WEBVTT 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:16.620 We live in a world that is increasingly polarized. 00:00:20.019 --> 00:00:27.620 Ideas and issues divide our society. Undoubtedly, 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:30.260 you have varying reactions when you hear such 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:38.340 terms as liberal or conservative or black and 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:44.250 white. Or when you hear American citizens or 00:00:44.250 --> 00:00:49.609 illegal aliens. When you hear terms like rich, 00:00:49.789 --> 00:00:55.530 poor, or middle class. You may have a certain 00:00:55.530 --> 00:00:58.609 feeling within when you hear the term communist 00:00:58.609 --> 00:01:02.130 or socialist. Others, when they hear the term 00:01:02.130 --> 00:01:07.010 capitalist. There's a polarization in our society 00:01:07.010 --> 00:01:10.370 over the issues relating to male and female. 00:01:11.129 --> 00:01:15.170 the gender issues. Right now, we're coming through 00:01:15.170 --> 00:01:18.170 a period in our state when there's IR and DFL, 00:01:18.469 --> 00:01:22.049 some polarization around them and the platforms 00:01:22.049 --> 00:01:26.250 they've adopted. Among many Christian people, 00:01:26.430 --> 00:01:29.030 there's a polarization regarding the public school 00:01:29.030 --> 00:01:34.109 or the Christian school or the right to life 00:01:34.109 --> 00:01:39.040 or the freedom of choice. we are increasingly 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:45.159 becoming a polarized society. Some of you feel 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.420 very deeply about some of the issues that I've 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:52.120 mentioned. But none of the feelings that we have 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:58.040 today, I think, can compare to the depth of visceral 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:02.439 reaction that was experienced in the ancient 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:09.240 world between the Jew and the Gentile. Centuries 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:14.580 of prejudice, unwritten volumes of angry, spiteful 00:02:14.580 --> 00:02:19.919 words, vandalous and vicious acts of bias and 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:25.580 hatred drove the deepest possible wedge between 00:02:25.580 --> 00:02:29.439 the Jew and the Gentile in the ancient world. 00:02:30.659 --> 00:02:34.680 And it was in that pressure cooker of deep... 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:39.219 emotional division between the two groups that 00:02:39.219 --> 00:02:42.280 God did something that is absolutely amazing. 00:02:43.659 --> 00:02:50.300 He created a brand new unit or group embracing 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:56.979 both Jew and Gentile, making them equal before 00:02:56.979 --> 00:03:03.389 Him, making them one in Christ, one body. and 00:03:03.389 --> 00:03:08.909 that is the church of Jesus Christ. Would you 00:03:08.909 --> 00:03:11.150 please turn in your Bible to Ephesians chapter 00:03:11.150 --> 00:03:14.689 2, and let's begin reading in verse 11 regarding 00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:18.870 this marvelous thing that God did. Therefore 00:03:18.870 --> 00:03:23.229 remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the 00:03:23.229 --> 00:03:26.270 flesh, and so he's addressing primarily Gentiles, 00:03:26.270 --> 00:03:31.830 as I am this morning, who are called uncircumcision. 00:03:32.780 --> 00:03:36.340 That, by the way, was a term of derision and 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:42.500 spite and hatred, who are called uncircumcision 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:48.159 by the so -called circumcision, which is performed 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:51.039 in the flesh by human hands, says the apostle. 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:55.979 Remember that you were at that time separate 00:03:55.979 --> 00:03:59.900 from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of 00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:03.560 Israel and strangers. to the covenants of promise, 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:08.680 having no hope and without God in the world. 00:04:09.099 --> 00:04:15.039 But now, in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:19.680 far off have been brought near by the blood of 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:25.759 Christ. For he himself is our peace, who made 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:29.500 both groups into one and broke down the barrier 00:04:29.500 --> 00:04:33.889 of the dividing wall. by abolishing in his flesh 00:04:33.889 --> 00:04:38.509 the enmity, which is the law of commandments 00:04:38.509 --> 00:04:43.689 contained in ordinances, that in himself he might 00:04:43.689 --> 00:04:48.529 make the two into one new man, thus establishing 00:04:48.529 --> 00:04:52.790 peace, and might reconcile them both in one body 00:04:52.790 --> 00:04:58.389 to God through the cross, by it, the cross, having 00:04:58.389 --> 00:05:02.639 put to death the enmity. And he came and preached 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:06.560 peace to you who were far away and peace to those 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:10.439 who were near. For through him we both have our 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:15.560 access in one spirit to the Father. Ephesians 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:20.600 is a book of the body, the body of Jesus Christ, 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:24.759 the church. It is another of the metaphors or 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:26.980 the pictures of the church that we find in the 00:05:26.980 --> 00:05:30.480 New Testament. It is probably the fullest picture. 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.620 that we find. And interestingly, it is used only 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:39.560 by the Apostle Paul. He loved this idea of the 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:45.000 body representing the church. Today we're going 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:48.980 to see this theme that we are members of the 00:05:48.980 --> 00:05:55.180 unified body of Jesus Christ. First of all, I'd 00:05:55.180 --> 00:05:57.660 like for us to examine the theological foundation 00:05:57.660 --> 00:06:00.600 to that statement. and then see the practical 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:04.939 considerations to it. We who have trusted the 00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:09.459 Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are members of the 00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:16.079 unified body of Jesus Christ. Now when we talk 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:18.579 about the theological foundation, I get a little 00:06:18.579 --> 00:06:22.319 bit worried. Because there are some people who 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.860 have a misconception about theology. They see 00:06:25.860 --> 00:06:30.550 theology as a dry... irrelevant subject debated 00:06:30.550 --> 00:06:35.129 by out -of -touch professors in a seminary. Well, 00:06:35.149 --> 00:06:37.230 there probably are some seminaries that have 00:06:37.230 --> 00:06:40.110 professors that way, but that's not the fault 00:06:40.110 --> 00:06:44.790 of the theology. Actually, theology is practical 00:06:44.790 --> 00:06:50.509 spiritual reality, which affects all of us in 00:06:50.509 --> 00:06:52.889 our understanding of God and our relationship 00:06:52.889 --> 00:06:57.079 to Him. And so when we talk about the theological 00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:01.920 foundation or basis of the church, we are talking 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:04.620 about something that has to do with you and me. 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:09.740 We're not talking about empty theories. We're 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:12.800 talking about realities that impact us and our 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.899 relationship to God and our understanding of 00:07:15.899 --> 00:07:21.540 Him. It's important. You will notice that in 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:24.639 our text, the apostle first talks about our past, 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:29.980 what we were, those of us who were Gentiles. 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:35.360 He says in verse 11, formally, that is, before 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:39.600 you were saved, before you came to faith in Jesus 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:44.379 Christ, he says you were Gentiles in the flesh. 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:50.610 That was our ancestry. In the flesh, we were 00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:55.910 uncircumcised Gentiles as the Jews looked down 00:07:55.910 --> 00:07:59.910 upon us. And they considered themselves to be 00:07:59.910 --> 00:08:05.449 the circumcision, the special ones. Now he says, 00:08:05.509 --> 00:08:09.550 I want you, Gentiles, to remember something. 00:08:10.149 --> 00:08:14.670 I want you to remember what you were. You know, 00:08:14.670 --> 00:08:18.149 folks, it's good for us every now and then. to 00:08:18.149 --> 00:08:23.069 think back and remember, to remember what we 00:08:23.069 --> 00:08:26.209 were, and by the grace of God, where we might 00:08:26.209 --> 00:08:31.009 be today. F .F. Bruce said, nothing is so apt 00:08:31.009 --> 00:08:35.450 to promote gratitude as a retrospective glance 00:08:35.450 --> 00:08:40.350 fixed on the hole of the pit from whence we have 00:08:40.350 --> 00:08:45.450 been dug. What we're going to look at today is 00:08:45.450 --> 00:08:50.220 the pit of Gentile ancestry out of which most 00:08:50.220 --> 00:08:55.600 of us were dug. What is said in this passage 00:08:55.600 --> 00:09:00.799 is descriptive of every lost person today. It 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:03.440 may describe where some of you are right now 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:06.879 in your relationship to God. I hope that might 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:10.240 change even before you leave here today. But 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:12.159 for those of us who are saved, let's see for 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:15.529 a moment what we were. It seems to me that he 00:09:15.529 --> 00:09:18.149 gives six descriptive phrases of what we were. 00:09:18.289 --> 00:09:20.750 First of all, he says we were separate from Christ. 00:09:21.710 --> 00:09:28.509 Verse 12. Separate from Christ. Christ has to 00:09:28.509 --> 00:09:31.929 do, of course, with the expected Jewish Messiah, 00:09:32.110 --> 00:09:36.230 the Deliverer. The Gentiles did not anticipate 00:09:36.230 --> 00:09:41.350 any such Savior. History to the Gentiles was 00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:44.919 a meaningless cycle. of predetermined events. 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:49.940 Gentiles did not worship the true God and expect 00:09:49.940 --> 00:09:54.000 his Christ, but our ancestors, on the other hand, 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:59.220 worshipped false gods of pagan mythology. In 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:02.039 Ephesus, the chief worship was given to Diana 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:07.240 or to Artemis, the goddess of fertility. It is 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:11.259 debated how she was represented in the idol of 00:10:11.259 --> 00:10:15.259 that temple. There are some who describe her 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:21.679 as a black animal, perhaps a bear or a wolf, 00:10:21.860 --> 00:10:30.519 having many breasts, ugly, debased, and the worship 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:34.960 around her was equally debased and debauched 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:39.899 in the way it was carried out. They had no expectation 00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:43.860 of deliverance. The Gentiles simply went there 00:10:43.860 --> 00:10:47.720 to pour out their worship before this pagan idol 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:50.799 which could not hear or speak or act on their 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:54.519 behalf. That's the pit from which most of us 00:10:54.519 --> 00:11:00.320 were digged. Today, to be separate from Christ 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:05.379 describes most of the world. Cut off from him, 00:11:05.500 --> 00:11:10.429 to be lost. There are some people who say, well, 00:11:10.470 --> 00:11:12.309 it doesn't really make any difference if a person 00:11:12.309 --> 00:11:16.370 believes in Christ. As long as he believes in 00:11:16.370 --> 00:11:20.289 something sincerely, God will find that acceptable. 00:11:20.429 --> 00:11:24.570 I want you to know that that is a lie. And it 00:11:24.570 --> 00:11:28.470 is created in the heart and in the mind of Satan. 00:11:29.610 --> 00:11:35.009 Because it does absolutely matter upon what or 00:11:35.009 --> 00:11:39.049 whom our faith is resting. and faith that is 00:11:39.049 --> 00:11:42.870 resting upon anyone. But Jesus Christ is faith 00:11:42.870 --> 00:11:45.289 that is misplaced and which will lead a person, 00:11:45.409 --> 00:11:48.289 though he may be sincere, to a Christless eternity. 00:11:50.409 --> 00:11:53.309 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the 00:11:53.309 --> 00:11:57.950 life. No one comes to the Father but by me. That 00:11:57.950 --> 00:12:02.110 is exclusive. And frankly, it's a turnoff to 00:12:02.110 --> 00:12:05.389 a lot of... so -called intellects in our world 00:12:05.389 --> 00:12:08.789 who like to be more broad -minded. But my friend, 00:12:08.809 --> 00:12:11.529 biblical Christianity is not that broad -minded. 00:12:13.509 --> 00:12:16.649 The Bible says that there is salvation in no 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:19.830 other, for there is no other name under heaven 00:12:19.830 --> 00:12:23.750 given among men whereby we must be saved. Not 00:12:23.750 --> 00:12:27.750 one other name. To be separate from Christ is 00:12:27.750 --> 00:12:31.090 to be totally lost. And that's where we were. 00:12:32.269 --> 00:12:34.549 He says, secondly, we were excluded from the 00:12:34.549 --> 00:12:37.309 commonwealth of Israel. We were not citizens 00:12:37.309 --> 00:12:39.870 of that people that God had chosen for himself. 00:12:40.090 --> 00:12:44.409 We were stateless. We had no part in God's dominion. 00:12:45.590 --> 00:12:48.830 Gentiles, of course, could be saved in the Old 00:12:48.830 --> 00:12:51.669 Testament, but to be saved, they had to become 00:12:51.669 --> 00:12:56.149 proselytes. They had to come to Israel and find 00:12:56.149 --> 00:13:02.080 out about the true God. Generally speaking, Gentiles 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:04.980 were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel 00:13:04.980 --> 00:13:11.019 unless they proselytized. He describes us thirdly 00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:13.860 as those who were strangers to the covenants 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:17.320 of promise. It's not that some of the covenants 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:20.639 of the Old Testament don't deal with Gentiles, 00:13:20.700 --> 00:13:26.019 because they do. But the Gentiles did not themselves 00:13:26.019 --> 00:13:29.559 receive any covenants from God in the Old Testament. 00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:32.440 They were given to Israel. The promises were 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:36.360 to Israel and through Israel then to Gentiles 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:40.419 in some cases. There were no direct covenant 00:13:40.419 --> 00:13:45.779 benefits for Gentiles. In fact, most of the Jews 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:49.480 in that day, the religious Jews would pray, Dear 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:52.480 God, I give thanks that I am a Jew and not a 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:56.679 Gentile. And the reason was that the Jews had 00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:59.120 the covenants. That was one of their privileges. 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:03.460 Fourthly, he describes us as having no hope, 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:05.240 and that's because of what we've already said. 00:14:06.379 --> 00:14:11.860 Devoid of any light, any future hope. All you 00:14:11.860 --> 00:14:14.240 have to do is to go back in some of the historical 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:18.600 records and read the inscriptions on the tombs 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:23.159 in ancient Rome. And you find out that those 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.919 people died without any ray of hope whatsoever. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:31.000 Death was just the end. There was nothing beyond 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:36.879 that for them. They were without hope. Then they 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.200 were without God, number five. Literally, they 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:43.019 were godless. This, by the way, is a favorite 00:14:43.019 --> 00:14:45.600 expression of the Apostle Paul describing the 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:49.019 Gentiles. He uses it several times. Oh, it's 00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:52.639 true. Our ancestors, those Gentiles, had many 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:56.120 gods. In fact, when the Apostle Paul went to 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:58.200 the city of Athens, you may remember, he said, 00:14:58.220 --> 00:15:01.519 I think you have gods here to everyone. But I 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.320 did notice that in case you missed one, you had 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:06.840 an idol to the unknown God. And that was true. 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:11.259 Very religious. Many gods, but they were without 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:18.669 God. Capital G. Why is that? Because... They 00:15:18.669 --> 00:15:22.009 were separate from Christ. They were excluded 00:15:22.009 --> 00:15:24.789 from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to 00:15:24.789 --> 00:15:26.909 the covenants of promise. They were without God. 00:15:27.710 --> 00:15:31.870 And that's the pit from which we came. And finally, 00:15:31.870 --> 00:15:36.549 he says, without God in the world. In the world. 00:15:36.850 --> 00:15:41.830 That is a legal phrase describing the position. 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:47.340 that our ancestors and we were in before we knew 00:15:47.340 --> 00:15:51.240 Jesus Christ, in the world, a part of it. We 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:54.480 were identified with Satan's thing, the cosmos, 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.700 the system that he has put together to oppose 00:15:58.700 --> 00:16:01.779 God. We were a part of that. We were in the world. 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:07.179 Now, my friend, if you today have never trusted 00:16:07.179 --> 00:16:10.840 Jesus Christ as your Savior, these same phrases 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:15.279 can somehow relate to you. This describes not 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:19.019 where you were, but where you are. And what you 00:16:19.019 --> 00:16:22.500 need today is to be saved by placing your faith 00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:26.379 in Jesus Christ. Now, I'm assuming that most 00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:28.919 of us today have come to that point at some time. 00:16:29.299 --> 00:16:31.259 And so what we've just talked about describes 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:35.700 what we were, our past. And now we have a more 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:38.000 happy picture to see, and that is our present 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.879 in verses 13 through 18. That's what we are in 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:47.240 Jesus Christ. He says, but now, and that's the 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:52.539 pivot in the passage, but now in Christ Jesus 00:16:52.539 --> 00:16:57.480 you who were formerly far off, that's Gentiles, 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:02.200 far off from everything, have been brought near 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:07.759 by the blood of Christ. Our present condition 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:12.539 can be summarized in those words, in Christ. 00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:17.039 Christ Jesus. Whereas before we were in the world, 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:21.859 in Satan's domain, a part of what he's doing, 00:17:22.099 --> 00:17:26.119 now he says we are different. We are in Christ 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:31.039 Jesus. We have been translated from the kingdom 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:36.920 of Satan and the power of darkness into the kingdom 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:41.269 of God's dear Son. We are in Christ Jesus. Our 00:17:41.269 --> 00:17:43.910 standing before God is entirely different than 00:17:43.910 --> 00:17:49.069 it was. Now we are in Christ Jesus. You say, 00:17:49.089 --> 00:17:51.390 well, that's just theological jargon. Listen, 00:17:51.569 --> 00:17:54.309 my friend, that theological phrase describes 00:17:54.309 --> 00:17:58.809 the reality of your life in Jesus Christ. It's 00:17:58.809 --> 00:18:03.609 not dry, dusty stuff. It tells you that as God 00:18:03.609 --> 00:18:07.269 sees you now, he doesn't just see you, he sees 00:18:07.269 --> 00:18:11.549 you in. Christ Jesus, clothed in His righteousness. 00:18:14.869 --> 00:18:17.589 In Christ Jesus it says that we've been brought 00:18:17.589 --> 00:18:19.650 near. That's the second phrase that we'll look 00:18:19.650 --> 00:18:23.269 at, describing our present. We're brought near 00:18:23.269 --> 00:18:30.190 to God. Formerly far off, now brought near. What 00:18:30.190 --> 00:18:33.009 a wonderful truth that is, that in Christ Jesus 00:18:33.009 --> 00:18:40.119 we are embraced by God. Whereas before, because 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:44.119 God is holy, we had to be away from him. Far 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:50.220 off. Now, we are embraced by God as our Heavenly 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:57.019 Father in Christ Jesus. Now, why can a holy God 00:18:57.019 --> 00:19:01.160 embrace us? Does he just somehow hold his nose 00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:05.460 and ignore our sin? Does he just wipe our sin 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:09.099 away and put it under the rug? Try to forget 00:19:09.099 --> 00:19:13.599 about it? No. No, the reason that He can embrace 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:17.359 us, the reason that we are brought near is because 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:22.599 we've been cleansed from our sin. God isn't ignoring 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:26.259 it. He's dealt with it in a most holy and righteous 00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:29.339 manner, and that is through the death of His 00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:32.880 Son. Notice what it says in this verse. We have 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.599 been brought near by or through, this is the 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:41.690 way, what? The blood of Christ. That is the foundation 00:19:41.690 --> 00:19:45.910 of our being brought near. That is the basis 00:19:45.910 --> 00:19:49.210 as to why God can embrace us. It is the blood 00:19:49.210 --> 00:19:52.990 of the Lord Jesus Christ. I realize there are 00:19:52.990 --> 00:19:56.029 some who say, oh, that is a bloody religion you're 00:19:56.029 --> 00:20:00.430 talking about. It's distasteful. It's out of 00:20:00.430 --> 00:20:06.750 date. Listen. If one ignores the blood of the 00:20:06.750 --> 00:20:12.269 Lord Jesus Christ, he cannot be saved. Because 00:20:12.269 --> 00:20:16.190 it is by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that 00:20:16.190 --> 00:20:19.589 our sins have been dealt with, and we are brought 00:20:19.589 --> 00:20:24.670 near to God. Don't let anyone ever tell you that 00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:27.789 the blood is for a different age, or that it's 00:20:27.789 --> 00:20:30.470 something distasteful to talk about. It's not 00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:36.819 pleasant. But it is a theological reality. It 00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:39.859 is something that has to do with our very relationship 00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:43.140 to God. The reason that God can bring us near 00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:46.680 is because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:20:49.339 --> 00:20:52.420 No sin can ever be forgiven except that which 00:20:52.420 --> 00:20:56.720 is paid for by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:01.220 You say, what about the people in the Old Testament? 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:05.680 Jesus hadn't died then. Their sins must have 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:09.180 been cared for some other way. Not so. Not so. 00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:12.440 Remember all those sacrifices that were offered, 00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:14.799 the blood that was shed, that provided what is 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.039 called an atonement, a covering for their sins. 00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:21.180 But my friend, when Jesus died on the cross, 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:24.900 he died for the sins of those in those past generations 00:21:24.900 --> 00:21:31.049 who had by faith offered the sacrifices. who 00:21:31.049 --> 00:21:36.650 had by faith believed the promise of God. It 00:21:36.650 --> 00:21:38.789 was as though all of those sacrifices in the 00:21:38.789 --> 00:21:43.470 Old Testament were IOUs. And God accumulated 00:21:43.470 --> 00:21:46.970 them and accumulated them until Jesus died. And 00:21:46.970 --> 00:21:50.009 when he died, he paid off all of those in the 00:21:50.009 --> 00:21:55.230 past. You see, their sins were forgiven because 00:21:55.230 --> 00:21:58.710 of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, as our 00:21:58.710 --> 00:22:02.859 sins are forgiven. by His blood. We are brought 00:22:02.859 --> 00:22:06.539 near through His blood. Someone has written, 00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:12.279 nearer, so very near to God. Nearer I could not 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:16.779 be. For in the person of His Son, I am just as 00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:21.720 near as He. You say, how close to God am I? You 00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:28.000 are as close to God as Jesus Christ. You see, 00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:31.680 before there was hostility in our hearts toward 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:36.880 God because of sin. And that bubbled over toward 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:44.640 others. Hostility outwardly, horizontally. And 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.079 especially was there hostility, as I've said, 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:50.859 between Jew and Gentile. But I want you to know 00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:54.319 that when Jesus... Died on the cross, he dealt 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:58.200 with that hostility and that enmity too. You 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:01.180 will notice that he says in verse 14 that Jesus 00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:05.599 Christ is our peace. Warren Wiersbe said that 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:08.359 Jesus' coming was the greatest peace mission 00:23:08.359 --> 00:23:15.859 in history. He came to be the peacemaker. But 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:19.019 not only did he make peace, he himself is our 00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:25.210 peace. He made peace between Jew and Gentile, 00:23:25.250 --> 00:23:27.930 verses 14 and 15. Notice it says that he made 00:23:27.930 --> 00:23:32.130 both groups into one and broke down the barrier 00:23:32.130 --> 00:23:35.329 of the dividing wall. Literally that says he 00:23:35.329 --> 00:23:40.589 broke down the fence of the middle wall. You 00:23:40.589 --> 00:23:43.549 say, what in the world is that? Undoubtedly the 00:23:43.549 --> 00:23:46.109 Apostle Paul had a specific thing in mind, and 00:23:46.109 --> 00:23:49.450 that was the wall that was present in the temple 00:23:49.450 --> 00:23:54.440 in Jerusalem. For in that temple in that day 00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:57.819 there was a wall which separated the temple itself 00:23:57.819 --> 00:24:02.380 from the court where the Gentiles could come. 00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:07.259 There was a middle wall, a barrier established, 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:12.079 and no Gentile could pass beyond that barrier 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:15.079 without suffering death. In fact, there was a 00:24:15.079 --> 00:24:19.259 sign on it which has been dug up by the archaeologists. 00:24:20.170 --> 00:24:22.250 We have it today. You know what the sign says? 00:24:22.970 --> 00:24:26.250 No foreigner may enter the barricade which surrounds 00:24:26.250 --> 00:24:30.529 the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught 00:24:30.529 --> 00:24:33.809 doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing 00:24:33.809 --> 00:24:38.329 death. It was a very serious thing for a Gentile 00:24:38.329 --> 00:24:42.230 to cross the barrier. That was the barrier. Now 00:24:42.230 --> 00:24:44.789 he says here that Jesus has broken down the barrier. 00:24:45.049 --> 00:24:48.809 So Paul is using that literal wall symbolically. 00:24:49.900 --> 00:24:52.980 And he says what that wall represents is the 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:56.160 ceremonial mosaic law, the law of commandments 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:00.440 contained in ordinances. You see, the Jews were 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:03.539 different than the Gentiles in the way that they 00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:06.599 dressed, in the things that they ate, in the 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:12.180 way that they worshipped. God intended for them 00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:16.000 to be different and for them to be a witness 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:19.160 to the Gentiles. The Jews never got that far. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:21.700 They were different, and they prided themselves 00:25:21.700 --> 00:25:27.079 in the difference. And that egotism, that arrogance 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:30.299 that developed, created tremendous hostility 00:25:30.299 --> 00:25:35.240 between the two groups. Now what the Apostle 00:25:35.240 --> 00:25:37.759 Paul says here is that the Lord Jesus Christ 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:44.519 has broken down that fence of the middle wall, 00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:49.190 abolishing it. abolishing in his flesh this enmity, 00:25:49.309 --> 00:25:53.230 this hostility, so that in himself he might make 00:25:53.230 --> 00:25:59.109 the two, Jew and Gentile, into one new man, establishing 00:25:59.109 --> 00:26:02.869 peace. No longer hostility and anger and hatred, 00:26:02.910 --> 00:26:07.089 but peace. And might reconcile them both in one 00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:11.609 body to God through the cross, by it having put 00:26:11.609 --> 00:26:16.920 to death, having slain the hostility. The enmity. 00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:21.000 What is he saying here? He is saying that God 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:25.079 has done something brand new. That God has wiped 00:26:25.079 --> 00:26:27.819 away the difference between Jew and Gentile by 00:26:27.819 --> 00:26:30.299 the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:33.839 And that now God is calling out Gentiles and 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:37.240 God is calling out Jews to be a part of a brand 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:43.220 new entity. A new thing. A new group. A new man. 00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:49.099 The church. of Jesus Christ, so that there is 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:51.940 a unified church. Boy, that was hard for the 00:26:51.940 --> 00:26:56.579 Jews. It was hard for them to accept that Jesus 00:26:56.579 --> 00:27:01.299 had made peace between Jew and Gentile. Peter 00:27:01.299 --> 00:27:04.619 struggled with that. You remember in Acts chapter 00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:08.299 10, when he was told to go down to the household 00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:11.079 of Cornelius, God had to underscore what he was 00:27:11.079 --> 00:27:15.319 telling him to do by a vision. And in that vision, 00:27:15.380 --> 00:27:19.619 he illustrated the fact that there is no longer 00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:22.420 a clean and unclean as far as God is concerned. 00:27:23.619 --> 00:27:26.819 And in obedience, Peter finally went down to 00:27:26.819 --> 00:27:30.119 Cornelius' house. Cornelius was saved as a Gentile. 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:32.619 He did not have to become a Jew first. And it 00:27:32.619 --> 00:27:34.539 absolutely amazed Peter and all the Jews who 00:27:34.539 --> 00:27:39.140 were there, the Jewish Christians. Because they 00:27:39.140 --> 00:27:42.380 were seeing for the first time a Gentile become 00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:45.680 a part of the body of Christ without being a 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:51.980 proselyted Gentile. And it developed into quite 00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:53.980 a hassle in the early church. In fact, there 00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:56.180 was even a church council called in Acts chapter 00:27:56.180 --> 00:28:00.259 15 to deal with the issue. There were those who 00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:02.839 said, yes, Gentiles can be a part of the church, 00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:05.299 they can be saved, but first they have to be 00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:09.700 circumcised. They have to undergo the law first. 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:13.720 And then they can be saved. And that's false 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:17.819 teaching. Because now that law has been done 00:28:17.819 --> 00:28:21.119 away with in ceremonial form. It's done away 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:26.180 with. Now Gentiles can become a part of the church 00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:28.700 just like the Jews can become a part of the church 00:28:28.700 --> 00:28:33.759 by simple faith in Jesus Christ. By trusting 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:40.369 Him. A unified church. It grieves me when I hear 00:28:40.369 --> 00:28:47.150 people talk about their church being a black 00:28:47.150 --> 00:28:52.549 church or a white church. Or when there are those 00:28:52.549 --> 00:28:56.410 who say, ours is a Hebrew Christian congregation. 00:28:57.230 --> 00:29:00.670 Listen, those kinds of distinctions don't belong 00:29:00.670 --> 00:29:07.009 in the church anymore. At all. Period. You say, 00:29:07.029 --> 00:29:09.170 but yes, isn't there something special yet about 00:29:09.170 --> 00:29:16.210 the Jews? No. God still is going to bring about 00:29:16.210 --> 00:29:19.589 His promises to the Jewish people in faithfulness. 00:29:21.170 --> 00:29:23.569 But in this age, there is nothing particularly 00:29:23.569 --> 00:29:28.309 special about a Jew over a Gentile. There are 00:29:28.309 --> 00:29:30.730 some Christians who, when there is a Jew who 00:29:30.730 --> 00:29:34.109 is saved or a Jewish preacher comes to town, 00:29:34.650 --> 00:29:37.369 A Christian comes to town, they rush out to hear 00:29:37.369 --> 00:29:40.089 him because he is a Jewish man who's been converted. 00:29:40.170 --> 00:29:42.750 Listen, he's no different than a Gentile who's 00:29:42.750 --> 00:29:47.369 been converted. There are no longer those kinds 00:29:47.369 --> 00:29:50.410 of distinctions in the body of Christ. Let me 00:29:50.410 --> 00:29:53.509 get into the practical considerations. We'll 00:29:53.509 --> 00:29:56.329 come back to that in a moment. As a member of 00:29:56.329 --> 00:30:00.609 the body of Christ, I must find my completeness 00:30:00.609 --> 00:30:05.630 in my union with other believers. and with the 00:30:05.630 --> 00:30:08.950 head of the body, Christ. That's where my completeness 00:30:08.950 --> 00:30:15.190 is. All other relationships are secondary. I 00:30:15.190 --> 00:30:18.809 have heard some of you express the fact that 00:30:18.809 --> 00:30:22.529 you feel closer to other believers than you do 00:30:22.529 --> 00:30:27.630 to your own parents. Why is that? Because of 00:30:27.630 --> 00:30:31.109 what I've just said? Because our completeness 00:30:31.109 --> 00:30:35.650 as believers is found in our relationship, our 00:30:35.650 --> 00:30:39.009 union with other believers and with Jesus Christ, 00:30:39.109 --> 00:30:44.549 not in earthly relationships that we have. We 00:30:44.549 --> 00:30:47.009 are eternally joined as members of each other. 00:30:47.789 --> 00:30:51.329 We're going to be in heaven together. That's 00:30:51.329 --> 00:30:53.250 one good reason why we should learn to like each 00:30:53.250 --> 00:30:57.049 other and get along down here. We've got a long 00:30:57.049 --> 00:31:00.869 time to be together. We might as well get used 00:31:00.869 --> 00:31:04.910 to it now. You know, back in chapter 1, the apostle 00:31:04.910 --> 00:31:07.089 says an amazing thing at the end of the chapter. 00:31:08.230 --> 00:31:10.930 He talks about the church which is his body, 00:31:11.069 --> 00:31:17.089 the fullness of him who fills all in all. The 00:31:17.089 --> 00:31:21.089 pleroma, the completeness, the fullness of Jesus 00:31:21.089 --> 00:31:23.730 Christ. That's his body. You know what he's saying 00:31:23.730 --> 00:31:28.490 here? He is saying that Jesus Christ as the last 00:31:28.490 --> 00:31:35.109 Adam would be incomplete. without us. Just as 00:31:35.109 --> 00:31:40.589 incomplete as we would be without him. We are 00:31:40.589 --> 00:31:44.069 the fullness, the completeness of Jesus Christ 00:31:44.069 --> 00:31:48.049 who fills all in all. This is an amazing statement 00:31:48.049 --> 00:31:52.450 if you think about it. A redeemer without the 00:31:52.450 --> 00:31:56.890 redeemed is no redeemer. A body without the head 00:31:56.890 --> 00:31:59.309 or a head without the body doesn't have any existence. 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:04.519 So Jesus Christ as the last Adam has no completeness 00:32:04.519 --> 00:32:09.859 without you. And you have no completeness without 00:32:09.859 --> 00:32:15.940 him. You're one. A second practical consideration 00:32:15.940 --> 00:32:19.220 is that as members of the body, we are a new 00:32:19.220 --> 00:32:25.059 type of humanity. Before, we were either Gentile 00:32:25.059 --> 00:32:29.359 or we were Jew. Now we are neither. Now we are... 00:32:29.579 --> 00:32:34.759 We are God's new generation. We are his new race, 00:32:34.819 --> 00:32:40.420 his new creation. All former differences and 00:32:40.420 --> 00:32:44.640 distinctions are invalidated. They are done away 00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:48.200 with, whatever they might have been. Were you 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:51.039 a communist? It makes no difference to me. You're 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:55.279 now my brother in Christ. Are you a capitalist? 00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:58.470 So what? You're now a brother in Christ. Those 00:32:58.470 --> 00:33:01.470 distinctions are meaningless. I think one of 00:33:01.470 --> 00:33:03.710 the most outstanding illustrations of this was 00:33:03.710 --> 00:33:09.250 in an event that took place in a church in El 00:33:09.250 --> 00:33:12.150 Salvador several years ago in the largest Baptist 00:33:12.150 --> 00:33:16.410 church in that country, in San Salvador, in that 00:33:16.410 --> 00:33:19.829 city, the Miramonte Baptist Church. The pastor 00:33:19.829 --> 00:33:22.289 of that church was an American. It's now been 00:33:22.289 --> 00:33:24.849 nationalized, the church has, but at that time... 00:33:25.230 --> 00:33:30.150 It was an American missionary. And Bruce was 00:33:30.150 --> 00:33:33.710 able to lead to Jesus Christ, one of the leading 00:33:33.710 --> 00:33:36.910 governmental officials at that time. He was right 00:33:36.910 --> 00:33:44.089 wing. He was also able to lead to Jesus Christ, 00:33:44.210 --> 00:33:48.829 one of the leading attorneys and college professors 00:33:48.829 --> 00:33:52.789 in El Salvador at that time, who was an avowed 00:33:52.789 --> 00:33:57.809 communist. And they were both members of the 00:33:57.809 --> 00:34:00.589 same church. And there came a night when Bruce 00:34:00.589 --> 00:34:05.369 and this government official together baptized 00:34:05.369 --> 00:34:11.710 this former communist, symbolizing the fact that 00:34:11.710 --> 00:34:15.190 in Jesus Christ, whatever distinctions, whatever 00:34:15.190 --> 00:34:19.769 divisions existed before, were no longer. Now 00:34:19.769 --> 00:34:23.909 they were together as saints in the body of Jesus 00:34:23.909 --> 00:34:30.849 Christ. A third practical consideration of this 00:34:30.849 --> 00:34:34.150 doctrinal truth is that as members of the body, 00:34:34.230 --> 00:34:37.010 there is no place for prejudice or division in 00:34:37.010 --> 00:34:40.829 the body, in whatever form it may take. There 00:34:40.829 --> 00:34:45.789 is no place for racial discrimination. I know 00:34:45.789 --> 00:34:50.929 of some churches where a black person is unwelcome, 00:34:51.110 --> 00:34:55.469 and yet that church claims to be a Bible -teaching 00:34:55.469 --> 00:34:59.219 fundamental church. I would say to you that that 00:34:59.219 --> 00:35:03.280 church is in error, at least in that area. For 00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:07.460 in Jesus Christ, there are no longer any racial 00:35:07.460 --> 00:35:09.820 distinctions. There are no political distinctions 00:35:09.820 --> 00:35:13.579 or divisions. Likewise, there should be none 00:35:13.579 --> 00:35:17.739 that are personal. As members of the body, there 00:35:17.739 --> 00:35:20.800 is no place for discrimination. There is no place 00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:26.739 for prejudice or division in the body. In fact, 00:35:26.760 --> 00:35:31.460 we are charged to preserve the unity of the Spirit. 00:35:31.559 --> 00:35:36.219 Look over in chapter 4 of Ephesians. He exhorts 00:35:36.219 --> 00:35:41.719 us to walk worthy of the calling. And he says 00:35:41.719 --> 00:35:45.139 in verse 3, being diligent to preserve the unity 00:35:45.139 --> 00:35:50.119 of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I am to allow 00:35:50.119 --> 00:35:55.960 nothing to disrupt that unity. that God has ordained 00:35:55.960 --> 00:35:59.539 in the body. I must see to it that nothing divides 00:35:59.539 --> 00:36:02.940 me from another believer. Does he have a different 00:36:02.940 --> 00:36:06.679 political persuasion than myself? Then that is 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:09.760 not to enter in to my relationship to him in 00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:15.539 Jesus Christ. Is he of a different color or ethnic 00:36:15.539 --> 00:36:20.639 origin than me? Then that has no place in my 00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:27.989 relationship to him in Jesus Christ. Do I have 00:36:27.989 --> 00:36:31.730 a personal grudge against another member of the 00:36:31.730 --> 00:36:35.929 body? Then I need to get rid of that. Get out 00:36:35.929 --> 00:36:40.610 of my life. It has no place in the body of Jesus 00:36:40.610 --> 00:36:45.190 Christ. I am to preserve the unity of the Spirit 00:36:45.190 --> 00:36:49.110 with the seal of peace upon it. Jesus Christ 00:36:49.110 --> 00:36:55.730 died to make that peace a reality. How dare me? 00:36:56.380 --> 00:36:58.619 that in some way I should try to work against 00:36:58.619 --> 00:37:02.179 it, or allow to develop in my heart an attitude 00:37:02.179 --> 00:37:08.539 which disrupts that peace. A fourth practical 00:37:08.539 --> 00:37:10.559 consideration as a member of the body, I need 00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:13.019 to work at developing a mutual care, concern, 00:37:13.199 --> 00:37:15.179 and closeness with other members of the body. 00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:20.860 I need to realize that I need to be involved 00:37:20.860 --> 00:37:26.539 in serving and sharing within the body. I'm not 00:37:26.539 --> 00:37:29.460 just a little thing out here doing its own thing. 00:37:29.900 --> 00:37:33.320 I'm a part of a group. I'm a part of a body. 00:37:33.539 --> 00:37:36.260 I'm a member of others as they are members of 00:37:36.260 --> 00:37:39.519 me. And we're all members of Jesus Christ, our 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:43.280 head. And because of that intimate, personal 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:46.119 relationship, I need to be involved in caring 00:37:46.119 --> 00:37:53.360 and being concerned about you. You know, I'm 00:37:53.360 --> 00:37:55.869 really burdened. that this develop in our church 00:37:55.869 --> 00:37:57.949 we're not doing the job we ought to be doing 00:37:57.949 --> 00:38:01.489 it's happening some i thank god for where it's 00:38:01.489 --> 00:38:02.989 happening there are some of you have expressed 00:38:02.989 --> 00:38:07.309 it in wonderful ways but it's not happening like 00:38:07.309 --> 00:38:10.090 it ought to be happening in our church this kind 00:38:10.090 --> 00:38:13.170 of mutual care and concern involvement with one 00:38:13.170 --> 00:38:16.909 another there are some of us who seem to have 00:38:16.909 --> 00:38:19.170 the attitude that if we just come on sunday morning 00:38:19.170 --> 00:38:22.449 and and do our thing that that's all that's necessary 00:38:22.449 --> 00:38:27.760 it's not It's not. The plan of God is not that 00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:29.699 we come to church on Sunday morning and then 00:38:29.699 --> 00:38:32.199 never be around other believers the rest of the 00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:36.260 week. God intends for us to be here together 00:38:36.260 --> 00:38:38.480 when the doors are open so that we can fellowship 00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:41.559 together, but he also intends for us to find 00:38:41.559 --> 00:38:47.159 a small group somewhere we can plug in and where 00:38:47.159 --> 00:38:51.750 we can be accountable. Where we can help others, 00:38:51.829 --> 00:38:54.070 where we can be intimate and share our needs 00:38:54.070 --> 00:38:58.170 and have others share their needs with us. I 00:38:58.170 --> 00:38:59.929 don't know where that should happen for you, 00:39:00.070 --> 00:39:02.110 but I know this, it should be happening somewhere. 00:39:02.849 --> 00:39:05.349 And it can. There are places for it to happen. 00:39:06.250 --> 00:39:08.369 You say, well, I'm not sure how all that works 00:39:08.369 --> 00:39:10.869 in Grace Church. Then would you look up one of 00:39:10.869 --> 00:39:12.829 our elders or one of our staff members, call 00:39:12.829 --> 00:39:14.570 our office and say, hey, I need to find out about 00:39:14.570 --> 00:39:18.469 this. We'll be glad to tell you. Glad to answer 00:39:18.469 --> 00:39:23.300 your questions. As members of the body, we need 00:39:23.300 --> 00:39:26.159 to work at developing that mutual closeness with 00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:29.719 the other members of the body. It is not God's 00:39:29.719 --> 00:39:33.360 will that we be an island out by ourselves. We're 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:39.059 a part of the continent. Finally, as a member 00:39:39.059 --> 00:39:44.900 of the body of Christ, I serve in His place in 00:39:44.900 --> 00:39:49.440 this world, calling men to be reconciled to God. 00:39:49.929 --> 00:39:54.670 through faith in Jesus Christ. That's part of 00:39:54.670 --> 00:39:59.750 our job as members of the body. Our head is in 00:39:59.750 --> 00:40:06.130 heaven. And we are his extension into the world. 00:40:06.769 --> 00:40:11.230 And we are here in his place. The apostle says 00:40:11.230 --> 00:40:15.190 his ambassadors, calling men to be reconciled 00:40:15.190 --> 00:40:22.030 to God, to be at peace with God. To stop fighting 00:40:22.030 --> 00:40:26.750 God. To put away the hostility to receive Jesus 00:40:26.750 --> 00:40:33.210 Christ. That's a practical aspect of this truth 00:40:33.210 --> 00:40:37.250 that we're talking about. Are you involved in 00:40:37.250 --> 00:40:42.190 doing that? There may be some of you here today 00:40:42.190 --> 00:40:46.190 who've never made peace with God. And we talk 00:40:46.190 --> 00:40:49.650 about being one and... and being in Jesus Christ, 00:40:49.809 --> 00:40:52.349 and talk about the blood of Christ, forgiving 00:40:52.349 --> 00:40:54.429 sins, but you don't really understand what that's 00:40:54.429 --> 00:40:57.050 all about. You've never personally experienced 00:40:57.050 --> 00:41:00.250 it. Well, today, as one member of the body, I 00:41:00.250 --> 00:41:05.090 want to call you to be reconciled to God by placing 00:41:05.090 --> 00:41:07.909 your faith in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. 00:41:09.369 --> 00:41:11.829 He has paid for your sin at the cross. He has 00:41:11.829 --> 00:41:14.190 died in your place. Will you receive him now 00:41:14.190 --> 00:41:17.760 as your Savior? Will you become a part of this 00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:21.960 body that we've been talking about? Will you 00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:27.500 become one with us and with Jesus Christ? Let's 00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:35.500 bow together. Father, we have only touched the 00:41:35.500 --> 00:41:40.039 surface of a truth that is absolutely dynamic. 00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:44.880 And it's hard for us to get a hold of it because 00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:47.519 we tend to be individualistic and independent. 00:41:48.599 --> 00:41:54.920 And we think of ourselves as personalities apart 00:41:54.920 --> 00:41:59.420 from the personality of the church, the body. 00:42:01.420 --> 00:42:04.099 I pray that you will change that in our thinking. 00:42:06.179 --> 00:42:09.239 I pray, Father, that we as a group of people 00:42:09.239 --> 00:42:13.659 here in Grace Church, Roosevelt, We'll begin 00:42:13.659 --> 00:42:18.019 to understand what this unity is all about. And 00:42:18.019 --> 00:42:21.460 Lord, if there are differences that now divide 00:42:21.460 --> 00:42:25.019 us, if there are feelings that are creating divisions, 00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:32.239 if there are prejudices that we hold, bring those 00:42:32.239 --> 00:42:35.119 to the surface of our hearts and reveal the sin 00:42:35.119 --> 00:42:39.260 that is involved that we might confess it. I 00:42:39.260 --> 00:42:44.019 pray that you will cement us together. as members 00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:48.059 of this body, and that you will develop within 00:42:48.059 --> 00:42:53.400 us that caring, loving, warm, intimate spirit 00:42:53.400 --> 00:42:59.760 that ought to be there. And may we endeavor to 00:42:59.760 --> 00:43:02.519 keep and to guard that unity of the Spirit with 00:43:02.519 --> 00:43:09.440 the seal of peace upon our church. Father, I 00:43:09.440 --> 00:43:13.809 pray that the tie that binds us together The 00:43:13.809 --> 00:43:19.190 Lord Jesus Christ will be blessed and glorified 00:43:19.190 --> 00:43:24.389 in the way that we conduct ourselves as a body 00:43:24.389 --> 00:43:28.449 of people. And we pray this in his name. Amen.