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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 133 for our call to worship Islam appropriate to our passage in Ephesians 2 the unity of Believers Jew Gentile as one new man in Jesus Christ Our Lord Psalm 133 a song of a sense of David behold how good and pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity it is like the precious oil upon the head running down on the beard the beard of Aaron running down on the edge of his garments it is like the Dew of Herman descending upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore amen well please turn in your hymn books to number 212. hymn number 212 will stand as we sing together [Music] oh my spirits [Music] father always foreign [Music] the holy Christ [Music] [Music] [Music] please [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and Holy Father it is a joy to gather in your house again on this sabbath evening we acknowledge your handiwork in the created order we see that the heavens do declare your righteousness and your majesty and your glory as well we stand amazed at your Providence the fact that you govern all your creatures and all their actions and As We Gather on the Lord's day we are reminded of that empty tomb that finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and your mercy and Grace So wonderfully displayed in the Redemptive order we give praise to you Lord God most time for the Salvation that you have freely given to us we know it wasn't because of our work or Merit wasn't because we deserve it but it's because of the exceeding Riches of your grace and we want to praise you tonight we want to glorify and worship you and as we participate in the supper May our minds be drawn to our blessed savior and the sacrifice wrought by him on behalf of All Those whom the father had given him we extol thee most high Father Son and Holy Spirit for your glorious work of Salvation we ask even now that you would forgive us for all of our sin As We Gather in the presence of a holy God we are mindful of our own remaining corruption and we confess that even now trusting in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ your son to wash us and to cleanse us and to purify us and father we just thank you for that we know that we have been called to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel and John tells us that he writes these things so that we may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father so God help us never to forget that reality that Christ is at the right hand of God most high where he ever lives to make intercession for us may this encourage us may this strengthen us may it stabilize Us in this lower evil world as well our God we pray for any and all tonight that have not come to the Lord Jesus Christ we pray that you'd open their hearts to receive the truth that they would Marvel that the reality that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and Lord not only in this place but wherever the gospel is preached on this sabbath day we pray that it would go forth conquering and to conquer and that a multitude from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation will be called out of that Darkness into Marvelous Light confessing faith in our Lord Jesus Christ God bless this congregation look with favor upon all of our needs help and strengthen the the physically uh people with physical challenges and trials we just commend them to you into the word of your grace and for all of us God we all battle with spiritual trials and difficulties and Temptation and remaining sin we pray that you would Empower Us by your spirit to live in a manner that is consistent with your revealed word word we pray for the other churches here in Chilliwack we pray for those churches that we have communion and fellowship with we pray that they would know The Nearness of God as their good that father you would be pleased to bless those assemblies as well we we pray for the persecuted church as we're reminded in the hour the prayer hour this morning there is so much opposition to the people of God in various countries throughout the Earth and yet father we know this is because Jesus is building his church the gates of Hades shall not Prevail against it but they certainly don't go down without a fight and a battle so God on the one hand discourages discourages us to see the people of God suffer but on the other hand it encourages us to see our blessed Christ transferred people out of that kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of the love of God and we just praise you for that reality and we pray that you would bless that word throughout these nations and that you would just continue to do great and glorious things in terms of the building of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ and we pray these things now in his Most Blessed name amen well you can turn with me again in your hymn books to Psalm 134 Psalm 134 will stand as we sing together [Music] they're awesome [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2. as we conclude this particular chapter in terms of our meditation for the supper remember we saw the former state of Gentile Believers in terms of their individual sin in verses one to three God's grace and the riches of this kindness extended to them in Verses 4 to 10 and then we saw the former state of Gentile believers covenantally they were apart from the the Commonwealth of Israel strangers to the covenants of Promise verse 13 indicates the present blessing of Gentile Believers verses 14 to 18 underscore the reconciliation of Gentile Believers and now the the argument comes to fruition where the Apostle celebrates the equal privileges that Gentiles have along with Jews as the one people of God in the Church of God and he does that in two ways in verse 19 he highlights the privilege of participation as the people of God and then in verses 20 to 22 he highlights the privilege of participation as the dwelling of God so not just the people of God but God himself dwells in the midst of his people that is in fact in this new covenant Temple so I'll read beginning in Chapter 2 at verse 1 and then our Focus will be verses 19 to 22. and you he made a life 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 lust 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 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 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 now been or have been brought near by the blood of Christ for he himself is our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle Wall of Separation having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of Commandments contained in ordinances so as to create in himself one new man from the two thus making peace 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 all in him in whom you also are being built together for a Dwelling Place of God in the spirit amen well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for this wonderful passage of Holy scripture not only the emphasis upon the salvation of individual Sinners but on that corporate solidarity amongst the people of God and certainly we see the necessity of unity we see the necessity to not exclude people we see as well Lord God your gracious plant begun in eternity past in terms of a plan by the father and son in spirit to save his people from their sins worked out in history to include Jews Gentiles every tribe every tongue every people and every nation we give you praise for including us in this we know it is solely and alone by your grace so guide us now by the Holy Spirit forgive us for all of our sin and unrighteousness and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well as I said the Apostle now brings to a conclusion all that he has been saying in the earlier part of this particular chapter so the emphasis is on what they had been in verses 11 and 12 and essentially they had been homeless churchless hopeless and Godless and what they have now become as a result of Christ remember the emphasis in that Center section in verses 14 to 18. the reconciliation that has occurred individuals Sinners to God and that reconciliation between Jew and Gentile occurs because of Christ he is our peace according to verse 14 he makes peace according to the to the next section and then he himself preaches peace according to verse 17. and so the Apostle now highlights the equal privilege of Gentile Believers not two tears not second-class citizens not citizens in training or in Waiting not sort of Junior citizens but rather they have full entitlement and privilege to everything that God God has given to his people so let us first look at the privilege of participation as the people of God in verse 19. and he celebrates this under two particular ways first Kingdom or our citizenship within the kingdom of God and then secondly membership in the household of God the Geneva Bible says he describeth the Excellency of the church calling it the city and House of God and he uses those conventions not just here but elsewhere we see them in scripture to highlight and underscore the great benefit that does belong to the people of God but before he gets into that again he reminds them in verse 19. he says now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners that points back to what he said in verses 11 and 12. there is this contrast now therefore based on the reconciling work of the Lord Jesus Christ the one who shed his blood not only to bring you to God and have peace with him but as well to bring you into the church and have peace with the Jews who at one time were mockers of the Gentiles who at one time disdained the Gentiles who at one time looked down upon them and then the Gentiles would respond in kind no doubt there was a great tension that obtained between these people but it was no longer the case because of what Christ had accomplished Paul attaches or rather connects what they have to Christ notice in verse 13 but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ and then again in verse 16 and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross thereby putting to death the enmity so the blessings that we presently enjoy are not as a result of some peace negotiations between Jews and Gentiles where we each gave a little and we each took a little but the peace that now now uh exists between Jews and gentiles in the Church of Christ is blood bought this blood-bought reconciliation not only with God but with one another such that we can have that Union of the saints that communion and fellowship of the Saints now notice he goes on to highlight inclusion in the kingdom of God so at one time they were strangers and foreigners but no longer this Foreigner element is no longer in existence and he highlights that in that first section he says but fellow citizens with the Saints fellow citizens again they're on an equal footing they're not less they're not in training they don't have to go to school to obtain full citizenship rather through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ they have reconciliation with God and they have reconciliation with one another they are full participants in the kingdom of God they have been translated from that kingdom of darkness according to Colossians 1 into that Kingdom of the son of his love and therein we exist in terms of full privilege it is a blessed thing to be a citizen of a country right to not be disenfranchised to have freedom of speech to have freedom of assembly to have those things that are secured in that particular body politic it's nice not to be a second class sort of an individual but rather to be able to participate fully with the body politic and so that's what the emphasis is here by the Apostle Paul you were at one time foreigners you were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel You Were Strangers from the covenants of promise you had no hope you had no God the only thing you had going for you were your Pagan Idols was your heathened up was all the wickedness that you engaged in but now you've been brought an eye now you've been brought to God most high through our Lord Jesus Christ and in Union with the Jews who these promises originally came to and so he is celebrating this Kingdom citizenship that Gentile believers now possess and Brethren that is a blessing that is ours we are citizens of the kingdom of God most I turn over to Philippians chapter 3 the Apostle Paul indicates that this is a most glorious a most Sublime blessing notice in Philippians chapter 3 at verse 20. he says for our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself in the first Adam what happened to man he is cursed essentially with heart hardship when it comes to tilling the ground when it comes to working for his daily bread but in this last Adam we have transformation the transformation of our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all thing things to himself our our citizenship is in heaven brethren we are sojourners in this present world we are pilgrims in a weary land we are moving forward moving through and ultimately our final destination is the civilization of God most high we are Kingdom participants with every right every privilege again not because of our blessedness but because of Christ and what he has secured for us but then notice it's not only inclusion in the Kingdom but it's also membership in the household of God so he says no longer strangers and foreigners The Foreigner applies then to the fellow citizen Citizenship uh fellow citizens with the Saints and then this idea of stranger is contrasted by members of the household of God again not members in Training do six months do eight months do ten months really learn about jewishness and and then perhaps she'll be given full membership into the house of God well that's not it at all you are members and and entitled to all of the Privileges and rights that are that are due to members in that household now with reference to this language of members of the household of God Paul uses this in first Timothy 3 and tells us that the the church is the household of God so first Timothy chapter 3 at verse 15 but if I am delayed I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God which is the Church of the Living God the pillar and ground of the truth you see we have full rights full blessings full privileges secured for us by our blessed savior no one can sort of keep us at day there isn't a priority upon the Jews as Jews anymore the Jews entered the rank and file of Every Other Nation after the destruction of their their city and Temple in 80 70. that was the final Act of God's judgment consistent with Deuteronomy 28 the curses of the Covenant wherein he brought that destruction upon that we see the end of the old covenant not because it was bad but because it had functioned and served its purpose and then we have the New Covenant and the reality is that in the New Covenant there's no ethnicity that is above any other there is no ethnicity that is more special than another there's no ethnicity that he says a little bit better than another no we are full Kingdom citizens and we are full members in the very household of God most high and before we move on Brethren I think passages like these taken in concert with passages like we find in Revelation where it talks about every tribe every tongue every people every nation really does speak against segregating churches in ethnic lines in other words we ought to have churches that reflect what we have in the the church triumphant we have men from every tribe tongue people and Nation gathered at the marriage supper of the Lamb our churches on Earth should mirror that our churches on Earth should look like that our churches on Earth should be a great mix a Motley Crew if you will it should be an assembling of all kinds of people we don't travel on ethnic lines we don't exclude people because they're not Americans we don't exclude people because they're not Canadians we don't exclude people because not britons we don't exclude anybody because one of the Redemptive ends of our blessed savior was not only to reconcile us to God but to reconcile us to one another we ought to be brothers we ought to be sisters we ought to be fellow citizens and fellow members without giving preference to any one particular ethnicity or a body of people it is a blessed reality the kinds of affinity that exists in the church have you ever been in those situations where you look around you say you know all things being equal we would have never hung out together right there's probably in in here however many times you probably would look around and say you know what if I hadn't got saved if I didn't know the blood of Jesus Christ his son if I didn't happen into a church I wouldn't be hanging out with you guys I'm not trying to sound vicious or unkind or mean probably because you wouldn't have wanted to hang out with me but in Christ we have reconciliation with our God and with one another and how do we know that this isn't a second class membership how do we know that this isn't a second class citizenship how does Paul start the epistle he starts in eternity past he starts with the Covenant of redemption and in that Covenant of redemption we see father Son and Holy Spirit working in blessed Unity Inseparable operation to bring to Salvation all of the people of God from all times from all people groups from from from everywhere notice what he says in Ephesians 1 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him now notice in love having predestined us to adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accept it in the Beloved he has adopted us now adoption in this context and adoption in our context confers complete rights upon the adoptee in other words the adopted one in a household in the Roman Empire and an adopted one in a household in our current situation has the same rights and privileges as the natural born and so it's not the case that there's two tears it's not the case that there's sort of junior members or Junior citizens it's not the case that there's any exclusion that runs on ethnic lines and any exclusion that runs on any other lines the body of Christ is that it's the body of Christ there was a man by the name of John Jasper he was a black slave in the south at the time of slavery it was Shadow slavery and this man worked in a tobacco Factory and he was picking tobacco leaves and God saved him while he was doing that he had scripture in his mind and he recalled what he had heard in terms of the church being preached to him and God opened his heart God opened his eyes God gave him life eternally passed from Death unto life guess what John Jasper started doing he started preaching to everybody on that floor he started urging people to flee to the Savior to come to Christ for salvation well of course that caused a bit of a rock ass you're supposed to be you know picking your leaves and doing that sort of a thing so the word gets to the supervisor and the supervisor calls Jasper up to his office and he says what's happened Mr Jasper and he said the Lord God has said save my soul and all I want to do is tell others about Jesus and so the master the the supervisor reaches out his hand and says welcome to the family brother don't ever stop telling people about Jesus that man went on to be a preacher noteworthy was that he was most known for his philosophy he believed in geocentricity there was a man in fact it was his biographer who was at a sermon where he was teaching geocentricity that means that the sun moves around the earth and not the Earth around the Sun with reference to this particular sermon the man that wrote this book said you know I went in there as a convinced uh you know opponent to the doctrine of geocentricity but man he convinced me he had this power of oratory and had this ability to to converge upon Sinners not just about geocentricity but upon the gospel and upon the building of that kingdom of God he had a sermon on Daniel 2. remember that stone own that one small stone that ultimately Fells that image that is that is constructed to those various materials and Jasper sees that as the kingdom of God and rightly so that Kingdom starts off small but that Kingdom doesn't Abate that Kingdom continues to go forward that kingdom is Christ's Kingdom and therefore it will march on into Victory so Jasper was a slave included in the family of God most high Brethren if it rises up in us to exclude persons because of ethnicity or to exclude persons because we you know are in a different social strata that's not supposed to be in the context of the Church of Jesus Christ every tongue every tribe every people every nation every economic economic strata whether you're poor whether you're rich whether you're slave whether you're free all of us find consolidation or solidarity rather under the banner of our blessed savior so Paul says here's what the Gentile tiles have they have Grace which brought them to Salvation and then they have this covenantal status wherein they are now citizens of the kingdom of God and they are members in the household of God so that's the privilege of participation as the people but it just keeps getting better notice what he says in the following section verses 20 to 22 the privilege of participation as the very dwelling of God and he breaks this down into two heads first there is this temple built by God verses 20 and 21 and then secondly there is this Temple indwelt by God so God not only builds the temple but God dwells in the temple God not only assembles it puts it together but then God is perfectly happy I speak as a in the manner of man to take up residence among them the Bible is about Temple Brethren the Bible is one of the the major thematic emphases in the Bible is Temple because Temple means dwelling Temple and Tabernacle means to dwell what's the purpose of God with his creature it is to dwell with that when you look at the Garden of Eden it was a temple God would dwell with Adam and Eve you look at Noah's Ark it was a temple you look at the Tabernacle it was a temple you look at the temple it was the temple you look at the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven you know how it's described it's described get this as a temple why because Redemptive history is found in that Pinnacle statement in the covenants that I will be your God and you will be my people so what Adam lost and forfeit by his sin and plunging his posterity into the the morass of death and Damnation we have the last Adam our Lord Jesus Christ rescue us and bring us to this place where God dwells with his people notice with reference to the temple built by God but there are three things to observe first the foundation of the temple secondly the Cornerstone of the temple and then thirdly the materials for the temple in other words God has taken pains to make sure that this is a solid structure and it's functional so that when he runs the heaven as it were and comes down to dwell in the midst it is a suitable dwelling place for our blessed god notice the foundation of the temple it says having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets now word order in this particular instance is somewhat helpful look over at chapter 3 in Ephesians chapter 3 at verse 5. you see the same sort of word order which in other Ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the spirit To His Holy Apostles and Prophets so same order we have Apostles and prophets in 220 and we have Apostles and prophets in three five and then we have Apostles preceding prophets in 4 11 and he himself gave some to be Apostles some prophets so the Apostle Prophet Foundation that we find in Ephesians 2 20 is most likely the New Testament prophets not that the Old Testament prophets aren't necessary not that they didn't play their part not that they didn't announce the coming Glory of our blessed savior but there were a class of prophets in the New Testament remember agabus he was a a new testament Prophet that you find in the book of Acts and there are other references to prophets in the book of Acts you see that gift of prophesying given in in terms of Romans 12 and you see it in First Corinthians chapter 14. so this Foundation is the apostles and the prophets in the New Testament and there are other passages that underscore this reality not that they are it and they are Everything Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone but the prophets or the apostles and the prophets were foundational in the beginning of the church in the laying that foundation for the church turn back to First Corinthians chapter 3. First Corinthians chapter 3 specifically at verse 10. well verse 9 for we are God's fellow workers you are God's field you are God's Building according to the grace of God which was given to me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another Builds on it but let each one take heed how he builds on it and then turn to revelation 21. revelation 21. I mentioned that that New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven is described in temple-like terms in fact specifically if you look at the the description of the dimensions there's only one other place that is a perfect Cube this is a perfect Cube that's described this New Jerusalem that comes down out of Heaven guess what the other perfect cube is that you have in Scripture it is the holy uh Jerusalem and the most holy place are the only perfect cubes mentioned in the Bible and this goes back to First Kings chapter six but notice specifically in 21 14. now the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the names of The Twelve Apostles of the Lamb so going back to Ephesians 2 and the Apostle is going to open up his role in terms of the communicator of this mystery of Christ in chapter three but Paul and the other Apostles along with these New Testament prophets were the men that laid the foundation of the church and again it wasn't their Good Deeds it wasn't that they were Sterling characters it was what they preached it was what they taught it was what they said concerning our blessed savior go back to Matthew chapter 16 you see something parallel to this Matthew chapter 16 Jesus statement to Simon Peter in Matthew chapter 16 at verse 13 when Jesus came into the region of caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples saying who do men say that I the son of man am so they said some say John the Baptist some Elijah others Jeremiah or one of the prophets but he said to them or he said to them but who do you say that I am Simon Peter answered and said you are the Christ the son of the Living God what a great statement isn't it and that is really strong connection to the davidic Covenant in second Samuel 7. so in second Samuel 7 David promises or rather God promises David that one of his sons is going to build a house for him interesting Peter says Thou Art the Christ the son of the Living God and then a couple verses later Jesus talks about building the house so the davidic son Jesus comes to build a house for God and foundational to that is the apostolic preaching of the Gospel notice in verse 17 Jesus answered and said to him blessed are you Simon barjona for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father who is in heaven it's Sovereign Grace you don't just stumble onto who Jesus is you don't just say wow Thou Art the prize the son of the Living God Flesh and Blood didn't reveal this to you Peter it was my Father in heaven and then he says and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of 80 shall not Prevail against it now as you might expect in the history of interpretation that verse has garnered no small uh discussion the Roman Catholics believe that Peter is the rock Peter being the first pope the first papa is the one the rock the foundation upon which the church has found it well that won't hold for any red-blooded Protestant so Jason Ryle makes the observation that the rock is Peter's confession of Faith Ryle says the true meaning of the Rock In this passage appears to be the rock of our Lord's messiahship and Divinity which Peter adjust confess so not Peter it's rather what he confessed Thou Art the Christ the son of the Living God I think John Owen takes it one step further and even better he says the rock is the Christ who Peter confessed it wasn't necessarily the confession that Peter made concerning the Lord Jesus but rather the rock is the Christ who Peter confessed Owen says it is not the person of Peter who confessed Christ but the person of Christ whom Peter confessed that is the rock on which the church is built so when it comes to the prophets or rather the apostles and the prophets being foundational again Paul was you know a wonderful human Peter great guy as far as we know they were Splendid humans but it's not so much them as Paul and Peter that's not what's foundational about those men it's that the spirit of God Came Upon them Christ set them apart to uh the office of apostle and they went forth preaching and teaching and making known the mysteries of God it is that that is foundational in terms of the church what does that say to an anti-doctrinal anti-intellectual age that wants to just wave its hands and sing you know dumb songs to Jesus Brethren Doctrine matters what the apostles and the prophets taught are foundational what binds us together I mentioned a few minutes ago had it not been Sovereign Grace that conquered us we wouldn't all be hanging out here tonight but even beyond that if it wasn't the common confession that we have in terms of historic reformed Orthodoxy we probably wouldn't be here either I notice you're not at Armenian churches I notice you're not at pelagian churches I notice you're not at charismatic churches why because you know that foundationally what we confess in terms of Truth is absolutely crucial we're willing to put up with some foibles and some issues and some challenges as long as that common Bond God secures us as long as that camaraderie is built on the common confession of the church as a whole and that role or that foundational role was played by the apostles notice secondly the Cornerstone Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone the Old Testament background Psalm 118 Verse 22 Jesus invokes this in Matthew chapter 21. he talks about that stone which the Lord God has has established as a Cornerstone is going to be that stone of judgment for the unbelieving Jews in Matthew 21 there is confrontation at hand Jesus says the kingdom is going to be stripped from you and given to a nation that bears fruits consistent with it he's talking about the church the Jews fumbled the ball they didn't do what they were supposed to do they were Unfaithful they reaped the consequences of covenantal infidelity and it comes to Pinnacle at 87 day so what's the nation that the Lord Jesus is speaking to it's the nation that the Apostle Peter celebrates in First Peter chapter 2 that holy nation that that royal priesthood is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ see Brethren the the New Testament has a high view of the church there is this Maverick spirit that obtains today among many Christians I don't need the church I just need my Bible in the Holy Spirit yeah but your Bible and the Holy Spirit tells you you need the church don't tell me that the Bible and the Holy Spirit are somehow in in Confederacy to keep you out of church that's simply untrue now if it's just the case where there's bad churches I've got an encouraging statement find a good one move if you have to Brethren churches are that important you don't move without a good church to go to you don't move unless there's the body of Christ that will receive you you've got full Kingdom citizenship you've got full membership in the household of God why would you want to disavow that why would you want to Forfeit that why would you say oh no that's not really important to me I'm just going to do it on my own you know what they call people that do it on their own Mavericks independent Spirit now can somebody make it to Heaven that way there's probably been those in the history of the church that have but you know where the the Embers burn hottest is when they're collected together and when they're when they're they're firing one another we need the church we need the people of God so when it comes to this statement of Christ being the Chief Cornerstone he's the one in whom it holds together so the foundational place of the Apostles and the prophets their Proclamation their truth it's only as strong and as good as that Cornerstone which receives that building which receives the support of that particular building but then notice he doesn't stop there you've got the foundation you've got the Cornerstone and then you've got these materials what makes up the structure you know when you go to build a house you gotta have wood you gotta have concrete gotta have all these things in order to make a construction project in order to to build the house well the same is true with this Temple interestingly it's it's us it's the likes of us that are that uh those materials relative to the structure so verse 20 having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone in whom so in Christ nothing happens outside of Union with Christ so it's in whom in Christ the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord do you ever think in these terms do you ever wake up on a Sunday morning and say you know it's vital that I'm in church today because I'm part of the materials it's vital that I'm present because I'm what makes that place I'm absolutely crucial in that regard we don't think that way Brethren we're just saying you know we'll float in we'll float out nobody cares people care when you don't show up for church at least one person cares I don't keep a list and check it twice and you know that person but it's it's we're family like why wouldn't you come when family gets together why wouldn't you come when the meal is set by the householder to provide for weary pilgrims why why wouldn't you come remember last week I said you know I don't want to harangue you and then I went on to harangue I'm probably going to do that a little bit more tonight it's like when persons say I'm not a racist but you can always plan on hearing something very racist I'm not a racist but and then they say something racist I'm not going to hang you but I I am not hopefully in a negative way and oh he's just offensive to me brethren we have something here We Are The Dwelling Place of God most high look at what the passage says we're being fitted together our Union with Christ that there's not only that vertical dementia but there's a horizontal element we need each other we need one another in terms of existence in this lower evil world we need the community of the Saints especially as Darkness continues to Prevail outside the church as Madness continues to be you know abound and about where do the Saints of Christ find Comfort where do they find benefit where do they find help where do they find strength where do they find encouragement they find it in the presence of God and in the presence of God's people I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord the whole building is fitted together by virtue of Union with Jesus Christ the whole building grows into a holy Temple in the Lord turn over to First Peter chapter 2 first Peter 2 he develops this theme in a most glowing way first Peter 2 4. coming to him as to a living Stone rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ I mentioned last week this is never going to be achieved or realized perfectly in the church on Earth it won't there's remaining corruption there's guys that shout too much there's things that distract us there's many things going on in our lives and it's not always easy to conquer those thoughts and take every thought captive to The Obedience of Christ and meditate or contemplate or worship as we ought I get all that but notwithstanding all of the the the the imperfections listen to what Peter says you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ that's our supply a Sublime mission in this present World Christians always want a job they always want a Ministry you know what the primary job and Ministry is it's to worship it is to come to the father through the son in the spirit that's Paul's emphasis in verse 18 and Paul's emphasis in verse 22 if you're not doing the worship of God if you're not enjoying the the temple status that you currently possess I'd argue you're probably not fit to go out as a representative of that Temple to try to call others to come if you haven't first enjoyed the blessedness of the worship of our of our great and glorious God then how can you go tell others come and see the Lord Of Glory and worship him with us notice what he goes on to say and verse 6 therefore it is also contained in the scripture behold I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone elect precious and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame that's Isaiah 28 16. therefore to you who believe he is precious but to those who are disobedient the stone which the builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone that's the Psalm 118 Verse 22. and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense Isaiah 8 14. they stumble being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed now notice what Peter does in verses 9 and 10. he does something similar to what Paul's doing in Ephesians chapter 2. he first highlights their corporate identity notice in verse 9A but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation his own special people do you know where that language comes from you wouldn't know it based on the translator's decision not to italicize this but it comes right out of Exodus 19. Exodus 19 this was God's announcement to Israel in terms of their life in the land what were they supposed to do they were supposed to mediate the blessings of Yahweh to the Nations around them but they failed they did not keep the Covenant they swore Fidelity to and then Christ comes and as the true Israel as the one who does what they failed and he saves us from our sins so those Old Testament descriptors are now applied to the New Testament people of God the Church of Christ which is made up of Jews and Gentiles notice not only the corporate identity but he underscores their god-centered function why are they this you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation his own special people here you go that that you may proclaim the Praises of him who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light see that's why you exist as a believer in Christ yes Ministry yes do those things for Jesus yes go out and exhibit love to God and love to man go traffic in the blessedness of Christian Ministry but not at the expense of worship not at the expense of Praise not at the expense of Adoration of our great great king that you may Proclaim that you may give Glory that you may honor and then he highlights their changed condition in verse 10 who once were not a people sounds just like Paul in Ephesians 2 but are now the people of God who had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained mercy so going back to Ephesians chapter 2 we've got the foundation of the temple Apostles and Prophets The Cornerstone of the temple Jesus Christ himself and the materials for the temple in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together the temple in the New Covenant arena is the people of God and God dwells in their midst FF Bruce 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 hear it he makes the fellowship of Believers Jewish and Gentile alike his chosen dwelling place no privilege is bestowed on the people of God in which Gentiles do not enjoy an equal share now as Gentile Believers 20 plus centuries later we already know this but they didn't know it they didn't understand it the way that Paul is outlining it here the way that they are trafficking in these Redemptive truths the reality that in Jesus Christ we're not two separate peoples of God once this church parenthetical age is over and these Gentiles are raptured out of the way then God will come to deal with the Jews his his special beloved people that's not the emphasis in the New Testament that is rather to go backward in Redemptive history the emphasis in the New Testament is one new man in Christ Jesus out of the two we're not to rent them asunder we are not to divide what God has brought together and so we have the temple built by God in 20 and 21 and then we've got the temp people indwelt by God in verse 22. notice in whom you also the in whom there refers to Jesus it's a holy Temple in the Lord in whom in the Lord you also Gentiles are being built together with the Jews for a Dwelling Place of God in the spirit the emphasis is on Full participation the emphasis is upon full citizenship full membership and full dwelling of godness it's not that God just comes and resides amongst the Jews but the Jews and the Gentiles collectively as the Church of our blessed savior function as the temple of God and it's there that he dwells with his people really helps us to understand why Christ is in the midst of the lampstand in Revelation 1 at verse 13. what do you think God's trying to tell us he's trying to tell you come to church because that's where you're going to meet Jesus that's where you're going to meet the Triune God that's where you come to the father through other side in the power of the Holy Spirit and again notice the distinctively Christian or trinitarian nature of Paul's description we saw it in verse 18 fourth through him Christ we both do Gentile have access by one Holy Spirit to the father he does the same thing in verse 22. in whom the Lord Jesus Christ you are also also are being built together for a Dwelling Place of God the father in distinction from the son in the spirit not as God do this he does it via the person of the Holy Spirit I quoted Gregory of nazians in last week he said 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 to worship God the Father God the son and God the Holy Ghost three persons one godhead undivided in honor and glory and substance and Kingdom brethren we have been blessed we have been privileged we have been gifted immeasurably the haranguing Starts Now turn over over to First Samuel chapter 26. first Samuel chapter 26 we're almost done first Samuel chapter 24 David has to flee from Saul of course but David is able to best Saul but he doesn't seize that opportunity in chapter 24. he shows Mercy to Saul David had this conviction touch not the Lord's anointed chapter 25 he got that incident with nabal that fool it was God that restrained David in that one and then in chapter 26 same sort of a situation David is on the Run he has the opportunity to basically end Saul's life but he doesn't do that and then once Saul comes to and he's understanding he's cognizant of what's Happening notice what we have in the discourse in terms of David and Saul so 26 17 then Saul knew David's voice and said is that your voice my son David David said it is my voice my Lord O King and he said why does my Lord thus pursue his servant for what have I done or what evil is in my hand you get David's heart there don't you what have I done why are you trying to kill me why why can't we just function in the same country without you chucking Spears at me I I I I don't know it just doesn't seem like a good way to coexist you know David was thinking that coexist sticker no he wasn't but you see the question what have I done what what evil is in my hand now look at what he says at verse 19. he shares something of his religious heart here he says now therefore please let my Lord the king hear the words of his servant if the Lord has stirred you up against me let him accept an offering David understands God is Sovereign David understands the providential order David understands that David isn't a perfect man this may be God's chastening this may be God's doing this is the direct imposition of God upon David and if it's that way it's all then then may the Lord accept an offering at my hand notice what he goes on to say but if it is the children of men may they be cursed before the Lord in other words Saul if you're surrounded by a bunch of Toadies that just hate me and they're trying to get you to oppose me may the Lord curse that now notice what pains David what hurts David why why doesn't David like this Arrangement certainly didn't want to get you know poked with a spear certainly he didn't want to die but look at what the end of verse 19 says for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other gods he knows that God is omnipresent he knows that God is Not locally confined to the nation of Israel he knows that that God dwells in the heavens but he knows that this is an inheritance God promised Abraham Isaac and Jacob this piece of dirt called Canaan and God promised Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the nation of Israel that on that piece of dirt they build a tabernacle and that that Tabernacle the god of absolute Glory would come and dwell in their midst what pains David oh you're gonna kill me oh I don't get to see my friends I don't get to the good look the Walmart or the cops I'm cut off from the inheritance of Yahweh I'm cut off from the worship of God now David knew about private worship Psalm 63 is in the wilderness and he worships god with more fervor and earnestness and probably most New Covenant Christians have ever conjured up so he understands that but there's something about that place there's something about that Tabernacle that will become the temple under his son Solomon there's something about worshiping God In The Inheritance that he has given in the building that he's ordained in the structure and among the people that he has purposed there's something about that that pains David don't let them take that from me don't let them drive me out of this country and say go serve other gods I want to serve Yahweh I want to be a amongst the inheritance of the Lord I want to be in the presence of God he's the man that would wake up in the morning and say I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord he didn't say oh well you know I'm just going to miss for a while we just shot the church for a couple of years and everything will be okay that's not okay Brethren we're not supposed to be cut off from the inheritance of the Lord listen to Dale Ralph Davis on this passage he said didn't David know what every enlightened Christian knows 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. so now do not let my blood fall to the Earth before the face of the Lord he says and that when one had left Israel there was no possibility of public worship a Brethren this isn't a modern take by Dale Ralph Davis Gill says the exact same thing what David is bemoaning and David is lamenting is being driven away from the corporate means of Grace he goes on to say this is not the place to sketch a Biblical Theology of worship suffice it to say that David would have made a poor space-age Evangelical he would never have been content with his Study Bible prayer list and a quiet cave yahweh's face or present a presence was especially seen in the sanctuary yet David was being driven away and cut off from Tabernacle and Sacrifice from priest and Festival he was being shot out of the land and Sanctuary where Yahweh met with his people to be cut off from the ordinances of public worship is David's most severe grief would that cause me anguish he asks Christians have surpassed David in privileges but few have approached him an appetite I think our brother's right brethren we have been gifted much we have been given a lot we have been given citizenship in the kingdom of God membership in the household of God access to the father through the son in the spirit why why oh why would we say that's not that important I don't really need it I can go ahead and Miss regularly that's simply not the way that David would have responded it is not simple simply not the way that the people of God who have been given blessing upon blessing upon blessing should respond to the gifts given by our gracious God so back to Ephesians 2 the apostles emphasis is the the beauty the power the glory of God demonstrated in the resurrection of Our Lord in the resurrection of dead Sinners and in the solidarity of Jew and Gentile created as one new man in Christ Jesus the whole action from 119 to 222 is a demonstration of the glorious power of God most high as well it is a demonstration of the exceeding Riches of his grace he tips his hand in Ephesians 1 7. in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace remember that one of the ends or one of the reasons why God does what he does is found in Verses four to seven but God who is rich in Mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we are 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 notice the purpose clause in verse 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding Riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus look over at Ephesians 3 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made owned by the church to the principalities and powers in The Heavenly places according to the Eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our lord I read that this way there's principalities and powers out there looking down upon this group and saying what a marvelous display of God's grace what a marvelous display of his riches of his grace that that one's here that that one's there that they're all assembled together come into the same father through the same son in the in the power of the Holy Spirit they Marvel not at us with the trophies you don't look at the trophies on somebody's thing and say what a beautiful trophy you say what a good bowler what a good runner what a good stamp collector don't know if they give trophies for stamp collecting but you get my point you don't praise the trophy you praise the one who won the trophy we are trophies of God's grace so power and grace are on display in a few Ephesians 1 and 2 and certainly the glory of Jesus Christ is Manifest he himself is our peace verse 14 who has made both one who has broken down the middle Wall of Separation he's abolished in the 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 the power of God the grace of God the Redemptive work of our blessed savior it all redounds to the praise and glory of our God and it secures for us the privilege of worship the father through the son in the spirit well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you so very much for the emphasis we find here in Ephesians 2 we thank you so very much that you have included Us in these Covenant promises and God how we thank you that we're no longer strangers and foreigners we're now citizens of the kingdom of God most high we are members of the household of God and what great blessings these are so help us to treasure them help us to use them help us to Delight in them and we ask this in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn to Matthew chapter 26 as we transition now into the supper supper of our Lord Jesus Christ a couple of observations before we read the text the first being is at the sacrament the Lord's Supper is for believers only it's not for unbelievers it's not for a converting ordinance it's not something we give to non-believers so that they'll become Believers that has been a view in the history of the church we repudiate that we do not Embrace that rather it is for the people of God if you're not the people of God then we would ask that you don't participate in that but if you are the people of God then take because it's for you it's for you dealing with your sins seeking to be faithful we have that passage in First Corinthians 11 where the Apostle calls upon the church at Corinth to examine themselves relative to the supper that doesn't mean you've got to find sinless perfection you'd never take this upper that doesn't mean you've got to find the best performance you've had you know in a long time so go ahead and take it as a reward that's not it it's a means of Grace it's given by God to nourish weary pilgrims along the way those that would be forbidden or prohibited are those who are in sin and are not dealing with that sin whether it be with God or whether it be with their fellow man there is a vertical and a horizontal element or Dimension involved in the supper so it's not something we do on our own it's a corporate celebration it's a corporate supper it's a time for us to manifest the one you know one bodyness of what we have going on in the church and then as well the sacrament is a means of Grace to be sure but the elements Remain the elements I mean they are on the one hand taken from common use brought in for sacred use but they don't become something other we don't actually ingest the body of Our Lord we don't ingest the blood of Our Lord these are rather symbols or elements that represent those things when Jesus says this is my body we're supposed to understand it metaphorically this represents my body not this is physically go go ahead and eat no that that's not it and so with reference to that those are some some thoughts that we need to consider and then ultimately the sacrament points us to Christ would it be preoccupied with Christ certainly can fast your sin you don't need to you know I'm not going to take it this you can confess sin to God in your in your bench it's beautiful God's good Brethren he's omniscient he's omnipresent you don't have to sort of schedule an appointment for Thursday I got to confess a few things and then maybe by the next time maybe you know maybe November 1st I'll I'll be okay maybe then I'll make the cut it's not a reward for good behavior Brethren and it's not something where you need to agonize for you know 10 years before you actually come to the supper you can confess your sins to God right now it's a beautiful sort of an arrangement not so that we may sin but when we do sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so I will ask the brothers to come and pass out the bread and when they do that we will sing you can remain seated we'll sing number 336. so after the bread gets passed out we'll read the section appropriate to that in Matthew's gospel and then we'll pray and take that bread together but right now 336. [Music] yeah yeah [Music] it is [Music] foreign [Music] I'll change [Music] foreign [Music] well in Matthew's gospel remember it's the night before the night that Jesus was betrayed uh pick up reading in verse 26 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 God as we consider your power and your grace and we see the Redemptive work of our blessed savior and in Ephesians 2 and what that means for us we stand amazed at the reality of the Christian Gospel we thank you for the life of perfect Obedience of our savior we thank you for his death on the cross as a as a substitute as a sacrifice as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and we praise you for that Resurrection from the dead and that current session now at your right hand and God we do look forward to his returning glory to judge the living and the dead and we hope to be able to continue to participate in the supper so that we can Proclaim his death until he comes again in glory and we thank you and we praise you in Jesus name amen we'll take together and turn to 436 and just a reminder that the juice is in the outer ring if you want wine it's in the inner part of the dish if you want juice that's in the outer part so we'll sing 436 again remain seated As we sing praise to God [Music] was always [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] right here increase [Music] is wrong [Music] by e [Music] everybody [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] Matthew 26 at 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 in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung A Hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives amen well let us pray Our God we thank you for that shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as Paul says in Hebrews without the shedding of blood there is no remission as well the blood of bulls and goats could never take away the sin of the world but they typified they pointed forward to that lamb and how we thank you for the blood of that Covenant how we thank you for washing and cleansing and purification and how we thank you for the the new life that you have given to us we thank you that glorification is in our future that one day we will be where you are we will dwell in the presence of God most high World Without End what a great and glorious thought this is and may it encourage us and may each of these Lord's days be a foretaste of that may it be the market day of the soul and may it continue to wet our appetite for what we have in that Heavenly Jerusalem and we ask you now to bless and strengthen us and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen we'll take together well you can turn to 352. 352 as we stand together to sing this wonderful compendium of gospel truth 352 will praise our blessed God for his Mercy to us in Christ Jesus thank you [Music] very much [Music] very same [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] creatures and the 24 Elders fell down before the lamb each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the Saints and they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us Kings and Priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth amen Our Father in heaven we praise you for the Redemption that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ reconciled with you reconciled with one another may you go with us now and help us to glorify you help us to Proclaim your praises and help us to celebrate that blessed one the Lord Jesus Christ that savior four Sinners and we pray in his name amen will please be seated for a brief time of meditation