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::: Music ::
Come Thou Fount/We'll Feast (arr. Austell)
What a Beautiful Name (Fielding/Ligertwood)
And Can it Be (SAGINA)
:: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided for that purpose.
Today we are returning to our “Open House” summer series. We are looking at how God invites all people to know Him and enter His presence through Jesus Christ and how we can be an “open house” church in participation with what God is doing.
Today we are going to start in the middle of Ephesians 2 and slowly move through the middle of chapter three over the next five weeks. The overall theme is exactly that of our summer series: God is an inviting and welcoming God whose reach is far and wide. And He is building a refuge, a home, and a sending station on earth through His church. And that’s us! I have included part of the story of the prodigal son in today’s readings because that parable captures the theme in a memorable and moving story form. We’ll consider that story, our own story, and who God is forming us to be as His church in this place.
The Prodigal (Luke 15:20-24)
The story of the prodigal son is practically the reverse of this. The younger son, eager to have his independence and be free of the responsibilities of life at home asks his father for what only would have come to him at his father’s death. It was insulting, selfish, and particularly in the days Jesus told the story, embarrassing and shameful to the father and family. But after burning through all the money and finding himself not only in one of the lowliest jobs imaginable for a young Jewish man (feeding pigs!), he remembered something of who he had been and recognized where he was currently.He remembered that even the servants in his father’s household ate and slept better than this. He remembered the kindness of his father, though he would not imagine the extent of it. He recognized just how low he had come and decided to go beg his father to take him on as a hired hand, to regain some semblance of dignity and life.
Now you probably know the end of that story and we just heard it read anyway. But I want to pause there and look at Ephesians with you.
Remember! (vv. 11-13)
Starting in v. 11, twice we see the word REMEMBER. That’s what scripture says. Remember who you were and what happened to you. Remember what God has done. Let’s look:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Paul is writing to non-Jewish people – that’s who Gentiles are – about their relationship to God before the salvation of Christ. The first “remember” was that they were outside of God’s Word and covenant. Circumcision was the sign of participation in God’s covenant with Abraham and only those who were part of Israel took that sign. The second “remember” in verse 12 continues, spelling out some of the implications of not being part of the covenant. The Gentiles were separate from Christ (and all the promises and hopes for God’s Messiah signified and spelled out in that covenant).
Interestingly enough, anyone who WAS familiar with God’s covenant with Abraham and with Israel knew that God’s promises and hopes were not limited to the people of Israel, but were intended to be shared widely through the people of Israel. So it is not a surprise ending, but a promise kept to reach verse 13 and the big news: “BUT NOW.”
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
The blood of Christ is Jesus, giving his life for the forgiveness of sin, for the sake of all who believe, insiders and outsiders, Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. In fact, that’s the same promise Peter spoke over the peoples from many nations gathered in at Pentecost: “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:39)
God has kept His promise; God has kept the covenant, not just to bless Abraham and his children, but indeed all the nations and peoples of the world. That’s the amazing Good News, especially for those on the outside, those who have wandered, those who have experienced what it is to be separate from Christ. God doesn’t just care for those who hang near to him, but His vision and His heart are for those who are far off!
That’s the same God portrayed as the father in the story of the prodigal son… with extraordinary vision and compassion for His lost son who was far off.
Remember Who You Are
So Paul wrote Ephesians to a group predominantly made up of Gentile believers. He encouraged them to remember who they had been in order to appreciate what God has done in Christ and who they now are.
That’s the exercise I believe this text would have us engage in. Remember who you were in order to appreciate what God has done and who you now are in Christ. I recognize though, that for many of us the story is not as simple as that. For many of us, we have known the goodness of God, yet have wandered again. Like we sang earlier in the service, we are “prone to wander.” I was reminded of that this week when a friend posted a picture of their toddler, who keeps climbing out of her crib. There on the video monitor you can see her sleeping on the floor next to the crib. Her mom still sees her; her mom has a safe, comfortable place for her to sleep soundly, but she is going through a little stage of defiance and has decided to sleep on the floor. I thought, “There’s an illustration in that.” How often do I resist and rebel against the good things God has set aside for me only to stubbornly do my own thing. I am not outside God’s sight or love or rescue, but I’m also not experiencing His best for me.So as I invite you to this exercise of remembering this morning, I want to acknowledge the complexity of our lives and that we put ourselves again and again in places that are not our true home. The point of this message and this text is not shame or condemnation, but to remind you who and whose you are. God loves you and has created a good (best!) home in which for you to flourish, have joy, and experience rest. That home is within His Word, His presence, and His community.
If you’ve never known that, hear the Good News: God loves you and desires the best for you – not TV versions of “your best life” but joy, rest, and peace in Him. His invitation is not limited to the children of Abraham, to “good people,” or to those with a certain pedigree. His invitation and salvation are for you, right now.
If you’ve known God’s presence and peace, but feel like you are wandering right now, hear the parable Jesus told of God’s love for you. You may feel like you are the prodigal in the midst of the mud: remember your Father’s goodness and love. You may be risking the return home: picture the Good Father, not waiting to shame or condemn you, but Himself looking foolish in running to welcome you home and celebrate you being found. And hear me say: Welcome home to THIS community; it is one of the expressions of God’s family on this earth and we are glad you are here!
If you feel like you are in the midst of God’s presence and peace, I am thankful! Take both these texts up on their challenge to remember a time when you weren’t and give thanks to God for His great mercy, compassion, and love.
In a nutshell: remember who you are and remember who God is!
Re-MEMBER
And as a postscript I’d say: “Don’t go it alone!” One of the benefits and blessings of being in the Church is that in the Church we have a tangible experience of what it means to belong to God’s family. And while it means something a little different, we use the same root word of MEMBERSHIP to talk about belonging and claiming the identity. One way to experience life in the family of God is to participate in Church through regular worship, giving, service, fellowship, and learning together. Often wandering from God in heart or spirit goes hand in hand with wandering away from regular participation at Church. So, while it’s a bit of a play on words, there is a lot of overlap to challenge you not only to remember who you are and what God has done, but to RE-MEMBER or re-commit to participation in the Body of Christ that is the church.Let me give a for instance. Sometimes we might remember God’s great love by recalling the stories of grace and redemption. But reconnecting at Church – RE-MEMBERING in that way – can provide a tangible and memorable experience of God’s love through the hands and hearts of other folks. Today’s text provides a prescription for relapses of wandering from God: that prescription is to REMEMBER as well as to RE-MEMBER or reconnect as a way to experience the presence and truth of God’s deep love. Amen.
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