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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of God on the Sabbath evening you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 63 for our call to worship Psalm 63 I'll begin reading in verse 1 a psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah oh god you are my god early will I seek you my soul thirsts for you my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water so I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory because your loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise you thus I will bless you while I live I will lift up my hands in your name my soul shall be satisfied as with marylin fatness and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips when I remember you on my bed I meditate on you and the night watches because you have been my help therefore in the shadow of your wings I will rejoice my soul follows close behind you your right hand upholds me but those who seek my life to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth they shall fall by the sword they shall be a portion for jackals but the King shall rejoice in God everyone who swears by him shall glory but the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped amen David's sentiment is most wonderful in verse 3 because your loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise you may that inform and instruct the way that we sing praises unto our God well you can turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number three hymn number three will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us pray a blessed God and father a blessing it is to gather in the presence of our God tonight how we thank you for your graciousness to us how we thank you for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and that you have made us participants in it by your grace and through the power of your gospel we know Lord God there is none righteous no not one there's none who seeks after you there is no fear of of God before the eyes of men but in your mercy you've shown us that that kindness through the gospel of free and sovereign grace even the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of all those the father had given to him we thank you for so great a salvation we thank you for the privilege that we have to gather together as brothers and sisters in the Church of the Lord Christ as one body lifting up our voices in unison to the high king of heaven and as David said because your loving-kindness is better than life my my lips shall praise you may that certainly influence the way that we open these hymn books and praise you tonight and may it affect us Lord God as we hear the word of God and as we call upon you in prayer and as we come to the supper tonight may all that we do be for the praise and the glory of our great God even Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray tonight that you would encourage and strengthen each one of our hearts we know Lord God the Supper is not a reward given for good behavior but it's certainly a means of grace to encourage us in the way and we pray that this would be a means to to help us and to spur us on to leave from this place more and more conformed unto the image of Christ with a desire to go into this world and a desire to testify concerning that great salvation that you have given to us give us boldness to witness and to testify give us boldness to live in light of the gospel and may our lives adorn that doctrine that has conquered us by your grace we confess our sins and our transgressions to you now thanking you for the promise of forgiveness God without certain scriptures in our Bibles those those texts that promise that you will indeed cleanse us and the blood of Christ we would be a very very sorry people we would be a very sad people that God you encouraged us not to sin but when we do sin to remind us that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so do cleanse us now in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ wash us and purify us from all sin and all remaining corruption and for any and all who are here tonight that have not come to Christ we pray that today would be the day of salvation that they would hear of Christ as that one who makes peace that one who through the blood of his cross brings sinners nigh unto God and may they by grace believe on him and know the joy of being found in him not having their own righteousness which is from the law but that righteousness which is from you by faith in Jesus Christ and God we pray this for other churches we pray this throughout the world that we see the world that we live in it's very discouraging and very distressing when we see the evil and the unrighteousness and the wickedness but we are encouraged that Christ shall have dominion from sea to sea we're encouraged that you promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great multitude that no man can number and we thank you and are encouraged that that through Christ that is being realized and so we pray for the gospel to go forth we pray that you would be pleased to save from every tribe and every tongue and people and nation and that even as we just sang that that hundred and seventeen psalm concerning the nation's the peoples outside of Israel coming to Israel's God what a blessed reality that we see in the scripture and that we have seen in our own lives and experience we know your gospel is powerful to save we know Lord God that that it's not only for the Jew but also the Greek because we know that in that gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith so Lord send it forth conquering and to conquer and may a multitude come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior continue with us in this time of worship continue to bless your people in this local church be with those God who have physical challenges and trials and difficulties we just commit them to you and to the word of your grace trusting in your good care trusting in your kindness and in your love not only for the inner man but for the outer man as well we asked you'd bless the ladies who are with child we pray that you would grant them safety and health and in your time these little ones would come forth physically and one day they'd come forth spiritually and we do pray that for all the children and for all the young people that they would remember their Creator in their youth that they would be kept from the sorts of sins that they characterized so many of us and we pray that they would call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as young people and that they would serve you and our Father we pray that you'd raise up some of our sons to be preachers of the gospel we know father that we cannot take it for granted that good churches will always be around and so we pray that you would do great and glorious things for your namesake that there would be good churches for our children our grandchildren great-grandchildren many descendents from us and we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn again in your Trinity hymnals to him number 120 we'll use a different tune but one that I'm sure is familiar number 120 is we'll stand together [Music] [Music] you can turn in your Bibles with me to Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians chapter 2 we're going to take up the last half of the chapter verses 11 to 22 it does sort of bring together several themes that we have looked at recently in our studies in Genesis namely the inclusion of Gentiles in the promises of God but I'll begin reading in Ephesians chapter 2 at verse 1 and you 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 we're 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 come and mints contained in ordinances so asked 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 afar off into 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 and 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 less 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 chapter 9 at verse 27 Noah says may God enlarge Japheth and may he dwell in the tents of Shem and make an and be his servant it's an emphasis on Japheth being gentle ik or a gentile being included in those promises that come to Shem the Semites or the Israelites we've seen in our 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 and 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 salvation work it's too small a thing that you only go and rescue the tribes of Jacob that I will give you as a light unto the Gentiles 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 in your love for all the Saints excuse me 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 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 VESA our visa vide 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 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 Johnny D 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 know deira first to their previous status therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called circumcision 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 circumsized 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 think I've shared before a jet 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're 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 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 that the same sort of thing is the 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 the 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 priceless and therefore they were Church less hopeless godless and homeless but noticed secondly the present reception of Gentile believers verse 13 he says but now it's a contrast just like verse 4 remember here's what you were as individuals verses 1 2 3 but God in 2 4 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 now 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 on a micro-level but in terms of this Gentile inclusion and 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 yay 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 Christ 'less Church 'less 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 till of 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 as a form of peace the world has a as a as an analogue of peace the world has these things that that try to anesthetize ESPA ties people so that they have some degree of comfort but it's not a lasting and abiding peace that peace with God that we and boy is there in the midst of trial and affliction and are Jeff 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 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 14 B to 16 notice he makes the two Jew and Gentile into one it says he himself is our peace who has made both one and I 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 Johnny D 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 to 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 has the great Saviour 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 the sense that not only the high priest on the Day of Atonement goes into the Holy of Holies but now every believer in price goes into the Holy of Holies but I don't think that's in the Apostles mind in two 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 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 he got to understand something about passages like these I think 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 on 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 gaping 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 board 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 traced 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 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 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 and 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 fact turn to Hebrews chapter 9 for just a moment I referred to this this morning a lot of this has to do a lot of this is similar with reference to Peters or Stephens speech and 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 marked 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 abolish --is 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 were 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 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 firms 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 that 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 seems sees obliterated even persons that jettison the Ten Commandments won't advocate murder they won't say it's okay we can't 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 idolaters 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 words by which we find acceptance with God that's Paul's point in Romans 6:14 it's a very easy thing there's threefold division of the 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 that matters there's this there's this a 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 sacrifice er so that threefold division of the law is absolutely crucial and in this particular section we're dealing with the Apple abolishment of the ceremonial law again he highlights the fact that that God or Jesus creates one new man from the to one new man from the - verse fifteen 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 in 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 the Gentiles are gonna be raptured out and then God's purposes for Israel that plan a will be put back into fact that is just utter an utter misreading of the data of Scripture and it's unfortunate that is 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 pause it 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 14 B to 16 but Christ also preaches peace this is one of those passages that preachers really lie because it sort of validates them you probably have something in your job that you do and somebody says oh that's really neat and you've bit of 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 we're 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 F assess and yet Paul says he came and preached beats 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 were 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 gonna 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 mining I think was big there was a whole host of ways to communicate the message what does God choose what does God ordained 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 and good 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 and grace and knowledge and it's a place where sinners are confronted with who they are under a holy God and they are told hopefuly 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 forth 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 song 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 Ephesus Ephesians for instance Paul's theology is Trinitarian throughout he just traffic's in these themes and in these concepts without saying okay now I'm going to talk about the trip 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 worshipping right alongside of them and 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 and 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 doesn't mean he hates the twelve 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 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 body Ness that the Apostle highlights is now true because of what Jesus Christ has accomplished notice in verse nineteen nineteen be 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 atheist 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 first Timothy three as well God's invited us into his house God has brought us into his house through the blood shedding 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 and other churches have you know nice positions of authority or prestige and they're in their business settings others may not have that and 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 Trump's just about everything well it does it Trump's everything out there what what what what identifies you I'm a business owner that's not a bad thing I'm a husband not a bad thing I'm the father not a bad thing I'm a mother and looks great thing hard thing to 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 cause 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 I was able to highlight contrast ly there's 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 whether 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 you know insulted our bride or they insulted our spouse or they said oh she's terrible if she's horrible if she's this or or she's that we would want to defend her honor I have to quote the people of God ought to be about and that's what's embedded in this particular tax 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 this dignity here isn't there there's blessed dignity there's there's 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 act 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 father's 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 can you see the trinitarianism we've got God probably father we got spirit references we've got Jesus references it's not one text here or there that mentions the Trinity in the New Testament that the New Testament and I would argue the Old Testament is Trinitarian to the core in his 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 if the Apostle is emphasizing this now you might say well why are we focusing on the the corporate element tonight he's after all the Supper represents my salvation it represents my coming to Lord Jesus and when I 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 1st 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 kness 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 socio-political 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 chill away I just didn't even know what a Chilliwack was this if God and 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 1 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 calm 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 light 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 First Samuel chapter 26 now the scene in 1st 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 aren't 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 president 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 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 gave 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 priests 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 of me anguish this is Davis's question what would it cause you anguish if church was canceled today if the snow fell and 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 I the wind blew that cover off the off the speaker there and blew my office door open it was locked I came to came to the church yesterday morning the door was actually blown open and yet the powers on God's for us but what it caused us anguish if the public worship of God was shot down would it is that something that would affect you was that something that would perhaps hurt you is that something that would cause you a degree of 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 and 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 jeweler 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 yes amen not only to Jews but also the Gentiles this is in fact a demonstration of the power of God he raised him 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 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 we thank you that you've overcome in our own individual lives the various things that all explains and verses 1 to 3 and that as well you have overcome the problems of us being Gentiles you brought us 9 through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we praise you for that inclusion and 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 well you can turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 so we transition now into the supper Matthew chapter 26 just a couple of reminders before we read the scripture first of all the ordinances for believers it is for Christians it is for those who by God's grace have believed the gospel and have received forgiveness of sins it's not a converting ordinance we don't give you the bread and the wine in the hopes that God will use that to save you that's not the way we approach this rather it is a means of grace given for the edification and the strengthening of the people of God so if you're not a believer we would kindly ask for you not to take the Supper as it is passed around this evening as well in the supper we remember our Lord's death it is more than a memory it is indeed a means of grace but in terms of the actual elements they don't become changed into something other it's not the case that we engage in what's called transubstantiation which is the Roman Catholic abomination of suggesting that the bread and the wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus and as a result they are then sacrificed in an unbloodied way for atonement no these things remain bread and wine they rather point us to the spiritual truths concerning Jesus broken body and shed blood for us so it's not the case that we practice the abomination of transubstantiation as well in terms of the the ethical emphasis of the apostle on examining oneself let a man examine himself when Paul says that first Corinthians 11 he is not suggesting that we're gonna find sinless perfection he is not suggesting that we can never take the supper until our records are perfectly spotless and clear no he means do we have on dealt with sin he means are we living in sin are we at odds with God and with one another because the particular abuse in Corinth was that at a common meal persons who had a lot were eating and drinking to the point of drunkenness and gluttony while others were being neglected and had nothing as Paul sees it that's a rupture that's a breach in the one loaf body connection in the context of the church so Paul says if you're living in flagrant disregard with reference to God in his law and with reference to man and his his Worth and dignity under God then you shouldn't take but if you examine yourself you find that you're maintaining short accounts with God you're not living and undealt with unrepentant sin then the supper is for you I shared with the Brethren a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday morning there's this there's this scene from an old Scottish gathering of for communion and they would use the common cup and it was only you know maybe once a quarter and in the Scottish tradition and as the cup got closer and closer to a particular woman she would cry louder and harder knowing and realizing her own sinfulness as that cup drew near and when the cup drew to her the minister handed it to her and said it is for sinners so it's not the case that if you're a sinner you can't date it's the case that if you're an unrepentant sinner an incorrigible Center a sinner who's digging in his or her heels well then yeah you shouldn't take because there's sanctions appended to improper taking but if you confess if you forsake and you find mercy from God by all means take and then in terms of the practicality of the ordinance if you are inclined the juice is in the outer ring and the wine is in the inner ring so I just want to read the section in Matthew chapter 26 we'll read a bit ask the brothers to come up and or actually first we'll ask the brothers to come up and and pass out the bread we'll sing a hymn while they do that and then we'll read the appropriate section in Matthew 26 so if the brothers would come and pass out the bread you can turn to 193 and your hem please remain seated as we sing 193 together [Music] [Music] in matthew 26:26 we read and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body well let us pray Our Blessed God and Holy Father for what we've read in Ephesians 2 what we see throughout Scripture we give praise and glory and honor unto you the fact that our salvation is is tied to the broken body of our Lord Jesus Christ is incredible the fact that it took the death of the Son of God to redeem us from our sins is a display of your amazing grace and of our absolute wretchedness and God we thank you for that salvation we thank you for this means of encouragement this means of strengthening this means to recall us to consider that transaction on Calvary's cross for us now you be glorified as we eat and drink may you be praised and worshiped and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll take together we can turn to 357 those brothers pass off the wine just a reminder the juice is in the outer ring 357 please remain seated as we sing [Music] in verse 27 we read then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you and my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives amen let us pray blessed father we thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ your son that does cleanse us from all unrighteousness and as Paul says in 1st Corinthians 11 as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes what a blessed privilege it is as the church together to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord again we pray that these things would encourage and strengthen our hearts that we would find that that blessed refuge in our in our Savior and each and every day that we would seek by grace to not sin but when we do sin to remember that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous we thank you again for gospel blessing and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll take together will stand and close by singing 175 175 [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] give us the grace to bring glory and honor and praise unto you in our individual lives as families and as a Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray in his most blessed name Amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation you you