Better Together- One Church

Introduction

story about missions trip in the Amazon

When I was 16 years old, I had privilege of going to the Amazon jungle of Brazil. It was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on . But this trip had a much bigger purpose that going to experience the amazon River and the Jungle-I had a deep desire to do what God called me to do. I understood that as a believer even as a teenager, God gave me the command to go into the world and make disciples. ˆI was excited to be able to go and tell others about Jesus, But the beauty of this story is that I wasn’t alone. In fact, there were 15 other teenagers from all over the country that joined me on this trip.

we were all believers from all over the country, but God gave each of us, the same mission...to proclaim his name to the lost and build up the church . He gave us all the same message to share- that God loves sinners and desperately wants to to save them, And He gave all of us the same purpose- to do all for the glory of Go

This morning we come to the final paragraph in our church covenant, which says

CHURCH COVENANT

•We will, when we move from this place, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant.

The point here is simple - Clear Lake Baptist is not the only group of believers that God calls His church. (mind Blown)

In fact there are many other Churches in our community and around the world that are equally part of Christ’s Church

So this morning my goal os for us to understand what Christ means when He says we are part of His church.

The word "church" in the New Testament is derived from the Greek word "ekklesia," which means "assembly" or "gathering."

We are a gathering of born again believers who have come together to worship God, to fellowship with one another and to evangelize the lost. We are Ekklesia.

Do you understand what this means?

The Church is not the building we are sitting in to worship - its the people who we are worshipping with.

If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ than you are the church,

The New Testament church is not limited to a specific physical location or organization, or a denomination, The church that is described in the NT Includes all born again believers in Jesus Christ across time and space.

It is a universal and global community of Christ Followers that transcends cultural, racial, and denominational boundaries.

Simply The Church is everyone who has ever "been saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone , as revealed in Scripture alone , to the glory of God alone."

If that Describes you than you are part of the church.

And this should get us excited as a local body of Believers.

God didn’t single us out to be the only ones to fulfill his mission of Making and Equipping Disciples of Jesus on this earth.

He gave this mission to ALL BELEIVERS- from every tribe , and tongue, from Every Denomination and every Religion.

We have been called By God to be part of Something so much bigger than ourselves.

I think too many times we look at other churches as our competition instead of our brothers who have been given the same Mission from Christ. A Mission to live for Jesus and to proclaim His gospel to the world.

I want you to understand that I am not saying that all “churches” teach the same theology and are equal in their interpretation and application of scripture, or that it doesn’t matter what Religion or local church you are part of. Those things do matter, in fact,, I would argue that choosing a local church is one of the most important decisions you make as a follower of Jesus, because what a church teaches Matters in how you grow in your walk with Jesus.

Bad Doctrine corrupts Good Christians. Bad theology polutes Biblical truths, and Bad Religion casues many people to have a week or lacking faith.

So what your church teaches matters

What I am saying is that God gave all born again believers the same Commission reguardless of the church they attend or the religion they are part of- GO MAKE MORE DISCIPLES. Baptize them in the name of The Father, Son , and HS, teach them to be disciple makers, Love One another, Serve the Community, Look like Jesus to the World.

Please turn with me in your own Bibles this morning to Eph. chapter 4:1-6 as we look at what it means to be part of the Universal Church. TO be part of the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1–6 (ESV)

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

God has called his followers to walk in Unity with one another and I believe that as we break down this passage we will see how that looks as we live out our lives together,.

I. The Call to Walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV)

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

As followers of Christ, we have received a high and holy calling. The God of the Universe has called us to walk in a way that reflects the glory and grace of our Savior.

Our calling is not a mere formality but a life-transforming invitation from God Himself.

It is a calling to be His ambassadors, to live as children of light in a world filled with darkness.

He has chosen you to be the conduit that will carry the gospel message of Jesus to the lost.

To Walk worthy means that you align your conduct with the standards set by God in His Word.

it means that you live your life loving the things God loves and hating the things God hates.

And Brothers and Sisters there is nothing Christ loves more in this world than the Church

In Eph. 5 tells us that Christ loves His church He cherishes it, He nurtures it, He builds it up.

Friends, if you are in Christ, than you have been called to love the Church the way that Christ loves His church.

Remember who the church is?

The Church is every believer who has been redeemed by God- It is everyone one who has put their faith and trust in Christ alone for their salvation.

God has called you To Cherish other Christians, to Nourish them, and to build them up as the body of Christ.

Brothers and sisters- Not only is our calling to love the church but we are called to love the World as Christ loved the World. We have been called to walk in Unity with ALL Believers for the Purpose of Making Christ known to the World,

Jesus said in John 13:35

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Christians you have been given the same calling that all believer's have been Given by God- to love the Church and to make Jesus known in the World.

Moving on in our text this morning Paul tells us the way we should walk in Unity as the church.

2. The Way we walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:2–3 (ESV)

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity in and of itself is so foreign to the world’s philosophy,

Have you ever seen the Reality TV show Survivor?

A group of strangers are all dumped on an island and The primary objective of the game is to outwit, outplay, and outlast the other contestants to become the sole survivor and win a substantial cash prize.

But in order to win individuals will start to form alliances- they come together to work towards the common goal of surviving longer and eliminating other contestants. And The world calls this unity.

But in reality there is no real unity, the players dont have the same goal, they dont have the same desire, They all want to win for themselves and are just using one another for their own gain. The Contestants stay unified as long is the alliance benefits them, but as soon as it was no longer in their best interest they would turn against each other and try to eliminate one another from the game.

thats a great picture of The World’s philosophy of unity - Be united as long is it benefits you but when the benefits stop- Find someone else to be in unity with who can benefit you more. Do what ever it takes to make tour life better.

Church family -when Christ redeems a sinner, he makes Him brand new, He gives him a new heart, and a new purpose.

The Christian no longer lives for himself but for the glory of God.

Unity is a precious gift God gave us within the body of Christ, and as believers, we are called to actively cultivate and preserve it for the glory of God

So How does the church walk in unity when we are all So different from one another?

The simple answer is- we live our lives looking like The New Creation God has changed us to be in Christ.

And Paul Gives us 5 ways in this passage that we can look like Christ and walk in Unity together as His Church.

Be Humble:

There’s a reason Paul begins with Humility.

Humility is essential for maintaining unity.

It involves recognizing that we are not above others and that our perspectives and opinions are not superior.

True humility is what allows us to listen, understand, and appreciate the different viewpoints of our fellow believers.

Being Humble with other’s builds their faith up and creates unity in the church.

Be humble as you interact with other believers in our church in our community and around the world.

Be Gentle:

Gentleness is the disposition of a tender and compassionate heart, responding to others with kindness and understanding.

I love how Paul puts it - Speak the Truth in Love. Let your words always be gracious seasoned with Salt

Gentleness is the idea of not trying to prove someone wrong - but instead understanding that God is the one who is sanctifying His children to be more and more like Jesus.

When we approach other believers with gentleness, we create a bond that encourages open dialogue, a bond That builds up one another and fosters unity in the body of Christ.

Be Patient: (with One another)

If I had to be honest with you this morning- being patient with other’s as God grows their faith is hard to do sometimes.

Too often we want to see results now - we want to see new Christians looking like old Sanctified Christians, It can be hard to wait for the Holy Spirit to change and grow others in the church.

Patience is a virtue that enables us to endure the imperfections and weaknesses of others.

it allows us to bear with one another's faults, showing grace and understanding as we navigate differences and conflicts.

When we have Patience with one another it builds unity in the church .

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Be Loving:

Love is the cornerstone of the church’s unity. When we love one another with the same selfless and unconditional love that Christ has shown us we build up the unity in the church

Loving one another means that we seek the well-being of others above our own. Love is what enables us to forgive others , to reconcile with others, and to build bridges of understanding and support even in the midst of great religious differences.

Finally in verse 3 Paul says

Verse 3: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

We build unity in the body of Christ when we seek the Bond of Peace with one another.

Seek The Bond of Peace:

I love how Paul says MAKE EVERY EFFORT to keep the unity of the Spirit.

He understands that it is hard work staying Unified as the church.

Having a bond of Peace requires a commitment to actively pursue harmony with one another, to showing understanding when we differ in our theology, to forgive each other, and humility in our interactions with other believers.

Peace is the glue that holds our unity together. It is through the cultivation of peace that unity can thrive in the church.

Walking in unity is a continuous journey we as the church are on, requiring us to embody the virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, and love as we pursue peace with one another in Christ.

- God is the one Who called you to have Unity with the Church.

- God is the One Who has equipped you to walk in Unity with the church

- and Finally, God is the one who has given you the Foundation to walk in Unity.

2. The Foundation for our walk in Unity

Paul goes on in our passage to tells us that the reason we can walk in Unity as One Church is because iWe are ONE IN CHRIST.

READ TEXT.

Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Church family when God looks down from His throne in Heaven He sees One Church.

He sees those who has been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ - From every nation, from every tongue and from every religious group. And He calls them His own.

When we look at the church- We see the differences among us- We look at other churches and other denominations and we see how their theology or practices are different then our own.

And again, it matters how Churches interpret and teach God’s Word

It matters that a church has Good Biblical theology, But what Paul is saying in this passage is that even if our style of worship differs, and our theology may not be the same- All believers who have been saved through Faith in Jesus Christ are unified as One Church because of 8 foundational truths.

One body:

This refers to the collective community of believers, known as the body of Christ.

Paul loves to use the metaphor of the body to emphasize that each believer is a unique member with different gifts and roles, yet we are all interconnected and dependent on one another.

This unity in diversity encourages cooperation and mutual support, it causes us to rely on one another, and it fosters a sense of belonging and shared responsibility within the Christian community.

We are many members of One Body in Christ striving together for the ministry of the gospel

One Spirit:

When Jesus left earth- He gave us the gift of the H.S. - God himself

it was God the Holy spirit that opened our eyes while we were still sinners so that we could see our need for the gospel, it was The Holy Spirit, that pursued u and drew us to the point of Confession

It was the H.S. that gave us the ability to believe in Jesus

It is the H.S. that seals our Salvation for all eternity

and it is this same H.S. that indwells all believer's, guiding, empowering, and transforming them into the likeness of Christ.

The Same Holy Spirit that pursued you, secures you and indwells you as a believer is the same spirit that calls and indwells all other Christians

One hope:

Jesus Christ will return for His church- He will return for all of us who have believed in His name,. He is not going to single us our by religion- He will call everyone who has placed their faith in Him alone to enter into his everlasting Kingdom.

The shared hope of salvation and eternal life Unites all Believers together as One.

One Lord:

Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and He is the central figure in the Christian faith.

Acknowledging Jesus as Lord means submitting to His authority and lordship over every aspect of life.

The common confession of Jesus as Lord unites all believers in their devotion and worship of Him as the head of the church

One faith:

Faith is beleiving God Will do what He says he will do.

Everyone who is truly a follower of Jesus has believed in the same gospel message.

That we have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone , as revealed in Scripture alone , to the glory of God alone."

We have unity together because we have all been saved through the same Gospel message

One baptism:

Baptism symbolizes our spiritual identification with Christ and His body, the church.

It is our public declaration of our inward faith. It uis our outward declaration that we are followers of Jesus with our lives.

Baptism unites believers in their commitment to follow Jesus and be part of His redeemed community.

Trans: And finally..

One God and Father:

This is the heart of all Christianity The central truth that all believers share the same Heavenly Father,

Do you understand The God who in Great love chose to save me , a rotten selfish sinner, also chose to save you and everyone of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Understand church- we are united as One church because God in Great love chose to save each of us based on his own perfection for His own glory.

Our foundation for unity in the Body of Christ is that we are One in Christ

We have One Salvation, One Baptism,One Lord, One purpose, one Hope and One God.

BRING IT HOME

Christian dont ever loose sight of who you once were before God, in Love, chose to save you.

Before Christ we were all dead in our sins

We were all selfish by nature-

We were all condemned for all eternity,

We all had no desire but our own glory and selfishness,

That's who we all were before Christ Redeemed us and brought us New life.

But when God steps into our sinful state to Save us -HE changes us completely and He gives us a new Heart with a new passion, and a new purpose.

He gives us the ability to exemplify Jesus Christ with our lives in the way that we walk with one another in Unity as His church.

There are many different religion and denominations out there, but there is only one True Church.

We need to be a local body of Believers that rejoices in what God is doing in his church in our community and around the World.

We are part of the redeemed Church that is ONE on Christ with one Purpose- To live our lives for the glory of God.

If you are IN Christ You are the Church. You have been United with Every other Believer through Christ.

This means that we are not alone but that we have a family of other believers. A Family that helps one another in time of need, that rejoices with one another in times of Joy, that prays with one another in times of Sorrow, and that joins with one another for the ministry of the gospel.

And this is why we covenant together that when we leave this local body of Believers we will unite with another where we can continue to live our lives as the church God intends for his church to be.

Pray