United in God's Will
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Text: Ephesians 5:15-19
Text: Ephesians 5:15-19
Unity in the local church is more than how you live inside the for walls. Their unity is a live that desires to do the will of God.
you can have a dog and a cat
eat their lunch on the same porch
They can have the same owner
Get the same back rubs
They can lounge in the same family room
They can hunt in the same yard.
BUT DONT YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE UNITY.
The unity of the local church is more than a building number at which you worship. It is a value, a surrender, a worship, an obedience to the same God. This surrender to the will of God is not an optional thing.
The Church has always had at its core …
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
The “Will of GOD” has an ominous sound to it, doesn’t it. But to some it is an illusive figment. Some claim that everything they do is the will of God. Some wear it as a badge of honor and others just run headlong thinking God’s will is going to catch up with them.
There are a couple of certainties that we can acknowledge from this passage.
First, God has a Will
God has not planted himself some eternal distance away from us.
Second, It is an indicator of wisdom when you understand it.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Instructs us to walk in his will as a demonstration that we are not fools.
What this passage discusses is what is called the general will of God. There is a will that he calls for each of us to Do. A will for our lives spelled out in Scripture that we claim and pursue as believers. Not because these are natural or even what we want to do. But for the simple reason that it is God’s will.
Emerson Eggrich points out that there are four places in Scipture where God’s will is spelled out expressly. Even to the point where Scripture says “this is the will of God”
These four wills are:
Believe on Jesus Christ.
Believe on Jesus Christ.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Abstain from Sexual Sin.
Abstain from Sexual Sin.
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
Give Thanks for everything.
Give Thanks for everything.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Submit in doing right.
Submit in doing right.
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Now if your anything like me when it comes to the will of God I get very uncomfortable narrowing down a large topic like God’s will on four separate verses. There is Part of me that expects to find them neatly package in one text. This would allow me to measure the expectation.
Also, I would expect that in a passage that tells us to understand “what the will of the Lord is” I would find these four things.
So lets see what we find…
Ephesians 5.1-2
I. Believe on Christ Jesus.
Now I can read and I know that this passage doesn’t say you should be saved. But…
it is written to the saved
it is written on the terms of salvation - as children.
it elevates the terms of our salvation.
Christs offering for salvation
Christs sacrifice for salvation
I think it is a safe biblical statement that you cannot begin to know Gods will without receiving Christ.
This morning if you have never turned the salvation of your eternal soul to the perfect sacrifice on Calvary you are not in the will of God.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
II. Abstain from sexual sin.
Vs 3-5
it is unbecoming to the saint
being a Christian means there is a standard of what that looks like. No preacher there is no external proof of whatChristianity should look like eeeee wrong.
there are many that claim the name of Christian that will die and go to hell Im not so proud as to say that Knollwood will be excluded.
The Apostl said that if he is not correciting your life than you are no child of his.
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
We should be more strict than many are ready to be
‘not once named’ some said ‘not even a hint’.
our culture’s willingness to slide on this issue has led to our degradation nation.
as a matter of fact, one can’t read, Romans chapter 1 without an awareness that sexually morality calls us away from our faith in Christ Jesus.
which is a good question for us.
why is sexual sin so important to abstain because it weakens the faith. How many have walked away from God for no other reason than they had given themselves to their sexual appetites.
III. Gratitude in Everything
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Perhaps you’ve sampled it. Gratitude doesn’t come naturally. Self-pity does. Bellyaches do. Grumbles and mumbles—no one has to remind us to offer them. Yet they don’t mix well with the kindness we have been given. A spoonful of gratitude is all we need. — Lucado, Max. 2013. You’ll Get through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
The house of God is a place of praise and gratitude to God
the church is a people of gratitude to God
it’s real simple
Gratitude in everything.
pain gratitude
loss gratitude
IV. Submit in doing right.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives submit to husbands
Husbands submits in love to wives
Members submit to members
Church submits to Christ
Children obey parents
children honor parents
servants obey masters
How is answered in this passage
The same spirit that provides the unity is the same spirit that fills and changes us. Do not imagine your is the ability -yours is the surrender.
your place is the attitude of our savior in the Garden of Gethsemenee
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
How dissappoiting for our God when so many that claim the name of Jesus keep praying
“Not THY will, but MINE be done”