Ephesians 4:1-6; Seated With Christ and Walking With Saints
Notes
Transcript
Ephesians 4:1-6; Seated With Christ and Walking With Saints
Ephesians 4:1-6; Seated With Christ and Walking With Saints
Sermon in a sentence: I will walk in unity with the saints because I am seated in Christ.
Sermon in a sentence: I will walk in unity with the saints because I am seated in Christ.
Introduction
Introduction
In October 2018, the Indianapolis Colts played the New England Patriots. There was only one minute left in the third quarter and it was 4th down and 3 at the Colt’s 40 yard line. The game was still close with the Colts trailing the Patriots 21 to 27. The punting team ran out on the field and attempted to run a trick play. The punting team would begin to run off the field and try to convince the Patriots that they were going for the the first down. The plan was for the Patriots to rush the special team off the field and get the defense back on the field. In the rush, the Colt’s would snap the center would snap the ball to the last receiver on the field, and he would take a knee. This would case the Patriots to have a flag on the play for having too many players on the field, giving the Colts the first down. Well the Patriots did not fall for the trick play. And the Griff Whalen, who was a receiver, not the center, actually snapped the ball. The play lead to a 3 year loss and turn over. Miscommunication and players in the wrong position can lead to these huge blunders. This play is now infamously known as the worst play in football. But having the right players in the right positions will lead to the right practice.
Our Position In Christ
Our Position In Christ
Practices follows our position.
There is only been 1 imperative in chapter 1-3 (2:11 - Remember). There are 39 imperatives in chapters 4-6.
God tells his people who they are before telling them how to be.
1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Children will be crushed if they are only ever given expectations and no affirmations.
You might have tried becoming a child of God by trying to work for your salvation. You will only become crushed by the weight of your own merit.
Paul reminds the Ephesians the positions they have.
Paul is a prisoner in Christ! That is how weighty his calling is.
The Ephesians are seated in Christ!
They are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
They have oneness or unity: One Spirit/Faith/Lord/Baptism/God the Father
God is Triune! Because He has perfect unity in Himself, we can too.
The Faith is probably the objective truth of the Christian faith. It can also refer to the act of faith that all Christians exercise.
Baptism - probably a reference to water baptism. (Paul assumes that water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are synonymous)
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
The NT didactic passages on baptism assume the water baptism is the physical representation of the Spiritual baptism.
Romans 6 - Baptized into death and raised to newness of life.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Our Practice In The Church
Our Practice In The Church
Pall calls his readers walk in unity in the body of Christ.
I had a Christian who is at least 2 times older than me. This person disagreed with me about something that did not concern them. I tried to talk to them so we could reconcile. But they would not even speak to me.
I am going to make you sick and tired of saying this but it is true. This week I had one person tell me that they are a member of Colgate, but I have not even meet them before. I had another person tell me they have been going to Colgate their whole life. I have not once seen them in the church since coming here.
Our walk should be weighty.
He urges (παρακαλεω) his readers - we should urge other believers to life like Christians
Walk weighty (περιπατεω, αξιος) - The Christian life is a walk not a wait. We are walking with the Lord while we await his return, not isolate ourselves and weight for the rapture. Worthy is literally weighty or to balance the scales. Our actions should be as weighty as the call of salvation we have recieved. Paul is in prison for the gospel. The Ephesians must be ready to count the cost and live lives that are weighty and lives that matter.
Humility and Gentleness (Debasement/Tempered strength):
The Greco-Roman world hated humility/shame. They want honor, pride, glory. And so does our society! Look at the heroes of our society: athletes, singers, and actors. We literally have pride events!
In our society, men have been made effeminate and woman have become brash. Men are told to be weak and puny. No! Men should be strong. We should have strength that is controlled. Woman have been told they have to be boss babes and women run the world. I have been to pride events. I can’t tell you how many women I see taking their young children to these events.
Patience, bearing in love, keeping unity
Because God has been long suffering with us, we can be long suffering with others.
That person that was not willing to talk to me was willing to bear with me as long as I didn’t talk to them or try to interact with them.
They had no bearing with me in love, but they had plenty of disdain for me.
We are to keep/guard our unity, not create it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Douglas Wilson has often said that the millennial reign of Christ is a 1,000 year period of peace that Christians love to fight about. And that is so true. We can fight about anything and everything.
I heard a story about the Peg and AntiPeg Baptist Churches. There was once a church that had two deacons that could not agree on anything. No matter the subject at hand, they could not be agreement between these two brothers. One day, one of these deacons put a peg on the door of the sanctuary for the pastor to hang his cap on after coming in from the cold winter mornings. The other deacon was furious that he was not consulted. Why would the other deacon damage the door and cause such an eyesore? This freud led to the splitting of the church. The separate congregations were known as Peg Baptist Church.
The Lord Jesus Christ has bought us with His precious blood. The Father calls us his own. The Holy Spirit is residing in us and shaping us into the image of Christ. Let no man separate what God has put together. And let our walk with the Lord be a meaningful and weighty reality.
Application
Application
Memorize Micah 6:8 this week! Meditate upon God’s call to walk with him in justice, loving kindness, and humility.
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
