EPHESIANS 4:1-16
September 24, 2006
New Covenant EPC
“KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT” Part 3
Body Life - The Book of Ephesians
I. The last 2 weeks we have been focusing on this “Keep the Unity of the Spirit”
A. Two weeks ago
1. (vs 1-3) Live up to your calling - humble, gentle, bearing with one another, keep unity of spirit bond of peace
2. (vs 4-6) Unity because of the Reality of our oneness in God
B. Last Week
1. (vs 7-11) Unity with diversity of gifts, talents, experiences.
2. (Display vs 12-13) Purpose of diversity and unity is for the body to do works of service and the building up the body to become the fullness Christ intended.
II. Verse 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
A. Kimberly D. Malkogainnis, Copperton, Utah. Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."
1. It wasn’t until my 14-year-old son, Leon, answered the telephone one afternoon that I realized how quickly he had grown.
2. "Hello?" he said, in his ever-deepening voice.
3. Then he handed the receiver to me. "Who is it?" "Someone ..." Leon replied matter-of-factly, "... who wants to talk to my wife."
B. (vs 14) Warning - do not be infants - “I want my own way” and being easily swayed and deceived.
1. Besides being cute, what to infants really act like?
a. They want diaper changed for them, they want to be held, they want to be played with, they want to be fed when they want to be fed, they like being a mess.
b. You get the picture. As infants, they want what they want.
2. Infant believers are tossed back and forth by their own desires and impulses.
a. Their focus is upon themselves and not the betterment of the church.
b. Those who try to splinter the church are themselves full of splinters.
c. Those who gossip, slander and use pronouns like, “him” “her” “you” “them” are hurting spiritually and mentally.
d. They are immature thinking that the church ought to revolve around their views and their opinions and their wants.
3. A self centered person has only themselves as a rock and fortress.
a. It is when we set our personal wants and desires down and submit to the Lord in all things that we find the rock to stabilize our lives.
b. Our lives no longer revolve around us but Christ.
c. His wants and desires become preeminent.
d. We want to serve our Master who is the Groom and His bride the Church. We have a submissive spirit.
4. Roberta Hestenes in Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 4. “Maturity is pressing toward the mark; immaturity is complacency and self-satisfaction.”
C. Leroy Eims in The Lost Art of Disciple Making. Leadership, Vol. 5, no.
1. One spring our family was driving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, Florida.
a. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit.
b. When we stopped for breakfast, I ordered orange juice with my eggs.
c. "I’m sorry," the waitress said. "I can’t bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken."
2. At first I was dumbfounded.
a. We were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen--orange slices garnished our plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly.
b. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice.
c. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it.
3. Christians are sometimes like that.
a. They may be surrounded by Bibles in their homes, but if something should happen to the Sunday morning preaching service, they would have no nourishment for their souls.
b. The problem is not a lack of spiritual food--but that many Christians haven’t grown enough to know how to get it for themselves.
D. Unity in Spirit occurs as the whole body matures and disunity happens as we let the immature wreck havoc with the selfish behavior
III. Verse 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
A. “rather speak the truth in love and so we will grow into Christ”
1. Vicki Edwards, St. Charles, Missouri “It’s nice to talk with people who can make a point without impaling anyone on it.”
2. Speaking the truth in love - Boy that phrase has been used to unload a lot of unloving words on fellow Christians.
a. “I love you so much I have to tell you what is wrong with you.”
b. Speaking the truth in love has been used to blast others with our anger and resentment.
c. After all, we are called to be honest and open, right?
3. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
a. How would you want someone to speak to you in love?
b. Don’t tell me you want them to be extremely blunt and unsympathetic.
c. We would like a brother or sister to understand us.
d. Yes we are sinners just like them.
e. Yes we make mistakes but we are striving by Christ’s grace just like them to please our Lord.
4. My father always said preach 9 sermons on grace and to 1 sermon on judgment.
a. Perhaps that is a good ratio.
b. We are quick to point out others wrongs.
c. In fact in the church I think “speaking the truth in love” is mostly about criticism.
d. But really speaking the truth in love means words of exhortation as well.
5. Douglas Rumford, Leadership, Vol. 2, no. 3 Full-grown oaks are not produced in three years; neither are servants of God.
a. Words of encouragement and praise to God for the work that is being done.
b. Maybe, just maybe Speaking the truth in love means 9 praises to 1 tactful critique?
B. Notice this phrase. Speaking the truth in love, “We will grow into Him.”
1. It is very easy to come to someone and analysis them and then walk away.
2. But speaking the truth in love means we are bound together with them in a small group.
a. We are committed to be their friend.
b. True friendship builds confidence and trust.
3. Men’s morning Bible Study. Honesty, commitment.
a. I fear many within New Covenant are not experiencing the intimacy God intended.
C. Grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ
1. The preacher, the pastor, the elder, the deacon, the clerk of session, the treasurer, the Sunday school teacher are not in charge of the church.
2. The session (which includes the teaching elder and ruling elders) serves as under shepherd to the Shepherd Jesus Christ.
3. Christ is the Head. He has the plan,
a. He commands the muscles and ligaments to move. He is in charge.
b. Many churches unconsciously or consciously have tried to decapitate Christ Lordship.
c. Church becomes this party over here against this party over here vying for control of the church.
d. The parties try to get rid of this person or group.
D. J. I. Packer in Rediscovering Holiness. Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 13.
1. We grow up into Christ by growing down into lowliness. ...
a. Off-loading our fantasies of omnicompetence, we start trying to be trustful, obedient, dependent, patient, and willing in our relationship to God.
2. It is impossible at the same time to give the impression both that I am a great Christian and that Jesus Christ is a great Master.
a. So the Christian will practice curling up small, as it were, so that in and through him or her the Savior may show Himself great.
b. That is what I mean by growing downward.
IV. Verse 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (NIV)
A. Jon Mutchler, Ferndale, Washington, from AP reports (September 2000)
1. Jenny Thompson is the most decorated American woman when it comes to Olympic competition.
a. Her ten Olympic medals in swimming (in the last three Olympics) also mean that she has won more medals in swimming than any other Olympic athlete of any nation.
b. Eight of those ten medals were gold.
2. However, she didn’t win any of the golds in individual events; rather, she won them in a team event with three other swimmers.
a. As a result, some people have questioned whether Jenny’s swimming accomplishments ought to rank her with the "great" Olympic champions.
b. Ice-skating champion Bonnie Blair said recently of Jenny, ’’I wish she could feel what it’s like for an individual gold, to witness it by herself and not just as part of a team.’’
c. With ballplayers moving from team to team and demonstrating little team loyalty, Jenny is a marvelous example of a person whose genuine success came in the context of team play.
3. This is how the church should work, as well, we are a team and each member of the team is needed for each other member.
B. What would happen if the thumb would decide it was a lone ranger and cut itself off?
1. It would lose all its blood and soon die and begin to smell.
a. There are many people who call themselves Christians who have cut themselves off from the body and the Head.
b. They are dying spiritual and they do stinketh.
2. Christ created the church as His body.
a. Every part is necessary and important.
b. Every part supplies the necessary nutrients to every other part.
C. There is a little chapel in Yorkshire , England, where at the end of each pew there is a tall candlestick.
1. Each family, when it come to church brings its own candle, lights it, and sits under it mellow glow during the service.
a. If a family is absent from church, its pew goes unlighted, and the light of the entire church is diminished.
b. The candles shed their light and the darkness is pushed back.
c. Each family feels that their light is necessary, and members encourage one another to be faithful in attendance, remembering always to bring their candles.
2. There is a long shadow across individuals, our community and our world today which is going to be dispelled only if we bring our lights from far and near and set them to shining together.
a. Only then will the darkness recede.
b. Only then will groping people and nations be able to find their way to Christ and eternal with Him.
