← Back to sermon library

evening tonight it's good to be back in the house of our God this happens once about every year where the Sun Shines on me my daughter once joked it looked like I had an aura around me I I don't think that's true but uh so hopefully it'll pass soon so for our call to worship this evening you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 149 psalm 149. and I'll begin reading in verse 1. praise the Lord sing to the Lord a new song and his praise in the Assembly of saints let Israel rejoice in their maker let the children of Zion be joyful in their King let them praise His name with the dance let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp for the Lord takes pleasure in his people he will beautify The Humble with salvation let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud on their beds let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute Vengeance on the Nations and punishments on the peoples to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with Fetters of iron to execute on them the written judgment this honor have all his Saints praise the Lord amen we'll turn to Psalm 63 be as in bravo 63b will stand and sing together we'll use a familiar tune so 63b [Music] locks [Music] come on [Music] foreign [Music] faster now still closer to the eyes [Music] yourself let us pray our blessed God and Holy Father it is a joy and privilege to gather again in your house tonight we thank you for the Lord's day for the rest that we have in our Blessed Redeemer we thank you that the Lord's day as well foreshadows that Eternal Kingdom to come that Eternal rest when we enter into that that place Emmanuel's land and God As We Gather now may you help us to worship you in spirit and in truth may we approach you with that understanding that recognition that you are God most high from Everlasting to Everlasting father Son and Holy Spirit a God who is to be glorified and worshiped and praised as well father may you flood our hearts with Thanksgiving and gratitude as we Ponder your grace and your mercy revealed to us in the gospel of our Salvation we thank you for the life and the death and the resurrection of our Blessed Redeemer on our behalf we thank you for what he has accomplished and what he has secured for us and we look forward again to his return in glory to judge the living in the dead we look forward to that consummation of the kingdom when he offers up all things to the father and when God is all in all and father until that time help us to be faithful help us to be persevering may we indeed know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit as not only We Gather for worship but each and every day may you cause us most high God to be further conformed under the image of your son and to be faithful in this lower World As We Gather tonight we are mindful of your Holiness and your righteousness and in that light we see and our own waywardness our own proneness to wander and proneness to leave the god that we love so we confess our remaining corruption even now thanking you for that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ it does cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness and God we pray that if there are any here tonight that are still dead in their trespasses and sins you would awaken them through the preaching of your gospel we pray the spirit would attend that you would bring that conviction for sin and does well God bring that conviction that Christ is an able Savior for all who come nigh to him in faith as well God we pray for your grace and your blessing to be upon each and every one in this local body we know there are many that are sick many that are unwell many that are battling with chronic illness and disease each and every day we pray for the new felds that you would just look with favor upon them and give them physical health and strength we pray for our dear sister surely in the things that she is going through we just commend her to you into the word of your grace and God for all of us we come and we are battle weary from time to time we do have that remaining sin we have the Temptations that the world throws at us and God we just asked for Spiritual strengthening for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and the power in a in a gracious and Powerful way so that we may resist those sins resist those temptations that we may think your thoughts after you and be be constantly encouraged at the thought that God most high is Sovereign and that he reigns over all things that we see in this earth we ask God that you would be merciful to those on the Easter Eastern Seaboard that are facing this hurricane we pray for your people God that you would just surround them with your protection we pray for those unbelievers that they would be uh impressed with the magnitude of the the power and the Majesty of God and that these things would cause them or produce in them a desire to flee to the Savior King that they might know salvation by grace through faith in him father we pray for the persecuted Church throughout the Earth we see many instances of aggression and persecution from from government and from false religion and various entities that are opposed to Christ and his gospel and so father we pray that you would just Empower your people in these lands that they would hold fast that they would not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God in the midst of these threats and that father in the midst of these things you would build the church and we have that confidence that the gates of 80 shall not Prevail against it and it causes us great joy to read these letters to read these emails and to see the faith of God's people the tenacity and the perseverance of God's people may we learn these lessons well and may you help each and every one of us to go Faithfully forward in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit bless our Brethren and Siri bless the Brethren and Armstrong and in Dryden and in Honduras we give praise to you for the baptisms that occurred in the churches God we pray that these would be just a few among many more as you save Sinners and as you add them to the church and we ask these things now through the name of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ amen we may turn again in your hymn books to number 276. 276 will stand as we sing together [Music] I believe [Music] and [Music] Jesus Christ [Music] I always was [Music] Jesus Christ [Music] foreign foreign [Music] foreign [Music] Numbers chapter 10 for our scripture reading this evening I'll begin reading in verse 1. and the Lord spoke to Moses saying make two silver trumpets for yourself you shall make them of hammered work you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps when they blow both of them all the congregation Shall Gather before you at the door of the Tabernacle of meeting but if they blow only one then the leaders the heads of the divisions of Israel Shall Gather to you when you sound at the advance the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their Journey when you sound the advance the second time then the camps that lie on the South Side shall begin their Journey they shall sound the call for them to begin their Journeys and when the assembly is to be gathered together you shall blow but not sound the advance the sons of Aaron the priests shall blow the trumpets and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your Generations when you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets and you will be remembered before the Lord your God and you will be saved from your enemies also in the day of your gladness in your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your at the beginning of your months you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings and they shall be a memorial for you before your God I am the Lord your God now it came to pass on the 20th day of the second month in the second year that the cloud was taken up from above the Tabernacle of the testimony and the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their Journeys then they then the clouds settled down in the wilderness apparent so they started out for the first time according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses the standard of the camp and the children of Judah set out first according to their armies over their army was Nation the son of aminidad over the army of the tribe of the children of issachar was Nathaniel the son of Zoar and over the army of the tribe of the children of zebulun was eliab the son of Halon then the Tabernacle was taken down and the sons of Gershon and the sons of murari sat out carrying the Tabernacle and the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies over their army was a Leisure the son of a scheduler over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was shalomial the son of zurichide and over the army of the tribe of the children of God was Elias eliasaf the son of duel then the coethite set out carrying the holy things the Tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival and the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies over their army was Allah the son of amihad over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was I'm sorry Gamaliel of the son of padasia and over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was abiding the son of gideoni then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan the rear guard of all the camps set out according to their army over their army was ahija the son of Amish amishadai over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was pagil the son of Akron and over the army of the tribe of the children of naftali was ahira the son of anon thus was the order of March of the children of Israel according to their armies when they began their Journey now Moses said to hobab the son of ruelle the midianite Moses father-in-law we're setting out for the place of which the Lord said I will give it to you come with us and we will treat you well for the Lord has promised good things to Israel and he said to him I will not go but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives so Moses said please do not leave in as much as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness and you can be our eyes and it shall be if you go with us indeed it shall be that whatever good the Lord will do to us the same will he do to you or we will do to you so they departed from the mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went before them for three days journey to search out a resting place for them and The Cloud of the Lord was above them by day when they went out from the camp so it was whenever the ark set out that Moses said rise up O Lord let your enemies be scattered and let those who hate you flee before you and when it rested he said return O Lord to the many thousands of Israel amen well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we see the emphasis on worship and this old Covenant setting where the Tabernacle took priority as well we see the defense of Israel by God most high it wouldn't be their Savvy it wouldn't be their ability it would be the power of a sovereign God that would act on their behalf Lord these lessons and instruct Us in this new covenant environment worship is absolutely crucial coming to the father through the Son and the power of the holy spirit so that God may be glorified and honored as well the reality that you defend us and you protect us that kingly office of our Lord Jesus Christ brings such encouragement and such studying of the soul and help us father to lay hold of these things help them to be a great encouragement to us to us each and every day and we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well for our final hymn before the preaching you can turn to 447 447 will stand as we sing together [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] forces God nothing shall align [Music] Ed singing Everything [Music] I will go in Christ [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 our Focus tonight will be verses 14 to 18 just by way of reminder the Apostle is celebrating or calling attention to the power of God he introduces that theme in chapter 1 at verse 19. he wants the Ephesians to know that power and that power is displayed in the resurrection of Our Lord chapter 1 verses 19 to 21 that power is displayed in the salvation of individual Sinners chapter 2 verses 1 to 10 and that power is displayed in the bringing together Jew and Gentile as one new man under Christ in Chapter 2 verses 11 to 22. so I'll read beginning in verse 1 in chapter two and you he made alive who are 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 was 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 were 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 is 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 and 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 and to those who were near forth 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 let us pray Our Father in Heaven what a glorious passage of Holy Scripture what a display of your great power and your great grace we know it's not man's performance that advances the kingdom of Christ but it is the riches of your grace it is the work of the Redeemer in his life and death and Resurrection according to the Sovereign plan of God Almighty to save his people from their sins Lord bless our time now as we consider these truths may they warm our hearts and again may we stand in awe what Christ has done in terms of the Salvation of Sinners and the the bringing together of two peoples that that at one time were estranged were at enmity with one another forgive us again for all of our sin and unrighteousness and we ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well as I said in verses 11 to 22 the Apostle takes up Gentile inclusion in the Covenant of Grace and we saw last time how that was always the purpose and plan of God begins in the Oracle of of Noah in Genesis chapter 9 we see the Promise given to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that in that that in their seat all the nations of the Earth would be blessed we see the prophets speak to that we see the psalter celebrate that and then we've seen that see that come to realization and fulfillment in the New Covenant so Gentile inclusion in the Covenant of Grace God's blessing is through the Jewish or Israel's Messiah and it comes to All Peoples everywhere every tribes on people in Asia so last time we considered the former state of Gentile Believers in verses 11 to 12. remember structurally the first half of the chapter and the second half of the chapter are the same so with reference to individual Sinners he describes the former state in verses one to three and then he highlights the present blessing in Verses 4 and following and he does the same thing here so we saw the former state of Gentile Believers in verses 11 and 12 and the present blessing of Gentile Believers in verse 13. so tonight we're going to focus on the reconciliation of Gentile Believers in verses 14 to 18. now again the context the former State they were homeless churchless hopeless and Godless that's what Paul tells us in verses 11 and 12. notice verse 12 specifically that at that time you were without Christ what did it mean to be without Christ obviously no salvation but the reference is covenantal they were without Christ therefore they were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the covenants of Promise they had no hope and they were without God in the world but their former blessing is seen in verse 13 but now in Christ Jesus you who who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ so verses 14 to 18 is an explanation how does Christ do what he did so there is this reference to the blood of Christ in verse 13 it comes to full expression at the end of verse 16. notice he does this in uh in one body through the cross and so 14 to 18 explain the significance of Gentile inclusion in the Covenant of Grace through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and basically the Apostle sets forth two things in terms of a broad overview he speaks first to reconciliation with God accomplished by Christ in verses 14 to 17. and then secondly he speaks to access to the presence of God attained by Christ in verse 18. so we have reconciliation which bespeaks there was enmity there was a problem and the emphasis is not only that enmity or problem with God but the enmity and problem that obtained between Jews and Gentiles so now we have reconciliation with reference to uh uh to God by the accomplishment of Christ but then in verse 18 notice he says forth through him we both have access by one Spirit to the father we're not like two tears of Christians not like the Jews are extra special and they have something that we do not as Gentiles no we're on equal footing the Redemptive privilege that Christ brings us is equal for Jew and for Gentile there's no more two peoples there's no more separation there's no more uh enmity between those two those two people groups so that's what Paul is celebrating here relative to the Gentiles inclusion in that Covenant so with reference to reconciliation with God accomplished by Christ we see that in verses 14 to 17. I want to make this very simple Paul tells us that the Lord Jesus is our peace in 14a he then says secondly the Lord Jesus makes peace in verses 14 B to 16 and then he says thirdly the Lord Jesus preaches peace according to verse 17. he is our peace he's made peace and he has preached peace so let's take up the apostles argument notice in the first place he speaks to the fact that Jesus is our peace verse 14. notice that word for for is explanatory he's going to explain what he has said previously but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought nearby the blood of Christ four it's going to explain it and then he says he himself he and no other he alone it's emphatic he's shining the light there's no other peace apart from this blessed Lord Jesus Christ he himself is our peace that picks up an attribute or a Perfection of Christ that the Bible speaks too often you can turn with me to the Book of Psalms Psalm 72 just to sketch a few of these things as we Muse on the fact that Christ is our peace Psalm 72 is a Psalm of Solomon but it speaks of Solomon's greater son even our Lord Jesus Christ and in verse 5 it says they shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure throughout all generations he shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing like showers that water the Earth in his days the righteous shall flourish and abundance of peace until the Moon is no more turn to the prophet Isaiah we looked at this briefly this morning specifically chapter 9 verse 2 but in Isaiah 9 6 and 7 the passage that we emphasis emphasize at Christmas time it really highlights that aspect of Peace notice in 9 6 For unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder his name will be called wonderful counselor Mighty God Everlasting father notice Prince of Peace and then with reference to his kingdom verse 7 of the increase of of his government and peace there will be no end upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and Justice from that time forward even forever the Zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this and then you can turn to the prophet Micah Micah the prophet who's very similar to the prophet Isaiah they lived at the same time they prophesied concerning many of the same things in fact if you compare Micah 4 with Isaiah 2 you will see great overlap and consistency Micah also speaks concerning the Incarnation of our Lord and in Micah 5 2 we read but you Bethlehem ephratha though you were little among the thousands of Judah yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth are from of old from Everlasting or from the Ancient of Days therefore he shall give them up until that uh until the time that she who is in labor has given birth then the remnant of his Brethren shall return to the children of Israel and he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord and the Majesty of the name of the Lord is God and they shall abide for now he shall be great to the ends of the Earth and notice this one shall be peace and then turn to the prophet Zechariah Zechariah looms large in in The Gospel according to Matthew the approach the the passion narrative in Matthew's gospel there's a lot of Illusion and direct quotation from the prophet Zechariah and a passage that I'm sure we're all familiar with is Zechariah Chapter 9 verse 9 Rejoice greatly o Daughter of Zion shout o daughter of Jerusalem behold your king is coming to you he is just in having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey occult the full of a donkey the triumphal entry in Matthew 21 records that applies that fulfills that and then notice in verse 10 I will cut off The Chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem the battle bow shall be cut off he shall speak peace to the Nations his Dominion shall be from sea to Sea and for from the river to the ends of the Earth as we move to the New Testament you see this emphasis in several places John 14 27 my peace I give you my peace I leave not as the world gives do I give the Lord Jesus Christ is the Peace of his people and much of that hinges upon Romans 5 1. you can turn there Romans chapter 5 the Apostle has been discussing the doctrine of justification by faith alone chapters three and four that's his subject matter so in chapter 5 we see it begins with a therefore there's an implication there's an application he's going to get into more doctorate but he wants to take this bit of a a time to reflect on what we have as a result of justification by faith in Jesus therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ so going back to Ephesians chapter 2 again the emphasis in terms of individual salvation and the the corporate solidarity between Jew and Gentile is not because of the Ingenuity of man it's not because of the goodness of man it's not because of the Merit of man it's not because of the law keeping a man man didn't say oh we've got this problem between Jews and Gentiles let's have a summit let's eat good food and let's hash this out and see how we can breach our differences and build Bridges together that's not it it was through the work of Jesus Christ for he himself is our peace is what Paul emphasizes in Ephesians 2 14 8 but then notice he goes on to detail how Jesus is our peace it is because he makes peace and if you look back at that particular text in the first place he made both one verse 14 for he himself is our peace who has made both one who are the both it's the Jews and the Gentiles it's the two parties that were previously separated he's writing to the Gentiles that were strangers to the covenants of Promise they were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel they were out ciders they were afar off it was Israel that was near and dear to the Lord most high it was the Gentiles that were far off we see the salvation of individual Sinners chapter 1 verse 7 says it's according to the riches of God's grace chapter 2 verses 4 to 10 we see it's according to the riches of God's grace and here we see that Christ making one new man or uh out of the Jews and the Gentiles is according to the riches of God's grace and this again is not confined to this passage turn back to John 10 the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ so all those promises that we considered last week in the Old Testament concerning Gentiles coming in to the uh the blessing of God Jesus alludes to this in John 10 16 and other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one Shepherd go to Galatians chapter 3 Galatians Chapter 3 The Apostle again highlights the Unity of God's people what God has joined together let no man separate dispensationalism again is wrong at this point where it separates the people of God that were in some sort of church age parentheses that God's dealings is only with the Gentiles and at the end of this particular era they'll be raptured out of the way and then God's real and original plan with reference to the Jews will begin again that is to misread the Bible that is to go backward in Redemptive history it is not to listen to the Apostle Paul notice in Galatians 3 26 for you all you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as we're baptized into Christ have put on Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is neither male nor female for you're all one in Christ Jesus no he's not saying there's no longer gender distinction the point is solidarity spiritual Unity under the banner of our blessed savior and if you are Christ then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise remember the churches of Southern galatia were primarily made up of of Gentiles so the Apostle says if you are Christ then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise a gentile spiritually speaking was a Jew a Jew that was not connected by grace through faith in Christ was a spiritual Gentile and so we see that upheaval not upheaval in a bad way but in terms of God's Redemptive plan so he himself is our peace and then he himself makes peace he does this by making both one John Edie said Gentiles are no longer formally excluded from religious privilege and blessing and Jewish Monopoly is forever overthrown Jew and Gentile are not changed in race nor Amalgamated in blood but they are one in point of privilege and position toward God that's the point he makes Peace by making the both into one notice secondly how he makes peace he broke down the middle Wall of Separation verse 14 see and as broken down the middle Wall of Separation this is the enmity that existed between the Jew and the Gentile there was a visible representation of this at the temple there was an obvious statement concerning this enmity at the very Temple complex and numbers 10 we read about the Tabernacle the Tabernacle was the precursor to the temple both Tabernacle and Temple have the idea of God dwelling in the midst of his people well when they didn't have their land when they would be traveling through the Wilderness to their land they had this mobile place where God would meet with them in the sacrificial system that was the tabernacle so when they get settled in the land David wants to build a house but God says no you're a man of war you've got blood on your hands not that that was a negative con a statement it was simply David's job to go out and to secure the kingdom it would be his son Solomon and a reign of peace that would have time and the ability to build that Temple well the construction of the temple there was a wall that kept the Gentiles out there was a place that Gentiles could go you read of these God fears in the book of Acts the Gentiles would go because they were enamored with Israel's God but there was only so far that they could go and so that middle Wall of Separation that's probably the illusion here the Apostle Paul says he breaks it down it is through his blood it is by the work of the Cross he has broken down the middle Wall of Separation these two peoples are no longer at odds with one another these two people are now joined together these two people are unified under Christ who shed his blood on their behalf notice how else he makes bees it says in verse 15a he abolished the law of Commandments having a abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of Commandments contained in ordinances now we need to spend a moment here because some people take this as a reference to the law of God it is the law of God but not the moral law of God we studied this in some detail in the confession of faith in chapter 19. God gave law moral law to Adam in the garden that same law that God gave to Adam in the garden he gives to Sinai or gives to the Israelites at sinai's the moral law of God it is unchanging it is fought for all men everywhere it is for whatever Covenant you happen to be under but then with reference to Israel they also got ceremonial laws and they got judicial laws and there were purposes for these particular laws the Apostle is speaking to ceremonial law in verse 15. 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 or by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only lawgiver who was furnished with power from the father for that end abrogated and taken away we know it can't be the moral law of God Jeremiah 31 31-34 and the promise of the New Covenant says God will write his law in our hearts Matthew 5 17 the Lord Jesus says do not think that I came to abolish the law I didn't come to abolish it rather I came to fulfill it John 14 15 he says if you love me you will keep my Commandments right smack gab in the middle of his discussion of justification by faith alone in Romans Chapter 3 The Apostle Paul asks or he's probably musing on what he'd been asked before well what about the law that if justification by faith alone in Christ alone is true then why do we need the law he says do we nullify it no we establish the law in other words those justified by faith in Jesus Christ will now live in a manner spirit and power that is pleasing to God God and that is the revealed law of God Romans chapter 13 when Paul needs to Define love he points to the Ten Commandments in this very book turn over to Ephesians chapter 6 specifically at verses one to three children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor your father and mother this is a gentile church with Gentile children that it expressed faith in the Savior so what law do they need to abide by they need to abide by the law of God as revealed to Adam in the garden and then codified or summarized at Sinai that law that is unchanging that law that is not going away that law that is for all men everywhere honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth so in Ephesians 2 15 he's not saying he got rid of the law he got rid of the ceremonial law and he didn't get rid of it in some nasty sort of a way he fulfilled it and thus in its fulfillment it's no longer binding in this new covenant Arena remember that within the ceremonial laws there were things like not eating bacon you could have eggs but you couldn't add bacon you couldn't put cheese on your burger there were certain things that were stipulated by God you couldn't eat shrimp you couldn't eat lobster Foster there were all these things that God specified because those things are bad for you no they were positive laws to set the people of Israel off from the pagans around them they were to be distinct they were to be unique they were to be separate from those people and so there were these laws built into the code that did distinguish the Jew from the Gentile and so in Christ Jesus those things are fulfilled and thus abrogate it that's the emphasis of the Apostle in this section he's not saying that Jesus by his victory on the cross has gotten rid of the Commandment you shall not commit adultery no The Ten Commandments are for us there is a lawful use of the law and the Ten Commandments have use in our lives so he abolished the law of Commandments Colossians 2 14 is a parallel having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us which was contrary to us us and he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the Cross now the context in Ephesians 2 Bears this out in Ephesians 2 11 he's talking about circumcision the circumcision the Jews would look down at the uncircumcised which were the Gentiles it would make the Gentiles look like dogs and the the Jews look like Superior people but as well in verse 21 he uses the reference to Temple so those two things circumcision and Temple were abiding problems in terms of Jew Gentile relationship but with the abrogation of the ceremonial law that no longer holds you can get circumcised if you want but don't do it for religious obligation it is a cultural practice if you so choose the Apostle Paul does that with Timothy when he goes into Jewish Regents but the moment you use that as a badge of identity as the people of God you have fallen backward into in Redemptive history and and so he has gotten rid of that ceremonial law and its abiding validity for us in this new covenant era notice how he makes peace according to verse 15 B he repeats essentially what he says in verse 14 who has made both one now notice in 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 he takes the Jews and the Gentiles and he makes one new man out of them it doesn't keep them separate he doesn't keep them distinct there's no inkling whatsoever In this passage this is just for a parenthetical moment in Redemptive history once the the Gentiles are raptured then the Jews get all the attention and everything will be like it was supposed to be that's not the reading of the text the Apostle is celebrating Redemptive solidarity in our blessed savior Jews and Gentiles are on equal footing Jews and Gentiles are no longer at each other's throats Jews and Gentiles are no longer excluded from one another they have Harmony they have peace they have blessing and that through the one who made peace through the blood of his cross Stephen boss says this single new man is the bride of Christ created out of both Jews and Gentiles who were formally dead and at war with each other so they had the problem of personal sin chapter 2 verses one to three and they had the problem of being a gentile in Chapter 2 verses 11 and 12. now because of God's grace they've been washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ and they are now on equal footing with the Israelites and they are that one new man and then finally he summarizes this section in verse 16 by saying that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross thereby putting to death the enmity this is the reconciliation of Sinners to God we were at enmity with God we hated God and God as we read in Romans 5 hated us there was an enmity toward us according to Romans chapter 5. but there was an enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles so when he speaks to reconciliation in verse 16 that he might reconcile them both reconciliation has a presupposition you only need reconciliation if you're not reconciled right you only need reconciliation if you're at odds with one another and so Christ and the cross does that he reconciles us to God and he reconciles Jews and Gentiles together I don't think we fully appreciate the implications of all of this this far away from the first century relations between Jews and Gentiles even into the New Covenant setting are a bit sort of sticky you look at the book of Acts and you see some difficulty in terms of Gentile inclusion it was all written it was all specified but it took a little while for everybody to sort of catch up when all these Gentiles started confessing faith in Israel's Messiah and so the Apostle is celebrating that solidarity between Jew and Gentile and he uses it to demonstrate the very power of God most high so the reconciliation occurred for both of them in the same way notice in verse 16 that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross some commentators take the in one body as a reference to Christ's body at the death or at his death I take it as the one body of the the two so that means that they were of the two the Jew and the Gentiles so that means they weren't reconciled differently it's not like the Jew comes to to God in a way different from the Gentile and somehow that's built into dispensational theology the Jews are going to be blessed because they're Jews no the Jews if they're blessed are blessed because by Grace they believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that's the emphasis in the New Testament it's not just because you're a Jew you're the ancient people of God and therefore you're going to go to heaven the Apostle Muses on this in Romans 9 not all Israel is Israel Romans Chapter 2 he's not a Jewish circumcised outwardly he's a Jew who circumcised inwardly he tells the Gentile Church in Philippi we are the true circumcision in Philippians chapter 3. so it's not just this external sign that somehow gained you favor with God it's the blood of Jesus Christ it's the reconciling work of Our Lord it is the fact that he lived that he died that he rose again to save us from our sins to bring us out of darkness in The Marvelous Light and to bring solidarity between Jew and Gentile he himself is our peace he is the one who makes peace now notice he also preached peace verse 17. this is is a wonderful passage and one that we should give attention to notice he it's capitalized he's speaking still of our Lord Jesus Christ he came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near well those who were near are the Jews in fact in Psalm 148 it ends on that high note relative to the people of God in the old Covenant Psalm 148 verse 14. he has exalted the Horn of his people the praise of all his Saints of the children of Israel a people near to him praise the Lord so Israel the Israelites the nation the ethnic people got the preaching of Jesus when he was in his Earthly ministry right he said I came to call the lost sheep of the House of Israel he dispatches his disciples in Matthew chapter 10 to Israel he doesn't send them on this Global campaign in terms of missionary Endeavor he does that in Matthew 28 so Matthew 10 there's this Mission to Israel Matthew 28 there's this mission to the ends of the Earth but with reference to Paul's statement there notice what he says he came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near now there was a collection a handful perhaps a fewer than a handful in Jesus ministry that were Gentiles that he spoke the gospel to but when Paul says he came and preached peace to you those who are near everybody gets that the Israelites but those who are afar off how does Jesus do that he never went to Ephesus he never went to the churches of Southern galatia he never went to Philippi but Paul the Apostle did and so when Paul the Apostle preached in Ephesus according to Acts 19 it was Christ preaching through him when Paul the Apostle went on that first missionary journey to the churches of Southern galatia Christ was preaching peace through his servant now that causes some people to say well I'm not sure about that turn over to Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10 gives us an expression of this reality that the Lord Christ preaches through his servants Romans chapter 10 at verse 14 how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how then or how shall they believe that in him and that of whom is probably not the best translation I'm going to read it the way it should be so 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 and how shall they preach unless they are sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace who bring Glad Tidings of good things but they have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah says Lord who has believed our report so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God so the Apostle Paul tells us that it's Christ that we hear when the true preaching of the Gospel is going forth now that's not to identify the preacher with Jesus not some sort of a weird mystical Union but it is simply to say that when a pastor effectively or correctly preaches the truth of God's word you're hearing the truth of God's word this is Paul's point in Ephesians chapter 2. the background is the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 50 2 at verse 7 and then Isaiah 57 verse 19 the servant of the Lord is going to call those who are afar off and so this emphasis comes to realization in the book of Ephesians according to Paul with reference to preaching of Christ he came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near and then in Paul's Ministry turn over to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1 specifically verses 24 to 29 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body which is the church bit of a difficult passage but it certainly does not mean that he's somehow complimenting or supplementing the finished work of the Savior whatever he does mean he he does not mean that sometimes in biblical interpretation just to know what the text doesn't mean is a long way to knowing what it does mean so when he says I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ he's not suggesting that the afflictions of Christ were non-meritorious or they didn't atone sufficiently I think he's just speaking about himself his role in Redemptive history and the fact that he will suffer for the sake of Christ but notice what he says in verse 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you to fulfill the word of God the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from Generations but now has been revealed to his Saints to them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory can we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus to this end I also labor striving according to his working which works in me mightily so Paul sees his plan place in Redemptive history is the one to bring the mystery to Bear upon the Church of Jesus Christ and he says in Ephesians chapter 2 that that's Christ preaching peace to those who were near and to those who were afar off turn over the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 2. it's an interesting passage in Hebrews 2 12. it's a reference from or it's a quote from Psalm 22. we'll just pick up in Hebrews 2 at verse 10 for it was fitting for him for whom are all things and by whom are all things and bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings for both he who sanctifies and those who are being Sanctified are all of one for which reason he is not ashamed to call them Brethren saying I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you you mean Christ is in the midst of the assembly Christ is making known his word Christ is making known his gospel Christ is in the singing of the assembly absolutely positively we don't need a choir we're the choir Christ is in the presence of us and therefore we are coming to the father through him in the spirit we see that in Revelation 1 13 where is Christ he's in the midst of the lampstands Ephesians 2 12 should not Shock anyone it's a high view of Christian preaching that's that underscores when Christian preachers do what they're supposed to do not tell stories or anecdotes or try to amuse everybody but when they expound the scripture and apply the Scripture it is as if Christ comes and preaches peace to us the second helvetic confession chapter one uh paragraph four it says the preaching of the word of God is the word of God now whether you agree with every jot and 10 middle of this I'm simply saying that typically or historically the reform have had a high view of preaching so the preaching 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 that uh 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 so back to our text Christ is our peace Christ makes peace and Christ preached peace and it's through that we have reconciliation to God through the accomplished work of our blessed savior now we end on that high point of verse 18. access to the presence of God attained by Christ notice for through him we both have access by one Spirit to the father now it'd probably be good for us to just stop and meditate upon this I realize we don't have a lot of time maybe you could do this for homework at home listen to what Paul is saying now this is true in a general sense tomorrow morning when you pick up your Bible and you read and you pray you access the presence of God it's a blessed thing right it's a wonderful thing we we read our Bibles we hear from God and we pray and and we speak to God and that's a time of worship and praise and adoration but the fact that he goes on to develop this theology in verses 19 to 22 the fact that he's writing to the church it would seem to indicate that the focus is upon corporate Worship in other words Jews and Gentiles now together in Christ Jesus having been reconciled unto God through the blood of his cross now have access into the very presence of God most High the book of Hebrews opens up this very often we we come to God now with reference to the Apostle notice not only the privilege is highlighted but the theology Verse 18 for through him this is Christ we both Jew and Gentile that means we have equal footing have access by one Spirit to the father what is Paul telling us the Lord our God is but one only the living and true God and in that God exists three persons the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power same and substance everything true of the father is of the son and of the spirit so he says for through him we both have access by one Spirit to the father so faith alone in Christ is the single requirement for entrance into the father's presence but when it comes to corporate worship it is trinitarian it's not some vague concept of a god out there it is father son and spirit that is in fact the true and the Living God this shouldn't surprise us coming out of Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 to 14 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has done what who's blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ he praises the father for election and predestination he praises the father for the redeeming work of the son he praises the father for the work of the holy spirit all three persons of the godhead are are exhibited to us in chapter 1 verses 3 to 14. so now that we come to this sort of Crescendo of what the reconciliation of Christ has accomplished when we have this access to God again it's not some vague notion of deity it is the father we come to through the son in the spirit the Apostle Paul was distinctly trinitarian it's not one text here or there that teaches the doctrine of the Trinity it is all throughout the Bible begins in Genesis chapter 1 and ends in Revelation chapter 22. our God is Triune a Triune so we not only have Ephesians 1 3-14 but I think this jives with what Jesus teaches in John 4 24. remember he's with that woman at the well and he says God is spirit and those who worship Him must Worship in spirit and Truth many many years ago I preached that in the common way the common understanding is that means heart and head that means we need to not just have our cognition there but we need to have the flame of the heart this time around I preached it the right way spear spirit and Truth is a reference to the Holy Spirit and to the Lord Jesus Christ we come to the father through the son in the spirit he is teaching that Samaritan woman something about worship and Christian worship isn't vague it's not undefined it is trinitarian to the core and Paul does the exact same thing here John 4 24 Christ is teaching a woman about worship the the Old Testament demanded heart and had to it wasn't like the Old Testament good worship was well I just have the hat but I don't need the heart that's sort of a conception puts a breach in Scripture that the or puts a breach on Humanity that the scripture doesn't heart and head are oftentimes used interchangeably mind and heart are oftentimes used interchangeably there's no dichotomy with reference to Heart well you know you not just need the cognition but your your heart needs to be swollen full of love Brethren that's not the point in John 4 that's a reality you need to have a heart that wants to be in the presence of God but John 4 is a statement concerning the god that we worship and so is Ephesians 1 Ephesians 2 at verse 18. for through him we both have access by one Spirit to the father look at verse 22 in whom you also are being built together for a Dwelling Place in of God in the spirit so in whom who's the in whom it's Jesus you are also being built together for a Dwelling Place of God in the spirit that is great trinitarian theology John Gill says this is a considerable proof of a trinity of persons in the godhead of their deity and distinct personality and Gregory of nazianzus he was an old uh Church Father listen to what he says and I think his parents and grandparents we should be able to to imitate this he says this then is my position with regard to these things and I hope it may be always my position and that of whosoever is dear to me do you want that for your kids and your grandkids don't you want that for your friends and your relatives listen to what he says to worship God the Father God the son and God the Holy Ghost three persons one godhead undivided and honor and glory and substance and Kingdom this is what he wanted not only for himself but for those near and dear to him this is what we want not only for ourselves but for those near and dear to us we come to the father through the son in the spirit that is what the emphasis is by the Apostle in this glorious section where he deals with reconciliation and then access and Brethren before we close I want to just ask the question if this is true of our Christian worship it may not always feel like it it may not always seem like like it you know I get a little bored sometimes he goes a bit long sometimes he raises his voice sometimes he says things I don't I don't know if that's Christ preaching to me barring all that because whatever good we try to do there's always going to be the solely of of sin and stain and Challenge and issue and all that sort of thing but if the Bible is to be believed and when the people of God come into the house of God on the day of God with one another to come to the father through the Son and the Holy in the Holy Spirit why would we ever not Avail ourselves of that privilege why would we not use every single opportunity to come to the father through the son in the spirit I don't want to harangue anyone I don't want to be the authoritarian oh you better show up at church as I wave my finger at you there is an have to element in Christian worship you have to come to church that's part of being a Christian but Brethren let's not lose sight of the the get to element I get to come to the father through the sun in the spirit with people that I actually love and they love me too why would I not be here every single time door is open why would I short myself of the the Apex of New Covenant blessing I will be your God and you will be my people again felt on a Monday morning experienced on a Wednesday afternoon but coming to full fruition in the corporate assembly of God's people when the church has gathered together when the lamp stand is shining Christ is in the midst of that when that is the case we short ourselves we jip ourselves we shoot ourselves in the foot when we absent ourselves from blessing When God says there's good things to be had on the Sabbath come to church why would we say no to that we are coming to God we are enjoying Redemption we have been blessed immeasurably we are no longer at odds with God we have been conquered by Sovereign Grace we have the Holy Spirit in us we have solidarity with other people we have a a worldwide as it were Church of Christ that we're part of let's not short ourselves of Redemptive blessing when it comes to the corporate access into the presence of God most high look at the Apostle in the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 10 it is glorious it is Sublime it is wonderful Hebrews 10 19 therefore this is the application of everything he has said specifically from chapters five to the end of ten where he's dealing with the high Priestly office of our Lord Jesus Christ the Levites the aaronic priesthood was good they served for a time they did their gig in the old Covenant but Christ has come Christ is the superior priest notice on the heels of that verse 19 therefore Brethren having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus do you know he's saying there in the old Covenant that when that Tabernacle and that Temple stood the people of God did not have access into the holiest it was the high priest alone and that wasn't every Sabbath it was one day out of the calendar year it was the day of atonement that the High Praise would take off all of his regalia just where the linen garment and about three or four times would go behind the veil to pour out blood upon The Mercy Seat to atone for his sin to atone for Israel said and then when he was finished with that he'd lay his hands upon that other goat he'd confess the sins of Israel and then they'd send it they'd drive it out into the Wilderness as a picture of Redemptive benefit your sin is atone your sin is removed your sin is Cast Away and yet now in this new covenant era it's not just the high priest well it's by virtue of the high priest of the New Covenant that he's lifted the veil he's let us in therefore Brethren having boldness to enter the holiest Us by the blood of Jesus by a New and Living Way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having a high priest over the house of God let us draw near with a True Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the confession of Our Hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching we have great benefit as New Covenant Believers let us not shoot ourselves in the foot let us not jip ourselves let us not absent ourselves from that which God has ordained for our growth and Grace in conclusion we ought to appreciate the power of God the glory of Christ and then the Privileges that the people of God enjoy we enjoy salvation it by grace through faith let's Delight in that we have Unity do you know that this text underscores something that Jesus prays in his high Priestly prayer the end of the high Priestly prayer John 17 20-23 I do not pray for these alone talking about his immediate disciples but also for those who will believe in me through their word he knows the disciples are going to go out and preach the gospel and he knows that people are going to hear the gospel and believe the gospel and get saved and then those people are going to go out and preach the gospel people are going to hear that you get it right he understands what's happening in terms of the church and Redemptive progress and then he says that they all may be one as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me and the glory which you gave me I have given them that they may be one just as we are one i in them and you in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me Unity is a big thing in the Bible look over Ephesians 4 verse 1. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness and gentleness with long suffering bearing with one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of Peace there is one body in one Spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling one Lord One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all see the Trinity there we have this one body and one Spirit the Holy Spirit verse five one Lord Jesus Christ verse six one God and Father Paul doesn't doesn't ever not deal with the Triune God but the emphasis here is on the unity the blessing the joy the solidarity the camaraderie now it's not the case that everybody has to be your best friend forever what do they call that the the BFF that's not reality not everybody's going to be everybody beat everybody's BFFs but we're brothers and sisters in Christ we're you know there's there's mothers and fathers in Israel there's there's all these blessings that we have in our in our savior we have that Unity then that access should should be utilized by the believer the preaching that we should attend to and then the Triune God that we confess for through him we both have access by one Spirit to the father and that made a factual by the work of Jesus Christ who is our peace who makes peace and who has preached peace and by God's grace we have believed and we have entered in to Redemptive benefit well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for the church and we thank you for the the high view of the church that we find in our new in our New Testaments and God I pray that we would see the blessings that this text affords to the people of God at the level of individual salvation and then that that solidarity that we have as God's people Jew Gentile Greek whatever we are wherever we're from we have Union in our blessed savior God we ask now that you would go with us and watch over us in this coming week and help us in all things to glorify your great and awesome name and we pray through Jesus Christ the Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation