July 18, 2021 Sermon

Built together in Christ 

“Let us be built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.” 

Today we continue with part 2 of our 7 part sermon series in Ephesians: Discovering who we are  in Christ. As I suggested last week, feel free to follow along in your bibles, or the bulletin  leaflet, or in the Ephesians parallel text booklet we made as a handout.  

Let’s start today, as we explore most of Chapter 2, by taking the title of our series, “Discovering  who we are in Christ,” and look at the passage we just read from Ephesians to answer that  question. What do we discover about ourselves from this passage? What do we discover about  Christ Jesus?  

As we quickly look through our passage, these are things I see:  

We have been saved through faith, we didn’t have to earn it.  

We are created in Christ Jesus for good works 

We who have been far away from God have been brought near to God by Jesus’ blood.  We are one humanity in Christ.  

Because Jesus is our Peace.  

We are not strangers or foreigners to God or each other, we are citizens of God’s kingdom and  family members in God’s household.  

Because Jesus breaks down the dividing wall between us.  

We are being built as a holy temple for God’s spirit,  

We have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. 

And We have God dwelling inside us.  

So we are saved, created for good, a unified family, built together into a temple for God. Christ is our unifier, our peace, our “wall-knocker-downer,” our “temple-builder-upper”, and the  Spirit who dwells within us.  

Those are pretty powerful affirmations. Amen? Amen!  

But let’s unpack those a bit more, because there’s quite a bit of what I like to call “Christianese”  language in this text, which is not always clear to our contemporary ears. As some of you know,  I used to be a high school French and English teacher, and having a grasp of the vocabulary is  central to learning how to be fluent. So it is with our faith. We will explore some of the key  words and concepts Paul uses or implies here, and then seek to apply them to our own lives.  

Let’s start with the words Grace and Salvation. Verses 8-10 talk about our salvation through  grace. I added these verses to the appointed lectionary text because they are some of the most  powerful verses in scripture.

Verses 8-9 essentially say, “By grace you have been saved through faith. It’s a gift, not the  results of works.” 

Grace is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the bible. People are  sometimes fuzzy in its meaning. Grace, especially God’s Grace, can simply be defined as  undeserved favor, or an unmerited free gift. Paul is saying to the Ephesians, and us, that the  salvation we have received in Jesus Christ is a gift from God, not something we earned through  our own work. We receive this gift simply by having faith in Jesus. When we say that someone  gave us some grace, it means they accepted us, or what we did with good-will, more than we  deserve. Grace means divine kindness, goodwill, gift, mercy.  

So we are saved by grace. So there’s another Christianese word – Salvation. What does it mean  to be saved. We say things like, “Jesus saves. Have you been saved?” 

What does it mean to have salvation?  

By grace we have been saved… saved from what?  

Quite a bit actually!  

We are saved from the consequences of our sin. Sin being defined as whatever separates us from  God, those things done and left undone that divide us from God and one another.  We are saved from the spiritual death that comes from that broken relationship with God. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are also saved from our own death… We will die  physically, but we are assured eternal life with God.  

The word “to save” in Greek is the same word, or same root word as the word as to Heal, or be  made whole.  

So beyond being rescued or redeemed, like being saved from drowning with a life-saver, we are  saved, and make whole, and healed emotionally and spiritually by our relationship with God in  Christ.  

I like the phrase that is often used about the different “tenses” of salvation.  I have been saved…… I am being saved….. I will be saved. 

Past tense - I have been saved by what Jesus did on the Cross 2000 years ago. By his death and  resurrection, I can be forgiven of my sin.  

This is Justification – being made right with God.  

Present tense - I am being saved by God’s ongoing work in my life, making me more and more  Christlike, and bringing wholeness and health to places where I may be still in need of healing  and fixing. We all know we are on a journey. We are not perfected yet. We still have work to do.  

This is Sanctification – being made Holy. We do not receive our salvation through works,  but good works are part of how we exhibit our sanctification.  

And finally, Future tense - I will be saved and someday join all the saints around the heavenly  throne when my days on earth are done. At that point, I will be beyond the struggles of earthly  life.  

This is Glorification – being completely reunited with God enjoying the bliss of heaven.  

I have been saved – justification.  

I am being saved – sanctification.  

I will be saved – glorification.  

We’re getting quite the vocabulary lesson today, aren’t we?  

Our passage then moves into using terms that aren’t really Christianese, it’s just that we don’t  tend to use in our normal conversations.  

Paul contrasts the circumcised and the uncircumcised.  

TMI Paul! Too much information! Why should we care what a man’s “nether regions” look like?  These are not categories that we typically use to divide ourselves today. Besides, it leaves a  whole half of the population, us women, out of the picture.  

But of course, culturally, in 1st century Palestine, it was a big deal. The sign of circumcision was  an outward sign that the Jews had set themselves aside for God… marked as a holy people.  Greeks, or gentiles were not typically circumcised. Besides this physical manifestation there  were other differences that distinguished Jews and Gentiles. Jews kept themselves apart sharing  meals or visiting homes of Gentiles because of religious beliefs, food restrictions, and other  practices that that divided the ritually clean from the ritually unclean.  

Paul’s point here and for the rest of this chapter is that what had once been separated by culture and even the precepts of Jewish law is now brought together in Christ. Even those who had once  been enemies and adversaries can come together in God. Everyone has been far from God because of sin, but through the blood of Christ, all are brought near to God and to each other.  Jesus is the one who brings this peace because he died for all of humanity, not just the Jews. We  may divide ourselves by Gentile and Jew as much any longer, but we still live in a world where  there are too many divisions. But despite our differences we can find unity in Christ.  

In the rest of this passage, Paul uses some wonderful building imagery. It’s like a home  reconstruction project. Jesus tears down walls of division and builds instead a temple, a big open  space concept where all can be together.  

The Message version translates verses 19-22 this way: “God is building a home. He’s using us  all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets  for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ  Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a  holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.” 

I see this tearing down and building up process part of that “Sanctification” phase of our  salvation. We are being saved as we tear down walls that divide us, and find ways to build an  expansive space in our lives where we can meet God and connect with others, even others who  might be very different from us.  

We’ve talked about a lot of Christian-ese words today as part of this passage of Ephesians.  Salvation, Grace, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification, Unification, Edification!

When I used to be a language teacher and I would have my students learn a whole list of  vocabulary words, I often gave them the homework of putting these words into their own  sentences. So maybe I will leave us with homework along those lines. You don’t actually have to  write your own sentences using those words, but maybe you can think about your own answers  to these questions using these concepts.  

Have you received the grace, the gift, of salvation through Jesus?  

Have you really accepted that you no longer have to be far from God?  

Do you know that there’s nothing you’ve done so bad that can keep you away,  and there’s no good deed you can do that will earn you a place?  

You just need to accept that Jesus has done it for you. You belong to God.  

Once you have received salvation through grace,  

How is Jesus saving you now?  

Where do you most want to pray for Christ’s healing and wholeness for yourself  and for our world?  

How might Jesus want to sanctify you… make you more holy, and more Christ like? 

You might need to explore what dividing walls have built up between yourself and any other  person or group. You might have placed those walls there, or they may be there simply because  of cultural bias and upbringing.  

How might Jesus want to bring Peace to those places of hostility or enmity in your life,  or in the wider world?  

How is God using you to build his Holy Temple?  

How are you joining with others to build on the foundation of our ancestors in Christ to help  make space in this world where the spirit of God’s peace and the power of God’s presence can be  experienced by yourself and others.  

In short, what is your place in building the church, the community of God?  

I know…I know… If had been a student in one of my language classes you’d be complaining right now that I haven’t asked you to do simple vocabulary sentences for homework, but rather  lengthy essay questions!  

But don’t worry, it’s not a test, it’s more like a prayer journal. And just like our education  continues beyond our school days, the building of God’s temple in us and through us continues  beyond our baptism. 

Let us embrace our ongoing salvation as we continue to be built together spiritually into a  dwelling place for God. Amen.

July 11, 2021 Sermon

Excursions in Ephesians: Discovering who we are in Christ

Part One

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of summer. With things opening up somewhat, people are

starting to travel again or at least to take little excursions for the weekend.

Well we’re about to embark on an excursion this morning, theologically speaking, and it’s one

you don’t have to leave home for. This Sunday, and for the next six Sundays, we’re going to take

An Excursion through Ephesians – Discovering who we are in Christ.

Now, I want to be up front, studying Ephesians is not going to be a “beach book read.” It’s not

light and fluffy and predictable. Our excursion is going to require that you exercise more brain

power because we are dealing with precepts and theology as outlined by the apostle Paul, as

opposed to entering the narrative world of stories that we often find in the Gospels. In the Gospel

stories these same weeks, we will hear about John the Baptist and Herod and stories from both

the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of John about Jesus’ multiplying loaves and fishes and what

it means that Jesus is the Bread of Life. Good stuff, and maybe a little easier to comprehend and

apply its meaning. Heck, I imagine the story of John the Baptist we just heard, with some extra

details, could be easily expanded into a beach book.

On the other hand, I know Paul’s writing is not always the easiest to dissect, but there is good

reason to do so.

Our lectionary doesn’t always give us 7 weeks to talk about a short 6 chapter book of the bible,

but that’s what we have this summer, so let’s take advantage of that and dig in a bit, while giving

ourselves bit of a structure and sense of anticipation from week to week during these summer

days.

But a much better reason to take on this intellectually stimulating and spiritually fulfilling

excursion, is because Ephesians is a wonderful book expounding God’s person and purpose, and

who we are as God’s Chosen ones. Paul outlines the important role of the Church in

accomplishing God’s purposes. It’s a high and lofty view that helps us Celebrate God’s Beauty.

As I heard one preacher say, “It’s like the Grand Canyon of the Bible... it can make you gasp

with wonder when you finally take in the view.”

Our mission here at St. Michael’s is to “Celebrate God’s Beauty, Love God’s People, and Serve

God’s World,” and Paul’s letter to the people and the church he started in Ephesus can help us

see even more clearly how our mission fits within God’s bigger mission, and how each of us has

a part of God’s larger purposes.

So, for our series, I’m going to invite you to do something we Episcopalians rarely do – Bring

your bibles to church and take notes. You may wish to follow along in your own bible, see how

your translation adds nuance and meaning. I suggest you read the book of Ephesians at home...

first, all at once for an overall picture, and then one chapter each week before Sunday. In my

bible, the whole book is only 10 pages. We’ve even made a little gift for you by printing the

Letter to the Ephesians into its own little booklet, using the New Revised Common Version in

the left-hand column, the translation we use in church, along with the Message Translation of

The Message in the right hand column. The Message is actually a contemporary paraphrase, but

it is based on solid scholarship of the original languages and brings a fresh and accessible

meaning to the text.

All right, let’s get started. Here are the first 2 verses of the book, that are left out of our reading

today.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are

faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

That’s a pretty typical opening for one of Paul’s letters. You see, Paul, travelled around the

Mediterranean essentially starting new churches, and then later, would write letters to the people

there, to encourage them in their walk, or to correct them when he heard that they had gotten off

track. Then these letters were circulated among other Christian communities and eventually

gathered together to make up a large part of what we call the New Testament today.

You can read about how Paul started the church in Ephesus, a city in current day Turkey, in the

book of Acts, Chapter 19. He was there for over 2 years, between the years 50 – 52, and he

dedicated a lot of time to teaching those who were interested in the way of Jesus.

There is some scholarly argument that Paul, himself, may not have been the actual author of this

letter, but rather, a leader in the Pauline community after him, who, per the custom of the time,

would have used the founder’s name to carry on his work. Essentially it doesn’t matter. This

letter has held authority in the church since it was first written, and is included in the very first

lists of New Testament scripture we have dating back to about the year 130.

But for argument’s sake, I’ll be referring to Paul as the author, since certainly those who

followed him would know Paul’s connection to this area well. It was likely written around the

year 62 of the common era, and if by Paul, while he was in prison in Rome.

Paul cared a lot for the Ephesians. You see, Ephesus, like many big cities of our day, was a city

brimming with many cultures and religious philosophies. The Temple to the Greek Goddess

Artimus, or Diana, was a major religious site in the town. In fact, there were many people who

made their living off the cult of Artimus... selling gold or silver statues, selling sacrifices, and so

on. It was a port city at the time, and the excellent road system connected it to many other places

in the Roman empire. It was strategic for Paul to spend time teaching these Christians, because

they were likely to be in contact with people from all over the known world and through

interactions with these folk the Gospel of Jesus spread quickly along the Roman road system into

urban areas across the Roman empire.

He wrote, not to correct any division or heresy, but to continue his teaching and to encourage

them. This letter was likely meant not only for the Ephesians, but meant as a circular letter, that

would have been copied and read aloud in the other Christian communities and house churches

wherever Christians met together. And well, here we are today, the latest Christians to have this

letter read in our assembly.

So what does Paul say? He says a lot in this first chapter that we won’t have time to get into in

the short amount of time I have left for our message this morning, but it’s all good stuff.

Basically, in Chapter One, Paul is saying, that

We, the church, are a planned people.

People with a purpose.

People given power.

First of all, Paul is very excited and enthusiastic. In the Greek, the passage we read today, verses

3-14, are all One Sentence! One Run on Sentence full of excitement and praise to God.

So, let’s savor this exuberant praise. I’ll read from The Message version, stopping to expound

myself here and there, and you can follow along in that little booklet, or in your bulletin for the

NRSV version. There’s even New International Version translations of the bibles at the end of

each pew. which itself does a good job of expounding what Paul says,

3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ,

and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations,

he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his

love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure

he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by

the hand of his beloved Son.”

In other words. We are a planned people. None of us is here by mistake. Humanity is God’s plan,

a people God created out of love, for love. More than that, God plans that all should be adopted

into his family through the life and sacrifice of Jesus. God took great pleasure in gifting us with

the opportunity to be his children. You know how sometimes you can be so delighted to give a

special gift to someone? You delight in their smile or surprise. I know this happens a lot to us

parents. Even more so with God. It is through Jesus that we can come before God as blameless

innocent children. The next verses go on to explain...

7-10 “Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're

a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just

barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could

possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us

in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in

him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

You see, everything in history is moving to a time when all things will be brought together in

Christ, where heaven and earth will be reconciled once again together. Jesus, through his life,

death and resurrection, overcame the power of death – death on many different levels... physical

death, meaning that even though our bodies die, someday in a renewed world, we will get

resurrection bodies – what that will be like, I have no clue. Even more important is the Jesus

overcame our Spiritual death, so that even though our bodies go into the ground, our souls live

forever with God, knowing and enjoying Jesus’ presence. And Jesus resurrection has power over

the smaller spiritual deaths we experience on this side of life. All the places where we wound our

souls through sin, all the hurts we absorb from other people, all the negative, accusatory words

lied into our hearts by the enemy... all those can be dealt with by knowing who we are in Christ.

Jesus has made us free, brought us out of debt, which prepares us to take part in the Cosmic plan

God has in store for us. We go on to verse 11.

11-12 “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first

heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living,

part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”

We are a planned people and God has plans for us. In other words, We are a people with a

purpose.

I read a simple summary of this section of Ephesians this week that went “I am Blessed, Chosen,

Adopted, Accepted, Redeemed and Forgiven.”

I once attended a baby shower for a young couple. At one point in the evening, the mother to

be’s brothers and friends lit Asian Prayer laterns, Asian Prayer laterns, paper balloons with a

small flame inside that rises up into the sky, symbolizing the prayers and good wishes the people

gathered had for this new life God is bringing into the world. That little baby, yet unborn, had so

much potential. At that point no one knew what life would hold for her. But it is a beautiful thing

to realize that she, and every other person in the world, already has a purpose.... To be a child of

God, to be part of god’s family through Jesus, let the love of God that is given to her, flow

through her to help her take her place in reconciling to world to God.

God has a purpose for us, but that purpose of being one with God can be lived out in so many

ways.... God reveals our particular purpose to us as we discover our gifts and live into our lives,

fully enjoying our inheritance as God’s children.

Paul concludes his long sentence in verses 13-14:

13-14 “It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your

salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This

signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything

God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.”

The rest of Chapter 1 expounds on this work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that gives us the

Power to live into the plans and purposes God has for us as a people. The Holy Spirit, which

came at Pentecost, and fills each believer, is like a deposit, a down payment, on the fullness of

the spirit that we will someday experience with God.

We are a planned people. People with a purpose. People given power by the Spirit.

Paul goes on to pray for the believers in Ephesus, that they have wisdom and can see what God is

calling them to do. Paul prays that the Ephesians, and we, understand the greatness of God’s

power which rules everything, including the church.

In the last verses of Chapter 1, Paul explains that Christ rules all, including being head of his

body here on earth, the church. We, the body of Christ, are to be the primary agents through

which God wishes to act to bring all of creation into a loving reconciled relationship with God.

That’s what we at St. Michael’s are to be about. That was God’s plan from the beginning. That is

God’s purpose for us now. And God has given us the power through his Spirit, both individually,

and corporately as his church, to engage this great destiny. What a wonderful excursion this will

be, as, over the next few weeks, we discover more fully the plans, purposes and power God has

for us, and how we, practically, can experience them in our own place and time. Amen.