Summary: How to get opposing groups to agree

INTRODUCTION:

Many people feel loneliness, isolation and alienation today. Some feel lost in the crowd, a nameless face in a sea of faces. Many people feel isolated, they may want to break out of this isolation, but they are paralyzed by the very idea of pulling down their masks and becoming real to others.

We were created to have companionship, we need love. Clubs, fraternities, societies of all types, and perhaps bars and their happy hours are the world’s ways of capitalizing on humanity’s need for fellowship.

Despite its outward appearance, worldly fellowship is rather thin and short lived. Let’s look at Ephesians 2:11-22 to see what the Church has to offer:

I/ START WITH TWO OPPOSING GROUPS

---> Ephesians 2:11-12

Wherefore remember, that ye in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; {12} That at that time ye 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:

A/ "Therefore remember" The "therefore" refers to the previous verse where we were declared to be "His workmanship". In order to be soft and pliable in the hands of God, we should "remember" from whence we came. In verse 4 Paul had said "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which He loved us" made us "alive together with Christ".

Here in verse 11 Paul reminds them of one of the visible distinctives that formerly had divided Jew and Gentile. Circumcision set the Jew apart from the Gentile. Yet in the new order through Christ, circumcision and uncircumcision had been rendered irrelevant.

Galatians 5:6 "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." In Christ the physical sign had been replaced by the circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 2:11 "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:"

B/ "Separate from Christ" The Gentiles were separated because they weren’t part of the nation to whom Christ was born. They were also separated by their unbelief.

"Excluded from the commonwealth of Israel:" In the first century most Jews believed God’s people were limited to the descendants of Jacob and were found only within the borders of Israel.

"Strangers to the convenants of promise" The covenant promises were given to Abraham. Genesis 12:2 "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" then, reaffirmed to Isaac.

Genesis 26:2-3 "And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: {3} Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;" The Gentiles had no experience with these covenant privileges.

"Having no hope and without God in the world" Paul was picturing people in a desperate condition. A great cloud of hopelessness covered the ancient world. Their religions and philosophies were empty and meaningless. So much so, that some felt it necessary to build a statue to the "Unknown God".(Acts 17:23). The phrase "without God" translates from the Greek word from which we get "atheist".

II/ BRING THEM TOGETHER IN CHRIST

----> Ephesians 2:13-15

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. {14} For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition ; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, making peace;

The contrast between "in the world" and "in Christ" could hardly be more pronounced. In the world the Gentiles were without hope and strangers to the covenant. In Christ they experienced what had seemed impossible. The Gentiles were brought near to God by the blood of Christ, and the barrier separating Jews and Gentiles had been knocked down.

"For He is our peace" It not so much that Christ brings us peace or gives us peace; He is peace. Since He is our peace, if we are truly "in Him" we are at peace.

"Who made both groups into one" How did He do this ? The traditions of the Jews made them different from the Gentiles. God’s desire is to bring people together "in Christ". Because of hurt feelings or differences in priorities, walls of division, separate people, then they began to mistrust each other and finally they dislike each other.

I heard about the couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. When the festivities were over, the woman turned to her husband and said, "We’ve been miserable for 50 years. We’ve fought every day. We’ve disagreed on nearly everything, and I am

convinced that we can’t keep going like this. I have made a commitment to pray that God will help us solve this problem. I’m praying that he will take one of us home. And when he answers my prayer, I’m going to live with my sister in Grand Rapids."

III/ GOD’S PLAN IS TO PUT THEM BOTH INTO ONE BODY

----> Ephesians 2:16-18

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. {18} For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

God’s plan is often repeated in marriage vows:

Matthew 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath [joined together], let not man put asunder.

"one body" The body here is the Church. Christ accomplished reconciliation through the cross, and by it He put to death hostility between Jew and Gentile. We know this is true, but we must ask why there are barriers to fellowship still existing today? We know the disunity is not of God. Anything we erect that creates barriers to fellowship among born-again believers is a work of the flesh and not of God.

"He came and preached peace" The Gentiles were considered to be "far away" from God and the Jews were considered to be "near" to God. Yet, Jesus needed to bring peace to both sides. Here I think we are talking about peace "with" God.

"we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father" The central idea here is that both have been reconciled to God rather than that both have been reconciled to one another. Yet if they now have one Father through the one way (Christ) and form one body anointed by the one Spirit, they of necessity will be reconciled to one another.

IV/ FOCUS ON THE ONE BODY RATHER THAN THE TWO GROUPS

Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner ; {21} In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

"fellow citizens with the saints" Accepted into the beloved. What a wonderful thing to be accepted. Everyone needs to be accepted.

Teenagers seek acceptance by their peers, athletes by their coach, workers by their boss, Christians need to be accepted by the beloved of God.

In Mark 9:42,it says "And whosoever shall offend one of little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were [cast into] the sea. " Do you think Jesus was just talking about children ?

Next Paul relates God’s family to a building, specifically to a temple. The readers were not the first stones in the temple, but they were being added to the stones already in place. Christ is the chief cornerstone. The cornerstone was the first stone placed in the building. It was used to align all the other stones. In this way it assured that the building would be built according to specifications.

In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul depicted Jesus as the foundation of the Church. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. "

"being fitted together" Each member has a particular part to play in the building of the Church. All are a blessing, from the newest convert to the aged saint.

"you also are being built" Remember that we are God’s workmanship and if there is any thing good about us, it is His doing. As living stones, we are being fashioned by the master stone cutter.