Horizontal Reconciliation

Horizontal Reconciliation

I downloaded Tik-Tok this week, and lost any hope I had for mankind.  I saw two extremely different narratives, 

1. I saw all the left leaning stuff.  Preferred gender pronouns, (people self Identifying as animals or inanimate objects), Black lives matter, abortion rights, etc…  A Lot of anger, and moral decay.
2. Then on the other side I saw the right leaning stuff… This type of Christian nationalism, that places the constitution on the same level as the Bible. Who combines Christianity and American patriotism into this quasi-Christian, God/Guns/Glory mentality. A Lot of arrogance, and moral superiority.
   1. And as I thought more about it, I was struck this week about how amazingly close this lined up with the Jewish and gentile culture of Jesus day.  
3. The red headed step child of Ephesians 2.  But it speaks to the nature, the makeup, of the church of God that he will be addressing for the rest of the book.  This passage is taking us from an individual personal salvation to a corporate body.  The saved PEOPLE of God. 

Ephesians 2:11-22

Context/Story

• The Uncircumcision – a slang term for gentiles made by Jews – “uncircumcised philistine”
  • 1st Samuel 17:26b – who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
• Gentiles – Godless Pagans – That was you, unless you have Jewish blood, this is your heritage.  In the Bible, our ancestors were all the enemies of God.  Pharaoh, Goliath, Nebuchadnezzar,  all Gentiles.  If this were an old school western, our heritage would be all the guys in the black hats. 
• Jews – Prone toward Pride, and arrogance.  The Bible is about us, and our family, Our ancestors are the ones God chose.   In order to get close to God, you need to get circumcised, celebrate our holidays, change your diet, and adopt our culture.  

Separated From One Another (Vs 11-12)

• Explain
  • Jews and Gentiles have never really gotten along.  
    • The hostility was so deep, that if a Jewish man or woman came across a gentile woman who was struggling to give birth, they were told not to assist her because you would be bringing another gentile into the world. 
    • And if a Jewish person fell in love with a gentile person and they got married, a funeral would be held, and that person would be considered dead by the family.  
      • Some Jewish leaders said, “The only reason God made gentiles was he wanted kindling for Hell”  
  • Jews and gentiles have never really gotten along, Even today, If you go to Israel, there are walls everywhere.  Tensions are always high, and everyone is wondering when the unstable peace is going to be broken next.
    •  Nobody seems to be able to get along.  Except (The only time) when they become Christians.  
  • The difference between black and white is miniscule compared to the difference between Jew and gentile.  Because with Jew and Gentile, the differences were established by God himself.  
    • Vs 12 – remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
      • They were not just outsiders related to another ethnic group.  It was not just that the gentiles were having to deal with systems that were oppressing them.  It was not just that the Gentiles did not have access to wealth or positions of power.  No they were separated from GOD HIMSELF.  They had no hope.  What compares to that?  Nothing.  No amount of oppression, no amount of slavery, or microaggressions measures up to the reality of being separated from God.
• Prove
  • Deuteronomy 32:8-9 – When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind,  he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.  9 But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
  • Ezra/Nehemiah – Separation from the People of the surrounding lands and from their wives.
    • If God can reconcile those who have real, God ordained differences between them, He can certainly reconcile those who have arbitrary and artificial differences between them.
• Apply
  • The problem is with how we identify ourselves:
    • Race – Black/White
    • Wealth
    • Preferred Pronouns – He/Him, They/Them, Cat/Catself
    • Sexual Preferences – Gay/Straight
    • High Calorie Individuals
    • Degrees achieved
    • Vertically challenged
      • These divisions we are creating are over things that God did not intend for us to divide over, These classifications are absolutely arbitrary.  
        • and some of these are more overtly sinful than others, but make no mistake, finding your greatest identity in any of them is Sinful.  Because…
  • When we place our identity in anything other than Christ, we make an idol out of that thing in our lives.

Peace with God (Vs 13-17)

• Explain
  • Vs 14 -Temple language – Gentiles could only go so far in the temple courts 
    • The Holy of holies, The holy place, the court of the priests, the court of Israel, The court of women, THE GREAT WALL (5 feet thick, 20 steps lower, Signs at every entrance) the court of the gentiles.
    • The sentiment of the day was that the Jews had all these things that drew them closer to God, and Jesus needed to come so the Gentiles could be brought into the Jewish religion.  “We have the stuff, you have to get to where we are, in order to get to God!” “You have to become a Jew before you can become a Christian.” But that is not what happened. 
    • Peace to those who were far off, and peace to those who are near.  
      • The Gentiles needed peace, and so did the Jews, and so Christ came and spoke out against the sinful practices of the gentiles, and spoke out against the sinful practices of Jewish culture
        • And gave up his life for both!
• Prove
  • Matthew 27:50-51 – 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.  51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
    • The gentiles did not become Jewish.  They did not adopt the culture of the Jews, and the Jews did not become Gentiles.
    • They all became something completely new.  Jesus broke the entire system, and created a new one.  No more walls, no more barriers, no more hostility.  THE PEACE OF GOD!
• Apply
  • When we receive Christ, He is our new identity.  And He creates in us a new culture, different from white culture, different than black culture, different from American culture.  It is a Jesus culture that supersedes them all.  There is no front of the bus, no back of the bus, no first or second class Christianity.  
    • It is a better culture!  Don’t expect others to adopt your way of life!  You adopt Christ’s way of life!  Everyone adopts Christ’s way of life!
    • This is why it doesn’t matter how you identified yourself before.  You give up all that (Trans, They/Them, Non-Binary, Cat-self).  You were bought with a price, and now your identity is Christian!  Peace with God changes everything!
  • This peace is not the kind of peace where two warring armies declare a ceasefire.   The reconciliation that Christ brings has made us both one.  We are no longer even different people, we are one new man.  This reconciliation makes us so unified together that we are family.  Brothers and sisters.
    • And stronger even than that!  Because if you have been a Christian for awhile, you know that there are people in the kingdom of God who are far closer to you than your blood relatives in some cases.
      • Blood is not stronger than the cross.

A Holy Temple (Vs 18-22)

• Explain
  • Vs 18 – Access to the father – Back to that temple language – It used to be that there was a Temple on a hill, traveled for miles, washed themselves, wore white, sang songs of ascent, Paid money, Made an offering, blood would be shed,  repent of their sins, all in order to get access to a priest, who has access to the high priest, who has access to God.  
    • But now, it is free, no traveling, no bathing, no bulls or goats, no mediator necessary.  You have better access than they ever did through Jesus Christ.  
    • Hebrews 4:16 – Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
    • Everyone is wondering, “Do we need to go to the temple?”  No You are the temple. 
      • You don’t need to go anywhere, Jesus comes to be with you. 
  • You have been reconciled… How?
    • By following the right philosophers?  By feeling sorry enough about what your ancestors did to someone else’s ancestors?  By having enough of your grievances addressed?  No – The blood of Christ.  We should not dare to add to that.  The blood of Christ is enough.  Trying to achieve reconciliation through other means is impossible.  Because if the blood of Jesus can’t do it, your actions definitely cant.  
  • But that is the good news!  We don’t have to achieve racial/social reconciliation; it already exists.  It has been achieved already.  
    • No more wondering how do I make peace?  Share Jesus, He makes the peace through His sacrifice.

Conclusion

Vs 21-22 – Christ is the cornerstone of this temple.  The Prophets and apostles are the foundation.    God is still building His building.  The question I would like to leave you with is this: What part are you playing in it?  

• We are starting a campaign here at Celebration called “Advance the Kingdom Campaign”.  You can read a bit more about it in your bulletin, but each week we will explore a different area of ministry, of building, of Growing (just as Ephesians 2 says), that God has given us as a church.  Our encouragement to you, is that you would consider, That you would pray about… joining us in faithful service to advance the kingdom in this world. 
  •  “Ya know Brandon, I am not interested in serving”  
    • You haven’t even prayed about it yet.   
  • “I’ll serve anywhere but childcare”
    •  Careful what stipulations you put on God, because he has a sense of humor.”
  • “Brandon I am already serving”  
    • Thank you so much! We love you and all those who make this church what it is each week.  But even you, I would encourage you to be praying about how God may be moving you in new ways toward the fullness of your calling.  

As we close this morning, as we sing, let’s remember all that God has done, and consider what we are to do as a response to such a great God.