God's Household, Part 2

When Jesus performed his miraculous resurrection from the great, he obliterated an old system and brought nations together under the banner of his redemption until this moment. Gentiles had been excluded from the system Israel had in place, and as such felt like strangers in the land today on Insight for living will discover that the alienation Gentiles experienced was not unlike the isolation we can feel today, and yet because of Calvary. The door to God's house is open why we're picking up our study in Ephesians chapter 2 Chuck titled this message God's house, you're no longer strangers and aliens, but your fellow citizens with the same and we go into the throne room of the King above all will call themselves to Lord over all will call themselves the Lord and it is immediate and it is confident and it is bold because we have the citizenship. Look at the citizenship. I love the way this reads you are fellow citizens with the saints with the saints stop and think about that. Those people you've admired those people you respect it is you have studied the saints.

I read to three weeks ago a little boy who was standing staring at a great cathedral. He saw the stained-glass windows and and the priest walked over and said to him, young man. You know what you're looking at the little boy said yes sir.

I'm looking the saints and he said do you know what a saint is, he said yes or someone who lets the light in.

They reflect the light to who are the saints.

John Calvin says those who were formerly profane and unworthy have now become partners with the godly have now the rights of citizens along with Abraham, with all the holy patriarchs and prophets and kings a with the angels themselves. That's great company is not great company not only access but citizenship not just citizenship but citizenship with the people who have let the lighting down through the center. We have a common citizenship because we been reconciled with a great word. Great thought to be reconciled and there's a common family. You didn't miss that. Did you a common family verse 19 concludes, and we are of God's household first 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets stop there for a moment, we are of God's household know I prefer to use the word family because it's little bit warmer. We understand the feeling of, in fact, earlier he called him the father. Did you miss that in verse 18 we have access in one Spirit to the father.

It appears again in this passage in chapter 3, verse 14, where Paul said, I bow my knees before the father. Chapter 4 verse six one God and father who is overall and through all and in all great. We call them father you will read that word in the Old Testament that much. He was Yahweh. He was dear to God. He was creator God. He was held at a respected distance, and because of the sacrifices they linked up if you will, but when you come to the cross and you read across the bridge piece you feel at this moment since a father who comes with his arms stretched out we have a father and it's built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. What is that mean to be easy for me to scoot on by this, but in our study of Ephesians.

I don't want to do much scooting so we need to understand what this refers to with the foundations be the men themselves who were the apostles and in New Testament prophets. Would that be I think. Rather, it's a reference to their instruction to the truth that they have written and have found their way into the Scriptures.

John Stott suggests the same thing.

It seems clear….That what constitutes the church's foundation is neither their person nor their office, but their instruction their instruction. We are to think of them as inspired teachers organs of divine revelation bearers of divine authority.

The word apostles here cannot be a generic term for missionaries or other church planters and church leaders. Instead, it must did note that small and special group whom Jesus chose called an authorized to teach in his name what they taught. They expected the church to believe and preserve what they commanded. They expected the church to obey were back to the word of God.

The church of Jesus Christ the body. The family of God, which we have in common. Jew and Gentile alike bow before the authority of the same Scriptures. Men like Matthew and Paul men like Luke, James and John who have written in the New Testament truths to live by. We bow before them, we stand in obedience to them that represents the foundation but this family also has a cornerstone. Please observe Jesus Christ himself is the corner stone for the frequent references to the holy land, but I want to say to all of you who someday will go.

Many of you who will go again. Don't miss going underground. You get to Jerusalem is a wonderful tunnel. In fact, there are number of them but one of them that has been built alongside the Temple will take you down to foundation stone in there. Your mouth will drop open as you look at the size of these massive stones that had been fitted together with the care of a stonemason would take with small stone or brick.

In fact, Armitage Robinson mentions that one ancient monolith excavated from the southern wall of the temple measures 38 feet and 9 inches.

That's larger than a railroad boxcar this massive stone one stone set in place. Can you imagine the importance of the cornerstone. Christ Jesus himself who sets the direction and forms the basis of the whole family of God and all that prepares us for the common dwelling doesn't the common dwelling.

We've had a common accent send now a common citizenship and then a common family with the same father in 21 and 22. We have common dwelling, common temple look at these two verses, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Verse 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord. Look at the is growing, it's being built. Look at verse 22 in whom you also are being built.

It's a process. Still going on still going on your neighbor who just came to know Christ.

This past week has been built into the growing dwelling into the ever enlarging temple into God's body building program and it will not cease until the Lord himself returns for his own. It's going on right now and were being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirit. You know what this is all about.

It's all about a word that doesn't appear here. There's a hidden word between the lines which reminds me of the books we used to redo our children where there were hidden pictures remember reading them and you sat there with them and your children look through all of the waterfalls and the trees in the clouds on the birds and in all the stuff to find the eight is eight in there somewhere and do don't see them right away. He's hidden in their I member my kids would get this magazine that we ordered at the first picture that want to look at is the hidden picture. You know they have done a book for adults is called where's Waldo. You have because you stood there like a grown man in the world is Waldo and you got's little nerdy guy really need is there. Those hornrimmed glasses and he got there, you know, but you can't tell because everything else is busy and you're digging through all the others that were in the world. Waldo will.

This is the word search. You can't find it. You look all that went through but it but it's hard as finding Waldo, but it's there. It's it's Darren fellow citizens in God's household and building dwelling in together.

It's all there, but did miss it if you down on the church. There was a while I made up a son who's lips curled when you mentioned the church.

One lady said not long ago I'm I'm over the church meeting. I've had enough of church.

Always my heart always puts stops for a moment when I hear that I'm sad you never over the church use need to reconcile with somebody I know. I know don't tell me I know the heartbreaking stories are our numbered in the dozens if we were to listen to everybody right now who has a story to tell about some disappointment and in a church stop stuff you and I are the church. You and I make it up. That's why didn't perfect. There, Christ knew that when he put this body together. The foundations perfect, and certainly the cornerstone is perfect. The plan is perfect, but here he is putting together all of these imperfect people. That's why reconciliation transcends beyond theology and moves into relationship brings me the three questions I have to ask number one. Do you really believe this, I ask you that last time did not you had a week to think about it for a few days anyway you really believe we have a common access, you really believe we have a common citizenship, common family really believe we have a common dwelling temple should I mean you got explain all of this away if you don't believe that the second question then is, have you received that you received it. This isn't true for other people to think through and respond to this is for you. Are you accessing father the last time you seriously had a talk with him. I mean you really brought a need to live in you really trusted. I'm finishing a Tom Brokaw's book on the greatest generation. Many of you have read it. In fact, I just picked up the response to the to the book by Brokaw is people who read the first one of now responded to his put together a book of responses from reading on the plane yesterday afternoon. My heart skipped a little when one of the men responded, who had lost his buddy in the foxhole and he said I never prayed in my life. Like the dead body right next to bleeding all over him today.

He accessed father.

You don't have to wait till then you can come at any moment at any time because you got a bridge that's been built for you that you are you living like it is the third question you see. It's interesting the Lord set the pattern for us to follow and if he's able to build a bridge to us. You're able to build a bridge to your offended brother or sister.

I had to do that on Monday was a hard assignment. I found out recently about it didn't.

I didn't know I had created that kind of offense and I can hardly sleep Friday night we could go Saturday Sunday was terrible night. I do know how it would be responded to tell you this can make myself look good on the guy that was looking pretty bad side offended. We set on together and had a brother with us who can help us work our way through and we did that was great. It was great. He had walked in was a little bit difficult at first naturally and then as we talked and we began to build a bridge's amazing. We ended arm in arm with tears fully forgiving each other, you can bring your gift to the altar. Jesus said and you realize your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go and make it right with your brother. It's the word reconcile some versions render that reconcile and then common. Offer your gift. Meaning if you're in prayer and while in prayer, which is a very vulnerable and soul-searching time you realize all my I have really been the fence in this relations you want to work hard to remember him bring it to your attention that people say what if I do it and he doesn't accept it, but you can't make him you just gotta do your part.

I couldn't make my brother accepted. I just could only ask and I confessed my part in it. That was wrong. Being a person of Gracie for gait was great. I don't know anybody else I need to do that with Mike not to hear from all of you at one time but to something I need to know, but with him it was soon serious. I don't mean to make light of the Robert Louis Stevenson fine piece called picturesque notes of Edinburg tells a remarkable story of two unmarried sisters and they lived together in a very small dwelling in they had a falling out over what Stevenson calls some point of controversy of divinity. It's a nice Scottish way of saying there's a church fight that happened nor there was an argument over theology and they didn't agree on some fine part of doctrine five point of doctrine, so this led to a rift, listen to the unbelievable result, the controversy was so bitter that they never spoke again.

Ever. There were no words either kind or spiteful, just silent. Nevertheless, possibly because of a lack of means or because of the innate Scottish fear of scandal that continued to keep house together in the single room, a chalk line was drawn across the floor to separate the two domains chalk line for years. They coexisted in hateful silence, each woman's meals, badness, and family visitors were exposed to the others unfriendly silence at night. Each went to bed listening to the heavy breathing of her enemy. Thus the two sisters ostensibly daughters of the church. The two sisters continued the rest of their miserable life. You're not going to do that. Are you I know you don't live on top of each other like they did but it's that chalk line doing their talks pretty easy to erase erase reconciliation is a wonderful thing was at a conference this past couple of days and humming Central Texas did a little thing without a seminary for number of our friends and donors and is a chance to tell them you love them. We need him and appreciating the great chance to sit at the meal with a meal with friends.

I've not met before one of a chance to share stories into one story after another into got up early Saturday morning and I greeted one of the fellows as well. Had to sleep last night like a baby, is it that's terrific.

He's a yeah a clear conscience helps reconciliation gives you a clear conscience helps you sleep at night sleeping okay lately, no good, that's good. That means you need to probably deal with something nobody can do it for you. Make the first move taken from one who did it again is worth. Let's bow together. Well we we talk about it and now we've heard it preached. We even saying about being one it's really overdue you if were not with fellow family members. If you never come to know the Savior. Of course you can't do this is all great theory in nice sounding truth for the family that you've never joined but we we miss you we really miss you will even build a bridge.

It was somebody else's idea and come on over. It's time you got a come the way that God planted you gotta come through the cross. You gotta submit your will to his.

You gotta come his way. He calls it narrow believe in Christ alone.

By faith alone. That's how you get in is how you get across the bridge to build a bridge to need to come on across and once crossed, you need to not only believe in and and receive this you need to do something about it. If there's a brother there's a sister when you do in nursing that wound just get rid of that chalk line do the hard thing to do it now. Soon this week because we are, after all, one in the bond of love, Lord, to thank you for building the bridge.

Thank you for coming up with the idea rather than leaving us to war with one another. The rest of our lives, leaving us dead in our trespasses and sins, leaving us at odds with you and with one another erase those ugly racial barriers that are so much a part of the old nature take away the prejudices that eat at us like a cancer, and ruling the relationship. The body is designed to enjoy softened us to begin with, so that we confess to you in our access that we have not been living like citizens of the kingdom, remind us of the family relationship where we have a father who is bridge the gap and now were part of a dwelling being built together. Thank you. Bring to the those to yourself today who don't have a clear conscience weren't sleeping as well who were being disturbed in their spirit by the spirit so that they might come in with all vulnerability and humility present themselves to you with your gift and then present themselves to whomever, with her confession. Thank you for the tenderness of this meeting.

We have had together, the joy, knowing that this is real.

This works because it's based on the foundation of the apostles and prophets teaching in Jesus name I said listening to Insight for living in the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll today. Chuck is presented a message called God's household. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org is been encouraging to focus our attention on verses like Ephesians 2 verse 17 during the season in world history marked by fear and anger 2020 will be forever remembered as the year of the global pandemic, the bombing in Lebanon and horrific social unrest in our major cities.

So how much better to give ourselves to God's agenda and the one who came and preached peace to you who are far away and peace to those who were near to that end, Chuck handpicked a book he found uplifting and helpful on his short list for recommended reading is this inspirational book from pastor and radio Bible teacher Philip to Corsi before entering the ministry. Philip served on the police force in Belfast, Northern Ireland during intense political upheaval is booked to cover was written for our times. Chuck said your family needs this. You need this.

Our country needs this, especially now with a purchase a copy of to cover finding peace and God's protection collects if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online insight.org/store closing, let me say a word of thanks to our monthly companion and all who give generously. You're accomplishing far more than you'll ever know because your gift not only allows us to provide these daily visits with Chuck, a small portion is multiplied overseas in our ongoing pursuit of vision 195 vision 195 is our stated mission to reach 195 countries of the world with God's amazing grace to become a monthly companion collects your listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/monthly companion.

Most of us have been heartbroken to witness civil unrest in the public square, eclipsing the urgent medical needs imposed by the global pandemic at Insight for living ministries. We believe there's never been a better time to extend God's grace to those in need. In this emotionally charged era were shouting matches were commonplace for people feel voiceless and overlooked in would you be among those who give generously so that we can spread the fragrance of God's grace to those desperate for a second chance.

We are looking to add more monthly companion to the team become a monthly companion today by calling us your listening in the United States. Call 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/monthly companion my friend more than ever insight for living ministries is determined to serve as a lavish garden for people all around the world longer smell the aroma of God's matchless grace, a safe place where imperfect, sinful people. True and redeem to become a monthly companion, listening in the United States.

Call 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/monthly tomorrow. Chuck Swindoll continues to study and Ephesians called becoming a people of grace right here on insight for living. The preceding message God's household was copyrighted in 2000 2001 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited