God Has A Great Concern for Christian Unity
Ephesians 4:1-6
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Series: The Book of Ephesians
(Prepared May 3, 2024)
BACKGROUND:
*The Lord has always had a great concern for unity in His Church. Even the first Apostles had to overcome bitter jealousy and arguments. Mark 9:33-35 tells us that the disciples had been in an argument as they travelled with Jesus:
33. Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?''
34. But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
35. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.''
*This incident in took place maybe 8 or 9 months before the cross. But this wasn't the only time the disciples argued about who was the greatest. Matthew 20:20-24 gives us another example. Then just a few hours before the cross, even after Jesus led the first Lord's Supper, Luke 22:23-27 says:
23. They began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing (that is, who would betray Jesus).
24. But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
25. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'
26. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
27. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves."
*This "I'm the greatest" mindset is a very common problem, common among the disciples, common among most people. And this kind of pride is one of the main reasons why churches fuss and fight. No wonder God has a great concern for unity in His Church, and this a major theme in Ephesians 4. Please think about this as we read Ephesians 4:1-6.
MESSAGE:
*There has never been a perfect church in this world. I have often recalled something I heard Louis Bartet say 40 years ago: "If I searched and searched until I finally found the perfect church, then after I joined it, it wouldn't be perfect anymore."
*There is no perfect church on this side of Heaven, and on some level, all churches struggle to keep harmony in the body of believers. The main reason why is because the devil does everything he can to stir up trouble in God's Church. On top of that, Christians, we have different opinions, attitudes, and backgrounds. Some of us like chocolate. Some of us like vanilla. Some of us are morning people. Some of us are not. Sometimes we make false assumptions, and sometimes we misunderstand other people.
*Quite a few Christians also get stubborn and selfish about "their" church, and they want to be in control. They think God's Church belongs to them, and they have a "my way or the highway" point of view.
*There are many reasons for disunity in God's Church. And it started with the first church in Acts 6, the poverty-stricken church of Jerusalem. In that case, the widows of the Grecian Jews were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. The local widows were getting more than their fair share, and that problem is why we have deacons today.
1. THE LORD HAS A GREAT CONCERN FOR UNITY IN HIS CHURCH. THAT’S WHY GOD GAVE US A PREACHER OF UNITY IN THIS SCRIPTURE.
*Of course it's the Apostle Paul, and again in vs. 1 Paul said, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called."
*Paul was a strong preacher for Christian unity. This was the first problem he addressed with the very troubled church in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul said this to those proud, divided Christians:
10. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.
12. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul,'' or "I am of Apollos,'' or "I am of Cephas,'' or "I am of Christ.''
13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14. I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15. lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.
16. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
*I don't think you will ever hear another preacher say they are glad they didn't baptize people! But that's how serious Paul was about unity in God's Church, especially since he had already gone through the pain of arguing with Christians he loved. It was a personal problem between Paul and Barnabas, and it concerned John Mark going on their second missionary journey.
*This problem started back in Acts 13:13, during their first mission journey. There God's Word simply says: "Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem." John Mark went back home. Why did he do that? Maybe he was homesick. Have you ever been homesick? Maybe he was afraid of persecution or afraid that he had bitten off more than he could chew. Have you ever been afraid that you bit off more than you could chew in the Lord's work? Maybe the Lord led Mark to go back home, although Paul surely didn't think so.
*This is why Acts 15:37-40 says:
37. Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
38. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40. but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.
*That word "contention" means there was irritation and an angry dispute. They were inciting each other, egging each other on. There will be disagreements in the church. Sometimes they are silly, and sometimes they are serious. But they are always sad. There must have been terrible heartache in the church at Antioch over the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas.
*Think about it: Barnabas and Paul fighting! Barnabas whose very name meant "the son of encouragement." Barnabas had introduced Paul to the Apostles and vouched for his salvation. Barnabas later went 100 miles to find Paul in Tarsus and bring him back to help lead the church in Antioch. Barnabas went with Paul on that first mission trip, and saw the Hand of God at work in amazing ways.
*Now they were fighting with each other. What a tragic mistake. I wonder if Paul was thinking back to this sad time when he later wrote these words in his prison epistle to the Philippian Christians. In Philippians 2:1-3 Paul said, "If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."
*By this time, Paul had also vouched for Mark in one of the other prison epistles. It's Colossians 4:10 where Paul wrote, "Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him)." Later, in Paul's last letter, when he was so close to being executed by Rome, here's what he wrote, "Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry."
*That's why Paul so urgently stressed the importance of unity in God's Church. But most of all, Paul preached unity because God has a great concern for our unity. That’s why God gave us a preacher of unity.
2. IT'S ALSO WHY GOD PUTS PRIORITY ON OUR UNITY.
*We can see God's priority in Ephesians 4:3 where His Word tells us that we should be "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Remember that the original word for "endeavor" has the thought of hurrying to do something, and giving it our best effort. Verse 3 in the Amplified Bible says, "Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of the Spirit in the binding power of peace."
*God's priority is for us to eagerly guard the unity we have in Jesus Christ. Or as the NIV says, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." The original word for "bond" here meant something that binds other things together. It was also used for ligaments, the tough fibrous tissues that hold our bones together. Christians: We have something much stronger to hold us together. It's the binding power of God's peace! (1)
*And our unity is definitely one of God’s top priorities. We also see this truth in John 17 where Jesus prayed on the night before He was crucified. You know the most important things were on the Lord’s mind that night, and Christian unity was one of those things. Jesus prayed for our unity five different times that prayer!
-In John 17:11 Jesus prayed, "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are."
-Next in John 17:20-21 the Lord prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."
-And in John 17:22-23 Jesus prayed to God the Father and said, "The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
*Why does Jesus put such a priority on our unity? One reason why is because the Lord knows that the devil will do everything he can to build barriers between us. Jesus knows the enemy of our unity.
*He also knows the ability of our unity. The Lord told us about it in Matthew 18:18-20 where Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.''
*Jesus also knows the beauty of our unity. In a world with so much hate, where most people are looking out for number one, it’s a rare and beautiful thing to see people really love each other, really work together, and really put each other first. Our godly unity certainly helps draw people to Jesus, and I am one of those people. As Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.''
*God worked in my life in many ways to get me saved. He used hardship and even a miracle to get me to Louisiana. He used my dear wife to keep me here until I trusted in Jesus. He used Georgia Savoie to invite us to church. Bro. Savoie preached the truth about Jesus. And for the first time in my life I really heard the good news about the cross.
*On top of that, Georgia asked us to be in the young adult choir. Even though I wasn't a Christian, she asked me to be in the choir. Most music directors wouldn't have done that, especially since my singing voice is pretty pathetic.
*But we had a great time in that choir. They welcomed these strangers into the group with open hearts. We made new friends, had a wonderful time together, and it was very obvious that those people truly loved each other. One weekend we went on a choir retreat, and that night we sat around the fireplace while people gave their testimonies. Mary and I were the only people on the back row, because Preacher and Georgia knew I didn't have a testimony.
*Jimmy Posey was one of the last people to speak. He started to weep over his twin brother, Jerry, who was not saved at the time. And I could see Jimmy's love for his lost brother. (Let me tell you that Jimmy's brother did get saved sometime after that. He was a deputy in Ouachita Parish, and he died maybe 10 or 15 years later. I think he was hit by a car while he was on duty. Thank God he was saved!)
*But when I saw Jimmy weeping over his lost brother, it was like a light went on in my heart, and I remember thinking, "This is real! What the Bible says about Jesus is true." Those people had something in their life that I did not have, and I wanted it! That was the night I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, because I could see their heartfelt Christian love for each other, and for that lost brother.
*There are many reasons why God wants Christians to be united as one. But one of the greatest reasons is because it will help more people get saved. That’s why God puts a priority on our unity.
3. AND IT'S WHY HE POINTS US TO HIS PATTERN OF UNITY.
*We can see God's pattern of unity in vs. 4-6 where Paul wrote, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
*Here God shows us 7 elements of oneness related to God. He gives us a list of "ones," because He wants us to live together as one. First: "There is one body." This is God's Church, the spiritual Body of Jesus Christ, and we will talk about this more next time. But this spiritual body is made up of every person who has trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
*Paul said, "There is one body and one Spirit." Ray Stedman explained that "This brings us to the great, eternal, invisible Person who is the power behind the Christian church. The strength of the church never comes from its numbers. This is the mistaken concept that many Christians have today. They think that we only influence society and impact the world as we can gather together enough Christians and thus swing enough votes to sway our legislatures.
*That is not where the power of the church lies, and it never has. It is the Holy Spirit of God that is the true power of the Church, and there is only one Spirit. He is the same everywhere no matter where the church exists, in every place and in every age." (2)
*Christians: Our God, the only true and living God, exists in three eternal persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Right now, God the Father is seated on His throne in Heaven, and until Jesus returns to earth, Hebrews 8:1 tells us that God's Son is seated at the right hand of the Father. But the Holy Spirit is God everywhere.
*And through God's Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son are always with us, living in our spiritual hearts. This is why on the night before the cross, in John 14:23 Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." This began on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and now God's Spirit lives in everyone who has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
*Next Paul mentioned that Christians "were called in one hope of your calling." The "hope" he is talking about there is "the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation." This original word for "hope" is found over 50 times in the New Testament. For example, Romans 15:13 says, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." And Colossians 1:27 talks about "Christ in (us), the hope of glory."
*Here in vs. 4, Paul talks about the "hope of your calling." T. T. Lynch explained, "A happy thought that is, that we are called. We did not have to come in uncertainty and ask: 'Is there a heaven, and which way is it? -- Is there a God, and is He friendly?' No. There has come a call to us, and it is a call to sure hope for all who put their trust in Jesus." (3)
*God is giving us a Heavenly pattern of unity: Seven elements of the oneness like He wants us to have in His Church. Listen for the 7 "ones" again in vs. 4-6: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. " God's Word gives us all of these ones, because He wants us to live together as one.
*Let me focus on two more of these "ones": One Lord, and one faith. Of course the Lord is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:8-11 says this about Jesus:
8. . . being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
*There is one Lord, and one faith. There is only one true faith: The faith in Jesus Christ that comes from the Bible. If people are going to be saved, it is going to be by God's Word. There is no other way. This is why 1 Peter 1:23-25 tells Christians that we have:
23. . . been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24. because "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,
25. but the word of the Lord endures forever.'' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
*God's Word and only God's Word has the power to give us the new spiritual birth of eternal life. God's Word and only God's Word has the power to save our souls. So Romans 10:17 says "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The Holy Spirit of God uses the written Word of God to give us eternal life with the nature of God. That's why John 20:30-31 says:
30. . . Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;
31. but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
*Gaylord Kambarami told one of my favorite stories about the life-changing power of God's Word. Gaylord was the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Zimbabwe when he tried to give a New Testament to a very grouchy, hot-tempered man. The man gruffly said he would take the New Testament, but only so he could tear out the pages, roll them up, and use them to make cigarettes.
*Gaylord told the man, "I understand that, but at least promise to read the page of the New Testament before you smoke it." The man agreed and the two went their separate ways.
*Fifteen years later, the two men met at a Methodist convention in Zimbabwe. By that time, the Scripture-smoking atheist had trusted in Jesus and was a full-time evangelist! He told the people, "I smoked Matthew, and I smoked Mark, and I smoked Luke. But when I got to John 3:16, I couldn't smoke anymore! My life was changed from that moment." (4)
CONCLUSION:
*That Scripture-smoking man was saved by the miraculous power of God's Word. He was born-again by the miraculous power of the Bible. And most everybody here knows that John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
*Have you done that? Have you believed in our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ? Have you received Him as your Lord and Savor? You can call on the Lord to save you today. Then try your best "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Please pray about these things, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Sources for "Bond" - Strong's G4886 in Ephesians 4:3
-STRONG'S HEBREW AND GREEK DICTIONARIES - from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D. - Published in 1890; public domain. - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
-THAYER'S GREEK DEFINITIONS - Published in 1886, 1889; public domain. - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
-"What Are Ligaments?" - Medically Reviewed by Ross Brakeville, DPT on July 31, 2021 - Written by David Steen Martin - https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/ligaments-types-injuries
-https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19089.htm
(2) Adapted from "The Cry for Unity" by Ray C. Stedman - Ephesians 4:1-6 - January 23, 1966 - Series: "The Ministry of the Saints" - Message No: 2 - Catalog No: 109
(3) Adapted from THE BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR by Editor Joseph S. Exell - Ephesians 4:4 - "The seven unities of spiritual life" by T. T. Lynch - https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/tbi/ephesians-4.html
(4) American Bible Society Record, March 1990 - Source: Raymond McHenry - STORIES FOR PREACHERS AND TEACHERS
