"UNITED WE STAND!"
TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:1-16
INTRODUCTION
SO FAR WE HAVE STUDIED THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS OF EPHESIANS. AND AS IS CUSTOMARY IN PAUL’S WRITINGS IN THE EARLY PART OF THIS LETTER HE DEALT WITH DOCTRINE (TEACHINGS) AND IN THE LATER PART HE WILL MAKE PRACTICAL APPLICATION.... PAUL IS AN EXPERT AT BALANCING BOTH DOCTRINE AND DUTY.
IN THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS OF EPHESIANS THE KEY WORD HAS BEEN WEALTH AS PAUL TIME AND TIME AGAIN HAS EMPHASIZED OUR RICHES IN CHRIST.... AND TODAY AS WE BEGIN CHAPTER 4 WE WILL SEE THAT PAUL NOW BEGINS TALKING NOT ABOUT OUR RICHES IN CHRIST -- BUT RATHER ABOUT OUR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN CHRIST... THE KEY WORD IN THE LAST 1/2 OF EPHESIANS IS "WALK"....
WE FIND THIS WORD IN EPH 4:1, 4:17, 5:2, 5:8 AND 5:15...
BUT PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER, THAT IN THE NIV THE TRANSLATORS CHOOSE TO USE THE WORD "LIVE" INSTEAD, .... THEY DID THIS BECAUSE THEY FELT IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND PAUL’S POINT.... I PREFER THE WORD WALK BECAUSE SCRIPTURE OFTEN DESCRIBES ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS WALK, EVEN AS FAR BACK AS ENOCH IN GENESIS 5....
THE THEME VERSE OF THESE LAST 3 CHAPTERS OF EPHESIANS IS 4:1;
"AS A PRISONER OF THE LORD, THEN, I URGE YOU TO LIVE A LIFE (OR TO WALK) WORTHY OF THE CALLING YOU HAVE RECEIVED...."
THE ADVERB WORTHY COMES FROM AN ADJECTIVE MEANING "HAVING THE SAME WEIGHT; OF LIKE VALUE." IN THE BALANCE OF LIFE OUR WALK (OUR DAILY LIFESTYLE ) SHOULD HAVE "THE SAME WEIGHT/OR VALUE" AS OUR CALLING.
OUR CALLING AS CHRISTIANS; ETERNAL LIFE, BEING CLOTHED WITH CHRIST, ADOPTION AS SONS, FORGIVENESS AND REDEMPTION OF SINS, ETERNAL LIFE, THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT -- IS CERTAINLY OF GREAT VALUE -- AND WE MUST STRIVE TO MAKE OUR DAILY WALK OF THE SAME WT/VALUE ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD....
AND AFTER MAKING THIS GENERAL PLEA IN EPH 4:1, PAUL IN
EPH 4:2 THROUGH THE END OF THE LETTER GIVES US 4 PRACTICAL WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN MAKE OUR WALK WORTHY.
OUR WALK WILL BE WORTHY:
IF WE WALK IN UNITY - 4:2-16
IF WE WALK IN PURITY - 4:17 - 5:17
IF WE WALK IN HARMONY --- 5:18 - 6:9
IF WE WALK IN VICTORY ------- 6:10 - 24
OUR MESSAGE FOR TODAY IS "UNITED WE STAND" -- AND NO, I DID NOT GET THE IDEA FROM ROSS PEROT, I GOT IT FROM JESUS CHRIST WHO SAYS IN MK 3:25; "A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST IT SELF CAN NOT STAND..." TODAY WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT "UNITY."
UNITY IS DEFINED AS FOLLOWS -- "ONENESS, A CONDITION OF HARMONY; ACCORD..BEING IN AGREEMENT, JOINT ACTION.."
UNITY IS IMPORTANT IN HOMES, MARRIAGES, RELATIONSHIPS, BUSINESSES, SPORTS, GOVERNMENT, IN CHURCHES AND IN CHRISTIANITY.... BUT, THOUGH UNITY IS IMPORTANT -- IT SO VERY OFTEN SEEMS OUT OF REACH, HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY?
A VISITOR TO A MENTAL HOSPITAL WAS ASTONISHED TO NOTE THAT THERE ONLY 3 GUARDS WATCHING OVER 100 DANGEROUS INMATES. HE ASKED HIS GUIDE, "DON’T YOU FEAR THAT THESE PEOPLE WILL OVERPOWER THE GUARDS AND ESCAPE?"
"NO," WAS THE REPLY. "LUNATICS NEVER UNITE."
A BRIEF LOOK IN THE YELLOW PAGES UNDER THE HEADING OF CHURCHES OR A MOMENT OF REFLECTION ON OUR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE IN LIFE AND IN THE CHURCH -- WOULD PROBABLY LEAD US TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE TOO ARE JUST A BUNCH OF LUNATICS.... THERE IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH UNITY.... (118 BRAND NAMES IN TAMPA YELLOW PAGES)
IT IS TRUE THAT UNITED WE STAND.... BUT THE TRAGIC OTHER SIDE OF THE CION IS THAT DIVIDED WE FALL..... AND HOMES, RELATIONSHIPS, CHURCHES AND CHRISTIANITY AS A WHOLE ARE FALLING AT AN ALARMING RATE...
PAUL IN OUR TEXT IS TALKING ABOUT THE WALK OF UNITY -- WHICH IS ONE OF THE WALKS THAT ENABLES US TO LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE CALLING WE HAVE RECEIVED. AND IN THESE 15 VERSE PAUL REVEALS 4 TRUTHS THAT IF THEY WERE NOT MERELY UNDERSTOOD BUT LIVED OUT, THEY WOULD LED TO TRUE UNITY IN THE CHURCH AMONG THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS..
EPHESIANS 4:2-16
TO HAVE UNITY WE MUST BE:
UNITED THROUGH OUR DEVOTION TO A CHRIST-LIKE BEHAVIOR
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT -- IF WE ALL WERE MORE LIKE CHRIST THINGS WOULD GO A WHOLE LOT SMOOTHER AND THEIR WOULD BE GREATER UNITY IN CHURCHES AND IN HOMES?
AS BEGINS THIS DISCUSSION OF THE WALK OF UNITY HE EXHORTS US TO DEMONSTRATE A CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR. IN OUR TEXT PAUL LISTS -- SEVERAL BEHAVIORS OR ATTITUDES WE NEED TO BE DEVOTED TO THAT WILL MAKE US MORE LIKE JESUS, AND WE WILL EASILY SEE THAT THESE WILL GO A LONG WAY IN CONTRIBUTING TO UNITY...
THIS FIRST IS HUMILITY....
A. HUMILITY; IS NOT TO THINK LITTLE OF YOURSELF BUT TO NOT THINK OF YOURSELF AT ALL... IT IS TO "CONSIDER OTHERS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES...TO LOOK NOT ONLY TO OUR OWN INTERESTS BUT THE INTEREST OF OTHERS" (PHILIP 2:3,4); IT IS "NOT THINKING MORE HIGHLY OF OURSELVES THAN WE OUGHT...TO HONOR ONE ANOTHER ABOVE OURSELVES..." (RM 12:3,10).
BEING HUMBLE IS THE OPPOSITE OF BEING PROUD -- GOD HATES PRIDE AND IT IS A SOURCE OF DISUNITY NOT UNITY; PRIDE KILLS (RELATIONSHIPS & CHURCHES >> BECAUSE PRIDE IS UNWILLING TO LISTEN, TAKE ADVISE, SAY I’M SORRY OR I WAS WRONG...
"WHEN PRIDE COMES THEN COMES DISGRACE, BUT WITH HUMILITY COMES WISDOM..." (PR 11:2)
"PRIDE ONLY BREEDS QUARRELS, BUT WISDOM IS FOUND IN THOSE WHO TAKE ADVICE.." (PR 13:10)
"A MAN’S PRIDE BRINGS HIM LOW, BUT A MAN OF LOWLY SPIRITS GAINS HONOR.." (PR 29:23)
DID JESUS DEMONSTRATE HUMILITY? READ PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2 THIS WEEK -- WHERE PAUL TALKS ABOUT CHRIST ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY AND SAYS; "YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THAT OF CHRIST JESUS..."
LET ME TELL YOU WHERE HUMILITY IS REALLY Y TESTED AND PRIDE WANTS TO BREAK OUT -- IN OUR SERVICE. ONE OF MY PROFESSORS SAID, WE DON’T MIND BEING A SERVANT UNTIL SOMEONE TREATS US LIKE A SERVANT..."
B. GENTLENESS
ANOTHER CHRIST-LIKE BEHAVIOR WE NEED TO "DEMONSTRATE" IS THAT OF GENTLENESS (OR MEEKNESS). NOW, GENTLENESS IS NOT WEAKNESS. IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE, THIS WORD WAS USED FOR A SOOTHING MEDICINE, A COLT THAT HAD BEEN BROKEN, AND A SOFT WIND. IN EACH CASE THE MAIN IDEA IS THAT OF STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL. AND COULD THERE EVER HAVE BEEN A BETTER EXAMPLE OF STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL THEN JESUS CHRIST GOING THROUGH HIS ARREST, TRIAL AND EXECUTION ON A CROSS... HE HAD THE POWER TO STOP IT.... BUT HE HAD HIS STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY TEAR SOMEONE UP -- BUT THOSE WHO DESIRE FOR THERE TO BE UNITY WILL KEEP THAT STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL...THEY WILL BE GENTLE. (THERE IS NO HONOR, NO REAL STRENGTH IS BEING HARSH, ABUSIVE OR JUST PLAIN MEAN..)
"LIKE A CITY WHOSE WALLS ARE BROKEN DOWN IS A MAN WHO LACKS SELF CONTROL.." PR 25:28
C. PATIENCE
THE NEXT CHRIST-LIKE BEHAVIOR WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE GOES HAND IN HAND WITH GENTLENESS IT IS PATIENCE. THE WORD HERE
LITERALLY MEANS "LONG TEMPERED," IT IS THE ABILITY TO ENDURE DISCOMFORT WITHOUT FIGHTING BACK.... ONCE AGAIN JESUS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF THIS... "AS A SHEEP BEFORE ITS SHEARERS IS SILENT, SO HE DID NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH..."
OUR NATURE IS TO FIGHT BACK WITH WORDS, FISTS OR ATTITUDES WHEN WE ARE FORCED BY PEOPLE OR CIRCUMSTANCES TO ENDURE DISCOMFORT BUT THAT IS NOT A CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR >>> AND IT DOES NOT PROMOTE UNITY...
"BETTER A PATIENT MAN THAN A WARRIOR, A MAN WHO CONTROLS HIS TEMPER THAN ONE WHO TAKES A CITY" PR 16:32
"A WISE MAN FEARS THE LORD AND SHUNS EVIL, BUT A FOOL IS HOTHEADED AND RECKLESS." PR 14:16
"A QUICK TEMPERED MAN DOES FOOLISH THINGS..." PR 14:17
"A FOOL GIVES FULL VENT TO HIS ANGER, BUT A WISE MAN KEEPS HIMSELF UNDER CONTROL.." PR 29:11
D. BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IS ANOTHER CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR.
"TO HOLD UP, SUSTAIN OR SUPPORT." THE ATTITUDE THAT WE CAN PUSH OTHERS AROUND OR PUT THEM DOWN TO EXALT OURSELVES IS NOT THE ATTITUDE OF LOVE.,
IN FAMILY SETTINGS HOME AND CHURCH, WHERE YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH PEOPLE YOU HAVE THE "OPPORTUNITY" TO SEE THEM AT THEIR BEST AND AT THEIR WORST... TO GET TO KNOW THEIR IDIOSYNCRACIES... AND IN THESE CASES WE MUST BEAR WITH/ BE PATIENT WITH THEIR SHORT COMINGS AND IMPERFECTIONS OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE ARE RULED BY LOVE AND BECAUSE IF WE ARE HONEST WE WOULD HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE TO PUT UP WITH A LOT OF IMPERFECTIONS AND SHORTCOMINGS OF OURS ON A DAILY BASIS....
NOW WE MAY TEACH, REPROVE OR CORRECT THOSE WHO HAVE CERTAIN SHORT COMINGS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, BUT IN DOING IT WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THE PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE OF LOVE...
"SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE...."
TRUTH W/O LOVE DESTROYS
LOVE WITH OUT TRUTH DECEIVES
E. EFFORT IS ANOTHER CHRISTLIKE
IT TAKES WORK -- IT TAKES EFFORT TO MAINTAIN UNITY. THE VERB USED HERE IS IN THE PRESENT TENSE AND INDICATES THAT THIS WORK IS AN ONGOING/A NEVER-ENDING PROCESS. AND THE MINUTE WE THINK WE HAVE IT MADE AND WE STOP WORKING AT MAINTAINING UNITY IN OUR MARRIAGES, RELATIONSHIPS AND CHURCHES SATAN MOVES IN QUICKLY FOR THE KILL >>> TO DESTROY... AND HE IS SO VERY OFTEN SUCCESSFUL... WE MUST ALWAYS WORK AT UNITY...
IT’S GREAT THAT NEWLYWEDS LOVE EACH OTHER -- BUT TO BE HAPPY IN MARRIAGE THEY WILL HAVE TO WORK AT IT.
DID IT TAKE EFFORT ON THE PART OF CHRIST TO BRING ABOUT UNITY BETWEEN SINFUL MAN AND A HOLY GOD? WAS IT EASY FOR JESUS, A WALK IN THE PARK?
THE CROWN OF THORNS
THE RUGGED CROSS
THE PIERCED, SIDE, HANDS AND FEET TELL THE STORY... IT TOOK EFFORT, IT TOOK WORK... JESUS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO BRING ABOUT UNITY BETWEEN US AND GOD...
ARE YOU MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO MAINTAIN, PROTECT AN GUARD UNITY? IT WON’T COME CHEAP/EASY...
AND PLEASE NOTE THAT PEACE IS THE BOND THAT HOLDS IT ALL TOGETHER... AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU BE AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN... IT IS OUR DESIRE FOR PEACE -- THAT TIES THE UNITY OD THE SPIRIT TOGETHER.
AND NOTE THAT THE REASON FOR WARS ON THE OUTSIDE IN RELATIONSHIPS AND IN CHURCHES IS THE WAR ON THE INSIDE... IF A BELIEVER CANNOT GET ALONG WITH GOD -- HE WILL NOT GET ALONG WITH OTHERS... WHEN THERE IS DISUNITY BETWEEN PEOPLE IN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN: HUSBAND-WIFE; GIRLFRIEND-BOYFRIEND; PARENT-CHILD; BRO-BRO; CHRISTIAN-CHRISTIAN >>> OFTEN TIMES ONE OR BOTH OF THEM ARE NOT RIGHT WITH GOD...
THERE MUST BE PEACE ON THE INSIDE WITH GOD BEFORE THERE CAN PEACE ON THE OUTSIDE...
DO YOU NEED TO MAKE PEACE WITH GOD TODAY?
OUR DEVOTION TO CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR (HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE, BEARING WITH EACH OTHER AND EFFORT) WILL GO A LONG WAY IN PROMOTING UNITY....
NEXT WE NEED TO BE;
UNITED THROUGH OUR AGREEMENT ON FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINES
MANY PEOPLE TODAY TRY TO UNITE CHRISTIANS IN A WAY THAT IS NOT BIBLICAL. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WILL SAY: "WE’RE NOT INTERESTED IN DOCTRINES, BUT IN LOVE. SO, LET’S JUST FORGET OUR DOCTRINES AND JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER!"
WHILE NOT ALL CHRISTIANS WILL AGREE ON SOME OF THE MINOR AREAS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, THEY ALL MUST AGREE ON THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS OF THE FAITH. A UNITY BUILT ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN BIBLICAL TRUTH IS A UNITY STANDING ON A VERY SHAKY FOUNDATION (IT IS A HALLOW/SUPERFICIAL UNITY).
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH? WELL, PAUL NAMES FOR US IN OUR TEXT 7 ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO DEBATE OVER....
IF ALL CHRISTIANS WOULD AGREE ON THESE NOT ONLY IN CONCEPT BUT IN REALITY WE WOULD BE HEADED IN THE PATH OF UNITY THAT CHRIST PRAYED FOR IN THE GARDEN BEFORE HIS ARREST -- "FATHER MAY THEY BE ONE AS WE ARE ONE..".
WE AT ETCC ARE PART OF A MOVEMENT THAT BEGAN IN THE LATE 1700’S IN AMERICA, A MOVEMENT CALLED "THE RESTORATION MOVEMENT." A MOVEMENT WHOSE FOUNDERS HAD A DREAM TO UNITE ALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE IN ONE CHURCH... A/T CAMPBELL, STONE, SCOTT BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE IF:
THE BIBLE WAS THE ONLY RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE
IF WE CALLED OURSELVES CHRISTIANS ONLY, (NAME GIVEN TO US BY GOD, MEANS "BELONGING TO CHRIST")
SOME OF THEIR MOTTO’S WERE:
IN ESSENTIALS UNITY, IN MATTERS OF OPINION LIBERTY AND IN ALL THINGS LOVE...
WHERE THE BIBLE SPEAKS WE SPEAK
WHERE THE BIBLE IS SILENT WE ARE SILENT
WE/RE CHRISTIANS ONLY BUT NOT THE ONLY CHRISTIANS...
LET’S LOOK AT THESE 7 FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINES THAT PAUL FIRES OFF IN RAPID SUCCESSION IN JUST 3 VERSES.....
A. ONE BODY
THERE IS TO BE ONE BODY NOT MANY....ONE CHURCH NOT MANY... DENOMINATIONS ARE NOT OF GOD.... DID YOU NO THAT THE WORD DENOMINATIONS MEANS, "TO DIVIDE AND NAME" >>> NOW HOW CAN SOMETHING THAT MEANS TO DIVIDE AND NAME PROMOTE UNITY... IT CAN’T -- IT DOESN’T.
NOT ONLY DOES THE ONE BODY RULE OUT DENOMINATIONS; IT ALSO RULES OUT PRIDE...
PAUL IN THE 12TH CHAPTER OF CORINTHIANS REALLY GOES INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE ONE BODY. HOW EACH PART OF THE BODY IS IMPORTANT.. HOW THE EYE CAN’T SAY I DON’T NEED THE EAR BECAUSE THEN WHERE WOULD THE SENSE OF HEARING BE -- HOW THE EAR CAN’T SAY I DON’T NEED THE EYE BECAUSE THEN WHERE WOULD THE SENSE OF SEEING BE... EACH PART OF THE BODY IS IMPORTANT AND THEREFORE NO ONE HAS ANY RIGHT OR GROUNDS FOR BOASTING OR TO BE PRIDEFUL...
(NURSERY, PULPIT,CLEANING)
B. ONE SPIRIT
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH INDWELLS US, INTERCEDES FOR AND CONVICTS >> AND WHICH SEEKS TO GUIDE US IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS... PRODUCING IN US THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF CONTROL...
IF WE SEEK THE SPIRIT’S GUIDANCE AND NOT THE GUIDANCE OF THE OLD SINFUL SPRINT OF THIS WORLD (WHO TELLS US TO LOOK OUT FOR #1/HAVE OUR OWN WAY) WE WILL HAVE UNITY..
C. ONE HOPE
THERE IS ONE HOPE FOR THE CHRISTIAN... JESUS CHRIST.
(NOTHING LESS >> ANYTHING ELSE IS LESS..)
BUT UNFORTUNATELY MANY EVEN IN THE CHURCH HAVE SET THEIR HOPE IN DIFFERENT PLACES; MATERIAL THINGS, WEALTH, PLEASURE, PERSONAL GLORY >>> AND THE REASON WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM IS THAT DIFFERENT HOPES SENDS PEOPLE OUT IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH DIFFERENT PRIORITIES.....
CAN YOU SEE HOW IF WE TRULY HAD ONE HOPE IT WOULD PROMOTE UNITY...
D. ONE FAITH
THIS ONE FAITH DOES NOT REFER TO THE ACT OF BELIEVING, BUT TO THE BODY OF DOCTRINE IN WHICH WE BELIEVE. THE EARLY CHURCH RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS BODY OF BASIC DOCTRINE THAT THEY TAUGHT, GUARDED AND COMMITTED TO OTHERS...(2 TIM 2:2)
JUDE CALLS IT, "THE FAITH THAT WAS ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS..." (JUDE 3)
IT FOR THIS FAITH THAT PAUL TOLD US IN PHILIPPIANS 1:27, "TO CONTEND FOR AS ONE MAN, NOT BEING FRIGHTENED BY THOSE WHO OPPOSE US..."
AND GOD HAS A HARSH CONDEMNATION FOR ANYONE WHO DEVIATED FROM THIS FAITH, "BUT EVEN IF WE OR AN ANGEL FORM HEAVEN SHOULD PREACH A GOSPEL OTHER THAN THE ONE WE PREACHED, LET HIM BE ETERNALLY CONDEMNED.." GALATIANS 1:8
THE BIBLE IS WHAT WE ARE TO GO BY.... AND MANY OF THE TEACHINGS THAT HAVE DIVIDED AND ARE DIVIDING THE CHURCH TODAY
INTO SO MANY DIFFERENT SEGMENTS (ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO SALVATION) ARE TEACHINGS OF MEN... THEY ARE NOT FROM THE FAITH ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS..
5. ONE BAPTISM
THIS IS THE ONE OF EPHESIANS THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH ONENESS ON....
ONE MEANS ONE...
AND I AM CONVINCED THAT THE "ONE BAPTISM" PAUL IS REFERRING TO HERE IS THE BAPTISM THAT PETER PREACHED ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, THE IMMERSION INTO WATER "IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST" FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.... THE BAPTISM IN WATER WHERE GOD SAYS IN ROMANS 6 THAT WE ARE BURIED WITH CHRIST TO RAISED TO LIVE A NEW LIFE....
6. ONE LORD >>>>JESUS CHRIST....
JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD.... HE IS THE BOSS PERIOD,,,,
WHAT HE SAYS IS THE BOTTOM LINE....
*BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE FIND POPES, PROPHETS, DENOMINATIONAL CONVENTIONS, PREACHERS, ELDERS, LEADERS -- WE FIND MERE MEN WHO THINK WHAT THEY SAY IS THE BOTTOM LINE REGARDLESS OF WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY SAID...IN HIS WORD.. THERE IS 1 LORD/1 HEAD/IT’S JESUS’ CHURCH.
7. ONE GOD
"AND THERE IS ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL, WHO IS OVER ALL, THROUGH ALL AND IN ALL.."
WHEN WE CAN AGREE ON FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINES
WHEN WE ARE DEVOTED TO CHRIST-LIKE BEHAVIOR
WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO THE UNITY JESUS PRAYED FOR..
ANOTHER GREAT DRIVING FORCE FOR UNITY IS WHEN WE ARE:
UNITED THROUGH OUR COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL SERVICE
SEVERAL VERSES AND PHASES IN OUR TEXT TALK ABOUT SERVICE....
"...TO PREPARE GOD’S PEOPLE FOR SERVICE, SO THAT THE BODY OF CHRIST MAY BE BUILT UP..." (12)
"FROM HIM THE WHOLE BODY, JOINED AND HELD TOGETHER BY EVERY SUPPORTING LIGAMENT, GROWS AND BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE, AS EACH PART DOES IT’S WORK.." (16)
GOD CALLS ALL BELIEVERS TO MINISTER TO THE WORLD AND TO THE CHURCH... SERVICE IN THE BODY ISN’T OPTIONAL FOR CHRISTIANS. IN GOD’S ARMY, THERE ARE NO VOLUNTEERS - HE’S DRAFTED ALL OF US INTO HIS SERVICE.
TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO BE LIKE JESUS. JESUS SAID, "FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN DID COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM OF MANY..." SERVICE AND GIVING ARE THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTLIKE LIFESTYLE AND CHRIST EXPECTS THEM OF EVERY BELIEVER...
A CHRISTIAN WHO DOESN’T SERVE IS LIKE A LIGHT THAT DOESN’T SHINE - SALT THAT ISN’T SALTY - WATER THAT ISN’T WET; (USELESS)
NOW, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT OUR MINISTRY FOR THE LORD IS....? HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO...
HEAR ME, THERE IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION, A BAD TEACHING THAT BASICALLY SAYS THAT WHEN WE BECAME A CHRISTIAN GOD GIVES US A GIFT OR TALENT TO USE FOR HIM -- IT IS INFUSED IN US.... AND OUR JOB IS TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS, SO WE CAN USE IT.
LET ME ASK YOU IS THAT HOW WE FIND GOD ACTING IN SCRIPTURE? NO GOD DOESN’T PLAY GAMES LIKE THAT... WHEN GOD CALLS A MAN HE TELLS HIM WHAT TO DO.... (ISIAH, JEREMIAH, MOSES, PAUL..ETC)
WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN EVERY CHRISTIAN IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE HIM.... JESUS SAYS HERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN SERVE ME IN MY KINGDOM (TEACH, PREACH, GIVE, ADMINISTRATION, BUILDING ..ETC) AND WE ARE SERVE IN THE WAY THE BEST MATCHES OUR TALENTS, ABILITIES AND DESIRES....
JUST AS IN OUR PHYSICAL BODY EACH PART MUST DO IT’S WORK FOR THE BODY TO FUNCTION PROPERLY...SO IT IN THE CHURCH WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST..
HOW DOES A COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL SERVICE HELP ATTAIN UNITY?
IF WE ARE ALL BUSY WORKING ; WE DON;T HAVE TIME TO SIT AROUND AND CRITICIZE OTHERS
IF WE ARE ALL DOING OUR PART THE SAME PEOPLE ARE NOT OVERWORKED, TIRED FRUSTRATED ABOUT CARRYING AROUND A LOT OF DEAD WEIGHT...
LASTLY WE CAN HELP ATTAIN UNITY WHEN WE ARE:
UNITED THROUGH OUR DEDICATION TO A COMMON PURPOSE
WHAT IS THE COMMON PURPOSE THAT SHOULD UNITE US?
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH?
TO GROW AND BUILD OURSELVES UP IN LOVE (LOVE IS IMPORTANT; BY THIS ALL MEN......)
WHEN THE BODY OF CHRIST GROWS PEOPLE ARE BEING FREED FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN AND FROM ETERNAL CONDEMNATION AND LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED....FOR THE BETTER
PAGE 16 PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH...
WE ARE GOING A RETREAT THE FIST WEEKEND IN APRIL 10 MEN ARE ATTENDING... IT IS I HOPE THE FIRST STEP IN THE GREATEST REVIVAL ETCC HAS EVER SEEN.... WE ARE NOT THE CHURCH GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE...
AND OUR GOAL AT THIS RETREAT IS DETERMINE TO BE A PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH.... WE ARE READING AN EXCELLENT BOOK CALLED THE PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH -- GROWTH WITHOUT COMPROMISING YOUR MESSAGE.....
HOW CAN OUR DEDICATION TO A COMMON PURPOSE HELP THERE BE UNITY...
WHEN WE HAVE THE SAME GAOL/PURPOSE IT OVERRIDES EVERYTHING ELSE... IN WAR YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE GUY IN THE FOXHOLE WITH YOU TO BE UNITED... YOU ARE UNITED BY 1 PURPOSE AND ONE GOAL...
THE STORY IS TOLD OF A TIME WHEN A LITTLE CHILD IN AN AFRICAN VILLAGE WANDERED OFF INTO THE TALL JUNGLE GRASS AND COULD NOT BE FOUND. ALTHOUGH THE TRIBE LOOKED AND SEARCHED ALL DAY AND NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY THE TRIBAL MEMBERS ALL HELD HANDS AND WALKED THROUGH THE GRASS TOGETHER. THIS ENABLED THEM TO FIND THE CHILD, BUT DUE TO THE COLD NIGHT HE HAD NOT SURVIVED. IN HER ANGUISH AND THROUGH HER TEARS, THE MOTHER CRIED, "IF ONLY WE WOULD HAVE HELD HANDS SOONER..."
IT IS NOT ENOUGH THAT WE ALL SHARE A COMMON PURPOSE. WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER WITHOUT HESITATION TO MAKE IT A REALITY...
