We've all been hurt. We all carry scars. We can all overcome these things and be
healed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's build that relationship
together right here. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Hey everybody
welcome back to the sanctuary. It is so good to have you with us as always and
for those of you who are joining us for the very first time, let me just say
welcome. So this week we're going to be moving ahead in the book of Ephesians
and we're going to be looking at chapter 2 specifically. And in this book we're
going to start seeing more of the big picture of what the church is supposed
to be and how Christ is reflected within us. So we're exploring some really really
great things here. Alright and we're going to dive right into it. So for those
of you who have your Bible, those of you who use applications, you know on your
phones or tablets or whatever, or even those of you who are just taking notes
you know what to follow along with later or however, go ahead let's join me now.
Again we're going to be looking at Ephesians chapter 2 and we're going to
start off with verses 1 through 3. Alright so Ephesians 2 verses 1 through 3
the Bible says, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which
you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of
the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings
of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by
nature deserving of wrath. So if you recall last week when we finished off
Paul was in prayer. Alright really great prayer you know praying for all
Christians and you know and our relationships with the Lord and as we
see here he goes from that straight into reminding us the reality of our sin. Now
it's important to note he is doing this lovingly he's doing it because he cares.
Alright not to call out any single person rather he's reminding us of our
past where we all have been where we all fell short of the goal and the purpose
of this is because we need to remember our beginnings. We cannot forget it.
Alright we live in a cancel culture now don't we? Somebody gets their feelings
hurt you know where they feel like they're being painted in a negative light.
What happens? They don't take accountability. They try to spin
things to suit themselves. You know it is a very selfish culture that tries to
take away hope. Instead we need to remember our past and learn from it. We
need to own our mistakes and move forward. You know in the Marine Corps it's
it's the leadership principle that says know yourself and seek self-improvement.
Now sometimes the past is painful however it is important that we remember it so
that we can remember one how much you know what well I should say how how
Jesus saved us saved us because he loves us. Two that we remember to thank
him for all that he has done for us and three it's also where our testimony
comes from when we tell others about him and share the light that he has given us
the hope that he has given us. So it's important that we don't just forget this
important gift that keeps us humble because that's what our past does and it
all like I said before it also allows us to share the hope of Jesus. Hope. Four
letters with big meaning. H-O-P-E. Hold on pain ends. Alright now in verse 2
notice how Paul describes the devil. He refers to him as the ruler of the
kingdom of air. Remember the devil he's not in hell yet. He's right here on earth
and we're being reminded of that. Satan is directing his demons his minions and
desperately trying to win a war that he's too blinded to see he's already
lost right. God's already won the victory is his. Not only that but remember when
Jesus was raised from the dead he showed that his power far supersedes the
devil's because unlike him Jesus is able to beat death. The devil does not have
that ability. Which brings us to verse 3. So let's start by looking at the word
flesh. The Greek word that's used here for flesh is actually referring to the
sinful nature of mankind. Again we're being reminded that we've all lived in
sin. It's part of the human condition. As a people we all like to call out certain
sins as though one was worse than the next right. However sin is sin. It's all
ugly and to God lying is no better than killing. Alright I'll remind you if you
go to Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 through 22 Jesus told us that being angry
with a brother or sister is the same as committing murder in our own hearts.
Being angry holding that grudge is the same as committing murder. You might
as well have just killed him. So knowing this we cannot justify one sin as being
better than another. You know the whole lesser of two evils. I'll remind
you there's only one unforgivable sin. And when we do do these things when
we're trying to call justify one thing as being better than another we actually
become the Pharisee Jesus was talking about in the parable of the Pharisee and
the tax collector in Luke 18. In Luke 18 if you recall it was the tax
collector who had favor in God's eye. These two men they enter in
they go into prayer and the Pharisee is like well you know thank God I'm not
that guy I do this and I do that you know so I I'm a much better person for
it. It was you know very legalistic and very prideful and arrogant. Whereas the
tax collector he went in there and he prayed and you know what the Lord
smiled upon him even more. Right so let's go back to our reading here Ephesians 2
now we're going to look at the next few verses 4 through 7. So Ephesians 2 verses
4 through 7 the Bible says but because of his great love for us God who is
rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions
it is by grace you have been saved and God raised us up with Christ and seated
us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming
ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his
kindness to us in Christ Jesus. So the first three verses of this chapter
remind us of our sin. Flash forward you know into these next few verses though
however and they remind us of the gift that we've been given in being freed
from the power of sin. Those chains have been broken. Now this is not a free hall
pass to go out and sin more. Of course not it's not a get out of jail free card.
You know the price for our freedom was the blood of Christ. It doesn't mean that
we're free from temptation nor does it mean that we won't mess up and never
sin again. On the contrary we're human we're gonna screw up that's part of our
nature. Try as we might we're imperfect so we're going to mess up we're
gonna have missteps. So what does it mean that as Christians we're no longer you
know what it means is as Christians we're no longer bound in sin and we're
no longer dead because of that. Alright I was gonna start to ask a question but
no I'm just gonna say it. What it means is we are Christians and we're no longer
bound by sin and we're no longer dead in that sin alright. And the Holy Spirit
you know he he's here to help us to avoid it to repent of it to repent of
our sins you know and to work to bring out to bring about changes in our lives
so that we can live as God wants us to and to become the people that God wants
us to be. Or as Galatians 2 verse 20 puts it I had been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live but Christ lives in me the life I now live in the body I
live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
So again that's Galatians 2 verse 20 so continuing on back in Ephesians 2 we're
going to look at the next couple of verses now so 8 through 10 alright if
so Ephesians 2 8 through 10 the Bible says for it is by grace you have been
saved through faith and this is not from yourselves it is a gift of God not by
works so that no one can boast for we are God's handiwork created in Christ
Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. By
grace you've been saved meaning we've been given a gift from God. Let me put it
another way how do you respond when someone gives you something when
someone gives you a gift you know it doesn't matter what kind of gift it
birthday gift Christmas gift an anniversary present you know any other
number of gifts you know do you stop and say oh how much did this cost you know
start looking for for a tag on it or anything no you know or do you ask oh
thank you you know how much do I owe you do you stop to compare it to the gifts
that other people have gotten oh I don't know I think Bob's gift sure shows that
he loves me more no of course not you say things like this is great thank you
I appreciate it you're the best I love you this is awesome you know and these
are all appropriate responses however as Christians we often forget that this is
also how we should respond to God's gifts of redemption and forgiveness we're just
say oh I'm saved cool see we what happens is we forget and we start
looking for ways to earn these gifts in our life we forget that it's a gift and
the simple fact is we cannot earn them they've already been given to us we
cannot repay him for it nor should we try you know it says right there not by
work so that no one can boast God's the only one who can provide these gifts
there's no way to earn or you know get any of this stuff be it beyond him you
know instead what should be happening is we should be grateful we should be
giving praise and thanks and moving forward in our life with that
graciousness and that humbleness in our hearts you know we are God's handiwork
meaning we've each been perfectly made by him he didn't make a mistake when he
made you he was spot-on in every aspect of you all the way down to your hair you
know your gender your orientation your status in life anything else that the
world may try to pervert and tell you otherwise you are perfectly made
perfectly loved by him you are perfectly designed in his eyes so let me summarize
everything that we've covered up to this point so far today okay it's actually
quite simple and if you've been putting off or avoided being around you know the
church or we're going to a worship service because of what you're dealing
with in your life this is for you what the word is telling us is this you don't
have to change before you go to God because going to God is what changes
you you cannot do it yourself none of us can not a single man woman or child
alive can do it we all need God's help and we need to stop waiting thinking
that we're gonna do it once we've been sanctified once everything's good it's
like oh I got to get right you know and then I'll go it doesn't work that way
everything that needs to happen for you to go it's already happened you need to
get over your pride and just go you know sanctification this is a word that's
thrown out there and it's used you know and different ways there's different
words for it but you know it's a little bit of a Christian ease if you would you
know and this is a word that and what it what it really means when it comes when
you come down to is I'm better in God's eyes today than I was yesterday I am
better in God's eyes today than I was yesterday so now's the time stop waiting
whatever is holding you back pick it up and carry all that baggage with you take
all that stuff with you bring it with you when you go to Jesus and you know
what's gonna happen he's going to help you unpack it and deal with it that's
how this whole thing works you know that's how easy it is in Matthew 11
verses 28 through 30 Jesus tells us come to me all you who are weary and burdened
and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am
gentle and humble at heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is
easy and my burden is light
so don't wait stop waiting take it all to him stop wearing yourself out trying
to carry things that you were not meant to carry in the first place he's gonna
help you deal with all of that burden and then move forward enjoy continuing
back now in Ephesians 2 verses 11 through 13 in this part this is where it
starts getting really exciting okay you're gonna see what I mean here very
shortly so Ephesians 2 verses 11 through 13 the Bible says therefore remember
that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those
who call themselves the circumcision which is done in the body by human hands
remember that at the time excuse me that at that time you were separate from
Christ excluded from citizenship in Israel and
foreigners to the covenants of the promise without hope and without God in
the world but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought
near by the blood of Christ so what we're starting to see is something
absolutely wonderful but we're given a little reminder about the past again
right and this time it's something that we we still see it presently we still
see it today which gives even more power behind this punch see the Jews being
circumcised and the non-jews being the uncircumcised is what it's saying here
or more commonly you know though there you know the non-jews are referred to as
the Gentiles right the Gentiles all right Jews looked upon the Gentiles as
being ceremonial on the unclean all right they got very caught up in the
whole legalistic aspect of everything so ceremonially they were unclean and the
Jews looked at themselves as being pure you know as a master race of sorts
because of their heritage and legalistic traditions you know sounding a little
familiar here so at that point in time you know this let's cut let's cut through
it let's call it what it was it's very much racism and nationalism you know
you're going on even at that time this is not a new concept all right and thank
God times have changed because when it came to this aspect back then it came
down to spiritual pride it was a spirit is an issue of spiritual pride all right
you know that the Jews they knew of Jesus they had they you know they had
scripture you know they they had a direct relationship with them where the
Gentiles didn't so they're like uh-huh you know we're we're big stuff right
King of the Hill you know however on the flip side of that same coin we we also
had the Gentiles and they were also guilty of spiritual pride you know just
like the Jews they also believed that they were elevated in status because of
their own achievements their their power in the world their various position
positions that they held you know and as world powers at that time you know and
Paul was pointing this out here that the Jews and the Gentiles alike were both
unclean all right and what and this is what it comes even for us today what it
speaking to us is that we have we've all had the same condition and just like
them we can become spiritually blinded by our pride we cause alienation of
others and of ourselves by putting ourselves on this you know pedestal as
if we were better than others it's a danger we all need to look out for you
know and while we're when it happens you know while we're blinded to our own
faults and our own sins we start looking at others through this you know skewed
type of magnifying glass you know and it's so big that we begin nitpicking
even the smallest imperfections you know this is where those cookie cutter molds
come from that so many of us use to try to find our our clicks right our groups
those you know those places where we feel like we belong and you know this is
also why at certain points in your life you've felt singled out alienated cast
to the side because you didn't fit that cookie cutter mold in some way you know
so it's important that we we come together as the church all right this is
the beauty of it this is you know it's important that we come together as the
church and remember the church is the people as people it's not a location
all right say oh I'm going to church no you're going to a place of worship okay
coming together as the church is the people coming together and that you know
is what we need to remember because we need to be able to encourage one another
and empower each other and lift each other up in our faith you know when
people are struggling being able to help help them through you know help them in
prayer pray together you know that's that's what reaching out and love really
is you know anything less than that it's just a slogan for a snake oil salesman
you know and a dent of thieves that's exactly what it is you know and there
are plenty of places out there that really do you know you some some form of
the slogan or reaching out love and that's what it is it's a sales pitch
all right so so we need to be aware of that that in itself is a gift as well
say hey we have this we're able to discern right all right so in this in
these next few verses we're going to start seeing exactly what I was mentioning
before about something great you know starting to come together we were
starting to see it now we're gonna see it's it's coming out all right you're
going to love this all right so when we go back to our reading in a faith
Ephesians 2 verses 14 through 16 the Bible says for he himself is our peace
who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier the dividing wall
of hostility by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and
regulations his purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two
thus making peace and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through
the cross by which he was put to death excuse me by which he put to death
their hostility all right remember before Christ the Jews and the Gentiles
they were separated in the world all right they went to great lengths to try
to stay away from each other even like oh stay away from them you know you're
gonna be soiled you know and both with the same ignorance right the house was
divided even when Jesus first set the disciples out they were told only go to
the Jews Matthew 10 verses 5 and 6 the 12 Jesus sent out with the following
instructions do not go among the Gentiles or enter into any town of the
Samaritans go rather to the lost sheep of Israel so even up to this point
they're still being kept separated they're still being segregated right you
know however it wasn't to stay this way all right Jesus did this on purpose
because the disciples were still in training right they weren't built up to
that point yet where they needed to be they were they were just starting they
were still young in that walk it needed to learn you know you don't you know
you you don't just throw everything at them you know we all know nobody gets
thrown into a jet fighter without first being trained on smaller different
planes and then built up to be able to handle that and it's the same thing this
is what Jesus was doing at that time when he said just go to the lost sheep
of Israel just go to the Jewish people right as he was building them up so that
later on they would be able to branch out and do even more and greater things
it's just baby steps right so you know however you know you move forward to
where we are at this point this is where the beauty is all right when when you
get past all that and you move forward to where we are today that house is no
longer divided Jesus revealed the sin of both groups the Jews and the Gentiles
all right and he and what happened is when he did this he put them both on
even ground and then unified us all the Jews and the non-jews alike right he
knocked down those dividing walls of prejudice so that we could all be
unified as a single body of believers not race not age not how somebody looks
not their nationality not by sex not social class you know not working class
not their educational level not even a political party but as one single body
with Jesus at the head he dissolved all of that stuff it's the world that tries
to rebuild these things under the direction and the instruction of the
devil and that's that's really why it's so ugly today devil's hard at work you
know spiritual warfare right here you know as Christians we have to rise
above this hate and recognize that there's only one body and that is the
body of Christ and Jesus has offered his gift to salvation to all so that they
can become part of that body when it comes to God there are no strangers and
there are no foreigners all are welcome and all are encouraged to seek him and
find him how beautiful is that how exciting is that this is a tremendous
gift that we should all be thanking God for that we can all be united as one
all right join me now visions to we're looking at verses 17 through 22 so 17
through 22 the Bible says he came and preached peace to you who were far away
and peace to those who were near for through him we both have access to the
father by one spirit consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers
but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household built on
the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself as
the chief cornerstone in him the whole building is joined together and rises to
become a holy temple in the Lord and in him you too are being built together to
become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit so far in near everyone all
around the world has access to the father when the veil was torn in Matthew
27 verse 51 right when Jesus took the cross for us we no longer had to have a
representative to go to the father on our part that door it it was kicked you
know I wasn't even just kicked open it was blown off the hinges so that all of
us could directly go to him not to an elder not to a prophet not to a priest
a pastor or anyone else we are to go to him ourselves that's the expectation
nobody can have that relationship for us you know think of it this way we don't
like when others ask for things on someone else's behalf and God is no
different that's why Jesus was set to unite us and the Holy Spirit to fill us
as citizens of God's kingdom and as adopted members of God's family we are
all given direct access now we're expected to use it all right and notice
where the scripture says that the foundation was built upon the Apostles
right this is not some legalistic phrase or a reference to the modern ideals of
that time instead what it's referring to is our heritage that comes from these
people all right from these men the testimony of their experiences and time
with Jesus everything that they learned from him that's the cornerstone of our
faith for all time all right as Christians we've been reborn we've been
taken from the death of sin and made alive in Christ reconciled through him
as one body and while we don't see everything eye to eye I'll remind you no
family on earth ever does and it's up to us to accept one another and to build
one another up all right that and that's what empowerment is you know to it's in
to not just call one another family but to actually be a family and to show the
world what that is in God's glory light and love all right that's what we have
for this week guys remember you are loved and you are blessed so go and be
the church thank you all for joining us here today at healing scars with pastor
Burton please like subscribe and share our podcast on any platform it is that
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to hearing from you all God bless