Sermon title, words taken from the end of Ephesians 2. A dwelling place for God. And let's read now the holy and living word of God. Ephesians 2, we start at verse 11. Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands, remember that you were at that time separated from Christ. alienated from the commonwealth 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, Jew and Gentile, so making peace. and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Thanks be to God for his word today from Ephesians 2. Beloved congregation, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Holy Spirit continually draws our attention to God the Father and to God the Son, we do not give to the Spirit Himself nearly as much attention. But Paul often reminds us that God the Spirit dwells in us believers. How could this truth not absolutely captivate us if we are believers in Christ? How could you have the Spirit, God at work in you, and not work out your salvation with fear and trembling? Do you consider what it means to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? You should! This has to be the ultimate benefit of salvation in Christ. At the end of his Pentecost sermon, remember the Apostle Peter, Acts chapter 2, he tells that large crowd there in Jerusalem, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter moves from what I would consider the most basic benefit of salvation in Christ, forgiveness, to the most sublime, supreme benefit of salvation in Christ, the gift of the Spirit. Yes, there is mystery here, beloved. What does that even mean for God who is everywhere present to take up residence in you and me? I don't know. You want metaphysics, you'll have to go to a philosophy class. I have nothing to say in the way of explaining what exactly metaphysically it means for God to dwell in you and me. But oh, we better consider this supreme benefit in Christ. Christ dwelling in us by His Spirit. There's so much mystery here. There's great power in this benefit, the gift of the Spirit. And it is indeed, it is a most personal thing for the individual Christian Which is why Paul says in Romans 8, you remember, verse 9, he says, you are not in the flesh but in the spirit. It's like a whole new mode of existence for the Christian. You are not in the flesh, I mean, you're in your body, but you're no longer in the mode of natural human life, but in the spirit. If in fact the spirit of God dwells in you, anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, your sin, my sin, the spirit given to us through the grace of Christ, the spirit is life because of righteousness, his righteousness. Indeed a very powerful thing, Paul mentions there the gift of the Spirit for this life, resurrection life that is coursing through the people of Jesus even now. Very powerful reality and a very personal thing for the individual Christian to receive the Holy Spirit. But friends, this glorious gift that belongs to every believer is part of a much bigger reality. A much bigger thing than just you as an individual Christian having the Spirit. A corporate reality, since the Spirit is given to the whole body. Corporate, from Latin corpus, body. It's corporate because the Spirit indwells the whole body of Christ. As much as He indwells the head, Jesus Himself. It's a cosmic reality. For the new creation that Jesus has begun in his body, the church, is one day going to include all heaven and earth. The Lord Jesus is making all things new. It started at Pentecost 2,000 years ago. Our theme today, friends, Jesus sent the Spirit at Pentecost to remake the church into a new creation in which God dwells. Jesus sent the Spirit at Pentecost to remake the church into a new creation in which God dwells. Many Christians imagine that new creation is this future thing, right? Like God is going to scrap the old creation. He starts over. He replaces the old with a totally new thing, new heaven, new earth. No. That is not the teaching of the Bible. The new creation has already begun in the new man, Jesus. The man sent from heaven, the son of God who takes on human nature in the womb, the virgin womb of Mary. A new creation! And especially in his resurrection, he's the firstborn from the dead. It may have seemed that God lost this creation because of Adam's rebellion. But remember that word redemption, which we find all over the scriptures. Redemption! Most basic meaning, God's great work of taking back what was lost. Restoring, not junking it, restoring and remaking what was spoiled by sin. That's the great work of redemption. New creation language is all over Ephesians 2. You were dead in your trespasses and sins. This is the first half of the chapter, which we didn't read. You remember, we remember these verses, right? Better than the latter half of Ephesians 2. We remember that first half. You were dead in your trespasses and sins. We were all spiritually dead. By nature, children of wrath. But God do you see new creation there verse 4 just look Ephesians 2 verse 4 But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved even us And even when we were dead in our trespasses. He made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved God's redemptive work in Christ brings new life to the dead This alone explains why some sinners repent and come to faith in Jesus. He makes the dead alive. And friends, he does it by the power of his spirit, as Jesus himself teaches Nicodemus in John 3, verse 5. To enter into the kingdom of God, you must be born again, born of water and of spirit. In John 3, 5, you have a nice parallel. Titus 3, 5, what does Paul say to Titus? He's speaking there of spiritual rebirth, and Paul emphasizes how this is entirely the recreative work of God the Spirit. Paul says to Titus, for we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, let us stray slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others, hating one another, that in our sin, but, just like Ephesians 2.4. But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy. And how did He apply that salvation to us? Titus 3.5, by the washing of regeneration. renewal of the Holy Spirit or the renewing work of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior It's not water baptism that makes this washing happen But baptism points to the spiritual washing by which the Spirit makes us a new creation rebirth by the Spirit regeneration Titus 3 5 The connection of water and spirit does not really go back to Jesus in John 3, but to Ezekiel 36. God says through Ezekiel, and think again, think new creation. The gift of the spirit is new creation. God says, I will take you, Ezekiel 36, 24. He says, I'll take you Israelites from the nations, gather you from all the countries and bring you to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses and from All your idols I will cleanse you, total cleansing through a sprinkling with water. Is it baptism? No, it's the gift of the spirit. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you. and cause you to walk in my statutes. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You shall be my people, and I will be your God." And there in Ezekiel 36, God goes on to give us more imagery of a new creation. No more famine, but plenty of food flowing in the promised land. He renews the face of the earth, but it all starts with renewal by the Spirit in the hearts of his people. New creation. Dear Saints, God's promise to send his spirit is a promise of new creation. It begins in his people, but it will finally encompass everything. As I said, cosmic renewal. This is God's grand plan, which he is even now realizing in Jesus. Ephesians 1 verse 9, he says that God is making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time. The grand plan, here it is. His purpose in everything that he's doing in creation and redemption. Everything, the grand plan. Ephesians 1.10, to unite all things in him. Things in heaven and things on earth. Union of creator and creature. It's really a theme verse for Ephesians, but I think it's the theme of the whole Bible. It's the story of the whole Bible, so we have to back up to the beginning, spend a few minutes in the Old Testament. This first point this morning, we want to consider the Spirit's creative and recreative work before Christ. Okay, before the Son of God came into the world, let's think through the Old Testament for a moment about the Spirit's creative and recreative work. Very first thing the Bible tells us about the Spirit, do you remember what it is? In the beginning, God created heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void. Darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. The Holy Spirit was there in the very beginning, bringing order to the unformed world, because He is Creator God with the Father and the Son. He brings order to this unformed world, making it habitable for man. That's the real story of Genesis 1. Fashioning this unformed world into a place that is habitable for man with God. That's the beauty of Eden, right? It's not all the fruit. It's not just the absence of shame in their nakedness. It's not just all the peace among the animals and whatnot, wonderful things, but it's God with man. That's the beauty and the glory of Eden. And it was to actually encompass the whole earth. Be fruitful, multiply. Multiply this image of God over the face of the whole earth. The kingdom of God would be covering the earth as the waters covers the sea. God made Adam and Eve in His own image so that they could know and love this God who first loved them, so that they could dwell with God in holiness and love for their everlasting joy. Only, it did not last because man rebelled against God, bringing sin and death into the world. And again, it may have seemed that creation was lost, was ruined, but God's grand work of redemption began immediately. Genesis 3. Yes, he comes in judgment and God sentenced the rebels to die, return to dust. And he booted them out of their dwelling place with God. But he graciously promised that Adam and Eve would live and would have children. And one, one child, one offspring of the woman would crush the devil. He promised a savior who would deliver his people from sin and death so that they might forever enjoy life with God. And so what do you find all over the end of Revelation but Eden imagery, Eden restored. See, that's the whole plan from Eden in Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. It's God in union with his creature made in his image. After Eden, we rarely hear about the spirit of God in the Old Testament. But whenever he appears, you know what the Spirit is doing? Remaking people. We find a number of small-scale works of recreation by which the Spirit of God equips men for some special work. And you know what that work usually is. It's the work of a prophet, a priest, or a king. The little Christs, anointed servants of God all over the Old Testament. Prophets, priests, and kings receive the Holy Spirit, You think, well, for what? For adoption as sons and for renewal of life and for everlasting kingdom? That's not actually the story you get in the Old Testament. But it's a temporary anointing for a particular work for prophets, priests, and kings. That's the pattern, all over the Old Testament. You have to know, friends, the gift of the Spirit in the Old Testament was not a permanent blessing. Provisional it could be lost It was not it was not for all of God's people There is there was something partial about it a partial gift for some of God's people Remember the story of Saul first king of Israel right Saul received the Holy Spirit when he was anointed king He immediately prophesied But through his rebellious ways King Saul lost the spirit. He lost the kingdom. It was given to David and You may recall one more story in the Old Testament. You should recall, Numbers 11. Moses ordained the 70 elders, men who were to help him rule the Israelites, keep good order in that holy nation, the people of God. God anointed the 70 elders with the Holy Spirit. And what did they do? Immediately they prophesied. Well, Moses and Joshua then discovered a couple of men, Eldad and Medad, who were prophesying, though they were not with the rest of the elders, ordained with the rest of them by Moses. Though here's Eldad and Medad doing their own thing, and Joshua, he takes umbrage. He sees this as some dangerous independence. He says, my Lord Moses, stop them. Do you remember what Moses said in response? Numbers 11, 29. Are you jealous? Joshua, are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit on them all. See, Moses longed for the day of full redemption. He probably was speaking words that he did not fully appreciate all that they meant. a day of greater redemption than the exodus from Egypt, a day when God would pour out his spirit on all of his people, remaking them in his image so that all the saints would think God's thoughts after him, would prophesy because the saints would prefer to speak God's word of truth rather than their own words, vain words. I mean, this is deep stuff, friends. God makes man in His image. We're the talking creature. God speaks creation into existence. What does that creature made in the image of God do? Speak. His prophets were to speak God's name after Him. And what do you see the Spirit doing all throughout the Old Testament? It is an overwhelming pattern. When He anoints someone, He empowers that person immediately to prophesy, to speak God's Word. I don't mean tell the future. I mean proclaim the Word of God. At Pentecost, Moses' wish came true. Jesus was once anointed with the Spirit, the fullness of the Spirit. Here's the Christ par excellence, that he might accomplish his great work as prophet, priest, and king, the great prophet, priest, and king. And he accomplished it by his obedient life and sacrificial death. He accomplished the redemption of his sinful people. He was raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit. Exalted to his heavenly throne from which he poured out the spirit on the day of Pentecost Thus making his people part of his new creation and the public evidence That this great Old Testament promise had been fulfilled was what? all 120 disciples prophesied Let's now consider, secondly friends, the sign of a Spirit-filled new creation. My second and only other point today, the sign of a Spirit-filled new creation. What is that sign? Friends, what is the sign? It's not the only sign. Okay, mind you I'm gonna disclaimer. This is not the only sign of being spirit-filled but if you're following the The great story about the Holy Spirit through all the New Testaments You have to agree that this is a key sign of being God's spirit-filled new creation We speak his word The Old Testament gives us some glimpses of this truth, quite a number of them, but let's remember what happened at Pentecost. After his resurrection, Jesus promised his disciples, this is Acts 1 verse 5, John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. And Jesus means that he's going to baptize them with the Spirit to give them new life with God, indeed, and to equip them for their witness to the world. And you know that, friends, because of what he says in the very next part of that passage, Acts 1. The sign of there being that new people, Spirit-filled new creation, is that they would proclaim the Word of God. Acts 1, verse 8. Jesus says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. I'm going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and that will empower you to be the true Israel of God, my witnesses to the ends of the earth." He ascended to the Father. Ten days later, after the ascension, when thousands of Jews were in Jerusalem for the harvest festival that we call Pentecost. In the Old Testament, it's the Feast of Weeks. The Lord Jesus sent his spirit upon the church. And just listen to Acts chapter 2, a few verses from the beginning of Acts 2. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place, all 120 disciples. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, and they were all Not the apostles, not only 12 men, but all 120 disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Just as the Spirit did with Saul, and just as the Spirit did with the 70 elders that Moses ordained. They prophesied. You say, Pastor, that tongue, it doesn't say prophecy. Well, friends, there's so much more to say about this great event, and the passage has some interesting twists and turns, but understand, This is prophecy. Peter explains it explicitly from Joel chapter 2. Do you remember? Many in the crowd, they were not understanding what was happening and so Peter explained from Acts 2 verse 16. This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel. He's quoting Joel 2. In the last days it shall be God declares that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh And Moses' wish then becomes true. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, not just the men, the women. Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit and they shall prophesy. Peter goes on to explain how the Spirit had come. Jesus had not been defeated at the cross, but in his death he was victorious over sin and death. On the cross he had accomplished the salvation of sinners, and he was raised from the dead so that he could pour out the Spirit on his church, empowering his disciples, all of those disciples, to be the true Israel of God in prophetic witness to the world. In this way, the gospel began to spread to all nations so that countless others have become part of the Church of Christ, a new creation. We've spent the last seven months or so tracing that story through the Book of Acts. Today, friends, we turn to Ephesians, Ephesians 2, let's turn back to Ephesians 2, so that you may all better understand what your God and Savior has done for you and to you. Because when we Christians do understand what it means to be this new creation in which God dwells, we cannot keep quiet about it. See, can you imagine being remade in the image of God, the speaking God, who now lives in you by His Spirit, the Spirit of prophecy, and you say nothing to explain how this glorious thing has happened? Unthinkable. We have to tell others about Jesus, as Peter did. about abundant life in Jesus, about His living in us through the gift of His Spirit. We were dead in sin. Remember, friends, Ephesians 2. We were dead, but God made us alive in Christ so that we no longer live for self, but for that God and Savior and for others in good works. Would you look at verse 10? Notice Ephesians 2, verse 10. We are His workmanship, new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works. We're not saved by our works, but we are saved for them. But here Paul uses a different verb, created for good works. A new creation we are in Jesus, that we would practice good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. The new creation works. We as a new creation worship, we worship God. Paul reminds us Gentiles, moving to our passage that we read earlier, he reminds us that we were once separated from Christ, strangers to Israel, having no hope without God in the world. But, verse 13, but now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off, you Gentiles, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one. Jew and Gentile are now one. New creation. Please notice, Paul doesn't let up. At every turn, new creation, we have been made one. He's broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, ceremonial law, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Wow, what a passage. I cannot do it justice today, friends, but understand that by his obedience, unto death, Jesus did defeat sin. He reconciled sinners to God. You know, there was such ethnic, cultural, religious hostility between Jews and Gentiles. Paul is touching on that horizontal hostility between different people groups. It was owing to a much deeper hostility between a holy God and rebel sinners. In amazing grace, God reconciled us to himself through the cross of Christ, through the death of his son. But notice that work of new creation that Paul says happened through the death of the son of God. When God reconciled us to himself through the death of Jesus, Jew and Gentile were reconciled one to another and recreated a new man in Christ Jesus. so that now together we have access in one spirit to the father whom we can offer acceptable worship through Jesus. Verse 19, so then you're no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens. You believe in Christians, whether Jew or Gentile. You're citizens with the saints of the glorious kingdom of God. You're no longer enemies of God, but members of the household of God. Redeemed, forgiven, justified in Jesus Christ, we who believe are also adopted by grace to be members of God's family. Again, friends, to be born again, the most personal matter for each individual Christian, to cry out Abba Father through the spirit of adoption. Very personal, individual thing indeed. But remember, it is also a very corporate reality for all the church to become this new creation because the Holy Spirit fashions us together into a new humanity, a living temple for God. And so notice how Paul ends, this temple, this structure built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, in Jesus, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Brothers and sisters, understand that by his obedience unto death, Jesus has so perfectly atoned for our sin, has so perfectly reconciled us to God, that the very Spirit of God now lives in us. Joins us one to another in the body of Christ just as surely as he unites us to the head of this body Jesus himself Our Lord our Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to remake the church into a new creation in which God dwells My friend have you ever considered why God would do such a thing I? Mean he needs nothing He doesn't need us. I mean, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Triune God, perfectly content in the love they shared with each other for all eternity. They needed nothing. But this Triune God who is love, the only God, by the way, who can be love, because God is tri-personal, this God who is love actually wanted to share that love with us. It's just staggering. He wants a loving union with us to be his bride. And so God the Son became a true man and died for us, so that once risen from the dead He could come to live in us by the gift of His Spirit. We can hardly grasp such love. We do not love like this. This is the love of God, Triune God. The love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We cannot grasp this love, but that is why we must pray for ourselves and pray for each other, even as Paul prayed. End of Ephesians 3, verse 14. For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father. Paul's praying, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that you may be really successful at work. No. so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. That's Paul's prayer, that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. A dwelling place for God, that's how he loves. He loves us so much he would die for us that he could then in resurrection glory come to live in us by the gift of his own spirit. The church is this new creation in Christ. And at least one major sign of our being this new creation is our sharing the prophetic ministry with each other. I wrap it up, friends, here in Ephesians, just a couple of things in closing. This is how the temple, the body of Christ, properly grows. Pastors and teachers in a church give you the Word of Christ to equip you for the work of ministry, and then what do you do? So that the proper growth would happen in the body, in the temple body, which you are. You all then build each other up, speaking the word of truth in love one to another. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 15 and 16. And the Spirit keeps renewing and growing us in Christ. What do we do as Christians as we're growing in Christ Jesus? Well, surprise! We speak more truth with each other. Paul's not done, he goes on later in chapter 4. Notice verse 22. In Christ you were taught to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. And you were taught to be renewed, new creation, in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. And application! Guess where Paul goes? First thing he says about a new creation in Christ. Verse 25, Therefore having put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor. For we are members one of another. When we are remade by God through Christ in the Spirit, we speak like God. And we speak the words of God. It's a delight just to be like him and have communion with him and one another. But you know, it does overflow the church. And then we reach outsiders. We do not just love one another with words to build up other believers in the church, but we become these witnesses for Christ to those outside that they might be saved and become part of this new creation. Friends, we take the story of Acts, if we are an apostolic church, it continues in this true Church of Jesus Christ that is sent by the Lord Jesus and empowered by Jesus, who is still taking his salvation to the ends of the earth through his Spirit-anointed prophetic servants. Dear Saints, we find the pattern all over the New Testament. I close with the close of Scripture, so that you might understand this is actually the very last thing the Bible says that you Christians do. Did you know that? The very last thing the Bible says that you as a Christian do. I quote from Revelation 22 14 blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates into the city of God. Outside are dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral people, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. Now listen, the spirit and the bride say come." The bride says come. Are you the bride? If so, then you join the Spirit who has drawn you into the kingdom. You join the Spirit in saying come, come to Christ, to those around you. the spirit and the bride say come and let the one who hears say come the one who is outside then comes in comes to Christ saving Christ Jesus and then what does that person do the Christian says joining the bride come let the one who is thirsty come let the one who desires take the water of life without price it is living water for everyone who wants it come and drink And you Christians who have tasted that the Lord is good, come to him again. Come to his table where he will spiritually feed you with his own body and blood as surely as he gives us bread and wine. Friends, he feeds us with himself because he loves us. And he means to strengthen our union and communion with him and with each other in the church, a new creation in which God the spirit dwells both now and forever. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.