A woman was sitting in the waiting room for her first appointment with a new dentist. She noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name. Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high school class so many years ago. “Could this be the same guy I had a crush on way back then?” she wondered.
She quickly discarded any such thought when she met the balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face. “He's way too old to have been my classmate,” she thought to herself.
Still, after he examined her teeth, she asked, “Did you happen to attend Morgan Park High School?”
“Yes! I'm a Mustang,” he gleamed with pride.
“When did you graduate?” she asked.
“1959,” he replied. “Why do you ask?”
“You were in my class!” she exclaimed.
“Really?” he said, looking at her closely. “What did you teach?” (Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky)
Ooops! He thought she was older than he!
Sometimes, we don’t really have an accurate picture of ourselves, and that can get us into trouble. At the very least, it can lead to hard feelings and damaged relationships. And yet, God calls us to live in harmony with each other. He calls us to preserve the unity that is already ours in Jesus Christ.
Again, I ask the question: How? How can we learn to get along despite our differences? How can we work together for the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Ephesians 4, Ephesians 4, where we begin the practical section of this book, which tells us how to live out the unity that is ours in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called… (ESV)
If we want to preserve the unity that is ours in Christ, then 1st of all...
WE MUST NOT UNDERESTIMATE OUR-SELVES.
We must not underrate ourselves. We must not think of ourselves as less worthy than other believers in Christ.
Walk, or live your life, in a manner “worthy” of your calling, the Bible says. We have been called citizens in the Kingdom of God. We belong to the greatest nation there is – And I’m not talking about the United States of America; I’m talking about the United Kingdom of Heaven. We have been called citizens in the Kingdom of God, and that carries with it some wonderful privileges.
But even better than that, we have also been called sons and daughters in the family of God. We are not just citizens in the Kingdom of God; we are part of the royal family in that Kingdom. We are princes and princesses, and we will rule and reign with Jesus Himself someday. Don’t underestimate yourself. You and I have a high calling as believers in Christ.
Marty Johnson, from Minnesota, was doing some genealogical research when he ran into a surprising discovery that changed his life. He knew he was the product of two young college students who had a brief affair. Neither parent was prepared to deal with raising a child, so they gave him up for adoption, and Johnson grew up in a loving home in Minnesota. Years later as an adult, he started digging through past records and got in contact with his birth-mother.
Then a letter arrived one day that said, “Welcome to the Ogike dynasty! You come from a noble and prestigious family.” The letter went on to explain that Johnson was next in line to inherit the position of village chief from his biological father, John Ogike, the current chief of the Aboh village in Nigeria.
Johnson flew to Nigeria to meet his new family. There, he was united with brothers and sisters, numerous aunts and uncles, cousins, and of course, his father. And he went from having no knowledge about his family to a noisy celebration in the village. It absolutely changed his life. (Adopted Minnesota Man Learns He Is a Prince, ABC News, 6-2-05)
So it is with believers in Jesus Christ. When we discover that we are God’s sons and heirs, when we discover that we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ, it absolutely changes our lives. We can give up our insecurities and petty arguments. We can give up trying to prove ourselves, because we know that we are already heirs to a throne. Now, we are free to serve one another as we celebrate together our new-found position in Christ.
If we want to live out the unity that is ours in Christ, then 1st of all, we must not underestimate ourselves. On the other hand…
WE MUST NOT OVERESTIMATE OUR-SELVES EITHER.
We must not think too highly of ourselves or overrate ourselves, even though we’re important, we must not think we’re more important than other people in the church.
Ephesians 4:2 …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love… (ESV)
We put up with each other. We’re patient with each other. We use our strengths to serve each other, and we put the interests of others above our own, all because we respect one another. That’s the way it is in the family of God when we understand who we are in Christ.
Philippians 2 says, “In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
You see, even though we are heirs of God, that doesn’t mean we are excused from serving one another.
Recenly, Oprah Winfrey was interviewing Denzel Washington, the great actor who has starred in many blockbuster hit movies. Midway through the interview, Washington recalled the encouragement his mother had given him throughout his life. He also shared a story of how his mother helped him keep his pride in check.
“I walked in the house one day,” Washington said, “and—feeling full of myself, a movie star—I said to my mother, ‘Did you ever think this was all going to happen?’”
“She replied, ‘Please. First of all, go wash the windows for me.’” (Oprah Winfrey and Denzel Washington: “Little Things Matter,” Parade magazine, 12-16-07, p. 5)
Mothers have a way of reminding us of our place. We are heirs, to be sure. But we are family members who still have to serve each other.
So don’t overestimate yourself, but don’t underestimate yourself, either. Instead…
BE FAITHFUL TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER.
Be eager to do it. Give it your immediate attention.
Ephesians 4:3 …eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
That word for “eager” literally means to make haste or to hurry. In other words, don’t put it off. Maintaining the unity of the Spirit is of utmost importance and requires our immediate attention with all due diligence.
Every married couple understands that if they don’t pay attention to their marriage, it deteriorates. It takes hard work and due diligence to keep a marriage alive and growing. It takes making each other a priority. And that’s the way it is in all of our relationships. We must serve one another with due diligence, knowing that it’s an honor to serve.
In fact, even the children in God’s family can enjoy the honor of serving. Pediatrician, David Cerqueira, shares a story of how a dying girl did it in his church.
One Sunday his wife had prepared a lesson on being useful. She taught the children that everyone can be useful – that usefulness is serving God, and that doing so is worthy of honor. The kids quietly soaked up his wife's words, and as the lesson ended, there was a short moment of silence. [A little girl named] Sarah spoke up. “Teacher, what can I do? I don't know how do to many useful things.”
Not anticipating that kind of response, Dr. Cerqueira’s wife quickly looked around and spotted an empty flower vase on the windowsill. “Sarah, you can bring in a flower and put it in the vase. That would be a useful thing.”
Sarah frowned. “But that's not important,” she said.
“It is,” her teacher replied, “if you are helping someone.”
Sure enough, the next Sunday Sarah brought in a dandelion and placed it in the vase. In fact, she continued to do so each week. Without reminders or help, she made sure the vase was filled with a bright yellow flower, Sunday after Sunday. When Dr. Cerqueira’s wife told their pastor about Sarah's faithfulness, he placed the vase upstairs in the main sanctuary next to the pulpit. That Sunday he gave a sermon on the honor of serving others, using Sarah's vase as an example. The congregation was touched by the message, and the week started on a good note.
But during that same week Dr. Cerqueira got a call from Sarah's mother. She worried that Sarah seemed to have less energy than usual and that she didn't have an appetite. Offering her some reassurances, he made room in his schedule to see Sarah the following day. After Sarah had a battery of tests and days of examinations, Dr. Cerqueira sat numbly in his office, Sarah's paperwork on his lap. The results were tragic. [She had leukemia.]
On the way home, he stopped to see Sarah's parents so that he could personally give them the sad news. Sarah's genetics and the leukemia that was attacking her small body were a horrible mix. Sitting at their kitchen table, Dr. Cerqueira did his best to explain to Sarah's parents that nothing could be done to save her life. It was the most difficult conversation he ever had.
Time pressed on. Sarah became confined to bed and to the visits that many people gave her. She lost her smile. She lost most of her weight. And then Sarah’s mother called Dr. Cerqueira, asking him to come see Sarah. He dropped everything and ran to the house. There she was, a small bundle that barely moved. After a short examination, Dr. Cerqueira knew that Sarah would soon be leaving this world. He urged her parents to spend as much time as possible with her.
That was a Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning, church started as usual. The singing, the sermon—it all seemed meaningless to Dr. Cerqueira when he thought of Sarah. He felt enveloped in sadness. At the end of the sermon, the pastor suddenly stopped speaking. His eyes wide, he stared at the back of the church with utter amazement. Everyone turned to see what he was looking at. It was Sarah! Her parents had brought her for one last visit. She was bundled in a blanket, a dandelion in one little hand.
She didn't sit in the back row. Instead she slowly walked to the front of the church where her vase still perched by the pulpit. She put her flower in the vase and a piece of paper beside it. Then she returned to her parents. Seeing little Sarah place her flower in the vase for the last time moved everyone. At the end of the service, people gathered around Sarah and her parents, trying to offer as much love and support as possible. Dr. Cerqueira could hardly bear to watch.
Four days later, Sarah died…
After the funeral, the pastor pulled Dr. Cerqueira aside. In a low voice he said, “Dave, I've got something you ought to see.” He pulled out of his pocket the piece of paper that Sarah had left by the vase. Holding it out to the doctor, he said, “You'd better keep this; it may help you in your line of work.”
Dr. Cerqueira opened the folded paper to read, in pink crayon, what Sarah had written: Dear God, This vase has been the biggest honor of my life. Sarah. (David Cerqueira, “Sarah's Vase,” Today's Christian, March/April 2008)
You see, that dying little girl understood that it was an honor to serve. She didn’t underestimate herself, and she didn’t overestimate herself, either. Instead, she was faithful to the end in doing what she could to encourage her church family.
How about you and me? If we want to build a strong church, preserving the unity that is ours in Christ, then we ALL must consider it an honor to serve each other, from the oldest to the youngest. Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t overestimate yourself. Instead, be faithful in your service, and…
FOCUS ON THE THINGS WE SHARE IN COMMON.
Pay attention to the things that unite us, not those things that divide us. Concentrate on our similarities, not so much on our differences. We have so much in common as believers in Jesus Christ, certainly enough to come together for the glory of Christ.
Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (ESV)
There are seven things we share in common – the perfect and complete number. We have enough in common, despite our differences, to completely work together for the glory of Christ. We all are part of the same body, the church. We all have the same Holy Spirit living within. We all look forward to the same hope of heaven. We all serve the same Lord, Jesus Christ. We all share a common faith – that Christ died and rose again. We all have been baptized by the same Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). And we all are a part of the same family, with God as our Father.
We share so much in common as believers in Jesus Christ. There is no reason why we cannot overcome our differences to work together to build a strong church to the glory of Christ.
At one point during the Civil War, the two rival armies were camped on opposite sides of the Potomac River. They each had a band, and when the Union Army band played one of its national tunes, the Confederate musicians struck up a tune near and dear to a southerner’s heart.
Then one of the bands began to play “Home, Sweet Home,” and all of a sudden the contest ceased. The other band joined in, and soon voices from both sides of the river could be heard singing, “There’s no place like home.”
If a single song could bring two warring armies together for a few minutes, then certainly we can come together, because we share so much more in common.
Did you ever go a long way from home and meet somebody from your hometown you didn’t expect to see? It’s a nice surprise, isn’t it? You feel a closeness to that person, even though on in town you may not share much else in common. Why? It’s because you share a common home, and that one thing in common draws you together.
Well, as believers in Christ we share seven (7) things in common, more than enough to draw us all together. So if you’re having trouble getting along with another believer, think about the things you share in common, and “make haste” to get together.
If we want to build a strong church, preserving the unity that is ours in Christ, then we cannot underestimate ourselves, and we cannot overestimate ourselves. Instead, we must be faithful to serve one another, focusing on those things we share in common. In other words, always consider it an honor to serve, because we all serve the same wonderful Lord.
To live above with saints we love,
Oh, that will be glory!
To live below with saints we know,
Well, that’s a different story.
My friends, let’s truly make it a different story, this time to the honor and glory of our wonderful Lord.
