7 Walk In Unity

One of the big challenges facing churches, especially as they grow, is keeping unity. The more people you have the more chance for people to focus on their own preferences and then the unity in the body suffers.

Results in disunity, division, and decline.

Mt. Rock Church has faced some of these over the past few years and more.

Ephesians 4:1–3 NIV

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus and surrounding area helps the church to understand our identity as followers of Christ – individually, but especially as the body – and teaches us how to live in unity together.

I believe this is a good starting point as we look to refocus and rebuild.

Begin with quick review of where Paul has taken us – teaching the Gospel, doctrine, identity and foundation = the why/what

Christ broke down the wall of division, brought followers together as one body both Jews and Gentiles.

Ch4v.1 Therefore/then (NIV) = prayed for the Spiritual power to live, but he also refers back to all he has said.

Rest of letter is living out what was taught. Walk in love, starting with unity and peace together. Active forward movement and growth in Christ. The how.

We will learn these aspects of our walk: unity, light, harmony, victory/power.

overall theme is Walk in Love

Points

Today’s portion is Walk In Unity - .

Read

Ephesians 4:1–3 NIV

Maintain Unity

Ephesians 4:1–3 NIV

Ephesians 4:1-3

vv.1-3 prisoner/bound to Christ and through Him each other. Live your calling. Fruit of the Spirit. Maintain unity.

Ephesians 4:1–3 NIV

vv.1-3 prisoner/bound to Christ and through Him each other. Live your calling. Fruit of the Spirit. Maintain unity.

Ephesians vv.1-3 prisoner/bound to Christ and through Him each other. Live your calling. Fruit of the Spirit. Maintain unity.

Prisoner – bound to/by Jesus.

Live/lead a life = Walk = live, active way of life, forward motion not just ideals.

Worthy of the calling – called (by God) to calling

– called to hope of future, to follow Jesus and be part of Christ’s body.

How to walk worthy? Live out your life worthy?

v.2 (live/walk) with complete humility/gentleness/patience/bearing (forbearance, longsuffering)/Love = Fruit of the Spirit in outward expression of the Spirit’s transformation in your heart.

Ephesians 4:3 NIV

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Make every effort to keep = maintain, keep

Unity of the Spirit = the oneness we attain by having God’s Spirit in us supernaturally binding/linking us together.

maintain = not our own effort to manufacture oneness or uniformity – we’ll see it includes a diversity.

Spiritual Unity – from in Christ, those who were far (Gentiles) are brought near by the blood of Christ (with Jews).

How do we maintain unity? V.2 humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, love/compassion, peace.

Bond of peace = again, binding as prisoner (v.1) God’s Spirit binding us in unity and peace.

Bond that results in peace

walk worthy, maintain unity of Spirit, live out the fruit of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:4–10 CSB

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. 9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.

Ephesians 4:4–7 NIV

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 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 to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

Ephesians 4:

Ephesians 4:4-7

vv.4-6 unity in 7 ones – body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God/Father

called to one hope at your calling - again from .

7 ones = complete – Lord in center

vv.7-10 Christ gives grace gifts to people. Victory/rescue/gifts. Ascend/descend.

v.7 stacking terms a (gift of) grace given as Christ’s gift appropriate for each one of us. 3 ways of saying gift

Unity in faith and peace, diversity in backgrounds and gifts.

Grace is a gift measured by Christ to each one as needed for His purposes. Calling requires gifting - Christ gives each member/part of the body the purpose and function unique to that one.

v.8 compare wording and focus of:

Psalm 68:18 NIV

18 When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious— that you, Lord God, might dwell there.

– God the victorious ascended leading away the captives and receiving gifts

God the victorious ascended leading away the captives and receiving gifts

Ephesians 4:8 NIV

8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

– Christ the victorious ascended leading away (rescued) captives and giving gifts.

Christ the victorious ascended leading away (rescued) captives and giving gifts.

vv.9-10 Ascended and descended. Came to Earth, returned to God’s right hand. Fills universe as in

Ephesians 4:9–10 NIV

9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

What is the purpose of these gifts? We see gifts to each one, and gifts to the whole body.

Equipped for Maturity

Ephesians 4:11–13 NIV

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

vv.11-13 Christ gives gifts to the body/church. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds/pastors, teachers.

Here – 5 specific gifts for individuals, which are 5 specific gifts to the church. Others listed elsewhere, but here focusing on the equipping for ministry and growth.

Ephesians 4:12 NIV

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

Equip – make fully ready.

For service or for ministry – equipped to serve others, to minister to others

v.13 until all reach unity in faith and depth of knowing Christ and become mature

result = attain whole measure of fullness of Christ = Christ-like, love, compassion, selfless

Purpose of gifts – to equip members of the body for ministry/service. Goal being Christ-like maturity in the body.

Ephesians 4:14–16 NIV

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 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.

vv.14-16 the body/church each member doing it’s part building up in love. mature, telling/living truth.

Try to show video of kid getting rolled by wave

v.14 No longer small children = toddlers (not really infants)

Knocked over by waves, blown over by wind = unstable, unable to stand when faced with the craftiness and deceitfulness of false teaching.

False teaching not necessarily outright heresy, but subtle twists of truth to lead astray

Ephesians 4:15 NIV

15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

v.15 Instead = contrast to being immature and gullible

Instead = contrast to being immature and gullible

speak truth in love = truth telling, means proclaiming the Good News to each other and others

Speaking truth in love is a misapplied verse pulled out of context to mean pointing out what you believe to be errors to someone in order to try to change them, and in maybe a nice way.

Truth always refers to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

This phrase is used 3 times in the new testament – here, ,

Always in the context of a contrast between tearing down with false teaching/doctrine and building up with the Gospel.

telling/sharing/living the Gospel, sharing the Gospel, because of the compassion you have for others.

The goal of this truth-telling is maturity. Individual, but also the whole body together.

Jesus the head, source, authority.

v.16 From Him = Jesus

builds itself up in love, speaking truth in love, walking in unity of Spirit in love

each member does its part using its gift, The whole body grows and becomes mature together.

Conclusion

We pray with Paul for the power of the Holy Spirit so we can walk worthy of our calling in Christ.

Big Idea: The power of God’s Spirit in us brings unity, peace, and maturity.

The picture here in is

Live in unity and peace with others in the body, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform your heart and manifesting the fruit of humility, gentleness, patience, love and peace.

Use the gifts Jesus Christ gives you by His Spirit to live truth, grow, and mature in Him as you serve the body.

Together we will become a mature and functional body with Christ as our authority, source, and head.

Let’s maintain the unity of the Spirit and walk worthy of our calling.

What About You?

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