Sermons from September 2019
Racial Reconciliation – Part 5 – (Ephesians 3:1-6)
Paul’s ministryGod opened Paul’s eyes to see His eternal purpose, one covenant people comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. It is this revelation that resulted in Paul being imprisoned for his friendship with the Ephesian, Trophimus. It is this revelation that has made him the Apostle to the Gentiles. This revelation was not just revealed to Paul but to the other apostles and prophets as well.A mystery in plain sightThe fact that God would include the Gentiles as a part…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 4 (Ephesians 3:1)
In order to better understand Ephesians, we must first turn to why Paul is imprisoned and the circumstances leading up to his arrest in Acts 21-22.Rumors upon his return to JerusalemPaul was returning to Jerusalem with money for the poor Jewish believers there. This money had been collected from different Gentile churches (1 Corinthians 16.) When he arrived in Jerusalem the elders tell him that the Jews have heard rumors that he has rejected Judaism and the Bible. They wanted…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 3 (Ephesians 2:20-22)
As Paul continues to address the racial tension between Jews and Gentiles he has told us in verse 19 that in Jesus Jews and Gentiles are on the same standing before God and part of the same family.The house is built on the Apostles and prophetsPaul now uses the idea of a household as a building to drive home his point. Like all the many parts of a house are brought together to build a dwelling place so now all…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 2 (Ephesians 2:16-19)
As we saw last week, Paul is now addressing racial reconciliation, specifically between Jews and Gentiles. He has told us that Jesus is our peace, and that Jesus has broken down the wall between us so that now anyone has access to God through Jesus and your race or ethnicity does not matter. God judges us on the basis of Christ, not race.One body reconciled to GodGod had a two-fold purpose in the death of Christ. He reconciled us to…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 1 (Ephesians 2:11-15)
BackgroundIn order to understand this passage we must know a little of the historical context in which Paul is writing. He is writing to a church that is comprised largely of Gentiles with a few Jewish believers in it as well. At the time of his writing, Jews despised Gentiles and refused to associate with them. Even Gentiles who converted to Judaism were not completely welcomed. The Jews erected a wall in the temple that separated Jewish worshippers from Gentile…