Sermon: "Laboring For Unity In A Divided World”

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.