Building Up One Another
Ephesians 4:1-8; 11-16
October 28, 2007
For the past few weeks I have been discussing with you an important aspect of the church. We have all been gifted by God to use the spiritual gifts He has given to us. When we are faithful to God, we are also fruitful. Because if we are to be the church, we must know what our gifts are and how to use them. This week I want to conclude, by discussing what it means to be the church, that our purpose is to glorify God and build up one another.
I received an article from Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, and this was his message:
“Think what a local church would be like if its people were RADICALLY DEVOTED to Christ, IRREVOCABLY COMMITTED to each other, & RELENTLESSLY DEDICATED to reaching those outside of God’s family with the Gospel of Christ. IT WOULD BE A CHURCH AGAINST WHICH THE GATES OF HELL COULD NOT PREVAIL!!”
What is Hybels saying? What’s his point? Well, for the next few minutes, I want to break down Hybels 3 points for a few minutes. He is asking a huge WHAT IF question . . . WHAT IF the people of the church were so RADICALLY DEVOTED to Christ? What would happen, what would the church and our community look like?
First of all, let me tell you, we really don’t like to be called a RADICAL. Think about it, we hear of radical ideas and radical changes and plain old radicals. A radical is someone who is ~
a revolutionary,
a nonconformist,
a nontraditionalist.
They are viewed as extremists and always seem to be in the thick of controversy.
And you know who I’m describing? Jesus!!
Those words accurately describe the first century Jesus. Jesus was a radical. He did what was totally unexpected. He touched the sick, talked to adulterers, ate with sinners. He did nothing that was traditional and normal.
And Jesus has called those who believe in Him to live the same way He did, as a radical. How easy it is to love your enemies? It’s not. Yet, this is one of the many ways Jesus calls us to interact with one another and the world. We are to be devoted to Jesus, that’s it. This is what makes being a Christian so difficult, and so rewarding all at the same time. We are called to this radical, nonconforming style of devotion to Jesus. As Paul said in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.”
It’s not easy to be a nonconformist. Paul’s words in today’s scripture remind us we are to be “completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Think about the world we live in and how many people demonstrate humility, gentleness, are patient, bear with one another in love, AND make every effort, that is every effort to keep the unity . . . how? Because they seek to keep the peace.
Remember, Hybels calls us to be RADICALLY DEVOTED to who?!?!?! To Christ!!! He is always our focus. You see, when Jesus is not our focus, that’s when the world around us looks at us like we’re a bunch of mean spirited, rule toting, hypocritical religious zealots. Yet, when Jesus is the focus, the world and the media will be forced, in a good way, to take notice.
Next, Hybels tells us to be IRREVOCABLY COMMITTED to ONE ANOTHER!!
That means we don’t waver on our commitment to one another. We don’t run away when someone in the church goes through a difficult season of life and turn our backs, we stay with that person and help them.
I recently read of a family who lost their home due to a fire, they had no insurance and needed food, clothes, blankets, money; basically they needed everything. Who were the first ones to respond to their need? Their church, they delivered cases of food, clothes, blankets and cash within 12 hours of the fire. And it was the people of the church who helped rebuild their home.
A woman with no transportation and no family needed to travel 30 miles per day to receive radiation treatments, it was her church’s women’s group who organized a pool of volunteers to provide rides.
I can go on and tell you story after story about churches who have helped their members; rich and poor; active and inactive. The point of Paul’s message to us is that we are supposed to be those people. When we know there is a need, we cannot stand by and expect someone else to do the work. We MUST take the initiative. Christ commands us to do so, otherwise we are no better than the Pharisees and legalists of his day.
And I have seen these very events occur in our church. We have helped one another, we have given our time and our resources, we have prayed together, cried together and rejoiced with one another. That is what the church is supposed to be about. Because we are IRREVOCABLY COMMITTED to ONE ANOTHER!
I want to introduce you to a person who is trying to make a difference, Andy Nichols. Andy leads our boys in the children’s ministry on Sunday nights and is one of our deacons. He is going to talk for a moment about the Family Life Center and its impact on changing lives.
ANDY NICHOLS
Lastly, Hybels calls us to be RELENTLESSLY DEDICATED to reaching those outside of God’s family.
To be relentless means we are persistent, tireless, and are constantly pursuing those who do not yet know Jesus. Of course, as Peter reminds us, we proclaim the love of Jesus with grace, respect and gentleness. How relentless are we?
I have to admit, on Friday night I was watching a college football game and at the same time, admit, and Debbie was with me, we were watching the auditions for the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. I enjoy watching these types of programs, the Apprentice and others, for reasons which may not be very obvious.
For example, one of the potential cheerleaders was cut because she was 5 minutes late to a uniform fitting and was not wearing make up. The coach of the cheerleaders said, “our expectations are so high, that they are almost unattainable.”
When was the last time we set expectations to a level which was really high for those who believe in Jesus? Or do we just allow people to skate by, because we hide behind our rules and regulations?
The Dallas Cowboys, train their cheerleaders how to eat, how to dress, and in anything that may impact the image the cheerleaders portray to the community, they are trained.
While image may be everything to the cheerleaders, think about the image Christians portray in the community. Are we involved in gossiping, do we have a critical spirit, are we lazy, controlling, angry, rude and the list could go on?
As Paul said, we are one in Spirit, one in faith, one in all that we do, because we are the church . . . and when we are the church nothing can ever defeat us. He concluded this passage saying, “From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
You see each part is to do the work of the church, every person is needed to be involved in spiritual growth, we condition ourselves spiritually, and because of our spiritual growth, because of our faith in Jesus, we do amazing acts of kindness and love that changes the world.
Paul reminds us that we are ONE body, not separate bodies, somehow strewn together haphazardly, instead, we are ONE, because He designed us to be that way, it occurs as we support one another and build up one another. Then we seek to go out into the world, without apology, because we are so convinced that Jesus has called us to make a difference in the lives or others, because He has made a difference in ours.
We do all this because God sent His Son, Jesus, for us, so that we could have a relationship with Him. And we have found our lives are different, we have been transformed to be more Christ - like.
I could go on and on. I have some strong views about where the church stands in our world today. And tonight I am going to continue in this same vain and talk about the church’s role in the world.
For now, let me repeat that opening quote from Bill Hybels. . .
“Think what a local church would be like if its people were
RADICALLY DEVOTED to Christ,
IRREVOCABLY COMMITTED to each other, &
RELENTLESSLY DEDICATED to reaching those outside of God’s family
with the Gospel of Christ.
IT WOULD BE A CHURCH AGAINST WHICH THE GATES OF HELL COULD NOT PREVAIL!!”
