Sunday Morning Service 1-22-2023 Ephesians 4

Anybody turn all the way to the beginning of your Hymnal, the number to, it was number one forever and then they decided to change it. But it's holy holy. Holy in her Usher will come down on the 4th. Verse will take their offering after this.

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I was working in town. Want to go up the street Bowser. Wanted what happened in there? A young man was running from the hitting that direction and stop just catches. I asked him to please tell me what was the hairy? He smiled up at me and I was trying to care for crippled Man passed away. Is there school today?

It's hard to believe that if you don't trust me, I could learn that. You saw it. All the blind, man. He saw it all.

My friend at the troubles and burdened you carry your heavy dragging you down and you've tried everything. You can possibly thank God but there's no relieved to be fine. That very same genes are secondary to future of the blind man to death and the lane. He's still reaching out and you're our world Bravo. One Touch are your tether the today. You'll be trying to catch the crippled man, this way he was wrong because today I was telling myself, it's hard to believe, but if you don't, trust me, I asked for the time that he saw it all. As for the Wildman.

Are getting older. As you start getting the challenges about phone books. Are my family still uses the phone book, but they kept making the print smaller, and smaller and smaller, and you're having to try to focus on it. Bob found a great new software. I hope you're appreciating the efforts of just going, from the black-and-white slides to a little more Our sermons. Now you can get them. Listen to them in Faith Life. Bro Bob needs to send you an invite. If you give him your email and click it on the invite and listen to them anytime you'd like and it's got the the whole narrative there. A few words may not appear, right? It's what the computer thinks I said, there's nothing bad in there but every once in a while there's a different letter or word Going to the doctor. Some friends of mine have this joke about. Yep, this is our life. We go to the doctor and then we go to the pharmacy to pick up the meds, the doctor gave us. And then we hit the grocery store on the way home. And that's, that's kind of our life. Well, I guess I've been blessed because a few years ago I went to the doctor and he was like

What medicines you on? I'm like I'm not on anything. He's like, that can't be good and I'm thinking, yes, it's good. Being on medicine means you got something wrong with you. You you I'll make sure we give you something confess your sins a friend of mine. We had the same doctor. And he went to see the doctor and the doctor, use the term. Grossly obese. And and my friend was like, man he he just chewed on me for being overweight. So I'm always trying to to mitigate pain in my life. I knew this doctor-owned, the Anytime Fitness Gyms and so, do you know what that is? That's the key to Anytime Fitness gym. So before I went to my doctor, I went and got a membership. And when I went to my appointment, I prominently waved it around a little bit and then dropped it, where he had to see it. The good news was and at that point, I hadn't been to the gym other than the membership. I hadn't gone. He left me alone. He didn't say anything about being grossly obese until I saw the reader away. When I got home, There it was obese, but we don't like doctors because they're somehow going to bring something up as our fault. that you're not exercising enough, you're not walking enough, you're not Doing enough and it when we don't we don't come at like that criticism Miss Janice. And I have this Special relationship about when you go to the doctor, what the report says and she doubts my report all that, that can't be, right? I'm like, you should be happy that I'm in the good categories. No way, you're in the good. She looks to me. Like you're not in the good categories that the mother of my children. I feel the love

And you know what? I live on Little Debbie cakes so she's like, there's no way you're what is it? Cholesterol can be healthy at that point.

We're going to look today in Ephesians. And it's talkin about healthy churches. Recently, there's been books, put out called the anatomy know, the autopsy of a dead Church. And they look through churches that have dwindled and died and what killed them? I've got some pastor friends if that's that's their Wednesday night, bible study. I'm I'm not sure, you know, that's particularly encouraging to your church to take him through that study, if it looks at why and where in Ephesians chapter 4, help a healthy church is marked by spiritual Unity. Now it gets a little more challenging the bigger Church gets. If we took a survey of any topic right now, we would probably not have agreement with this group. On some things, we probably would have agreement. The person and work of Jesus Christ, the word of God, the Bible. We probably have agreement on that and you get off into some other topic. We may we may start differing but we're going to look at what Ephesians has to say. Here and I'm not talking on my phone but brother Bob has uploaded the sermon thing. So, I can follow on my phone to see where I'm supposed to be. So we don't chase too many rabbits, Ephesions 4, verse 1, therefore a prisoner of the Lord. I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling which you were called with all loneliness and gentleness with long-suffering bearing with one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. And the bond of peace.

It goes on. There's one body, one Spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling one. Lord, One Faith, one baptism. When God the father of all who is above all and through all, and in you, all. Versus one is talking that were United by a Divine calling. And I will just tell you, I know, Believers in every Faith group, Methodist Presbyterian Catholic Lutheran's, people that have realize that they need Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. They honor God's word that they they believe in faith, they have a faith walk. And so, this calling. went out. Saying. All you that are heavy laden, come unto me and I will give you rest and then it gets into that were United by Christ like conduct. I don't know if you've ever. Met somebody from church. You seen him somewhere? Other than church and you think in your mind that person can't even be a Christian. There is no way they go to church. No, no, no there a horrible person. And we think that sometimes and I Wonder has anybody ever said that about me seeing me somewhere else, I've shared that that while I was in the army. I did not like having church members in my unit. And not that I did anything. particularly bad. I was worried I would and then Sunday morning, and I was Deacon, I wasn't the pastor then the person that saw me fail. would be looking at me from across the pews. I didn't encourage people to go visit where we were in Hawaii and it was a whole row of churches. And an sometimes i would even tell, them that's a great church. The first one, you don't have to go to the third one. But were United in our Christ like conduct and in and looking there and in verses, 2, and 3 with loneliness, and gentleness and long-suffering suffering bearing with one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. There are some things.

I mean, each one of us has our own quirks our likes or dislikes in. You know, well i'll throw it out there, where do you want to go eat? It doesn't matter. Where do you want to go eat? And we go back and forth on that. And and somebody will say, I don't care. That that might be true. and and sometimes when you're with family, you get to the point. No. You know. I hate Mexican, You know. We get brutally honest about it, but in church there. sometimes. that it's not about what makes me happy. I've been amazed over the years.

What stress people out at church? I was in one Church where there was a tree? And and this one lady was just ah that tree is so messy. It drops Its leaves drops it's flowers. We got cut that thing down. And I mean she come to church and the tree was her focus of what are you thinking.

You got to care about it now, I don't care. She's like, what will you help me cut it down. I'm no no no no, no sister. Anne planted that tree and I'm not touching it just to let you know. But we sometimes have to think about what am I really upset about now that conference I went to You know what the war amongst churches is going on right now and it's it's dozens and dozens of churches taking out the pews and putting in chairs. They are having splits and firing the pastor and and everything over what we sit on on Sunday morning. And and they have all that hey we can fit five more bodies and if we put chairs and instead of pews and then the other side well my grandfather, donated those pews So we got to have them. The Bible talked to your gentleness long-suffering bearing with one another in love. I'm sure.

It's interesting when I'm with parents now and their kid and and, and I've been in Ministry walking up where it's Priceless. When you see the children have their own children and one, their children are worse than Mom and Dad were, and two their worst parents then their parents ever were As far as being in their child's business, I mean, I can remember the conversations back if you have no privacy, embarrassing mean going on. And on now they have and and there, and I'm sitting there sometimes put a tracker on their car, you got a tracker on their phone, you're just Like, man, I remember somebody that hated that when you made him call in every few hours.

But for us you know reading the scriptures, hear this lowleness this gentelness bearing with one another in love. one of the conference speakers I went to, he said, you know what when you have a problem with somebody, With something they are doing something. They are saying, the way they are living. if you do not love that person, keep your mouth shut. They said if you if you have a love for that person and you want to help them and you want to encourage them. By all means go and talk to them, but if it's a matter of I'm right, you're wrong, and you're going to see it my way or else keep your mouth shut. Don't don't say it. That's not what God's talkin about endeavoring to. Keep the unity of spirit in the bond of peace.

I know sometimes. Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner? The big family. the more people that are there and everybody's happy and smiling. And then somebody's got to go there. Somebody has to bring it up. And you'll hear the hush fall over the room. And somebody will get up and walk out mad and somebody well good let them go.

Sometimes get the same way you know, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. We are happy. Everything is wonderful. And then somebody an this Church listen I'm blessed having your all the more horror stories, I hear other places. thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus that ain't me

but, In our, in our minds that that gentleness long-suffering bearing and I guess the more two things I've learned is as we get older. We tend to be more brutally honest. I don't know if it's because we don't care anymore. I don't know if it's, we kept our mouths shut for so long. I just threw myself in the old people category two there, they just, you know, but I think we tend to

Not be as worried about hurting somebody's feelings, you know I guess we thought about it for a long time. We think about it but we share the truth and honesty. And in here in a Ephesians he's talkin about the faith christ-like conduct and United in the confession that we have. Verses 4 through 6. One God one father. above all an in all.

You know, we had a few years back, that Jesus is a way to heaven. He is a way, not not the way. And it was, it was all over. I think the title Ophra or somebody said it on there and it just just was a fire storm about it. I had a former youth this week post a very lengthy Facebook post and it kind of disappointed me. He's really a nice kind compassionate caring person. but he basically said, you know, Christians have their things use of their things, Muslims have their things hairy, krishnas have their things and we're all following God in our way and we're all going to be Happy on the Day of Reckoning. I'm sitting there going, no, no.

And he's just, he's just a pure Soul about things. He he he is kind to everybody and nice. And and he doesn't want to stand there and say you know there's a right and there's a wrong it in wrong, not so much as

I guess that's what you call it. The scripture is clear. About salvation repentance. Coming to Christ. What's required? What's expected? and anything else is an add-on, or

I'm not sure what you even call it. But for us there is there's a gospel confession. and in we we talk sometimes about open communion and close communion. And I have no problems with the open communion when I was with some pastors one time, That they were reading into it that they were responsible for the spiritual condition. That everybody took of the elements. But they were responsible, brother. Larry came up here and he was taking unworthyly It was the pastor's fault for allowing him to do that. I don't I don't have that spin on it. I mean I understand if it's if it's something blatant everybody knows about, you know, it says let a person examine themselves when they come but If you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, if you remember a time of repentance and asking for forgiveness and in every respect in a reverence for the work on the cross. We're family. You know, we may differ on baptism, we may differ on some other things, but

The gospel confession.

The challenges we have is, is people going to heaven and what's required, the best. we have is the thief on the cross. He was there by Jesus. He says, I believe you were the Christ, the son of the Living. God, Jesus looks at him and says today you'll be with me in Paradise. he never got baptized, he never gave any money, he never went to church and it was the fact that his heart Was so moved. I believe you're the son of the Living. God, Who's there were United in church by confession. A healthy churches are marked by spiritual diversity. verse 7, but to each of us Grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when you ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. This is, this is a reading kind of coming out of Psalm 68. And for each one goes on a little further let me. read verse nine. as i continued? Eat? Now this he ascended. What does this mean? But that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth, he who descended is. Also the one who ascended far above the heavens that he might fill in in all things. There were several Creed's out there. And one of them says Christ descended into hell and came and A lot of Protestants had problems. Oh no, he didn't know. He didn't. You know, the sin and the dying but in this verse here, it's talkin about the work that Christ died on the cross. We were the ones in captivity. He freed us from the Captivity and then he gave us gifts. One of the young man that went to the conference with me, his his was in my head and she was a very talented young person but she was very much like me, quiet and shy and very reserved and everything and I was like, oh, we're going to work on this. And so I would try to make her the Rah rah up front leading the charge person. And she's just for my chain, you got this, it's easy big old tears. Just pouring down her face, Bro bill. I can't do that. I can't do that. And we're talkin like 3 years of brother Bill giving her opportunities to, to run around the building with the flags and stuff. And then finally, I went to a conference and it was talking about our spiritual gifts. And how God has given each one of us gifts, and they're not all the same. And, and the reason he gave them to us was because of our personalities because of his Divine wisdom, how we would use them, and I had to go back to Shay and apologize. because I kept trying to pound her gifts into the Square peg, round hole, type thing. And, and that wasn't the way God had made her. And the fact that Bill Pianki thought you should be like this was God, God got the vote on it. And so the gifts we've been given Back and forth. It has been discussion that well maybe I don't have a gift. They have all these spiritual gift inventories that they'll do ask you three hundred questions. They'll tell you what your spiritual gifts, are a lot of truth to it. but, Any River gift? I believe, scripture says we all have been giving a gift for something. That the god did not create us and make us and save us for no reason. And not to use those gifts and some people don't even realize they have them. Over the years. I have been here long enough to totally be honest with you all yet, but tricking people into Ministry,

you know, if if I was to announce today, hey, I need some people to minister. Come see me after the service.

I may not have very many people come up with some of y'all are very gracious. You coming over. I asked you if you could do but going into Ministry serving, you know, it's not our comfort zone. my my deal is believe it or not, I do not like sharing. With group exercises I'll go to conferences or something. It's okay. Break up into groups of four and tell the person next to you. You know your favorite food. I hate. I hate the group exercise. but, As God has given us these gifts, a lot of times, we don't want to use them. It is so pastors were challenged, how do you get somebody to recognize their gifts and their talents? and use them now, On the flip side.

There's some people that think they have gifts and talents.

At 8, you know, they're singing in your life. Is that even a note in their life? When I was in second grade, they told me I sang beautifully. Diva

Or that Sunday school teacher. That's here. But, you know, not a There's some people that do not have the gift of teach. And they think they do and, and Discerning where your gifts are and using them for the building up of the body is huge. And so, a lot of times when we start with something,

Get the confidence. We feel the peace. We see the results of our labors and God encourages more.

We have. Their diverse gifts and we also have diverse responsibilities. gave some Apostles prophets evangelists pastors teachers for the equipping of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ,

This right now is a Flashpoint. In denominational life. The Methodist Church at they've lost 1800 churches in the last month because of decisions they had made as to the qualifications of who can be a leader. and,

Southern Baptist wear. We're struggling with some things. One of the one of the discussions is going right now is the titles we give people. Some Churches call it. Worship. Pastor children's, Pastor some places, call it in the, in the purest, or like look. The word Pastor role. Pastor is is not what y'all are making it.

there are, there are people with gifts that they're on and I go back to

Women serving in the church.

and and yet,

having to having to struggle or whiten them, how you dress them in even more the roles that they have. is it is difficult sometimes Particually if it's somebody, you know, when you like we had a

A woman Deacon in Hawaii. And it was it was rare back then, it was a long time ago. But this woman embraced everything there was about being a deacon. She was a gifted teacher, she was a prayer Warrior. She she visited the widows and the orphans, and her husband had been a deacon and when he died and the church didn't have anything about who you can make a deacon or anything. So she became the deacon and, did the service part in it, when the Lord's Supper was given There would be 100 people get up and leave the church. Cuz they didn't feel that was a biblical biblical role. And she was very much that God will take care of his church. He will protect his church and he will remove those things that are a hindrance to the Church of God. But the responsibilities in the gifts and in we're We're pretty much friction-free here. But under the bigger scope of denominations, what there I tell my pastor friends all the time that there. They're worried about what the church in Africa is doing on my dude about the 5-mile radius. I mean, it's great that you've got concerns but aren't real responsibilities, who they are for and what they are for. And in there is had people talk about The expectations of putting somebody in leadership. We're all part of the body of Christ but then is people leave leave. Do you want somebody in leadership that comes to church once a month? Do you want someone in leadership that never supports the financial needs of the church? You know what, what makes a leader do you want somebody? That's

Lifestyle issues. Things like that. In the leadership of your church, they're welcome to be part of the body church. I get asked all the time. by people. Can I come to your church? Yes, you can. You are welcome to come to our church where wherever you are in in choices decisions, whether it's drugs or alcohol.

Issues, things like that. that said, Membership leadership is is a totally different thing. You know what? God expects more, the higher up. You get just because you're supposed to know better. You know, how many times have we heard? It said you have siblings or you have children your older so you know better even though it's your little brother a little sister spoil, the older one was expected and that's how it is with the word of God. Those of us to the been in Christ for a long time or expected.

to know better. Healthy churches are marked by spiritual maturity.

Do we all come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature in the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, and fro carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness and deceitful plotting. I think the evolution of TV evangelism. Open the doors. Just some crazy stuff. Coming out there. I mean Janice and I kid all the time that we need our Miracle Water and our point of contact loss. And, you know, we need to $263,000 check come in the mail because we drank the miracle water and and and stuff. And this has been a trend and sometimes you

throwing the baby out with the bathwater is probably the best example. Administer. That when I was growing up, I could I could listen to him preach. I could listen to his worship singing, I mean it was it was good stuff. and then he said, moral failure, he crashed and burned and I was like, That was a message that changed my life is, is it? Is it gone because of you know where he is and we have to discern sometimes. That.

the word of God in the message of God, do ideally We should be synced with it but we're sinners in need of a savior. even if we're Pastor, Bishop Apostle, whatever title somebody wants to give somebody they are a human being That doesn't have the absolute Divine wisdom, on the word of God, and the maturity tossed about to and fro in Cary with every Doctrine. I'll get. When I was in West Louisiana, I would start getting the messages. Best preacher I've ever heard in my life. And it was like the guy believe. 18 points of heresy, but the person he's got such a beautiful smile. I just love watching him preach and I'm like, are you hearing what he saying to you?

Christianity, Today, a few years ago they had the top 10 Evangelical Pastors in America. And believe it or not, there were two of the top 10 out of Baton Rouge area. And both the two. Crashed and burned.

Had an affair with somebody's wife, Church secretary something. and in your churches, were just Are you still a good guy? We just we like him. He's he's just his wife's for giving him. It's okay. Just keep going. The maturity part is what we're not bounced around whenever we happen to watch on TV today. And I'm not saying don't have an open mind open heart but have the word I've right there testing and checking and seeing. I love it here, when

Bob's my conscience in the back. He will he will, I will do a note and I'll type it up and Bob will say, you know, that's not the scripture for that verse.

so, when I say it is, I'm false teaching here in the church, And so, I might please you in any of y'all, if I misspeak, and I did one time, I got dislexic between Jonah and Noah. And finally, somebody had to, you know, hollar out. I think you mean Noah I was running with it. But for us maturing what we believe and why? I asked youth all the time. Why do you believe that? Most of the time was, oh, my grandma told me that Okay. Why, why do you believe that to be true? the ideal answer is because the word of God says, so, but we're not there yet, and for a lot of us, we believe things, because we think we thought it

I had a group of young man and I was, I was with some of them this week and That over a 10-year period Of time, I was able to disciple them and Mentor them and they would come up with a question. and they would ask me this question about some

I don't know. Something like if Eve didn't eat the apple and Adam did. What would have happened?

I'm like y'all are killing me but I would I would hesitate to answer and they're like Bro bill. Why do you always hesitate when we ask you a question? um number number one? You think I'm smarter than I am. I'm glad you think that, number two, when you speak on biblical stuff, saying Thus Saith The Lord. You better be right and what you are saying And so there were times I had to go back in and I'll tell you, technology is a wonderful thing. Miss Janice will tell you. I have to say that that way but I have lots and lots and lots of books. I mean, I've got books that haven't been unpacked for 30 years now. I just can't get, nobody uses books anymore. You can. You can Google it. I've got a software up here, logos. I can have six thousand volumes of stuff. To answer my question for me. And so we're being tossed to and from and ask stuff. Check it with the word of God. Check it with the commentary. Be sure that what I believe is in line with God's word On the essentials. I mean, you'll get little things out there. Do we baptize adults. We baptize infants. You know there's there's some things that there's a justification for both.

But on the big thing, scriptural things don't be bouncing all over the place on well today, I believe this tomorrow. I don't maybe I was right, maybe I was wrong.

Speaking the truth, in love make grow up in all things. The whole body joined and knit together with every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part. Does it share it causes growth of the Body for the edifying of itself in love. Knit together every joint.

Our maturity involves a Christ likeness. verse 13 maturity involves a doctrinal stability. We know what we believe and why we believe it.

Are we sure do involves truth join with love? Immaturity involves a contribution. To know something and never act upon it. Is.

you know, when and I struggle sometimes because I've had people look at me and say,

why didn't you talk to that person about Jesus?

you around them for a while and I get convicted a lot of times and I want to lash out and say, why didn't you talk to a person about Jesus if they've been on your heart and they've been on your mind, You should have. and and I, I've struggled sometimes with

Being brutally honest pastors pastors, go back and forth with funerals. What are you supposed to say at a funeral? To the family to the print. Some of them are living like the devil. And I'm Steen funerals where the guy goes off on an on and on and on waiting for the altar call waiting for the aisles. You packed with the loss Will coming to get right with Jesus. And I think he's a pretty good guy. He's put it out there. I have a piece as much, you know, I will share the hope of Christ and I will share the need and end. For each of us, this, this contribution that were making.

I'm blessed here in a couple reasons. Why not? When I'm around other pastors. Vacation Bible School come and they'll go on and on and on and on they can't get anybody to help with Vacation Bible School. This entire church is there for Vacation. Bible School from youngest to oldest. There are people here helping contributing doing Serving

smile on their face. Most of the time.

Mature and being part of the body of Christ. As we have the work,

we've been blessed.

And what do we do with it?

So, my challenge is

Always think about where you are.

And what you believe? Appreciate the people around you. Even if they bug, you We have to cuz we're brought we probably bug somebody ourselves.

And the love of Christ and in try to share it. Try to be the encouragement. We we do not quibble Over silly stuff here. I've only had two years so to see but hopefully, If the boards for texting on that, but stay in God's word, you know, of Ephesians talking about the maturity and the body and what it means to have, Janice and I as we were military. We would show up in a town. We didn't know anybody.

and the first place you showed up, Found out. She was pregnant. Her mom and dad were thousand miles away. It was horrible, weather snow and ice. You couldn't drive. We walked into a church Braddock, Baptist Church. And I looked up from the back. And there was a couple singing in the choir that I knew from Chickamauga Georgia.

And I turned to Janice, and I said that's cotton and quite at Morrison. She said, if you do not know somebody here, I'm like, it's just a name cotton, really seriously be more and end, and we had a hug Fest at the end because he was building a power plant up there. And they were away from their kids and their families. She adopted Janice while we were there and we had a church family, To help and encourage. And everywhere, we've been why I, when I was in Korea, the chapel there, Fort Benning Georgia, Fort Polk, Louisiana week. We do have a church body that cares about you, that loves you and encourages you

Don't take it for granted, try to be that body because that's what Christ is talkin about. That was the intent for the church That it was family through the good and the bad. It it's always an honor for pastors. As they get invited to do like people. And I'm talking about, The birthday parties, the graduations. The. Crawfish boils. Are we first got here to colyell. We got called in Janice is taking the call and she's like, yeah.

They've been running dogs in the swamp and they killed a bunch of deer and they wanted us to come for the gutting. And she was like Belt, are you here? I went up there and they had a dozen deer that, you know, we're being cleaned. Can you get to the hardpoints? The funerals. The divorce has the things that that aren't the loss of a child. It's tough but is a family. That's what that's what the scriptures talking about. Somebody doing courage us to be there for us as family. How many closed in prayer?

One of the.

probably most convicting things of the conference was talking about invitations. And they said you realize that 99% of the people, you're talkin to her saved. They have a relationship with Jesus Christ. In the first thing you say is, Need to come to Jesus. Come on. You want to join the church? Come on. and a lot of times if it has nothing to do with what you just preached, And he said you let people off the hook. that if something is stirring them from the message that they heard the decision they make, Weathers for prayer with confession, whether it's whatever you need to give that opportunity to the safe people as well. And I I think I've been okay with that window but if there's ever and it may not even be related to the sermon, you know find myself by Brother Richard. You know we're here for you and don't leave hurting confused.

Without an opportunity to leave it here at the let's pray. Father God we thank you. That. you created us with gifts, you created us with talents, That you intended for the church to be healthy and thriving. May we each seek to do our part You're wonderful and precious name. Amen.