Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Many divisions in the world
• The solution is not just to sit at the peace table - confidence in human nature can be misplaced
• Reconciliation of enemies: Jew and Gentile
• Reconciliation with God

Reconciled with God (v11-13)

• The Gentiles were far off from God
• In Christ they have been brought near
• In Christ they have been brought into fellowship
• v11-12 remind us of all the barriers to coming to faith
• Enmity with the Jews
• Gentiles: Dogs, unclean, outside of our community, not following our rituals, not circumcised
• Jews: Proud of the fact they followed Abraham and very circumcised
• Jews: What mattered was there birth and religion
• Jesus came first to the Jews
• Gentiles: prided themselves on their sophistication
• A huge barrier between Jew and Gentile
• Lack many opportunities to know God
• Outside of Christ
• No knowledge of the promised Messiah - they worshiped idols
• Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
• God chose Israel
• God raised up Abraham and through him made a great nation
• The Gentiles were outside this covenant community
• A few Gentiles (Rahab, Ruth, Nyman and others came under God) - but only a few
• Those outside of Israel had very little knowledge of Jehovah
• Rom 11:24 - the gentiles had to be grafted in
• Strangers of the covenants of promise
• The Law given to Moses
• Promises given to David of a Messiah
• The Gentiles knew nothing about this
• They were without God and without hope
• They were totally ignorant of the true God
• They were cut off in their sins
• They were blinder by Satan
• What barriers to the faith exist today?
• The holier than thou attitude of some who despise others (rather than recognising their own sin)
• Little knowledge of the Bible
• People feel like aliens/strangers when they come to church
• People are without hope
• People need to be reconciled with God (v13)
• In Christ Jesus
• Brought near by the blood of Christ
• Do you have peace with God?
• Are you reconciled to Him?
• Do you have forgiveness of your sin?
• God desires that none should perish - you need to take the step and come to God
• It is not the preacher that speaks but Christ (v17)
• Be reconciled to God

Reconciled to One Another (v14-18)

• Reconciliation to God enables reconciliation to each other
• We are united in the Church of God
• There is no distinction (v18) - both have access to the Father
• There should be no human traits that came in to spoil our relationships
• There should be no division, groups or sides
• We are all one in Christ
• We endeavour to keep the bond of unity in Christ
• Secondary issues must be secondary
• The gospel must be held high
• Paul challenged Peter over his behaviour
• We must accept one another fully
• He Himself is our peace (v14)
• Jesus is our peace
• Jesus has broken down the middle wall of separation
• Jesus took away enmity (v15)
• Breaking the ceremonial law that was clung to and misunderstood by the Jews
• Just a shadow that would point in Christ
• Both Jews and Gentiles would know peace with God
• We are one nation
• We are friends
• Hymn from Charles Wesley
• In revival the true people of God worship together and all the distinctions fall away
• 1 Cor 12:12-13
• We must emphasise that things that unite us, not the things that divide
• Jesus has reconciled us to Himself