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He Himself Is Our Peace

June 25, 2017 · Ephesians

Scripture referenced 11 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

  • Ephesians 2:11-16 covered the previous week, recapped at the start of this sermon

    11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision”, (in the flesh, made by hands);

    12 that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

    13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

    14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

    15 having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

    16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

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Ephesians 2:11-22

the main passage for this sermon, read and worked through in three sections

11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision”, (in the flesh, made by hands);

12 that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

15 having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

20 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

22 in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

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Micah 5:1-5

quoted as the Old Testament source for 'he shall be their peace', applied to the Messiah

1 Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

3 Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

4 He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5 He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land, and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.

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1 Corinthians 1:18

cited to contrast how the message of the cross appears foolishness to those perishing but is the power of God to those being saved

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.

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Romans 1:16

referenced as saying the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe

16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

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John 1

first disciples called, noted as coming from a Jewish background

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.

6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.

9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.

11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.

12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’”

16 From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.

17 For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

19 This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.”

21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”

22 They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24 The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees.

25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

26 John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know.

27 He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.”

28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’

31 I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.”

32 John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.

33 I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

34 I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

35 Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,

36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”

39 He said to them, “Come, and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).

42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).

43 On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”

50 Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!”

51 He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

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John 2

wedding at Cana, first disciples believed because of the miracle

1 The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.

2 Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage.

3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.”

4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”

6 Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece.

7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” They filled them up to the brim.

8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it.

9 When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom,

10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11 This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.

15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew their tables.

16 To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”

17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”

18 The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”

21 But he spoke of the temple of his body.

22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.

24 But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone,

25 and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

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John 3

Nicodemus comes at night, called a teacher of Israel

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’

8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?

11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.

12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13 No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.

21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”

22 After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized.

23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.

24 For John was not yet thrown into prison.

25 There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.

26 They came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”

27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.

28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.

33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.

34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.

35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

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John 4

Samaritan woman at the well described as far off, Jesus notes Samaritans worship what they do not know

1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John

2 (although Jesus himself didn’t baptize, but his disciples),

3 he left Judea, and departed into Galilee.

4 He needed to pass through Samaria.

5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.

6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water?

12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’

18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.

22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.

23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers.

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.”

26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.”

27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?”

28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people,

29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”

30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him.

31 In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”

33 The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.

35 Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.

36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

37 For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’

38 I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I did.”

40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days.

41 Many more believed because of his word.

42 They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

43 After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.

44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.

46 Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”

49 The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

51 As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!”

52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.”

53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house.

54 This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.

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John 5

paralytic by the pool, described as probably near

1 After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water;

4 for an angel went down at certain times into the pool, and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.

5 A certain man was there, who had been sick for thirty-eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.”

8 Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”

9 Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

10 So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”

11 He answered them, “He who made me well, the same said to me, ‘Take up your mat, and walk.’”

12 Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat, and walk’?”

13 But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

16 For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.”

18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise.

20 For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.

22 For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son,

23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.

24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

25 Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live.

26 For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.

27 He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.

28 Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice,

29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.

30 I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

31 “If I testify about myself, my witness is not valid.

32 It is another who testifies about me. I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true.

33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

34 But the testimony which I receive is not from man. However, I say these things that you may be saved.

35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John, for the works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent me.

37 The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.

38 You don’t have his word living in you; because you don’t believe him whom he sent.

39 “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.

40 Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.

41 I don’t receive glory from men.

42 But I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in yourselves.

43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 “Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope.

46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me.

47 But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

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John 6

feeding of the five thousand, crowd described as both near and far

1 After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias.

2 A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick.

3 Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples.

4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?”

6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may receive a little.”

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,

9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11 Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired.

12 When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.”

13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.

14 When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.”

15 Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,

17 and they entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.

18 The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing.

19 When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.

20 But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

22 On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone.

23 However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

26 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

28 They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

30 They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do?

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”

32 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven.

33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

34 They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

36 But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe.

37 All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

39 This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.

40 This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

41 The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.”

42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’”

43 Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves.

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.

46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.

47 Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.

48 I am the bread of life.

49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his…

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

The pastor preached through Ephesians 2:11-22, finishing a passage he had cut short the week before. He traced three connected ideas: what it meant to be far from God before Christ, what it means to have peace with God and with other people now, and what it means for the people of God to be the actual dwelling place of God together.

What was said

Paul opens this section with the only imperative he uses in the first three chapters of Ephesians, and he uses it twice: remember. He wants his Gentile readers to hold clearly in their minds what life looked like before Christ. They were separated from the Messiah, alienated from Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope, and without God in the world. The faithful Jews had Torah, temple, and the dwelling presence of God. The Gentiles had none of it.

The turn comes in verse 14. "But now, in Christ, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." The pastor noted that "for he himself is our peace" is not a new idea Paul invented. It echoes the prophet Micah, who wrote that the ruler coming from Bethlehem "shall be their peace." Paul is saying the Messiah has arrived and done exactly what was promised.

That peace works in two directions at once. It reconciles people to God, and it breaks down the wall between people who were hostile to each other. The pastor was direct about what this means: if someone wants to hold on to an us-and-them posture, or to maintain racism, there is nowhere in the New Testament to hide. The cross killed that hostility. Gentile-flavored Christians and Jewish-flavored Christians, Paul says, are made into one new man.

To show how Paul makes this point, the pastor pointed to the Greek word oikos, meaning house or household. Paul rings that word and its relatives through the passage repeatedly, household after household after household, until the image is unmistakable. People who were once aliens and strangers are now fellow citizens and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

The cornerstone sets everything else. The pastor compared it to the massive stone at the temple, off of which every other stone in the building is aligned. God is doing the same thing with people who believe in Jesus, fitting them together the way a tile worker cuts and trims pieces until they sit right. The whole structure is being joined together and grows into a holy temple, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The word Paul uses for that dwelling place is one of the oikos family words, a habitation, the place where someone is at home. God is making his home in the people He is building together. The pastor connected this to the word ecclesia, the Greek word behind the English word church: called out from the world and called into the household of God. The New Testament, he said, knows nothing of lone-ranger Christians. We are being built together, and that togetherness is what the church is.

He closed by looking ahead to chapters four through six, where Paul will move from being to doing. Right now Paul is saying: remember what you were, understand what God has made you, and know that you are part of something God is actively building. The question the pastor left hanging was whether someone would rather have God work through their obedience or in spite of their disobedience. If a person really understands that they were dead in sin and have been raised up into Christ, he said, they will want that for everyone else still in that condition, and they will do whatever it takes to see it happen.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

  1. The pastor mentioned that the only imperative in the first three chapters of Ephesians is the word 'remember,' used twice. What do you think Paul wanted believers to actually feel when they remembered life before Christ, and why would that matter for how we treat people who don't yet know God?
  2. The pastor said that if you want to maintain racism, 'there is no place in the New Testament for you to hide.' Where do you feel the most resistance, personally, to the kind of unity across cultures and backgrounds that Paul is describing in this passage?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Read the full transcript 6,067 words
0:00 Speaker 3Hey. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. It's good to see you. What a gorgeous morning.
0:05 And we owe it to our creator. He's created everything. In him, we live, we move, we have our being. So what do you say we stand up, we give him praise? Alright.
0:23 All creatures,
0:24 Speaker 2all creatures of sound great. Let's sing more. And let all things their creator and worship him in humbleness. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
2:17 Praise, praise the father,
2:53 Speaker 1Few announcements this morning. It's a busy, busy summer. Have you noticed? Yeah. This town's kind of full too, isn't it?
3:00 So, we have announcements. Carl, we have a night of worship tonight. You wanna explain a little bit about that?
3:08 Speaker 3Yep. So few churches, Presbyterian Church, our church, tribe church, and we're all getting together at the Presbyterian Church from seven to nine just for an all church worship night. It should be a lot of fun, and we'd love to love to have you. So now the door's open. Seven to nine.
3:25 Speaker 1Seven to nine. Alright. Child care provided for kids zero to four. So that's happening tonight, seven to nine at the Pres Church, and we actually got a chance to sing out at the Hootenanny this past week. And Alyssa Hunter joined us and Kenny from the Prez Church joined us, and it's it's great.
3:42 That church unity thing really is cool. You know, it's fun. So we have Monday nights going on at First B. Monday nights at First B happening tomorrow night.
3:51 Speaker 3Yep. Meal music message. So, no, the door's open for that too. There's burgers and dogs on the grill and
3:58 Speaker 1Burgers and dogs on the grill. We're having the kitchen remodel still going on, but we're not stopping. We're going forward with everything that normally happens. I've got a few more announcements for things upcoming. One is Run Ministries with Eric and Becky Watt.
4:10 This is one of the most fun evenings of the year, I promise. 07/09/2017, he'll come out here and they'll share. He and Becky together will share what's going on in the world, Reaching Unreached Nations Ministries with Eric and Becky Watt, and that'll be July 9 in the evening. There's a gala for Turning Point on July 13. That's a Thursday evening.
4:33 It's up at the top of Spring Creek Ranch, so it's up on top of the Butte there. It's a beautiful, beautiful time. If you have not already made arrangements for being there, there are a lot of us here who have tables, and there may be some spots left at the table. So just contact Diane or me or Alyssa or Judy Bacy, and we should be able to find you a spot.
4:53 Speaker 2Am I supposed to do? Talk to him. Talk him out of joining the marines. Just say to him, Ralph, I was wrong. Wrong?
5:03 The Fonz is wrong. You got your boss. I don't gotta do nothing.
5:07 Speaker 3But I
5:08 Speaker 2tell you what, I mean, I'll think about it. I'm even gonna have to practice this. Ralph, I was willing. It's kinda stuck in my throat, dear. Stuck in my throat.
5:27 Ralph, look. I was with him. I was not. So
5:40 Speaker 1the speaker that's gonna be at Spring Creek Ranch for the Turning Point Gala is also gonna come here on Saturday after that. So July 15 here. It's gonna be from nine in the morning till like three or 03:30 in the afternoon. We'll have lunch provided. If you wanna come here, Relational Wisdom three sixty is Ken Sandy's ministry and Ken Sandy is the guy and right now or this week at least, he is talking to congress.
6:05 Think about that for just a second. Relational Wisdom three sixty, they've invited a man to come teach them how to get along. I'm that actually encourages me on a lot of fronts right there but Relational Wisdom three sixty, it's happening here nine to 03:30 on July 15. I want to say a huge thank you. It it is not decorated like Vacation Bible School right now.
6:26 It was last Sunday when we were here. The volunteers, y'all did a great job of being here. Blake is going to flip through some pictures. We cannot get the video to do what the video wants to do but we're going to flip through a few pictures here. They had Hero Central in this building for the past couple of days.
6:46 So, Friday night and Saturday. Hey, that's good. There's music too. You want to watch that for a little while? It's been fantastic.
6:56 Volunteers, there they are leading upfront. Geraldine and Melissa, they did a great job. Lots of kids. We have volunteers with every class all around. Guys, girls, young, older, not old.
7:09 And it was a lot of fun. So thank you very, very much. I thank you to Liz and everybody that volunteered and we had everybody there. Like, I am gonna go forward in with the other, if you can do that. Liz is our new children's ministry director.
7:31 Y'all know that. But our outgoing children's ministry director is Christa, and I want to just say thank you. Can I invite Christa up? I gave her fair warning. There she is.
7:42 I know that you're you're kind of you're much more behind the scenes. Yes. Gal. Thank you. For five years.
7:49 Speaker 2Thank you. You, Ray.
7:52 Speaker 1We love
7:52 Speaker 2you. Thank you. So
7:58 Speaker 1for five years, she was the coordinator, and that's probably as long as she's been up front this time. She does everything has been done pretty much behind the scenes and thank you very much for just being a faithful servant and going with the direction that God's given. Amen. Gonna make me cry again. So, looking ahead, there's a Guatemala mission trip that is forming now.
8:20 Tanya and Mike D are in charge of administrating this trip. So Tanya McDaniel, my wife, and Mike D, our youth director, are forming this trip right now. This is a Copa Guatemala for Hope of Life International. We sent a twenty twelve team, and that was it. We sent a twenty fifteen team, and that was it.
8:41 We sent a twenty seventeen, and that was it. So the twenty eighteen team, who is it going to be? All right? We are we have been going with another group that has been doing most of the administrative heavy lifting. We're going on our own this time and can take a much bigger team.
8:56 So if you want to be a part of that, talk to either Tanya or Mike B, or you can email me. All right? So that is going. Looking ahead, Guatemala mission trip, forming now. That is going to be the first week of spring break.
9:07 Do you all remember what it was like the first week of spring break this year? Would you rather be in Guatemala? Okay? Think about that. Connect hour is still happening between services, and that is down in the fellowship hall.
9:22 That's happening. And I would like for you would you all stand up for just a second? This family right here. Oh, that's everybody. Goodness, what power I have.
9:31 That's crazy. Just this family right here. That's Andrew and Christina Garner, and these are two of their three boys, Micah and Xavier and downstairs is probably Ephesians. They are headed back to Western Asia as missionaries. They've been there before.
9:49 They've been home on home assignment and now they're heading back. So I'd love for y'all to get to know these people. Andrew is my Greek partner. You can blame him. All the way through seminary, he was in all of the Greek classes with me and we kind of exchange homework, did our, you know, checking each other's translation and that sort of stuff.
10:07 He's a good, good guy, great linguist, and he's going back to work in Western Asia. Y'all can meet them during the time. Y'all can have a seat. Thank you. And there's also going to be an official meet and greet.
10:19 Some of y'all, I think, might have been taken by surprise, although Mike has been here for a long time, that he is our new youth director. And so I'd like for y'all to get a chance to talk to him. So he's gonna be also during the connect hour available to kind of meet and greet and talk. It's this guy. He was on that team in Guatemala, he was on this team in Guatemala.
10:36 All right. But y'all of y'all, if y'all are from here, most of y'all know Mike Demetrius. But I want to have a kind of an official time where you can get together and hopefully encourage him and ask questions about plans and all that sort of stuff. And he is around here somewhere. Right here.
10:54 Yeah. Yellow and blue. That's good. Thank you very much and I think that's all. If y'all would greet one another, y'all can find somebody near you to love on and we'll bring you back together with a song.
11:17 Speaker 2It's formed from the clouds, a strange and lonely sound. I can beared in the thunder and the rain. It's ringing in the skies like cans in the night. The musical and the universe plays are singing. You are holy.
11:39 Let's sing. You are holy, great and mighty. The moon and stars declare who you are. I'm so unworthy, but still you love me forever my heart will sing of how great you are. Alright.
12:12 Beautiful and free. A beautiful and free song on galaxies. It's reaching far beyond the Milky Way. Singing you are holy, great and mighty, forever the stars declare who you are. I'm so unworthy, but still you love me forever my heart will sing of you in our glory.
13:00 Our glory, you. Great in my hand, the moon and stars be there you are. And I'm so unworthy, but I can't see Waters raging at my feet. I can feel the breath of those surrounding me. I can hear the sound of nations rising up.
14:34 We will not be overtaken, we will not be overcome. And I can walk down this dark and painful road. I can face every fear of the unknown. I can hear All God's children singing out, we will not be over and taken, we will not be overcome. Listen, the same power that rose Jesus from the grave.
15:11 The same power that brought Jesus from the grave. The same power that commands the dead to wait lives in us, lives in us. The same vow that moves mountains where he speaks. The same vow that can conquer agency lives in us, lives in us. It lives in us, lives in us.
15:50 And we have hope. His promises are true in his stray. There is nothing we can't do. Yes. We know.
16:05 There are greater things in store. We will not be old and sick, and we will not be overcome. The same power that prawns Jesus from the grave. The same power that commands the dead to wake lives in us, lives in us. The same power that can conquer rage and see lives in us It lives lives in us.
16:55 It lives in us. And let's sing greater sea. A greater sea is living in me. He's conquered our enemy. No power on darkness, no weapon prevails.
17:15 We in me. He's conquered our The same bow from Jesus from praise. The same bow that commands in dead to wait lives in us, lives in us. The same power that moves mountains when he speaks. The same power that can conquer rage and sea lives in us, lives in us, lives in us, lives in us.
18:30 Speaker 3God, we wanna take a moment just to to pause and thank you that really the same power that raised Christ from the dead, this lives in us, and we acquire that through belief. It's nothing we've done. It's what you've done for us. And by faith, we have your Holy Spirit living inside us, working in us to do your goodwill and your pleasure. But then we reap the benefits of that too, the hope and the peace and the joy that we have in you.
18:57 And I just I'm very,
18:59 Speaker 2very
19:00 Speaker 3thankful for that, God. And I pray that you'd fill that this church with the fruit of your spirit so that the world can know that you're a good God and truly you've created us. You've you've given us purpose and meaning and fulfillment. And in you, there is life and life to the full measure. So don't let us forget it, God.
19:20 Don't let us forget it. In Jesus' name, amen. Would you all be seated? And I'm gonna invite the frontline frontline team to come up forward as we participate here in the worship through giving. God, I thank you for giving us just a a glimpse and and just a real tangible sense of your presence through through song and through worship.
23:10 And I I just pray for more of that, for your presence to fill your church. And I thank you, God, for blessing us with every gift, not only every spiritual gift that you give, but every gift to just to meet our our everyday needs. And, I thank you, God, that we can, that we can we can give too. And I pray that that as we as we pass these plates, it's it's more of us saying, here's me. Here's me with an open hand, and I wanna thank you for your generosity.
23:49 And I I pray God that you would use these these gifts and multiply them and use them just to make to make you known. In Jesus' name. Amen.
23:59 Speaker 1So last week, the sermon, I abbreviated. I cut it in half. This was I was planning on doing 11 through 22, and then I abbreviated it that night, and I came in here and it was really short, which surprised me. Not because I don't do that sometimes, but because when it was really short, it was really impactful. It was like, stop now.
24:20 And I've been dealing with some of what I said last week all week myself. Has anybody else been doing that? So 11 through 16, we went through Ephesians two eleven through 16. I'm going to go forward from there and go all the way through eleven twenty two, but I am going to go back and read the other. This this chapter is amazing.
24:39 So we have in Ephesians so far a lot of kind of statements of fact about you were like this and now, in Christ, you're like this. There's in sins or there's in Christ. If we took that seriously, we'd be less tempted to sin. We are getting to a place now where it's talking about past and present and then he's going to talk about the church. He doesn't mention the word church right now.
25:05 In fact, he doesn't use the word church until the tenth verse of the next chapter but what he's building towards is individually and then corporately how God is going to get his message out of love and forgiveness. How he's going to do this. For he himself is our peace is one of the quotes from today. But Ephesians two eleven through 22, if you want to turn in there in your Bibles or if you want to flip through screens, you need to get to to get there on your phone. Ephesians two eleven through 22.
25:33 We're going to look at these three separate ideas that all build off of each other. Distance from God until you're made near in Christ and I covered that last week. Peace with God and his people in Christ and that's the only way. Only way to have peace with God is the only way to have peace with other people is in Christ and then, this last, Paul rather quickly a lot of times, he he mixes his metaphors and he switches metaphors like that and so the last part is going to be the people of God as the dwelling place of God and I want for us as a church to think about that that that is where God dwells. We're just going to go straight from the text.
26:08 Y'all know how we do. So, first of all, distance from God. Therefore, remember that at one time and you know what? In the first three chapters of Ephesians, there's only one imperative and he says it twice. The imperatives, you know, are the the commands.
26:23 They're the things that he wants for us to do. So, the first three are really about being. Being in sins or being in Christ, they're about being. There's only two imperatives and they're both the same word and it's remember. I want you to remember what it was like when you were lost.
26:38 I want you to remember what it was like before you had peace with God and man. Therefore, remember that at one time, you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands. Actually, there's a sarcasm font. Have you heard of this? I've mentioned it a time or two.
26:56 I think Paul's being sarcastic right here when he goes, but what is called the circumcision? Because the people of God were supposed to be circumcised, yes, but it was their hearts, and he was saying, this is just made in flesh by human hands. If people are making fun of you who have believed in Messiah Jesus, they don't get it. He's frustrated by what is called the circumcision which is which is made in flesh by human hands. Remember, he says it again.
27:24 That's another imperative. Remember this, that you are at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, stranger to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world and I used this last week, this slide with a dividing wall between Gentiles and faithful Jews and who were Gentiles? Everybody who wasn't a faithful Jew. Everybody who wasn't racially, they would say ethnically Jewish. There's a big difference separated from Christ while those faithful Jews were anticipating a Messiah, anointed one that would come and save his people from their sin.
27:58 The Gentiles are alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and faithful Jews were a part of it. That's what it was made up of. Strangers to the common covenants of promise versus those who are very very familiar with the covenants of God of promise. Having no hope versus placing their hope in God and then without God in the world and they were blessed with God's word and God's presence. They had Torah and they had temple, and they had the dwelling place of God, the faithful Jews.
28:26 Gentiles were without God in the world. So this is a little recap. Going forward from there, I want you to look at this, though. So in the past, this is a picture of the past. It says in the flesh, in the flesh, in the world, and we can see that in those first few verses that I just read.
28:43 In the flesh, in the flesh, in the world. Remember, remember that that's the way that you were. If you really get that, then you have a lot more empathy for people who are acting a fool as we'd say back home. Alright? But now, amen.
29:00 But now, so he's bringing it into the present but now, in Christ, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. It's the message of the cross which we come back to. That's the present. Live in Christ but now, he's already saying, remember the past but don't live there. Press on.
29:21 And this is the swap that was made. There's less difference now because Christian overrules the flavor of Christian. Whether you're a Gentile flavored Christian or a Jewish flavored Christian. Brought near by Christ and still, Jews are anticipating Messiah associated with the Commonwealth of Israel, part of it. Grafted into the covenants of promise.
29:41 Finally, having a hope, hoping in the savior, the Messiah, Jesus and they may now experience the world with God with the very spirit of God living within them. So, peace with God and his people in Christ is the next section. For he himself is our peace. Amen. When you are anxious, this is a good one to hold on to people.
30:08 He himself, Christ is our peace. Was he treated worse than we are treated? Oh, yeah He himself is our peace. While he was being nailed to the cross, he's praying. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
30:23 All of our cries about not being understood or misunderstood. Kinda fade right there. He himself is our peace and actually, that's a Old Testament quote. You hardly ever hear anytime unless you're in a minor prophets class or you are coming up on Christmas. When you're coming up on Christmas, you'll hear, but you, oh Bethlehem, Ephesians, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel, who's coming forth is from old, the ancient of days.
30:52 This is a prophecy about the Messiah from Micah five five or five one through five and then this is where Paul picks us up and he shall be their peace. The Messiah shall be their peace, the anointed one. For he himself is our peace. It's still present right there. Active.
31:11 It's in the moment. He himself is our peace. Who has made us both one. So, he has taken from those the Jewish line and he has taken from Gentile lines and he is forecasting taken from all Gentile lines and he's making them into one. He's broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
31:32 In his flesh on the cross. By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, I love a good so that my Greek partner, we were always looking for a henna clause because then you know what the whole thing's about so that he might create in himself, in his flesh, one new man in place of the two and so, like this, making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross. Thereby, killing the hostility, mortifying the hostility. That's as far as we got last week. That's a lot though.
32:06 Bringing down that dividing wall. I mentioned last week that if you try to hold on to any us and them, you're staying in the in sins part. You're not going after Christ with everything. I said in this service, I said, if you want to maintain your racism, there is no place in the New Testament for you to hide. Amen.
32:31 17 he came and he preached peace to you who are far off and peace to those who are near Christ did that and we see just I thought of the first part of John. John one, his first disciples, he's calling them out and they're coming. They were from a Jewish background. His first disciples at that wedding in Cana, he has a sneaky little miracle for whoever showed up, but it said in his first disciples believed in him because of that. So they were near.
33:00 They were Jewish background guys. Nicodemus in chapter three comes at night. Oh, you're a teacher of Israel. You don't know these things? Four, we get a curveball.
33:14 The Samaritan woman at the well. She was far off. In fact, Jesus said, you Samaritans worship that which you do not know, but we Jews worship that which we know, the Messiah, the one to come. We have Torah. We have that.
33:33 And a city official gets thrown in there too, probably far off Gentile. John five, one nearby guy. He was a paralytic who was by the pool. Apparently, in the traditions, folk, Judaism at least. He's sitting by the pool.
33:50 Near far, hard to tell, but probably near. And then John six, he's feeding 5,000. Imagine in a group of 5,000, it's not just the near. This is people who have come out to see the spectacle of what's going on. So 5,000 near and far.
34:06 That's Jesus. If you go with Paul, he starts in the synagogue because it's easier to talk to people who are near or so it would seem. Until they rejected him. He always started with the assembly in the synagogue. When they rejected him, he'd move on to the Gentiles and take out of those in the synagogue, they would come and they would join in with the Gentiles.
34:25 They were called out from one place into another. So, through him, we both have access near or far, Jew or Gentile, we both have access in one spirit to the father. It's the message of the cross. To those who are perishing, first Corinthians one eighteen says, it is mere foolishness but to those who are being saved, progressively brought out. I mean, yeah, at the moment of belief, you're saved but sanctifying work is what God is about and moving us from our sins into the peace and comfort of Christ.
35:02 It's the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, Romans says. So, that's the first two sections. The third section, I want to talk about a little more. The people of God as the dwelling of God. That's '19 through 22.
35:17 Have you all had this yogurt? I'm not advertising for them, but have you had it? It's a little different than just old yogurt that I grew up with. Oikos is the name of it, and oikos in Greek means house or home or household. It is homestyle.
35:35 In Mexico, was estilo casera. It's homestyle. It's like you have at home. So this yogurt is oikos, and it's a Greek word, oikos. So a house or a household, a house can be the material building, but they use it the same way that we do as far as, oh, he is of the house of David, whatever.
35:54 It's a household, a family, a lineage, nation. But oikos is this word. And in English, the real only reason I bring this up, and in English you don't see this in the translation very much, but Paul is great with rhetoric, and he nails home a point by using rhetorical features. And when he does it, I think it's cool. So he does about five times in this passage.
36:16 I'm only sharing one of them, okay? Oikos. These words are all related to Oikos right there. You see that? And so when they're hearing it, they're like household, household, household, household, and it is of a particular line.
36:31 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens. No longer aliens. It's people who are outside of the household. You're not outside of the household, first thing he says. You're fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household.
36:47 Actually, you go back to that slide where he said you were strangers to the covenant of promise, you were foreigners actually. And when he says you're fellow citizens there, you've been brought in. Fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Built on. This is the word for building up a building.
37:05 Built on. Homebuilding. Housebuilding. Built on the foundation. More construction terminology.
37:13 And of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. And you all know the cornerstone is that which all other stones in the building have to go back and rectify with that. And in the case of the temple, that stone is half the size of this room. It's ridiculously large, and everything is set off of that cornerstone, built on the foundation of the apostles, prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure, another one of those oikos words, the whole household is built on that. And being joined together we're doing the whole kitchen remodel down the hall down there, and I've been listening to Ray Richards in there sawing up tiles, cutting off a little this way, trimming it so that it fits just right.
38:02 And God is actively doing that with people who believe in Jesus. He is sanctifying us and he is fitting us together. That's what it says, being joined together grows into a holy temple. Now, temple, the word for that there is not a Oikos word. It's something that is very specifically about the place where a deity lives, the place where God lives.
38:28 So, that's not one of those words but he comes back and he explains it further. He wants for everybody to know exactly what he's talking about. Household, household, household, household, bringing him into the family. He's already mentioned adoption earlier in chapter one. The whole structure being joined together grows into a holy separated, set apart temple dwelling place in the Lord.
38:51 You're no longer an alien. You're of the household. You're being built up. You're part of this structure. You're not the foundation.
39:00 You're being built on a solid and good foundation with a cornerstone that is exact and precise and properly placed. And in him, you also are being built together. The other one of those rhetorical features is together, together, together, together, together. It says it five times at least, and it's saying it is together. So if you want to remain separated and have an us and them, you have no place to hide.
39:24 It is called out from every different culture. Yeah, we've got southern flavored Christians here. We've got Yankee flavored Christians here. We've got Romanian flavored Christians here. We've got folks from all different cultures, but they are being called out.
39:36 We have socioeconomically different people in Jackson. Have you noticed? Yeah. It's different but we're here together We meet together with the people of God and I will say, if you're here this morning, you're not a believer, you're not a Christian, this text is primarily to Christians. So, yeah, let's talk about it later but this text is primarily to Christians and if we lived out this text where we were together, it would be incredibly attractive for everybody to come in and taste and see that God is good because he's doing this work In him, in Christ, you also are being built together That is a divine passive right there.
40:20 You are being built together Submitting your will to his will, he will move you from sin to Christ. Into a dwelling place for God by the spirit. Now, the dwelling place there is one of those house words. It's one of those oikos words. Into a habitation for God, it says.
40:46 Now the habitation or dwelling place or an abode is the place where you hang out, where you find your home. This is where you are at home. And he's saying that we're being built together by God to be a dwelling place for God. The New Testament really knows nothing of Lone Ranger Christians. We are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit.
41:17 That's the way that God brings us together is by his spirit and there's one spirit. There's one baptism. There's one body of Christ. God is doing the work. He's telling us.
41:28 Paul's telling us. He's telling Ephesians that you are a part of the household of God Now, in chapters four through six, he's going say act like it He's going to put it in the application right now. He's saying, remember what it was like when you didn't have a place in the world but you do Now, you do because of Christ and because of what God has done So, I'm going to use one more word that's not in the text and it's ecclesia and ecclesia means to call out from and into out from and to And kaleo is to call. So ek is just out from. Expel is to take something out from and go somewhere else, right?
42:13 Ek and kaleo, to be called out. Now this can be used just for an assembly of like gathering in town. It can be used with that and it is used with that in Greek literature. It's not specifically Christian, does not have to be, but it's people who are called out of their homes into the street to vote or people who are called out of their homes into an assembly to do a particular task Paul takes that word and he builds on that. People who are called out from the world past, right?
42:48 And called into the family, the household, household, household, household, household of God and the outcome being ecclesia. That's our that's the word for church. So, the church is made up of people who are called out of the world from every tribe, tongue, and nation into the family of God, the household of God and that outcome is the church and that's the body of Christ. So, the church is the body of Christ. Of the early sermons I did in Ephesians is, if God the father wills and Christ is the one who carries out and the church is the body of Christ, then we are to be carrying out the will of God.
43:23 Now, four through six will tell us more how to do that specifically but he's starting with remember. There's also that slide that keeps coming back about, would you rather God work through your obedience or in spite of your disobedience? Think about it. He does both but to sit back and go, you know what? I'm saved by faith not by works.
43:46 I'm just gonna do nothing. Are you sure you believe that? If I understand what God has done, if I really understand that I was dead in my sins and trespasses and he has now lifted me up and put me in the heavenlies with Christ, if I really get that, then I want other people who are dead in their sins and trespasses to feel what it feels like to do that, And I would do anything to get that to happen. When God leads, I thought this was gonna be ten minutes long and it's ten minutes short. Did y'all get it or I need to do it again?
44:21 Because I got time. Really? I think that's the last slide, seriously. Come on up, Carl. I might sing an extra song today.
44:33 Do y'all get it? Do you understand what I'm talking about? Is does this just light your jets? Does this really do it for you? Because it does for me.
44:40 I am so amazed because in chapter three, he's going to talk about the cosmic purpose of the church is to expand on the mysteries of God to to show them, to declare the mystery of Christ. We do not completely understand it. Unity is a lot easier when you'll admit that. Amen. Let's sing.
45:02 Alright. I'm seeing the light. Would you all stand up? Sing with us. That this song is what you're talking about.
45:09 Speaker 3Amen. This is this is Hank Williams version of, you know, I was this, and now I'm in Christ. And so let's sing it.
46:13 Speaker 2Claim for my own. Being like a blind man, we've got you back beside. Reason alone, saw the light. I I was a fool to wander straight, Straight is a gate and barrel away. Now I have traded the wrong for the right.
47:19 Freeze alone, I saw the light once more. I Amen. And
47:57 Speaker 1now, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. Amen. Come on out and join us at the Press Church tonight from seven to nine. Seven to nine at the Press Church.
48:14 If you want to worship some more.

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Written up from the message given at First B Jackson. If something here reads oddly, the recording is the record.

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