09.02.2012 Ephesians 4 - Unity through Diversity - Not Uniformity

09.02.2012 Grace Summit Sermon - Ephesians 4 - Unity in Diversity, not Uniformity from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

Lord, thank You, for all You do and all You’ve given to us and done for us. Thank You that we can run to You freely – there is no fear, no shame – total confidence that You are there for us. I want to pray for Ed Smith – in the hospital – be with Him – help him to get out quickly – may his health clear up. I ask for each of us that we would know You and recognize You in our lives – You love us and want to give grace. Encourage us. Give us Courage – that we might live for You wholly – to be filled with You. In Your name we pray. Amen.
Ephesians 4 – 1-17
This is one of the more famous passages of the New Testament. I can only touch on a couple of aspects of this passage – If I miss your favorite aspect, I apologize. We could go for weeks on this passage – but I will just touch on a couple aspects of this section.
This is 17 verses – and what we have – verse 1 and verse 17 – even though your Bible divides it – are bookends – they frame the passage. Here is what they do… - I say, therefore, walk… - from 2-16 he is teaching how to walk – what the walk should look like - the conduct and manner of life. All that you are and all that you do needs to be lived in a way that is worthy of the calling of Christ – what He has done for us. Our tendency can be to focus ONLY on personal holiness/morality/spirituality – and that is a big part of this – but for Paul and his audience, it focuses on and includes a person’s relationship in the church community and how those things work out in the community. It is not JUST about personal holiness/morality, etc – but it needs to be lived out in community.
The community needs to be a family – people to live this life together – not to live separately – but to walk together. The worthy walk is the walk that is walked with others. That is the emphasis of Paul in this passage.
As you look at your Bible – looking at this walk that is worthy of the calling – He talks about a walk of unity. We should be diligent to preserve unity – then the word ONE appears in vss. 4-6:
He has achieved this unity for us. We can be united through Christ. At the ordination last week – for us, in our association – he is the first black pastor. Their church is racially diverse – and there is real community. A diverse leadership team – and it goes beyond that – it is exciting and fun to watch – but it needs to be that way everywhere in the church.
Eph. 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 [There is] one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men."
The human way to accomplish unity is uniformity – you see it in schools and workplaces – but Paul shows that uniformity opposes unity in the church. But God’s creation and people are diverse. So Paul pushes for unity in diversity. They saw the church as new family – new identity. At the cross, and as a result of the cross, there is this explosion of grace to mankind. Through the resurrection – it is like he has this bag of gifts that He is distributing – just giving it out – so YOU can be engaged in service in His community. Very unique gifts each of us has – He is filling you with that and He wants you to use that in His community. The question we have to ask – do I know what He has given us – and am I ready to engage that fully in this community.
1 Cor. 12: 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all [persons.] 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another [various] kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
That does not mean that there is not structure and orderliness – in vs. 11 he gives a sense of order and structure
.) 11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
We need to be faithful to apply the gifts – the role of leadership is to help people discover their unique place in God’s kingdom and to help people to fulfill that – to give opportunities to do that.
To equip the saints for the work of ministry – Deacon – literally means to wait on tables – that is the most basic meaning. Paul wants us to understand – in our service of ministry – in the using of our gifts, there is a necessity for humility and to do the humble service in the church. Too often, we ask people their ministry – and we want to be grandiose – but a lot of works of ministry is waiting on tables – figuratively and sometimes literally. That attitude will keep us grounded. Look for some humble way to serve that no one knows about. You should always have some ‘humiliating’ way to serve that no one knows about. There are plenty of ways to do that.
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
The goal of all of this – using our ministry – is that we might be transformed as individuals and as a community into the image of Christ.
15 but practicing the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him, who is the head, [even] Christ, who is the head.
NASB says SPEAKING – but it is more than just that – conduct and activity and behavior.
As each one does its part, the body grows in love.
When everyone is functioning properly in the church – using your gifts and talents – THEN the church grows in love and becomes the community God has called us to become.
Where is your heart in this – and are you engaged in it? And How?
Caution – when we talk about this – it can get and feel messy – everyone coming up with their own thought on what they want to do – it can seem inefficient – but there are ways to go about things – and we need to be aware of negative attitudes that can come in. “I’ll just do it myself, because I want it done right!” God is calling us to a community working together – and sometimes, we think that is just inefficient. Yes, the right people need to be in the right seats – but all of us in the church need to work as a community.
“I can do it myself quicker!” – when you raise kids – you don’t teach them to put their toys away – because you can just do it quicker. Well – that works for a while. But eventually you need to teach them.
“I want to avoid conflict in relationships” – When you are in relationship – the bad stuff comes out – you have someone else there to let you know – and relationships are supposed to bring out the worst so we can deal with it – it helps you transform. Close relationships allow you to see yourself better and to see what needs to change. You see it when tension and conflict comes up in relationships.
A couple of questions – they will be on the blog…
What would it look like for you to engage fully in the work of ministry to which God has called you?
If I were engaged fully in the work of God’s kingdom – in the areas I’ve been called and gifted – what would that look like? Not just on Sunday mornings – but every day. Maybe God will use you to bring people who are far from Him to be closer to Him.
What service, ministry, activity – when you do it in God’s service – you are energized? You come alive and love? It doesn’t mean ‘playing golf’ – unless you have a golfing ministry!
At work – I’ll talk about my wife – she is not here. It is amazing when people are struggling – they come to talk to my wife. We all have stuff like that – it might come out on Sunday morning – but it comes out sometime. God can use you greatly in His kingdom. He has significant, unique ways for you to be involved in His work. What gets you jazzed up?
Second – Where and when do you sense God’s presence – and where do you experience His activity and power? God is always with us, and He is always active – but there are times when we are like, WOW! I Really experienced God in that moment. It was like – God is right there! Yes, He is always right there- but there is a deeper sense of it. God is there, acting with me.
Learn to take time on a daily basis to look back over the day and ask, How was God involved in my life today? How do you recognize the hand of God? You might realize that God really used you to minister to a person – and then later – you will learn to pick up on it in a circumstance when He is using you again.
What needs do you consistently recognize? You might walk into church or small group – and boom! Your eyes just see it! And you ask – why is no one doing THIS? Guess why? God has uniquely gifted you.
What burdens you? What things leave you with a heavy burden?
Ask others where your gifts lie?
Also, be aware of the dark side of the giftedness/talent/mission/calling.
The shadow side – encompasses self and pride. Whenever you get into the work of ministry, there is the temptation of selfishness and pride – and it must be controlled – because it destroys people who do ministry. What need do you consistently recognize? If you recognize it and just point it out and make others feel lousy about it – that is the dark side.
But to each one God has given grace – if you have a mission and passion – you have that because God has given that to you – He has graced you with it – that you might use it for the good of His people and His kingdom – not because you are somebody.
Paul asks the Corinthians – What do you have that you did not receive? And if you DID receive it, why do you boast as if you did not? How can you be proud about something that was given to you – because Christ went to the cross. You have these talents and abilities that were given through the death of Christ on the cross. I only boast in the cross of Christ.
Let’s pray…