Ephesians: God's Plan for God's People | An Owner's Manual For The Church. Part 1: Maintain the Unity | Eph 4:1-6 | 11/6/22

Good morning and welcome to Mission Church. Our mission is to partner with God to see His kingdom come in Las Vegas as it is in heaven and we accomplish this as we Love Jesus, Live like Jesus, and Lead others to Jesus. This morning, we continue our pilgrimage through Paul’s beautiful letter to the Ephesians. A journey that we’ve entitled, “God’s Plan for God’s people.” We have been invited to be a part of God’s plan for the world. Despite our brokenness. Regardless of our weaknesses, God plans to use His Church to transform the world for His glory! If you would, please grab your copy of God’s Word and open it to Ephesians 4.

Paul wrote this amazing letter to the Ephesian church while being chained to a Roman Soldier in a Roman prison. And he spent the first half of this letter, chapters 1-3, focusing on how we receive new life in Christ. Chapter 4 is a turning point in the letter as Paul now begins his instructions on how we are to live out this new life. You see, Chapters 4-6 address the working out of chapters 1-3 and chapter 4 instructs us how to live out this new life in the church.

For the Christian, the church is the sphere of life that should determine and shape all other areas of our lives. With this in mind, Paul begins his practical exhortation by writing a manual for the church. In fact I have coined the next two week’s sermons... An Owner's Manual For The Church. And this morning is Part 1: Maintain the Unity. Now, If you are able, I would like to invite you to stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Pray

This morning, my goal is to help make sense of our text, practically and relationally, especially regarding the Church and the gospel unity that should characterize us. Jesus, through His life, death, and resurrection, He put to death the hostility that had at one time defined us, and He reconciled us both to God and to each other. Now, because we share the same identity, testimony, and family, we must be intentional and vigilant to maintain our unity.

But let’s be honest; we live in an era of tension and confusion. The time and space in which we live is centered around disunity, and this conflict is served to us on a silver platter from an endless buffet of media, social media, and streaming services. It seems as though we can not escape the chaos.

But this isn’t a new reality. We can wander to and fro through the halls of history and see a never ending reality of conflict and disunity, along with various attempts to solve the problem. People have pleaded with popular phrases such as, “Can't we all just get along?” Musicians such as John Lennon have written songs charging us to imagine the world’s people living in harmony. But to no avail. Hostility and conflict are the cultural air that we breathe.

And this disunity has even crept into the Church. We are a reconciled people who have been charged with the ministry of reconciliation but we look and function no different than the chaotic world that surrounds us. Rather than being defined by a supernatural gospel unity, the world looks at us and sees envy, pride, bitterness, and impatience. Our behavior has not matched our savior’s, and our conduct has not complemented our confession.

So, what do we do? How do we live differently? What is it that unifies us? And how can we maintain a supernatural gospel unity in an era of confusion? Paul is helpful as he addresses these issues and answers our questions in his Church Manual found in chapter 4. In fact he is going to compel us to consider 3 important realities of the unity that we have in Christ. 1. The Priority 2. The Urgent Expression 3. The Foundation.

1. The Priority of Unity in the Church

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord,

Again, Paul is writing this letter from a Roman prison, under the authority of Nero the emperor of Rome. But rather than identifying himself as, ‘I, Paul, a prisoner of Nero,’ he wants us to know that God is the ultimate authority and that he is first and foremost a prisoner of the Lord. You see, Paul is emphasizing here the sovereignty and the lordship of Jesus. Paul…he might be in chains but God is still in control and there is nothing that can or will prevent God’s plans from being fulfilled.

So, from this place of authority, Paul instructs these Ephesian Christians on how to live like Jesus and he reveals to us the priority of unity in the Church… look back at v4

I urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,

Underline or take note of the phrase “walk worthy of the calling.” This phrase speaks to how one is to conduct their life. You see, Paul clearly laid out the gospel in the first three chapters, and now he is urging us to conduct our lives in a way that is in keeping with the gospel.

Brothers and Sisters, we have been called by God out of the world and into the body of Christ. You see, the church consists of those who have been called out of the world, called out of darkness, and called out of damnation so that we might become members of the body of Christ…the church. And friends, this is the highest possible vocation, and this is an amazing reality especially given the fact that we were not called out of the world because we were worthy. No! We were called because God is gracious!

God called us to be his children, and in response to His amazing gift of grace, we should do everything in our power to live our lives worthy of our calling. You see, it is the grace by which we have been saved that motivates us to attempt to live a worthy life. In other words, the Christian who is living like Jesus is one whose daily living corresponds to their high position as a child of God and fellow heir with Jesus Christ. Their life matches their spiritual position of being in Christ. Personal holiness, or walking worthy of the calling we have received, is about becoming... in practice... what we are in position.

Paul illustrates what this looks like in his own situation. Remember.... he is a “prisoner in the Lord” …Paul had surrendered his life to the lordship of Christ, and his dedication to Jesus ultimately led him to being chained up in a Roman prison. Now, you may not be sent to prison for obeying Jesus, however, as a redeemed believer, you are called to sacrificial obedience. No matter what it costs .....you and I are called to pursue holiness. We have been called to live like Jesus. And our common calling unites us. In other words, when we live with a priority to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling we are united by Christlike conduct.

But what does this unity look like? What does it look like for you and I to live in a manner worthy of our calling? Or, in other words, how is unity in the Church expressed?

Well, the answer to these questions are found in Paul’s second reality of the unity we have in Christ.

2. The Urgent Expression of Unity in the Church.

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

There is no one who exemplifies these character qualities better and more fully than Jesus. Jesus is the most pure and supreme example of humility. Consider Paul’s charge in Philippians 2

Philippians 2:5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9

As for gentleness, Jesus invited us to...Come to him… because he is gentle and lowly in heart (Matt 11:28–29). The patience of Jesus is unmatched, unparalleled, and extraordinary (1 Tim. 1:16). And as for love, Jesus is the embodiment of love and His most vivid demonstration of love is seen at the cross (Rom. 5:8). And as far as peace, Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker (Eph. 2:14). In other words, the more that you and I strive to live like Jesus individually, and the more we live like Jesus relationally, the more united we will become!

Now, with this in mind let’s take a look at each of these Christlike virtues starting with humility. I think Paul begins with humility because humility is the root, it’s the foundation, and the center of all other virtues.

Augustine says this about humility,

For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third. - Augustine of Hippo

In other words, humility should be the essential defining characteristic of a Christian. Humility should be the defining characteristic of the Church.

All throughout Paul’s letters he points to humility as an essential characteristic of believers. He also speaks of humility in relation to unity. You see, if there is no humility you will not have unity. For unity to exist, humble…selfless people must be intentionally living for the good of their brothers and sisters in the Church.

Consider Romans 12:3

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Consider also Philippians 2:1-4

Philippians 2:1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.

The original readers of Paul’s letters would have been completely put off by the notion that they should pursue humility. You see, up to this point, in the Greek culture, humility carried a negative connotation. Pride was way more highly valued. In fact Christians were often ridiculed for their humility.

The truth is, we too live in a time and space…we live in a culture and a society that values pride over humility. Our cultural narrative says, “Treat yourself! Exalt yourself! Think about yourself! Do whatever makes you happy or gets you ahead!” And this cultural narrative is loud…and it’s contagious…and it appeals to our sinful desires. As a result.... pride has infiltrated the church resulting in disunity.

Now, here's a pop quiz…here are some diagnostic questions to access how you’re doing. Ask yourself.....Do I consider other people more important than myself? Or... do I usually think of myself first? Am I putting the needs and the desires of others above my own? Or… do I live ensuring that my needs and desires are met first?

Now, we must understand that humility is not viewing ourselves as some pitiful excuse for humanity. Humility does not mean that you become some low life at the bottom of the human pile. Rather humility means that you see yourself as God sees you…you understand that you have infinite and inherent value but your value is no more than anyone else's value. Charles Spurgeon says it like this

Humility is to make a right estimate of oneself. - Charles Spurgeon

Humility also means that you are willing to accept God as the supreme authority of your life. It means that you have submitted and surrendered fully to the Lordship of Jesus.

Finally, Humility means that you are willing to order your life in such a way as to serve God by serving others. Brothers and sisters, if you refuse to subordinate yourself to others, especially in the context of Church membership, you will only end up lonely, bitter, alone and stunted in your spiritual growth. Because… Christian ....we will never be satisfied in a context of individualism and isolation. It is not good for anyone to be alone and only humility will lead us away from loneliness and towards unity.

Humility before God is nothing if not proved in humility before men…and the proof of our humility is gentleness. Another word for gentleness is meekness and meekness literally means “power under control.” Meekness points to one who has a calm temper and is not easily provoked.

Now, gentleness does not mean that you’re timid. Gentleness does not mean that you need to be an introvert. It simply points to the fact that you have self-control and when faced with conflict you don’t turn into the Hulk ....you don’t turn into a bully....but rather you are gentle in how you interact with one another. In other words, meekness is not weakness. No, being gentle means that you refuse to use your power for your own defense or selfish purposes. Gentleness is power completely surrendered to God’s control.

Let me tell you, this past week as I studied in preparation for this morning... I was completely convicted by this call to be gentle..…especially in regards to my role as a dad. I think as parents it’s easier for us to relate to our kids in ways that are the opposite of meek and gentle. It’s easy to discipline from a place of impatience and annoyance. And parents, if you can relate to this.... one of the best things that you can do is to consider how God…the perfect father....has dealt so kindly with us…then ask for forgiveness. Ask for forgiveness from God and ask for forgiveness from your child. And praise God for his grace to not only forgive you but to train you towards godliness as he develops in you this fruit of the Spirit called gentleness.

Now, humility and gentleness naturally leads to patience and to bearing with one another in love. And let’s be honest, patience is everyone’s favorite subject! In fact most of us …were doing ok in this area....right?!?! Nope!! Most of us... our prayer is closer to, “God, I am waiting!!! Hurry up and give me patience!”

The truth is, a lack of patience displays not only a lack of humility but a lack of love. Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is…patient. And to have a love that is patient means that you endure relational challenges ....it means that you have endured being annoyed over a long period if time.

In fact… in the original language.... the word that is translated in our English Bibles as patience…more accurately means long suffering. Μακροθυμία (macrothumia) - Long-Suffering

Saint Gregory the Great says this about patience

True patience is to suffer the wrongs done to us by others in an unruffled spirit and without feeling resentment. Patience bears with others because it loves them; to bear with them and yet to hate them is not the virtue of patience but a smokescreen for anger.

Saint Gregory the Great

You see, the opposite of long suffering is a person who is angry....they have a reactive temper. They explode in fury, rage, and rejection at the slightest conflict or annoyance. The way this plays out in the church is ....usually people leave. As soon as there is conflict or a simple annoyance or a preference thats not met... people leave and look for another church. They hang around for a while at their new church …but then ...the cycle repeats and…well…they find a new church.

Friends, it is in the context of the church that we are to grow in our patience…our long suffering. If we continually leave at the slightest annoyance…not only are we being selfish but we are robbing ourselves and the church from growing in Christlikeness and unity.

But let’s be honest... to love in such a way that you are committed to enduring annoyances and wrongdoings and misunderstandings over a long period time…that’s hard! It’s difficult! It’s bitter! But, I promise you the fruit of long suffering is sweet.

It’s worth it to commit to and to covenant with other brothers and sisters in the context of a local church. To stick around when things get tough and to be committed to enduring with one another for the sake of our growth in godliness. For the sake of gospel unity. For the sake of revealing to the world the goodness of our God!

Now look back at v3 and notice that unity within the church is not something that we create but something that we keep. We don’t establish unity. We don’t create unity, but we maintain the unity that Jesus has already established.

Ephesians 4:3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

In other words, God has already united us and now…through the help of the Holy Spirit... we are to do everything in our power to maintain our unity. You see, unity is not passive but it’s active and as Christians we should be zealous to maintain unity.

Now, the question is begging to be asked, How? How do we do this? Well, if we are going to pursue unity, gentleness, patience, and humility we must be willing to reject the opposite of each.

We must reject self-centeredness in order to walk in humility. We must reject harshness in order to walk with gentleness. We must reject the tyranny of our own agendas in order to walk with patience. We must reject selfish expectations so that we might lovingly bear with one another. We must reject indifference and passivity in order to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The church is unified and God is glorified when we love and live like Jesus!

Now...this is all great but…logically....if we are to be united we have to be united around something. There must be a foundation to our unity. Well, Paul doesn’t leave us hanging …in v.4-6 he provides for us the foundation of our unity,

3. The Foundation of Christian Unity

Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Brothers and Sisters…Paul is not teaching us that we are to be unified at any cost but that we are to be unified in Christ. And he does this by citing what may have been an early Christian creed....and in this creed Paul points out three realities that unify us as a Church and emphasize the unity we share in the gospel.

A. We Share the Same Identity

Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling

Just as an individual is made up of a body and spirit… the church.....despite being made up of people from every walk of life.....The Church is one body indwelled by one Spirit....the Holy Spirit....and He links us to Christ…and He joins us together as a body.

And just as our body and spirit have the same hope of being redeemed by the work of our Savior, so also the church in both its physical and spiritual dimensions is called to the same hope of redemption in Christ.

As Christians we are defined by our hope in Jesus. We find our personal and corporate identity in the hope of salvation....And it is our shared identity in the hope of redemption that is a brick in the foundation of Christian unity. So…not only do we share the same identity but we also share the same testimony.

B. We Share the Same Testimony

Look at v.5

Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

This is the testimony of a genuine Christian: one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

First, we testify that Jesus is the one Lord. Jesus died and rose again and he alone has the right to the church’s allegiance. All other gods are false and promise a salvation that they can never deliver. Brothers and Sisters, if we remain focused on following Jesus we will never be divided.

Second, we proclaim one faith. In other words we testify that faith in Jesus’s work on our behalf is our only means of salvation. The crucified, resurrected Jesus is the object of our faith. And…to confess that Jesus is Lord is to express the faith of the church and to unify oneself with the Church.

Third, it is by our baptism, that we testify that we are cleansed of sin and united to him by his grace alone. In fact ....membership in the church comes through “one baptism.” You see....each member enters the baptismal waters once to confess the one faith and become a part of the one body. And.....this baptism identifies the person as belonging to Christ and distinguishes the person from all who do not confess Christ. As a result, baptism is the unifying mark of the follower of Jesus.

Brothers and Sisters....our testimony clearly speaks to the reality that we are not to divide over non vital issues but also this call to unity is not a justification for an “anything goes” or a “theology doesn’t matter” approach to church. Rather this is a calling to be unified around the truths of the gospel and to constantly examine our church and our practice so that we ensure that we are faithful to God. And to recognize that disunity around preferences should be seen as unfaithfulness to God.

So, we share the same identity, we share same testimony, and ......

C. We Share the Same Family

Look at v6

Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

We would be foolish to not recognize the reality of the variety of differences between Christians across the world. Some of our differences are great according to the world’s standards … there are social differences and ethnic differences. Differences that separated those in the church at Ephesus…and unfortunately these differences still separate us today. But I join Paul in pleading with you that these differences should not divide us. Rather we are all of the same family because we share the same Father. Consider with me Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:18 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,

This speaks to the reality that not only do we have the affection of God Himself but that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. And our standing before God as our Father and our standing with one another as brothers and sisters should result in a family affection …knowing that we are of one family should eliminate any and all disunity within the Church.

During the Cold War, South Koreans were taught to hate North Koreans as devils. Now believers on both sides of the demilitarized zone have led their nations in learning to love one another as brothers. I heard a pastor recently tell a story of his recent visit to South Korea were he met a man who risks his life on his annual vacations by going into China with supplies and Scriptures that will be taken to starving North Koreans. The permeable, but dangerous, border between China and North Korea has become a conduit for both physical and spiritual food as this brother serves fellow Christians, some of whom he has never met. Ancient deep seated hatreds melt away due to the gospel, as shown by this man who risks his life for those he does not even know in earthly contexts because he knows they are his brothers and sisters by heaven’s provision.

Bryan Chapell, Ephesians, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2009), 185.

Friends, this story should challenge us for there are all kinds of divisions amongst Christians. We are divided by things such as race and social status to personal differences and preferences. And ll of these divisions not only threaten our unity but they make us no different than the broken world we live in. Not only that but when the church is just as broken and divided as the world we can not fulfill the mission that Jesus has given us.

So what do we do ? Well first....we need to not lose sight of the fact that… “The God and the Father of us all is over all and through all and in all.” And....we need to recognize that we are brothers and sisters in Christ whom God dwells by his Spirit.

Friends, when I am in conflict with a brother or sister in Christ …the first thing I do is I pause and I recognize the truth that we will both be seated at the table....feasting with Jesus in eternity. I think about the truth that this is a person for whom Jesus died for and in whom Jesus lives. I recognize that my brother or sister in Christ is infinitely valuable to God, and therefore, I must honor him with words of my mouth and with the works of my hands. Whatever the offense we must pursue reconciliation and we must work to maintain gospel unity in the Church.

Brothers and Sisters...We have been called out of darkness. We have called out of the pit of sin and death. We have been saved by grace through faith and now we are to live our lives accordingly. We are to pursue a life that lives like Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us we are to reflect the humility, the gentleness, the patience, and the peace of Jesus. And as we do will maintain the unity that Jesus obtained through His life, death, and resurrection.

Mission Church, it is imperative that we work to maintain our unity. We live in a world that searching for unity but cannot find it. We live in a world that is defined by conflict and disunity and we are called to be unique…we are called to be different and to stand out. This will only be possible if we commit to bearing with one another in love and committing to one another even when things are tough.

I promise you that it will be worth it for not will God be honored and glorified but it is for our good and our growth in godliness. And as we love one another ....the world around us will see the gospel lived out and as a result they will glorify God. Brothers and Sisters lets partner with God to see His Kingdom come in Las Vegas as it is in Heaven as we love Jesus., live like Jesus, and Lead others to Jesus.

Let’s Pray