paul was talking about the hostility between the Jews and Gentiles. But he was also talking about the most dangerous hostility of all, and that is the hostility between us and God. We must understand that God has a holy hostility toward sin. As Romans 1:18 says, "The WRATH of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness."
*God's wrath is real. And His wrath against sin burns hotter than the sun! So Hebrews 12:29 says, "Our God is a consuming fire." God's wrath is real, and it is on the way for those who don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. John 3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the WRATH of God remains on him."
*Only one thing could cool the fire of God's wrath, and that was the cross of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8-9 tells Christians that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from WRATH through Him."
*And when it comes to Christians, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 says that we "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the WRATH to come." 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 also tells believers that "God did not appoint us to WRATH, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."
*Many years ago an American missionary met one of his Indian converts on a forest trail. As they talked, the missionary said this to the younger Christian, "Tell me what your heart says about Jesus."
*The Indian stood still, paused awhile, and then replied, "Stop, and I will show you." Then he stooped down to gather some dry leaves into a circle, with an open space in the middle. The Indian found a worm, dropped it into the center of the circle, and set the leaves on fire. Flames quickly spread around the circle, and the poor worm began to feel the heat. He wiggled all around, trying to find a way to escape.
*Then the worm lay still, hopelessly exhausted. But the Indian reached out and lifted up the worm. Then he laid it on the cool ground, beyond the danger of the flames. And the young Christian said, "This is what Jesus did for me, and this is what I owe to him." (3)
*We cannot save ourselves. Only Jesus can save us from the fiery wrath of God. But it came at the highest price for Him. When Jesus came down to save us, He took our place. He took our suffering, shame, and pain when He died on the cross for our sins.
4. ONLY THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST CAN SAVE US FROM GOD'S HOLY HOSTILITY! BUT THE CROSS CAN ALSO GIVE US INSTANT ACCESS TO ALMIGHTY GOD.
*This access is a wonderful gift from God, and we see it in vs. 18 where Paul said, "For through Him (that is, through Jesus) we both (that is, both Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit to the Father."
*In other words: Through Jesus Christ, all Christians have access to God the Father by the Holy Spirit of God. When we trust in the Lord, we get instant access to God the Father in Heaven. We have "access." It's a great word, with two great word pictures in the original language. William Barclay explained:
*"First, 'access' was the regular word for introducing or ushering someone into the presence of royalty and God. Jesus ushers us into the very presence of God. And when that door is opened what we find is grace; not condemnation, not judgment, not vengeance, but the sheer, undeserved, incredible kindness of God." Praise the Lord!
*But there was another picture in this word 'access.' It's the picture of the safe harbor you desperately seek, when you are out on the stormy seas. When we trust in Jesus, we have reached the safe harbor of God's grace and peace. For through Jesus we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." (4)
*The cross of Jesus Christ opens the door into the presence of God. In fact, Jesus is the door! Listen to the Lord in John 10:7-9.
7. Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."
*You may never get access to the Super Bowl. (The average price of the tickets this year was $12,240.) You will almost certainly never get access to the President of the United States. But through Jesus Christ you can have instant access to God the Father anytime day or night! That's what our risen Savior did for us when He died on the cross. So in John 14:6, He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." (5)
5. THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST CAN GIVE US INSTANT ACCESS TO ALMIGHTY GOD. AND IT CAN MAKE HEAVEN OUR HOME.
*Verse 19 makes this clear, when it tells believers, "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." Christian, you are not going to be a stranger in Heaven! In this verse God gives us a double guarantee that we will belong.
*First, God gives us the guarantee of citizenship. By the grace of God I am a citizen of the United States. And I am so thankful for that! We live in a country where millions of people desperately want to get in, -- not out. Think about that. And I don't ever have to worry about being put out, because I am a citizen. But infinitely more important to me is that by the cross of Jesus Christ, I am a citizen of Heaven. And you can be too.
*But there is another guarantee in vs. 19, and it's the guarantee of family. "Now you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, we are born again into the Family of God! And when we go to Heaven, we will be going home. This is our sure hope, and it comes through the cross of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
*In March of 2007, I got to visit with a Christian lady named Jewel Ingram. We met in a hospital waiting room, while Jewel's niece was having surgery. That day, Miss Jewel told me about a wonderful experience she had in the hospital in the summer of 2006.
*Mrs. Ingram coded when she was in the hospital, and almost died. She told me that she actually got to the edge of Heaven and saw a vast multitude of people singing. She said that the music was the most amazing, beautiful music she had ever heard. And before she was resuscitated, Jewel saw a large, beautiful white horse. She looked to see who was on it, but the light around Him was so bright that she could not see His face.
*It must have been Jesus. But since it wasn't her time, Jewel couldn't see His face clearly. But Christians: Jewel got a glimpse of the glory of God that we will enjoy forever!
*Dr. R. G. Lee was one of the most famous preachers of the 20th century. He preceded Adrian Rogers at Bellevue Baptist in Memphis. Just before Dr. Lee stepped over into heaven, he had a vision of heaven. He had lapsed into a deep sleep, almost like a coma. Waking up, he reported that he saw into Heaven. He said that in the vision he saw the Lord Jesus, he saw his mother, and he saw that golden city. But when asked to describe what he had seen, this great preacher said, 'I can't describe it. -- My vocabulary is inadequate, and I never did it justice in my preaching.'" (6)
*Rodney Buchanan said, "I was tremendously impacted by a funeral I once had. The service was for the mother of a member of the church who was a great Christian woman. During the service, one of her former pastors stood to share his gratitude for the life of this woman. He was retired from ministry at the time.
*And he talked about losing his father and mother, his wife, and several friends. Then he sort-of looked up as though seeing something no one else could see and said, 'I now have more family and friends in heaven than I do here on earth. Heaven is looking more like home all the time.'" (7)
*There is no way we can really know what Heaven is like until we get there. But Christians, one thing we do know is this: It will be like home. And that's the way our Heavenly Father wants us to look at Heaven: As our indescribably beautiful home. But you can only do that if you receive His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Call on our crucified and risen Lord to save you now, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Sermon Central illustration contributed by James Chandler
(2) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Our Peace" by Jim Black - Ephesians 2:11-22
(3) Original source unknown
(4) Adapted from BARCLAY'S DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES - NT by William Barclay - Revised Edition - Copyright 1975 - First published by the Saint Andrew - Press, Edinburgh, Scotland - The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Public domain - "At Home With God" - Romans 5:1-5 - https://bibleportal.com/commentary/section/william-barclay/at-home-with-god-romans-51-5-8069
(5) TIME - "Prepare to Spend an Average of $12,240 on a Super Bowl Ticket" by Solcyré Burga January 30, 2024 - 4:46 PM EST - https://time.com/6590193/super-bowl-ticket-price/
(6) KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 20160 - SOURCE: Http://www.baptistfire.com/gospel/lee.shtml - TITLE: His Vocabulary Was Inadequate - AUTHOR: Dr. Adrian Rogers
(7) Online sermon "Thoughts on Heaven" by Rodney J. Buchanan - Revelation 21 1-7 - Mulberry St. UMC - Mount Vernon, OH - June 11, 2006
