Striving For Unity
Notes
Transcript
You are a part of a battle
You are a part of a battle
Two Dangers of the Battle: 1. You don’t think there is one 2. You fight against each other
Two Dangers of the Battle: 1. You don’t think there is one 2. You fight against each other
Two Divisions of Ephesians: 1. Theological (Ephesians 1-3) 2. Practical (Ephesians 4-6)
Two Divisions of Ephesians: 1. Theological (Ephesians 1-3) 2. Practical (Ephesians 4-6)
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,
If we believe Ephesian 1-3, then we are being called to walk in the life of Ephesians 1-3
If we believe Ephesian 1-3, then we are being called to walk in the life of Ephesians 1-3
Living as a Christian is a calling to live different than the world
Living as a Christian is a calling to live different than the world
Paul commands us to walk in unity
Paul commands us to walk in unity
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.
Christians should be eager to seek unity and peace, not division and chaos
Christians should be eager to seek unity and peace, not division and chaos
The strategy for unity: 1. Humility
The strategy for unity: 1. Humility
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
The strategy for unity: 2. Gentleness
The strategy for unity: 2. Gentleness
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
The strategy for unity: 3. Patience
The strategy for unity: 3. Patience
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
The strategy for unity: 4. Bearing in love
The strategy for unity: 4. Bearing in love
The strategy for unity: 5. Eager for unity
The strategy for unity: 5. Eager for unity
Ephesians 4:4-6 gives us the source for unity
Ephesians 4:4-6 gives us the source for unity
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.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
When we are baptized by the Spirit (salvation), we therefore baptize ourselves in Christ (we die to ourselves and raise to the new life in Christ) and are baptized by water (the command of God and the washing away/forgiveness of our sins).
Paul concludes by showing us the result of unity, by living on mission for the ministry
Paul concludes by showing us the result of unity, by living on mission for the ministry
If you get people fighting each other, it makes it harder to fight the real enemy
If you get people fighting each other, it makes it harder to fight the real enemy
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.)
We all receive a gift, but not the same. We all receive a measure of it, but not the same. The point is to use what we receive to the full extent for the furthering of the kingdom.
We all receive a gift, but not the same. We all receive a measure of it, but not the same. The point is to use what we receive to the full extent for the furthering of the kingdom.
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,
The body of Christ (the church members) are called to go and do ministry
The body of Christ (the church members) are called to go and do ministry
Pastors may reach hundreds, but when the church goes out equipped, they can reach thousands
Pastors may reach hundreds, but when the church goes out equipped, they can reach thousands
The ministry is fulfilling the command of God to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded
The ministry is fulfilling the command of God to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded
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.