Ephesians 4:4-16 (p. 815) December 8, 2013
Introduction:
Paul says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
And then he goes directly into a list of “ones.”
There is “one” body, “one” Spirit, we’ve been called to “one” hope! “one” Lord, “one” faith, “one” baptism, “one” God and Father.
So what happened?
Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ...
Lions and Tigers and Bears, O My!!!
It doesn’t seem that followers of Jesus did such a great job at “making every effort to keep the unity.”
Maybe the best analogy of what happened is Jesus’ comment to the disciples who went to sleep in the Garden of Gethsemane while He told them to “watch and pray.” (3 times) All three times they failed. His comment, “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
I’m not going to explain denominationalism or even how people use some of the “one” items to legalistically divide instead of unify, but God’s Spirit is never divisive. The flesh is always selfish and self-centered.
The Message Version says...about our text:
“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, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with oneness.”
“Permeated with oneness.” My wife got to go with my brother to a U.K. Basketball game the other night.
SHOW PIC OF SAM & KARI
She grew up in Florida, sports weren’t ever a big deal to her. She loves me so she loves the ”Wildcats,” but I love that she gets to experience what I started to experience when I was a child. My grandfather was Adolph Rupp’s doctor. My parents are both UK alums. We’ve had season tickets for a long, long time. When we moved from Memorial to Rupp Arena, they went in order of chronology, my brother and I picked front row right in from of the cheerleaders. That’s how long we’ve had them. But when Kari goes, all cutely dressed in blue and white she experiences a Permeation of Oneness! 24,000 people all on the same team, cheering for the same goals...Celebrating the same victories, grieving the same losses.
That is what Paul is talking about here in Ephesians 4. Be permeable, united, glued together by the oneness that comes from the Spirit of Christ.
And even though we don’t all look, speak and act the same, out of the generosity of Christ.
I. EACH OF US IS GIVEN OUR OWN GIFT
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ appointed it.” (v.7)
Paul’s talking to disciples. People who understand that he’s writing as a prisoner “urging his readers to live a life worthy of the calling we’ve received from Christ.” (Eph. 4:1)
He’s saying from a prison cell. “Do what you know your supposed to be doing for God’s purposes live your life so the Kingdom grows!
How can we do that? “BE PERMEATED WITH ONENESS.”
Make sure that you have the same purpose as Jesus...the Apostle Paul. The same purpose that you’ve been given the Holy Spirit to accomplish. Make sure that purpose permeates your life, inside and outside the building.
If you’re a Wildcat fan or player or coach, you have the same goal, win.
If you’re a follower of Christ, one of His disciples, you have same goal, whether you’re an Apostle, a pastor, a teacher, a student or a new believer.
1. Make Disciples
2. Grow the Kingdom
It’s why Jesus came. The most confusing part of this text is found in verses 8-10. Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18.
“When He ascended on high, he took many captives, and gave gifts to his people.”
It’s a reference to when a King invades an enemy’s country, defeats that King and their people and then takes what the “pirates” call “Booty....Loot!” Then the key is like Robin Hood. He give the “booty” or the “spoils of war” to His people as a reward.
Jesus left heaven to come to earth, even though He was higher in rank than anyone else. He emptied himself of that rank. According to Philippians 2, the 5 star General became a buck private. Why? So he could win the war against Satan. Satan’s greatest weapons are sin and death.
The cross defeated sin, and the empty tomb defeated death. Because of Jesus’ obedience, “God placed all things under His feet and appointed them to be head over everything for the church, which is His body.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)
What does that victory mean for us as “prisoner of war?” Captured by sin and under it’s imprisonment? Listen.
EPHESIANS 2:1-10 (p.814)
Every person deserved wrath, punishment. But god, who is rich in mercy, gave us grace instead. Even though we were dead, God raised us up, not because we’re good. It was a gift.
[I watched this show the other day where a father had purchased his son a 1968 Corvette, a present, a gift, for his return from Vietnam. He never came home. The gift sat in the garage for 48 years until it was sold at Mecham’s Auto Auction with 13 miles on it.
Here’s the powerful reason I mention that show. A gift is not complete until it’s given and received. That car was purchased but never became a gift. The Father had a plan for it. It would’ve been wonderfully joyful to have seen that gift given and used. It wasn’t death that defeated the gift.
Our heavenly Father has purchased our salvation through Jesus. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace, ‘that He lavished on us.” (Ephesians 1:7-8)
That gift is extended to each one of us, but sadly it remains unaccepted, parked in the garage of grace, unreceived, and eventually defeated by death.
Jesus made this gift available to “whosoever will.” God is not wanting anyone to perish. He wants “everyone to come to repentance.” But, the gift isn’t a gift unless you and I receive it, open it, use it.
These talents, these gifts are for more than a show. The gift of grace is given to save us. The gifts of Christ to His church are for “Body Building.”
II. 3 ESSENTIALS FOR A HEALTHY BODY
You remember there are 5 food groups you were supposed to eat from to have a healthy physical body?
SHOW FOOD PYRAMID PICTURE
1. Grains 2. Vegetables 3. Fruits 4. Milk 5. Meat & Beans
I grew up in a home where if it wasn’t fried, it wasn’t food. We put gravy on everything, including our Jello! A healthy physical body is important. I’m trying to eat better, and less often.
But, Paul tells the Ephesians the 3 essential for a spiritually healthy body. The body of Christ, the Church, are unity, maturity and stability.
Unity: If the body of Christ is not being built up, if it’s not growing in faith and knowledge, it’s dying, it’s deteriorating, sitting and absorbing. Knowledge is great. Sunday School...Small groups...Preaching. But knowledge without application “puff’s up,” builds our egos. Knowledge with application builds our Faith. It builds the body. I think you’ll learn a lot about Jesus in your Sunday School class. I think you’ll learn to be like Jesus reading to a student at James Lane Allen on Thursdays. And, when we all start exercising our knowledge about Christ in “works of service,” there’s unity of purpose, God’s purpose. Love God...Love People...Serve Everyone!
Then we’ll have:
Maturity: Evidently, like every single church that’s ever existed, Ephesus had some “babies.” The word that’s used there is “infants.” The Greek word is “Nepios,” literally “not able to talk,” helpless. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church and “got real” with them about this issue.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-3 (p. 794)
Instead of living by the Spirit, they live like the world. Instead of maturity, they’re babies, fighting to get what they want, jealous of others. That might be acceptable when you’re 8 months old. It’s not when you’re 68 and you claim to be a disciple of Jesus.
Instead of having a purpose, like living your life for Jesus and others, sacrificially putting others above your preferences or likes, you act like an infant...like the worldly people should not be what guides the church, yet often, it happens. When it does, there is no:
Stability: Quicksand would be a horrible foundation on which to build a house. Bedrock would be much, much better. Why? Because one shifts, one changes according to the tide or circumstances, one is rock solid!
If you tear your ACL or MCL or like me, both, your knee is unstable, it flops around. Those ligaments keep things tight, secure.
Unified, mature leaders, teachers, pastors, evangelists, preachers are rock solid when it comes to God’s word, God’s plan and God’s people. They don’t go back and forth. They don’t follow the latest pop psychology over spiritual wisdom. And they serve! They equip others to serve. And the greatest identifying characteristic in their lives isn’t success, or finances or popularity, it’s love!
Love for those outside the Kingdom, and love for those inside it. For those outside the Kingdom love moves the mature Christ follower to share the “good news,” to present the gift so it can be opened, accepted, enjoyed. And for those inside the Kingdom, leaders desire to equip, prepare, help followers find their places of service and their gifts.
The Church doesn’t think or act like the world, or it shouldn’t. Power plays, cliques, halt truths or selfish agendas don’t make Christ’s body healthy or effective for it’s purpose. Maybe the key verse in our text:
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him, who is the head, that is Christ (Ephesians 4:15)
[I’ll end with one of my favorite stories. It’s a video Bobby Cairell sent me right before our first Elder’s meeting. I went into it crying. (I wanted to hurt Bobby) but I’ll never forget this video. Watch it.
SHOW SECRET SANTA VIDEO
I know. I know. None of us, or at least not very many of us, have $100 bills to pass out like M&Ms.
What we do have is “light in the darkness.” What we do have is the ability to reflect Jesus like a mirror into the darkest of places. It’s better than money. It’s “good news” that buys “great joy” and it’s for Heroin addicts and bankers. It’s for liars and housewives. It’s for “all people.” And if we listen to God, make ourselves available for His service, He’ll put people, circumstances and service together in a miraculous way.
