Sermon Tone Analysis

(Ephesians 2:19-22)

A Texas rancher bought 10 ranches and put them together to form one giant spread.

His friend asked him the name of his new mega-ranch.

He replied, "It’s called The Circle Q, Rambling Brook, Double Bar, Broken Circle, Crooked Creek, Golden Horseshoe, Lazy B, Bent Arrow, Sleepy T, Triple O Ranch."

"Wow," said his friend, "I bet you have a lot of cattle."

"Not really," explained the rancher.

"Not many survive the branding."

See, this is Paul’s message in this second chapter of Ephesians that we have been studying.

We have to get past our past.

We have to realize that it is never going to work if we have Circle Q, Double Bar R, Golden Horseshoe and Triple O.

We won’t survive the branding!

We’re not Jew and Gentile – we’re not male and female, slave and free, rich and poor, Gringos and Hispanics – we are the church – the body of Christ – one entity, one identity, one aim and one goal.

Paul has been showing the Ephesians important truths about the church in three images as we finish chapter two.

He has shown them to be a country – equally privileged; a family – equally belonging and finally a building – equally needed.

*III.

The Church is a Temple*

*C.

We Have a Fit*

Okay, so we’ve seen that we have a foundation –basically consisting of the teaching of the apostles and prophets -- Scripture, and we have focus – none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, we have a fit in this church, this body of Christ seen as a building.

We have a fit, and that fit concerns each of us individually.

Let’s begin reading at verse 20: built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

If you analyze this closely, you will see that verses 21 and 22 are basically saying the same thing, just in different words.

We want to particularly notice the words “being joined together” in verse 21 and the words “being built together” in verse 22.

They are parallel words speaking eloquently of our place as believers in the body of Christ, the church.

Let’s look at them more closely.

First, we should note that both are present tense verbs.

That emphasizes the ongoing action of the building process.

Many of you have no doubt visited some of the cathedrals in Europe that were literally centuries in the building – truly amazing structures and works of art.

Well, this living building of God’s church has been under construction for over 2,000 years now with no end in sight.

It was under construction when Paul wrote to the Ephesians.

It was under construction as the apostolic era gave way to the church fathers.

It was under construction during the Middle Ages and into the Reformation, and it is still under construction today.

It is a living building.

Second, we should note that both verbs are passive.

That means that it is God who is doing the building, God who is doing the joining together.

If we have truly accepted Christ as Savior and Lord we are part of this magnificent building project, but we should never labor under the impression that it is on us to build the church.

That is God’s job.

We are to function together; we are to labor together with Him; we are to be active, but the actual constructing is His.

Now, let’s look at the meaning of these words.

Both are taken from the construction industry.

The first literally means to fit or to pile.

And then Paul has added the little Greek word for “with” to form a new word.

Thus it means “to fit or join with”.

The word picture is this.

In the day in which Paul was writing, stones were joined together to make the wall of a building without the use of mortar.

They did not have the advantage that we have today of being able to fill in the gaps where stones did not fit precisely by the use of mortar or cement.

The fit had to be precise.

The stones had to fit exactly.

Paul’s addition of the little word with, then, emphasizes the extreme importance of there being a fit between all contiguous stones.

What are those stones?

Well, it is implied here, but Peter, as you will recall, specifically states, the stones are believers.

[I Pet 2:5] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.

We are the stones, Beloved, and Paul is emphasizing, by adding the little Greek word “with” to “fit” how important it is that we fit together.

He adds that same little word “with” to the more general word for “build” used in verse 22 – so by the time he’s done, we get the picture.

We Jews, Gentiles, bond, free, white, brown, black – whatever we are, we are to fit together.

Just think of some of the implications of this picture.

First, we see that the stones are placed into position in relationship to Jesus Christ.

He is the cornerstone, so if they do not align with him, they cannot belong.

If we have not come to him by faith, we are cast aside.

You’ll recall that we saw a couple of weeks ago from Isaiah 28 that the plumb line – the standard of Christ our cornerstone is justice and righteousness – standards we could never meet on our own but only as we accept His righteousness for us.

We really have two choices in that matter – be cast aside by man, as was Christ, but accepted by God – or be accepted by men, but cast aside by God because we refuse the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Only believers are part of this building.

Second, we see that the architect is God.

That means that it is not for us to determine where we fit, or how we fit, or what gifts we bring to the fit.

That is all for Him to determine, and it is for us to cooperate with His purpose.

If God says, “I want you in row 14 and column 4”, would it not be presumptuous of us, though we are a living stone, to say, “But I want to be in row 17, column 8 with my friend Johnny.”

If God says, I want you in Eaton, CO, would it not be presumptuous for us to say, “But I like it here – in Anaheim.”

Third, the stones are of different shapes and sizes, perhaps even of different material, and they are employed for different functions.

Some serve in one way, some another.

If God says, “I’d like you to see to the financial matters of this local body,” who are we to say, “but I want to teach a class.”

See, God is the architect and our whole endeavor must be to see where He is wanting us and cooperating with His plans.

If God says, “I’d like you to organize the building project,” who are we to say, “But I want to be the pastor.”

That’s one difficulty in working with living stones, you see.

They sometimes choose to exercise their own will to their own detriment and that of the rest of the building.

We need to cooperate with God in His architectural responsibilities so that we don’t force Him to have to discipline us.

The question isn’t what do I want, but rather, where do I fit?

Fourth, the stones are linked to one another.

From where they are placed they cannot always see this; they cannot always even see the other stones.

But they are part of one interlocking whole regardless.

And, implicit in this is that they need each other.

Stones who refuse to fit in, who avoid fellowship, who want to go it on their own are useless in God’s plan and may well not be true stones at all.

Fifth, the stones are shaped by God so that ultimately their fit is exact.

This is a sometimes painful process, and it is lifelong, but ultimately we are promised that 6) he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

And, as we’ve already noted and as Paul says in Romans 8:29, we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.

That’s when the fit will be perfect.

But even now, we should be making progress to that end.

Sixth, the stones of the temple are chosen, shaped, and placed, not to draw attention to themselves, but to contribute to a great building in which God alone dwells.

As we will see in a moment, it is always about His glory, not ours – but interestingly enough, as we mature, we will find that our greatest happiness comes in glorifying Him.

Finally, the placing of each stone is only part of a long work begun thousands of years in the past that will continue until the end of the age when the Lord returns.

I once heard of an evangelist who told the following incident: He had a friend who in a time of business recession lost his job, a sizable fortune, and his beautiful home.

To add to his sorrow, his precious wife died; yet he tenaciously held to his faith -- the only thing he had left.

One day when he was out walking in search of employment, he stopped to watch some men who were doing stonework on a large church.

One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of rock.

’Where are you going to put that?’ he asked.

The workman said, ’Do you see that little opening up there near the spire?

Well, I’m shaping this stone down here so that it will fit in up there.’

Tears filled my friend’s eyes as he walked away, for the Lord had spoken to him about his own bleak situation.

We’re being shaped here to fit up there.