Sermon - Jeff Raines - The Church of the Broken Wall [Ephesians 2:11-22]

First Baptist Shreveport

When would it be good to be a broken wall Baptist Church?

What are some barriers to Christian community and Christian belonging?

Walls that keep people out and the walls that keep people in. Sometimes walls need to be broken. Jesus entered humanity and broke the walls of his time and for all time. Through Jesus, the church became a new and unique thing.

God called Abraham to be the father of all nations. He made Israel to be separate and distinct. He called them, His people, to faithful living, but his plan was to bless ALL nations.

And in Ephesians 2:15-22 we the new community - the church where there was no divide between free and slave, rich and poor, male and female, Jew and Gentile.

What did this new church look like? It was a place of peace where there had been division and discord emerged peace and unity around Jesus Christ. People unified in calling Jesus Lord was stronger than any cultural differences.

So how can we be a broken Baptist Church?

First and foremost, we are to be passionate in our devotion to Jesus Christ; unity is greater than any division. We are to be a people, a church, a community unified by our love for Jesus.