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Jan 24, 2021

A New Humanity

A New Humanity

Passage: Ephesians 2:11-17

Speaker: Patrick Lafferty

Series: All Things New

Keywords: reconciliation, unity, equipping, maturity, new man, hostility, stature

The new creation each one is through faith in His work is out to form a whole new humanity--a people set apart. There is a power beneath them, a point to them, and a provision for them.

Order of Worship

OPENING PRAYER: (From The Worship Sourcebook)
CALL TO WORSHIP: Colossians 3:12,14-16
OT READING: Isaiah 57:14-15,18-19
MESSAGE TITLE: A New Humanity
CENTRAL TEXT: Ephesians 2:11-17; 4:11-13
RESPONSE: Officer Ordination
CONFESSION OF SIN
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
COMMUNION (weather permitting)
BENEDICTION: Romans 15:5-6

Readings & Scripture

OPENING PRAYER: (From The Worship Sourcebook)
ALL “O God who quickened the faith that brought Magi from the east, who kindled the hope that brought captives from exile, and who inspires the love that brings strangers together, let the light that shone in the darkness shine upon us. Let it shine within us, that it might refine our divided hearts. Let it shine around us, that it might illumine the way that leads to our neighbors and to one another. And let it shine above us this day, that it might reveal the Christ who manifests your presence as we worship. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP: Colossians 3:12,14-16
LEADER: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
ALL: 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

OT READING: Isaiah 57:14-15,18-19
14 And it will be said: ‘Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” 15 For this is what the high and exalted One says –he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, 19 creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will heal them.’

CENTRAL TEXT: Ephesians 2:11-17; 4:11-13
11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands— 12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 15 when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, 16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,

4:11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.

CONFESSION OF SIN
All: Jesus, who sat at the table with outcasts and sinners, we confess that too often our words and actions are not consistent with our identity as new creations. As if the old has not passed away, we often ignore the needy, show indifference to the lonely, and reject those who seem different from us. Forgive us, we pray in light of what you have done for us in the gospel. Because the new has indeed come, empower us by your Holy Spirit to reach out to all in love for the glory of your name.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Hear the good news!
Who is in a position to condemn?
Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us,
Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old life has gone; a new life has begun.
Know that you are forgiven,and be at peace.
—based on Romans 8:34; 2 Corinthians 5:17

BENEDICTION: Romans 15:5-6
LEADER: 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

ALL: 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:

  • Deuteronomy 32:8-9
  • Isaiah 57:11-19
  • Romans 2:28-29
  • 1 Timothy 2:5

ILLUSTRATIONS:

1.24.21Album

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Low-hanging fruit question: What most threatens our common humanity presently? What would most serve it? A bit more radioactive question: What most threatens the church at-large today? What would most serve it?
  2. Paul speaks of an enmity between Jew and Gentile then. For what reasons might there have been enmity? How does the Lord’s “solution” to our estrangement with Himself have an effect on our estrangements with one another?
  3. What would most change in you today if you most deeply believed that you were reconciled to God? What would you no longer fear? Let go of? Take up? Work through?
  4. Paul rattles off several gifts God gives to those entrusted to lead and serve the church. Where else does Paul speak of gifts like that and what are they? Why does He call them gifts? Gifts for whom, and for what purpose?
  5. What are the several ideas associated with “maturity” in verse 13? What does a mature church look like? What does it do? How does it get “there”? 
  6. Pop quiz for after you gather for worship: who are our newest deacons and elder? What are your hopes for them? What are you needs from them?

QUOTES:

  • If two contending nations were brought under the dominion of one prince, he would not only desire that they should live in harmony, but would remove the badges and marks of their former enmity. - John Calvin
  • Reconciliation is the result of a struggle. - Jonathan Leech

BOOKS / DOCS

SERMONS / TALKS: 

Ephesians 2:11-22, Ephesians 4:1-16, two sermons by Sinclair Ferguson