Walking as One

Ephesians 4:1-16 - Unity of the Spirit Doug Partin - The Christian Church - May 24, 2020 We are picking up in our study of the book of Ephesians that we began earlier in the year. We have already studied through chapters 1-3, if you need a refresher, those sermons are available online. As we begin looking at "part 2," we encounter an important "therefore." And we need to ask, "What is it there for?" In chapters 1-3, Paul reminded the believers in ancient Ephesus what Christ had done in order to set them free. While they were free, Paul was writing to them from prison. He was quarantined. He was not free to roam around, he was not free to live like he used to live; but he was, spiritually speaking, free to walk. Free to live his life for the Lord. He was a prisoner, but he was alive and well. In his letter to the believers in Philippi Paul had proclaimed, "For me to live, is Christ, and to die, is gain." He was known to convert his captors because what they saw in his live, how he lived, was so drastically different. He expressed His love for God, by considering their needs and loving on them. The best example we know of is when, early in his ministry, he was put in jail in Philippi; and an earthquake broke open all the doors. But instead of thinking of himself, Paul thought of what would happen to the guards if they all escaped. This expression of love led to the conversion of the Philippian jailer. The Greek word for "walking" was also their word for expressing how a person "lived their life." So instead of using "walk" some translations use "manner of living" or "live a life." Our "walk" is about the choices we make in regard to the relationships we have, how we interact with others, not just about our choice in regard to personal preferences. Paul was letting these believers know that since they were set free, spiritually speaking, they should, therefore, take the next step in the way they lived their lives for Christ with one another, and with their families, their neighbors, and anyone else they might encounter. Paul encouraged them to walk; to put one foot in front of the other. They were, spiritually speaking, like a child learning to walk. They might lose their balance, they might wobble, might even fall, might want to give up because it is so hard and go back to crawling; but Paul wanted them to keep getting back up and keep taking one step after another until, like everyone else who grows up in the Lord, they didn't have to think about the mechanics of walking anymore. He wanted choosing God's way of relating to one another to be as natural as walking. But they were not there yet. They were still toddlers, still learning to walk. Still struggling with living their new life in Christ. So, Paul, as one who was walking well, gave them some advice. He told them, first of all, that they should live their lives, as one worthy of their calling. You might ask, "What calling?" Paul wasn't talking about a special calling, as he had received to be God's witness to the Gentiles. He was talking about the general calling that had come to them through the gospel message. God had called them, as He calls out to every person with the news that He has forgiven them, and that He wants them to turn around from where ever their current manner of "walking" had taken them and return to Him, and learn to walk in His ways; that they might enjoy the best life has to offer. God's call may have come to you when, like the prodigal son, your life was a mess and you realized that life back at home really is better. It may have come when you were fighting against the truth of Jesus' resurrection, like Paul himself, who came to his senses and accepted that truth and all the changes that it brought. It might be that His call came to you when you thought that your life was just fine, no real problems. Whatever your situation, you can be sure that God will call. The question is how will you respond to it? Ancient Israel had no problems living in Egypt, until later on, when the slavery became obvious; and even then, some wanted to go back to Egypt after being set free because learning to walk all over again was just too difficult. In the same way that God had set ancient Israel free from slavery in Egypt, the believers in ancient Ephesus had been set free from slavery to sin. And just as God had delivered ancient Israel through the waters of the Red Sea; they had been, as Paul wrote in his letter to the believers in Corinth, been delivered when they passed through the waters of baptism. (1Cor. 10) They didn't deserve what God had done, no one does; but Paul wanted them to walk in a manner worthy of what God had done. In his letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul said that they had, essentially, been given all the same spiritual advantages that ancient Israel enjoyed. But ancient Israel did not choose to live worthy lives. They mumbled, and they grumbled, they complained and rebelled, and choose their own way of living; and as you might imagine, God was not pleased with them. Paul said that what happened to them, and it wasn't good, had been written down so we might learn the lesson of what might happen, if we choose to act, to walk, as ancient Israel did. In other words, we are supposed to learn from their mistakes. This is why Paul encouraged these believers in ancient Ephesus to "walk" with humility and gentleness, with patience and tolerance, with love for one another, and in a way that preserved the unity and peace that God had given them by the Spirit. I don't think that I need to explain to you what those words mean. But if you need some extra help sorting them out, give me a call. In using these words, Paul implies that the believers in ancient Ephesus had not yet learned to take these baby steps, and as a result they were on the verge of division. They were, by their less than worthy behavior, letting go of the very things that were binding them together. You can't help but get the impression that instead of walking as Paul encouraged, they were demanding, arrogant, controlling, prideful, and self-centered. The very opposite. They were not loving one another, that is, they did not even try to recognize much less meet one another's needs. They didn't really care about anything but themselves. And they were not concerned if their behavior drove someone away from the church. If you were to ask them about someone leaving, they'd probably say something like, "Good riddens, we didn't need them around here anyways." The way Paul suggested these believers walk would have bound them more closely together, rather than driving them apart. And what he said to them should make you ask, "What binds us, as a church, together?" I'll be honest, I am glad that we miss one another, and that we want to get back together. When I have asked some of our members why they are missing church, that don't have an exact answer. But there is something we have together, something binding us, that they miss. It is not that we like to do the same kind of things. Yes, birds of a feather, flock together; but we've got lots of different kinds of birds around here. We don't have the same hobbies, we don't listen to the same kind of music, we don't wear the same style of clothes, but there is something that is keeping us together. And that something is not our building. We like to gather in it, we like to worship the Lord together in it, but our building is not what is binding us together. I read an article this last week by a pastor who recalled an exercise in theological thinking that he was taught during this ministerial training. He was asked to pretend that he was the arch-bishop of Canterbury. That he oversaw 44 dioceses and 12,500 churches. But all of a sudden one thing changed: Suddenly they didn't have access to any of their church buildings, what would he do? We are living out that same problem. And we have done well, whether we realize it or not. We began to focus on reaching out to one another, and those around us, with God's love. Rather than worrying about when are we were going to get back into our building, we started trying to figure out how we could live for Christ without access to it. That doesn't mean that we didn't and don't miss how we once gathered. We started to identify the problems people around us were experiencing, and figured out ways to help them, even if you didn't fully realize it. I have seen a lot of that taking place over the last couple of months. There were food insecurities. The stores were not stocked, and we were told that it wasn't safe to go into the store. But I heard stories of people sharing what they had with others, and people offering to shop for others. There was loneliness and depression as days turned into weeks and months. And I saw people figuring out ways to connect with others. Checking on their neighbors, and those in the church. They were not waiting for someone to call them, they started reaching out to others. They started doing what they could to remind people that they are not alone. There was anxiety about having to work and go to school from home, and I saw a lot of people helping each other get their computers set up and helping them know how to use the new systems being employed. There was mask insecurities, and there was an army of people who started making masks and giving them away. There where several families who experienced a death in their family or of a close friend; and they had to figure out how to grieve and comfort one another from a distance. But they did those things, and they received encouragement and expressions of love. Even if they are still looking forward to that time when they will be able to gather, in person, with their families. There was grief from missing out on the rites of passages that everyone else enjoyed by teens. And there were creative parents hosting back porch proms, and graduations, and driving by and honking for seniors, and hosting virtual birthday parties. And I have heard story after story of families who have loved getting to spend more time with each other. Stories of how they are growing closer together rather than further apart. And how some of them are hoping to work from home a little more often, even when the risk of being exposed to this virus subsides. We have not been able to worship in our building, but we have been worshipping, and we have been growing stronger. And this has happened because of the things that we do have in common. As Paul told the believers in ancient Ephesus, we are bound together because of all the "ones" that share in common: One body, One Spirit, One calling, One hope, One Lord, One faith, One baptism, and One God. What unites us far outweighs any of the situations that are keeping us apart. According to the world, even if we were able to get together, we would not really be united, because of all the differences in our lives. The world is always sowing the seeds of discord by drawing attention to these differences. Different ancestry, different levels of education, different economic status, different genders, different opportunities, different marital status, and the list of differences they point out goes on and on. If we were to listen to them, then we might end up thinking that a person is either better or worse because of those differences. And such thinking leads to divisions, prejudices, arrogance, pride, etc... And all those other things that Paul said we'd be better off without. I thought that it was interesting that Paul pointed out that the only differences among those who are "in Christ" are the ones resulting from the different gifts that Jesus bestows on each one of us through His grace. That's in verse 7. The Spirit does not give us the same gifts, but we are expected to use them in a way that binds us more tightly together. In another letter, Paul explained, that if we all had the same gift, it would be like a body that didn't have different parts, only eyes, or only noses, or only legs. That just as our body has different parts that work together, so does the church. And every one of us is equally important. Did you notice that Paul compared what should be happening in ancient Ephesus to what happened when Debra lead Israel to break free from the Canaanites? Israel had been held captive by them for 20 years or so. Debra was Israel's defacto leader, a judge; and she asked Barak, her military commander, to gather up all the fighting men and take them to Mt. Tabor. There they were to wait for the Canaanites to come against them. It was a very, very small force compared to that of the Canaanites. At the right moment, the Israelites charged down the slopes. And the Canaanites were unable to respond as they should. Their King even fled from the battle field, taking shelter in a woman's home, not realizing that she was an Israelite. She invited him in, gave him food and drink and made him comfortable and told him that she would look out for him, and when he dozed off, she drove a tent peg through his head. What few Canaanites survived the conflict were made captives, and were led by Barak who was, before that victory, their captive. The victory was not because of Israel's military might, nor because of a specially gifted person, but because God was at work in every person. The victory was obviously a God thing, and He was given all the glory for it. As a result of their captors being destroyed, Israel was given the gifts associated with victory, especially the gift of being set free to live as they wanted to live. Christ has done the same for us in regard to sin. As Paul said, He ascended on High, but that should remind us that He had previously descended, going down into the battle, where He defeated what once held us all captive - sin and death. Paul proclaimed in his first letter to the Corinthians, "Where of death is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15:55-57. Those who were once our captors, were led by Christ, the victor, as captives. They have been defeated, and we, like ancient Israel are given the gifts associated with victory. We are given the Holy Spirit and its gifts and the freedom to walk by the Spirit. The gifts it distributes among us are different, and it prepares us to serve in different ways. As Paul pointed out, that is why some became apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. It was not because they were so talented, but because God is so good. These leaders, working together, had the job of equipping the saints (everyone else) for their work, for how they would walk as one. Every believer has been given gifts, and they need to be directed in how to use them as "grownups." Working together because of their unity of faith and knowledge of the Son. They are no longer to walk as children, whose potential contribution can be wasted because they are prone to believe anything and everything they hear. So their lives often end up looking like a ship being tossed around by the winds and waves. As "grownups," they were able to hear the voice of love, that was pointing out the deceitfulness of men who were trying to control them for their own benefit rather than for the benefit of all. I love it, that Paul reminded them, and us; that ultimately, it is not those gifted to be leaders but Christ who is the head of the body and it is He who is directing us in how we should live our lives; how we should walk in this world. After all, He is the one who gave us different gifts in the first place. And He knew that they would all fit together to make one healthy, whole body. All are needed and all should be appreciated. And even when we are apart, we can act as one body. Building each other up by expressions of love. Encouraging each other to walk as God leads us. It is my hope that you will discover the gifts that God has given you; and that as we walk as one, each of us will do our part in expressing God's love for the world. Pray: Lord, keep us walking together for you.