United to One Another

There’s a problem. We aren’t what we are.

The book of Ephesians is ultimately about the church. Paul very directly talks about what the church is and who the church is. These are some of the most powerful passages on that subject that you’re ever going to find.

And in Ephesians 2, we’re being told 1) what we were, 2) what we are, and 3) how we can really become what we are.

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 13, 2011. Series: A Study of Ephesians: Who is the Church? Scripture: Ephesians 2:19–22.

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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

0:00:00 ▶

Thanks for listening to Gospel in Life. Tim Keller is taking us through a series on the book of Ephesians, a book that is all about what it means to be Christian and what it means to be a Christian. What it means to live in unity with other believers. After you listen, we invite you to go online to GospelInLife.com and sign up for email updates. Today's teaching from Dr. Keller. Tonight's Sure comes from the book of Ephesians chapter two, verses 19 through 22. You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of the world. Of God's household built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus.

0:00:51 ▶

Himself as the chief cornerstone. In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him, you too are being built together. To become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. This is the Word of the Lord. >> So we can. I need to look at the book of Ephesians and we've said that the book of Ephesians ultimately is about the church. And starting last week, or starting in the middle of Ephesians 2, starting verse 11, all the way through the rest of the chapter, all the way into chapter 3, all the way into early, most of chapter 4, Paul very much Directly is talking about what is the church, who is the church. Some of the most powerful... Is on that subject you're ever going to find anywhere. Now, the one we're looking at here, it's short because it's so packed.

0:01:45 ▶

And in here we're being told what we were, then... What we are, and last of all, how we can become what we are. You see, there's a problem. We aren't what we are. What we were, what we are, and how we can really become what we are. First of all, Paul tells us what we were. Consequently, you were no longer, see, we were... Foreigners and aliens. Now a foreigner, an alien, is a... ...outsider or put it another way, if you happen to find yourself in a land where... You don't know the language, you don't know the culture, you don't know anyone. You can't... Communicate with them and you can't understand what's going on around you You're a foreigner an alien. It's a