Unity in the Body (3)

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)



• My Attitudes do not Create Unity
Paul Says... keep the unity...

Paul makes it very clear that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are not responsible for creating unity in the body. It is quite apparent from what Paul has already written that Jesus Himself has already established that unity through what He has done for us:

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace” Ephesians 2:14, 15 (NIV)

So our responsibility, as His followers, is merely to maintain or preserve what Jesus has already established in his body, the church. And it seems to me, based on the context of Paul’s letter, that concept applies to both the universal church as well as our local body. Think of it this way. You as a parent have established rules for your children to live by. Within those rules are everything your children need to be successful. If they follow them they reap the rewards; if they don't there's a penalty. When Jesus came and brought forth God's new plan he fulfilled all the rules for us so that all we had to do was live in them. If we live in them we have success, or we pay the penalty if we don't. So in essence Christ established this unity for the church through His actions here on this earth. You may ask is it really that easy? Yes and no. Our attitudes and actions do have consequences.

• My Attitudes either Preserve or Destroy Unity

Although we can’t create unity, our actions either work to preserve that unity or they lead to the destruction of that unity. In his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul emphasized the need for us to do everything in our power to live at peace with our Christian brothers and sisters:

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 (NIV)

So how do we do that? Tomorrow we will look at what Paul describes as the four fundamentals...be blessed today...you are loved!

Unity in the Body (2)

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)



1. My practice does not determine my position, but my position does determine my practice.


• My practice does not determine my position

...of the calling you have received...
Obviously in just a moment we’re going to focus on this whole idea of living a life that is worthy, but I think it’s important that we first determine what it needs to be worthy of. When Paul writes of our calling, it seems to me that he is once again summarizing everything he has written about in the first three chapters of Ephesians. It includes all those spiritual blessings that Paul describes there – everything from being chosen by God to being filled with all the fullness of God.

All of that together comprises our position In Jesus Christ. All of those spiritual blessings are 100% a result of what He has done for us. Not one part of my position in Christ is dependent on my own practice. There is absolutely nothing that I could ever do to earn or deserve all that God has done for me.

You’ll notice the word “then” near the beginning of verse 1. Most other translations render that word “therefore”. As we ought to know by now that is a connecting word which makes it even more apparent that Paul is referring back to what he has written in the first three chapters of his letter when he refers to our calling. So it is very clear that my practice, my behavior, does not determine my position in Christ, but this passage makes it equally clear that...

• My position does determine my practice
...I urge you to live a life worthy...

The word translated “worthy” comes from a root word that means to balance the scales. It came to be applied to anything that was expected to correspond to something else. For instance, a person who was worthy of his pay, was someone whose work effort corresponded to the amount he was paid.

Paul is urging us here to live our lives in such a way that they are in balance with, or correspond to our calling. He is saying that there needs to be a balance between our doctrine and our doing, between our position and our practice.

In a similar passage in Colossians, Paul reinforces this concept of balancing our position in Christ and our practice:
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:10-14 (NIV)

Paul begins by pointing out the importance of living a life that is worthy of the Lord and he even describes what that looks like – it involves bearing fruit, growing in the knowledge of God and having endurance and patience. But you’ll also notice that he encourages his readers to give thanks to God, because He is the one who has given them an inheritance and He is the one who has rescued them from the dominion of darkness and brought them into the kingdom of His Son. It is our position that determines our practice.

At first, this principle didn’t seem to me to have a whole lot to do with maintaining the unity of the church. But the fact that we all have a common position in Christ is indeed a crucial unifying factor. We are all members together of this body because of what Jesus has done for us. That ought to be the driving force for the way we all live out our lives. You are loved!

Unity in the Body (1)

 

Unity is a big word with a lot of meaning. I’m sure that most of us have either been part of a church split or know someone else who has been involved in one.  Many church splits seem to occur because of theological disputes, but I believe disagreements on doctrine are merely a smokescreen to cover up a more fundamental problem.  

I believe the main root or cause of disunity is the conflict of personalities. When people disagree it is the protracted struggle, clash or opposition between personalities, ideas, and interests of strong-willed individuals...

Churches split because of paint or carpet color. The songs we sing in worship, should the preacher just preach topical sermons or verse by verse through the bible.

A church split usually finds its roots in our passion to make ourselves – our needs, our opinions, our group, our goals, and our theology – the center of our egoistic pursuit. It is the “I” factor; the self-centeredness and individualistic mind-set that cause the separation. When we allow an attitude of self-centeredness to creep into our spirits we allow satan the opportunity to use us for his purposes, not God’s.

That’s why the Apostle Paul addressed this very situation in his letter to the Ephesians.
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

Paul is concerned about the unity of the church in Ephesians, because he’s not there. As he makes the transition from his description of what God has done for us in the first half of his letter to how we need to respond to God’s work in our life in the second half of the letter, he begins by stressing the need for unity in the body as we apply these life principles.

In this passage, there are two very important principles that as first glance seem to be somewhat unrelated. But the more I looked at them, the more it became apparent that both of these principles work hand in hand to preserve unity in the church. You are loved!

Whatever you need more of; make room for it.

'...Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman...' 2 Kings 4:8 NKJV

The Bible says: '...Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband...Let us make him a small upper room...and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lamp stand...' (2 Kings 4:8-10 NKJV)

Observe: (1) Whatever you need more of; make room for it.You don't get what you 'want' in life; you get what you 'prepare for'. This woman's generosity toward Elisha resulted in her having a child when she wasn't able to, and her child later being raised from the dead when sickness claimed him. When you make room for God in your life; you make room for the blessings that come with Him. (2) Notice the four things she put in the prophet's room:(a) A bed. There are times when you must run, and there are times when you must rest. Indeed, if you don't learn to slow down, you'll break down. (b) A table. You need spiritual food to nourish your soul. If you plan to keep giving out, you must keep taking in. (c) A chair. This speaks of study. 'Study to...present yourself to God... a workman who has no cause to be ashamed...accurately dividing...the Word of Truth.' (2 Timothy 2:15 AMP) (d) A lamp. A place of illumination. Even after you've studied long and hard, you need the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to your heart. And that's how to become a notable woman (or man). You are Loved...

Immeasurably More than you can Imagine or Ask For (3)

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21 (NIV)

A LOOK AHEAD – GOD’S GLORY IN US
Paul writes something quite interesting in verse 21. In his doxology, he writes “to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus”. Why would he put the church first? The whole idea that God gets glory in the church is really quite amazing in the first place. But what’s even more interesting to me is the fact that Paul puts the church before Jesus Christ in this phrase. Paul seems to be indicating that since the church is the body of Jesus Christ, it is so inextricably linked to Christ that it is really impossible to separate the church from its head, Jesus Christ.

We’ve already seen Paul use the phrase “in Jesus”, “in Christ” “in him” or its equivalent throughout his letter. I know you are probably tired of hearing this, but All the spiritual blessings that we have, all of God’s power working in our lives is only possible because of what Jesus has done for us. So it’s pretty easy to see how God gets glory through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how does God get glory through the church? Paul has already given us a hint in the preceding verse:

[I pray] that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19 (NIV)

As we become more mature in our faith and as we are filled more and more with the fullness of God, then God receives glory. But as we’ve seen, and as Paul points out again in this passage, we’re not capable of being filled with God’s fullness on our own. Certainly that is something that is immeasurably more that we could ever ask for or imagine. That’s why we need His power at work in our lives.

So in the next three chapters, Paul is going to give us some practical advice about how we, as the church, can together live our lives in such a manner that they will bring glory to God. The first verse of chapter 4 introduces that whole section:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)

In the first three chapters, Paul has described the calling we have received. And in the next three chapters, he gives us some practical guidance for how we can live lives that are worthy of that calling. Frankly, what he’ll describe to us is often simple, but it’s never easy. It’s only possible for us to live in that manner if the power of God continues to work in our lives.

As a young Christian I struggled with the whole idea of God's power working in me. But as I began to trust God, his word, the fullness and power came to live in me. I began to believe that I could live a life worthy of the calling that God had called me to. This power and calling is for everyone. Only God can lead you to this place that he had led me.

I mentioned to you at the beginning of this message that this has always been one of my favorite passages. But after looking at it again in a whole new light, I can now tell you that this is no longer one of my favorite passages in God’s Word. It’s not one of my favorites. It is without a doubt, my very favorite passage. The two powerful verses remind me of how God has already done immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine in my life. And they are also an encouragement for me to live my life in a way that will give Him glory as that power continues to work in my life. How about you? You are loved...

He Gives us Immeasurably More than we can Ask or Imagine (2)

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21 (NIV)

A LOOK BACK – GOD’S POWER AT WORK IN US
I think we first need to identify what this power is. Paul has already defined that for us:

• What is this power at work in us?
“I pray that the eyes of your heart maybe enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. And His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:18-23 (NIV)

When Paul writes that God’s power is at work in us, he makes it really clear that the power he is writing about is resurrection power. The very same power that He used to raise Jesus from the grave is at work in our lives, too. I get excited about the working of the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives. The Holy Spirit is the one helping us make it day to day. Giving us the power to be overcomers in this life. Look how He's blessed you...

1. He blessed us with every spiritual blessing
…who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (1:3)

2. He chose us
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight... (1:4)

3. He predestined us to be part of His family
...In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ... (1:4, 5)

4. He graced us
...his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves... (1:6)
... the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (1:7, 8)

5. He redeemed us
In him we have redemption... (1:7)

6. He revealed His will to us
And he made known to us the mystery of his will... (1:9)

7. He sealed us
...Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (1:13)

8. He made us alive
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions... (2:4, 5)

9. He raised us
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (2:6)

10. He created us for good works
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works... (2:10)

11. He reconciled us
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ (2:13)
12. He joined us together in the church
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (3:6)

13. He reveals his wisdom through us
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (3:10)

14. He rooted and established us
...being rooted and established in love... (3:17)

15. He fills us with His fullness
...that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (3:19)

Now that’s certainly immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine. To be real honest, I can ask for a fancy car or a big house. And I can even imagine something far greater that I will ever have. But how could I ever ask God to do all that He has done for me? How could I even think about asking Him to sacrifice His own Son so that I can have all these spiritual blessings? How could I ever imagine that God would do all this for me after the way I’ve ignored and disobeyed him time after time? I understand I'm sinner and I'm not perfect. I blow it from time to time. Yet there is God still loving me for who I am; Frankly the whole idea just overwhelms me. It should overwhelm us; we need to be reminded of what God has done for us.

The power of God is alive and working in you right now! Get excited God has great things for you...you are loved.

He gives us Immeasurably More than We can Ask or Imagine

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21 (NIV)

Isn’t that an awesome passage? Is God doing amazing things in your life? If you believe, then Gods power is alive and at work in you. I love this verse but it has been taken out of context over and over and used in a way that it was never intended to be used.

If we separate this verse from its context in Ephesians, it is easy to make this passage, especially verse 20, into the basis for what is known as the prosperity gospel. The proponents of that theology would claim that this verse means that God is able to give you more than what you could ask for or even imagine. So they link spiritual & material possessions together. So if you ask for a Hyundai, God will give you a Lexus. If you ask for a $250,000 house, God will give you a million dollar house. In other words, they’ve used this verse to make God into some big ATM machine, Santa, or Genie in the bottle.

That’s not what this verse is about. The Greek for Immeasurably more only appears here in Ephesians and in 1 Thessalonians 3 & 5. God’s capacity to meet our spiritual needs far exceeds anything we can either request in prayer or conceive by way of anticipation. It is actualized through his power (dynamis) which operates (energoumenen) within us.  This power is within us so we can serve God and live this life to its fullest! 

It’s not about money and material possessions. You cannot put lipstick on pig and expect to get anything but a pig with lipstick on it. Jesus made it clear we cannot “serve God and money.” But we can serve God by how we use money and our possessions. That’s called stewardship. Jesus taught us to be good stewards. Stewards are managers of something that belongs to someone else, that someone being God. We brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out of it. We are to be stewards of all God puts in our charge.

The spiritual capacity to do all this comes from the belief that “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”  He is working in your life, and this leads us back to verse 19, so you “know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the full measure of all the fullness of God.”

It isn’t our goal to live for material things, but spiritual things. Material blessings come from God to those who are good stewards of the wealth God allows through hard work and discipline. One of the spiritual things we do is become good stewards. About giving, All God is asking us is to give the portion to him that he’s asked. To be a cheerful giver as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7. It’s a part of our life of worship. Worship is intentionally living a life that honors God (putting Him first in all we do.)

But God is obviously far more than just an ATM machine who grants our prayers when we punch our security code in. But understanding how God wants us to live our life is huge.

Taken in its proper context, this verse is far more significant than just being the basis for us to receive material blessings from God. In fact, I would suggest to you that this passage is the key passage in the entire book of Ephesians.

It provides us with a bridge, or a transition, from the doctrine contained in the first three chapters of Ephesians to the more practical application of that doctrine in the last three chapters. It causes us to look back and see how the power of God has already been at work in our lives. And it causes us to look forward to see how that same power gives us the ability to live a life that brings God glory.

When Paul writes that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us, he is not making some general statement about God’s power or His ability to work in our lives. I’m convinced that when Paul writes that, he is looking back at everything he has written up to this point. The next three days we will be looking at our what God has done, and looking at how we can learn to glorify Him as we live this life...you are loved!