elcome And Grace Remembered

Barkef 0:33

Welcome. I'm Barkef Osigian . I'm one of the pastors here. If you're our guests, an extra special welcome. We're just delighted that you are here. We have been studying in the book of Ephesians, and last week I got the pleasure of preaching really my favorite two verses. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves is a gift from God, not as a result of works. Now, these are some verses that God used to bring me to Himself. And so I was excited. But we talked about the fact that in chapter 2 of the book of Ephesians, those two verses are first introduced by way of reminder of where all of us once were. In fact, the Apostle Paul includes himself. He says, This even though we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ, for by grace you have been saved. And he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. And we just had a great time talking about the fact that, hey, once we were literally dead, separated from God in every possible way you could describe it. Yet in God's great love, even while we're yet sinners, Christ died for you and for me. And the Apostle Paul is rehearsing for us something that is not only true of us, but true of him, even as a Jewish man.

entiles Once Far From Promise

Barkef 2:11

But now, now he's stepping in in these verses, beginning in verse 11, and he's talking to these Ephesian Gentile believers. He's not including himself anymore because he's saying you were separate, you were strangers, you were far away, you were excluded from the promises, you didn't know the prophets, you didn't know the oracles, you had no hope. Don't forget from where you've come, and know now who you are and whose you are. He begins to describe one new man, the church. See, before the church showed up, there's only two types of people. There was the Jew, related by blood to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and there was the Gentile, the Goim, the nations. There's the nation, and then there's the nations. And there was a great chasm between the two now. It was never intended to be a great chasm. God's intent, his very purpose for calling Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and forming him into this great nation. He said, all of the nations, all the ethnic groups, everyone from every background would hear through them the promises of God, the provision of a Messiah to come. In fact, the Apostle Paul talked about how blessed he was to be part of this, and how now he weeps over his people, the vast majority of which have not placed their faith, their trust in the true Messiah. In Romans, he says, For my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters, I would be willing to be forever cursed, cut off from Christ. If that would save them, they are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their ancestors, and Christ Himself was an Israelite as far as human nature is concerned. He says, Boy, this is a great heritage to be from. But you aren't. You were left out. God never intended for you to be left out. He intended for the people of Israel to share this good news far and wide. Ah. But the time came and it sent his only begotten son, and he made sure that the world would know that he came for all people.

he Painful Jew Gentile Divide

Barkef 5:17

But there was a time when the Jews got the big head. There was a time when they looked down upon anyone who was not of Jewish heritage. In fact, William Barclay, a famous theologian from years gone by, writes, after studying the history, particularly the first century, he says this, the Jew had an immense concept for the Gentile. The Gentiles, said the Jews, were created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell. God, they said, loves only Israel of all the nations that he had made. For there would be a sin to bring a Gentile into the world. The barrier between the Jew and the Gentile was immense and absolute. If a Jewish boy married a Gentile girl, or if a Jewish girl married a Gentile boy, the funeral of that Jewish boy or girl was carried out immediately. Such contact with the Gentile was due to death. We have a hard time having that picture. Not so among the Ephesians of the first century. They understood that they were considered the uncircumcised Philistine. You remember what David said when Goliath showed up? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine who would tempt the living God? But the Apostle Paul came to his own awakening. He understood that God loves everyone. And these privileges of the Jewish nation were to be a blessing to the entire world. And so now as he's talking to these Gentile Ephesians, those who are not related by blood to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he wants to remind them, remember how you were once all alone? You were alienated. You were separate from Christ. In fact, you didn't even know he was coming. So he reminds them of where they were. Why? To encourage them of where they are today. Ephesians two, chapters, chapter two, verses eleven through twenty-two. Anybody out there praying for me? Been struggling with a little something for about ten days now. The drugs I used last week works a whole lot better than the ones I'm using today. Hope y'all be patient with me today. The Apostle Paul switches gears and he writes to the Ephesians. He wants them to understand that God has now, with the grace that is found in Jesus Christ, brought together a new man. There once was the Jews and the Gentiles, and now there's the new man, the church, the Christian, whether Jew or Gentile, everyone who's placed his or her faith in Christ alone, his Savior is part of God's church. And he calls us a new man. Not new as in recent, new as in qualitatively new. He calls us a new kingdom. We're part of God's forever kingdom. That's why we say, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as is in heaven. He tells us we're now part of his forever family. We were once excluded from the promises that Israel knew all about. But now we are part of his forever family. And finally he tells us that the church made up of both Jew and Gentile is God's new temple and his dwelling place on earth. I'll read and then we'll continue. Pray with me first. Heavenly Father.

eading Ephesians And Praying

Barkef 10:33

This is your word. This is your message. And this is your day. Father, you can speak through frailty frailty. You can speak through my timid voice today. Father, we trust you to speak. And we'll give you all glory and honor. Hosan in the highest. Amen. Therefore, remember that formerly you the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision. Circumcision was the sign from the time of Abraham to be given to the family that would one day carry the promises. And unfortunately, the Jews eventually began to use it as a derision toward those who are not circumcised. He's actually denigrating his ethnic brethren who denigrate the Christian, which is performed in the flesh by human hands. Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, all the blessings of God upon Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, you didn't even know about them, having no hope and without God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. First half of chapter two, he's talking about the peace between man and God. Now he's talking about the peace between the Jew and the Gentile. He brought this peace, breaking down this dividing wall by abolishing in his flesh the enmity, some of your translations say the hostility, which is in the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in himself he might make the two into one new, qualitatively new man, thus establishing peace, peace between the Jew and the Gentile. God had always intended to bless all ethnic groups, all nations, all tribes, all tongues. He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross. By having put to death the hostility, and he came and preached peace to you who are far away, peace to you who are near, quoting Isaiah. That you is no closer to God than you and me. He or she who has placed their faith, their trust in Christ alone as Savior, we have radical access to Heavenly Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you're a fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a temple, a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together to a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

ortraits Of The Church Begin

Barkef 14:46

I've been titled this message Portraits of the Church. I wonder if you've ever been left out of a family portrait? Ever been late for a meeting? Maybe uh there's a a gathering that the whole family is that and somebody's gonna take a picture and somehow you didn't quite make it to the picture. You know, for the young people today it's a really difficult time because of this thing. They think uh they think they have a really close friend and and then they go to Instagram and find out they're close friend and had a party without them. Feel left out and separated and all alone. There are four pictures that your Paul Apostle Paul wants us to see concerning the church. He wants us to know none of us have been left out. Many of you know I come from a big family. I come from a family of twelve children, and I noticed when we were younger that we didn't often get invited over to anybody's house. Nobody had us over for dinner. I don't know. You know, back then I didn't realize it's kind of hard to invite 14 people over, you know what I'm saying? But I had some friends, a couple of friends, who were like only children. And when I got to thinking about it, I thought, wow, what must it be like for him? An only child? Are you kidding me? How lonely that must have been. I mean, I grew up with a party. I had a party every day. We had a banquet every single day. What would be out be like to be separated? To be singled out, to be a stranger, to feel like you don't know anybody, that you don't belong.

ne New People Through Peace

Barkef 17:06

And so first he tells us about the new man. We see this in verse 13 and following. But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off, you've been brought near by the blood of Christ, his very death on your behalf. For he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in his flesh the enmity, the hostility, which is the law and the commandments contained in ordinances, so that in himself he might make the two into one new man, establishing peace. That's why Romans says this. Romans 5 1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But it goes on in Romans 10 4, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. At one point, we were separated from the Jewish people. They had 613 stipulations they had to follow. They had dietary laws and they had dress codes and they had practices that the rest of the world didn't even know about, let alone participate in. And they stood out like a sore thumb, but for a reason. That perhaps if you got close, if they were actually living as they had been instructed to live, you would experience the mercy and the grace of God. And want to know who is this God that you worship? But being men and women of flesh, they turned what was a blessing meant for everyone into a little cloister of their own blessing just for themselves, and look down their noses at the rest of us. But God, through Jesus Christ, opened their eyes to the truth, and the first believers of the church are all Jewish. And they're expanding out and they're telling the Gentiles, and slowly but surely there's churches all over the Roman Empire, and the Apostle Paul himself, a Jew, is now going to these Gentiles and saying, Listen, we're one now in Christ Jesus. We're the new man. We break down all ethnic barriers. We speak the truth of love that God intends for all to experience through his grace. Don't think of yourself as a second-class citizen in the kingdom of God. Oh no. We stand side by side at the cross. So he's encouraging the Gentiles. Listen, we march together in the name of Jesus to share his love. We're a new man.

itizens Of A Different Kingdom

Barkef 20:38

He also says, we're part of God's kingdom. We see this in verse 19. So then you're no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints. Colossians, that sister letter, puts it this way in Colossians 1.13. For he, Christ, rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. That's why we can stand next to someone who's of Jewish heritage and side by side say the Lord's prayer. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. A couple of years ago, I went to a graduation at Dallas Theological Seminary, and the keynote speaker of the graduation was a Jewish believer. He's the president of One for Israel. And it was awesome. Not too long ago, I was watching one of his podcasts, and he had an Iranian. Pastor that he was interviewing. And it was very interesting. He's talking to this Iranian pastor who's now married to a Jewish woman. Iranians? Jews? Side by side, both preachers of a gospel message. In fact as I was listening, this uh Iranian pastor was talking about the fact that the people of Iran fully embrace the Jews. In fact, if you could sneak into Iran, everybody would want to get a picture of you. They'd want to be around you and hear more from you. Now I don't know about you, but I'm watching this and I'm thinking, well, that's not what I'm hearing on the news. There's a large underground church of about five million Christians in Iran. I don't know if you knew that or not. The people of Iran in general can't wait to be free. Now I'm not trying to get political. But when politics and theology mix, it's time to talk. We all stand together in the name of Jesus wants us to know the portraits of the church, we're God's new man. We're part of God's forever kingdom. In fact, in Philippians 3, verse 20, it says this, for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 2 9. You, you believer, whatever stripe you're of, he says this, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Christian, do you know who you are? You're part of God's new man. You're part of God's forever kingdom. You're also part of God's forever family. Again, Ephesians 2 19. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household. That phrase, God's household, even in the New Living Translation, translates it this way. You are members of God's family. You're part of God's forever family. Never felt left out? You don't have to. You're now part of God's forever family. That's why you can call on Heavenly Father, our Father. Romans 8 15 puts it this way. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out Abba, Father.

doption And Love Across Differences

Barkef 26:08

The Apostle Paul is concerned that these Gentile believers are in some form or fashion still thinking themselves as second-class citizens. Then maybe they're Christians, but they're like a little bit below the Jewish believer. Said, oh no, oh no. We together make up the new man. We love each other in ways that no one would ever have expected. Who would expect to see an Iranian pastor and a Jewish messianic pastor sitting side facing each other and talking and encouraging each other in the truth? It's probably the starkest picture today that we can think of the reality of the new man, God's kingdom, God's forever family. Galatians 6 10, the Apostle Paul says says this. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who are the household of the faith. Why? Why, because the commandment that Jesus gave us. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you have love for one another. By this all men will know that you're truly my disciples. It's when we love each other in spite of our ethnic language background, geographic background, economic background, educational background, in spite of all those differences we we come together and others. See, these people love each other. The greatest drawing card there is that brings someone from outside the family into the family. So the Apostle Paul teaches listen, don't forget where you once were. Because there are so many more out there still there. Don't forget where you are. Don't forget when you didn't know the promises. Don't forget when you didn't know the truth. Don't forget who you are before Jesus. And when you run across someone who's radically different from you, look with them, look to them as compassionately as Christ has looked to you. The Muslim Turks came in to take over the territory of the Armenians, and their way of evangelizing is a little different from ours. They evangelized with the sword. It's my great-grandfather who was decapitated for refusing to bow the knee to Allah. This whole idea of remembering where I've come from and having compassion for others. One of the starkest lessons I had on that was one of the first trips that I took to the Amazon on a mission trip. And one of the first people I had the pleasure of leading to the Lord was a man of a Turkish background. And it wasn't lost on me at the moment. I remember thinking where we are today. My great-grandfather decapitated by a Turk. And I have the high privilege of leading someone of that origin to Christ. This is the picture that the Apostle Paul is painting for you and for me. How and why we should stand out to others. God's new man, God's kingdom, God's family. Finally, he describes this as God's dwelling place.

ompassion Shaped By Hard History

Barkef 30:45

Verse 20 and following, he says, This we, or this new building, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. So if you ever travel to Europe

he Church As God’s Dwelling

Barkef 31:51

and you see those beautiful cathedrals and you go step into them and you have that feeling of the immensity, that was by design. And you realize God is awesome and great. What about you? The only way to experience the very presence of God, as far as the Jew was concerned, was to go to the temple. That's where his tangible presence was. If you wanted to worship him, you want to go to his dwelling place. And where's his dwelling place? Well, of course, it's in Jerusalem. And where in Jerusalem? Well, it's in the temple complex. And where's the temple complex? Well, it's on that elevated hill. You look up to the elevated hill, and then you get into this complex, and but there's really just this one little section, the holy of holies, is where the very presence, tangible presence of God is. It's where the Shekana glory is. Max Sanders describes this idea. He says in both the Old and New Testament, the focal point of God's blessing is the temple. The Old Testament temple was a stunning building, a fairly small building, actually. The central part of the structure measured only thirty feet wide by ninety feet long, a mere twenty seven hundred square feet. Many personal homes are larger than that. Yet some estimates say that it might cost more than four billion dollars to produce today. The inside was lavishly appointed with incredible amounts of gold carvings, expensive wood, and marvelous tapestries. The walls were constructed of the finest stone. Two astonishing bronze pillars in front highlighted what may have been one of the most expensive buildings per square foot that has ever been construction constructed. In 1 Kings 10, we have the record of Queen of Sheba as she saw the splendor. It says she swooned. The idea is that the people of the world get some idea of the grandeur, glory, and power of God by looking at the physical temple, the physical side of his presence on earth. Not so today. Instead of investing in a New Testament temple, his physical glory, his love, his grace, his mercy, his dwelling is in the church of the living God. You want to experience the very presence of God? Gather with His church. You want the world to experience the presence of God, make sure there's a church in every nook and cranny on the globe. You want to help somebody else experience God's presence? Let them come and experience Him dwell among us as we love each other even as Christ has loved us. As the fruit of the Spirit is borne out, and they see love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control expressed toward people of radically different backgrounds, economically, ethnically, every color, stripe that the world offers. In this, in this, the world will experience God.