Ephesians 2:14–19 – We Are Family
You’ve heard me quote many times a book that has changed my life, which is What’s So Amazing About Grace? In it the author, Philip Yancey quotes Mark Twain. Apparently Twain used to say he put a dog and a cat in a cage together as an experiment, to see if they could get along. They did, so he put in a bird, pig and goat. They, too, got along fine after a few adjustments. Then he put in a Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic; soon there was not a living thing left.
In this area it might be Baptist, Pentecostal and Catholic. But you know, it’s hard enough sometimes for a Wesleyan, a Wesleyan and a Wesleyan to get along.
Pastor Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago says these words with passion: “The local church is the hope of the world.” And you know, if you think of it, the church really is God’s concept of community. It’s God’s idea. The church is to be a place where people can be real. Where relationships are formed and trusted. A place of refuge and accountability. When we invite someone to church, we really are inviting them to be a part of the community that God designed for each of us to enjoy. There is something attractive about safe, honest, and welcoming places. And the church can be that place!
One of the greatest desires of every human heart is to belong. From the nursery to the nursing home, we want to connect with others. Unfortunately, many people search aimlessly in the wrong places, looking for this security and connectedness. “Maybe if I make more money . . . Maybe if I was in a different relationship . . . Maybe if I changed jobs.” For thousands of years, humanity has been trying desperately to find safe, secure relationships.
Jesus was a relationship builder. He knew the importance of meaningful relationships and He gave the early church a model for true community: “Love your neighbor . . . love your enemies . . . give to the needy . . . forgive one another . . . do not judge . . .” (Matthew 6, 7). Jesus demonstrated a “one another” type of love that is so different from our “me first” society. Take a walk through the Gospels, and time after time you will see Christ demonstrating biblical community to the sick, the poor, the rich, the outcast, the religious, and the pagan. It was attractive then and it is attractive now to a generation who is searching for something of substance.
Quoting Bill Hybels again, “There is nothing like the local church when the local church is working right.” Hopefully, most of us know of people who were attracted to the church and its message because they saw the church doing what it is supposed to do. Sometimes the greatest evangelism tool we can use is to simply be an open, honest group of believers demonstrating the love of Christ. People not only enjoy this, they need it.
In his book on community, Everybody’s Normal Till You Get To Know Them, John Ortberg wrote, “Community—living in vital connectedness with others—is essential to human life. Community is the place God made us for. Community is the place where God meets us.” If community is so important and if it is a priority of Christ for everyone, then how do we invite others to experience it?
Let’s look at our text—Ephesians 2:14–18. Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus was to remind them that the priorities of Jesus Christ need to be our priorities. In the verses we’re looking at today we can see at least three illustrations of what Christ expects the church to be.
Priority 1: Peace (Ephesians 2:14, 17). If we want our hearts and our churches to align with the priorities of Christ, then we must pray: 1) That our churches would be peaceful places. Places of mutual respect, of one mind, and of one mission 2) That the peace of God would be evident in our lives. If He really is the “God of all peace,” then our lives need to reflect it. 3) That the message of peace would be clear to those who are searching. All of our programs, ministries, and evangelism efforts can introduce seekers to a peace like no other.
Anti-peace messages are coming at us from all angles at all times. There is often strife in the home and at work. Most media or news that we consume is filled with confusion and chaos. A by-product of all this unrest is that people are searching for truly safe places of community. People long for places where they can be real, take off their masks, and experience peace that is lasting.
In verse 14 of Ephesians 2 the Apostle Paul reminds us that Jesus Himself is our peace and in verse 17 we see that Jesus came to “preach peace to everyone.” As we pray for those who, as Paul says, are “far away,” we need to pray that they will see that the bridge that leads to peace is the Cross. It’s one of the beautiful ironies of the gospel: the violence of Christ’s death is exactly what brings us peace. Without Christ shedding His blood for our sins, there would never have been any hope of “peace on earth” (Luke 2:14). This is what “The Passion of the Christ” is all about: peace on earth.
In times of war it is a common practice to destroy bridges that are critical to the enemy. In a spiritual sense, the enemy of your soul wants to destroy your Bridge to peace—your faith in Jesus Christ. Biblical community begins to make sense to people when they see that the Cross of Christ is their bridge to peace and eternity.
Priority 2: Proximity (Ephesians 2:18). Community in Christ is not only evidenced by peace in the believer but also by communication with the Father. We have access to the Father. We live in a world that functions with lightning speed, all-day-every-day access to practically anything. But what if you want to access the Creator? What if you are searching for your purpose and meaning? What if a person is faced with a difficult or tempting situation? As we see clearly from Paul’s letter, Jesus taught and showed that in biblical community everyone can have access to the Father.
Think of all the offers you have encountered in the past week or so. Signage, commercials, telemarketing, direct mail, pop ups, and the list goes on. Every “offer” promises to be the best offer you have ever been offered. Have you ever tried something based on its advertisement, but then been disappointed at its actual results? Most of us have. We can become skeptical and weary of promises that may never be fulfilled. God has never failed to be all or more than He has promised us He would be.
As we pray for people not yet saved, we need to pray that Christ’s offer of “access” will become real in their lives. Pray that people will see and understand that through the Holy Spirit and because of Christ’s work on the Cross, we can have a direct relationship with God the Father. We can pray and communicate with God whenever we want to or need to. We can be guided through life by His Holy Spirit. We can gain insight and wisdom from God’s Word. And we can have the promise of eternity with Him in heaven, access gained through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Priority 3: Part (Ephesians 2:19). Verse 19 of Ephesians 2 is dramatic, powerful and exactly what many unbelievers are looking for. Because of what Christ has done for us and because of what the Father offers us, we can go from “foreigners and aliens” to “citizens and members of God’s household.” That’s a description of community and belonging. “I once was lost, but now I’m found.” That’s citizenship.
Heaven has an open door policy. We are invited to be a part of God’s family. God wants us to be in community with Him. The God of the universe invites us, the created, to join Him freely and to benefit from all of heaven’s rewards. God invites us to join His family. He adopts us. Now, thinking of our own situations, is our church a place where people feel like they can belong? Do we have an open door without stereotypes and stipulations?
An illustration for biblical community and how the church should welcome new people goes like this: Behave, Believe, Belong vs. Belong, Believe, Behave. Too often, when someone visits the church, the first thing we want them to do is behave the way we behave. Do they act like us, walk like us, or speak “Christianese”? If they behave the way we behave, the next thing we want to know is do they believe like us? Do they worship like us? Do they pray like us? If they behave and if they believe, then we will let them belong. That is backward to the approach Jesus took with people throughout the Gospels. When people come to our churches we must first help them feel like they belong. Because we have welcomed them unconditionally and made them feel like they belong, they will want to believe. After people believe, the Holy Spirit works in their lives to help them behave! That’s community. That is the passion of Christ—that people who are lost outside of God’s community would find fellowship and acceptance in the local church and choose to give their lives to Him.
For the next few moments, let’s quietly and prayerfully take a look at our lives and our church. Are we demonstrating biblical community to a searching world? Am I living a life of peace that would be attractive to someone who desperately needs peace in his or her life? Is it easy for people to connect in our church or do we hold them at a distance until they seem more like us? What changes does our church need to make to more powerfully impact our community? What changes do I need to make?
God, help us to be the church that You intended for us to be and help me to be a believer who behaves like You and helps others to belong!
(Most of this sermon comes from a pastor named Tim Guptill.)
