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We've all been hurt. We all carry scars. We can all overcome these things and be

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healed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's build that relationship

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together right here. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Hey everybody

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welcome back to the sanctuary. It is so good to have you with us as always and

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for those of you who are joining us for the very first time, let me just say

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welcome. So this week we're going to be moving ahead in the book of Ephesians

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and we're going to be looking at chapter 2 specifically. And in this book we're

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going to start seeing more of the big picture of what the church is supposed

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to be and how Christ is reflected within us. So we're exploring some really really

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great things here. Alright and we're going to dive right into it. So for those

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of you who have your Bible, those of you who use applications, you know on your

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phones or tablets or whatever, or even those of you who are just taking notes

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you know what to follow along with later or however, go ahead let's join me now.

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Again we're going to be looking at Ephesians chapter 2 and we're going to

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start off with verses 1 through 3. Alright so Ephesians 2 verses 1 through 3

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the Bible says, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which

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you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of

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the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are

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disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings

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of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by

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nature deserving of wrath. So if you recall last week when we finished off

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Paul was in prayer. Alright really great prayer you know praying for all

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Christians and you know and our relationships with the Lord and as we

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see here he goes from that straight into reminding us the reality of our sin. Now

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it's important to note he is doing this lovingly he's doing it because he cares.

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Alright not to call out any single person rather he's reminding us of our

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past where we all have been where we all fell short of the goal and the purpose

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of this is because we need to remember our beginnings. We cannot forget it.

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Alright we live in a cancel culture now don't we? Somebody gets their feelings

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hurt you know where they feel like they're being painted in a negative light.

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What happens? They don't take accountability. They try to spin

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things to suit themselves. You know it is a very selfish culture that tries to

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take away hope. Instead we need to remember our past and learn from it. We

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need to own our mistakes and move forward. You know in the Marine Corps it's

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it's the leadership principle that says know yourself and seek self-improvement.

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Now sometimes the past is painful however it is important that we remember it so

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that we can remember one how much you know what well I should say how how

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Jesus saved us saved us because he loves us. Two that we remember to thank

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him for all that he has done for us and three it's also where our testimony

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comes from when we tell others about him and share the light that he has given us

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the hope that he has given us. So it's important that we don't just forget this

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important gift that keeps us humble because that's what our past does and it

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all like I said before it also allows us to share the hope of Jesus. Hope. Four

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letters with big meaning. H-O-P-E. Hold on pain ends. Alright now in verse 2

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notice how Paul describes the devil. He refers to him as the ruler of the

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kingdom of air. Remember the devil he's not in hell yet. He's right here on earth

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and we're being reminded of that. Satan is directing his demons his minions and

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desperately trying to win a war that he's too blinded to see he's already

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lost right. God's already won the victory is his. Not only that but remember when

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Jesus was raised from the dead he showed that his power far supersedes the

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devil's because unlike him Jesus is able to beat death. The devil does not have

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that ability. Which brings us to verse 3. So let's start by looking at the word

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flesh. The Greek word that's used here for flesh is actually referring to the

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sinful nature of mankind. Again we're being reminded that we've all lived in

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sin. It's part of the human condition. As a people we all like to call out certain

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sins as though one was worse than the next right. However sin is sin. It's all

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ugly and to God lying is no better than killing. Alright I'll remind you if you

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go to Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 through 22 Jesus told us that being angry

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with a brother or sister is the same as committing murder in our own hearts.

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Being angry holding that grudge is the same as committing murder. You might

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as well have just killed him. So knowing this we cannot justify one sin as being

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better than another. You know the whole lesser of two evils. I'll remind

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you there's only one unforgivable sin. And when we do do these things when

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we're trying to call justify one thing as being better than another we actually

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become the Pharisee Jesus was talking about in the parable of the Pharisee and

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the tax collector in Luke 18. In Luke 18 if you recall it was the tax

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collector who had favor in God's eye. These two men they enter in

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they go into prayer and the Pharisee is like well you know thank God I'm not

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that guy I do this and I do that you know so I I'm a much better person for

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it. It was you know very legalistic and very prideful and arrogant. Whereas the

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tax collector he went in there and he prayed and you know what the Lord

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smiled upon him even more. Right so let's go back to our reading here Ephesians 2

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now we're going to look at the next few verses 4 through 7. So Ephesians 2 verses

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4 through 7 the Bible says but because of his great love for us God who is

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rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions

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it is by grace you have been saved and God raised us up with Christ and seated

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us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming

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ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his

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kindness to us in Christ Jesus. So the first three verses of this chapter

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remind us of our sin. Flash forward you know into these next few verses though

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however and they remind us of the gift that we've been given in being freed

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from the power of sin. Those chains have been broken. Now this is not a free hall

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pass to go out and sin more. Of course not it's not a get out of jail free card.

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You know the price for our freedom was the blood of Christ. It doesn't mean that

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we're free from temptation nor does it mean that we won't mess up and never

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sin again. On the contrary we're human we're gonna screw up that's part of our

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nature. Try as we might we're imperfect so we're going to mess up we're

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gonna have missteps. So what does it mean that as Christians we're no longer you

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know what it means is as Christians we're no longer bound in sin and we're

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no longer dead because of that. Alright I was gonna start to ask a question but

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no I'm just gonna say it. What it means is we are Christians and we're no longer

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bound by sin and we're no longer dead in that sin alright. And the Holy Spirit

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you know he he's here to help us to avoid it to repent of it to repent of

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our sins you know and to work to bring out to bring about changes in our lives

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so that we can live as God wants us to and to become the people that God wants

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us to be. Or as Galatians 2 verse 20 puts it I had been crucified with Christ

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and I no longer live but Christ lives in me the life I now live in the body I

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live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

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So again that's Galatians 2 verse 20 so continuing on back in Ephesians 2 we're

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going to look at the next couple of verses now so 8 through 10 alright if

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so Ephesians 2 8 through 10 the Bible says for it is by grace you have been

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saved through faith and this is not from yourselves it is a gift of God not by

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works so that no one can boast for we are God's handiwork created in Christ

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Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. By

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grace you've been saved meaning we've been given a gift from God. Let me put it

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another way how do you respond when someone gives you something when

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someone gives you a gift you know it doesn't matter what kind of gift it

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birthday gift Christmas gift an anniversary present you know any other

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number of gifts you know do you stop and say oh how much did this cost you know

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start looking for for a tag on it or anything no you know or do you ask oh

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thank you you know how much do I owe you do you stop to compare it to the gifts

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that other people have gotten oh I don't know I think Bob's gift sure shows that

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he loves me more no of course not you say things like this is great thank you

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I appreciate it you're the best I love you this is awesome you know and these

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are all appropriate responses however as Christians we often forget that this is

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also how we should respond to God's gifts of redemption and forgiveness we're just

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say oh I'm saved cool see we what happens is we forget and we start

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looking for ways to earn these gifts in our life we forget that it's a gift and

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the simple fact is we cannot earn them they've already been given to us we

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cannot repay him for it nor should we try you know it says right there not by

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work so that no one can boast God's the only one who can provide these gifts

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there's no way to earn or you know get any of this stuff be it beyond him you

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know instead what should be happening is we should be grateful we should be

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giving praise and thanks and moving forward in our life with that

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graciousness and that humbleness in our hearts you know we are God's handiwork

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meaning we've each been perfectly made by him he didn't make a mistake when he

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made you he was spot-on in every aspect of you all the way down to your hair you

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know your gender your orientation your status in life anything else that the

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world may try to pervert and tell you otherwise you are perfectly made

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perfectly loved by him you are perfectly designed in his eyes so let me summarize

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everything that we've covered up to this point so far today okay it's actually

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quite simple and if you've been putting off or avoided being around you know the

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church or we're going to a worship service because of what you're dealing

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with in your life this is for you what the word is telling us is this you don't

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have to change before you go to God because going to God is what changes

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you you cannot do it yourself none of us can not a single man woman or child

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alive can do it we all need God's help and we need to stop waiting thinking

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that we're gonna do it once we've been sanctified once everything's good it's

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like oh I got to get right you know and then I'll go it doesn't work that way

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everything that needs to happen for you to go it's already happened you need to

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get over your pride and just go you know sanctification this is a word that's

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thrown out there and it's used you know and different ways there's different

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words for it but you know it's a little bit of a Christian ease if you would you

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know and this is a word that and what it what it really means when it comes when

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you come down to is I'm better in God's eyes today than I was yesterday I am

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better in God's eyes today than I was yesterday so now's the time stop waiting

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whatever is holding you back pick it up and carry all that baggage with you take

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all that stuff with you bring it with you when you go to Jesus and you know

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what's gonna happen he's going to help you unpack it and deal with it that's

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how this whole thing works you know that's how easy it is in Matthew 11

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verses 28 through 30 Jesus tells us come to me all you who are weary and burdened

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and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am

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gentle and humble at heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is

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easy and my burden is light

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so don't wait stop waiting take it all to him stop wearing yourself out trying

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to carry things that you were not meant to carry in the first place he's gonna

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help you deal with all of that burden and then move forward enjoy continuing

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back now in Ephesians 2 verses 11 through 13 in this part this is where it

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starts getting really exciting okay you're gonna see what I mean here very

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shortly so Ephesians 2 verses 11 through 13 the Bible says therefore remember

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that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those

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who call themselves the circumcision which is done in the body by human hands

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remember that at the time excuse me that at that time you were separate from

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Christ excluded from citizenship in Israel and

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foreigners to the covenants of the promise without hope and without God in

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the world but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought

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near by the blood of Christ so what we're starting to see is something

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absolutely wonderful but we're given a little reminder about the past again

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right and this time it's something that we we still see it presently we still

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see it today which gives even more power behind this punch see the Jews being

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circumcised and the non-jews being the uncircumcised is what it's saying here

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or more commonly you know though there you know the non-jews are referred to as

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the Gentiles right the Gentiles all right Jews looked upon the Gentiles as

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being ceremonial on the unclean all right they got very caught up in the

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whole legalistic aspect of everything so ceremonially they were unclean and the

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Jews looked at themselves as being pure you know as a master race of sorts

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because of their heritage and legalistic traditions you know sounding a little

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familiar here so at that point in time you know this let's cut let's cut through

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it let's call it what it was it's very much racism and nationalism you know

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you're going on even at that time this is not a new concept all right and thank

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God times have changed because when it came to this aspect back then it came

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down to spiritual pride it was a spirit is an issue of spiritual pride all right

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you know that the Jews they knew of Jesus they had they you know they had

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scripture you know they they had a direct relationship with them where the

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Gentiles didn't so they're like uh-huh you know we're we're big stuff right

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King of the Hill you know however on the flip side of that same coin we we also

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had the Gentiles and they were also guilty of spiritual pride you know just

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like the Jews they also believed that they were elevated in status because of

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their own achievements their their power in the world their various position

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positions that they held you know and as world powers at that time you know and

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Paul was pointing this out here that the Jews and the Gentiles alike were both

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unclean all right and what and this is what it comes even for us today what it

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speaking to us is that we have we've all had the same condition and just like

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them we can become spiritually blinded by our pride we cause alienation of

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others and of ourselves by putting ourselves on this you know pedestal as

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if we were better than others it's a danger we all need to look out for you

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know and while we're when it happens you know while we're blinded to our own

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faults and our own sins we start looking at others through this you know skewed

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type of magnifying glass you know and it's so big that we begin nitpicking

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even the smallest imperfections you know this is where those cookie cutter molds

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come from that so many of us use to try to find our our clicks right our groups

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those you know those places where we feel like we belong and you know this is

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also why at certain points in your life you've felt singled out alienated cast

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to the side because you didn't fit that cookie cutter mold in some way you know

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so it's important that we we come together as the church all right this is

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the beauty of it this is you know it's important that we come together as the

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church and remember the church is the people as people it's not a location

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all right say oh I'm going to church no you're going to a place of worship okay

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coming together as the church is the people coming together and that you know

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is what we need to remember because we need to be able to encourage one another

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and empower each other and lift each other up in our faith you know when

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people are struggling being able to help help them through you know help them in

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prayer pray together you know that's that's what reaching out and love really

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is you know anything less than that it's just a slogan for a snake oil salesman

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you know and a dent of thieves that's exactly what it is you know and there

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are plenty of places out there that really do you know you some some form of

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the slogan or reaching out love and that's what it is it's a sales pitch

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all right so so we need to be aware of that that in itself is a gift as well

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say hey we have this we're able to discern right all right so in this in

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these next few verses we're going to start seeing exactly what I was mentioning

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before about something great you know starting to come together we were

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starting to see it now we're gonna see it's it's coming out all right you're

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going to love this all right so when we go back to our reading in a faith

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Ephesians 2 verses 14 through 16 the Bible says for he himself is our peace

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who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier the dividing wall

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of hostility by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and

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regulations his purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two

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thus making peace and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through

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the cross by which he was put to death excuse me by which he put to death

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their hostility all right remember before Christ the Jews and the Gentiles

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they were separated in the world all right they went to great lengths to try

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to stay away from each other even like oh stay away from them you know you're

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gonna be soiled you know and both with the same ignorance right the house was

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divided even when Jesus first set the disciples out they were told only go to

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the Jews Matthew 10 verses 5 and 6 the 12 Jesus sent out with the following

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instructions do not go among the Gentiles or enter into any town of the

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Samaritans go rather to the lost sheep of Israel so even up to this point

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they're still being kept separated they're still being segregated right you

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know however it wasn't to stay this way all right Jesus did this on purpose

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because the disciples were still in training right they weren't built up to

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that point yet where they needed to be they were they were just starting they

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were still young in that walk it needed to learn you know you don't you know

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you you don't just throw everything at them you know we all know nobody gets

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thrown into a jet fighter without first being trained on smaller different

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planes and then built up to be able to handle that and it's the same thing this

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is what Jesus was doing at that time when he said just go to the lost sheep

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of Israel just go to the Jewish people right as he was building them up so that

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later on they would be able to branch out and do even more and greater things

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it's just baby steps right so you know however you know you move forward to

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where we are at this point this is where the beauty is all right when when you

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get past all that and you move forward to where we are today that house is no

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longer divided Jesus revealed the sin of both groups the Jews and the Gentiles

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all right and he and what happened is when he did this he put them both on

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even ground and then unified us all the Jews and the non-jews alike right he

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knocked down those dividing walls of prejudice so that we could all be

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unified as a single body of believers not race not age not how somebody looks

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not their nationality not by sex not social class you know not working class

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not their educational level not even a political party but as one single body

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with Jesus at the head he dissolved all of that stuff it's the world that tries

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to rebuild these things under the direction and the instruction of the

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devil and that's that's really why it's so ugly today devil's hard at work you

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know spiritual warfare right here you know as Christians we have to rise

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above this hate and recognize that there's only one body and that is the

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body of Christ and Jesus has offered his gift to salvation to all so that they

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can become part of that body when it comes to God there are no strangers and

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there are no foreigners all are welcome and all are encouraged to seek him and

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find him how beautiful is that how exciting is that this is a tremendous

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gift that we should all be thanking God for that we can all be united as one

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all right join me now visions to we're looking at verses 17 through 22 so 17

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through 22 the Bible says he came and preached peace to you who were far away

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and peace to those who were near for through him we both have access to the

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father by one spirit consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers

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but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household built on

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the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself as

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the chief cornerstone in him the whole building is joined together and rises to

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become a holy temple in the Lord and in him you too are being built together to

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become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit so far in near everyone all

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around the world has access to the father when the veil was torn in Matthew

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27 verse 51 right when Jesus took the cross for us we no longer had to have a

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representative to go to the father on our part that door it it was kicked you

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know I wasn't even just kicked open it was blown off the hinges so that all of

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us could directly go to him not to an elder not to a prophet not to a priest

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a pastor or anyone else we are to go to him ourselves that's the expectation

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nobody can have that relationship for us you know think of it this way we don't

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like when others ask for things on someone else's behalf and God is no

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different that's why Jesus was set to unite us and the Holy Spirit to fill us

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as citizens of God's kingdom and as adopted members of God's family we are

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all given direct access now we're expected to use it all right and notice

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where the scripture says that the foundation was built upon the Apostles

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right this is not some legalistic phrase or a reference to the modern ideals of

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that time instead what it's referring to is our heritage that comes from these

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people all right from these men the testimony of their experiences and time

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with Jesus everything that they learned from him that's the cornerstone of our

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faith for all time all right as Christians we've been reborn we've been

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taken from the death of sin and made alive in Christ reconciled through him

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as one body and while we don't see everything eye to eye I'll remind you no

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family on earth ever does and it's up to us to accept one another and to build

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one another up all right that and that's what empowerment is you know to it's in

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to not just call one another family but to actually be a family and to show the

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world what that is in God's glory light and love all right that's what we have

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for this week guys remember you are loved and you are blessed so go and be

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the church thank you all for joining us here today at healing scars with pastor

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Burton please like subscribe and share our podcast on any platform it is that

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you tune in to us on if you do have any questions any prayer requests or would

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like to know more about our ministry you can find us on our website at be the

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light sanctuary org or on Facebook at be the light sanctuary you can also find

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how to contact us there whether it's direct message or email we look forward

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to hearing from you all God bless