Unity and Differences
Ephesians 4:7-16
Zero’s do make a difference. A quick postcard was sent out to church members of a church was considering a new pastor. A newsletter had gone out and no one had noticed the error. The postcard said, “Pastor Bill Murphy actually has the 100 percent support of his family in his ministry as pastor, not 10% as was stated in our newsletter.”
The letter to the Ephesians begins with over three chapters telling us why we have commonality with every believer. It is based upon what Christ has done for us, all of which we receive at salvation. Therefore, it promotes unity among Christians. There should be a level of unity among Christians of different Churches and denominations, if we have Christ as our common Savior. There must be a higher level of unity in a Church congregation as we covenant together to serve one Master.
By the way. If you joined the Church, no matter when it was, and you do not see it as a covenant with one another to serve the Master, you need to rethink some things. Christ is the reason for our unity, and that unity needs to be primary. Paul summed up that glorious truth in verses 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.”
Let me make the message of Paul and the Holy Spirit as clear as this weak messenger can. None of the following passages in Ephesians can stand alone as a book of the Bible or a separate doctrine. All that Paul has been saying earlier in this book, led by the Spirit of Love, are foundational to what is said in the rest of this great book.
Let me point out how far we may have fallen from these truths in our lives.
Illustration: Our son, Ryan, was born with a major birth defect, spina bifida, the most common crippling birth-defects in the United States. It affected his lower body, particularly his legs. His had other issues involving his lower abdomen.
When we determined that it was time to remove Ryan from the public school system for him to recover from ridicule and one bad teacher, we took him to a Christian school that I was very familiar with. The pastor of the Church was a friend of my family. However, I did not know the principle of the school.
We went for the evaluation interview, and the principle stated early that she believed that Ryan should be in a school with children “like him.”
I have always had this problem that is harmless as long as no one is offended. I am a smart aleck. This day, my goal did not include not offending this principle.
I began to ask questions, “Oh, so your school is for non-Christians? For children who do not come from a Christian home? Maybe for non-humans? Is it for space aliens?”
The principle clarified. “No, I mean we are not a school for the physically disabled.”
Every child in that school had a different type of body, different athletic abilities, gifts, strengths and weaknesses. Where do you draw the line? Why was Ryan’s physical disabilities on one side of the line and stuttering wasn’t?
Paul is saying that no outward difference overpowers the unity that Christ creates in our hearts with all saved people. Never draw the line where the world would draw a line.
After that priority for unity is established, then and only then can we discuss the purpose and need for differences in the congregation.
Eph 4:7 “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.”
I. The Personality of Differences. (7)
Grace was given to each person; undeserved, completely paid for by Christ’s immeasurable gift. Just as Christ’s gift of salvation-grace cannot be measured or deserved, so is the gift of His service-grace measured out, immeasurably and undeserved.
This is the purpose of Christ’s redemption….. look.
II. The Provenance of Differences.
Eph 4:8-10 “Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)”
In expositional preaching, our intent is to expose the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit and the writer, as well as what this meant to the original listeners as they heard it read. This gets very complicated here, Paul quoting from Psalms 68, which is a song of praise for the Arc of the Covenant being returned to the Holy Hill of God, Mt. Zion. It reflects upon the Arc of the Covenant leading the people from the captivity of Egypt to Canaan. It recalls the battles in which the Arc was carried with the army and victory was insured. The Arc of the Covenant worked so well, it worked when they took it back to Temple Mountain, or Zion, even when it was not with the army in the war campaign.
The Arc of the Covenant was, of course, a picture of Jesus Christ. He led us out of the wilderness of sin, from captivity, into a victorious life. He won the big battles over sin and death. Then He returned to the presence of God, the Throne of God. And He is still the reason for our victories today, even though He ascended to the Mount of Heaven.
Now in Ephesians, we see in Psalm 68 another, double meaning. He not only descended from God’s throne to earth to lead us to victory, He descended to the depths of the grave. He preached to the departed believers in Paradise and then when He presented Himself to God as the offering for sin. He presented to those dead believers who looked forward to a Messiah as the first fruits of His offering.
Also, moving way to quickly, remember that He told the disciples that He must go to the Father or the Comforter would not come? In doing so, by sending His Spirit, He gave gifts to men to do His work.
Now, let’s read that portion of the text again and see if it makes more sense to us.
Eph 4:8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
How did he give gifts to men to do the work?…. Look…
Eph 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
III. The Particulars of Differences
Some will believe and teach that Christ gave, through the spirit, people special gifts at salvation, some to do the work of apostles, prophets, etc… However, the text reads that Christ gave us these people in our Church who were gifted, to do these assigned tasks.
The lesson here is this: if you are in this Church, you are a gift, given to us by Christ, to help us in the work of this body in a way that only you can do.
Eph 4:12-14 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
IV. The Purpose for Differences.
If you are a member of this Church, you are a gift to the people of this Church, given by Jesus Christ. If you are a teacher in this Church, you are a gift to the people of this Church.
A couple of clarifications. Do we still have active Apostles today? Some religions and denominations teach that we do. However, I have preached this before here, that Paul told us emphatically what the requirements to be a recognized Apostle were.
You may think, “Brother Tim, why don’t you leave these people who call themselves apostles alone. Surely they aren’t hurting anyone.”
I love doing things that allows the Father to praise me, although those opportunities are probably few. But God praises His people when we please Him. Listen to the praise Jesus gives the Ephesian Church years later in the book of Revelation.
Rev 2:1-2 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands."'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
If someone says they are a current day apostle, you tell then they are not. They can’t be.
The qualifications of an apostle, found in scripture:
1. They had to see Jesus in the flesh. 2) They were call to the position by Jesus Christ physically, more than spiritually, and 3) their calls were validated by the working of signs and miracles.
Ephesians 2:20 says the Church were built on the Apostles and the Prophets. Also, Revelation 21:14 tell us how many Apostles there were. Rev 21:14 “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
But back to expository preaching.
Paul had told us the reason for our unity. Now, he is telling us why, within our unity, we are different. He does not allow for the differences creating division, but to create utility in unity. He says the differences are gifts of God.
To do what?
“…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,”
To mature us, prepare us, equip us for the work of the ministry of the Church. To prepare us and launch us to be the body of Christ, doing the work of Christ, since His own body is at the right hand of God making intercession for us. We are His body on earth now.
Next, notice what this maturity and building up brings.
“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”
Our differences are not supposed to bring division here in Second Baptist Church. They are to bring unity and increasing knowledge of who Jesus is. They are to mature us, as a body, towards the full, mature stature of Jesus Christ.
And, notice what the maturity prevents.
“…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
This maturity moves us away from the things that create division.
V. Provision of differences.
Eph 4:15-16 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
What should these differences, bringing maturity, create in us? The answer; Speaking the truth in love.
Individual maturity (emotional and spiritual), “we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,”
How important is that? IF Christ died for our unity…. “from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped”
If Christ gave us the gifts of each other, where external differences only create utility which strengthens our unity… “joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly”
Then we MUST love each other more…. “makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
Ill. In his book Soul Talk, Larry Crabb writes:
"Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t get off the ground or one person sitting every Sunday in the back of the church who remains unknown? A Sunday school class that once drew hundreds but has now dwindled to thirty or a Sunday school teacher whose sense of failure is never explored by a caring friend? A family torn apart by the father’s drinking, his wife’s frustration, and their third grader’s learning disabilities or a self-hating dad, a terrified mom, and a lonely little boy, three human beings whose beauty and value no one ever discovers? A national campaign that fails to gain steam for the pro-life movement or a single woman on her way home from an abortion clinic in the backseat of a taxi, a woman whose soul no one ever touches?"
We may notice the unknown pew sitter, we wonder how the teacher of the now small class feels, we worry over each member of the torn-up family, and we feel for the guilt and pain of a woman who has ended her baby’s life. But we do what’s easier. We design programs, we brainstorm ways to build attendance, and in our outrage over divorce statistics and abortion numbers we fight for family values.
These are all good things, but we don’t TALK to the pew sitter; we don’t ASK the teacher how he’s feeling; we don’t INVITE the dad to play golf, the woman to lunch, or the little boy to play with our children; we don’t let the aborting woman know we CARE about her soul.
That response to hurting people, I would label disunity. Disunity is not just fighting over personal preferences. It’s not just leaving the church because someone hurt your feelings. It’s not just gossip that tears down other members of the body. It’s leaving needs unmet. It’s failing to love people the way God would have us love. Unity is lived out in caring concern for others.
