Walking in the unity of Christ

Intro

How many people in here have ever heard the phrase maybe from a parent or coach

“we don’t do that”

how many of you have said that phrase?

I have three young kids and I say that all the time

i just had this conversation with my youngest this week

he loves to talk in his Sunday school class

buddy we don’t do that

there is a way we as sticklers act and conduct ourselves and I am teaching that to my kids

the same in the church in the body of believers there is a way we ought to conduct ourselves

in light of God being rich in mercy and making us alive with Christ

much like my kids who were placed in my family by the sovereignty of God my children bear the last name stickler

so to with all of us who were chosen in him before the foundations of the earth

we were chosen to bear the name Christian so we must respond to that accordingly

how do we do that???

Read Ephesians 4:1-16

Ephesians 4:1–16 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. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

A hinge in the book

paul shifts

Paul has turned his discussion from doctrine and the work of God has done in our life and he now turns his attention to our response

Pastor Jesse said something I think is important Christians do Ephesians 4-6 because of Ephesians 1-3.

So now as we look into how we should walk lets look how we can walk the w.a.l.k so to speak

Walk the W.A.L.K

The W in walk is …

Worthy of our calling

Ephesians 4:1–3 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.

Paul starts us off with this reminder because of this doctrine we are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling

He is urging or maybe better commanding that as Christians we should live in a way that matches our calling

We have been called out Ephesians 1:4 “4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love”

As christians we are to be holy and blameless before him

God has called us out chose us in him

So we should be holy and blameless

Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

We should walk in the good works Christ has prepared for us

We are to walk worthy because of what God has done

Notice in both instances God acted so that we can accomplish what we are called to

Its a response that we walk in a manner worthy of our calling

In fact someone who has not been redeemed cant walk in a manner worthy of the calling of Christians

because they arent christians

They can strive for that but will fall short

Christians already being found worthy because of the work of Christ in their life are called to conduct themselves in a matter that matches their calling

So how do we do this what are some characteristics that should mark our walk as christians

What are some characteristics of a worthy walk?

A person who walks worthily is

A humble person

One who doesnt think of themselves more highly than they should

One who puts themselves second

One who is willing to put their own desire behind that of others

A gentle person

one who’s love is shown through their tenderness toward others

Gentleness isnt shown in cowardliness but confidence in what God has done so we can love others

Patient

Someone who isnt quick to get anger

Someone who is willing to preserver

Someone who understands that sanctification takes time

Someone who bears with others

to walk in a manner worthy of our calling in to bear with one another in love

Our love for others because of what Christ has done for us

we give Grace to each other because Christ has given us grace

we bear with one another for the reason that Paul gives because we are eager to maintain unity

The Christian life is marked with a desire for unity

especially unity in the church

the world looks for division

often highlights differences

but Christian’s look for what unites

the world love to put everything and everyone in a box

the Christian says the only box I belong in is the one I have been called to

and every other Christian is in this box

notice how Paul says eager to maintain not build unity

christians bear with one another in love they are humble gentle and patient because of what Christ has already built

That is a unity among believers

we are already United because of our common calling

the church in Acts exemplifies this people from every race creed and area coming together once they had received the gospel

Taking care of one each other

We are eager to maintain the unity that already exists among the believers

Christians should be marked by the things they share

we all to often spend so much energy arguing the points thats divide us

But that is not what we are called to here

We are eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace

Unity is not maintained when we focus on what divides but rather we should focus on what units us

That is our one God and the salvation he calls us to

Christians walk the walk by walking worthily of their call because of the common faith they have been called to by the one God

Christians acknowledge that one God

Acknowledging the oneness of our God

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.

The crescendo of this first paragraph in here

The one body

The capital “C” church community

Jews and gentiles both reconciled in Christ are now united in one body by…

The one spirit

That indwells all those believers

The spirit that dwells in each one of us bringing us together

Enabling the body to live and move

The one hope

The hope that all believers share

The hope guaranteed by the one spirit to the one body

The hope of eternity with our creator

Some people will be very surprised by who they will be in heaven with

guess what our Presbyterian brothers will be in heaven

Some luthrean brothers will be their

Some methodists

Some charasmatics

Some orthodox

and even baptists

they will all be their because we share one body one spirit and one hope with them

We also share One Lord

Jesus Christ

The Lord of all believers

The one who sits on the throne of every believers life

The author of the one faith we share

the one faith that says

while we were still dead in our trespasses God stepped in and made us right with him through the life death and resurrection of his son.

the one faith in the one lord binds believers together

we show this in the one baptism we share

newness of life we all live in

I know baptism is a very contentious issue but remeber we are all baptized in the name of the father son and spirit

and all believers have died to their old self and have been raised again in newness of life through Christ

all of this culminates in the one God and father of all

the unity of God being father son and spirit yet just one being

he doesn’t part himself out

he isnt three Gods

he is one God

the father of all creation

the father of all believers

he is sovereign over all

he works through all of his creation

and dwells in all beings

Paul continues that the one God who binds all believers together through the riches of his grace and mercy gives good gifts to those who are called by him

these are gifts that grow the one body through its individual parts

and we are to learn from those gifts

Learning from the gifts given to the Church

Ephesians 4:7–13 ESV

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Grace was given to us

according to Christ

Paul turns here from the unity in the broader body of the church to the role we all play individually in the body

Christian unity is not uniformity

christ doesn’t make us all the same instead he equips us to do work in all different parts of the body

not according to what we think but according to his Grace his empowerment through the spirit

Christ has earned the right to equip the individual members of his church because of his great sacrifice

because he came down to earth and defeated death and raised us up with him

he gives us Grace to serve him according to his purpose

he allows Us to serve each other with the gifts he gives

now Paul goes into a list not of the unique ways in which we are all gifted but some specific offices of those who hold specific gifts and calling

the Apostles and the prophets

One of the greatest gifts he gave us was the apostles and the prophets

the ones who laid the foundations of our one true faith

the ones who delivered the word to his body the church

The evangelists

the ones charged with bringing the gospel to areas where it hasn’t been proclaimed

the ones who build up the body by adding people to it

the pastors and teachers

the ones charged with the care of the local body

the ones who look out for the flock

all of these offices great gifts given to the United body but why just these

why didn’t Paul talk about those with hospitality gifts or caring or encouraging

why did Paul focus on these particular gifts given to the church

he shows us why in Ephesians 4:12 “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,”

paul focused on these specific gifts because these are the ones that are charged with growing the body

both numerically and spiritually

the other gifts are encouraged through the work the apostles and prophets the evangelists the pastors and teachers

these particular offices have a special charge to equip all the members for the work of ministry

all members of the body will learn from and be equipped by the work of the apostles prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers

this isn’t a limited time thing

Learning from the gifts Christ has given the church will be a continual life long endeavor that will mark the Walk of the believer

Keep Growing in what you are learning

Ephesians 4:13–16 ESV

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

notice here we attain a form of unity of faith

on this earth our vision is clouded our understanding dimmed

we have so many minor disagreements that bring us to disunity inside the big c church

this unity of faith and knowledge that we strive to attain

is a oneness of faith that will only be achieved when we meet God in heaven

we are one now but when we get to heaven we will understand d it fully

many good men of the faith have passed on

many giants of the faith who United many have passed on

but they didn’t have everything worked out

they held positions on controversial issues

they were flat wrong in some things

but guess what now they know it all fully

they have a full knowledge of the unity of our faith

this unity is one we must endeavor to attain to grow in to try and achieve

a unity we will fully understand only when we are fully mature

a venture that will take a lifetime to achieve

an endeavor we must none the less take up and persevere in

so that…

so we don’t let ourselves get tossed to a fro by every wind of doctrine

so that we don’t divide the unity of our faith because of some minor doctrinal disagreement

so that we don’t let ourselves be deceived into believing a gospel that winds up to be no gospel at all.

there is a caution here

a counter balance to the scale

we must strive toward unity with fellow believers but we must also have an agreement of what a believer is

sometimes we can be so quick to judge another believer that we don’t leave room for Grace

we can say people who baptize babies aren’t really believers at all

really can we say that or are we deceived by our own arrogance

well I have the right interpretation and everyone else is wrong and probably not even a believer

this is to far

but we must also be careful because there are those who aren’t believers and don’t proclaim the gospel at all

the mormons claim to be believers and talk about god and Jesus

but they are not believers they don’t belong to the body

we must head this caution and in our pursuit of unity we must be discerning

the gift of these teachers helps us be discerning in our pursuit of unity

once we understand discernment in our quest for unity

we should keep growing by…

speaking the truth in love to one another

we deal graciously with fellow believers

with humility and gentleness, patience, bearing with each other

we will proclaim truth the truth we learn from the apostles prophets and teachers but we will do it in love

seeing that we are growing into what we have been called to

seeing that we are all growing up to be more and more Christ like

Christlikeness is our goal

its why we have to walk the walk

so that we can be more and more christlike

chistlikeness is our unity

the more we become like him the more we are unified

Ephesians 4:16 ESV

from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

paul makes that clear distinction for us when we are all striving toward Christ likeness

the body will grow and build itself up in love

Unity in purpose is the stongest tie that bind people together

when we are all focused on growing in Christ we will link hands and grow together

one of the most beautiful things about a healthy church is a body of believer all looking to grow

encouraging others in that growth

all taking the level of spiritual maturity up together leaving no member behind

this is my prayer for hillside church we exemplify this in so many ways

let’s us continue to walk the WALK