#7 Ephesians: Sticking Together

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November 5th, Election Day, May I encourage you and urge you to get out and vote.

In a democratic republic each citizen carries responsibility and a small portion of the authority of the government. The authority of the government is established by God to restrain evil and promote the good. To punish wrongdoers. Promote safety so the church can flourish in peace and people can thrive in the righteous authority of good government. Protects the innocent and those who can’t protect themselves, in particular protects the unborn people too. Promotes the moral virtues of God’s designed means of human flourishing, upholds right definitions of marriage, the nuclear family, and the God given definitions of male and female.

But I would encourage you to go out and vote.

Exercise your piece of authority in the government in a democratic republic such as the United States of America.

BIBLE MEMORY PASSAGE

Ephesians 4:1–4 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—”

Introduction

Last week, I saw people working in diverse ways but working together. I saw the church living out their faith and walking in unity.

This church is 20 years old this year.

How do we stay together for another 20 years?

Building project. How can this actually draw us closer together around the mission of the church and not be divided about arguments regarding silly things like the color of the carpet.

Traps, temptations, and false teaching that will surely come and seek to drive a wedge between the unity in the church.

Attacks from outside the church, from the devil. But also, you will face attacks from within the church. We are to put on the whole armor of God.

Ephesians 6:10–13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

The devil is not happy at what’s going on here at Hope.

The powers of this world are not thrilled with your attendance this morning. They do not seek for you to open up your bible. They do not want you to rest in God’s grace and extend mercy and forgiveness to others.

Attacks will come.

Deceptions will creep in.

We can toddle around, like a naïve little child, or as Paul urges us, we can GROW UP and stand like an adult, have spiritual discernment and stay together and work together. So that we can walk out the Christian life for a watching world to see the love of God for a people who know they are redeemed and reconciled.

STAY TOGETHER (unity)

WORK TOGETHER (diversity)

WALK TOGETHER (maturity)

SLIDE…

STAY TOGETHER (unity) 1-6

Last week: gospel in the air (chapters 1-3)

This week: Gospel on the ground (chapters 4-6)

Paul has built a glorious heavenly case for the doctrine that holds us together. His doctrine leads him to doxology and praising of God.

Now, he urges us to stay together, because of what we are now. We have been saved by grace, reconciled to God, and having received an eternal heritage, we’ve been formed and shaped into a new society, a new people… so since this is who you are because of what God has done for you… GO AND LIVE LIKE IT!

Called Out Together

Ek - out of / Kaleo - to call

Eklesia - the assembly, gathered called out ones.

R.C. Sproul: The church in the New Testament is made up of those who are called out from the world, from darkness, from damnation, from paganism, to become members of the body of Christ.

John Stott: Paul sees an alienated humanity being reconciled, a fractured humanity being united, even a new humanity being created. It is a magnificent vision.

The church: people called out of the world to form a new society, distinct community. Shine the light of the gospel for a watching world to see. To practice being a part of the body of Christ here on earth. To be the conduit for heaven to flow out to the earth.

One of the most simple ways we visibly communicate and practice this assembling of the called out ones… is by attending church, habitually and regularly. Making a habit of practicing what you are.

Your physical presence attending church communicates your spiritual holiness and set apartness to God because you are showing how you are called out of the world into the family of God… by being the assembled and gathered people of God. You are called out of darkness and into the kingdom of God.

On the contrary, your physical absence from the assembly should be noticed because a part is missing. I’m not talking about a here or there absence. I’m talking about a habit of forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, you’re denying your spiritual identity by physical disconnection and separation from who you are called to be and the first means of grace for your spiritual formation.

Paul says, walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Has God called you out of darkness into his marvellous light?

Than why are you still trying to hide in the darkness and isolate yourself from the family? You are adopted into a family. The family gathers every Sunday. This family takes care of each other… and God takes care of us.

This is a body, an organism not an organization. Needs food. The bread of life, Jesus Christ feeds and sustains us with his word. Take eat this is in remembrance of me.

Walk Worthy of your calling

Watchman Nee: Sit, Walk, Stand.

Paul urges them to let their walk match up with their talk. To press into their unity by walking together.

This is the way: This is how we stay together and not get separated or divided.

Walking in Humility and Gentleness.

Walking with Patience

Bearing with one another in love.

to bear (endure) v. — to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else.

Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

Bond of peace (related to verse 16 every joint held together.)

Glue. Duct tape, last night with trunk or treat. Or the Connective tissue.

Peace has been made possible through Jesus Christ. Jesus is our peace. He preached peace. He makes peace. He broke down the wall. So why do we do the opposite with one another?

Implication: It’s gonna take some work. “maintain”

We aren’t having to manufacture peace or unity, but to maintain it and keep it.

You were called to Oneness

One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father.

Oneness or Isolation.

We are one, but we do not drift toward oneness.

Marriage counseling. Marriage weekend.

Drift.

Invisible Threats (enemy), Internal Threats (flesh), External Threats (world).

Two becoming one. Marriage. Unity together. Stay together as a church is also similar. Yet, the unity we share bonds us together but we are also not all the same.

Just as God is three in one.

Trinity

Trinity is still three in one, triune God. Three distinct persons.

One Spirit - brings us together as ONE BODY.

One Lord/Jesus - one hope and future we are headed for and looking for. Jesus unites us in one faith, and one baptism, as we join Jesus in baptism of his death which makes way for the coming resurrection into eternal life.

One Father - God who is sovereign over all.

Unity does not mean uniformity.

Unity does not mean uniformity; it means cooperation in the midst of diversity.

Warren W. Wiersbe

“Christ’s people embody a wonderful irony: a diverse gifting brings about their unity.”

Again, I think of an military. You have logistics, engineers, infantry, tank division, armored division, Airforce, Navy, Marines, officers commanding and training, private first class executing the orders, hospitals and medics attending to the needs.

yet, everyone of those people mentioned gifted differently, skilled differently, but all wear the uniform of the united states military and work to defend and protect a nation.

If the military, only had a sniper division but no air support, no logistics, engineers, supplies….

Chess. You don’t want all pawns. Or all bishops. Or all rooks. Or knights. You want the power of the diversity of the chess board in order to be most strong.

Let’s not lose sight of our oneness together in the Spirit as well as valuing our diversity of gifting.

WORK TOGETHER (diversity) 7-13

Illustration: Malcom Gladwell, monocultures that lack diversity also lack resilience reflects the importance of the diversity within the body of the church in how we are united but not all uniform. The Spirit has gifted us in different ways.

Imagine a farm that grows only one type of crop year after year, relying on a single plant for its entire harvest. At first, everything seems fine—there’s consistency, and it might look successful. But as Malcolm Gladwell points out in his writing, this monoculture is fragile. When a disease or a sudden change in weather strikes, the entire crop can be wiped out because there’s no diversity to protect it. Without variety, the farm lacks resilience. A single crop farm may look uniform, but it’s not strong enough to endure the unexpected.

(in fact this has proven genetically in the genes of the Cheetah, they do not reproduce well and are very susceptible to disease and issues in the cat family, species)

In the same way, Gladwell talks about how societies or organizations that lack diversity in people, perspectives, or ideas become fragile. They can easily fall into groupthink, where everyone thinks the same way, and this limits creativity, adaptability, and resilience. When challenges come, they aren’t equipped to handle them because they’ve leaned too heavily on sameness. Gladwell’s point is that diversity is key to thriving—it brings strength, resilience, and adaptability.

Now, think about this in the context of the church. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains how the body of Christ is made up of many different parts, each with its own unique purpose and gift. The Spirit has gifted us in a variety of ways—some with the gift of teaching, others with the gift of encouragement, hospitality, or service or faith, healings.… We are united in Christ, but we are not all the same. And that’s the beauty of the body of Christ!

Just as a monoculture farm lacks resilience, a church where everyone is expected to be the same would be fragile and ineffective. God designed the church to be diverse because that diversity gives us strength. When one person is weak, another is strong. Where one person lacks wisdom, another can speak into that need. Together, with our different gifts and strengths, we can handle whatever challenges life throws at us.

So, while the church is united in Christ, it is not uniform. We need each other’s differences to thrive. The Spirit’s variety of gifts equips the body of Christ to endure hardship, grow in wisdom, and reflect the full image of God. Just as diversity protects and strengthens a farm, diversity in the church, through the Spirit’s gifts, brings resilience and strength to the body of Christ.

This would be one of the main reasons why we lean heavily into a plurality of leadership in eldership here… I don’t want this church to rely too heavily on my giftings or Pastor Josh… as full-time pastors here…

Spiritual Gifts

Diverse gifting. (verse 7-8)

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 “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. 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. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.”

Paul highlights in Ephesians the gifts of specific offices in the church. (11)

Lists of spiritual gifts in 1 Cor. 12 and Romans 12.

Gifts Given to Grow the Church

Leadership sets the tone by serving them with the Word (ministry)

Eph. 4:11 (CSB) And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers

God gives the gifts of word-based-leadership to prepare the church for battle so everyone can thrive in their gifting.

Congregation is prepared to do the Work of the ministry and build up the church

God gave gifts to the church in the form of people to be the player-coaches on the field. They are to minister his Word to the other players so they are equipped.

They deliver the officers relaying instructions to the soldiers on the battlefield.

Too often, we get it the other way around.

The church is looked at as a spectator sport.

One commentator said it this way: The churches can be like a soccer match: 22,000 spectators desperately in need of some exercise and 22 players on the field desperately in need of a rest!

Spectators gather to watch the professionals play the game.

The modern culture is a watching culture. Watching people. We watch everything. We consume everything. This is expected…

Paul says, the Spirit has gifted the church with Bible teachers, preachers, pastors - to train, to prepare, to equip the church for “service” or “ministry” and this when working properly builds up everyone else to fullness of maturity. Which is the measure of a Christ.

The watching world is spectating and seeing how this church is playing the game of following Jesus and living for God, and the player-coaches, the elders are training them to do this according to the Word of God.

Prepared for battle (to equip)

We aren’t equipped to run a country club or play church… but wage warfare against the darkness of this world and stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and as shoes for your feet having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one…

S.M. Baugh: “so the meaning of the noun (to equip) seems to be “preparation,” as one arranges and prepares an army for battle. Here the saints are prepared for withstanding human cunning in false teaching.”

“The Lord, ascending to his throne in triumphant glory, could be expected to dole out property or wealth to his people as reward for their loyal service in the wars (6:10–20), but instead he gives men. And these men are given to help equip the church militant for warding off attacks of deceitful, scheming false teachers”

Stay together. (unity)

Work together. (diversity)

WALK TOGETHER (maturity) 13-16

In order to walk together, we need to learn to walk, by growing up, toddling and then walking as an adult.

Growing Up together

vs. 13 - grow up up to mature manhood, no longer be children

Infant, Toddler, Adult

The new society of the church, is to mature and grow up, to adult strength and discernment, sourced from it’s unity and diversity so it can resist the adverse forces that threaten health and witness and ability in the world.

Hebrews 5:13 provides an illuminating parallel for v. 14a with its statement about (“children,” “toddlers”) addicted to milk rather than to the solid food of Christian teaching that is for “mature” adults. Paul is teaching in v. 14 and context that Christians must become doctrinally “mature” in order not to become ensnared by the crafty schemes of deceiving false teachers.

The special-office ministers of v. 11 labor to bring this about, ideally, in self-sacrificial service for the benefit of the church (see esp. Col 1:28–29).

Infants are defenseless, unable to protect themselves; in the spiritual life they are an easy prey for false teachers and others who would like to lead them astray from the true path.

Like ships at sea without adequate means of steering, they are tossed about by the waves and carried this way and that according to the prevailing wind.

Maturity brings with it the capacity to evaluate various forms of teaching, to accept what is true and reject what is false. The mature “have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:14).

Growing Up To Stand Strong

Windswept. Ship battered and beat around by the storm.

Shipwrecked your faith…

Spiritual discernment is a strong sign of spiritual maturity.

tossed to and fro

waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine

human cunning

craftiness in deceitful schemes

In a world of fake truth and disinformation, we must be a people spiritually discerning on the regular.

Now a days, A.I. can fake images, fake voices, fake videos. People can doctor up a statement and make it sound like someone else said it. But this is nothing new, the devil and his false teachers have been doing this from the beginning.

Do not be deceived.

Just because some flashy online mega preacher says something doesn’t make it right. Just because it pops up on youtube doesn’t make it bible. Just because it feels good doesn’t make it truth.

but you’re not alone in having to discern this…

Speak the Truth

Verse 15. RATHER….

speaking truth in love enables the church to grow.

preaching truth in a loving manner feeds the church so it may grow up stronger.

spiritual discernment in isolation and on your own and on your own devices… that’s difficult. Within a church environment, in submission to elders and in community with the body, discernment becomes easier. Distinguishing between poison and food is easy… but you may need help from others in distinguishing from chocolate covered poison and real food.

Walking Together

To walk together the body needs to be able to function properly.

It needs to be informed.

It’s bone structure and muscles need to be sets up and in working order.

Whole body of the church is like a body with many members.

1 Corinthians 12:14–31 “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should….

Romans 12:3–8“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Ephesians 4:16 “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.”

Conclusion

1. To Stay Together, We Need to Live Out Our Unity

We must walk worthy of our calling by being gentle, patient, and bearing with one another. It requires a willingness to work for unity and peace as we live in harmony, reflecting the oneness we have in Christ.

2. To Work Together, We Need to Embrace Our Diversity

While we are one body, we have many members with diverse spiritual gifts. By being equipped through pastors, teachers, and elders, the whole body will be strengthened, allowing everyone to serve in their unique giftings and build up the church.

3. To Walk Together, We Need to Grow and Mature in Christ’s Love

As we mature in Christ, growing in our faith, we gain resilience to resist false teachings and spiritual attacks. Our strength lies in our collective maturity, not in relying on one person or method, but in the diversity of our gifts and unity in love.

Close in a moment of reflection…

What can you do to encourage unity, diversity, and maturity?