Read from Ephesian 2.
Pastoring in LA when riots broke out in 1992 after cops who brutalized Rodney King were set free. King’s famous line… “Can’t we all just get along?”
Can we?
What does it take for hate to be replaced by love?
Ephesians 2:14-18. God has a plan for peace and unity. His plan is a person. Christ.
1. Christ is Our Peace
In Ephesians 2, verses 1-10 tells us how christ makes Christians, in verses 11 on, he tells how Christ makes the church. There is peace in the person and work of Christ.
2:14 He himself is our peace. He and he alone.
John 16:33. In me you may have peace.
Psalm 34:14. Seek peace and pursue it.
Isaiah 9:6.
He has made the two one. He made the two polarized groups into one. He didn’t make them coexist, he made them one. He didn’t make one conform to the other, he made both become ONE NEW MAN.
Blood isn’t thicker than the water of baptism!!
He broke down the dividing wall of hostility. Hostility can build walls without using bricks. Christ breaks down what we build to divide. He does it in his body. His righteous life and atoning death bring down that wall. If Christ has torn those walls down we must not build them back up.
2. Christ MADE peace
He is peace, and he has MADE peace by abolishing the law. At the Cross! By creating ONE NEW MAN at the cross, reconciling us to God at the Cross. Made peace in the church.
He reconciled us IN ONE BODY. There is one body and only one. NOt many. One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
Jesus killed the hostility.
Bottom line of racial hostility issues. Racial hostility issues are sin issues. The hiding and dividing in the garden started when sin started. It is a fruit of sin. There are no irreconcilable differences when Christ has brought down the dividing wall of hostility. We cannot allow to stand in our churches what Christ died to tear down.
Personal preferences. Programs. Selfish Ambition. We cannot let them divide.
3. Christ proclaimed Peace
Jesus preached it to those far off and those who were near. The ground is level at the food of the cross. Far off or near, all are welcome.
The church, too, must proclaim the peace of Christ!
