TOGETHER STRONG

TOGETHER PART 3

What is the largest organism in the world?

Located on the southwest bank of Fish Lake in Utah, is Pando — the biggest grouping of Aspen trees ever identified. Although it covers over 100 acres, there is a single root system uniting this entire forest. As you look at it, you can see what appear to be individual trees. But below the surface they are all linked by their roots. The roots grow unseen, under the surface of the earth, but they keep the whole grove alive, together as one.

IT’S A GREAT picture of how we as believers can be connected as one, and, even in the face of difficulties, work TOGETHER to grow stronger.

If you weren’t with us the last couple weeks -- we have explored the concepts that TOGETHER We Find Peace and TOGETHER We Experience Love. Today we’re going to explore the truth that TOGETHER We Grow Stronger.

First a little bit of catch-up. In recent weeks, we’ve talked about the church in Ephesus as a group of believers who faced challenges not unlike the ones the church faces today. They were a group of people living in a fast-paced city, surrounded by powerful religions and various philosophies. They were a multicultural mix of people themselves, Jews and Gentiles trying to figure out how to interweave their lives and live out their faith in Jesus.

In light of those challenges, Paul emphasizes over and over again the importance of TOGETHERNESS -- Like the believers in the early church at Ephesus, we as a church have committed to journeying TOGETHER. As we study and explore the ideas Paul presents -- it’s because we want to understand and to renew our commitment as a church to be a welcoming place of love and peace and grace and impact.

The way Paul wrote this letter, what came before was explanation -- but what comes next is action. Here in Ephesians “therefore” turns the gospel story directly toward our lives and how the truth of the gospel should impact how we live our life stories — personally and in our families, neighborhoods, and communities.

(GW) I, a prisoner in the Lord, encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other. Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives.

I, a prisoner in the Lord, encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other. Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives.

Jesus brought peace and love. Today we follow Ephesians and turn our attention to how we let those things shape the way we live and treat others —living lives worthy of the calling we have received — and become stronger together.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Let’s turn together for our key text from Paul:

(TLB) Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly —and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the Church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly —and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the Church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

ILLUSTRATION

Have you ever visited or seen pictures of the headwaters of the greatest rivers in our nation? The Mighty Mississippi, the Colorado River, or maybe the Rio Grande? When the largest and most powerful rivers start, they are merely drops of snowmelt finding their way downhill to a place where the drops become trickles, the trickles become channels, the channels become streams, and eventually the streams become rivers. They go from mere individual drops of water to raging forces of nature that can carve out the likes of the Grand Canyon. How does this happen? Simple: the water comes together. The water itself is no different than when it started, but as the sources of water combine, the river gains strength.

Or maybe we can look at this idea of strength in numbers another way. Imagine how it is that most animals survive in the wild—in deserts, forests, and oceans alike. Being alone makes them vulnerable, and so they naturally group together. Strength in numbers for them brings protection and helps provide for basic needs.

The early church found that kind of strength in numbers — they all came together and shared everything.

As you probably remember from the book of Acts,

(TLB) And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other,

And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other,

But for the early church -- and for us today -- there’s also a bigger concept at play than the most basic search to find safety, food, and shelter. Our togetherness as believers is more about strength for moving forward, not just for staying safe.

From the beginning of time -- human beings were created to live in relationship and community. In , we are told Adam was alone in the garden, and God saw that is was not good for him to be alone, so God created Eve—a companion ().

Introverted, extroverted, no matter your personality or style, we as humans were created for RELATIONSHIP.

Hear this loud and clear — that doesn’t mean everyone has to be a greeter at the door on Sunday mornings. Remember, DIFFERENCE is key!

And we’ve talked the last two weeks about the fact that UNITY is not the same as UNIFORMITY -- but very different people using unique talents and passions to connect and serve and experience and share God’s love as the church.

As we build community and fellowship with each other (however that may look and work best for you), we become STRONGER.

Again, I want to be clear — this is not just about gathering more people. Simply counting more heads and filling more seats is not the ultimate goal.

It’s about the strength that numbers bring because more people means more influence, more creativity, more ability, more skill, more compassion, more relationship, more love, more support, and more impact in the world around us.

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes gives a few great examples of how we are STRONGER TOGETHER:

(TLB) Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone? And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone? And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Paul explained to the church in Ephesus that this process of finding STRENGTH TOGETHER started with Christ and now comes to us.

(PassionNTPsa)And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness in the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ

And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness in the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ

WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY?

Many people have the false idea that ministry is comprised primarily of sitting around praying and reading the Bible.

The truth is, however, that Paul referred to our ministry as WORKS-- WHY -- MAKING THE EFFORT

MUST be willing to give OUR life to the task of pushing back the kingdom of darkness and establishing newly saved people into a stable and mature Christian walk.

TO BE focused, to crucify OUR flesh, and to do whatever is necessary to see that God’s Kingdom is furthered

FIGHT off the devil’s attacks, deal with people’s instability, deliberately decide not to be hurt or wounded by those who disappoint you

SPEND enough time with God to always keep yourself built up.

But we are headed toward the fullness of Christ. That is God’s long-term design and the journey of transformation He is leading us on. And along the way, those apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers Paul mentions don’t refer to people on a full-time church salary. This is all of us with our various giftings and abilities—all believers are to be working together so that we are being built up and the body of Christ is being built up to accomplish God’s work in this world.

WE ARE ONE

The idea of the body of Christ brings us to our next point—WE ARE TO BE ONE. In fact, you might say that today’s sermon is brought to you by the number one. Because one is the number of togetherness.

Paul doesn’t leave much room for anything else when he explains that

(GW) There is one body and one Spirit. In the same way you were called to share one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over everything, through everything, and in everything.

There is one body and one Spirit. In the same way you were called to share one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over everything, through everything, and in everything.

We aren’t two or just a few. We aren’t instructed to act like one, or to be kinda, sorta, pretty much united, but TO BE ONE.

In Romans, he says it like this:

(GW) Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing. In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.

Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing. In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.

Sometimes Our Independent Spirits Get The Best Of Us.

We Don’t Want To Belong To Others.

We Want To Do Our Own Thing. But Belonging Is Survival

Paul understood that ....

(NIV) Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its WORK.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its WORK.

In this description -- we as the church are told to be one.

Together we can become a place of refuge, not a place of judgment.

A place where we can come honestly in our weaknesses.

A place of great service and kingdom work and a place of rest, worship, and healing.

I think this idea that TOGETHER -- as one body -- we become stronger is the reason believers can’t just listen to a podcast of sermons, pray in the woods, or sing worship songs in the shower.

Don’t get me wrong — those are great things! You should do them! But we also need to be TOGETHER, physically, mentally, emotionally, regularly. Because the body of Christ, the Church -- is not the sermon or the songs or the prayers. Church is the people. AND TOGETHER, AS ONE, WE GROW.

GROWTH REQUIRES CHANGE

Before we end our time together today, let’s spend a few minutes talking about change. Because growing stronger together, by definition, means change. And even though change can be hard at times, it is good, and it goes hand in hand with growth.

ILLUSTRATION

Neuroscience used to think thoughts shaped actions. But scientists and researchers are increasingly seeing that actions shape our thoughts.

The more often you perform an action or behave a certain way -- the more it gets physically wired into your brain.

This neuroplasticity allows us to choose actions that create new pathways in our brains.

Why am I talking about neuroscience? Because it helps to explain what we can do in order to change and grow.

Most Change Is Not Overnight — It Is Slow And It Takes Work. But While We Would Like To Control All Of Our Thoughts And Feelings, The Only Thing We Can Truly Control Is Our Actions.

If we want to see growth in our body of believers -- we have to commit to working the muscles, forming the brain pathways, choosing to act in obedience to God despite the thoughts or feelings that may come.

The early 20th century evangelist and teacher Oswald Chambers wrote in his famous devotional book My Utmost for His Highest,

“As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises.”

Do you see the connection? Together we grow stronger by trusting God and doing the next thing.

Paul spends much of the rest of Ephesians instructing and reminding the church at Ephesus that as believers, their behaviors and actions should look different from the world around them.

(NIV) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

He goes on to talk about specific behaviors that need to change such as

anger, lying, stealing, unwholesome talk, bitterness, rage, etc.

PAUL encourages believers to be kind, compassionate, forgiving, and thankful.

We can’t just muster up the ability to grow. We must rely on His power and strength.

But we can be confident that God is doing this kind of work within us.

The church will never be a perfect place.

It will never be a perfect group because it will always be made of imperfect people.

We acknowledge this. We accept it. But we don’t want to use it as an excuse or settle for habits or practices that we know fall short of God’s best for us.

God calls us to so much more. And He wants to carry us to fullness in Christ.

He wants to strengthen and use us as His body here on earth.

He wants us to experience the joy of being one body, healthy and growing and full of love.

Let’s continue to journey together, committed to the work and change of growth. It is in this togetherness that we grow stronger.