February 28, 2016

Maintaining Unity

Preacher:
Series:
Passage: Ephesians 4:1-6
Service Type:

Introduction

  • First 3 chapters speak about Christian doctrine
  • Last 3 chapters speak about Christian practice
    • v1-3: a unity to be maintained
    • v4-6: a unity that exists
    • v7-16: a unity to be attained
  • Looking at v1-6 tonight
  • Last week thinking about praying big prayers and Paul's doxology
  • Therefore...
    • Having prayed this prayer for you, there is now a responsibility for you
    • Live will all lowliness, long-suffering, patience
    • Live the Christian life as God wants you to live it
  • Paul came in the authority of an apostle but he beseech's them
    • He beseech's them as a prisoner
    • His authority is in the sufferings [for Christ] for what he has been through on their behalf
  • Every letter in the New Testament speaks about unity
    • Rom 15:5-7 - One mind and one mouth
    • 1 Cor 10:17 - One bread and one body
    • John 17:21 - One in Jesus and one in God the Father
  • Do we see all believers as our brother and sister?

A Unity to be Maintained (v1-3)

Five Pillars

  1. Lowliness
    • Consider how the world thinks/works
    • Consider Jesus and the apostle Paul
    • There must be humility and not pride/arrogance
    • 1 Cor 12
  2. Gentleness
    • A wonderful value that comes from God but is undervalued today
    • Not to be confused with weakness
    • Phil 4:5
    • 1 Thess 2:7-8
    • 2 Tim 2:24-25
    • A gentle word will turn away wrath
  3. Longsuffering (patience)
    • Think of the patient learnt with and required by children
    • God is rich in mercy and slow to anger
    • We should be longsuffering with one another
  4. Bearing with others in love
    • A lot in common with longsuffering - stressing the point
    • Essential for unity to be maintained
    • Called to listen to, accept, love, not retaliate to people
  5. Endeavouring
    • A very strong word in the Greek: doing all you can with strenuous effort
    • There is Spiritual unity
    • There is a bond of peace
    • Maintain this unity and bonds

A Unity that Exists (v4-6)

  • "One" - seven times
    • One body
    • One spirit
    • One hope
    • One Lord
    • One faith
    • One baptism
    • One God and Father
  • "All" - four times (v6)
    • God and Father of all
    • Above all
    • Through all
    • In you all
  • No demoninations in those days
    • The Corinth church was beginning to divide
    • There may be schisms but there is only one true Church
    • There is only the Church of Jesus Christ
    • Paul has already taught that there is one people of God
  • One Body
    • Not uniformity, there will always be variety
    • Christ is the head and we are the members - we all have different functions
      • The local church (v11)
      • Also the universal invisible Church of Jesus Christ [the wider/global church]
      • We are not in competition with other churches
  • One Spirit
    • Many of these people were brought out of spiritism
    • There is one mighty Holy Spirit who is God
    • Every child has the Spirit of God
    • All [true] churches are Spirit filled
  • One Hope
    • All going home to one place
    • All united in their hope in Jesus Christ
    • Eph 1:18 - to know this hope of His calling
  • One Lord
    • There is no other Saviour but Jesus Christ
    • There are no other gods that can save
    • 1 Cor 8:6 - there is only one God and Father, there is only one Lord Jesus Christ
    • We do not follow men (even great Christians)
  • One Faith
    • One doctrine - one gospel
    • One objective faith
    • Jude v3 - "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"
    • What is the one faith?
      • Paul is speaking about the central tenants of the gospel
        • Born in sin, fallen short of the glory of God
        • The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, living a sinless life
        • Died and was raised from the dead
        • Heaven and hell
        • Only by faith that you are saved
      • We will disagree in minor things
  • One Baptism
    • Not the mode (or details) of baptism
    • What baptism signifies
      • That you have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ
      • Declaring that you are a believer in Jesus and a part of the church
      • 1 Cor 10:1-2
      • 1 Cor 12:13
  • One God and Father of all
    • The Trinity: One Spirit, One God, One Father
    • God the Father is above all - even Jesus Christ (who put Himself under God the Father)
    • The Father is near to His children
    • The Father works in His children
    • John 14:23 [not v24]

Closing Remarks

  • Quote from John Scott
  • Example from marriage
  • Sadly there have been schisms in the church
  • The devil has twisted people's thinking
  • May we at Tabor maintain the unity that we have and walk in love
  • Let us remember that the things that unite us are greater than the things that divide us
  • Maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
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