One Big Happy Family Pt.2 Series

One Big Happy Family Pt.2 Ephesians 4:1-6NKJ

To obtain the status of, “One Big Happy Family” we have to be willing to keep unity among one another.

“On those day’s you can’t seem to get along with yourself, it becomes a great opportunity not to say a word to anybody, just smile real big on those days.” P.H.

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

A man stranded by himself on an island was finally discovered. His rescuers asked him about the three huts they saw there. He pointed and said, “This one is my home, and that one is my church.” He then pointed to the third hut: “That was my former church.”

According to Ephesians 4:4, We need to be reminded that unity already exists, because believers share one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.

Listen to Ephesians 4:4-6TM You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

Paul repeats these writings on several occasions.

Listen to Colossians 3:12-13NLT Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

It seems that the members of the church in Ephesus and Colossae were faced with misunderstandings that threatened to tear apart fellowship. Misunderstandings occur when more than one person does their own thing.

Let’s look at the text of Ephesians 4:1 again, Paul starts this chapter out by using the word- therefore. This word marks the transition from doctrine to duty, principle to practice, position to behavior. There’s got to be a “Therefore” in your life- when you do what you believe.

Secondly, Paul mentions again, that he is a prisoner of the Lord, by mentioning his imprisonment, he’s saying that his obedience to the Lord brought a considerable personal price.

Remember this, “You’ve got to be willing to fight! Fight to keep a friend, a spouse, a job, or a church body intact. It takes unity; At times, unity has to be fought for.

Ephesians 4:3bTM …but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

If we’re going to be “one big happy family”, we have to strive to become mature.

British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge once had a discussion with a man who firmly believed that children should not be given formal religious instruction, but should be free to choose their own religious faith when they reached maturity. Coleridge did not disagree, but later invited the man into his somewhat neglected garden. "Do you call this a garden?" the visitor exclaimed. "There are nothing but weeds here!"

"Well, you see," Coleridge replied, "I did not wish to infringe upon the liberty of the garden in any way. I was just giving the garden a chance to express itself.”

If we’re going to grow in this big happy family, we have to be willing to receive instructions and grow with them and through them.

Ephesians 4:11-12,16NLT Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12.) Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 16.) He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life- There are no short cuts to maturity. It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In America, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won’t bruise during shipping to the stores. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.