Just A Reminder Pt. 3
Notes
Transcript
Recap
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Humility
Humility
1. Wisdom
2. Exaltation
3. Jesus was
Submission is the essence of humility
What his looks like on a day-to-day basis
allowing someone else's position to be greater than your position
Gentleness
Gentleness
Mighty Ducks - “soft hands”
Embrace people as if they are broken
Patience
Patience
We are often slow to extend grace even though Christ is quick to extend grace
Patience goes back to humility and submission
If we are quick to submit, maybe we would be slow to respond – which is patience
Lastly, showing tolerance for one another in love
Loving those who are difficult to love
Are we willing to bear with those we can’t stand?
Ephesians 4:3
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
“Make every effort...”
Takes effort
“To preserve the unity of the Spirit”
Preserve
“to keep alive or in existence; make lasting:
to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare.”
Already a unity – Unity already exists
Not something we create – it's something we are brought into; or grafted into, as Jesus says
created by God
Something we inherit
Remember little league Baseball?
Baseball practice starts this week for our team!
Usually starts with Practice
Sometimes at the first game, maybe sometimes before…but eventually you
Receive the t-shirt
that meant that we are in
that meant that we are on the team
Yesterday was the Ivans’ Sonshine Journey and everyone was running around wearing their pink t-shirt…it was cool to see everyone together...
It meant that we were all united in the same mission…to get children’s Bibles…and to support the Ivans...
Like in little league, as a Christian, we are on the team!
When we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead – we are now a part of this team
We are now a part of the unity
Here is what is cool about the unity
Same unity that is seen in the Trinity
Jesus baptism
Jesus is baptized by John and
Spirit in the form of the dove came down and rested on Him
Father from heaven – “this is my son whom I am well pleased”
Think for a second about the power in the unity of the Spirit...
This unity is also extended to us
Jesus' prayer in
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
It is our job to make every effort to preserve this unity
The word preserve is a verb
Verb – is a word of action
We must do something
If we are to preserve, we have to do something
In order to be diligent in preserving – do something
What do we do? How do we do this?
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
We keep the unity of the Spirit with the bond of peace.
What does this mean for us?
How do we apply this to our day-to-day life?
Matthew Henry says
“The seat of Christian unity is in the heart or spirit; it does not lie in one set of thoughts, nor in one form and mode of worship, but in one heart and one soul.”
“The first step towards unity is humility; without this there will be no meekness, no patience, or forbearance and with out these no unity. Pride and passion break the peace, and make all the mischief. Humility and meekness restore the peace, and keep it.” - Matthew Henry
The way to keep peace and preserve unity is through what we have discussed already.
Through humility and submission, through patience, and through bearing with one another
Next way it applies is through being together
Matthew Henry
“Peace is a bond, as it unites persons, and makes them live friendly one with another. A Peaceable disposition and conduct bind Christians together, whereas discord and quarreling disband and disunite their hearts and affections. May slender twigs, bound together, become strong. That bond of peace is the strength of society.” - Matthew Henry
We need to eliminate quarreling. We need to come together...
Rapid fire scripture about being together...
1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
And finally...
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
One Spirit
Pneuma...
Not a different Spirit for each person...
The Spirit that lives in each of us is the same!
One Lord – Supreme leader/guide
One Faith – Gospel of Jesus
One Baptism – into Christ’s death and resurrection – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
One God and Father
Regardless of what culture says
One Hope – Kingdom of heaven come
Kingdom Heaven on earth
Over all, through all, and in all!
We are a part of this team!
We are to come together as the body of Christ!
As the bride of Christ!
There is something powerful about this unity that we are apart of!
We should be united in mission and vision!
If we can’t come together, how can we expect anyone to?
As the Church, we should be the example in this polarized and fragmented world....
This morning I want to challenge you to think about your part on this team?
How united are you with the team?
What effort are you putting in to keep the unity in the bond of peace?
If you haven’t become a part of this team yet, today would be a good day to do so....