Ephesians 2:11-22 interprets many of the common passages we hear around Christmas and Easter in the light of Christ. The point is that Jesus is our peace, that He has made peace between us and God (and thus also made peace between Jews and Gentiles), and that He published peace through the apostles. We looked first at the Gentile Christians and then at the Jewish Christians and then saw that Paul's point was there is one new man. In fact, we are not Christians separately but only together. Likewise, we are not members of the youth group first or members of this organzation or that committee, we are not young or old first, we are not adult converts or children of the covenant first: we are Christians first.

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Labels: church, Gentiles, peace, unity

Ephesians 2:1-10 and Deuteronomy 7:1-8 both show the theme of election in Christ for good works. Deuteronomy points to the final judgment ahead of time. Thus the message began with a model sharing the law to drive people to Christ because we all need to be ready to jump at the final judgment. This is one way we can find those that God loves but are not yet a part of the church. Indeed spreading the good news is a natural reaction to Paul's words reminding us of the way things were, moving us with the riches of God's mercy and grace, and sending us to do good works that God prepared beforehand for us.

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Labels: evangelism, final judgment, good works, law, riches

Ephesians 1:15-23, like Joshua 5:13-15, shows us the way things really are. This sermon attempts to help you see God's interpretation of you and your world, which is one reason for Sunday worship. We see here reasons for offering a prayer of thanksgiving and thus for praying that you would have a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God are so that you would know God's riches, power, and hope. You are not worthless, you are God's rich inheritance. You are not powerless, Jesus is Lord. You are not hopeless, you have a certain hope for your inheritance of the new heavens and earth.

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Labels: hope, inheritance, power, prayer, riches, Sunday worship

Ephesians 1:1-14 models passing the peace (1:2) and a prayer of adoration (1:3-14). Thus I reflected upon worship and how prayer is an essential element of worship and the passing of the peace is appropriate too. All worship is according to the pattern revealed in the word of God just as all prayer should be according to the pattern revealed in the word of God. The model and summary of right prayer is the Lord's Prayer and expanding on its first three petitions we have here a model prayer of adoration. It is a prayer blessing the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ because of election and adoption in Christ, redemption and reconciliation in Christ, and for the assurance of our inheritance. God tells us these things not only to give His people assurance but also so that all of the glory would go to Him alone.

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Labels: adoption, assurance, blessing, election, passing the peace, prayer

Acts 6:1-7 is the beginning of a division of labor in the leadership of the church. Later there would be an even further division of labor among elders between the ruling elders and the teaching elders. Elders provide servant leadership with respect to word gifts and deacons provide servant leadership with respect to deed gifts. And most members major in one or the other: word or deed. What we must all realize is that serving with your hands (deed) can be Spirit-filled service just as prayer and the service of the Word. And we should all appreciate that just as serving with your hands can be hard work, so too is prayer and the service of the Word. And when everyone is contributing their gifts, we have the right conditions for growth.


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Labels: elders, leadership, ministry, prayer, serve, spirit, Spiritual gifts, Sunday worship

Exodus 20:8-11 and Colossians 3:17, 22-25 govern this thematic sermon on calling to serve the Lord Christ. There are no part-time Christians, if you trust in Jesus then you are serving the Lord Christ in all your work. William Wilberforce, who led the effort to end the slave trade, is an ideal example. He thought about going into the ministry of the Word but then he would have missed his calling to serve the Lord Christ in the English parliament.

This sermon complements the next. It was delivered at a neutral pulpit for the Niagara pastor nominating committee.

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Labels: calling, ministry, serve, wilberforce