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All right, well good morning. Howdy. It's great to be with you all. Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians. You might have guessed that. We're going to be spending our time there. We're going to be studying the final section of chapter two, verses nineteen through twenty-two.

It's part four of a series that I have entitled United with Christ. And I thought that we might just finish the chapter this morning, but I'm going to have to leave you hanging for one more. We're only going to be covering verse 19 this morning. And as you're turning there, let me ask you, do we have any Aggies here this morning?

Yeah, lots of Aggies, of course, in Aggie Land. I just love Aggies. I love being an Aggie. Married to an Aggie. I have a son that wants to be an Aggie. I love Aggies. I love living here. And the thing I love some of the things I love most about being an Aggie is the Aggie network.

You're familiar with this. Even if you're not an Aggie, you've probably experienced the Aggie network. And I'm always amazed at how connected and how loyal Aggies are to each other and to the school that they graduated from. I know other schools, fans of other schools are loyal to each other, but I've never seen anything like That of the Aggie network.

I mean, it doesn't matter where you are in the world, you're going to be hard-pressed not to find an Aggie that wants to have a conversation with you. If you run into an Aggie on the other side of the world, they're wanting to have a conversation and talk about Aggie Land and all things Aggie.

And perhaps you've experienced this, maybe traveling on vacation or something. You've run into somebody like that. And this past Tuesday, I got back from a family vacation. It's been a while since we have gone, taken all the kids on a vacation. And so we decided to get in the car and drive to Colorado and spend a few days up in the mountains hiking and seeing, enjoying God's beautiful creation.

And somehow, my oldest son, Stephen, convinced me that it would be a good idea to hike the Manitou Incline. I don't know if you guys know what that is, but it's 2,768 steps of pure pain. Straight up the mountain. I mean, it's just a straight line up the mountain.

You can see it for miles away. And he convinced me to do that with him. And my legs were burning, my lungs were burning. I felt like I was going to die by the time we made it to the top. But we did make it to the top, and it was beautiful.

And so we begin our descent down as a three-mile or so hike winding. Down the mountain, and as we're coming down the mountain, we hear someone else on the trail say, Howdy! And I thought to myself, there's only two people that would greet somebody with a howdy. They're either Texans or they're Aggies.

And this young man was both. He was both a Texan and an Aggie, and he's an incoming freshman this fall. And so we spent the next 20 or 30 minutes coming down the mountain talking to him about all things Aggie, right? And he was excited to be coming to live here in Aggie Land.

Never met the guy before, but there was an instant connection, right? Again, the next day, we were driving down some random road in the middle of nowhere looking for some obscure little park. And as we were driving up the mountain on the side of the road, there's this guy pedaling on a bike uphill.

Why he was doing that, I don't know. But he was wearing an Aggie cycling outfit. As I got closer, I see this, and so I moved to the side, and like any good Aggie, you honked the horn to the tune of Hallabaloo, Connect, Connect. And so as we're passing by, that's what we did.

And we turn around, and of course, he's smiling from ear to ear because he's an Aggie, and he recognized that. So no words were spoken, and yet there was this instant connection because of the Aggie network. And as great as of a connection that the Aggies have all over the world, I would submit to you that it pales in comparison to the union and the connection that we have with each other and to God through Christ.

There's nothing that compares to that, not even the Aggie network. Now, you may recall in verses 11 through 22 in our text this morning, Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 through 22, form one long sentence in the Greek. It's just one complete thought that emphasizes the significance of our union in Christ, the significance of being united with Christ.

And that becomes the theme of these verses. In verses 11 through 13, you may remember that Paul reminds us of our need to be united with Jesus Christ. That's 11 through 13. He tells us that as Gentiles, we were despised by God's people. We were separated by Christ.

We were excluded from the Commonwealth of Israel. We were strangers to the covenants of promise. We had no hope and were without God in the world. That's how he describes it in verses 11 through 13. We were hopelessly disconnected from God and his people. And then in verses 14 through 18, Paul tells us that not all hope was lost because he describes for us what made this union possible.

It was through the work of Christ on the cross. This is what we looked at the last time we were together. We looked at how Christ's death tore down the barriers that separated God's people from each other, and how his death removed the hostility that existed between us as sinners and a holy God.

We looked at that. And it was through Christ's death on a cross that the church was formed and peace was established among God's people. It was through Christ's death that both Jews and Gentiles were now reconciled together and placed into one body and then reconciled to God and made to be in relationship with God Himself.

This is what Christ's death made possible for us. It made union with God and union with His people a possible thing. Now we come to this final section in chapter 2, verses 19 through 22, and you're going to notice that it begins with the word so then. So then.

It can also be translated therefore. And it indicates that Paul is bringing all of his thoughts about our union with Christ to. Its logical conclusion. That's what it indicates for us. He's concluding his thoughts about our union with Christ. In other words, if you and I, being Gentiles, right, we're not Jews, they weren't Jews, they were Gentiles.

If you, being a Gentile, were hopelessly separated from God and from his people, but Jesus Christ, through his work on the cross, removed that separation, then the only logical conclusion is that those who are in Christ have now been united to God and united to his people. That's the point that he is trying to make.

This is the heart of what Paul is trying to get the Ephesian church to understand. He wanted them to understand that their relationship to God and their relationship to God's people had fundamentally changed. It wasn't the same as it was before because they had been united together in Christ.

Let me read these verses to you and then we'll study them together, beginning in verse 19. It says, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints. And you are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together.

Is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Now, again, in these three verses, four verses, Paul gives three illustrations that describe this union that we have in Christ. And with our time this morning, I want to show you the first two.

As I mentioned already, we'll leave the third one for another time. But the first two I want to show you this morning so that you will begin to understand exactly who you are in Christ and that you would understand how to relate to God and to his people.

So let's look at them together this morning, beginning in verse 19. The first illustration that Paul gives us is that of citizenship. Citizenship. And he tells us that our union with Jesus Christ brought about a change in our spiritual citizenship. Notice how he describes it to them in verse 19.

He begins by reminding them again of their status before coming to Christ. He says, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens. You're no longer strangers and aliens. Now, as I mentioned already in verses 11 through 13, he had reminded them of what they used to do.

To be in the past, what they were. And he used similar language, as I mentioned. They were excluded from God's people, strangers to the covenants of promise, separated from God. And that's what they were. That's what they were without Christ. They were strangers and they were aliens in regard to God's kingdom.

Now, these two words in the Greek language, strangers and aliens, they're very similar words, synonyms, really. And the first one, the word strangers, describes one who is simply visiting a place. That's what a stranger is. They're just visiting. They're not from that place. They're temporarily passing through. They're simply foreigners, right?

Visiting a country that's not their own, not intending to stick around long term. An example of this word getting used is Acts 17, 21. And you remember the scenario where they brought Paul in Athens and they were questioning him about the gospel that he was preaching and asking him questions.

They wanted to hear more. And it gives this comment in chapter 17, verse 21, that all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there, right, the Athenians were the locals, and the strangers were the ones that just happened to be visiting, passing through. And they used to spend their time and nothing than telling and hearing of Something new, right?

So that's a stranger. They're a visitor. They're foreign. They're just passing through. And perhaps if you've ever visited another country on vacation or gone on a short-term mission trip, I think we can relate to what Paul is getting at here. We've been strangers in a foreign country before, if you've done that.

And depending on how different that place is, you would have probably stuck out as someone that's not from around there, right? It would have probably been pretty easy to spot. Perhaps you had a different accent, you wore different clothes, you had a different culture, maybe a different skin color, a different way of doing things.

You're different. You were a stranger in that place. And here, Paul says that these Gentiles used to be strangers to God and strangers to his people. That's how he describes them. Israel was not their home. God's people were not their people. God's ways were not their ways, and they were simply strangers.

That's what he says. And secondly, the second word that he uses is that of an alien. Alien. It describes someone who's an outsider. Again, it's a similar word, refers to someone that doesn't belong to the country that they are living in. They may be living there, but the They are not citizens of that country or that kingdom.

That's what an alien is. And we have a similar term, right, in our country. If someone lives in the United States, but are not a citizen of the United States, what do we call them? An alien. Yes, a resident alien. They're living here, but they are not citizens.

And that's what Paul is saying: that the Gentiles were before Christ, in relation to God's kingdom. They were aliens in God's kingdom and among God's people. They didn't belong there. They had no rights or privileges of citizenship because they were not citizens. And so Paul goes on to say that these terms no longer define them.

They no longer existed as strangers and aliens among God's people. They were no longer outside the kingdom and cut off from the community of God's people because they were in Christ. That's what he's telling them. And we can see this in what he says next. He says, so then you're no longer strangers and aliens, but, contrast, you are fellow citizens with the saints.

You are. You are existing as fellow citizens with the saints. That's who you are now. Before, you were not. You had no rights, no privileges, but. Now, in Christ, you are a citizen. Now, this morning, I want to think of a few implications that we can draw from what it means to be a citizen in God's kingdom.

First of all, how does one become a citizen in God's kingdom? That is, how are we to relate to God in his kingdom? How do we become one? Is anyone here not born a citizen but became a citizen? I know we've had some come through a manual that have gone through the citizenship process here in this country, and it's an interesting process.

And if you've ever gone and participated in one or witnessed one, what they do towards the end is they ask them to give an oath of allegiance. Familiar with this. They give an oath of allegiance to become a citizen in this country. And I want to read you this oath that they have to recite because I think it will help us understand how it relates to being a citizen of God's kingdom.

It says this, they line them all up and they hold up their hand. They say, I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any. Foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been subject or citizen.

That I will support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America against all its enemies, foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. It goes on to acknowledge that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States if required.

I will perform service in the armed forces if required by law. I will perform work under the civilian direction when required by law. And then it concludes that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me, God. That's the oath that people take when they are born in another country, citizens of another country, and want to become citizens of our country in the United States.

They make an oath of allegiance to the United States, to support and defend, and they renounce all prior commitments to any other country. And you see, it's not any different when becoming a citizen of God's kingdom. You must bow before the king. You must declare. Declare your allegiance to him.

And of course, we know who that king is. The Bible declares that Jesus Christ is the king of kings. He is the Lord of lords, and we must bow to him. We must pledge our allegiance to him. Every knee must bow before Jesus Christ. You must renounce all your former allegiances when you come to Christ.

You can't serve two masters. So you must renounce your former allegiances to this world and to your selfish desires. And you must leave all those behind, and you must declare a new allegiance in faith to Jesus Christ, the one true King. You must bring yourself under his authority and his laws and his government and his direction and commit yourself to being governed by him.

This is how you become a citizen of God's kingdom. It is the only way. It is the only way. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. That's how we become a citizen, and it's also what unites us as citizens. We are united to God as citizens by the same process, right?

Each and every person that would become a citizen of God's kingdom comes the very same thing. Way by bowing to the king. And we're also united by the same purpose. The same purpose. Notice what Paul says back in our text. He says that we are fellow citizens with the saints.

Fellow citizens. We're not alone. There's many citizens in God's kingdom. And we all share one thing in common. Again, regardless of our background, regardless of our ethnicity, of our culture, of our language, of our economic status, of our gender, every citizen in God's kingdom must bow the knee to Jesus Christ and unite around one common purpose.

And that is to live our lives in subjection to Him. This is what makes us fellow citizens. We share a common purpose, and that is to see God's kingdom come and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is what we unite around as citizens of God's kingdom.

So, again, we must bow before the king and become citizens. And when you do, something marvelous happens. You become a citizen and you are granted the full rights and privilege. Privileges of being a citizen of the king and God's kingdom. Now, there are many privileges we could point out this morning, but I just want to point out a couple of them to you.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6, verse 25. Maybe familiar with this passage. Jesus is giving a Sermon on the Mount. It's a sermon that is talking about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God and those who would be a part of that kingdom.

And he tells them that the citizens of this kingdom are promised God's provision. Starts in verse 25: For this reason I say to you, this is Jesus speaking, do not be worried about your life as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor for your body as to what you will put on.

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you, being worried, can add a single hour to his life?

And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the Lord Lilies of the field grow. They do not toil, nor do they spin. Yet I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you?

O you of little faith, do not worry then, saying, What we will eat, or what will we drink, or what will we wear for clothing? For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, but your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you.

You see, as a citizen of God's kingdom, we don't have to worry about being provided for. We are promised God's provision. He will provide for all of our needs. We don't have to worry about these things. That's a privilege of being a citizen of the king. Now, some of you may be saying, well, what if I lose my citizenship?

What if someone tries to steal it from me? Someone tries to kick me out of the kingdom, if you will. Who's going to protect me? Turn over to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Beginning in verse 31, Paul is asking several questions, and then he addresses them and answers them in verse 38, but begins questioning in verse 31 of chapter 8: what then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? Who can bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies.

Who is the one who condemns? Verse 35, who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Will those separate us? He answers it in verse 38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord friends not only will God provide for his citizens and give them everything that they need but he offers his divine protection true citizens do not have to worry about their citizenship being revoked because They have been protected by the king.

So, again, there are many more privileges that come with being a citizen of heaven and of God's kingdom that we could mention this morning, but I must move on. Lastly, you need to understand the location of our citizenship, the location of our citizenship. Do you remember Jesus' words in John chapter 18?

He's standing before Pilate. They brought him in before Pilate, and he was summoned there, and Pilate asked him a question. He said, Are you the king of the Jews? You the king of the Jews. You remember what he said? It says in chapter 18, verse 36, that Jesus answered in this way, My kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not of this realm. God's kingdom is not of this realm. It's not of this world. It's not an earthly kingdom.

And our citizenship is not found here either. As Paul reminds us in Philippians 3, 18 through 21, our citizenship is in heaven. That's where our citizenship is found. It's in heaven. You know, it's interesting. We used to be aliens and strangers to God's kingdom. That was how we were defined, aliens and strangers to God's kingdom.

We were foreigners. But now, we have been made citizens of God's kingdom, and we have become aliens and strangers of this world. Isn't that right? We have renounced our allegiances to this world. This is not our home country anymore. Our citizenship is in heaven. We no longer serve the God of this world, the king of this world, and we are simply passing through.

That is how we are to view our citizenship. This world is temporary, but our citizenship is permanently reserved for us in heaven. I wonder if that describes you this morning. Are you a true citizen of God's kingdom? If you are, then I exhort you this morning to live like one.

Live as a citizen of the king. Live as though you are not a citizen of this world, but a citizen of heaven. And let those truths transform your life. Let them transform how you spend your time. Let them transform how you build relationships. Relationships, with who you build relationships with and how you cultivate them.

Let it transform how you accumulate possessions, earthly possessions in particular. Let your life reflect your true citizenship. Maybe I put it another way: your life does reflect where your citizenship is. It does. So evaluate how you are living your life. Maybe there are some here this morning who maybe you're just passing through, right?

You're here at church this morning, not really planning on sticking around. Church really isn't a place you normally go. Maybe someone invited you here and you sort of feel like a stranger. This is a foreign place to you. You hear things we're talking about, the things of God, and it's strange to you.

My invitation to you is: don't be a stranger. Don't stay a stranger. Come, come to Christ. Come and bow before the king and pledge your allegiance to him. He is a good king, worthy of serving, and he will not turn you away. If that is you this morning, come to him and he will not cast you away, but he will welcome you into his kingdom with open arms, and he will bestow upon you all the rights and privileges.

Of citizenship, if you will only come. If you only come to him. Still, there may be others here this morning who you've been here for a long time. You've been coming to church, maybe this church, another church, maybe even serving in its ministries, serving among God's people, interacting in many ways, and yet the reality is you are a resident alien.

And you know it. Maybe that's you this morning. You know that you've never become a true citizen of God's kingdom, and you've just been pretending. That was me for the first 18 to 20 years of my life. And the invitation is the same to you. Come, come to Christ.

Come, become a true citizen of God's kingdom. Okay, so that is the first illustration that Paul gives, is that of citizenship. And if you are in Christ, this is how we ought to think of ourselves. My wife made me a PowerPoint. I better use it. There we go.

That's how we are to think of ourselves as citizens in God's kingdom. That's who we are, and that's how we are to relate to one another and relate to God and relate to His people. But Paul adds to this. By giving a second illustration, and that's in the last phrase of verse 19.

It says, You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens, fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, of God's household. The second illustration that Paul gives is that of a family. And he tells us that our union with Jesus Christ brought a change in our spiritual family.

It says, You are children in God's family. The root word for household literally means house. It's often used to refer to the structure, the house, the building that people live in. But it can also refer to the household or the family unit living inside that house. For example, in 1 Timothy 5, Paul uses the same term when giving instructions to the family about being responsible for caring for the widows and their own family.

The same term. He's referring to the people living as a family unit. They were responsible. Again, in Galatians 6:10, he says, Let us do good to everyone, especially those to the household of faith. Same word. Again, not speaking of a physical house, but of a community of people, a community of faith, a family of.

Faith. And I think back in our texts in Ephesians 2, given the context of the passage and that this illustration is being used to teach us how to relate to God and to his people, I think it's best to understand that it's speaking not of a structure, but of God's family.

God's family, and particularly the relationships within God's family. So, how should we understand these relationships within God's family? First, we are to view God as our Father. That's the first thing I want you to notice. Now, Paul has already made several references to this in his letter. Let me highlight some of these for you.

First of all, he opens and closes the letter by saying, Grace to you and peace from God our Father. He addresses God as our Father. Chapter 1, verse 3, Paul says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

So, again, he is our Father, and He is the one who blesses us with spiritual blessings. Again, in chapter 1, verse 17, He's referred to as the Father of glory, the Father of glory, and He's the one who is giving wisdom and And spiritual insight to us. Chapter 2, verse 18: it's through Christ that both Jews and Gentiles have their access to the Spirit, in one spirit, to the Father.

And then, lastly, chapter 3, verse 14, Paul is praying and bowing his knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. So you see, we are to view God as our Father. And if God is our Father, what does that make those who are in His family?

His children, right? His children. If God is our Father, then everyone in His family are His children. We are to view ourselves as God's children in God's family, sons and daughters of God. So, if God is our Heavenly Father and we are His children, how then should we relate to Him?

How do we relate to God within His family? I would suggest to you that it's the same way that our children relate to our, how we as children relate to our earthly parents, our earthly fathers. How is that? Well, children depend upon their parents for everything, especially young children.

For food and for nourishment, we depend on our parents to provide clothing and shelter, to protect us from harm, to direct us with wise counsel and guidance, to love us unconditionally, to care for us, to be an example for us. That is how we as children relate to our parents.

Also, as children, we are to obey our parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1. Children are to submit themselves to their parents' authority and to their instruction and to be obedient to them. They are to honor their father and mother, show respect to their parents.

And so, if that is how we as children ought to relate to our earthly parents, how much more ought we to depend upon and submit to and give honor to our heavenly Father? You see that? We must do that. Therefore, when Paul says we are of God's household, he wants us to view ourselves as children in God's family, and we ought to relate to him as such, as our heavenly Father.

Now, this, of course, benefits. A question. How do you become a child in God's family? How does one get into God's family? How do you enter in? This is perhaps the most important question you could ask in your entire life. And it's imperative that you answer it correctly because a wrong answer leads to eternal separation from God's family.

As I was studying this, I remembered a young lady that I interacted with in college. She was a friend of my roommates. She was of Catholic background. She grew up in the Catholic Church. And we got into a discussion one time about this very thing, right, about how does one enter into God's family.

And as we began discussing this, she became very upset because I told her that not everyone is in God's family. And this upset her greatly. She became very emotional. She was crying, very angry that I would suggest such a horrible thing that someone that God had created was not one of his children.

And in her paradigm, God was the father, and he created everyone, and so therefore everyone was a child of God, and he would never cast anyone out of his family. And that was her paradigm. And so I tried to explain to her that, as with earthly families, becoming a child in God's family can only happen in one of two ways.

There's only two ways into God's family: by birth and by adoption. And the Bible speaks of both. Speaks of both. In fact, Paul has already mentioned in the letter to the Ephesians about our adoption in Christ. You may recall in chapter 1, verses 5 through 6, it says this, In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself.

You see, God adopted us, he prearranged all of the details that were needed to bring about our adoption as sons. But it is through Jesus Christ. It is only those who are in Christ that have been adopted. And it's according to his will and the praise of his glory, of his grace that he bestowed upon us.

Again, in Galatians 4, Paul says this: that God sent forth his son, born of a woman, so that he might redeem those who were under the law and that we might receive the adoption as sons. And so we must be adopted into God's family. But Scripture is also clear.

That you must also be born into God's family. Turn with me quickly to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. John is talking about Jesus. He's referring to him as the light of the world, the true light that had come into the world in verse 9 and had enlightened every man.

And in verse 11, it says that Jesus, being that true light, came to his own, that is, to his own people, to the people of Israel, to God's people. And it says that those who are his own did not receive him. That is, God's people, supposed to be God's family, did not receive God's own Son.

That's what he says in verse 11. And in verse 12, he says, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe. So who is it that becomes, who are the ones that are given the right to become children of God?

It's the ones who received him, right? It's The one who received Jesus, the ones who are believing in his name. He goes on to say, it's the ones who are born not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not the will of man, but of who?

But of God. Ones who are born of God. These are the ones who are children of God. And just a couple chapters later, in chapter 3, which we read this morning for our scripture reading, Jesus reminded Nicodemus that unless one is born from above, right, born from God, born of the Spirit, they cannot see the kingdom of God.

They cannot enter into God's family. You see, physical birth is not enough. Being created by God and in his image is not enough. It does not place you into God's spiritual family. You must be born again. You must be born from above, from God in the Spirit. How does that happen?

He tells us in John 3, 16, even if this is your first time to ever set foot in a church, I imagine you may be familiar with this verse. It says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him, whoever puts their life into his care, whoever Cast themselves upon Christ, trusts in Him, who pledges allegiance to Him, whoever does that will not perish, but have eternal life.

Listen, if you are here this morning and you want to be placed eternally into God's family, to be cared for and to be loved for by a heavenly Father, a good Father, then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. You will. And you will instantly, in a moment, enter and be placed into God's beloved family.

There's one other relationship that I want to point out to you that I think Paul intends to highlight by using this illustration of a family. See, if you are a child of God and you have been placed into God's family, and the person sitting next to you is also a child of God and been placed into God's family, what does that make you?

Siblings, yes, it makes you family. Brothers and sisters, members of the same family. Now, you may look at the person next to you and you might say, no, wait a minute. Ah, we can't be family. I don't like that guy. That person makes me mad. There's no way we could be in the same family.

Family. Or maybe you look at that person, you say, you know, that person's too different. They're different than I am. They look different. They dress different. They are from another country. They don't talk like me. They don't look like me. They do strange things. I don't know, right?

There's no way we can be family, right? They're too different. And I think we can relate to that, right? I can tell you right now, I have yet to meet a family that doesn't have someone that's just a little different, right? Yeah, you're laughing. You know it's true, right?

You know it's true. And maybe it's you, right? Maybe it's me. Maybe we're the weird ones. But in all seriousness, just because someone in your family is a little different, right, different than you, it doesn't change the fact that they are still your family. They're still related to you, whether you claim them or not.

And it shouldn't surprise you to hear that this concept of family in our culture today is very muddy. It's broken, it's divided. We hear stories of broken families, broken homes, broken marriages. And the way that I hear of some families treating each other in our culture today is very sad and quite disturbing.

You have husbands. That are abusing their wives. You have wives that are cursing their husbands, parents disowning their kids, brothers and sisters hating each other so much that they refuse to speak to each other for decades. Can't even walk down the same aisle at the grocery store because they're so angry and they've let their anger divide them.

It's terrible, the state of the family in our culture. But you know what's even more tragic than that? It's when we hear that God's family acts the same way sometimes. When churches allow division in their body, when they allow divisiveness to take place and to remain in the church, it is absolutely tragic and it brings reproach upon the name of Christ.

May that never be said of this church or of God's family. You know, I think this would have been a real threat to the church at Ephesus. And I think this is part of the reason why Paul gave them this illustration of a family. He wanted to remind them that those who are in Christ are all in God's family, regardless of their differences.

You see, they had Jews and Gentiles in the same body that Paul was writing to. And the Hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles was very real and very deep. They despised each other for a long time. They lived differently. They had different customs. They ate different foods, spoke different languages, etc., etc.

And so Paul's telling these Gentile believers at Ephesus: you're now family with your former enemies. You're family now. You're all children of God in Christ Jesus. There's neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female. You're all one. And you're to treat them that way. And friends, there would have been a massive collision of differences in the body there at Ephesus.

And so you can imagine the struggle that some of these believers, these Gentile and Jewish believers, would have been having as they read these words that Paul had written. You are of God's household. You are of God's family. And so he gives this illustration so that they would know how they ought to relate to one another.

And he gives them several other reminders throughout the rest of his letter. Let me just read two of them to you. The first one is in chapter 4, verse 1. Chapter 4, verse 1, he says, This, Therefore, I, Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you, I beg.

You to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have been called. Here's how. With all humility and gentleness and patience, showing tolerance for one another and love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. For there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

You see, he reminds them of the necessity that God's family be unified, that they strive for the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. And that takes humility and gentleness and patience, etc. And so he reminds them of this. And then he goes on at the end of chapter 4, verse 31.

Listen to these words. He says, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God and Christ has also forgiven you. Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children.

There's our family connection again. As beloved children, walk in love just as Christ also loved you. And gave himself up for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God. So he reminds them, as beloved children, imitate God by loving your brothers and sisters in Christ. Love them regardless of their differences.

That is how we are to relate to each other in God's family. So to summarize what we've covered this morning, the first illustration that Paul gave us was that of citizenship. And if you are in Christ this morning, you are to think of yourselves as citizens in God's kingdom, having pledged your allegiance to him and submitting yourselves to his authority in your life.

And then, secondly, the illustration that of a family. Again, if you are in Christ, you are to think of yourselves as children in God's family. That is who you are, and that is how we are to relate to God as our Father and to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

And so as you look around this morning in this room, you're going to see people from all different walks of life and backgrounds. And while we may not all bleed Aggie Maroon, we are all united together by the blood of Jesus Christ. If you are in Christ, this is what unites us to God.

And it's what unites us to each other. It's what makes us a family. Next time, we'll look at the third illustration that Paul gives in verses 20 through 22, and that's of choice stones in God's temple. We'll look at that next time. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, again, we thank you for your word, the clarity of your word.

We thank you that you have given it to us so that we might understand these things, that we might understand our need of you, our need to be united to you, and that we might understand how that was made possible through Jesus Christ, through his death on the cross, and through these illustrations that you have given us.

I pray that these truths would transform our lives as we leave here this week. In Jesus' name, amen.