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Nov 24, 2024

Ephesians - One

Passage: Ephesians 2:11-16

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: Ephesians

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: unity, one

Our relationships within ourselves, with others and with God are utterly fractured due to our fear and selfishness. And this culture of tribalism and division creeps into our Christian community. The church of Ephesus drew people from every facet of life and, through Jesus' sacrifice where he took all the enmity on himself, knit them together into one family mosaic...and he is still doing it today where he gathers all of us ragamuffin lost sheep under the One Shepherd as he leads us beside still waters.

CENTRAL PASSAGE

Ephesians 2:11-16

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

 

SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What are ways the “us and them” culture has increased and been seen lately?

What has that been like? Have you found yourself drawn into that world?

 

When have you felt like an outsider? What was that like?

What have you been an insider? What is that like?

 

Why do we often gravitate to tribes - to insiders and outsiders - to “us and them”?

 

When have you experience deep unity with people you wouldn’t normally be unified with?

 

This passage isn’t about generic global unity but about the knit-together family unity between Christians. How is it (why is it) that Christians are unified?

What is the implication that Paul isn’t telling us to BE unified but that we ARE unified?

What does it mean that Jesus IS our peace -- the unifier?

Talk about how all believers are ONE...how can this play out in real life?

 

What barriers are there?

What does unity look like?

What has to happen in your HEART to propel yourself to unity?