God’s Mercy – Come and Belong
Churches are messy places.
The historical context
Gospel based changes
- changes our relationship with God
- results in restoration in our relationship with others
- The past disadvantage of being a gentile
… separate from Christ,
… excluded from citizenship in Israel
… not the recipients of the covenant promises
… no hope before God
…without God in the world.
Verse 13… but now … you have been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus.
- No longer two but one
Firstly – Christ is making one new people out of the two. (v14)
Secondly, Christ is abolishing the dividing wall (v15)
Thirdly, Christ is making one new people out of the Jew and Gentile. (v15)
Verse 18 – Both Jew and Gentile are BOTH have access to God through the one Spirit.
(diagram on data projector)
Implications of this new reality – v 19
… fellow citizens AND members of God’s household.
…connected to God through the NT apostles and prophets
… with Jesus as their cornerstone.
Verse 21 … heavenly church.
Verse 22. … the Ephesian church.
For us today
Firstly, what God has done
Secondly, reconciled to each other
Challenges
Are you allowing the gospel to affect your relationships with each other here at church?
The gospel expects us to change the way we live and act towards each other.
We are still under construction.