Through Ephesians -07- Growing Together

Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16
There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)

I. A Humble and Magnificent Unity. (vv.1-6)

   A.    Worthy of the Calling.

       1.    “As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you...”

           a.    Paul asks for no higher commitment than his own.

           b.    Paul believes this calling is worth the troubles it has caused him.

       2.    Worthy of the calling which called you.

           a.    Called to holiness (1:4)

           b.    Called together to demonstrate the wisdom of God (3:10)

   B.    Bear and Forbear.

       1.    Humble and Gentle

           a.    Humble - lit. lowly-minded

           b.    Gentle - between hot-tempered and spineless. Also trans. “meek” It is a kind firmness.

       2.    Patient and Tolerant

           a.    Patient - or “long suffering”

           b.    Tolerant - in Mark 9:19: “put up with” also “forbear.”

       3.    These qualities seem to be lacking in some of our internal discussions in the Church.

           a.    Intelligence is not measured in decibels, nor wisdom in name-calling.

   C.    One Source of Oneness.

       1.    A cascade of “ones”

           a.    One body, one hope, one Lord, one faith one baptism, one God and Father of all.

       2.    Disunity betrays a lack of respect for what we have in common — in effect we claim to differ on one of them.

       3.    We get back to OUR Father. (v.6; 3:15)

II.    Ministry Equipment (vv.7-13)

   A.    Out of One, Many.

       1.    Paul moves from “all” to “each”

       2.    We get differing graces in the way Christ designed.

           a.    This means we aren’t responsible for graces we don’t have.

           b.    This means we have what we need to do what we are called as individuals.

           c.    This means together we have all we need to do what we are called to do together.

       3.    Jesus going up and down and giving gifts? What’s this about?

           a.    Paul quotes Psalm 68 a Ps. about the triumph of God’s power.

           b.    Paul talks about that power in 1:20-22.

           c.    In other words, this gifting, is evidence of God’s triumph!

   B.    Service Equipment

       1.    “Gave” prob: commissioned

           a.    Part of God’s design for the Church are these offices:

               (1)  apostle (one sent out to establish the Church),

               (2)  prophet (one who bears God’s Words to God’s people),

               (3)  evangelist (one who proclaims God’s Word to the unconvinced)

               (4)  pastor/teacher

       2.    These 4 exist for one sole purpose: vv.12-13.

           a.    The pastor/teacher role is to equip every member for his/her particular service according to their gift.

   C.    Differences for the sake of Unity.

       1.    “So that the body of Christ may be built up.”

           a.    Our differences are part of the plan.

           b.    God designed it so that we would need each other (Good thing - it’s about the only way we’d ever try to work together!)

       2.    “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.”

           a.    Our differing styles and approaches are ways in which we can learn from each other about the Son of God.

           b.    True unity is built on the presumption that we aren’t uniform.

III.   Growing Up, Together (vv.14-16)

   A.    Beyond Infancy.

       1.    The pastor/teachers job is to help their fellow believers have a grown-up faith.

       2.    The goal is people who think for themselves and aren’t dependent on a pastor or other leader for their spiritual identity.

       3.    Not vulnerable to spiritual abuse:

           a.    “Cunning” — fr. dice playing - trickery

           b.    “craftiness” — lit. capable of anything

           c.    “deceitful scheming” — used of Satan in 6:11. ("μεθηοδειν τής πλανής")

   B.    Speaking the Truth in Love

       1.    Speak the Truth with the big “T”

       2.    2Tim 2:24-26 (there’s that word “gentle” again!)

       3.    It is loving to speak the truth.

       4.    It is imperative to speak the truth lovingly (not manipulatively, nor with the intention of causing pain).

   C.    We’re all tied together in Jesus.

       1.    The picture is of a body all tied together by the head (not the way we look at a body).

       2.    How about, “all our movement and sensitivity is tied to Jesus who is our head.

       3.    As it stands Jesus is the one holding us together - not we ourselves, not the individuals, nor the body itself.

The Bottom Line:

.