Walking In Unity
Notes
Transcript
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Kids only elementary today
Re-tread group - Wednesday, August 25th - lunch at noon
Andrew Ripp - Saturday at 11am in downtown Mahomet
Prayer Revolution - tent at Festival and
Church Garage sale - again on September 10th - bring items and sign-up to help next Sunday. (Thanks for help yesterday!!!)
Men’s Conference September 11th from 8am to 12pm ($20)
41st Anniversary celebration: Wiener Roast September 25th
Pray for students going back
CHURCH UPDATES:
Cross for East side of building and down by the sign
Baby Boy Ingrum arriving September
DECLARATION:
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
SVCC is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.
We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.
INTRODUCTION:
Story: Taking Kayla for a WALK
WHY?… In this second half of Ephesians Paul is telling them how to WALK, which is to say how to live as Christians…Paul starts with walking in Unity
TODAY: Walking in Unity (by calling and maintaining)
Walk worthy of our calling
Walk worthy of our calling
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The Christian life begins with a calling (not specifically a vocation here)
Paul’s calling is based on it being “for the Lord” or could be translated “with the Lord”
The manner/attitude in which we should walk:
The manner/attitude in which we should walk:
With humility - Speaks to how Paul served the Lord (cf. Acts 20:19)
With Gentleness - “the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance”
With Patience - “being able to bear up under provocation”
The means by which we should walk:
The means by which we should walk:
Bearing with one another in love
By being eager to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (***The Spirit produces the unity***)
Maintain Unity
Maintain Unity
Story on the importance of unity:
Church building being remodeled and everyone using different measuring tapes making everything slightly off
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The need for unity (v.1)
The need for unity (v.1)
This is not the need for uniformity - v. 7 begins to show the importance of diversity
The virtues of unity (vv. 2-3):
The virtues of unity (vv. 2-3):
Humility
Gentleness
Patience
Tolerance
Love
Peace
The basis of unity (7 “ones”; vv. 4-6):
The basis of unity (7 “ones”; vv. 4-6):
One body - the Church
One Spirit
One hope
One Lord - Great Shema
One faith
One baptism - the application of immersion while also associated with the gift of the Spirit
One God and Father of all - At every moment, in every decision, with every word and action, Christians are to be aware that the call to follow Jesus the Messiah and give him their complete loyalty takes precedence over everything else.
Conclusion and Reflection:
Today: Walking in Unity (by calling and maintaining)
Ephesians: 11 Studies for Individuals or Groups Study 7: Living Our Calling (Ephesians 4:1–16)
What threatens unity in your Christian community?
Ephesians: 11 Studies for Individuals or Groups Study 7: Living Our Calling (Ephesians 4:1–16)
How can we maintain and guard this unity we have with other believers?
Gk. Notes and Background Notes
Gk. Notes and Background Notes
Up to this point in the epistle, Paul has indicated that believers: (1) are sealed with the Spirit (1:13), (2) have access to the Father through the Spirit (2:18), (3) are a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (2:22), and (4) are strengthened in the inner man through the Spirit (3:16).
REFERENCES
Benjamin L Merkle, Andreas J. Köstenberger, and Robert W. Yarbrough. 2016. Ephesians. Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Academic. http://search.ebscohost.com.lpc.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1338892&site=ehost-live.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984.