1. This world of ours has known war.
a. Man against man… beginning with Cain & Able.
b. Nation against nation… beginning with division at Babel.
c. And to come in the last days, kingdom against kingdom.
d. This morning there are many wars being fought across globe.
In the over 3100 years of recorded world history, the world has only been at peace 8% of the time or a total of 286 years and 8000 treaties have been made and broken.
2. BUT BY FAR the most damaging, the most devastating, the most destructive war of all, is man’s fight against God.
a. Paul has described it for us already, life without Jesus:
b. (v1-2) Spiritual deadness, Spiritual Separation, Walking according to the course of this world.
c. (v2) Serving the god of this world Satan
d. (v3) Conducting ourselves in the lusts of our flesh.
e. (v3) children of wrath
Romans 8.6-8 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
NOTE: The carnal mind, the mind that is not renewed by Jesus, the mind that is living apart from Jesus… is at enmity with God.
· ‘Enmity’ lit. refers to the exact opposite of God’s agape love.
· There’s the military thought of actively fighting against God.
· Sometimes it’s a war of words… other times a war of action.
· But most often there is a wrestling going on… a battle for control… a war to gain peace in life…
Mary she knew she was a Christian now by looking at her bed. When asked why, she said, "Before, when I got out of my bed, it was all rumpled because I had tossed and turned all night. Now when I get out of the bed, it’s as smooth as silk."
She wasn’t wrestling or writhing anymore… she surrendered!
APP: God doesn’t want to fight with you, with me.
· He sent His Son Jesus Christ to provide the way of escape, the way of access to Him, an end to the fight once and for all!
· Look to Ephesians 2.14, He is our peace.
SO this morning the hope of peace, the hope of salvation, the hope of eternal life is found through Jesus Christ.
· Paul will take us through the end of this chapter from hopelessness to hopefulness.
· The road that he takes us upon is none other than Jesus Christ.
NOTE: The reason that is important is because there is so much talk today about heaven and the path to get there.
· Most people believe that ‘all roads lead to God’.
· That as long as you live a good life, and do good deeds, heaven is the natural reward for a life lived good.
· Jesus said this:
Matthew 7.13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
NOW, you might be surprised to hear me say this but…
· I do believe that all roads lead to God.
· Everyone will meet God when they die.
Hebrews 9.27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
· But some will be surprised… I would sat most will be surprised.
“How did HE get here?! Hey, she made it! Whoa, I made it!”
· Some will be surprised when God asks what they did with His Son Jesus Christ. “Why did you reject Him?” – Judgment.
· Others will be surprised when Jesus says:
Matthew 25.21 "His lord said to him, ’Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
NOTE: What we do in this life has eternal consequences…
· Which road will you choose? The life of enmity or of peace?
I. (2:11-18) Brought Near
1. (11) Therefore Remember…you were HELPLESS
a. Now wherever there is a ‘therefore’ we must look back to see what’s it there for… It’s a connecting word…
b. Paul is tying this section back to the last section in CH 2.
c. Don’t forget where you’ve come from Ephesian believers.
d. Don’t forget where you’ve come from CC Aurora believers.
Psalm 40:2-3 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth--Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
APP: It’s easy to forget the miry clay & horrible pits that the Lord pulled us out of.
e. SO He says, ‘you were Gentiles’, called Uncircumcision.
NOTE: The Jews had divided the world into 2 groups.
· The Jews & the Gentiles, circumcised & uncircumcised.
· A Gentile refers to anyone who is not a Jew.
· NOW Circumcision was a sign of God’s promise to the Jews.
· It was supposed to be an outward sign of an inward work but it was twisted into meaning that you could only be saved with it.
· Israel took this beautiful promise and made it an empty ritual.
Jer. 4.4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings."
NOW in our day, the equivalent of circumcision in the church would be the practice of water baptism.
· A person is NOT SAVED by water baptism…
· BUT he/she follows through with it in obedience to the Lord.
· It’s an outward sign of an inward work the Spirit has done.
SO Ephesians, you were outside of the family of God, you were worshipping pagan gods (like Diana), you were NOT serving the One True Living God…
2. (12) HOPELESS without Jesus.
a. This is a horrible condition of life.
b. This is why our hearts break over those who reject Jesus.
c. Without Jesus Christ… No hope and no God!
NOTE: It’s amazing to me to see the weird and goofy things people will believe after rejecting the truth of the gospel.
· There are so many devastating religions and destructive groups out there providing false hope and truly no hope at all.
· I think if REINCARNATION…
· Who would ever want to come back to this place?!
· There is a lot in this life that I’d rather not revisit…
· Like High School Algebra… or Chemistry… or Detention…
· What about the pain, suffering… misery… There’s no Hope.
3. (13) But now in Christ Jesus…
a. Every time there is a hopeless situation… Jesus solves it!
b. Look back again in 2:3-4… But God!
c. You were afar off have been BROUGHT NEAR!
d. How? By the shed blood of Jesus Christ!
NOTE: Term ‘brought near’ was very significant among the Jews.
· It was the same as the term ‘born again’ for us today.
· Someone who wanted to have a relationship with God would come to the priests and ask to ‘be brought near’.
Isa. 57.19 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "And I will heal him."
William Barclary - When the Rabbis spoke about accepting a convert into Judaism, they said that he had been brought near. For instance, the Jewish Rabbinic writers tell how a Gentile woman came to Rabbi Eliezer. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. "Rabbi," she said, "bring me near." The Rabbi refused. The door was shut in her face; but now the door was open. Those who had been far from God were brought near, and the door was shut to no one.
4. (14-15) He is our peace.
In v14 Paul uses a very vivid picture of a wall of division.
· For Jew and Gentile alike the Temple would come to mind.
· The Temple was surround by a series of courts, each one a little higher than the other.
· 1st Gentiles, 2nd Women, 3rd Israelites, 4th Priests.
· Finally the Holy Place itself.
· Only the first one could be occupied by the Gentiles.
· After that was a large and beautiful marble wall with a tablet.
In 1871 one of these prohibiting tablets was actually discovered, and the inscription on it reads: "Let no one of any other nation come within the fence and barrier around the Holy Place. Whosoever will be taken doing so will himself be responsible for the fact that his death will ensue."
And yet to this wall comes Jesus to tear it down!
· He Himself, the Person is our peace.
· Peace can only be made between people NOT policies.
John 14.27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
NOTE: The cross of Jesus eliminated the false barriers to God.
· Man likes to set up rules & regulations, barriers & blockades.
· Jesus came to tear those down and invite all to come through Him. Let’s turn to Matthew 27.50-51
NOTE: The veil was a woven cloth 8 inches thick.
· It’s not like someone could climb to the top and rip it…
· The veil kept people OUT from the Holy Place
But now, through Jesus, God ripped the veil saying that now you could be brought near… anybody can be saved.
a. (15) He abolished the Law’s requirements.
b. The Jews believed that you could only be saved by keeping the Jewish law.
c. That law had been worked out into 1000’s &1000’s of commandments and decrees.
d. Hands washed a certain way, dishes cleaned… etc.
But Jesus came to tell men that we can’t earn God’s salvation.
· God loves us and has provided the perfect way of escape… Jesus.
Galatians 3.24-25 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
5. (16) So that we might be reconciled.
a. Here’s the reason… to reconcile us to Himself and others.
b. Lit. “bringing together of friends who were estranged.”
c. It is the heart of God to make enemies friends.
d. Therefore putting to death the enmity…
6. (17-18) We now have access by one Spirit.
a. (17) He came and preached peace to everyone.
b. (18) And through that peace we have access to God.
APP: That is the Spirit’s message for us…
· You don’t have to fight against God any longer, living in turmoil and despair without hope and without God…
· Going from this sin to that sin, this person to that person…
· You don’t have to go to the bars for satisfaction.
· You don’t have to have sex or do drugs to find peace!
· No more working 16 hour days as a workaholic to hide from pain.
· He receives you this morning… reconciling… drawing you near!
John 6:37 (NCV) The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them.
Now Notice… we were brought near to be built up….
II. (2:19-22) Built Up Together
1. (19) You are now saints and members of God’s family.
a. (19) Once you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you’re in!
b. No longer ‘foreigners’. In Greek culture, a foreigner was one who was a visitor, one who really wasn’t welcome and they were made to feel that way by the locals.
c. No longer ‘strangers’. Strangers were those that lived in the culture but never really made it home. They paid taxes, enjoyed the privileges but never put down roots.
d. Both were treated as outcasts in society!
e. But Jesus brings us near…
f. We now have the privilege of being full citizens in the kingdom of God!
I read about a man who was staying in a strange city. He was lonely and feeling friendless. He used to walk the streets at night and sometimes he would see through an open kitchen window a family sitting at the table enjoying each other’s company. Then they curtain would be drawn and he would feel shut out and lonely in the dark.
APP: That should never happen in the family of God. Even more so it should never happen in the church.
· Through Jesus there is a place for everyone in His family!
SO here we are this morning as a family… we’re not a corporation, not a organization, we’re a family… brothers & sisters in the Lord!
· Families are interesting aren’t they? NOT PERFECT.
· As a family can we trust each other’s word?
· Will you give me an honest deal if I come to buy something from you as a Christian businessman?
· Will we turn the other cheek to each other?
· If you need my shirt will I give you my coat?
· Will you go out of your way as you realize that we are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
APP: This is how the devil does great damage in the church getting the family to fight & finagle & flee the family.
· Hey the greeter offended me this morning… I’m out of here.
· Hey I couldn’t get to the donuts… I want a new family!
· Oh how we need to stand together at fellow citizens…
· Ready to go through thick and thin together!
· We are family and nothing is going to get in between us!
f. (20) How encouraging it is to know our foundation!
g. What a solid foundation to build your life upon.
h. Let’s turn to Matthew 7:24-27
APP: We can try other foundations. We can build & build & build.
But if we not in line with the desires and will of God… great fall!
1 Cor. 3.11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
2. (21-22) The whole building joined together.
a. (21) From God’s view, the building he’s interested in is you.
b. You are built on the message of the apostles & prophets.
c. On the chief cornerstone Jesus, you are an important part of the building of God… the Body of Christ.
d. Notice… He’s the one doing the work.
Psalm 127.1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
Matthew 16.18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
It’s incredibly comforting to know that Jesus is at work in our lives.
· That we, are his poema, His workmanship…
· That He is taking us and fitting us perfectly with one another.
· And that in our church… in our homes… in our bodies…
· The Spirit of God dwells!
But you see, you have to believe to become a part of the family.
· As Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born again…
· It can all be settled today… I don’t want you surprised when you stand before God.
A Christian man was out hunting one day when he was approached by a large and hungry bear. He took off running and the bear gave chase. He finally came to a tree and climbed it as high as he could and was holding on to a limb. The man began praying, “Oh Lord help me, get me out of this!” By this time the bear was shaking the tree and the limb started to break. The man knew he was going to fall and as he fell in the air he prayed , “Lord, I just pray that this is a Christian bear. Please let this be a Christian bear.” He landed in the bears arms. The bear looked down on him and then lifted his eyes up and said, “Lord, please bless this food in Jesus’ name, Amen!” What a surprise… the bear was a Christian after all!
Don’t be surprised… You can know that you know you’re saved
