Sermon Tone Analysis

#4    *Authenticity: the ingredient for the God’s Community*

 

*Eph.

3: 14 - 4: 6*

 

*Introduction:*       A Peek At Early Christians

 

Mr.

*Robinson*, a MP, recently got into *trouble* stealing an expensive jewelry.

How could he *know* the ring he eyed on was a genuine authentic diamond ring?

Was it because *expensive*, looked *beautiful*?

Those jewelries come with a *proof of authenticity* and backed up by the guarantee of appraiser.

The Authenticity is a very important *quality* people look for when they hunt for the Church.

When *Pliny* was governor of *Bithynia*, he wrote a most interesting letter to the Roman Emperor Trajan [98-117],

asking why Christians were being *exterminated*, and added:

*“*I have been trying to get all the information I could regarding them.

I have even hired *spies* to profess to be Christians and become *baptized* in order that they might get into the Christian services without suspicion.

*Contrary* to what I had supposed, I find that the Christians meet at *dead* of night or at early *morn*, that they sing a *hymn* to Christ as God, that they read from their own *sacred* writings and partake of a very simple *meal* consisting of *bread* and *wine* and water (the water added to the wine to dilute it in order that there might be enough for all).

This is all that I can find out, except that they *exhort* each other to be *subject* to the government and to *pray* for all men.”

(Paul Lee, Tan, /Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations/, Garland, Texas: Bible Communications, Inc. 1996, CD version.)

What a *glorious* testimony of the *early* Christians!

This is *Biblical* *Christianity*.

We can *regain* the same *authenticity* in this early 21st century.

God has a provision for the Church.

/How can we then experience the Biblical Authenticity/?

*/The Biblical Authenticity is experienced when Christians submit themselves to the Theology and the Community/*.

Please turn you Bible to Eph. chapter *4*.

Verses *1 to 6*.

Let us look at *Theology* and *Community;* the foundations for the authenticity.

*I.                   **The Importance of Theology*

Paul *spends* 3 chapters to convey the glorious *wealth* that the Lord gave to the Church.

After finishing the *doctrinal* discourse on the wealth of the Church, Paul goes onto *practical* aspect of the walk of God’s community.

*4:1* says, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to Walk manner Worthy of the Calling with which you have been called.”

We are all called to *walk* manner worthy of our calling.

Then a *question* comes to our mind: What is our calling?

In order to *understand* our “calling” in this *context*, we must look at

the words “Worthy’” then we understand what our calling is.

The word which is translated into “worthy” is *“**ἀξίως**”* : axios” which *literally* means, “bring up the other beam of the scales” and used in verses such as *Phil.

1:27* that says, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner *worthy* of the gospel of Christ;”   *Col.

1:10*, “so that you may walk in a manner *worthy* of the Lord, to please Him in all respect, *bearing* fruit in every good work and *increasing* in the knowledge of God”  and *I Thess.

1:12*, “so that you may walk in a manner *worthy* of the God  who calls you into His own *kingdom* and *glory*.”

So our worthy walk is achieved when our *conduct* is balanced with who God is and what God has done for us.

*Put* our conduct on the *one* *side* of the scale and the Gospel, the Lord and God Himself (*namely* the theology) on the other.

Then the scale must be *balanced*; that is what I call *Biblical* *Authenticity*.

Let me *illustrate* this balancing the scale idea with a story: 

          In the olden days, people *traded* their services or their goods for equal worth of goods or service.

A *farmer* and a baker had this *symbiotic* relationship (helping each other).

A baker brought *1* *kg* of *bread* for 1 kg of *butter* for exchange.

In a few weeks, a baker *noticed* that the butter he got was getting *smaller* and smaller.

Thinking that the farmer is *cheating* on him, he confronted him one day.

Then the farmer told him, “that’s very *strange*, because this is what I do, I put your bread on the one side of the *scale* and *weigh* the butter for you.”

The baker was getting *equal* weight of butter for the weight of bread he gave to the farmer.

This is what it means by “/bringing up the other beam of the scale/.”

Our walk should be equal to what God *prescribed* in His word.

That is how our walks should be.

So now let’s look at what Paul is saying in this *context*.

Look *again* at *4:1*, Paul says, “I *therefore*, the prisoner of the Lord, *entreat* you to *walk* in a manner *worthy* of the *calling* with which you have been called.”

Every time when we come across with the “*conjunction*:” such as, “Then,” “For,” “Because,” and “Therefore” etc., we must pay *attention* to the context.

Here, Paul says, “Therefore,” so he was referring back to the previous verses.

In *3: 20**, 21*, Paul closes with a *doxology*, which says, “Now to Him who is able to do */exceeding/* */abundantly/* */beyond/* all that we ask or think, according to the power that works *within* us, to Him be the glory *in* the *church* and *in* *Christ* *Jesus* to all generations forever and ever, Amen.”  *Notice*, Paul brings up the *Church* up to par with *Jesus* as far as glorifying God is concerned.

“*Therefore*,” Paul says.

I wish I have a time to look into these verses.

Probably, we could spend a few Sundays.

But I should stick with the subject.

Does this “I therefore entreat you…” *remind* you of some other passage in the New Testament where Paul closes the *doctrinal* part with *doxology* and begins a teaching on *practical* aspect of Christian walk?

Open your Bible to *Romans* *12:1*.

Paul uses this same pattern to exhort and *encourage* Roman believers to present their bodies a living and holy sacrifice.

In Romans, Paul *spends* *8* chapters to teach about God’s *plan* of *salvation* then answers a *question* in chapters 9 to 11.

The question is: What *guarantees* Christian what happen to Israel, who was seemingly *rejected* by God, will not happen to them?

In another word, people were asking: Does what happen to Jews going to *happen* to Christians?   “The ‘*Good* *News’* is OK, Paul, but apparently God did not *spare* the Jews, so there is no *guarantee* for Christians that they would not go through the same thing.

That is a legitimate question, isn’t it?

Of course, the answer is *No*.

What happened to Israel *would* *not* happen to Christians.

Paul *explains* the final *fulfillment* of Israel very *logically* and *convincingly*.

Paul *exalts* God for His *wisdom* and power in Rom.

*11:33** – 36*.

Oh the *depth* of the riches both of the *wisdom* and *knowledge* of God! How unsearchable are His *judgments* and unfathomable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?

Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again?

For *from* Him and *through* Him and *to* Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever, Amen.

Then Paul says in 12:1, in exactly the *same* way as in Ephesians 4:1, “I urge [entreat] you, */therefore/*, brethren, by the mercies of God...” 

Paul always discusses Theology *first* then application of it.

Theology is a big word but it is the Theology that *gives* us a right *perspective* about God.

If our *conducts* are *dictated* by the Theology we know for sure that we are *authentic* to what God *prescribed* in the Bible.

/Therefore in order for Christians to be authentic we must know the things of God: Theology./

Here in Ephesians, Paul *follows* the same *pattern*, concluding his theological discussion on the Church in the chapters 1 to 3; he *praises* God for His wisdom and the power, and then begins practical application of it in chapter 4.   Again chapter 4, verse 1, “I */therefore/*, the prisoner of the Lord entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”

This expression is exactly the same as Rom.

12: 1 in Greek.

I entreat you therefore                  I entreat you therefore  

Rom.

12:1      Parakalw` ou

uJma`",      Eph.

4:1        Parakalw` ou

uJma`"

παρακαλω ουν υμας αδελφοι                                                            παρακαλω ουν υμας εγω

 We must know the *splendor* of what God has *given* to the Church which was *described* in the chapters 1 to 3.           Paul expounds the *glorious* *position* of the Church that we should place such wealth of the Gospel on the one side of the scale and our walk on the other side.

The scale should balance.

This is the “authenticity,” the *call* of the Church.

*Without* the *Theology*, we would not be able to "walk" manner worthy of our calling (equal with the Gospel).

Again, I Thess.

1:12, “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who /calls you into His own kingdom and glory/” (emphasis added).

Isn’t this an *awesome* thought?

God called us into His own kingdom and His own glory.

Without God’s help, this is impossible.

Now the second point.