Ephesians 2.11-22

2.5.06 DBC morning message

Room at the Table for All

[Paul was writing to the Gentiles.] 12-At one time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God’s chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God’s promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God [God, alone, gives sure hope in this life.] . . . [Paul mentions how the blood (vs.13), body (vs.14), cross (vs. 16) of Christ unite both the gentiles and Jews into God’s kingdom.] 18-It is through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into the presence of the Father [God]. 19-So then, you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now citizens together with God’s people and members of the family of God . . . 21-He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. 22-In union with him you too are being built together with all others into a place where God lives through his Spirit. (Good News Bible, Eph. 2.12; 18-19; 21-22)

Picking Teams

Do you remember the childhood ritual of choosing up sides? It usually goes something like this: First two team captains are elected and then they start to point toward whom they want on their team. Many times they point first toward their buddies and then toward the fastest and strongest and often the attractive girl (it works this way when boys are doing the picking, vice versa when girls are doing the team selecting.) gets into the fray of the top 3. Do you remember where you were selected during this ritual? I’ve been on both sides. I’ve been the first one picked (I’ve even done the picking). I have also been the odd kid out and the last one reluctantly selected.

I’ve seen the most popular, athletic and prettiest selected first in the every day life. But Jesus doesn’t select his team like this, does he?

He’s for the underdog. He has a last will be first mentality. He’s the kid who served as team captain who picked first the most unlikely, unattractive, oddest, and most out of place kid to be on his team. That’s the way Jesus has always rolled; that’s just how he rolls.

Background of the early church struggling to accept Gentles

Acts 15.7-11 (1^st Church council); Galatians 2. 11-14 (Paul confronts a snobbish Peter at Antioch.)

In today’s passage Paul is speaking to the gentiles and reminding them that they are on God’s team . . . They are apart of God’s team (family) even if other Christians (Jewish Christians) make them feel less than equal and accepted!

The application for us that I laboring for today is how do we as a church do at accepting other Christians into our fold? Do we open truly open up wide our arms and embrace (include) others who come seeking to join God’s work here? Or are we like the kids on the bus when Forest Gump steps onto it looking for a seat? As Forest was walking down the isle (odd looking to the others), kid after kid covers up openings by them and say with their southern Alabama accent, “Can’t set here . . . this seat taken!” Forest had just as much right as any other Kid to be on that school buss headed to school as any other kid on that buss, but he still wasn’t accepted. Jenny finally invited him to set next to here (she innocently and childlike asked, are you stupid or something?).

Do people ever feel like Forest Gump on the bus when the come to church here?

Paul writes:

12-At one time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God’s chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God’s promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God [God, alone, gives sure hope in this life.] . . . [Paul mentions how the blood (vs.13), body (vs.14), cross (vs. 16) of Christ unite both the gentiles and Jews into God’s kingdom.]

We make room for Jesus in our lives and in our church, when we make room for others in our life and in our church.

The basis for one being apart of God’s team and that which holds and unites his family together is the blood and crucified body of Jesus (The team coach).

There are no man made hoops, elaborate creeds, or outer qualifications for being apart of God’s team. The Jewish Christians thought that the new Gentile Christians should have to come the way they first cam to God, the way circumcision and the Law.

The earliest simple affirmation of faith required for acceptance into the church was simply a profession of Faith in Christ as Lord (Romans 10.9).

Paul continues:

18-It is through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into the presence of the Father [God]. 19-So then, you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now citizens together with God’s people and members of the family of God.

Do we make others (newcomers) feel like apart of God’s family?

Tony Campolo tells this story:

"When I pastored a small church in a rural community, I discovered that a young women of the town had become pregnant out of wedlock. The word was out, and the gossip about her condition was everywhere.

I went to see her and even as I knocked on the door, I had this uncanny awareness that the Holy Spirit was on me in a special way and that something unusual was about to happen. The young woman invited me in, and as I sat in her living room explaining the forgiveness of God and how God wills for each of us to have a new start, she responded with great intensity. She gave her life to Christ, and I watched joy cross a face that an hour before had been marked with sadness.

I wasn’t surprised when she showed up at church the following Sunday. [Week after week she showed up] She showed up the week after that and the week after that. And then she stopped coming. I went to visit her again and asked why she wasn’t attending church anymore. She said, “I can’t! Every time I go into that church I get the feeling that I’m dirty and no good!”

“You shouldn’t feel that way,” I said. “Jesus has forgiven and Jesus has forgotten.”

I’ll never forget her answer. She said, “Jesus may have forgiven, and Jesus may have forgotten. But the people down there at your church—they haven’t forgiven. And, they haven’t forgotten.”

I was reminded of that verse of Scripture where the apostle Paul says of the church, “Because of you, the Gospel is made of none effect.” (Let Me Tell You a Story, 155-156)

Churches don’t want to think that they’re like that. It doesn’t matter, however what we think, can we see thought the newcomer’s eyes and sympathize (imagine) with their awareness in our midst?

Paul adds:

21-He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. 22-In union with him you too are being built together with all others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.

Jesus is the standard by which we must include people (newcomers) into our fellowship, Kingdom work, and life of his church.

If Christ receives one, then he/she is a member of his church (our church). We must freely receive as Christ receives.

If we reject whom Christ has freely received, then we have excluded Christ himself.

Elsewhere Paul says it like this:

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15.7)

John says it like this:

“What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1.3)

Peter learned what James taught that God shows no favoritism (Acts 10.34).

Jesus said it this way:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11.28-29)

Today, every Sunday, we have the opportunity to accept newcomers into our fellowship, God’s team. Today we welcome all newcomers who have joined our fellowship this past year.

Today we are also observing The Lord’s communion together. There is practice of closed communion among some churches and in many Baptist fellowships. Closed communion is the practice of only allowing local church members to observe the Lord’s Supper. By doing this they flirt with the risk of excluding Christ himself when the exclude those who Christ has accepted into God’s Kingdom.

Often we unknowingly (or knowingly) present exclusive club like membership clicks in our fellowship. We often find it easier to impose denominational doctrines over ecumenical fellowship. It’s easier and more convenient to hold onto denominational tradition and dogma then it is to embrace the open liberating acceptance of the Gospel of Christ; Paul preached, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”