Sermon Tone Analysis

Division

(insert divided slide already saved on computer)

Even within the body of Christ there can be division.

There was division in the early church in Ephesus and Paul is addressing this issue in our passage today.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, did not forget his Jewish roots, Jewish heritage.

He shows a contrast in our passage today between life of the Gentile and life of the Jew.

Contempt

Jews had contempt for Gentiles.

They considered them basically to be fuel for the fires of hell.

A Jew would not even help a Gentile in the birth of a Gentile baby, for that would be considered bringing another Gentile, a dog, into the world and further defiling the world.

Does contempt bring division?

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A funeral

A Jew marrying a Gentile resulted in a funeral.

If there was a wedding there would be a Jewish funeral of the death of the Jew who married the Gentile for the Jews would consider the person to be dead to them.

Defiled

A Gentile entering the home of a Jew would defile the home of the Jew.

Or if a Jew entered the home of a Gentile the Jew would be considered defiled, or unclean.

Jews avoided Gentiles to the point many would not even go through Samaria but go around because of the Gentiles.

As you can clearly see there are some serious barriers there.

Barriers that needed to come down for there to be lasting peace.

Most peace accords fail because they depend on man, but the peace of God and peace with God through Jesus Christ is a peace that is eternal.

Our passage today, the riches of His peace can be seen in.

Separation, Reconciliation and Unification

I. Separation

Written mostly to a Christian who were previously Gentile audience, our focus today is Paul speaking to the heart of the Christians who were previously Gentiles, after he had already dealt with the salvation of sinners in general (Eph2:1-10)

The contempt of the Jews for the Gentiles was a century old thing, though physical circumcision was physical proof of the covenant between Jew and God, but it was no proof of faith.

Physical circumcision was no proof of faith (Rom2:25-29)

Faith brings about spiritual circumcision (Col2:11)

Circumcision of the flesh avails nothing, it is circumcision of the heart that makes peace with God so you can have the peace of God.

Those who have put their trust in Christ have received the Spiritual circumcision.

From Creation to Adam, from Adam to Abraham there was no difference, there was no separation.

With Abraham God made a covenant for all nations to be blessed (Gen12:1-3)

From Abraham on there was the covenant, it was never meant to be forever, the division was not forever.

The Jews were chosen to bring the Messiah and they were God’s chosen people for this.

They believed the chosen people was for all time, here in our passage we see division is still happening, even in the church.

The Jews were to be the channel to bring salvation to all nations as promised to Abraham (though word blessing) is used.

Salvation was not to be exclusive, but inclusive.

The separation noted in our passage is pretty clear.

Without Christ (Eph2:12; Act19:28)

There were many gods of the Ephesians but one was exalted more than the others, the goddess Diana of the Ephesians .

There are many today who claim there are many gods and many ways to God, but without Christ you are without your citizenship in heaven and you are condemned.

Without Citizenship (Eph2:12)

God called the Jews, set them apart, made them a nation, gave them His Laws, and His blessings.

No other people had been called “God’s people” So without being God’s people people were without hope, with no citizenship in heaven.

Without hope (Eph2:12, 1The4:13-18)

What a great hopelessness there is when philosophies were empty.

Traditions were disappearing, religions where powerless to even help people face life, or death.

People wanted hope, but there was none.

People want a hope and without Christ there is no hope for they do not have God.

Without God (Eph2:12; Act17:16-23; 1Cor8:5; Psm115; Jn14:6)

There were god’s a plenty in Athens, you can read about it and how Paul used it in Act17:16-23 in his sermon on Mars Hill.

Then there is the reference in 1Cor8:5, in fact let me give it to you.

Without God, many gods was not anything new, Psm115 you can see the contrast of the heathen god’s and the Lord.

Is that not the problem, the plight today?

Too many supposed God’s and not enough of the Lord Jesus?

Jesus is not another way, He is the way (ref to Jn14:6).

The Gentiles plight was not caused by God, it was due to their own sinful behavior, choices.

For God has always made Himself evident (Rom1:18-23).

Some points in the passage are

Men who were suppressing the truth (Rom1:18)

God had made himself evident by creation, eternal power and divine nature (Rom1:19-20)

They did not honor God though they knew Him (Rom1:21)

They claimed to be wise, but exchanged the incorruptible God for the form of a corruptible man.

(Rom1:22-23)

Love what commentator Warren Wiersbe says

“Religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods (idolatry) and gradually discovering the one true God. . .

it’s a sad story of knowing the truth and deliberately turning away from it.

It is a story of devolution not evolution!”

- Bible Exposition Commentary

Salvation is “of” the Jews (Jn4:22) but not just “for” the Jews, it was for all nations, all people who come to believe.

God deposited His Word, and through the Jews He gave us the Savior of the world.

The Jews were to be a light (see Rom9:1-5 inferred) but unfortunately they were a dim light and did not shine out.

Plight of the church today is being a dim light instead of a lighthouse warning and guiding people to safety today!

Being separated, without God, without hope, well God knew it and brought them the way of reconciliation.

II.

Reconciliation - What God did

God stepped in, God and His grace stepped in for the lost sinner.

To those who were formally far off (Eph2:13)

Those who were an enmity (Eph2:15)

He made a way of reconciling and making peace (Eph2:15-16)

look at the word enmity for just a minute.

Enmity: noun; the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

There was an enmity between Jews and the Gentiles (Eph2:13-15)

There was an enmity between man and God (Eph2:16-18)

Christ does not just reconcile man to God, but man to man too.

Why?

To form one body the church!

Jesus work on the cross abolished the enmity between Jew and Gentile, between lost sinners and God.

The enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles was part of God’s plan of salvation.

When the plan was complete, when it was finished on the Cross the enmity was done away with.

After generations of the barrier between them, the enmity it was not an easy transition.

There were battles along the way (Act15), the Jerusalem counsel, is about some of the battles, and you can also look at (Act11) when it came to Peter and his battle.

The cause of the battle was the law according to (Eph2:15)

There was a literal wall in the temple with signs that read.

“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure.

Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”

Jesus fulfilled the laws demands by His righteousness and by bearing the curse of the law by His death on the cross.

He abolished the legal barrier, tore down the separation between the Jew and the Gentile (Gal3:10-13)

Richness of God’s peace through Christ Jesus is available to all who call on HIs name (Rom10:12-13)