July 9, 2017
Morning Service

We completed the study on chapter 2 with Paul just beginning to speak upon the subject of unity within the church.  He was mainly speaking of the Jews and Gentiles, but it certainly also applies very well to the church today.  It is Jesus’ blood that brought peace and unity to all believers setting us all on an equal plain before God.  He added that we are all part of the beautiful church He is building and we need to find where and how to use our talents and abilities for the edification of the whole church.  Sunday night we looked at chapter 3 and there Paul further explained how the mystery of God’s perfect plan of salvation was to be offered to “whosoever will.”  He ended this chapter with a beautiful prayer for the church (us).

Ephesians 3:14-21

·         Our walk with the Lord is so much more intimate when we know and comprehend not only His great power, but also the great love He has for us.  Once he says all that he now challenges us.

 

Ephesians 4:1-2  I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling with which you are called,  (2)  with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,

·         When we are called to follow Jesus, it comes with a responsibility to live our lives in such a manner that we represent or imitate Him well.  Our “walk” Paul speaks of here is our manner of life or how we go about our life journey.  He then describes some of the attributes we should be displaying. 

·         The NLT puts it this way:  “Be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”  Does that describe your life?  Not just here at church but also at home, work, and wherever your feet lead you.  When we truly submit it becomes a second nature to us, but it also will always be a struggle as long as we are in the flesh.  It is a battle we must fight.

·         Now again Paul turns to unity as an attribute we are to display.

Ephesians 4:3-6 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  (4)  There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling,  (5)  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  (6)  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. 

·         We as the body of Christ (church) all have our differences.  All of our paths to get to this point have been unique.  The world would use these differences to cause division, but that cannot happen in the church.  Rather than focus on our differences, Paul calls for us to focus on what we have in common.  We have “one Lord, one faith, one Father of all who is above all through all and in you all.”

·         An example would be; some may not like songs from the hymnal, or some may not like worship songs but it is not us that we are singing for it is Him.  We all sing, praise, pray to, are saved by, rely upon, have faith in, have hope in and follow the same God.  When we do those things together in unity it is far better than by ourselves and we please God in so doing.  Our strong unity actually makes our differences strength rather than a weakness.  When we walk in unity we walk worthy to our calling; a calling that ends in victory.

 

Ephesians 4:7-10 But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  (8)  Therefore He says, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men."  (9)  (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  (10) He who descended is the same also as He who ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)

·         Paul quotes Psalms 68:18 here picturing Christ as the conqueror over all things above and below.  Through His life, death, burial and resurrection the victory and our freedom from sin is full and complete.  The prophecy of the gifts He has given is now explained.

 

What has He given us?

Ephesians 4:11  And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

·         These are the gifts (tools) God has given the church to lead and shepherd it.

For what purpose were they given?

Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

·         The tools are to prepare, train, and encourage the saints (you) to do “the work of the ministry and edify the whole church.”  We all are a part of the body that functions together for one another (unity).  Older men and women teaching younger men and women what it really means to build each other up.

For how long do we need them?

Ephesians 4:13 And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

·         Our work is not done; we are not all in the unity or in the fullness of faith that we need to be.  This work will not be done until Christ returns, but we must set it as our goal; building bridges of unity and encouraging each other to grow in our spiritual maturity.  Jesus commissioned us to go and make disciples.

Why did He give them to us?

Ephesians 4:14-16  so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit.  (15)  But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; (16) from whom the whole body, fitted together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of each part, producing the growth of the body to the edifying of itself in love.

·         The tools in the church are to help us establish a strong foundation to stand on that we are not to be swayed by the many temptations the world offers to us.   They help anchor us in Christ to know the truth and speak it in love.

·          We are also called to build upon that foundation by worshiping, working and serving together.  We edify, build up, and complement each other which will cause us all to grow together.  This is the God’s plan for His church.  He knows it will work and we should trust Him.  Are you growing in your faith in God?  Is your walk with the Lord more meaningful to you now than a year ago?  If not get to work and strengthen your foundation and start to grow up into the full stature of Christ.

 

Lord, thank you for the gifts You gave to Your church and please grant us the desire to use them to grow strong in our faith and commitment to You.