Yoked Series

YOKED

Joel Gilbert / General

CommU.N.I.T.Y. / Ephesians 4:25–32; Ephesians 5:1–2

Introduction

There are organizations for people with any number of interests. Often, membership in these societies comes with an expectation for some advocacy or education, financial support, or simply awareness. Many organizations come with privileges - like newsletters, access to certain properties, information about events, discounts, and more. For example, if you are interested in

• The appreciation and preservation of seaside piers - you might want to join the National Piers Society - https://piers.org.uk/

• Tying knots - you might consider joining the International Guild of Knot Tyers - https://igkt.net/

• For the mathematically minded - consider the Dozenal Society of America - https://dozenal.org/index.html - in order to advocate for the base 12 mathematic system.

• For those with a sweet tooth - or at least a business of candy making - the American Association of Candy Technologists - https://www.aactcandy.org/ - provides an environment where candy makers can collaborate.

• Interior decorators might appreciate the Wallpaper History Society - https://www.wallpaperhistorysociety.org.uk/

• For the guys who play Santa each year at Christmas time - and have genuine white beards - there is the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas - https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmalgamatedOrder/

• For Scandinavian background attorneys, there is the The Half-Norwegian (on the Mother's Side) American Bar Association - http://lawzone.com/half-nor/

• There are traveling societies

• Sports societies

• Organizations for preservation of the weirdest things - old rectories/parsonage, follies.

• Nerdy theological associations,

• and so many more.

For some people - they look at church as being just another of these strange organizations. There are certain beliefs and traditions that are taught, promoted, and recognized. And then there is the idea of membership. What does membership really mean? What are the benefits? What are the responsibilities?

Today, we conclude our brief series on biblical community. We’ve reflected on the idea that as a church, as people who have been saved by Jesus Christ, we are

• UNITED - with one another through Jesus Christ. ?Next, Eric Bass helped us to understand some of the...

• NORMS - of our assembly that church is so much more than a building.

We also learned that we are intended to be...

• INTIMATE - There is a closeness that is intended for God’s people - involvement in each others’ lives.

Last week, we considered the idea that while we were saved at one point in time, we are a people in the process of...

• TRANSFORMING - God is doing a work in each of us - if we will let him.

Today we’re going to conclude by considering the idea that we are

• YOKED - together. In other words, as members of a church, we are really members of one another. As a result, Scripture has certain expectations of us.

Our participation in the body of Christ essentially has two major implications

• position - as members of one another

• practice - certain ethics in how we live

Let’s begin by reflecting on the idea that we are positionally -

 Members  of one another

So often, when people consider the idea of membership, they think of it as though they are joining an organization or an association. There might be a standard membership or certain dues that must be contributed.

› I remember a few years ago, when Zack was playing Lacrosse for the Olney Boys and Girls Club, that we not only had to pay fees for him to play, but we also had to volunteer a certain number of hours in the snack shack. For those who couldn’t volunteer - they had to contribute more financially to the organization. We felt like we had paid enough - so we spent some time selling candy during games. Those were some of the expectations for members/families of that organization.

But in the church, there is something a bit different. Sure, there are standards and beliefs to which each church uniquely adheres. For example, while there are similarities among all of the churches in town - there are some big theological differences. There are also different governing structures

But where things really get to be different in churches is that we’re not just members with the organization - Scripture tells us that we’re yoked together - we’re members of one another.

There are seven different times in the NT where believers are referenced as being members of one another or with each other.

• Romans 12:4-5 “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

• 1 Cor. 12:12 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”