“Extreme Makeover: Gospel Edition”

(Ephesians 2:11-22)

Series: Christ and the Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

January 31, 2021

The Passage

Ephesians 2:11-22

11 So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

Introductory Comments:

Do you remember the hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? [show picture on screen] It was hosted by Ty Pennington and a crew of fantastic volunteers and good looking professional contractors and designers who could take a terrible house like this [show picture on screen] and turn it into a beautiful home like this [show picture on screen]. There was normally a family involved about whom you would hear an inspiring backstory and then the transformation began. 

Well, today we’re learning about Extreme Makeover: Gospel Edition. We’re going to learn about the extreme transformation that Jesus brought in our lives. 

Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul is telling us who we are in Christ, what God has been doing since before the world began to bring us to Christ, and how God’s power is seen in the preeminence of Christ. In chapter 2, Paul begins to explain that we are saved because of God’s great gift of grace!

Now, Paul takes us further down this path of God’s work to explain this extreme makeover through the power of the Gospel. 

As with the episodes of the show on HGTV, we must first understand . . .

I. The backstory (vv. 11-13) [on screen]

The backstory is knowing what happened before the transformation started. For the show, it was always something like they had 12 kids, or the dad just lost his job, or the family’s pet hamster died. For Paul, he wants to make sure that the Ephesians are reminded of what life was like for them before Jesus changed them. 

Let’s check out what Paul says. Look at verses 11-13. 

11 So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Paul has already spoken about the past of the Ephesians in this chapter. Remember, in verses 1-4, he spoke about the Ephesians being dead in their sins. But God made them alive!

Now, Paul is giving a specific recounting of their past as