Blueprints for the Church: One Body

Notes:

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, 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.)

Introduction: Theme of Walking:

Eph 2:1-2: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked

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

Christians have a unique walk

Introduction:

Rastafarian Walk

Walk matched their sense of calling…

Walk in a Manner Worthy of God’s Calling in your Life

God’s election of them!

Ephesians 1:4-6: In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved

Ephesians 2:5: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

You have a calling:

Group Hike

Group Marathon

You must walk a certain way together as ONE Body

Thesis: FOR THE JOURNEY AHEAD, UNITY IS PARAMOUNT, BECAUSE YOU MUST WALK AS ONE COORDINATED BODY!

Eugene Pederson Interprets v. 4: “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.”

Coaching Tips for the Journey Ahead

What does that walk look like?

“Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing one another in love”

Humility: lowliness “lowlieness of mind”

Pre-Christian was not a virtue

Derogatory term: shameful lowliness

Christ on the Cross redefines the word

“service and sacrifice without thought of reputation.” Foulkes

Gentleness: meekness. “tamed animal.”

“Temperance”

Was a Greco-Roman Virtue. Aristotle held it in high esteem.

O’Brien: “Consideration for others and a willingness to waive one’s rights.”

Stott: “Under controlled strength”

Domesticated Clydesdale

Patience:

“Long-suffering”

Opposite of revenge or rage

“Slowness in avenging wrong or retaliating when hurt by another.” Foulkes

Ability to put up with annoying people.

How do you do this?

“Bearing with one another in love”

You got to put up with one another.

Put up with their insecurities, insufficiencies, and temperament.

“Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

“Eager to maintain: “sense of crisis to it”

Unity of the Spirit

Through the Working of the Spirit, the CHURCH is made 1 already:

Ephesians 2:14 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”

Christ died and brought us near so we can be one.

NOW THE CHURCH MUST MAINTAIN IT!

Don’t mess up what the Spirit has worked together.

“the apostle views the unity as the gift of God. It was made possible by the cross of Christ and is made effective by the working of the Spirit of God.” Foulkes

Spirit gave us unity, we must maintain it.

“Eager”=Zealous effort!

Unity with Peace! hold the two together.

Without humility, gentleness and patience, you’re not not walking in a manner worthy of your calling.

POINT: You MUST MAINTAIN UNITY, BECAUSE YOU MUST WALK AS ONE COORDINATED BODY!

Naming the Current Reality

Reality of 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.

v. 4-5: One Body, One Spirit, One Gospel Hope, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father

Two Triples of Unity: One Body, One Spirit, and One Hope

Realities: One Body, Body of Christ

“Diverse in ethnicity, uniform in ethic.”

Held Together by the Spirit

“Each congregation is a local manifestation of this heavenly entity, not a part of it.” O’Brien

Repetition about calling: Called to ONE BODY because you were CALLED IN CHRIST.

Second Triplet: One Lord, Faith, and Baptism

Lord=ONE KING

Gordan Fee: Two ‘entry’ experiences:

One faith and one baptism

One faith in one Lord. The Church is not a interfaith organization. We are strickly a monofaithed Temple!

Multiple understandings of the MODE of Baptism, and the AGE of Baptism and the connection between FAITH and BAPTISM.

Paul is saying: There is ONE baptism, folks! Regardless of mode, age.

Westminster on Baptism:

2 main stipulations:

WATER is used

Administered by a minister

Baseline!

Use our differences and say we are different churches. That’s a false reality!

Finally ONE God and Father of All—ie. “all of creation”

The Unity of the CHURCH is a Reality

John Stott: “You can no more multiply churches than you can multiply Gods. Is there only one God? Then he has only one church. Is the unity of God inviolable? Then so is the unity of the church. The unity of the church is as indestructible as the unity of God himself. It is no more possible to split the church than it is possible to split the Godhead.”

Apostle’s Creed:

ONE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH

One holy universal Body of Christ.

Reality of Grace

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.”

Eugene Peterson’s The Message:

He climbed the high mountain,

He captured the enemy and seized the booty,

He handed it all out in gifts to the people.

Jesus died and rose.

He defeated the enemy and rose the Victor

He now distributes grace to his people in each way we need it.

Reality of Resurrection

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.)

Walk the Talk

Stott Summary: “New society means new standards.”

Exposition to exhortation

E.K. Simpson: ’from the credenda … to the agenda’,

“I beg you!”

Marcus Barth: 428 “ ‘It is hardly possible to render exactly the urgency contained in the underlying Greek verb. Not only haste and passion, but a full effort of the whole man is meant, involving his will, sentiment, reason, physical strength, and total attitude. The imperative mood of the participle found in the Greek text excludes passivity, quietism, a wait-and-see attitude, or a diligence tempered by all deliberate speed. Yours is the initiative! Do it now! Mean it! You are to do it! I mean it!

Fight for unity

Be here!

Get on board with our mission!

Fight for Accountability:

Nephew last week in church:

Pastor Wes, going through Romans, and talking about total depravity with the kids.

You’re all sinners, you’re all liars!

My nephew yells back, “So are you!”

Fight for unity within ResLife, but also for the broader church

Church is ONE, so disunity is a grave sin! Tearing down what God is building!

Stott: “This is a very strange exhortation.”

Paul deals with all kinds of ethical issues until the end of the book, but he begins with God’s Plan A taking it from here!

“Dare you to Move”

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

“A Lord, not lip service”

Experiences of the Body of Christ:

Toronto Blessing

Speaking in tongues

M:T experiences: Prayer at Cornerstone

v. 7: “But grace was given to each one of us according the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Transformers when they all joined together

Conclusion: BEG