The Unity of The Faith
Letters From Prison • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Midway point of Ephesians that transitions
What God has done for us to what God wants to do through us
What Christ has done to what we must do
From our position in Christ to our practicing Christ;
From our faith to our works; From analysis to action;
From theology to morality; From who we are to how we live
Lets look at Ephesians through another lens that builds precept upon precept
Ephesians is mainly about unity in relationships with a diversity of roles.
1.) Ephesians 1 -2:10 Relationship with God: Who Christ is and who we are in Him!
2.) Ephesians 2:11 - 3:13 Racial Relationships: Gentiles and Jews are one in Christ
3.) Ephesians 4 -5:21 Church Relationship: Roles and Relationships in the Church (individual/corporate)
4.) Ephesians 5:22-6:9 Personal Relationships:
A.) Eph 5:22-33 Husbands and Wives
B.) Eph 6:1-4 Parents and Children
C.) Eph 6:5-9 Masters and Bond-servants (Employers and Employees)
5.) Ephesians 6:10 -20 Relationship with Evil: Against evil
6.) Ephesians 6:21-24 Personal Greetings
Precept upon precept.
We cannot compartmentalize our relationships in these areas!
All other relationships are subject to, informed by, and transformed by our relationship to God through Jesus by the Holy Spirit!
Ephesus had a rich diverse culture and the temple/worship of the goddess Dianna was a highly highly influential financial powerhouse. ‘Oh you need to borrow money to pay your army? We got you.’
Ephesus and Asia minor were steeped in gnosticism - the viral belief system that can be traced clear back to the garden and the lie that god is trying to keep you down by keeping you from the knowledge of good and evil.
How does Paul handle the underlying and overlaying currents that were attacking the unity of the Church?
How does he address people not regarding leadership of the church, bringing in false teachings, and setting themselves up?
He points to Christ!
The Holy Spirit emphasized through Paul the existence of a one true God who exists as a Trinity working together for our benefit and that Christ Jesus shed physical blood, and that it is only in Christ that we have salvation.
Paul uses words like “fullness” and “mystery” to combat the language of Gnostics and Dianna worshippers to emphasize that only in and through Christ can we understand God’s great mysteries and experience His fulness.
Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up.
This love can only be found, known, and experienced in Christ!
Paul’s approach is simple:
You were created for relationship with God the Father through Anointed King Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
Think of it this way:
This is what I’m created for. This is what I’m called to. This is what I must do.
MANY FEET ONE FOCUS
MANY FEET ONE FOCUS
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.
Let’s take a quick WALK through Ephesians from another perspective:
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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,
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
WATCH YOUR STEP!
BE intentional. Just as God chose you on purpose, so walk with purpose.
Notice here,
Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, [in] love,
Paul isn’t telling them where to walk. He is saying to be intentional as to how they walk!
To “walk” - means to “live”
eager to maintain the UNITY of the Spirit in the “bond” of peace.
Sounds a lot like the fruit of the Spirit - the evidence of God working in your life.
The fruit of your life and ministry is not souls, it’s that which tastes sweet to and nourishes Christ.
Within your fruit there are seeds of potential for other believers which must be watered and cultivated.
The same is true of the church.
Eager to maintain - literally means “be diligent” be intentional - on purpose - moving with a purpose!
“Prisoner for the Lord” - should be “Prisoner IN the Lord”
Paul has already noted that He is a “prisoner OF the Lord” in 3:1 in behalf of (for the sake of) the Gentiles
In both verses there is a play on the fact that Paul is in prison - chains.
However, Paul is now correlating his chains with the reference in 4:3 - the “chains of peace.” He will develop this even more in a few verses...
MANY FACETS ONE FAITH
MANY FACETS ONE FAITH
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.
Unless you came across the lawn, we all came into the parking lot by one entrance, many different cars, but one entrance!
God has called us to unity , not uniformity.
We are equally incapable of saving ourselves.
You cannot come to God on your own terms!
Just as the Trinity is three in one, so we are many - but one in Him.
MANY GIFTS ONE GIVER
MANY GIFTS ONE GIVER
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.)
Paul does kind of a unique thing here as he quotes Psalm 68:18
18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
BUT instead of RECEIVING gifts, Paul (by the Holy Spirit) reworks it as GIVING gifts to men...
Jesus became a man, died and rose again, and ascended to heaven - then poured out the Holy Spirit, giving the gift of His Spirit to men to make these men (and women) become gifts.
The host of captives: Those who were once enslaved to sin and death. Those in ‘captivity’ to the enemy our now “prisoners IN the Lord” chained to Him by the peace (bond of peace) he wrought.
Gift of grace to walk(live) following Him. Gift of grace to others by yielding to Him.
The gift of grace from God enables you to become a gift of grace to others!
Next Paul writes that the gifts of Christ to His church are men (and women) -
Those who were once captive to the enemy have been freed, being made captive and bondservants to the One who freed them. That which was cursed is now a blessing.
If we are bound to Christ then we are bound to one another.
We can’t be bound to Christ and separate from one another.
True peace with God = peace with one another.
Where you lack relationship with Christ’s body, the Church, is where you lack relationship with Christ!
MANY BUILDERS ONE BODY
MANY BUILDERS ONE BODY
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,
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,
Ok - Relationships and roles in the church.
You read 4:11 like Paul is listing off POSITIONS - these are roles.
NOW, each ROLE has RESPONSIBILITIES, and these responsibilities require AUTHORITY. Because of this these roles are recognized as positions.
[I can’t call and use or make changes to your bank account or Cell phone account if I’m not authorized]
As prisoners in the Lord - our full attention is given to the work of the ministry according to our calling.
What did Paul say? Walk according to YOUR calling.
Apostles are literally “sent ones,” but that comes with a responsibility. The message of the Gospel carries their authority.
The authority of an apostle is based on the authenticity of his message.
Some churches have that backwards.
The true function, or role, of an apostle is found in the meaning of the word, “one who is sent.”
Today we call them missionaries. (AG ministries: Sarah Blackstone; Chelsea Puckett)
In the context of this verse, we can recognize the administrative role of an apostle which we have fulfilled in our District and General Superintendents.
Prophet - Evangelist - Shepherd - Teacher
Your pastor is a body builder!
None of these roles serve themselves, they serve Christ by serving the body.
We each have a purpose that is greater than ourselves.
MANY GYPSIES ONE GOSPEL
MANY GYPSIES ONE GOSPEL
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.
Christ builds His church through leaders that speak the truth in love and followers who listen and love in truth.
There are many fraudsters but there’s only one who is true, one Gospel!
Gypsies refers to those who don’t come under authority or accountability.
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers are here to keep us on the right path.
Unfortunately, even these folks get it wrong - that’s why one person to oversee the Church. Sure, He named Peter as a first among equals, but the apostles prayed and sought God together.
Jesus blessed the gathering of two or more. Even in the Old Testament, you needed at least two witnesses for a thing to be established.
This passage is about whole relationships in the body by staying connected to the head through pure doctrine.
When a body part loses connection to the head, bad things happen.
The lie is thinking that we know better.
Notice that that lie isn’t based on love. Ironically enough, many times people confuse love with always being nice and friendly no matter what. That’s not love. That’s often a denial of reality.
Leaders are not perfect, but the good ones recognize that fact and find wisdom in counsel.
I do want to recognize that there are unhealthy churches and leaders and relationships.
It’s ok to call them out, that’s just another way of loving your neighbor, but do it in the correct way.
Don’t follow the Fakebook way of making assumptions and prejudging and going on a rant.
Invite and allow Jesus to heal you of past wounds.
Trust God to renew, transform, and empower you to
Love Christ, Love His Church, and to Love your Community!
God wants to pour our His blessings, His gifts, onto this Church and this town, and this world.
Would you say yes to being that blessing and being that gift?
