Guarding Unity

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SERIES DESCRIPTION: In this series on the Book of Ephesians, Pastor Shawn and Krista highlight Gods desire to bring reconcile the world all together in Christ. . This week, Pastor Shawn explore Eph. 4:1-10 to see how Paul calls us to protect the unity of the church.

Altar Instructions: Please come up when I begin the last question of point 3.

Series | Ephesians

Pre-Message Welcome

Grace Place family! It’s awesome to have you here with us today, whether in person or online.

I’m Shawn, and along with my wife, we serve as the Co-Pastors of this incredible church.

At The Grace Place, our mission is clear: we are Caring People, Caring for People.

We pray that you experience God’s care in our time together and in your life.

Spanish Welcome - 2nd Service ONLY!

A nuestra familia de habla hispana .... Bienvenidos… es-pera-mos que usted… y su familia.. se-sien-tan bien a-tend-idos también.

To our Spanish speaking family... welcome, we hope you and your family feels cared for as well.

Before we get into the message today…. I got two things for you

Pastor Plug: Stand Sunday

The

Did you know that there is around 25,000 children and teens in the Texas foster care system alone… Church there is a great need for us to STAND up and serve the vulnerable children in our community and around the world. 

In Just 2 weeks… on

STAND SUNDAY we’re going to do just that…

This year, our guest speaker is Darin Stroud, he’s going to share how God saved him from entering the foster care system because of people who cared.

Everyone is not called to foster or Adopt… but everyone is called to do something.

Come ready with open heart and a generous offering as we stand together as a church to care for the funeral children in our community.

For more information - check out the Stand Sunday event on the churchCenter app.

Pastor Plug: Volunteer Brag

The month of April is Volunteer Appreciation month…

We can not do what we what we do as a church without our incredable A-Team.

1st service

Hadassah-kids/youth worship- Hadassa, when I came here you we’re 8 years old :) That makes me feel old

But to see the young woman of God you have grown into has been very cool to watch. As soon as you could serve in Kids you we’re there - loving on Kids - even as an older kid… you have always been caring towards the younger kids around you including our daughter. THANK YOU

Addison K-worship

Addison, the first time I heard you on that guitar I thought to myself… this girl has something special.

I love your work ethic and heart for worship.

2nd service

Andrew Godinez-Kid's check-in

Solid, rock, faithful - thank you for serving our Kids and parents with Excellence - I know when our new families come to you - they will be taken great care of.

Mark Escobedo- C-Group leader

Mark, when you stepped up to lead a C-group, I was very curious to see what it would become… it’s become one of our thriving groups. I know you are intentional with your group and take your time with them very seriously.

Thank you for being a faithful leader

Transition: Were in a series on the book of….

Series | Ephesians

Sub title: All Together

Didn’t Pastor Krista do a great job last week? One of the things that really landed with me was the illustration of the House - as scripture describes we are inviting Jesus in to make himself at HOME in our Heart.

***If you missed any of the messages in this series you can check them out by…

Listing - where most places PODCAST are played

Apple/Spotify/google

Or by

Watching - On your YOUTUBE channel

FB/Youtube/ChurchCenter app

CONTEXT:

In the first 3 chapters Paul has laid out exactly how Christ has brought us ALL TOGETHER and given us doctrine…. to make sure our BELIEVES are right.

This is what academics call…. IN YOUR NOTES…

Orthodoxy = it means… right BELIEF

Paul has made sure we have Understand some core theological principals…

Christology - Right belief about Christ

Sotierology - Right belief about Salvation

Ecclesiology - Right belief about the Church and our place in it

Today we pivot from belief to practice as we move into the back half of the book.

Many people struggle to make this leap.

Why…. there are many possible reasons but one of them I want to suggest is that…. they have been taught an watered down version of the Gospel…

Friends… The truth is…

God saves us to change us!(REPEATE)

He doesn’t intend to leave us the same and neither should we to keep our old life and old way of doing things

Paul is going to get into our business in the 2nd half as we move from Right BELIEFS….

IN YOUR NOTES… to,,,

Orthopraxy = which means right BEHAVIOR

Or right practice.

This is NOT about works based salvation… thats already done - We just spent several weeks in this series making that point.

It is us partnering with Christ through our obedience to be more and more like Him in. Scripture calls this FRUIT of the SPIRIT.

Are you ready… Today we are going to be looking at Ephesians ESV

Eph. 4:1-10 ESV

This is where Paul says, "Okay you know what you believe; now let's talk about how you should live." Beginning in verse one.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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

v. 4… Paul says hey, if you want to represent me -remember this… (He recaps the first 3 chapters here by saying..

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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.)

Transition: the title of our message today is...

Sermon Title | Guarding Unity

We’re talking about

Sermon Title | Guarding Unity

Scripture gives us a vision here of what Christ wants His Church to look like… He lets us know He wants a UNIFIED church… We know Globally we’ve made a mess of this.. but one thing we can take radical responsability for is our part in it… and our local expression of the Church

I want to start with a question.

What if the heath of The Grace Place… was directly connected to your ability to be unified with those around you? (REPEAT)

How healthy are we? Based off of how well you care for others… are you dependable, are you generous, are you on mission in the community, are you a fisher of men?

Introduction

And here’s…

Whats at stake:

If we don’t get this today: Lets look at it on the screen together…

Rather than contribute to Gods vision of a healthy church; we are by default contributing to the unhealthiness of it.

Let that sit for a moment.

(REPEATE)

We all… from new to seasoned beleiver… have a role to play in the unity of this Church…

When we say yes to Christ - we are saying yes to OWNERSHIP and RESPONSIBILITY for the Family of God.

Paul begins here to lay out laying out some of the core elements of what it means to be one of Gods HEALTHY churches. and many others we’ll discover over the next few weeks…

Transition: Today… We’re talking about….

Sermon Title | Guarding Unity

The 1st thing Paul teaches about regarding Christian behavior is UNITY.

We see this in v.3 Paul says… be

3 eager to (What) MAINTAIN the UNITY…

Notice it says MAINTAIN… he says YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE to GUARD unity… to keep it going.

God did his SUPERNATURAL WORK by making us ONE through Salvation…

Now… The NATURAL WORK BEGINS as we GUARD it.

SOMEONE SAY, “KEEP IT TOGETHER” (Yea thats our job)

Look at the person next to you and say… KEEP IT TOGETHER..

Look at your other neighbor… and say… KEEP IT TOGETHER..

Look across the room at someone and say… KEEP IT TOGETHER…

Friends…

Where there is two visions… in one church… there is DIVISION.

***This is one of the reasons we take time to get everyone into STARTING POINT… we want you to know and understand the vision, believe and culture of this church. So you have a clear understanding of what your saying yes to… and if you see something that is a deal killer for you… there are dozens of church in the area that might be offering what your looking for and thats ok - but to stay here or in any other church and bring disunity is not Gods plan for you.

Disunity does’t usually start in obvious ways.. it’s usually shows up in subtle ways.

Let me clarify…

I’m NOT talking about ignoring ethical or moral issues in the Church… I am talking about Petty Preferences -immaturity, and division.

We take great care in our Discipleship Track to disciple you, mentor you, on how to deal with conflict, and how to grow in maturity emotionally and spiritually. Its so you can learn how to PROTECT UNITY.

There is a difference between humbly offering an idea… pointing out a blind spot in a ministry you serve in, c-group you attend… in a HEALTHY way.

VS… becoming critical and assigning bad motives before you sit down to talk… to each other… when we start mind reading… and assuming… we are in a bad place… (This should be a RED flag that you are in dangerous water) when we ignore this and run with it… humans eventually building a tribe around a shared offense - to strengthen their position and justification… this my friends… is out of order and you are sowing DISUNITY into the house.

I've been there - dealt with almost every type of situation and Ive been on both sides of the fence…

I’ve dealt with moral issues of my Pastor(Not in this church)

I’ve disagreed with methods & people have disagreed with mine

**Friends we have to even be cautious with how hard we drive our own ideas and preferences.

STORY: When Krista and I were voted in as Pastor-Elect, I had ideas. Good ideas. God-given vision. But it wasn't my time yet. It wasn't my place to push my agenda… even if it was a good idea… because the assignment hadn't been handed to us as Lead Pastors yet. We would would have been in disunity to push it our ways…

For those of you who have said YES to Jesus…

HOW do we… Guard Unity?

We see it in v. 1… Paul says…

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge YOU(I urge Who? YOU) to WALK in a manner worthy of the calling… (Whats the calling to BE ONE and MAINTAIN UNITY)

This sermon is not for your neighbors.. its for you

Paul say’s MIND YOUR WALK… your business.

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD… Take the MATURE WAY…

Transition: We’re talking about….

Sermon Title | Guarding Unity

I want to briefly talk today… about three ways we MIND OUR BUSINESS and guard unity.

We see this in Verse 2… let’s look at it on the screen together… Paul says… here is how you walk worthy of your calling to GUARD UNITY…

2 with all HUMILITY and GENTLENESS, with PATIENCE, Doing all this… by what?…. -bearing-it… IN LOVE

First…. TO Guard UNITY. scriptures says… IN YOUR NOTES…

Walk with HUMILITY v. 2a, Prov. 16:18

Humility It comes from a word that means to be LOW… low in rank, putting others above your self.

In other words its not always about you, your needs, your emotional well being…

Yes, I know… this is HARD

C. S. Lewis’ says this… in his book Mere Christianity…

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.” (Repeate)

-C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity

It’s not about less confidence…. it’s about being others-conscious. (REPEATE)

Here is the thing… we all know this with our head… but the struggle is… for it to leaking down into our heart… (Including me) as an automatic reaction…

Prov. 16:18 puts it like this…lets look at it on the screen together…

Proverbs 16:18 ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Being focused on self… over others never goes well…

Let me say it like this… In your notes…

Humility leaves room to LEARN;

It say’s… I’m keeping the door open to learn something new… to gain perspective, understanding

but…

pride walks into every conversation CONVINCED.

Convinced he or she is RIGHT and has ALL the FACTS even before they have been revealed.

Before we fact check, before we take time to understand… we already know we are RIGHT (Friends thats a dangerous way to live. (We’re causing disunity in the body)

We would all do better… when we reacting to life around us… I try to operate off of the idea that all the facts are are rarly revealed and there are 3 sides to every story.

Your’s, theirs, and the cold hard TRUTH.

Whenever I jump the gun… without considering all sides… It always goes wrong.

Here’s the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: Do I genuinely believe others might be right, or do I assume I usually am?

CHECK CLOCK 10min left

CHECK CLOCK 10min left

CHECK CLOCK 10min left

Transition: We’re talking about….

Sermon Title | Guarding Unity

next… TO Guard UNITY… scripture says… IN YOUR NOTES we should

Walk with GENTLENESS v. 2b, Prov. 15:1

Think about going to the doctor….

You don't want a doctor who walks in the room all brash and stabs you with a big needle… You want somebody who is smooth… Someone who takes time, someone who distracts you a little bit before they stab you… with an injection needle… And then gently Gives you a Mickey Mouse Band-Aid.

Gentleness is about being gentle and considerate of others. It’s not being a pushover.. its being gentle… Sometimes we have to give people a shot of truth that will make them better, a shot of reality but it's all about how we give them that shot that matters.

When we think about Jesus… we notice

He had a STRONG backbone…. but a soft heart.

Thats gentleness

Prov. 15:1 puts it like this… lets look at it on the screen together.

Proverbs 15:1 ESV

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Sometimes we are so focused on being right… we show up with the hammer… when we’re actually wrong becuase we lack gentleness. (We’re causing disunity in the body)

Anyone ever been there?

The question isn’t: “Are you right?” The question is: “Are you gentle enough for someone to hear you?”

And we have to understand that they too might be too prideful to receive your gentle word… when that happens… its on them…

Let me say it like this… IN YOUR NOTES

Gentleness is not being PASSIVE, its controlled STRENGTH.

And I’m glad Jesus controls his Strength when dealing with me… how about you?

Here’s the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: Think of a time when you had to bring hard news, how did it go? Were you gentle or abrupt? How would you do it differently

Transition: We’re talking about….

Sermon Title | Guarding Unity

To guard unity Paul says…

Walk with HUMILITY

Walk with GENTLENESS…

Lastly… to maintain unity he says… YOUR NOTES IN YOUR NOTES walk…

Walk with PATIENCE v. 2c, Prov. 19:11

Patience literally means…

“long-tempered,”…. the ability to endure difficulty for a long time without retaliating.

It’s being as James would say… slow to speak…

Patience is most required for when we don’t understand someone, their opinion, their upbringing, their perspective… behaviors… this is when we need to slow down most.

Iv’e noticed… we often lack patience with those we are the closes to.

Our Family, kids… our spouse… our closes friends. They often get the hammer rather than a gentle tap. Notice I said WE… no you… I too struggle with this.

I'll be honest with you. Some people look at me and think…

Boy, Shawn must be so easy to live with… he seems so sweet." Friends, I am just like you. I have too have to watch myself too.

Prov. 19:11 in the NIV puts it like this…

Proverbs 19:11 NIV

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Far to many Christians are so full of OFFENSE… it’s almost as if this verse is meaningless to them.

Friends… Wisdom is a mark of maturity…. and lacking it… is a sign of immaturity…

Ignore our immature tendencies for too long… we too begin to contribute to disunity.

This is worth writing down…

Patience is not inactivity—it’s restrained action. (REPEATE)

Let me say it like this…

Patience doesn’t AVOID truth; it DELIVERS at the right time, in the right way

Anyone ever struggled here?

Yea… It’s not avoiding the hard conversation… it’s restrained it with wisdom… waiting patiently to deliver in the right timing and tone… AFTER - someoen say AFTER… we take time to gather facts, take time to understand, surrender pride…

Here’s the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: Think of a time when you acted hastily. If you had exercised patience instead, how might it have changed the results?

Take time to journal out a moment… then re journal it with words you wished you would have used.

Honestly - if you know your going to have a conversation… journal it out… practice it with someone to make sure your tone is humble, gentle, patient with the goal to MAINTAIN UNITY.

****Now of course.. this only happens at other churches.. NOT at the Grace Place… Listen, you are sweet most of time, but we all have our moments and we should be challenged and held accountable for them.

Close:

Why does this matter?

Becuase the 1st thing scripture introduces to us about how believers should behave is the TOPIC of… UNIITY in the Body.

UNITY is NOT a suggestion… it’s a command.

PAUSE

PAUSE

PAUSE

PAUSE -CLIP BEGINING

It’s our responsibility to Guard “Unity” in the CHURCH.

Here are three simple things if you find yourself in disunity….

First..

When you spot it, confront it.

Don’t let it grow, have the gentle conversation early on… it beat’s a loud explosion later.

Proverbs 27:5 ESV

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Dont sweep it under the rug.. cuz it never stays there… be open and honest with it vs pretending your not offended…

Next..

If your in it, get out of it (REPEATE)

That might mean stepping back from a conversation, group chat or friendship that has the undertone of disunity.

Proverbs 22:24–25 ESV

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

Don’t make friends with with people who are given to disunity… other wise you will become just like them.

Lastly…

Chose Trust over suspicion (REPEATE)

This goes against culture…becuase we have been formed by a culture of suspicion…

Before you mind read, or assign ill motives to someones words or behavior…. ask yourself, “Is there a generous explanation I haven’t considered?”

Proverbs 20:5 ESV

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Be a person of understanding…

GUA

Altar Call…

-SALVATION:

Disunity with God… your not in relationship with him today…

IF GOD HAS SPOKE TO YOU TODAY….

Stand on your feet all around the room…

sometimes your act of responding to an altar call is an act of unity… over sitter there as if everything is find and you need no help from God.

***I understand its not always about that…

But every I don’t know about you… I NEED JESUS TO HELP ME WITHIN ME… Maintain UNITY.. and it starts with GUARDING MY OWN HEART.

If your out of unity -MAKE IT RIGHT

Transition: As I close today….

So today… if you do NOT know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is your day…

Salvation Altar Call

I believe Jesus is here today, and He wants to save you. Salvation simply means to deliver or to free. It’s not just about delivering you…

It’s about believing

Believing in Jesus means trusting what He say’s—about sin, and eternal punishment, thats the bad news.

The good news is this… that His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, making us right with God.

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Salvation requires two things:

1. God’s Grace—His undeserved gift of forgiveness and life because of His love for you.

2. Faith—placing your trust in Him for salvation.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to save you, today is your day. If you’d like ask him… , raise your hand.

I want to invite you to Repeat a prayer after me

· There is nothing magical in this prayer.. it simply is a way of declaring to Jesus what has taken place in your heart.

Here is how I would like to end the service for everyone else….

Call to Action Altar Call

We’re going to end the service with A question as we do nearly every week.

ALL ACROSS THE ROOM – HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT spoken to you in anyway today

CHECK CLOCK 5min left (25min)

We should focus on two things

Resources

Book:The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament (Second Addition) by Keener, Craig S.

Going Deeper

What stuck out to you the in this passage? v. 1-10

Humility: Do I genuinely believe others might be right, or do I assume I usually am? Think of a time receintly where one of these was on display?

Gentleness: Think of a time when you had to bring hard news, how did it go? Were you gentle or abrupt? How would you do it differently

Patience: Think of a time when you wish you were patience, how might it have changed the results?

What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you in light of this teaching?

How might the Holy Spirit want to transform you in light of this teaching?

What actions might the Holy Spirit want to take in light of this teaching?

Tongues & Interpretation

1. To STRENGTHEN the Church (1 Cor14:5)

For prophecy is greater than SPEAKING in TONGUES, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be STRENGTHENED.

Believers, God has operated through this gift today to strengthen you today. Let your faith be strengthened and know that God is in control and using supernatural measures to speak to us.

2. Is a SIGN for unbelievers. (1Cor. 14: 21a, 22)

1 Corinthians 14:21–22 (ESV)

In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

22 -  So you see that speaking in tongues is a SIGN, not for believers, but for UNBELIEVERS.

The Bible explains to us God has chosen to use this gift to be a sign for you. A sign for what? It is a sign of his realness for those of you who have been doubting or questioning the existence of God. He wants you to know he is REAL and he wants to bring you spiritual life and health. If you're in here today and you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior... he wants you to know he has gone to great lengths to show you his love today. (Great opportunity for a salvation altar call if it fits).