Consumer Christianity 1- Ephesians 4

Intro

we are called to be part of something amazing

that is the purpose that God made us for

in our culture and our world we look for what we can get out of the things that we spend our time on

some parts of the consumer culture are good for an efficient and productive society

however, the mindset produced can also very easily lead to greed

worse than that, it can lead to a misunderstanding of what Christianity is and what my role in the body of believers ought to be

Ephesians Letter

a book of conformation and a laying out of the objective truths of the gospel as it pertains to all

the revealing of the mystery, that the gospel is for all jew and gentile

a laying out of what that calling means for the Christian, that the gift is not all that is entailed

eternal life in heaven someday is not our only purpose or our only motivator

there is creation that needs God working in it now

and if I am just looking for what I can get out of all of this then I will miss someone or many someones along the way

Being One

starting in the body and moving out with our thoughts on this topic

we are called to be unified and eagerly working toward unity

we are called to be well equipped so that we can be certain about the truth and not be tossed to and fro

knowing our role in the body and seeking to grow in that so that at least our part can function as optimally as possible

in the new life, all that we do, we do with the thought of the betterment of others in mind, no longer our selves

Application

what I get out of Christianity is a gift that I don’t deserve

what I am living my life serving for is not simply to recieve a gift as though I could somehow earn it by doing it all correctly and for long enough

for the betterment of God’s good creation that I so often have harmed with my own selfishness

that I might leave this place closer to the good God created it to be than when I entered

that someone else might hold firm as well to the gift we don’t deserve