CAN WE HAVE SOME HARMONY IN THIS HOUSE?
Ephesians 4.1-3
S: Unity
Th: Our Time, Our Turn, Our All
Pr: DILIGENTLY WORK FOR UNITY.
I. HUMILITY
II. MEEKNESS
III. PATIENCE
IV. LOVE
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Lift Christ up.
• Have excellent relationships.
• Live unity.
Version: ESV
RMBC 3 May 09 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Family (H)
A man arrived home from work one afternoon to find his son sitting on the front steps with his face in his hands. It was obvious that something was bothering the boy so the man asked him what was wrong.
The boy looked up and said, “Well, just between us, dad, I’m having trouble getting along with your wife.”
It is this type of situation that inspired the title of the message this morning.
Have you ever just sat down after a difficult time and just wished for some harmony in the house?
I am sure that many of us have some nightmare of stories of family turmoil as we were trying to get out of the house to get to church on time (or just get to church for that matter).
What we really want is everyone to just cooperate.
We just want peace.
You know, there is nothing wrong with that.
We all love peace !
It is because God has designed us for peace.
He has designed us for wholeness.
He has designed us to get along well with each other.
So, don’t you wonder why it doesn’t happen this way more often?
You know, as a church, we too are a family.
And yet, we struggle with factitiousness.
We struggle getting on the same page.
We want our own way.
We can really get passionate about it.
And instead of finding the common ground we share, we fight for what we think is right.
My concern here is not something that is made up, but comes out of a study of the history of our church, and certainly my own experience.
This is why this concept is a part of our prayer action plan, which I have been affectionately calling…
PRACT
This made up word “pract” is the combination of two words – pray and act.
These are matters that we must diligently pray on.
But we don’t stop there.
We must act on them as well.
Renouncement: We renounce an oppositional spirit.
I don’t want to sit here too long, and I shared my concern about this a few weeks ago.
But let me say that it is rare that when we have or try anything new that we don’t get some push back that is unkind in nature.
It seems the one thing we can count on is resistance.
There is a general attitude of “leave it alone; we like it the way it is.”
It is like when we first started using the screen.
We had so many complaints, we stopped using it.
Not because we thought the complaints were correct or valid, but because we were so discouraged.
It is in this type of thing that we need a change – a heart change.
This is why we make this…
Announcement: We announce a spirit of unity and cooperation in Christ.
What this does not mean is uniformity.
We are not asking everybody to be the same.
Neither are we saying that church leadership should just be blindly followed and never questioned.
There is room and need for dialogue and resolution.
But if we really believe in unity, we will understand that…
You need me.
I need you.
We need each other.
With this in mind we state our…
Affirmation: We affirm that God desires unity, and that love is the perfect bond of unity.
You know when we will get unity right?
When we get love right.
So, when we do not demonstrate unity in our midst, you know what it shows.
It shows we are not practicing agape love.
That is why our prayer action plan makes this…
Commitment: We will diligently work to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
As we come to our Scripture in Ephesians 4, I want to remind you that God cares on how we conduct ourselves individually.
But note this, He cares even more on how we do it in the context of the church.
Let’s read the passage together…
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Note this…
Unity has already been given to us.
The unity of the Spirit already exists.
The hard work of unity has already been accomplished through the cross.
This means then, that our responsibility is to live oneness out – live with right attitudes, and put away any attitude that causes disunity in the recognition it is sin.
So, how do we achieve this unity?
This text reveals four characteristics which we need to live out in our relationships with each other.
The first is…
HUMILITY
You have heard the phrase, “Think outside the box.”
I want to offer a new twist.
Think outside the self.
Humility is the active concern with the needs and interests of others.
It is not a weak man’s surrender.
No.
Rather, it is a strong man’s rejection of selfishness and determination to be actively promoting others.
We have talked, in the recent past, the relationship that humility has with submission.
Remember, submission is not so much about being under, as it is about raising up.
It is lifting others up.
It is not, “see how great I am,” but “see how great you are!”
It is refusing to give in to feeling proud, arrogant and assertive.
It is looking out for the good of others.
So, when we demand our way over others…
When we think our way is superior…
When we try to be on the top…
We hurt the community.
When we are humble, we are promoting unity.
When we are promoting ourselves and our thinking, we are promoting disunity.
This brings us to…
MEEKNESS
Get it under control.
The best definition of meekness is “strength under control.”
I think this aptly describes Jesus who showed a great variety of emotion, even anger, but it was always under control.
Other secular Greek uses of the word also give us insight into its meaning.
It was used to describe a soothing medicine, a colt had had been broken, or a soft wind.
Each of these situations describe power and strength under control.
Some of us, though, have not mastered meekness and gentleness.
Instead, we are critical complainers.
ILL Criticism (H)
A hot-headed woman told John Wesley, “My talent is to speak my mind.”
Replied Mr. Wesley, “Woman, God wouldn’t care a bit if you would bury that talent.”
So note this…
When we are critical…
When we are rude…
When we are asserting our rights…
When we are aggressive…
When we feel we can say whatever we want…
We hurt the community.
Instead, we are to exercise meekness – strength under control.
This brings us to…
PATIENCE
For patience, I want to say…
Pull back on the hurry.
When we don’t like something, we often are in a hurry to bury it.
We want to stop it.
We are quick to condemn.
But if we are after unity, we are not quick to pull the trigger.
This word in the Greek is the idea of enduring and persevering through tough situations and times.
It is literally the idea of being long-tempered.
In other words, it is the principle of handling matters without overreacting – keeping a level head, while everyone else is losing theirs.
The final characteristic is bearing with one another in…
LOVE
At almost every wedding, you will hear these words in the vows – for better for worse.
I think we need to understand that concept within the church as well.
It’s “for better for worse.”
While Paul encourages unity, he never expects uniformity in the body.
Every one of us has different personalities, abilities and temperaments.
It means then, we need to make allowances for the uniqueness of each individual part of the body.
It means that we are to allow for the faults and failures of others.
We are to make room for the creativity that exists in the body.
This does not mean that we are to tolerate blatant sin in the body, but we are to put up with and tolerate those who are different than us.
Bearing with one another is more than just an outward façade.
It is a decision to love others in spite of our differences.
CHALLENGE:
ILL Unity
In his first book, The Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien describes the camaraderie of a diverse group, banded together by a common cause. Called "the fellowship of the ring," their quest is to destroy the power of the Dark Lord lodged in this ring. Though they differ in nearly every way – racially, physically, temperamentally – they are united in their opposition of the Dark Lord.
In a section omitted in the movie, a heated conflict breaks out among the crusaders. Axes are drawn. Bows are bent. Harsh words are spoken. Disaster nearly strikes the small band. When peace at last prevails, a wise counselor observes, "Indeed in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown than in the estrangement that divides all those who still oppose him."
Today, the Dark Lord - Satan - shows his power when there is discord among believers. . .
…among us.
This is why we must…
DILIGENTLY WORK FOR UNITY.
Note this…
Unity is God’s idea.
Unity is God’s priority.
It is something we must get right.
This is an absolute for us.
There is no debate about it.
Unity is holy.
So we have to get it right.
Unity is sacred.
We have to get it right.
This is not to say that we can’t disagree.
Disagreements are a part of being a family.
But how we disagree is very important.
Every once in a while, I hear someone say, “I don’t want to disagree because I don’t want to be accused of disunity.”
You are right.
You don’t want to be accused of disunity, because unity is sacred.
If we voice our disagreements with anger, we are wrong.
If we voice our disagreements with a critical spirit, we are in the wrong.
If we voice our disagreements by talking about people, instead of to them, then we are in the wrong.
If we voice our disagreements with a spirit of love, grace and compassion, it can lead to a healthy discourse as we work to discern the Spirit’s leading.
Now if unity is sacred, it is deeply connected to worship.
So then, we should…
Lift Christ up.
I believe this next statement to be absolutely true.
Anytime we don’t have unity, it is because we have taken our eyes off of Jesus and set them on something or someone else.
So then, when our worship is pure and holy, then so will our relationships.
You see, as Christians, our goal is to follow Jesus alone.
But following Jesus only, doesn’t mean following Jesus lonely.
Unity means that we will…
Have excellent relationships.
It does not make sense to love God and not love each other.
It is inconsistent.
It is incorrect.
But when we truly love God, then loving each other will be a whole lot easier.
They go hand in hand.
Live unity.
The ESV translates part of verse three with “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit…”
Other versions translate it this way…
“Make every effort…”
“Stay together…”
“Being diligent to preserve…”
“Striving earnestly…”
“Do your best…”
In other words, we are called to give an all out effort when it comes to unity.
So why is this so important?
It is important because God uses unity to enable us to achieve kingdom purposes.
Unity is the vehicle the church rides to fulfill its mission.
And what is our mission?
We are called on to multiply, by making disciples of Jesus, intentionally reaching the spiritually lost of our community.
Comment about signing up for Reach Day…
For Further Study: Psalm 133.1-2; John 13.34-35,17.20-26; Romans 12.3, 9-10, 18, 14.1, 15.5-7; I Corinthians 1.10-13, 13.4-8; II Corinthians 8.5; Galatians 5.15; Ephesians 2.14-15, 4.4-6, 29; Philippians 2.1-4; Colossians 3.12-14; Hebrews 13.17; I Peter 3.8
COMMUNION:
There is nothing on this earth that can better explain the heart of God than the cross.
So…
When we understand the cross, God receives the glory.
Jesus looks for glory in the last place that humanity would seek it.
It is in an instrument of execution.
It is in His own death.
So let it be known today that the cross was no disaster.
It was the fulfillment of God’s plan.
The cross succeeded.
The cross was victorious.
The cross conferred to us eternal life.
It succeeded because God’s essential character of holiness was established.
God’s hatred of sin was satisfied.
God’s refusal to overlook sin was displayed.
God’s rejection of compromise was evident as justice was handed out – for sin received its just judgment of death.
But even more, the cross proves there is no limit to God’s love.
He will go all out to save His creation.
Nothing holds Him back.
He will provide a way because He has our best in mind.
I hope you know Jesus today, and are enjoying His love.
We are here today, because it is all about Jesus.
We are united in the Son.
If you know Jesus today, you are invited to share in the elements of the table.
You do not have to be a member of our church, but we do ask that you know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.
We practice "communion" because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
PRAYER
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
PRAYER
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
BENEDICTION:
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral
Bayles, Scott Following Jesus Alone
Cormie, Dan Sower of Discord
Damiani, Pat How to Prevent a Church Split
Decker, Paul A Matter of Heart and Mind
_____ Come…Together
_____ Jesus’ Prayer for You
Erwin, Jim Our Community in Our Intimacy
Sickling, Matthew United We Stand, Divided We Fall
