When we talk about the renovation and revitalization of the Lord’s house, it cannot be separated from revitalizing the people as well. The people must keep focus on the mission.
There is a lost world all around us, and if we are doing anything that takes us away from the proclamation of the life giving message of the Gospel, then we need to re-evaluate what all we are doing.
Ill: In 1917 there was a conference of Russian Orthodox Bishops. Different congregations had different practices about when they used different colors to decorate their sanctuaries.
The main topic for the meeting was to come to agreement about the colors and by doing that to bring more unity to the church. At the same time that the bishops were meeting, the Russian revolution began on the streets of Petrograd. There has never been a starker example of the church focusing on the most minor of issues while failing to engage the culture and address the concerns of the people.[1]
If the church is unengaged with the people, unaware of what all is happening in the culture, and failed to take action rescuing people from hell, while arguing over the color of the new carpet, we have failed. We are called to be “Walking in the bonds of Unity” (sermon title)
In unity we will lift up one another.
In unity we will put aside our petty differences.
In unity we will agree on what needs to be done
In unity we will do the work that needs to be done. And as a result,
In unity we will reach our community with the Gospel
Ephesians 4:1–6 (NKJV)
How did Jesus say that the world will know that we are His disciples?
John 13:35 (NKJV) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is not the first time I have used this verse and it won’t be the last. We must continually remind ourselves of this fact. As the local body of Christ, we have a great responsibility to our church and to the community around us. Dis-unity will destroy that witness and mar the very imagine of Jesus we share. As we embark on this campaign to renovate and repair our church buildings, we must also make the concerted effort to love one another. There have been tragic church splits over issues less important than arguing over the color of the new carpet.
Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV) I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called
Paul was a prisoner of Rome. Writing from the Jail cell he probable understood with clarity what was important. “To walk worthy of the calling” implies heavily that our walk ought to reflect the character of the one who called us.
1 John 2:6 (NKJV) He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Does our walk reflect the walk of Jesus?
Someone asked Gandhi, the spiritual leader of India, “What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in India?” He replied, “Christians.” [2] Mahatma Gandi was also quoted to say: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” [3]
What a sad commentary on the church. Paul goes on to describe how Jesus walked and how we should be walking:
Ephesians 4:2 (NKJV) with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
Let’s break down this verse. First all, we are to walk in “all lowliness.” Other Bible translations have "humility," which is the opposite of pride. This trait was considered a vice in Greek culture. Humility was only for slaves and servants. But here, part of unity is regarding others before yourself.
Romans 12:3 (NKJV) For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
We need to realistically evaluate ourselves. Sometimes we need to grab someone old and wiser to point it out to us where our strengths and weakness lie. They are not always where we think they are.
“Gentleness” the same Greek root word is translated mean “to be meek” in other verses. Gentleness is a greatly misunderstood word. Often its meaning is taken in the same vein as weakness. But the true meaning of the word is strength under control. Something done roughly or arrogantly is strength without control. We can be gentle yet firm in our actions. We need to remember that these traits are the very traits of Jesus:
Matthew 11:29 (NKJV) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus was humble and meek, yet this is the same Jesus who threw out the money changers from the temple.
“With longsuffering” This word is patience in other translations. Means to not be swayed with emotions, but to endure with having the end in view. Someone who is longsuffering does not give up easily.
“Bearing with one another” is perhaps one of the tougher traits. Another good way to say this is to say “we put up with each other.” We need to actively put up with those in the church who irritate us the most. The NASB has “showing tolerance.”
And it all must be done “in love.” We are to actively love one another, even the hard to love ones. Remember, we are talking about our relationships within the church. If we cannot put up with one another in love within the church, how are expected to love those outside the church. This is where it gets interesting. We are not taking about being “willy nilly” and indifferent to the actions of others in the church. We are to hold each other accountable, and when necessary, to:
Ephesians 4:15a (NKJV) but, speaking the truth in love . . .
Just loving one another is not enough. This is what the world thinks. To just love and disregard the teachings of Scriptures is foolishness. Paul spent the first three chapters of Ephesians just laying down doctrine before coming to loving one another. Yes, we are to love the sinner, but that does not mean we tolerate the sin. We as fellow believers are to be in the business of building each other up in the Lord, not in the tearing down. Next week I will be discussing the building up of the church, and the Biblical word for that is “edifying.” Paul tells the church in Colossae much the same thing:
Colossians 3:12–13 (NKJV) Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
That’s a tall order, but this is how we show love for one another. We forgive and we build up. Without these, there is no unity.
Ephesians 4:3 (NKJV) endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The NIV says to “make every effort to keep unity of the Spirit.” It is the Spirit that unifies us. Here in moment we will read that we are of one Spirit. But what keeps the unity of the Spirit is being in “the bonds of peace.” All reasonable efforts must be made to keep the peace in the fellowship. To the one that continually disrupts the peace in the fellowship must be dealt with.
It is those times when everything seem to be going well that something happens, a disagreement, some feelings are hurt, and unity breaks down. This is how the devil works. He is waiting for us to relax. To drop our efforts.
Colossians 3:15 (NKJV) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
But we must individually experience the peace of God to expect to see it in the body of Christ. And we were called to one body.
Ephesians 4:4–6 (NKJV) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were 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.
Note there are seven things in which we share unity.
One body
One Spirit
One hope of your calling
One Lord
One Faith
One baptism
One God and Father of all
We are one body in Christ. We all are indwelled with the same Holy Spirit. Our one hope is the same, looking to the return of Jesus. We serve the same Lord, Jesus Christ, and Our faith is one in Him. One Baptism- which is our public confession of identifying in Jesus’ death and resurrection. And One God, who is “Our Father” is in us all. The Trinity is throughout our unity in the Body. It is these things that unite us all. No matter our differences in our skin color, cultural background, social economic standing, our position in life, we are one in all these things. – It is a supernatural unity because of our all differences. Let’s look briefly at each:
One body. 1 Corinthians 12 deals with the body. We have unity but unity is not uniformity.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV) For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
We are not the same. But God has worked us into the body for a purpose. We work together in our different parts and functions.
One Spirit: We are the dwelling place for the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 2:22 (NKJV) in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Whether it seems like it or not God’s Spirit is here. I pray we do not unduly grieve the Spirit.
One Hope of your calling. We were called just for this hope. What is our hope: Our hope is things that will come, our heavenly inheritance.
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
One Lord: Jesus is our Lord. He is the Head of the body, he is owed all that we have:
Ephesians 1:22–23 (NKJV) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
And because of Jesus, we have One Faith: There is only one settled body of truth deposited by Jesus in His church. Jesus is not a way to heaven, He is the only way. Jude tells us to contend for this faith:
Jude 3b (NKJV) exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
This faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. There is only one faith, and that faith is in Jesus and in Him alone.
One Baptism: Whether this means the baptism of the Holy Spirit of which all believers had at the moment of conversion, or the baptism which is our public confession of faith. Since Paul is here discussing the one body, this “one baptism” is probably the baptism of the Spirit, that act of the Spirit when He places the believing sinner into the body of Christ at conversion. [4]
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
One God and Father of all: This is not saying God is Father of everyone, but the Father of all the redeemed. Notice in the Lord’s prayer we were taught to say our Father, not my Father. We are children in the same family, loving and serving the same Father, so we ought to be able to walk together in unity. Just as in an earthly family, the various members have to give and take in order to keep a loving unity in the home, so God’s heavenly family must do the same. [5]
God is who is above all, and through all, and in you all. above all – above all of creation, He is the absolute sovereign of the universe and He is in all things. We cannot escape from God. But rather we are in Him, all of us who are redeemed. Considering all this, we are called to unity.
Our unity as the people of God is crucial to our witness in our community. As we repair and rebuild, we must also work on our unity
1 https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/harmony-tim-zukas-sermon-on-unity-90591?ref=SermonSerps
2 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996)
3 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/22155-i-like-your-christ-i-do-not-like-your-christians
4 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996)
5 ibid.
