Enduring Unity
Enduring in Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 4 viewsUnity in the Church: Its means, methods, and its grounding in Christlikeness.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Unity is a watchword in the church today.
What is Christian unity? The modern ecumenist movement champions interdenominational and even interfaith communication and cooperation. Perhaps the greatest modern attempt at ecumenical unity is the World Council of Churches (founded 1948). It counts, as its members, over 350 Christian denominations. However, it has been called “the mouse that roared” because for all its membership, one would be hard-pressed to find anything of meaning that it has actually accomplished. They talk about unity, but it has done little to bring about the unity that it claims to champion.
My opinion is that this is because their common practice seems to be to try and ignore all the things that might be controversial and avoid conflict within rather than to meaningfully address all the reasons why Christians disagree. Many denominations today are so different that they effectively speak different languages.
The issue of unity in the church is important because the world, so alienated from God and from each other, is starving for community; a place of belonging and purpose. We have seen in Ephesians that God has made such a place by creating a third race of humanity, the Church. This church is a place that is united and welcoming where the world is full of either exclusivity and purposelessness.
The Call to a Worthy Life
The Call to a Worthy Life
Ephesians 4:1 (ESV)
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,
· I, therefore, a prisoner of the Lord—
· Practical applications and exhortations based upon what he had exposed in chs. 1-3.
o His imprisonment is mentioned to reinforce and strengthen his plea.
§ The unity of the church won’t come by attempting to make everyone happy, and Paul is living proof.
· Urge you to walk—
· This is the main thrust of the second half of Ephesians, the believer’s walk.
o Their conduct/way of life.
In Christ, God has called us to a high and holy calling, fellowship with His Son.
1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV)
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
o It’s a call into a regenerate lifestyle, as we heard last week.
o It’s a call into family likeness.
· In a manner worthy of your calling—
· Worthy carries the meaning of weights and measures-making sure that both sides are of equal weight.
o As believers, we are obligated to conduct our lives in a way that shows the worth of the gift we have been given in Jesus Christ.
· ORDER IS IMPORTANT
o Christian behavior always comes after being born again.
§ Conduct follows calling.
Only after regeneration are we able to conduct our lives according to what is pleasing to God.
· That is the calling which God gave us when He called us out of death to life.
o This calling is marked by unity, a loving unity that reflects the loving unity of the triune God.
· Focuses on the unity believers have with one another through Jesus Christ (as opposed to the previous section in chapter 2, which focuses on the unity we have with God through Jesus Christ.)
The Virtues that Build Christian Unity
The Virtues that Build Christian Unity
Ephesians 4:2 (ESV)
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
· Unity begins with our character.
· Paul gives us three virtues describing the manner, the how we pursue walking worthily.
· The first two: with all humility and gentleness—these two are closely related, working together. Both are necessary.
o Humility is needed because its opposite, pride, is destructive to community life.
§ Humility is nothing less than Christlikeness.
· Matthew 11:29 (ESV)
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
o Pride opposes God and exalts self. It breeds disunity because it refuses to be generous toward others.
§ But humility seeks the good of others.
· It is not self-promoting.
Humility may be bold and courageous, even strong-minded, but it always does so in pursuit of the good of others.
Unity doesn’t mean ignoring differences and error. It does mean treating brothers and sisters as family, not enemy opposition. In the case of Christians of other denominations, it does mean contending with our differing traditions with respect and in good faith. Tradition affects all of us, not always in ways that we are aware (we all have our blind spots).
Unity doesn’t mean accepting mere profession of faith. We must judge people by their fruit. Our humility mustn’t lead us to overlooking warning signs. Valuing signs and miracles more than pursuing personal holiness. A desire for worldly gain over being conformed to Christ. Having a greater appetite for celebrity than for service. These are things which undermined the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we must seek the good of others by confronting these errors.
· Gentleness: a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23)
o Gentleness is meekness, not weakness. It is strength under control.
§ It is the demonstration of the fruit of self-control.
o Gentle people are strong in conviction but hold that conviction within a heart that loves others.
o Christ’s gentleness is proclaimed in the prophet Isaiah’s writings:
· Isaiah 42:2–3 (ESV)
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
· Isaiah 40:11 (ESV)
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
o Christlike gentleness emphasizes restoration of those who have fallen into sin and error.
· Galatians 6:1 (ESV)
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Gentleness understands that sin creeps at the doors of all our hearts and longs to dominate us to its evil.
The gentle Christian pursues unity by letting even rebukes be covered in love.
· 2 Timothy 2:25–26 (ESV)
25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Gentleness compels us to seek to turn our opponents from the darkness to the light, so that they might benefit.
· With patience—In accord with God’s own character; longsuffering.
o Patience is God’s kindness which leads us to repentance.
· Romans 2:4 (ESV)
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
· 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
o Patience is needed in the church because it is full of saved people, but not yet perfect people.
§ We will all fail and disappoint one another at times, and we need Christlike patience with one another.
· The virtues of humility, gentleness, and patience are necessary for directing our interactions with one another.
· Bearing with one another in love—
o Bearing has to do with trials, persecution, and suffering. Not when it’s easy, but when it’s hard.
o Bearing is not mere toleration. Toleration is too easy; turning a blind eye to problems, trying not to let it bother.
§ That’s closer to apathy, which is the opposite of love.
Bearing with one another in love means not only tolerating their failures and disappointments but offering forgiveness and reconciliation.
· Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
The Call to Pursue Christian Unity
The Call to Pursue Christian Unity
· Ephesians 4:3 (ESV)
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
· The first aim Paul gives the church is that it must be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
o Eagerness speaks to urgency—maintaining unity must be a priority in the church.
o Unity is not a creation of the church, but a quality it is created by the power of the Spirit and exists because of the finished work of Christ.
§ It’s not an organizational unity, created and maintained by adherence to a constitution.
§ It’s not an ecumenical unity, chasing a universal common point of agreement.
· Ephesians 2:14–16 (ESV)
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
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
· Christian unity is a fundamentally supernatural thing.
o And this unity is established in/by the bond of peace.
§ Peace with God leads to peace with one another.
o Our role is to maintain what God has already provided.
§ To put our efforts in prayer, in worship, and in service on presenting ourselves as one with Christ and with each other.
§ Not by paying lip-service to some kind of “filing cabinet” orthodoxy; verbal agreement with a creedal statement.
· Because the unity we have is of the Spirit, it cannot be destroyed.
o We are born again by the Spirit and united to Christ, so our unity is guaranteed because of His presence in us, and that is encouraging.
§ But we can deface the unity of the Spirit by our actions, and this will have a negative affect on our witness, as Paul warned in Romans 2:24 (ESV)
24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
But what is the form of this unity which we are to present? This is the question, because for many churches, the attempt to maintain unity seems to lead to disagreements, disturbances, and disintegration.
The Form of True Christian Unity
The Form of True Christian Unity
· Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)
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.
· The basis for Christian unity.
· Paul provides the theological foundation for unity, so that we can know how we should expect it to be maintained.
o And he does so by providing a sevenfold (perfection) description of the kind of unity we possess from Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
§ And further, it reflects the essential unity that exists within and between the members of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Spirit).
o The sevenfold repetition of “one” communicates that this is the only way we will be united.
· One body and oneSpirit—
o There is one body, the body of Christ; the Church. The universal church made up of all believers throughout space and time.
o Though there may be many and varied forms of manifestation of the church in the world, the one true church is made up of all those who belong to the universal church by faith in Jesus Christ.
· Colossians 3:15 (ESV)
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
o Further this one church is formed, grows, and is sustained in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.
§ Who sealed us (Eph. 1:13).
§ Who enables us to have access to the Father (Eph. 2:18).
§ Who dwells in us (Eph. 2:22).
§ Who strengthens us inwardly (Eph. 3:16).
§ Who gives us unity with one another (Eph. 4:3).
There is no source of unity that can be established in the church apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.
· Just as you were called to onehope that belongs to your call—
o Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, the church naturally has no hope in the world apart from the one hope we were called to.
o Hope is the content of our expectation.
§ Not some shifting, nebulous hope, but a sure hope based upon the completed work of Jesus Christ.
No other hope, no matter how positive, will sustain the Church through the many trials we will experience. This age contains a great many hopes which compete for room in our hearts.
There is the hope of social change, which leads many to believe that if we just serve the community enough, pursue justice and protest enough, advocate enough, then we will reach the great future.
There is the hope of political action, which demands that we pursue political domination and legislate the land into a Christian nation.
There is the hope of revival, which calls us to worship harder and build a culture of worship so powerful that it will draw all the world to us, and to our light.
Each of these hopes is rooted in a desire to see the world change into something better, but in every case, it is a hope that is based upon our actions and not on the finished work of Christ. That Jesus is enough for the Church.
Our hope is united in looking in the same direction, heavenward.
Philippians 3:20 (ESV)
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
We are all pilgrims on the same road.
· One Lord, onefaith, one baptism—
o One Lord, Jesus Christ.
§ The confession, “Jesus Christ is Lord” was the earliest form of opposition offered by the Church to the greatness of Caesar, and to the idols of the world like Artemis of the Ephesians.
§ The confession is pledge of loyalty to His kingdom and of submission to His authority.
In this world, it is not possible to give ultimate loyalty to two masters. Jesus Christ demands our utmost.
There isn’t a Lord for Baptists, one for Presbyterians, and so on. Territory doesn’t matter. Jesus is the King and all who are united by faith in Him are countrymen with one another.
· Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (ESV)
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
o One faith.
§ There is one faith because there is one Lord. He is the sole object of our faith.
508 years ago Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in an effort to recover for the church unity around the idea that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone.
§ Where there is faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, we are true Christians of Christ’s body.
· Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Liking Jesus isn’t enough; following His teachings isn’t enough. Only full-hearted trust in Him for the forgiveness of our sins and as the founder of our covenant relationship with God.
o One Baptism—
§ This has to do with both spirit and water baptism (the outward sign and its inward meaning).
· Baptism is the outward sign of inward cleansing of sin and sealing us in union with Christ in the new covenant.
· Baptism in itself does not save, but it is a public declaration that Christ is Lord.
The debate over baptism is an important one, but not an essential one. While we have very good reason to contend for believer’s baptism against covenant baptism, we can do it while acknowledging that in both cases, it is a public declaration that we belong to Jesus Christ by faith and because of His completed work and not because of our baptism.
· One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all—
o We are united under one heavenly Father who is our God.
§ Speaks to God’s supremacy and to His immanence.
§ The God who created and reigns over the who universe is also our Father, and we are all His family.
This means that there is only one God for all Christians. And the Christian God is the God of all the Church. There is not black or white church; rich or poor church; smart or dumb church; urban, suburban, rural churches—only the Church in its local expressions.
We must resist every attempt to divide the church on race, culture, education, wealth, et all.
Conclusion
Conclusion
· Unity is not optional for the church.
o Our message is about universal reconciliation and peace.
o That message is compromised when we don’t demonstrate that peace amongst us.
Visible, public unity in Christ’s church is a gospel issue.
o Jesus prayed for the church before His crucifixion:
· John 17:20–21 (ESV)
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Seeking and maintaining unity in Christ is at the heart of the Christian faith. It must be a priority for us.
· Visible, public unity has a great evangelistic power.
The world sees something of the love of Christ in the love we have for one another.
o Walking worthy of this calling means that we pursue fellowship with Him and also with one another.
We should closely and increasingly reflect the unity of the Godhead, and to give public expression to the unity that we have been given.
· Visible, public unity is crucial, because we have a mission—winning the lost to Christ.
o Puritan Richard Baxter, one of the smartest people I have ever tried to read, said this about the urgent issue of unity around mission:
The work of conversions is the first and great thing we must drive at; after this we must labour with all our might. Alas! the misery of the unconverted is so great, that it calleth loudest to us for compassion.… I confess I am frequently forced to neglect that which should tend to the further increase of knowledge in the godly, because of the lamentable necessity of the unconverted. Who is able to talk of controversies, or of nice un-necessary points, or even truths of a lower degree of necessity, how excellent soever, while he seeth a company of ignorant, carnal, miserable sinners before his eyes, who must be changed or be damned? Methinks I see them entering upon their final woe.[1]
His point is well taken. Reaching the lost is so much more important than arguing with brothers about lesser areas of disagreement, no matter how important we think they are.
· We must pursue unity in a virtuous way. How else will we maintain unity agains the desires of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life? We must have—
o Humility because pride will insist on getting its own way.
o Gentleness because anger gives offense and does harm to others.
o Patience because we cannot control the actions of others.
o Tolerance because everyone has weaknesses.
o Love because it is the source and fountain of all virtue.
o Peace because it is the source and fountain of all unity.
· Philippians 4:7 (ESV)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
· You can’t have unity on the basis of unity being a good thing.
o Only in the reality of the triune God revealed in the gospel is sufficient to keep the Church enduring together to the end.
o Assaults on unity will come; from the outside and from within.
§ It will come in the form of diminishing the centrality of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
§ It will come in the form of elevating doctrines or other focuses to a place of centrality.
Baptists have often been accused of believing in a trinity of “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible.”
There is no room for rivalries, hatreds, or factions in Christ’s church—only a common pursuit of Christ. For the closer we draw to Christ, the closer we will be to each other.
· This requires that we be peacemakers.
o Making peace with our brothers means that we need to be honest.
§ We must not pretend that main issues are not main issues.
o Making peace risks pain rather than letting things slide.
§ There may be misunderstandings and failures.
§ There may be a need to apologize where we are wrong.
§ There may be a need to rebuke those whom we deeply love.
· But we must be active in seeking and making peace flourish amongst the brethren.
· 2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV)
11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
