We are United
Series: Who is the Church?
Speaker: John Lau
Date: 22nd February 2026
00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 As we consider our vision of life and ministry together over the next 10 years,
00:00:07 --> 00:00:11 we have been studying Ephesians to understand God's vision for the church
00:00:11 --> 00:00:15 ! and getting to know who is the church that God wants us to become.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:22 Finding out our characteristics of the bride that God is preparing for His Son,
00:00:22 --> 00:00:26 hoping that we will align our vision with God's vision for the church
00:00:26 --> 00:00:31 as we look forward to the time we honour God with how we live and do ministry
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 at St. Paul's, united under Christ.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:39 The church is God's new humanity, society and people,
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 where old barriers are broken down.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 The church is what the world needs.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:51 And we have seen in Ephesians so far that we are blessed to carry out God's plan
00:00:51 --> 00:00:52 to bless His world.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:58 We are growing in God's love and living hope to glorify God.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:02 And we are alive, safe from making God's bride more beautiful.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:09 So today, we'll consider how we are united from the passage that Anne just read out for us
00:01:09 --> 00:01:13 from chapter 2, verse 11 to 22, with the following points.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 And you can follow that along in our church app.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 So, three points I want to talk about.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:24 A divided humanity, describing our condition outside of Christ,
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 alienated, estranged and without hope.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:32 A united church, proclaiming the great reconciliation work
00:01:32 --> 00:01:36 that Christ accomplished on the cross, making the two groups one.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 And being a united church,
00:01:38 --> 00:01:43 depicting our new identity and mission within this new community.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 Fellow citizens and members of God's household,
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 built together to become God's temple.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 So last Sunday, Steve, our senior minister,
00:01:52 --> 00:01:57 explained our predicament and condition as human apart from God.
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 We are dead because of our self-centeredness.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:07 Selfishness, a constant calculating of what is in it for me,
00:02:08 --> 00:02:12 is the root of sin and cause of problems we see in this world.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:18 We live in a world riddled with division, opposition and alienation,
00:02:18 --> 00:02:26 where separation along racial, political, social and generational lines grow ever deeper.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:33 It's not much different to the time of Paul when he write this letter to the divisions.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:37 One of the more obvious separation was among believers
00:02:37 --> 00:02:43 when they start segregating and giving other people groups labels and names.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:45 We read,
00:02:45 --> 00:03:05 Remember that at that time you were separated from Christ,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:12 excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigner to the confidence of the promises,
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 without hope, without God in the world.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:21 Humanities segregated and call each other names due to selfishness.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:27 The computer within each one of us are constantly in overdrive,
00:03:27 --> 00:03:34 working out who are my in-group that will confirm my identity and worth.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:39 Who are the group that I can step on to elevate myself,
00:03:39 --> 00:03:43 to achieve greater return for whatever effort I put into my life.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:50 So with five faces, Paul revealed a picture of profound darkness and despair
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 of a divided humanity.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 Firstly, he talks about separating from Christ.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 This is a fundamental alienation.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:06 Christ is a source of life, truth, and a way to our Heavenly Father.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:11 To be separated from Him is to be cut off from life's meaning,
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 ultimate truth, and eternal destiny.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:18 This is a spiritual death that mentioned last week in previous passage.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:23 Secondly, he used a face excluded from citizenship in Israel.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:30 Israel here referred to the nation God chose in history to bear His redemptive plan.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:36 To be outside of this community means you were not part of the official narrative
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 of God's salvation story.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 An outsider, a marginal figure.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 Citizenship can only be by birth or granted.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 And John 1.12 says,
00:04:48 --> 00:04:54 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believe in His name,
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 He gave the right to become children of God.
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 It's a privilege that cannot be earned or bought.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 It can only be received by faith in grace.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:09 We can often see how so many people turn their privilege as a weapon
00:05:09 --> 00:05:14 to exclude and ostracize those they label as foreigners or outsiders.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:21 Their action reflects the deep sense of loss and separation within themselves.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:27 The barrier and unrest they face when they try to reach out to their Father God.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:33 In our faith that Paul uses foreigners to their confidence of the promise,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:40 God made confidence of promises to Abraham, the father of our faith,
00:05:40 --> 00:05:45 of redemption, rest, and ultimately a Savior.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:50 These promises are to Abraham himself and his offsprings.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 And Galatians 3.7 says,
00:05:52 --> 00:05:57 tells us that those who have faith are children of Abraham.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:03 This confidence, a vessel of hope of inheritance,
00:06:03 --> 00:06:12 but as a foreigner, humanity have no share in these certain future-oriented promises.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:17 The future of humanity can only be the best described
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 as a crop shrouded with uncertainty.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:25 And Paul goes on to say,
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 without hope, without God, without the promises,
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 all striving was ultimately fertile,
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 because humanity is dead in our transgression.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 Despite its pantheon of gods,
00:06:38 --> 00:06:44 the Greco-Roman world was largely pessimistic or vague about the afterlife.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:49 They embarked on world concords to build great monuments
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 to show their significance,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 but deep down is meaningless.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 Meaningless.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:56 Utterly meaningless.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 Everything is meaningless,
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 as said by the teacher of Ecclesiastic.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:07 The feeling of despair is what we can strongly resonate
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 within our secular society today.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:15 Our digital world has given us a parallel tour for connection,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:22 yet we are arguably a lonelier, more alienated society than ever.
00:07:23 --> 00:07:27 We create perfect lives on social media,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:31 yet feel deeply inadequate compared to others.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 We might have hundreds of friends online,
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 but no one to sit with us in our grief.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:42 Anxiety, depression, and a search for meaning in achievement,
00:07:42 --> 00:07:47 likes, or substance manifest our state of hopelessness.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 And finally, without God in the world,
00:07:52 --> 00:07:53 the ultimate poverty.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:58 It doesn't mean polytheism or atheism per se,
00:07:58 --> 00:08:03 but it's more about not knowing the one true living God,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 the creator who is full of grace and truth,
00:08:06 --> 00:08:13 life is of death of an orphan wandering in the cosmos.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 We live in a growing heat economy
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 of transactional homelessness.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 The increasing number of ride-share driver,
00:08:24 --> 00:08:28 task app contractor, and delivery person,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 they're essential to cities' function,
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 yet they have no stable place in it.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 No company health insurance,
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 no retirement plan,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 no team lunchroom.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 They're perpetual outsiders,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 navigating systems not built for them,
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 always looking for a next kid.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 To be without God in the world
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 is to live in a state of spiritual kid world.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:54 We hustle for meaning.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 The next promotion,
00:08:56 --> 00:08:57 the perfect relationship,
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 a fitness goal.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 We contract for temporary relief,
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 a vacation, entertainment, retail charity.
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 But we have no permanent home,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 no secure inheritance,
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 no loving father who provides and protects.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 As a stranger,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 negotiating with a universe
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 that feels impersonal and transactional,
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 our labor for purpose
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 never leads to permanent rest.
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 This homelessness
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 is a core human condition
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 when we are apart
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 from being brought into
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 the household of God.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 So this fivefold description
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 is a microscope
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 of the shared human condition
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 of life without Christ.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 Racial superiority and prejudice,
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 cultural arrogance and disdain,
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 social stratification and opposition,
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 political polarization and hospitality,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 and even division within churches
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 over traditions, practice,
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 or theological nuance
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 are the external walls
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 that divide humans.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 We also build internal walls
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 of pride, self-righteousness,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 judgment, bitterness, and unforgiveness.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 This wall isolates us
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 from each other
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 and from the life and love of God.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 And Paul wants us to remember
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 this former condition
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 so we can see that
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 what we need saving from
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 is not only personal guilt,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 but also this corporate,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 structural reality
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 of division and alienation.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 God's plan of salvation
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 from the very beginning
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 is to create
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 a united new community.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 But now in Christ Jesus,
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 you who once were far away
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 have been brought near
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 by the blood of Christ.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 For he himself is our peace,
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 who has made the two group one
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 and has destroyed the barrier,
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 the defining wall of hostility.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 By setting aside in fresh
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 the law which is commands
00:11:09 --> 00:11:09 and regulations,
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 his purpose was to create
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 in himself one new humanity,
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 out of the two,
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 thus making peace,
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 and in one body
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 to reconcile both of them
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 to God through the cross,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 by which he put to death
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 our hostility.
00:11:25 --> 00:11:29 He comes and prays peace to you
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 who are far away
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 and peace to those
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 who are near.
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 For through him
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 we both have access
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 to the Father
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 by one spirit.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 But now,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 it's one of the most powerful
00:11:40 --> 00:11:41 transitional places
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 in the scripture.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 All the former darkness
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 is utterly rewritten
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 by the work of Christ.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 Paul here unfilled
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 the most central
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 revolutionary
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 social truth
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 of the Christian faith,
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 that Christ himself
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 is our peace.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 Peace is not
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 an abstract feeling
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 or temporary truth.
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 It is a person,
00:12:08 --> 00:12:08 Jesus Christ.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 He achieved unity
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 through the cross.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 The basic of the unity
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 is the blood of Christ.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 The cost of being brought near
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 was astronomically high,
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 achieved not through
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 compromise
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 or moral persuasion,
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 but by the blood of Christ.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 By giving his life
00:12:30 --> 00:12:30 on the cross,
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 Christ paid the ultimate price,
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 satisfying the demand
00:12:36 --> 00:12:36 of justice,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 appeasing God's wrath
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 and providing the basis
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 for forgiving
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 the debt we own each other.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 This is the foundation
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 of reconciliation.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 The method of unity
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 is destroying
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 the defining war.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 The law
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 with its commands
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 and regulations
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 are the instrument
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 and sign
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 to tell us
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 how short
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 we have fall
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 from God's standard.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 It's a symbol
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 of our separation
00:13:05 --> 00:13:05 from God
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 and his people.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 That war
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 which defied
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 was abolished
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 by Christ
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 in his flesh.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 How did he
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 do this
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 in his flesh?
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 by fulfilling
00:13:18 --> 00:13:18 the law
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 perfectly.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 And then on the cross,
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 he bears
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 his curse
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 for law
00:13:25 --> 00:13:25 breakers.
00:13:27 --> 00:13:27 Thus,
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 the law's function
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 as a condemning
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 and dividing force
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 was set aside
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 for those
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 who trust in Christ.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 No longer
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 a barrier
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 between people
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 and God
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 and people
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 with peoples.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 the purpose
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 of unity
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 is to create
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 one new humanity.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 God's purpose
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 was not simply
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 for believers
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 to conform
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 to certain rules
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 and regulations,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 but to transform
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 in a new humanity
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 that he is creating
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 for himself.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 This is a new creation,
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 a brand new category
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 of humanity.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 In this new community,
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 being in Christ
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 is a new
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 primary identity.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 Racial,
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 cultural,
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 and social differences
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 remain,
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 but they lost
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 that defining
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 and dividing
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 power.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:24 Instead,
00:14:25 --> 00:14:25 they become
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 a diverse canvas
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 upon which
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 the rich grace
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 of God
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 is displayed.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 And the dual
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 dimension
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 of unity
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 are peace
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 with God
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 and peace
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 with each other.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 Christ's work
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 brings reconciliation
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 in both
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 the vertical
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 and horizontal
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 dimension.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:48 Vertically,
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 reconcile both
00:14:50 --> 00:14:50 of them
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 to God
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 through the cross.
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 We are enemies
00:14:54 --> 00:14:54 of God
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 because of our sin.
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 The cross
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 appeased
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 their hostility,
00:14:59 --> 00:14:59 restoring our
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 relationship
00:15:00 --> 00:15:00 with God.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 Horizontally,
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 the same cross
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 put to death
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 the hostility
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 between humans.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 When we stand
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 together
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 at the foot
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 of the cross,
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 seeing ourselves
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 equally
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 as sinners
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 saved by grace
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 alone
00:15:18 --> 00:15:18 through faith
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 alone,
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 any sense
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 of superiority
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 based on law,
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 lineage,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 or cultural
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 lost its footing.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 Ultimately,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 through Him,
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 we both
00:15:29 --> 00:15:29 have access
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 to the Father
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 by one Spirit.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 What a glorious
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 truth.
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 The Church
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 is not a club
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 of morally
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 improved individuals,
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 but a new
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 creation
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 community,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:42 purchased
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 by Christ's blood
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 from the death,
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 resurrected
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 by His power
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 from death,
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 and united
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 by His Spirit.
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 Our peace
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 is found
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 on Christ's
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 finished work,
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 not on our
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 achieved
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 consensus.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 So how do we
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 live our being
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 at the United Church?
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 Let's read on.
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 It says,
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 Consequently,
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 you are no longer
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 foreigner
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 and stranger,
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 but fellow citizens
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 with God's people
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 and also members
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 of His household.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 Built on the foundation
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 of the apostles
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 and prophets,
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 with Christ Jesus
00:16:18 --> 00:16:18 Himself
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 as the chief
00:16:20 --> 00:16:20 cornerstone,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:21 in Him,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 the whole building
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 is joined together
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 and raised
00:16:25 --> 00:16:25 to become
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 a holy temple
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 in the Lord.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28 And in Him,
00:16:29 --> 00:16:29 you too
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 are being built
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 together
00:16:31 --> 00:16:31 to become
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 a dwelling
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 in which
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 God lives
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 by His Spirit.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 Since we have
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 been made
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 one in Christ,
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 how then
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 shall we
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 live out
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 this identity?
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 Paul uses
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 three powerful
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 metaphors
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 to describe
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 our present status
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 and ongoing
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 process
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 of growth.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:51 So firstly,
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 we are citizens
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 and family members.
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 No longer foreigners
00:16:56 --> 00:16:56 or strangers,
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 we now possess
00:16:59 --> 00:16:59 the ultimate
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 belonging
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 and identity.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 We are fellow citizens
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 sharing equal rights,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 responsibility
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 and protection.
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 We are even more
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 significantly
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 members
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 of His household,
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 children in God's family,
00:17:14 --> 00:17:14 brothers and sisters
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 to one another.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:18 This means
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 church relationship
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 surpasses
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 ordinary
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 club friendship.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 It's a family
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 love relationship
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 bought by the
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 blood of Christ.
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 Our responsibility
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 to one another
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 is the loyalty,
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 acceptance
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 and support
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 all to family.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 And secondly,
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 we are a temple
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 under construction.
00:17:40 --> 00:17:43 This is a dynamic,
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 growing metaphor.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 The church
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 is a building
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 with apostles
00:17:48 --> 00:17:48 and prophets
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 as foundation.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 Apostles and prophets
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 are common terms
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 referring to the Bible,
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 which witness to
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 and proclaim
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 the truth
00:17:57 --> 00:17:57 about Christ.
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 Our foundation
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 will become stronger
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 as we connect
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 with God daily
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 in reading the Bible
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 and prayer.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 as we,
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 as well as
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 intentionally
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 sharing the gospel,
00:18:12 --> 00:18:12 which are
00:18:12 --> 00:18:14 two of the
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 seven rhythms
00:18:15 --> 00:18:15 of grace
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 that is listed
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 in the book
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 of our season magazine.
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 The chief
00:18:21 --> 00:18:21 cornerstone
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 of the church
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 is Christ Jesus
00:18:23 --> 00:18:23 Himself.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 The cornerstone
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 determines
00:18:26 --> 00:18:26 the alignment
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 and angle
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 and stability
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 of the whole structure.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 Christ
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 is our standard,
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 our center
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 and our reliance.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 True unity
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 happens
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 when every part
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 is aligned to Him
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 as we practice
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 the seven rhythms
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 of grace.
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 The building process
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 is described
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 as in Him
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 the whole building
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 is joined together
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 and raised
00:18:52 --> 00:18:52 to become
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 a holy temple
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 in the Lord.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 As we worship God
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 and build
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 spiritual friendship
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 weekly,
00:18:59 --> 00:18:59 which are
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 another two rhythms
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 of the grace
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 that we have mentioned,
00:19:04 --> 00:19:04 each believer
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 is like
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 a living stone
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 as referred to
00:19:08 --> 00:19:10 1 Peter 2,
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 verse 5,
00:19:11 --> 00:19:11 being built
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 together
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 by the Spirit.
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 The process
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 requires
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 joining together,
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 fitted and connected
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 precisely,
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 and rises
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 gradually,
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 requires time,
00:19:23 --> 00:19:23 patience,
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 and growth.
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 Unity
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 is not a state
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 of perfection
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 achieved overnight.
00:19:30 --> 00:19:30 It's a process
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 of continuing
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 being built
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 together
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 in Christ,
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 which sometimes
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 involves
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 sanding and
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 trimming
00:19:37 --> 00:19:39 and all those things.
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 And thirdly,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 we are God's
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 drawing place.
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 This is the ultimate
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 purpose
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 of the church
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 existence,
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 to be God's
00:19:48 --> 00:19:48 drawing.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 In Old Testament,
00:19:51 --> 00:19:51 temple
00:19:51 --> 00:19:53 was a place
00:19:53 --> 00:19:53 where God's glory
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 temporarily
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 resides.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 Now,
00:19:57 --> 00:19:57 through His
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 living Spirit,
00:19:58 --> 00:20:00 God takes up
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 permanent residence
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 in His new
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 temple,
00:20:03 --> 00:20:03 the united
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 community of
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 church.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 God desires
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08 to manifest
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 His presence
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 and glory
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 in the midst
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 of our loving
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 church life
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 together.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 When we make
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 every effort
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 to keep the
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 unity of the
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 Spirit,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 we display to
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 the world
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 the reality
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 of God
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 with us.
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 We are united
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 as we look
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 forward to
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 our life and
00:20:27 --> 00:20:27 ministry for
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 next five to
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 ten years.
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 We must let
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 unity be called
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 to our
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 community's
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 DNA,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 bearing in
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 mind the
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 picture of
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 the gathering
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 of multitude
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 in Revelation
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 7, verse 9.
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 A great multitude
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 that no one
00:20:43 --> 00:20:43 could count,
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 from every
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 nation,
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 tribe,
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 people,
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 and language,
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 standing before
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 the throne,
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 before the Lamb.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 We hope to
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 display Christ's
00:20:53 --> 00:20:55 unity in our
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 diversity,
00:20:56 --> 00:20:56 unity.
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 To live in
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 unity,
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 each of us
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 must constantly
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 return to the
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 foot of the
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 cross.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 When I feel
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 impatient,
00:21:07 --> 00:21:07 judgmental,
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 or distant
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 from other
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 member,
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 I need to
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 remember,
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 Christ died for
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 them as he
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 died for me.
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 I, like them,
00:21:17 --> 00:21:17 am a sinner
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 saved by grace.
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 The cross
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 stripped me of
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 any right to
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 look down on
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 anyone,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 and give me
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 the motive
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 to forgive
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 and reconcile.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:29 St. Paul
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 is a church
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32 comprised of
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 people from
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 different cultural
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 backgrounds,
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 social strata,
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 and age groups.
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 So let's not
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 try to erase
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 those differences,
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 but lean to
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 appreciate them
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 in Christ.
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 See how they
00:21:44 --> 00:21:46 enrich the
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 weakness of
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 Christ's body.
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 Our unity
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 is not in
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 uniformity,
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 but in
00:21:52 --> 00:21:52 diversity,
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 testifying to
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 the supernatural
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 power of
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 Christ that
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 bring us
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 together.
00:21:59 --> 00:21:59 So every
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 time we
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 choose fellowship
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 over isolation,
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 forgiveness
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 over bitterness,
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 or humble
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 collaboration over
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 selfish ambition,
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 we are not
00:22:11 --> 00:22:11 just being nice,
00:22:12 --> 00:22:12 we are
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 practicing for
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 eternity.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 In a
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 divided world,
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 a genuinely
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 loving,
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19 united
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 Christian
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 community,
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 is itself
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 a powerful
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 gospel
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 proclamation.
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 It proves
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 to the world
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 that Jesus
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 is real
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 and that
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 his spirit
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 has a power
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 to change
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 hearts and
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 dissolve
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 hostilities.
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 Our
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 attractiveness
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 to the
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 community
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 will depend
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 significantly
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 on the
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 genuine,
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 supernatural,
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 and able
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 love we
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 have for
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 one another
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 across natural
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 barriers.
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 So let
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 let our
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 unity
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 be our
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 witness
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 to the
00:22:51 --> 00:22:51 world.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 Let's
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 look again
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 to Christ
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 who is
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 our peace.
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 The
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 wars in
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 our society
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 in our
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 own hearts
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 are strong.
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 It seems
00:23:02 --> 00:23:02 permanent,
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 but the
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 resurrection of
00:23:04 --> 00:23:04 Christ
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 declared that
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 war is
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 final.
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 The
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 mightiest
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 war ever
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 built,
00:23:10 --> 00:23:10 the war of
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 death itself,
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 is strutted
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 on Easter
00:23:14 --> 00:23:14 morning.
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 Every
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 other
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 dividing
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 war of
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 hostility
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 is by
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 comparison
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 a temporary
00:23:21 --> 00:23:21 fence.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 We can
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 rely on
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 the Christ
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 who has
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 already made
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 peace and
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 submitted to
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 the guidance
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 of his
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 whole
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 dream
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 drawing
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 spirit,
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 allowing
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 him to
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 build us.
00:23:34 --> 00:23:34 This
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 once scattered
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 hostile
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 stone into
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 a dwelling
00:23:38 --> 00:23:38 fit for
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 his glory.
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 So let's
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 live in
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 light of
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 our destiny.
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 Let the
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 vision of
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 that grace
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 unite
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 the
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 multitude
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 through our
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 prayers,
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 soften our
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 hearts,
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 and guide
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 our
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 action.
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 Let's
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 be a
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 people so
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 captivated by
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 the beauty
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 and glory
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 of God
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 that we
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 cannot help
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 but to
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 live it
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 out in
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 the present.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 In the
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 coming weeks,
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 as we
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 study the
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 rest of
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 Ephesians,
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 Paul will
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 show us
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 how to
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 live our
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 life that
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 is grace
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 filled.
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 And cross
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 shaped.
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 A life of
00:24:11 --> 00:24:11 a true
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 disciple of
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 Jesus,
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 a true
00:24:14 --> 00:24:14 Christian.
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 Paul will
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 show us
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 in the
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 rest of
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 this
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 letter how
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 to
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 fulfill
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 the
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 good
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 works
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 which
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 God
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 prepared
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 in
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 France
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 for
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 us
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 to
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 do
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 in
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 our
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 marriage,
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 our
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 family,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 our
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 workplace,
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 and our
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 day-to-day
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 life.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 Our
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 aim at
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 St.
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 Paul's
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 is not
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 just to
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 build a
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 cohesive
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 church
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 for the
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 next
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 ten
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 years,
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 but a
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 united
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 church,
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 joining
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 God
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 in the
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 construction
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 of his
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 eternal
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 dwelling
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 place.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 He is
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 preparing
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 for his
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 one and
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 only
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 Son.
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 We are
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 by grace
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 becoming
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 here,
00:24:46 --> 00:24:46 now,
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 and what
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 we will
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 be
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 forever.
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 One
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 redeemed
00:24:50 --> 00:24:50 people
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 from
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 every
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 division,
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 united
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 by one
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 Savior,
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 to the
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 glory
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 of one
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 God.