Sermon: “Laboring For Unity in a Divided World”
Scripture Lesson: Ephesians 4:3-13 ‘Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
Introduction: Ephesians 4 describes both the unity of believers and the new hope which Christians have in Jesus. The passage begins with Paul's mention of his imprisonment and his focus on Christian unity. There, he appeals to Christians to live in a way which reflects the grace we've been given by God. I have heard many people share with me recently their concern over a lack of unity in our world. Nations are deeply divided over politics, war and aggression, immigration, racial and ethnic injustice, and many other issues. Not even the church is a safe place from the divisiveness. How do we work together towards the unity Apostle Paul was praying and preaching about? What does it mean to live in “unity” in the context of today’s division?
We must be suspicious of a non-biblical unity. Historically and in modern times, many people have offered a false unity through coercion. Too many have sought to build a fabricated unity by conquering and tearing down others. Others have rallied around words and deeds that lead to unity on certain issues while overlooking the value of human beings. Too often wars of words and ideas leave the scorched earth of division and disharmony. How can we move towards the unity God desires? We must realize that labor and learning is necessary. The text says, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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.”
1. Unity can be experienced as Believers hold to the things binds us together and resist the things that separates us. Paul says, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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.” The family of God should recognize our common bond under the fatherhood of God. It is important to remember we are family. In the age of globalization and increased digital connectivity, we should remember the common bond believers share. We may share common citizenship, our common experiences and common interests, but we are first the family of God, created in the image and likeness of God. On a deeper level, Christians are bound to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, accepted in the beloved, and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
At times, it has even been difficult to find this unity. Many have formed camps around Abortion or pro-life, taxes for the rich, taxes for the poor, open borders or close borders and the like. Many had allowed their camp to dehumanize everyone else. There is a common bond we share as human beings, who have been washed in the blood of Jesus, redeemed by grace and accepted in the family of God. Unity begins by recognizing that common bond. Unity is experienced and modeled as we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
2. Unity can be experienced as believers practice loving humility - True unity requires us to embrace genuine humility. Paul reminds believers that “unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” We are all gifted, talented and opinionated, but we are not always right. There is a need for us to fall on our faces in repentance and humility before God. When people hear a call for repentance, a common reaction is to expect the other person to repent, to get right, and to see it our way. Our human nature tells us that we are the ones who are correct, and the people are on the other side of the fence are the one who need to change. However, when we look to God’s teaching, we see that humility before God is something each of us must seek first.
Scripture records a time when Joshua and the Israelites are about to be used by God in miraculous ways. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joshua before he was to fulfill God’s mission at Jericho. Upon seeing the Angel, Joshua’s first question is, “Are you for me or for my enemy?” Though Joshua was about to be used by God to do miraculous things, the angel reminded Joshua that he was asking the wrong question. Joshua was to be on God’s side, not to expect God to be on his side. When the Angel told him that he was for neither side, but was a representative of the Lord, Joshua’s reply is a lesson for us: He fell on his face and asked, “What do you want me to do, God?” (see Joshua, chapter 5)
We should assume that same posture of humility before God. This is the only antidote to this era of the prevailing attitude of much of the culture: “Agree with me or you must be dead wrong!” Jesus calls his followers to be an alternative to the culture, not an echo of it. He shows this in mighty ways through his life and teaching and by his death and resurrection. He demonstrated this in the people he called to follow him. The disciples were from different walks of life. Many of them were considered outcasts by society. Some were despised by others for their ethnicity, their work, and their way of life. Some were considered lowlifes and insurrectionists. Some were among the overlooked and the forgotten. On top of that, there was infighting and power struggles among members of the group of disciples. Jesus’ reply to their misunderstandings of position, authority, and unity was a demonstration of self-abasing love that gives up life itself for the sake of another.
3. Unity must be experienced if believers want to experience God’s commanded blessing of God. Psalm 133 describes unity “…like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.” Mt. Hermon is the highest mountain in the area, and it is so high that there is snow on its peak year around. However, the land around the base of the mountain is arid and dry. The cool air coming down from the snowy peak each morning provides a unique refreshment and rejuvenation that cannot be found elsewhere. In a world that is dry and parched for the Good News, people need to see repentant and loving Christian’s work towards unity in their churches, their communities, and their countries. What would your community look like if Christians did so in a new and intentional way? How can we, like Joshua, move from the demand that God be on our side to a humility that asks How can we get on God’s side? How can we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be a channel of God’s blessing in a dry and parched land?
After Apostle Paul makes a case for unity, he proceeds to point out the gifts of unity. He says. “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
Paul moves on to show us the benefit of peace and harmony, there God gives abundant blessings for the benefit of all, both for the present, and for the future. The Psalmist says, "For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life evermore.” Somehow God commands a special blessing and His manifested presence where peace and unity are found. God commanded blessing makes all His creatures useful and appreciated. God’s blessing leads to prosperity, good success and fruitfulness. To bless is to benefit. Whatever is missing or lacking, his blessing brings wholeness. God calls it real life. Living in constant turmoil, with troubles, griefs, and pain in a man's life is not real life. A quiet life, living in peace and contentment, without dissensions, disunity and disharmony is real life. This is the life God desire and the kind of life His church can demonstrate to the world. We may never understand all the sides of all the issues; this is a complicated world. When you think you know it all, you know less than what you think. Please know we have more in common than that which separates us; We can honor and celebrate the gifting in others in a spirit of humility. Let’s position ourselves to receive the commanded blessing of God. Let’s position ourselves to experience the manifested presence of God. The "fullness of Christ", in the context of Ephesians 4:13, refers to the church attaining the standard or the level of a church that is filled with Christ, or which Christ fills, as well as the church attaining complete conformity to Christ, and all Christians reaching this high standard.
Psalm 133:1-3 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. Amen.
