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in Ephesians chapter 2 at verse 
1. And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, 
in which you once walked according to the course of this world, 
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit 
who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also 
we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling 
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature 
children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich 
in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, 
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. 
By grace you have been saved and raised us up together and 
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that 
in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of 
his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace 
you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it 
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For 
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 
Therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who 
are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision 
made in the flesh by hands, that at that time you were without 
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers 
from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God 
in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you 
who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of 
Christ. For he himself is our peace, 
who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of 
separation, having abolished in his flesh the enmity that 
is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create 
in himself one new man from the two, thus making peace. that He might reconcile them 
both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to 
death the enmity. And He came and preached peace 
to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through 
Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, 
you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens 
with the saints and members of the household of God. Having 
been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself, being the chief cornerstone, in whom the 
whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple 
in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for 
a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
Your written Word. We pray now for the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit, and we pray that You would encourage us and 
help us, God, to see Your promises as they are fulfilled in the 
person and in the work of the Lord Jesus. How we thank You 
and how we praise You for Him. How we thank You and praise You 
for His life of obedience, His death on the cross, His resurrection 
again the third day, and His current session on high. And 
we look forward to his return in glory to judge the living 
and the dead. We don't look forward to that because we are prepared 
in and of ourselves, but we look forward to it because we're clothed 
in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And how we thank you 
and how we praise you that you are building your church, Lord 
Jesus, and that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against 
it. Bless this time, we pray, in your most holy name. Amen. 
Well, as I said, we've seen in the book of Genesis many promises 
concerning Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God. 
Specifically, in Genesis 9, at verse 27, Noah says, May God 
enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may 
Canaan be his servant. It's an emphasis on Japheth being 
Gentilic or a Gentile being included in those promises that come to 
Shem, the Shemites or the Israelites. We've seen in our studies in 
Genesis several promises to Abraham that in Abraham all of the families 
of the earth shall be blessed. When you turn to the Psalter 
you see the similar Emphasis that the nations will be glad 
through the God of Israel you see this emphasis throughout 
the prophets the prophet Isaiah Specifically in that servant 
song where the Lord says it's too small a thing with reference 
to Messiah's salvation work It's too small a thing that you only 
go and rescue the tribes of Jacob, but I will give you as a light 
unto the Gentiles and And lo and behold, we turn to the New 
Testament Scriptures, and we see that emphasis reiterated, 
and we see it realized and fulfilled in the coming of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, His life, His death, His resurrection. Christ says, 
go make disciples of all the nations. Christ has this emphasis 
for his church to not only evangelize the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel, but to go to the other nations as well. We see that 
in the book of Acts. You'll be my witnesses, first 
in Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts 
of the earth. Well, here in Ephesians 2, the 
apostle is explaining what it looks like that now Gentiles 
have been included in the covenant promises of God. Just to sort 
of show you the structure and Paul's argument in Ephesians, 
you need to look first at Ephesians 1, verse 19. Ephesians 1, verse 
19. Actually, we'll back up to verse 
15. Paul says, Therefore I also, 
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love 
for all the saints, Do not cease to give thanks for you, making 
mention of you in my prayers." Now here's Paul at the throne 
of grace. Here's what Paul prays specifically. He says, verse 
17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, 
may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the 
knowledge of Him. the eyes of your understanding 
having been enlightened, that you may know what is the hope 
of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance 
in the saints. And now notice in verse 19, and 
what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Paul wants the people of God 
to understand something about the power of God. That's the 
third petition in his prayer. I want you to know what is the 
exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. He illustrates 
that power now in three particular ways. In verses 20 and following, 
he highlights that power as manifested when God raised Christ from the 
dead. In chapter 2, verses 1 to 10, 
he shows that power in the salvation of individual sinners. those 
identified in verses 1 to 3 as lifeless and helpless and hopeless, 
having been made alive by the power of God. And then in verses 
11 to 22, there is another illustration or demonstration of the power 
of God, that he brought the Gentiles along with the Jews, not to be 
two separate peoples of God, vis-a-vis dispensationalism, 
but rather to be one new man in Christ Jesus. And that's the 
emphasis of the apostle here in Ephesians chapter 2. But I 
want to look at verses 11 to 22 under three considerations. 
First, the former plight of Gentile believers, verses 11 and 12. 
Secondly, the present reception of Gentile believers in verses 
13 to 18. And then finally, the purchased 
benefits given to Gentile believers in verses 19 to 22. But note 
first this former plight in verses 11 and 12. He says, therefore, 
remember. It's important for us to remember 
what we were and what we have become. It's important for us 
to remember this because it ultimately magnifies the grace of God. We 
were dead in our trespasses and sins, and now we need to remember 
what we were and what we are. And that's Paul's emphasis with 
these Gentile Christians, that they are to remember what they 
were and what they had become. John Eady says, this exercise 
of memory would deepen their humility, elevate their ideas 
of divine grace, and incite them to ardent and continued thankfulness. We need to remember so that we 
respond with gratitude and thankfulness. Now, Nody refers to their previous 
status. Therefore, remember that you, 
once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by 
what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands. In 
other words, they were Gentiles physically. They were not ethnic 
Jews. And as a result, ethnic Jews, circumcised ones in the 
flesh, would refer to these people as the uncircumcision. In fact, 
it was a derogatory way, and it was a means by which they 
looked down upon them. I think I've shared before, a 
Jewish prayer was, thank you, God, that I'm not a woman. Thank 
you, God, that I'm not a slave. And thank you, God, that I'm 
not a Gentile. There was that kind of animosity 
that obtained between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Gentiles 
were looked down upon by the Jews, and the apostle here is 
highlighting that that's not the case anymore. In Christ Jesus, 
there's not these two distinct people, but there's one new man 
in Christ Jesus. And then notice with reference 
to the description of what they were prior to their inclusion 
in these covenant promises of God. Notice in verse 12, that 
at that time, you were without Christ, being aliens from the 
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, 
having no hope and without God in the world. They were aliens 
from the Commonwealth of Israel. They were outsiders. They were 
not included in the specific things that marked Israel's religious 
life and worship. They were aliens. They were outsiders. They were not welcomed in. They 
were on the outside looking in, and they were not welcome to 
participate. Notice that they were strangers to the covenants 
of promise. At one time, that was the case. But in Christ, they have been 
brought nigh, and participants in these covenants of promise. 
Notice as well, they had no hope. What does this say concerning 
those outside of the church? Now, I'm not suggesting that 
the same sort of thing is the one-for-one analogy, old covenant 
Israel and the church today, but there's certainly some similarities. 
If you're outside the church, if you're outside of Jesus Christ, 
you're without hope. It's within the context of the 
church that the means of grace are dealt with. It's by God's 
grace in the context of the church that sinners come to know Jesus 
Christ as Lord and Savior. The apostle has a high view of 
the church. And I think that's one of the 
things that's so grievous about scandals in the church. It causes 
animosity toward the church. And the people of God are not 
supposed to have animosity toward the church. They're not supposed 
to see it as the place where people get burned. They're not 
supposed to see the church as a place where sin is undealt 
with, or where criminals go undetected. The church is always held in 
high esteem amongst the apostolic writers, and Paul is no exception. And then notice what he goes 
on to say, the only use of the word atheist in the New Testament, 
that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the 
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, 
having no hope, and here it is, and without God in the world. You were atheists. You were without 
God. Today people think that atheism 
is something cool. The only time it's referred to 
in the New Testament, it's a horrible thing. To be without God in the 
world means to be hopeless. It means to be lifeless. It means 
to be homeless. And it means ultimately to be 
estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel. It is a sad picture 
that Paul portrays of these Gentiles prior to their coming unto the 
Lord Jesus Christ. And structurally, it's exactly 
parallel to what he does with individuals. In chapter 2, verses 
1 to 3, he gives us this snapshot of what individuals are before 
they come to Christ. In verses 4 to 10, he gives us 
this snapshot of what they are after having come to Christ. 
He does the same thing here with reference to the Gentiles. They 
were Christless, and therefore they were churchless, hopeless, 
godless, and homeless. But notice, secondly, the present 
reception of Gentile believers. Verse 13, he says, but now. The contrast, just like verse 
4. Remember, here's what you were as individuals, verses one 
to three, but God in two, four. Here he tells us their condition 
in verse 12. It's a hopeless, lifeless, homeless, 
terrible situation, but now you have been brought, or but now 
in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought 
near by the blood of Christ. You see, brethren, this is cause 
for rejoicing. This is why we do what we do 
when we come here. We remember these but-nows. We remember these but-gods. We 
remember what we were prior to the cross and what, by God's 
grace, we are now after having come to the cross. It is glorious 
what the Lord has done in terms of the salvation of individuals 
on a micro level, but in terms of this Gentile inclusion in 
the covenant promises of God on the macro level. This is tying 
up several threads of biblical data and presenting it to us 
for our inspection and ultimately for our admiration, so that we 
can testify that all of the promises of God are yea and amen in our 
Lord Jesus Christ. So, but now, In Christ Jesus, 
you who once were far off, you were in that condition of being 
Christless, churchless, hopeless, godless, and homeless, but now 
in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought 
near by the blood of Christ. Now, let's see how Jesus does 
this in verses 14 and following. Notice, first of all, the Lord 
Christ is our peace. Chill out, verse 14, for he himself 
is our peace. Isn't that something that every 
Christian can testify to? Christ is our peace. We may see turmoil, we may see 
affliction, we may see trial, we may experience it in spades, 
but nevertheless, we have that peace with God that does surpass 
all understanding. The apostle highlights this emphasis. Remember in the upper room, Jesus 
says, my peace I give you, my peace I leave with you. Not as 
the world gives do I give. The world has a form of peace. 
The world has an analog of peace. The world has these things that 
try to anesthetize people so that they have some degree of 
comfort, but it's not a lasting and abiding peace. That peace 
with God that we enjoy is there in the midst of trial and affliction 
and hardship and difficulty. It was there in the heart of 
King David of Israel when he was being hunted like a dog. 
It's there in Psalm 63 when David's out in the wilderness. Why? Because 
he's being hunted by Saul, or he's being hunted by enemy nations. And nevertheless, he has this 
peace in his heart. We have that peace through our 
Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bible everywhere emphasizes that. But 
then notice as well, the Lord Christ makes peace. He not only 
is our peace, but he also makes peace. And Paul explains that 
in verses 14b to 16. Notice he makes the two, Jew 
and Gentile, into one. It says, he himself is our peace 
who has made both one. Again, I just don't understand 
what drives what's called dispensationalism. If you've never heard that word, 
then I'm probably going to confuse you for the next three minutes. 
But if you have heard that word, what's the fundamental tenet 
with reference to dispensationalism? It is two peoples of God. There's 
the Jews and the Gentiles. But everything in the New Testament 
pressures us to realize that that distinction has been obliterated. It's been done away with. That's 
the glory of the cross, is that the Gentiles now are participants 
in the covenant promises of God made initially to Abraham. If 
we are Abraham's seed, or if we are believers in Christ, we 
are Abraham's seed, irrespective of our ethnicity. It's all about 
being a spiritual Jew, being a spiritual circumcised person. 
That's the emphasis in the Scripture. not two peoples of God, but rather 
one people of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. John Eady again said 
Gentiles are no longer formally excluded from religious privilege 
and blessing, and Jewish monopoly is forever overthrown. This idea 
that in the future the great and glorious plan of God is to 
get the Gentiles off the church so that God can now deal with 
the Jews again has no basis in the scripture. Now, we are told 
that it does, but it simply does not. The glory of God's gospel 
is that the two become one in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. 
It's a beautiful thing. I don't know why there's this 
antipathy to it. The whole movement of Scripture 
leads us to Christ as the great unifier, as the great Savior 
of both Jew and Gentile. And then notice as well, he broke 
down the middle wall of separation. There's a few views on this reference. Notice the end of verse 14, and 
has broken down the middle wall of separation. The three views 
that I'm aware of says, one, the wall at the temple in Jerusalem, 
which kept the Gentiles in the outer court away from full privilege. 
I don't think that's what's in view. A second view is the veil 
or curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. 
Now, he certainly does that in the sense that not only the high 
priest on the Day of Atonement goes into the Holy of Holies, 
but now every believer in Christ goes into the Holy of Holies. 
But I don't think that's in the Apostle's mind in 2.14b. Rather, it is the enmity that 
existed between the Jew and the Gentile. the enmity that existed 
between the Jew and the Gentile. Because at one time, these Gentiles 
were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel. By the grace of God 
and the power of the Christian gospel, they've been brought 
nigh. They have been brought in. They are now present participants 
in those covenant promises. And so the enmity that at one 
time obtained is no longer there. Paul hasn't got animosity toward 
Gentiles. Peter doesn't have animosity 
toward Gentiles. The apostles don't have animosity 
toward Gentiles. And neither do any other converted 
Jew in the history of the church. And then notice as well, he says 
that Christ abolished the commandments. You've got to understand something 
about passages like these. There's this simple approach 
to law passages in the New Testament that says, well, if it says the 
law is abolished, therefore, there's no more, you know, Ten 
Commandments. The law is divided into three parts. There's the 
moral law of God. That's the Ten Commandments, 
what we call the Decalogue. Decalogue simply means ten words. 
And that decalogue is trans-covenantal. That means it doesn't matter 
what covenant a person is under, they always have abiding responsibility 
to those Ten Commandments. As well, it's not specifically 
for the saved, but it's over all men everywhere. It's not 
that the pagans are somehow exempt from Sabbath-keeping, or the 
pagans are somehow exempt from the prohibition against idol-making. No, the Ten Commandments covers 
all of God's creatures because it's a revelation of who God 
is. And then you have what's called the judicial law. This 
governed the people of Israel when they lived in the land. 
And the judicial law was simply those Ten Commandments worked 
out in society. For instance, the judicial law 
had a specification concerning a goring ox. The ox that gored. If my ox got out and attacked 
you or your ox, I was held responsible. I would have to pay a great big 
fine. If it was found out that my ox had previously gored, and 
I was aware of it, I could be capitally punished as a result. So you trace back to the moral 
principle, it's the Sixth Commandment, that it's working out in the 
society was that goring ox law. As well, you were mandated to 
have a wall around your roof so that persons wouldn't fall 
off. Now, the judicial law expired with the Commonwealth of Israel, 
but there's a principle of general equity. We ought to put fences 
around swimming pools. That makes good sense so that 
our two-year-old neighbors don't wander over and end up drowned 
to death. So you see, there is that general 
equity with reference to judicial law that it's good. There's wise 
things that we ought to learn. And then there's what's called 
the ceremonial law. And with reference to the ceremonial 
law, it regulated Israel's religious worship. It was about types and 
shadows ultimately pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, 
turn to Hebrews chapter 9 for just a moment. I referred to 
this this morning. A lot of this has to do or a 
lot of this is similar with reference to Peter's or Stephen's speech 
in Acts 7. But if you look at Hebrews chapter 
9, You can see this ceremonial law, and you can see the reality 
that it was to be temporary. It wasn't to be abiding forever, 
like the Ten Commandments. Notice in Hebrews 9, 6. Now, 
when these things had been thus prepared, this is talking about 
the earthly tabernacle, talking about those things that mark 
Israel's religious life. Now, when these things had been 
thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the 
tabernacle, performing the services. But in the second part, the high 
priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered 
for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance, 
the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest 
of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was 
still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which 
both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him 
who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience. 
Sounds just like Stephen before the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 
7. This was all designed by God to point us to Christ. Now that 
Christ is here, we don't go backwards in redemptive history and construct 
temples. We don't go backwards in redemptive 
history and sacrifice animals. We don't go backwards in redemptive 
history and exclude Gentiles. No, we go forward because of 
what Christ has done. So back to verse 9, it was symbolic 
for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are 
offered, which cannot make him who perform the service perfect 
in regard to the conscience, concerned only with foods and 
drinks, various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until 
the time of Reformation. Now for you young Protestant 
proud men, that's not the Reformation in the 16th century. It's not 
what he's talking about. Time of Reformation is Christ. 
All these things serve their function and purpose, but when 
Christ comes, He abolishes the ceremonial law. Not because it 
was bad, not because it was defective, but because it pointed to Him, 
and He has fulfilled it, and therefore, we are not prohibited 
from eating bacon. Therefore, we are not demanded 
to go to the temple. Therefore, we're not supposed 
to go through the various things that marked Israel's religious 
life. That's what Paul is highlighting in Ephesians 2, having abolished 
in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained 
in ordinances. Our confession says, all which 
ceremonial laws, being appointed only to the time of reformation, 
are by Jesus Christ, the true Messiah and only lawgiver, who 
was furnished with power from the Father for that end, abrogated 
and taken away. The reference to circumcision 
in verse 11 and the reference to temple in verse 21, there 
in Ephesians 2, I think reiterates, highlights, or affirms and confirms 
this interpretation. The law that Christ abolished 
was not the Ten Commandments. The law that Christ abolished 
was the ceremonies, and the reason He abolished them is they were 
no longer necessary because they preached Him. Now that He's come, 
we no longer need to subscribe to those particular things. So 
I think it's a very bad misinterpretation from professing Christians today 
to take some passages and say, well, there you have it, no more 
law. We can go to Tim Hortons on Sunday. 
We can do whatever it is we want on Sunday. It's interesting that 
it's the fourth commandment that everybody sees obliterated. Even persons that jettison the 
10 commandments won't advocate murder. They won't say it's okay, 
we can go out and commit adultery, because we're not under law, 
we're under grace. Thankfully, there's enough common sense and 
restraint in their hearts that they don't argue the way they 
do with the fourth word. It's the fourth word that has 
the greatest degree of antipathy directed toward it. But brethren, 
there is both ceremonial and moral aspects with reference 
to the fourth, and it's abiding along with the other nine. So 
don't be one of those people that say, well, we're not under 
the law, we're under grace. Again, persons say that, and 
it's a quote from the Bible, but they don't know what it means. 
That's a bad thing. Romans 6.14 does not mean you 
can go commit adultery. Romans 6.14 does not mean you 
get to be an idolater. Romans 6.14 does not mean you 
get to covet. Romans 6.14 does not mean you 
get to lie, and to cheat, and to steal, and do all manner of 
evil, because we're not under law, we're under grace. We're 
not under law as a covenant of works by which we find acceptance 
with God. That's Paul's point in Romans 
6.14. It's a very easy thing, this threefold division of law. 
It's not something that only rocket scientists and PhDs are 
able to see. Paul tells us that it's not circumcision, 
but rather the keeping of the commandments of God that matters. 
There's this difference in approach even in the Old Covenant prophets. 
When God says, it's not sacrifice that I'm after, it's mercy. He's 
not saying don't sacrifice, but he's highlighting in terms of 
law, you ought not to neglect justice, mercy, and faith. You 
ought not to neglect those moral principles given to us by the 
Ten Commandments. It's not the sacrifice so much 
as it is the heart of the sacrificer. So that threefold division of 
the law is absolutely crucial. And in this particular section, 
we're dealing with the abolishment of the ceremonial law. Again, 
he highlights the fact that God or Jesus creates one new man 
from the two. One new man from the two. Verse 
15, having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of 
commandments, contained in ordinances so as to create in himself one 
new man from the two, thus making peace. You see, he not only is 
our peace, but Christ makes peace. And the way that he makes peace 
is through the blood of his cross. And he brings these Jews and 
Gentiles together, and he makes them one new man. They're not 
separate. They're not distinct. They're 
not two peoples of God. It's not the case that Gentiles 
are going to be raptured out, and then God's purposes for Israel, 
that plan A, will be put back into effect. That is just an 
utter misreading of the data of Scripture. And it's unfortunate 
that it's such a stronghold in the churches today, but if people 
read Ephesians 2 the way Paul intended us to read Ephesians 
2, we wouldn't posit two peoples of God. We'd see the glory of 
the Christian gospel is that Christ makes one new man. And then notice, he brought reconciliation 
through the cross. It's a beautiful thing. that 
he might, verse 16, that he might reconcile them both to God in 
one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 
That Jew-Gentile distinction that was there prior is now put 
to death through the blood of the cross. But notice, Christ 
not only is our peace, according to verse 14, and Christ doesn't 
only make peace, according to verses 14b to 16, but Christ 
also preaches peace. This is one of those passages 
that preachers really like because it sort of validates them. You 
know, you probably have something in your job that you do and somebody 
says, oh, that's really neat. And you get a good feeling there. Look at the glory of preaching 
as revealed to us by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2.17. Notice 
2.17, and he, Jesus, It's a good capitalization there, 
good interpretation. It is Jesus. He came and preached 
peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. So 
Christ is our peace, Christ makes peace, and Christ preaches peace. Now, where in the gospel records 
did Jesus ever go to Ephesus? Where in the gospel narratives, 
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, did Jesus leave the confines 
of Israel? When did Jesus step one foot 
off and go into Ephesus? And yet Paul says he came and 
preached peace to you. What's Paul's point? that when 
Paul and his companions went to Ephesus in Acts chapter 19, 
as they spoke the truth, it was as if Jesus himself preached 
to those Ephesians. Turn to Romans chapter 10 for 
just a moment, where the same sort of emphasis is seen. Romans 
chapter 10. The whole emphasis here is on 
believing the gospel, looking unto Jesus. We see that in verse 
10. For with the heart one believes 
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made 
unto salvation. For the scripture says, whoever 
believes on him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction 
between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord over all is 
rich to all who call upon Him. Whoever calls on the name of 
the Lord shall be saved. Now notice in verse 14. How then 
shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how 
shall they believe? Now, there's some interpretation 
going on here. I'm going to read it the way 
I think Paul intended it. Verse 14. How then shall they 
call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they 
believe Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear 
without a preacher? In other words, as Christ is 
accurately preached, it's as if Christ himself is preaching. By the power of the Holy Spirit, 
as the Word of God goes forth, we can say that Christ preached 
peace to us. I submit to you that the New 
Testament has a high regard for preaching. It does for the church, 
and it does for preaching. Remember that in the first century, 
there were other media available for them to communicate the gospel. 
Drama was big. Theater was big. Miming, I think, 
was big. There was a whole host of ways 
to communicate the message. What does God choose? What does 
God ordain? The foolishness of the message 
preached to save those who believe. The second Helvetic confession 
in chapter 1, paragraph 4 says, the preaching of the Word of 
God is the Word of God. Wherefore, when this word of 
God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, 
we believe that the very word of God is proclaimed and received 
by the faithful, and that neither any other word of God is to be 
invented nor is to be expected from heaven, and that now the 
word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister 
that preaches, for even if he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless 
the word of God remains still true You see, the New Testament 
has a high view of church and it has a high view of preaching. 
That's why we believe that you ought to come to church. That's 
why we have an evening service. That's why we have a Wednesday 
night Bible study. Because the church isn't in the 
first place a social gathering. The church certainly isn't, in 
the second place, a place for entertainment, but rather it 
is the pillar and the ground of the truth. It is the very 
household of God himself, and God demands the propagation of 
the truth to the people of God for their edification and their 
maturation and their growth in grace and knowledge, and it's 
a place where sinners are confronted with who they are under a holy 
God and they are told, hopefully begged and implored, to flee 
to Christ for salvation. The New Testament has a high 
view of church, it has a high view of preaching. Back to Ephesians chapter 2, 
notice the apostles' Trinitarian theology in verse 18. He says, for through Him, Jesus 
Christ, we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. If 
a sermon could be preached equally in a Christian church and a Jewish 
synagogue, then it's not a good Christian sermon. It must be 
Trinitarian. We come to the Father through 
the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our hymnody, our psalm 
singing, our worship service, and certainly our preaching must 
be markedly Trinitarian. That is absolutely crucial. Some 
would suggest that there's only a few texts in the Bible that 
highlight the doctrine of the Trinity. Most persons know Matthew 
28. Go, make disciples, baptize them 
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 
Well, something you need to see that in the book of Ephesians, 
for instance, Paul's theology is Trinitarian throughout. He 
just traffics in these themes and in these concepts without 
saying, OK, now I'm going to talk about the Trinity. He's 
just Trinitarian. Verse 18 is Trinitarian, for 
through Him, Jesus Christ, we both, Jew-Gentile, have access 
by one Spirit to the Father. We come through the Mediator 
to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now let's look 
finally at the redemptive benefits, or the purchased benefits, given 
to Gentile believers. Verses 19 to 22. Notice, verse 
19, now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and citizens. 
which you were prior. Remember, you were aliens and 
strangers according to verse 12. But because of what Christ 
accomplished at the cross, that's no longer the case. Now, verse 
19, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but 
you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the 
household of God. That's a beautiful thing, isn't 
it? At one time, these Jewish people would thank God that they 
were not made Gentiles. And now you're worshiping right 
alongside of them and your brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. 
We have that corporate solidarity because of the work of the Savior 
on the cross. Yes, there's individual benefit, 
but brethren, there's corporate benefit. And if there's one problem 
that the church in our generation is really, really engaged in, 
it's an individualism. You look at the scriptures and 
what what do we see for instance in Psalm 87? God Yahweh loves 
the gates of Zion more than the dwelling places of Jacob Does 
it mean he hates the dwelling places of Jacob doesn't mean 
he hates families doesn't mean he's against individuals it means 
that the corporate gathering of God's people is a joy and 
a delight to him and And it's the same thing in the church 
of Jesus Christ. The church isn't supposed to 
be just a place where we come to get our batteries charged. 
Certainly that happens, and it's a blessed benefit or corollary. 
The primary emphasis for us gathering together is to worship God as 
his people. There's a corporate solidarity, 
a one-bodiness that the apostle highlights is now true because 
of what Jesus Christ has accomplished. Notice in verse 19b, your fellow 
citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. 
You were without God in the world at one time. You were without 
God in the world. You were atheists. But now, guess 
what? You are members of the household 
of God. It's a great thing, isn't it? 
We're told the church is the household of God. Not just here, 
but we're told it in 1 Timothy 3 as well. God's invited us into 
his house. God has brought us into his house 
through the bloodshedding of his own Son. We who once were 
far off have been brought nigh now through the blood of Jesus 
Christ. And we are members of the household 
of God. Now, some in this particular 
group of people and some in other churches have, you know, nice 
positions of authority or prestige in their business settings. Others 
may not have that. They may feel like, you know, 
I'm sort of losing out in terms of my potential and all that 
I could possibly be. Well, in the final analysis at 
the end of the day, if you are a member of the household of 
God, that trumps just about everything. Well, it does. It trumps everything 
out there. What identifies you? I'm a business owner, that's 
not a bad thing. I'm a husband, not a bad thing. 
I'm a father, not a bad thing. I'm a mother, no, it's a great 
thing. Hard thing too, mothers. But I'm a member of the household 
of God. Again, when church scandals happen, 
what happens? Everybody gets mad at the church, 
get mad at the fools and the idiots that caused the problems, 
but never ever direct that anger toward the bride of Jesus Christ, 
the household of God. I remember one time many, many 
years ago, we were going through some difficulties in our church. 
And our kids were little, and I was pretty shaken up on this 
one particular instance. And I got home, I got on the 
knees with the kids, and I said, never, ever, ever judge the church 
based on the conduct of some of those within the church. Don't 
do that, because it's typical for preachers' kids at times, 
or missionary kids, to rise up and have an antipathy against 
the church. They see the church as the place 
where their father has been chewed up and spitting out. They see 
the church as the place that has made life hard. So I tried 
to exhort them as children, never despise the church over the conduct 
of certain individuals within it. And then I was able to highlight, 
contrastly, there's good people. And I mentioned several names, 
persons that are here now. And that was a great benefit 
and a blessing and a boon to be able to do that with the kids. 
So when these things happen in churches, or when there's cover-ups 
in churches, the response ought not to be, we hate the church. No! The church is the bride of 
Christ. The church is the apple of His 
eye. The church is that for which 
Jesus died and was raised again. Brethren, if you have one thing 
in your life, have an esteem, not only for Christ and His finished 
work, but for His bride. We wouldn't take it lightly if 
somebody insulted our bride, or they insulted our spouse, 
or they said, oh, she's terrible, or she's horrible, or she's this, 
or she's that. We would want to defend her honor. 
That's what the people of God ought to be about. And that's 
what's embedded in this particular text. Notice what Paul goes on 
to say. He says in verse 20, having been 
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus 
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. There's dignity 
here, isn't there? There's blessed dignity. There's 
things to esteem here. We're not just a group of people 
that find ourselves together on Sunday morning and Sunday 
evening. The church is built upon the foundation of these 
apostolic men, these men who died for the cause of God and 
truth. The chief cornerstone is Jesus Christ the Lord. And 
then notice what the apostle goes on to say, Jesus Christ 
himself being the chief cornerstone, verse 21, in whom the whole building, 
being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 
You see why Stephen is perceived to be anti-temple in Acts 7? It's because he's actually right 
concerning temple theology. It was those unbelieving Jews 
that made up the Sanhedrin that put all of their eggs into that 
basket of temple. As long as we've got temple, 
we've got everything. Stephen saw correctly, the temple 
points to Christ. In Christ, it's the people of 
God that are the temple of God. That's why we don't have a special 
structure that we go to. That's why we don't have to make 
pilgrimage to Jerusalem. That's why according to John 
chapter 4, the time is coming. when it won't be here or there 
that the fathers worship, but wherever people are, will worship 
God in spirit and in truth. So in whom the whole building, 
being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 
in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place 
of God in the spirit. Again, you see the Trinitarianism. 
We've got God, probably Father, we've got Spirit references, 
we've got Jesus references. It's not one text here or there 
that mentions the Trinity in the New Testament. The New Testament, 
and I would argue the Old Testament, is Trinitarian to the core. It 
is Trinitarian to the core because that is who the true and living 
God is. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That's the true and living God. 
See, the Apostle is emphasizing this. You might say, well, why 
are we focusing on the corporate element tonight? Because after 
all, the supper represents my salvation. It represents my coming 
to the Lord Jesus. And when I come to this bread, 
when I come to this wine, I think about what Jesus did for me. 
And that's good, brethren. And you should think about what 
Jesus did for you. But think about what he did for 
all of us. Because one of the emphases in 
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11, is that we have communion 
together, not just vertically with reference to God, but communion 
with one another. There's a one loaf mass expressed 
by the people of God at the supper. There is one body and we are 
worshiping him together. Persons who are diverse. We don't 
have the Jew-Gentile thing going on here, but we have diversity. We have older people, we have 
younger people, we have ethnic differences, We have sociopolitical 
backgrounds that are different. We have all kinds of things. 
I think I've shared before. It always intrigues me that a 
young guy from Southern California ended up in Chilliwack. That 
is God, because I never in my wildest dreams would have ever 
even assumed that I would go to Canada, let alone Chilliwack. I just didn't even know what 
a Chilliwack was. This is God. He's put us together, 
and there's this body element that is missing today. Brethren, 
we ought to feel slighted, we ought to feel gypped, we ought 
to feel less than if we are not in the public place where God 
has promised His special presence. It's the church. The church has 
esteem in the pages of God's Word. If we love Jesus, we will 
love the church. And Paul sets forth before us 
here a great view of church, in whom the whole building, being 
fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you 
are also being built together for a dwelling place of God in 
the Spirit. That's why I say God has promised 
to dwell with His people in this new covenant era in the church. He's with us. He's present in 
Revelation chapter one. Where is Christ? He's in the 
midst of the lampstands. He is walking among the churches 
while they convene for public worship. F.F. Bruce, commenting 
on this temple significance, says, as the God of Israel had 
once taken up residence in the wilderness tabernacle and later 
in the Jerusalem temple by His name and His glory, so now by 
His Spirit, He makes the fellowship of believers, Jewish and Gentile 
alike, His chosen dwelling place. No privilege is bestowed on the 
people of God in which Gentiles do not enjoy an equal share. Then I want to give one final 
quote, and then we'll close. This is from a commentary on 
1 Samuel chapter 26. Now, the scene in 1 Samuel chapter 
26 is that David is being hunted. David is being persecuted. David 
is on the run. David has had to leave the confines 
of Israel. And now he has the opportunity 
to kill Saul again, but he doesn't take it, because David is a respectable 
man. He's not going to touch the Lord's 
anointed. But David's complaint is, I don't want to leave the 
confines of Israel. I don't want to leave here because 
God is here. This is where the temple is, 
or the tabernacle. This is where the people of God 
are. It's a big problem for me to be outside of Israel. Now, 
Saul shows a degree of repentance. We can air quote that. Who knows 
if it was real or not, but he goes soft on David, at least 
for that particular time. But David's concern is, I don't 
want to be outside of the confines of Israel because it's within 
Israel that God is present with his people in corporate worship. 
Yeah, David can find God in the wilderness according to Psalm 
63, but where does David especially find God? In the sanctuary. It's in the sanctuary. There's 
an emphasis on the corporate nature of worship in David and 
in the Bible. Now, this is what Davis says 
concerning David. He says, didn't David know what 
every enlightened Christian know? That you can pray and commune 
with God anywhere? Apparently, the writer of Psalm 
63, 139, and 142 was well aware of that. But David was more enlightened 
than many enlightened Christians. He knew that to be cut off from 
Yahweh's inheritance, verse 19, was to be cut off from Yahweh's 
face, verse 20. In other words, if you're outside 
of the land, you're cut off from Yahweh's face. He says that when 
one had left Israel, there was no possibility of public worship. He goes on to say, this is not 
the place to sketch a biblical theology of worship. Suffice 
it to say that David would have made a poor space-age evangelical. He would never have been content 
with his study Bible, prayer list, and a quiet cave. Yahweh's 
face or presence was especially seen in the sanctuary, Psalm 
63, 2. Yet David was being driven away 
and cut off from tabernacle and sacrifice from priest and festival. He was being shot out of the 
land and sanctuary where Yahweh met his people. To be cut off 
from the ordinances of public worship is David's most severe 
grief. Would that cause me anguish? 
This is Davis's question. Would it cause you anguish if 
church was canceled today? If the snow fell in such an amount 
that we had to say no worship, or the power was out and we had 
to say no worship, would there be any anguish? And there was 
quite a windstorm. The wind blew that cover off 
the speaker there and blew my office door open. It was locked. 
I came to the church yesterday morning. The door was actually 
blown open. yet the power is on. God's for us. But would it 
cause us anguish if the public worship of God was shut down? 
Would it? Is that something that would 
affect you? Is that something that would perhaps hurt you? 
Is that something that would cause you a degree of irritation 
or frustration? He says, to be cut off from the 
ordinances of public worship is David's most severe grief. 
Would that cause me anguish? He says, Christians have surpassed 
David in privileges, but few have approached him in appetite. I think Davis is right on. I 
think he is spot on. Yes, David can meet God in the 
wilderness, but David knows God is especially found in the sanctuary. David says, Yahweh delights in 
the gates of Zion more than the dwelling places of Jacob. The 
Apostle Paul moves in a demonstration of the power of Christ from the 
individual reception of redemptive benefit to the corporate reception 
of redemptive benefit to show us that we, the people of God, 
whether we're Jew or Gentile, we share the same privilege and 
we together are being fitted together as the very temple of 
God himself. I submit the New Testament envisages 
a high view of the church. So don't let any church scandal, 
any church difficulty, any church problem ever turn you from the 
church. There's a lot of people that 
do a lot of foolish things, and there's remaining corruption 
in the hearts of everyone. And unfortunately, at times, 
they can do damage to churches. But the church as church is something 
to be loved, it is something to be prayed for, it is something 
to be fought for, and it is something to endear in the heart of God's 
people. Well, brethren, I hope that we 
have seen how, in Jesus Christ, the promises of God are yea and 
amen, not only to Jews, but also to Gentiles. This is, in fact, 
a demonstration of the power of God. He raised Jesus from 
the dead, He saves individual sinners, and He saves Gentiles, 
and brings them together with Jews, not to keep them as two 
distinct peoples, but rather to make one new man. And the 
way that Christ does this is through the blood of His cross. 
If you have not come to Christ, it's the blood of the cross that 
ought to be that which entices you. Because it's through that 
blood of the cross that sinners find forgiveness. It's through 
the blood of the cross that sinners find salvation. It's through 
the blood of the cross that sinners find acceptance with God. Well, 
let us close in a word of prayer. Father, we thank You for Your 
Word, we thank You for Ephesians 2, and for what Christ accomplished 
in accordance with the prophets and with the testimony of Old 
Covenant Scripture. We praise You that in Your time 
You sent Him forth, born of a woman and born under the law, to redeem 
those under the law. And how we thank You that You 
have saved us, how we thank You that You've overcome in our own 
individual lives the various things that Paul explains in 
verses 1 to 3, and that as well You have overcome the problems 
of us being Gentiles. You brought us nigh through the 
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We praise you for that inclusion 
in the covenant promises of God, and we pray that you would help 
us to appreciate the work of Christ and help us as well to 
esteem the church of the Lord Jesus. And we ask in His most 
blessed name. Amen.