Walking in Unity
Notes
Transcript
Ephesians 1:1–2 (ESV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:1-16
I. Introduction
I. Introduction
“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Many of you recognize this quote by the late president John F Kennedy. It was a call for the participation in public service, for it is easily recognized the American mindset lends itself more to what can I get out of it, or what is in it for me. The term of this is pragmatism and has become the most problematic issue and one that I believe is the biggest issue the church faces today. If you were to look at the landscape of the American church you can see this reflected, where the masses desire more to be entertained than to hear the gospel preached.
To apply then John F Kennedy's quote to the church, we could “ask not what your church can do for you—ask what you can do for your church.” However this too becomes problematic as we see it too abused by ungodly leaders. No matter how we seem to go either direction we tend to run into issues, except when we keep the focus on the good news of Jesus Christ, the gospel and that becomes the only means of true unity in the faith.
II. The Call to Unity Ephesians 4:1-6
II. The Call to Unity Ephesians 4:1-6
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Right off again Paul reminds of his condition that he is currently in at the time, he has been arrested, jail and now appealing to Caesar is in Rome awaiting trial. All for his belief in Jesus Christ and his preaching and teaching of the gospel. There goes all the prosperity gospels right out the window, it leaves no room for your best life now, no to be in the faith means you will be hated for Jesus name sake.
It is a blessing to suffer for Christ, for in that we find our reward is not in the hear and now, but in that which is to come. As we will see. Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Too often when we hear the word called, we think of Pastors, Preachers, or even priest who Paul will talk about in a few sentences down, for now though we are reminded that the call is something we all get. When we become Christians, when we are baptized, become members of Christ Church, we are called, called to the work of the ministry, again this is jumping ahead but very, very important.
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Here is where it gets difficult, for when we are placed into the body of Christ, sinners we are placed with other sinners, we tend to run into issues. Even in our day to day lives we can find it difficult. Just brave a trip to Walmart, one of the most frightful things to do in Hayward during the summer. The other day when I went for me it became a remind of our call as Christians to be a light into the darkened world. Bearing with one another with humility and gentleness, with patience, testing to the fullest for certain, especially at our local store during this remodel.
Even within the body of Christ, the church, there are some we will like right away, they will like us, then there are some who will be indifferent and there will even be some no matter what we do, will not like us, even as fellow Christians. We are told however that we are called, bearing with one another in love, humility, gentleness and patience even when that love is difficult and pushes you to the limit.
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
This is the reason for unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, or in other words, we are bond in peace in Christ, just as Paul, or that we have peace knowing Christ, our will is bond by him through the Holy Spirit where again again it is a focus on the gospel, rather than the feelings. For the sake of unity we desire peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
True unity in the body of Christ, though does not come from the mere outward appearance of peace. True peace starts from within, found in the freedom of Christ. In the gospel message when that is the center of our faith it leads us to see and understand what the true church looks like. It is not a building, it is not just what we see, but the body of all true believing and confessing Christians, men and women who walk by faith not by sight, who trust fully in God, who through knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ are saved from and out of this world. Paul spells out this gospel for us right here, the hope that belongs to our call, there is that calling again, and it comes from this, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all.
We are saved by God through faith in Jesus Christ, by what he did on the cross and then resurrecting from the dead, and one baptism. If we go back to chapter 2 again the word spells out for us clearly that Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For those who like to argue that baptism is an outward sign of an inward change, this blows it out of the water, for they will all to often quote this very passage 2:8-9, but conveniently leave out 4:4-5, arguing that baptism is a work therefore cannot proceed faith, missing the point that baptism is work, but not our work. It is faith working in the word, not just water, but the water with the word; to quote Martin Luther. Whether faith comes before or after baptism is irrelevant, or else we do end up making it a work of our own doing, we can then only say that it is grace given to us by God through the promise, creating in us faith, saving us, not by anything we do, but again solely on what he has done for us.
III. The Gifts of Christ Ephesians 4:7-13
III. The Gifts of Christ Ephesians 4:7-13
But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Thus he reminds us again of our calling, grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Which only brings us back to what is that gift, and that again is simply the gospel, the answer is always Jesus. Him crucified, buried, and resurrected. 1 Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
It seems Paul is much like me where you get on a thought and then it jumps to something you remember from your studying the word, much like this passage. Paul goes to the fact that Jesus descended, that is was crucified. Ephesians 4:8-10
Ephesians 4:8–10 (ESV)
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Quoting Psalm 68 tying it in, showing how it was all about Jesus, even the Old Testament. Predicting long before he came that this was God’s plan from the foundation of the world. Taking us to the next most important part.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
These are the offices God gave for the public work of ministry, what I do up here on Sundays, what we do through the week in our bible studies, GLOW, Confirmation and even every place we are called to go. This call is not just our calling, but your calling as well as you see what is that we called to support your call, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
As I am reminded of my student loans each month, I often have question is there not a better way to equip those for the ministry, and without getting too much on my soapbox I just have to say, yes, but we have done what we always tend to do, and made it about the money, about who will put in the work, who will sacrifice the most, and who will come out well trained to equip the saints, that is you all, for the work of the ministry. Is it worth it? Yes absolutely, but at the same time there is a much better way, in which we can accomplish the same results, by the church, you all taking it back to the gospel and letting God set it free. If you ever want to talk more about what I mean in all of this hit me up sometime.
The point though is well made by this passage that the work of the ministry, isn’t just for the Pastor, the shepherd as it is translated here, but for each and everyone of us. The call is not just for those we place up front, but those who are in the boat, sitting right there in those seats, you, each and everyone of you has been called to the service of Christ, in his church, his body.
For this purpose;
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,
All the time I asked about why we study the bible, why we come each Sunday to church and this is where today it is so important to get it right. First to study the bible is to be prepared to give an account of what we believe. 1 Peter 3:15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
The second part to this and the most important to reach maturity in Christ. Mature manhood, this doesn’t just apply to men, but is a general term, and for women as well, full adulthood would be a better way to put it. Not as a child with little understanding, but keeping that faith of a child, but understanding as an adult. IF you come to church to be entertained, that is fine but you are missing the point, it is to receive Christ, to be strengthened in your faith, to be taught what it means to forgive, to be forgiven, to take his body and blood to eat and drink, in the bread and wine, to be equipped for the work of the ministry.
Why then do we even need shepherds or pastors or any of these offices? For sake of order and public ministry, as we see by what is written in Romans 10:14-17
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
IV. Maturity in Christ Ephesians 4:14-16
IV. Maturity in Christ Ephesians 4:14-16
In closing then we come to this last part and I’ll try and keep it brief:
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.
Again it speaks to maturing in the faith, we come to be fed, to be edified, to learn and most of all to grow into full adulthood in the faith. So that we are not tossed about to and fro by the waves. We see this today every latest and greatest scheme out there, doctrines that divide, people with their own agendas, false doctrines on every corner, spiritual but not religious, looking for the next pop star to follow, and on and on it goes. Wave after wave of false doctrines, human cunning, craftiness and deceitful schemes. Again if you want to talk more about this come see me, there is no end of the ways the devil likes to deceive and usually it comes down to questioning of God’s word as we see in the garden.
The answer to it all;
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.
Nothing more to add to that other that again it is about maturing in the faith, being aware of the cunning work of deceitfulness and always speaking truth, truth in love. That truth in love is simply Jesus, Him crucified, and resurrected for the forgiveness all of your sins. Amen