OPEN: So as we’ve begun exploring the fourth chapter of Ephesians – we’ve been looking at a proper response to the blessing Jesus provides for those who are in the Church. These are all first response issues – these are the baby steps. If we don’t get these first steps down there is little chance that the following steps will fall into place. Scripture teaches principle upon principle – precept upon precept. There is chronological order involved in spiritual formation. There is a progressiveness that is involved. I really believe that part of the problem we face in growing churches – is that many people in our churches have missed development of these early traits but are now trying to lead without them. What do you think the result of that would be? If a person hasn’t grown in humility – or gentleness or patience – what would the result of that be for a person who is a leader in a church? Instead of humility- you would have what? Pride. Instead of gentleness you would have what? People being harsh with one another. Instead of patience – you would have what? Impatience, people expressing how they are irritated over what’s being done – anger.
Paul says walk worthy of the calling you have received. We’re learning how to walk a new way - We’ve thus far covered three of the 5 steps that are given to us. We’ve talked about humility - what is humility? It is dealing with ourselves honestly before God. We’ve been given a high calling, but it calls for a lowly walk. We’ve talked about gentleness: Also called meekness in the Bible. It is power under control. We talked about patience – long wrath – being long-tempered, not short tempered. The ability to face difficult circumstances and wrongs done to you without loosing your gentleness and humility. Today we are going to talk about forbearing love and unity.
- Chapter four of Ephesians is all about the nature of the Church.
How many of us understand that the church is different from every other man made institution? The church is not supposed to mimic other human institutions. It is built up the foundation of
never-ending love – supernatural power - unsearchable riches –immeasurable vision. It’s all beyond humanity. It’s all beyond what the mind can wrap itself around. It goes further. Further than what we can think or imagine. It goes further – further than our own strength and power. It goes beyond the extent of our own resources. It’s not based on rules any man has dreamed up. One of the disconnects, which I struggle with is why so many churches insist on mimicking the world. Ill. - When I first started in ministry I had to start holding church business meetings. There was this guy who always showed up with his with little green book. He’d come to every meeting- always carrying his little green book. “Robert’s Rules of Order” During the meeting – “Point of order Mr. Chairman” He’d open up his little green book. Interestingly enough – his name was even Robert. Never carried a Bible to the meeting. Always carried the little green book. Does it make sense to anyone that God shares the wisdom of his heart and mind – miraculously preserves it through the ages so that we can know it and have it available to us and when it comes to doing the work of ministry, someone wants to consult the little green book and totally ignore the Bible. Does that make any sense to anyone here? The chairman even had a gavel - at times he would use it to bring order to the meeting. In all fairness that’s the way that meetings have to take place in the world – do you know why? People in the world are not characterized by humility – by gentleness – by patience – by forbearing love. They have to have a system that intervenes when conflict arises – that’s the way of the world. They need a gavel to bring order in the middle of disorder. – (somebody might say – “well it sounds like you’re advocating chaos – rules bring structure – and orderliness.” If you are a church and need a little green book at your meetings to accomplish structure and orderliness you are already defeated. If you’re a church and you’re using the little green book instead of using the Bible – you are already defeated. For the Christian orderliness and structure flow out of hearts that have been transformed by Christ not the inside of a little green book. It flows out of humility, and gentleness and patience and forbearing love and unity. If those things are a reality – you can throw the gavel and the little green book away. You carry the little green book to the town hall meeting- they need it there. When you come to church, whether its for worship or any kind of a planning session – bring your bible. The church doesn’t operate like the world.
We are to stand out in the midst of the world. Human institutions don’t have the resources that we do. And the world is supposed to recognize that. By us believing that and living it out in the way we do church the world is supposed to look at us recognize that what’s happening there has to have a supernatural origin. Has to have a supernatural base. We are supposed to give the world a reason to believe that the church is a supernatural organism. If we don’t believe in never ending love – supernatural power, unsearchable riches – immeasurable vision – then we don’t give the world a reason to believe. They might as well join the social clubs and the cults and the other human organizations because in reality then - we are no different than they are. If we don’t walk in humility, gentleness, patience, forbearing love and unity – why would an unbeliever be attracted? If we are not these things we become a stumbling block to others. Ill of some one sleeping in church. It was a person who is just excited about learning the things of God. And he comes in and sees people sleeping. “How can that be? How can I be so excited and these people so bored they are sleeping in church?”
There are many people who really, really, really like Jesus but they don’t really want to become like Jesus. You admire so many things about him but do you really want to be humble? – washing the feet of his disciples? You are thankful that Jesus was abused and spit on and rejected – but you would never allow a gentle spirit to remain if those things happened to you. You love the fact that he laid down his rights but you still spend your life fighting for yours. You love the fact that he expressed so much patience towards you – but you still are not willing to express that kind of patience towards others. For a lot of people Jesus is a great Savior – but not a great role model. 1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
So Paul so walk worthy – balance out the scales of what he has done for you.
Forbearing Love – bearing with one another in love - forbearing one another in love= KJV - NASB = “showing tolerance for one another in love,”
Webster’s = Forbear 1. to hold back, abstain 2. to control oneself when provoked; be patient It’s from an Old English word that means to do without. In the world of finance, forbearance is a postponement of loan payments, granted by a lender or creditor, for a temporary period of time. This is done to give the borrower time to make up for overdue payments.
Biblical definition means “to suppress with silence.” It’s the idea of throwing a blanket over something.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. (Proverbs 10:12) That’s forbearing love. We’re not talking about turning a blind eye when there is a major issue involved. But rather having a kind of love that leaves room for shortcomings and failures – without nitpicking and constantly putting those shortcomings in the spotlight. Everybody that’s trying to love you has to leave room for failures. If you’re going to try to love me – you’ve got to leave room for failures.
Notice just how inclusive this verse is. Realize that Paul could have written, “bearing with others in love.” But he didn’t. He said “bear with one another.” His emphasis is on the fact that real, healthy relationship is a two-way street. As I obey the scriptural admonition to bear with others, I am to recognize that at the same time they are bearing with me! The idea here is that we are all carrying deficiencies and problems which others notice. We all have issues. (turn to the person next to you and tell them, “I’ve got issues.” “And you do too.”) That’s why we need to bear with one another. Paul is saying the kind of love we have to express to each other covers over those issues.
Forbearing love is closely related to forgiveness. Paul ties the two concepts together in Col 3: 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Part of bearing with one another means that we are going to have forgiving hearts – quick to grant forgiveness. But Forbearing love is different from forgiveness in that forgiveness carries with it the idea that someone has been wronged – and reconciliation is reestablished by the two parties coming together and dealing with that injury – whether it is real or perceived. Forgiveness is the loosing of the grievance - freeing a person from any indebtedness to you.
Forbearing love is also to be practiced when there is no wrong done. In forbearance – there doesn’t really have to be an injury or wrong that has occurred. What’s often happening here is that I observe someone, and there’s just something about them just ticks me off – or just rubs you the wrong way. It might be an action, a habit, a shortcoming of some kind – but there is just something about them that really bugs me. It’s not that they are necessarily doing something sinful, it’s just that there is something irritating. Maybe they’re loud, or whiney, or a know-it-all, or arguing or bragging all the time. Ill. of 19 year old who was an expert on everything. No matter what topic came up he had to tell you what he knew about it. It was like he had memorized Trivial Pursuit or something. He had information on every topic of every conversation. Every conversation – he was the expert – at the ripe old age of 19. He was a good kid in all, but boy did he bug me. Have you ever had to work in close proximity to a person like that? Every time you look at them it just bugs you. Their issues – whatever they are – is like someone scratching their nails on a blackboard. They irritate you. How do you deal with people like that? More importantly, how do you deal with people like in the church? Paul says you practice forbearing love – notice it is not just tolerance – it is tolerance in love. You might be saying, “I can take it. I can take it. I'm gritting my teeth but I can take it.” That isn't the point, can you take it and love them? Can you love them back, nothing to give but love?
Lets’ take the next step: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph 4:3) Now let’s take a look at the last step in the first few verses of Eph. It’s a step of unity. A worthy walk – a worthy response to the blessings we have received in Christ is to live in unity with other brothers and sisters. Note the words “Make every effort” (spoudazontes) – some translations say “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.” It means being diligent, working to take care and to do one's very best, and to make haste to do it. The only way to walk worthy of God's great calling is to work at keeping the peace and unity which God has given us. Nothing cuts the heart of God like divisiveness between His people, divisiveness which tears apart His church.
Now we don’t establish unity – we live in the unity that has already been established by the victory of “For he himself is our peace, he has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” Eph. 2:14 The Church doesn’t create unity – we live in unity. It’s not like we get to choose whether or not we want to live in unity. To choose not to live in unity is a rebellion against what Scripture says.
Look at Acts 4: 32 “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” They are characterized by unity, togetherness, by oneness. That is what set the first church apart from the rest of the people in Jer. It was strange to the world that this group of people lived with oneness and unity. It was not natural for these people to come together. It was different – it was strange. It wasn’t natural, it was supernatural. That’s the point. The supernatural unity of the Church points to the supernatural leader of the church which is Christ. In the midst of all the disunity of the world – the church is stand out like a match lit in a dark room. You see that was God’s plan the Church was to reflect oneness because when it does it is reflecting the character of God. the unity of the church that grants to the world a reason to believe that the church is a supernatural organism. Where there is discord and friction and factions and fighting and disconnection and a lack of peace the world sees us as just another human institution, and they have every right to make that evaluation. But that doesn’t mean that keeping unity was easy. It wasn’t easy for them and it is always easy for us.
The work of “Endeavoring to keep unity” never ceases. – Here’s the problem. Some churches will say, “Hey this isn’t a problem for us. We’ve been united for years. We’ve got our little group. We’ve been together. We’ve had unity for years and years. No problem here.” And the truth is they probably have had unity – with the small number of people who have been in their group. And for many small churches is really not that big of a stretch to maintain unity – because many of them are related to each other. Let’s be honest – one way or another – they have to figure out how to get along with each other because they are relatives.
- ill – how hard it is to break into a group. Five volunteers from congregation. Have four place arms over each other's shoulders. Tell the fifth the break into the group. The four without being instructed will almost always be resistant. -"Who told you to resist?" That's part of our human nature.
That's what happens when people from outside of the group (newcomers) begin to show up.
Normally one of two reactions: (a) you have to become like us. In this response, the little group says to the new comer, “as long as you like what we like, talk like we talk, walk like we walk – become one of us - we welcome you into our little group. That works as long as the newcomer is like those in the group. But what if he isn’t? Then all of a sudden the unity of the group is threatened. Most times what ends up happening is the newcomer leaves because he can’t break into the group. He might be tolerated but he senses he doesn’t really belong to the group.
(b) We work together to keep the unity between us created by Jesus. This second response takes what Paul says here seriously and the group makes the effort to keep the unity established by Jesus.
How do you do that – you follow all five steps that are listed here.
Why is this such a big deal? Who we are flows out of who God is. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph. 4:4) “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Duet. 6:4) Disconnected members don’t make sense in the eyes of the world. They evaluate the reality of our Gospel by the way we live our lives. By the way God intended it to be that way. They say, “If you say there is One God – how come you can’t reflect that in the way you live your lives? How come you can’t arrive at Oneness?” How come you argue and fight and criticize one another? How come there is a lack of peace in your congregations? They say, “we can get what you are offering at the local town hall meeting. You’re not really all that different than us. So why do we need you?”
There is a growing trend going on in America. The growing trend is that there are tons of people who like Jesus but not the Church. There have been books written and studies done where they really like Jesus and they like the things he has done and the impact he has had and they would really like to know Jesus, but they just don’t like the Church. They don’t want anything to do with the organized church. And I guess if we were perfectly honest there are some very valid reasons that helps form this kind of mindset. For example there are times you can go into churches and the actions and the attitudes of people in those churches actually contradict the teaching and the reality of Jesus. For example John 13:35 – By this all men will know that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another. And yet you can go into some church where it is all about conflict and anger, and control, and power and so people look at that say, “You know I like Jesus and his teaching and his ideas – but I don’t so much like the church because of that.” And those are valid reasons why people don’t like the church.
Now there are invalid reasons of why people don’t like the Church. One would be that they don’t really have a clear picture of who Jesus is – they have invented their own version of Jesus and when the Church doesn’t match up with their invented version of Jesus – they don’t like that church because it doesn’t match the picture of Jesus they’ve invented. For example: They may have an idea that Jesus loves the world – and he does. But they take that it becomes all about tolerance and many paths to God and Jesus loves everybody - that doesn’t square with the real Jesus. Ill of Jackson funeral. Jesus is the one that said broad is the path that leads to destruction. Every path doesn’t lead to God. So when people come into a church that preaches the gate is narrow and the path is narrow and not everybody is included – they don’t like that church. They’ll say, “I like Jesus but I don’t like his church.” That stems from a vast misunderstanding of truth.
You can’t genuinely love Jesus without loving his church. Not possible. If you are going to love Jesus you are going to have to love what he loved. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph. 5:25) You’re going to have to live for what he lived for. Give yourself to what he gave himself for. He left heaven and came to earth for the church. You can’t love him and not love the church.
“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 16:18-19) - the church is to be on the offensive. It’s not about defense in the church. It’s not about maintaining in the church. It’s about moving forward. Jesus was committed to growth – to moving into new territory – to setting captives free – restoring sight – proclaiming the Gospel –constantly bringing in new harvest. Jesus loved the church and empowered the church and equipped the church and provided for the church – in every time – in every situation – in every difficulty – in every age – in every challenge – in every dark hour – in every nation – facing every obstacle – every challenge – every political system – every opposition – every barrier
– His Church is greater than every doubt – every fear – greater than every weakness of man – moving forward in spite of every cultural tradition – every false religious idea imposed by man – every false teacher – every charlatan – every pretender – every hypocrite- every half-hearted follower – every sleepy believer – In spite of it all Jesus moves His church forward. It is the primary preoccupation of his heart – it should be no less for us. The church is what Jesus is all about. Place a difficult situation on the table – Jesus is up for the challenge. Place a hopeless on the table – Jesus is up for the challenge. Place a dark situation o the table – Jesus is up for the challenge. Too many weak Christians believe the best Jesus can do is maintenance in difficult times. Jesus didn’t say – I’ll maintain – he said – I’ll build! Jesus didn’t say, the church will defend herself – he said the church will storm the Gates of Hades. We better get a proper understanding of the church in this little quiet corner of Connecticut. The church is supposed to be silent and quiet in the midst of her culture – it’s powerful, it’s bold, it’s equipped, it’s empowerd, and it’s moving forward. We had a missionary stand at this pulpit just a couple of weeks ago and tell us how the Chinese government said to him he had 30 days to raise 10 million dollars or he was out. Was Jesus up for the challenge? Was that a different church? No - That was the same Jesus we serve! That’s what it says isn’t it? There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph. 4:4)
CLOSE: Are you as committed to the Church Jesus is building as He is? Does your life reflect that commitment? Is there a step you still haven’t taken? Are you committed to humility, gentleness, practicing patience with others, forbearing love? Are you committed to unity? Are you? Does your life reflect that? One of the things that just will never make ay sense to me are disconnected parts of the Body – members who stand on the peripheral edge saying I’m committed to Jesus but I’m not committed to a group of believers who minister in my area. Does that make sense? The Bible says you belong to one another. Not my words – but the Bible’s Maybe before you leave here you need to make the decision to join a church and be committed.
* PowerPoint slides may be available for this message. Some slides I use have copy write restrictions on them - others are slides, which I’ve created. If this sermon has slides I’ve created, I’d be glad to pass them on to you for your use. Please feel free to email me at: timvamosi@charter.net
