“KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT” (Outline)
July 20, 2008 --
PENTECOST 10 --
Ephesians 4:1-7,11-16
INTRO: Today’s text reminds us of the fact that we are saints in the Lord united together by our Christian faith. This is our confession in the Apostle’s Creed: “I believe in the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints”. The invisible Christian church is the unity of all believers (communion of saints) in Christ. It makes no difference where these believers are gathered together to worship the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others"(ROMANS 12:4,5). Each of us has different body parts that function for the benefit of our bodies. God’s church is the same. There are many different members who serve to benefit the church, the body of Christ. We use Paul’s words in our text as our theme of encouragement:
“KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT”
I. God’s Spirit produces unity (faith).
II. God’s gifts promote unity (faithful living).
I. GOD’S SPIRIT PRODUCES UNITY
A. Verse 1. Paul reminds the believers he is in Rome, in prison. Paul still encourages faithfulness.
1. These believers were to lead lives worthy of God’s divine call. Verse 3. Be at peace.
2. The Gentiles and Jews were now worshipping together. It would take effort to be accepting.
B. Gentiles and Jews were very different. They were generally at odds with each other. But not now.
1. Verse 4. Both, Gentile and Jew, were called to faith purely by God’s divine, amazing grace.
2. They were called to worship together by the same God, the Lord God Almighty, verses 5,6.
C. These believers did not earn salvation. They did not deserve salvation. God gave faith, verse 7.
D. The most important gift that the Holy Spirit gives us is faith. Ask different people what are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You will receive varying answers. Some like to concentrate on physical gifts of the Holy Spirit that can be seen and felt. These gifts could include: miracles, healings, and speaking in tongues. There are far more important gifts of the Spirit. These might be considered unseen. You know them. They are peace, joy, love, comfort, forgiveness, and many other Christian virtues. These are important. BUT faith is still the most important, sometimes overlooked, gift of the Holy Spirit. Without faith it is impossible to please God. "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit"(1 CORIN. 12:3).
E. God’s Spirit gives faith in order to produce unity among believers. The faith that believers have as members of the Holy Christian church is vitally important and powerful. Faith dwells in the hearts of believers. This means that God dwells in the hearts of believers. "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me"(JOHN 17:22,23). Faith unites us as believers to live united lives for the benefit of the world. We are united by God’s word to live God’s word. God’s word reveals to others and us his great love for all sinners.
F. God’s most amazing grace is that he dwells in us sinners. It makes no difference that we are, what we are or our standing in society. God looks at us sees sinners who are forgiven and covered by the robe of Christ’s righteousness. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise"(GALATIANS 3:28,29). Imagine that – today you and I and all believers in Christ are now “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise”. The promise once made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is now fulfilled in us. You and I and every Christ believers are the true Israel today. This saving faith is given to us as a gift of the Holy Spirit. You and are brought into God’s kingdom and inheritance.
God’s Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts that unites. God’s Spirit produces unity among the believers by faith. This is our motivation to make every effort to “KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT”.
II. GOD’S GIFTS PROMOTE UNITY
A. Paul earlier mentioned some gifts of faith the believers were given by the Holy Spirit, verse 2.
1. You can well imagine the emphasis of these words among the believers in Ephesus.
2. The Jews were to be humbly patient in accepting the Gentiles into God’s plan of salvation.
3. The Gentiles had to be humbly patient waiting to be accepted in the God’s house of worship.
B. This “new” Christian worship was a clash of opposing cultures. God did not only give gifts of words.
1. Verse 11. God’s gifts: some sent, preaching, the gospel-speakers, the shepherds, instructors.
2. God’s chosen leaders would help God’s chosen people grow in God’s gifts. Verse 12.
3. These leaders were God’s gifts for God’s church. They were to build up the body of Christ.
C. Verse 13. This work of growth in faith would take a lifetime. Attain the fullness of Christ = heaven.
1. Verse 14. Their Christian maturity would stabilize the church. It was always under attack.
2. Verses 15,16. Each part would grow united. God’s truth (another gift) would promote unity.
D. Not everyone today wants to take a stand and say this is God’s truth. Believers are united by God’s truth. Many feel that the truth is too divisive. One church body even admits that their theology is based on the simple statement: “We agree to disagree”. This means that one man’s opinion can be more important than another man’s opinion. Worst of all is the fact that one man’s opinion has now become more important than God’s unalterable truth. My dear friends, God does not want to hear that. God wants to hear that we agree on the truth AND that God’s word is the truth. God’s word will stand unto the end of time. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths"(2 TIMOTHY 4:3,4).
E. Therefore Paul encourages: “make every effort…” Are we to chase all over this nation to find someone who is preaching the truth? No. God’s word of truth is in our local churches and homes. The word of truth is readily available and easily readable in the Bible. We open the pages of Scripture and read them and hear them and study them. "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good"(1 PETER 2:2,3). Each one of us have tasted that the Lord is good. We grow in our Christian faith to learn more of God’s grace.
F. People throughout the world are hearing God’s word of truth. People who believe that Christ has paid for their sins belong to the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints. This is God’s invisible church to which we belong. This unity of faith is another of God’s gifts. God’s gifts promote unity. God’s gifts are many. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" (PHILIPPIANS 2:1,2).
CONC.: The holy Christian Church is made up of believers who understand that we do not deserve eternal salvation but God gives it to us by his grace. The Church is made up of believers who believe that the power of the God’s gospel is the only power in this world that is able to change men’s hearts and men’s lives. The power of God’s gospel is the only power that is, can, and does save sinners now and forever. "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful" (COLOSSIANS 3:14,15). “And be thankful” the very words we need to help us begin to understand all in these verse today. “KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT”. We do not do this on our own. God’s Spirit produces unity (faith). God’s gifts promote unity. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF /
10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
PENT. 10 readings:
1 KINGS 3:5-12;
ROMANS 8:28-30;
MATTHEW 13:44-52;
(PSALM 119 v33-40)
