Sermon Tone Analysis

SBS: Wonderful Music but it can only be done once a year.

After service *Doughnuts!*

PRAYER

Intro:  You can see by the title of the message that what we need is a perfect church.

We could have that church if some people would do the right thing.

In fact there is one person who gives me more trouble than anyone else, one person who disappoints me more, discourages me more, and causes me to wonder about the future of this church more than any other person.

This morning I am just going to go ahead and name them.

You are going to be shocked when you find out who they are.

You are not going to believe that this is the person that I am so disappointed in, that has discouraged me so much, that has caused me to wonder about the future of this church.

The name of the person is  SAM LAMERSON.

EVERY PERSON HERE SHOULD STRIVE TO MAKE THEIR CHURCH PERFECT

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HOW DO WE MAKE THE CHURCH PERFECT?

VV. 1-3  note the start of the chapter w~/ therefore.

Paul (the prisoner) asks us to “Walk Worthy” v. 1  how do we do that?

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Humility-2a /lowliness/ (7x1x)-used in Greek philosophy as a pejorative term.

In the NT, only as a good trait.

Wisdom in the Scriptures is associated with humility.

You never know who can teach you or who you might be teaching.

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Humanity-2b  /gentleness/, meekness, used sometimes of helping a person or group of people who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority, cf.

Mat.

11:29, 21:15.

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Hopefulness-2c /longsuffering/, this is patience, a willingness to wait.

Pul.

Committ.

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Helpfulness-2d /bearing with one another/ Could be translated “put up with one another in love” Used by Christ in Mt. 17:17 disciples can’t cast out a demon Jesus says about the disciples, “how long am I going to have to put up with your lack of faith” Prov.

12:16 in the NLT says  /A fool is quick-tempered, //but a wise person stays calm when insulted./

Dear Ann Landers: I have been married to "Louis" for 10 years.

Last weekend, there was a birthday party for one of Louis’ relatives.

I bought a gift and a card, and left them on the dining room table while we dressed.

Usually I sign the cards for the whole family, but I thought it would be nice if Louis handled this one, so I asked him to sign it.

When he returned to the bedroom, he said he signed all our names.

I don’t know what possessed me, but for some reason I felt compelled to check.

I opened the sealed envelope and saw the card signed, "Love, Uncle Louis, Jane, Tabby, and Martha."

Jane is our daughter.

Tabby is our cat.

My name is Martha.

I put the card back and resealed the envelope, but I was so angry I couldn’t see straight.

Can you imagine, Ann?

Not only did he sign our daughter’s name before mine, but even the cat’s name was before mine.

After a few minutes, I said to Louis, "Why did you sign our names in that way?"

He replied, "What’s wrong with it?"

Needless to say, we got into a terrible argument.

He thinks I am making a big deal over nothing.

I am hurt and angry.

Was he wrong to sign our names that way?

Please give me some advice.

Ann Landers replied very wisely, in my opinion: So, the cat’s name appeared on the card ahead of yours.

Big deal.

I hope you never have anything more insulting to be upset about.

Get your priorities straight, Lady, and save the adrenaline for more important matters.

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Harmony- 3 /unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace/

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WHY SHOULD WE MAKE THE CHURCH PERFECT?

VV. 4-6 Because we have a perfect God.

Notice the number of time the word one is used.

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We are unified because our hope is unified  v. 4 DJK told us what /Hope really was—/To know that God is going to accomplish His perfect plan in my life, that I am on my way to paradise to be with Him forever and that all things will be worked together for my good.

That confidence de­stroys the dark gray cloud that lies out there on our pathway, and it causes us to see that we are walking toward the glorious radiant setting sun that will give way to that new and eternal morning of paradise.

Our church is unified because our hope is unified.

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We are unified because our God is unified.

The book of Ephesians unites Jew and Gentile.

V. 5-6 The last phrase in v. 6 is one of apposition.

It tells us who our God is, He is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesis is the city of the race riot, the place of screaming, yet Eph 2:14 “he is our peace”

\\ \\ CONCL: PARABLE OF THE WOODSHOP There was a meeting of the tools at the woodshop one night.

The meeting went late.

Later even than some of our session meetings.

Brother Hammer presided.

Several suggested he leave the meeting because he was too noisy.

Replied the Hammer, “If I have to leave this shop, Brother Nail must go also.

You have to pound him in the head to get him to do anything.”

Brother Nail then spoke up.

“If you want, I’ll leave.

But Brother Plane has to go too.

All his work is on the surface.

He doesn’t have any depth.”

To this Brother Plane responded, “Well then, Brother Ruler will also have to withdraw, for he is always measuring people like he is the only one who is right.”

Brother Ruler stood up to his full height and then railed against Brother Sandpaper, “You ought to leave too because you’re so rough and always rubbing people the wrong way.”

And so the arguments went on and on into the night.

At the first light of day, in walked the Carpenter from Nazareth.

He had arrived to start His day’s work.

Putting on His apron, He went to the bench to make a pulpit from which to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

He employed the hammer, nail, plane, ruler, sandpaper, and all the other tools.

After the day’s work when the pulpit was finished and the carpenter gone, Brother Saw stood up and said, “Brothers, I see that  /There is/ one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who /is/ above all, and through all, and in you all.

Whether you are a saw, hammer, nail or ruler, let us all work together to build this church for God’s Kingdom.

Putting aside ourselves and looking unto Jesus the carpenter who is the author and finisher of our faith.

Communion Hymn will be JESUS PAID IT ALL (VERSES 1 *AND* 4)  HYMN NO. 210

 

 

*Benediction: And now may the God who is above all, and through all and in all give you hope, peace and unity in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen*