Unity in the Local Congregation

1. Unity in the Local Congregation Ephesians 4:1-6

2. Two Parts -- Ephesians 4:1-6 • What You Do, vs. 1-3 • What God Does or Provides, vs. 4-6

3. 6 Things You Do for Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 1. Walk Worthy of God’s Calling You

4. 1. Walk Worthy of His Calling • Paul mentions often – 1 Thess 2:12, Phil 1:27, Col 1:10 – so it is crucial • The walk starts at baptism – Rom 6:4 “newness” • So our walk is different than before – Rom 8:4 • There is always a tension between our spirit (mind, disposition before God) and our flesh (desires). Rom 7:14-25 • Living after spirit (8:4) is to live, not as we want (desire) but with a disposition, determination to follow God. Expressed in Eph 5:8 – “as children of light.” Expressed in Gal 2:20 – “crucified but live”

5. 1. Walk Worthy of His Calling • Different Walk than Before (cont’d) • 2 Cor 5:7 “by Faith, not by sight . . .” • Hold True to The Walk the Father Directs You Take – Phil 3:16 The Path of Unity: • Start newness of life in baptism • Have disposition to follow God (after the spirit) • As a child of light, alive in Christ - not in self • Walk by faith, not by sight • Walk by the same rule (walk the same path, as God directs)

6. 1. Walk Worthy of His Calling Titus 2:10 We “adorn the doctrine of God . . . in every respect.” You are one of the “holy brothers (adelphoi), who share in the heavenly calling . . .” Hebrews 3:1 Adelphoi – “a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother” Hebrews 2:11– Christ “is not ashamed to call them brothers” (adelphoi, lit. means He calls us “family.”)

7. 6 Things You Do for Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 • Walk Worthy of His Calling • With Lowliness

8. 2. Walk With Lowliness • Tapeinophrosune • Lit. means “a mind not rising far from the ground.” --Yielding to the Sovereignty of God. Falling flat before Him in adoration. --Rom 12:3, Phil. 2:3 Seeing others as better, higher, more important than self. Walk with Lowliness of Mind

9. 6 Things You Do for Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 • Walk Worthy of His Calling • With Lowliness • With Gentleness

10. 3. Walk with Gentleness • Also called “meek.” Strength under control. • A meek horse is a mighty, powerful animal that has been brought under control. • Matt. 11:29 – Jesus is gentle. • 1 Thess. 2:7 – Paul is gentle. • Preachers are commanded to be gentle, 2 Tim. 2:24-26 Walk with Gentleness.

11. 6 Things You Do for Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 • Walk Worthy of His Calling • With Lowliness • With Gentleness • With Longsuffering

12. 4. Walk with Longsuffering • Not to lose patience with Christians, no matter how ugly they are to us. • Like God toward us, 2 Peter 3:9. • Not willing that any should perish. • Like God grieving, Gen 6:5,6, and waiting, 1 Peter 3:20 • You willing to suffer as He did? Grieved at heart? Walk with Longsuffering.

13. 6 Things You Do for Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 • Walk Worthy of His Calling • With Lowliness • With Gentleness • With Longsuffering • Forbearing with Each Other in Love

14. 5. Forbearing with Each Other in Love • Anechomai: “To put up with, to carry, to bear with, to hold up, . . .” • Whenever there are differences or problems, we bear with each other. We show tolerance. • But oppose sin. Rom 16:17,18; Titus 1:11 • Done in a spirit of love (so not just putting up with the brother grudgingly). Leave Room for Each Other’s Mistakes.

15. Forbearing with Each Other in Love 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

16. 6 Things You Do for Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 • Walk Worthy of His Calling • With Lowliness • With Gentleness • With Longsuffering • Forbearing with Each Other in Love • Endeavoring to be Unified

17. 6. Endeavoring to Keep the Unity • Spoudazo • Working earnestly, Being Diligent, Making Haste, Taking Earnest Care, Exert Yourself • Example: 2 Tim 4:9-13, 21 • “hurry up” • Example: Gal 2:10 • “was forward to do” “was zealous to do” “was eager to do” Work Hard to Be Unified.

18. 6. Work Hard to Keep the Unity • Implies that this is something you can/will do – not something God does for you. • “Keep” indicates that this is an everyday, everytime, ongoing project, not something done once. (e.g., housekeeping, groundskeeping) • Something not to be taken for granted. • Something God commands. • Whether I want to or not. Work Hard to be Unified.

19. 6. Unified In the Bond of Peace • Ephesians 4:3 • Bond = Sundesmos. Lit., “with a chain.” • Peace ties us together. • Sundesmos is used of ligaments, which join muscle to bone and hold bodies together. • Unity is not a desire of Jesus, but His demand John 17:20, 21-23. He has given us glory!

20. Unity, What I Can Do I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3

21. God’s Platform for Unity The Structure that God Provides so We can be United Eph 4:4-6

22. God’s Platform for Unity • One Body • One Spirit • One Hope • One Lord • One Faith • One Baptism • One God and Father of all

23. Lesson 1 and 2 Jesus Prayed for Unity Paul Commanded Unity

24. Interesting Points • In doctrine, being united means we all speak the same thing in the local church. • In outlook (judgment), we forego our preferences for the sake of unity in the local church. • In outlook, we defer to others’ preferences. • If a local church divides, then at least one person is not conducting self as a believer.

25. Lesson 3 & 4 Unity is Achievable when We Remain within the God-Revealed Standard (the Bible) Division is Simple if a Church Goes Beyond What God Says

26. Your Job as Christian • Handle the Bible Properly 2 Tim 2:15 • Some things you will never know Deut 29:29. Don’t guess what you don’t know. • But what you can know is given for your benefit, also Deut 29:29. Trust and Live By This Information. • What you can know is the very Mind of God, 1 Cor2:8-13.

27. Contrast Attitudes 2 Timothy 2:15 1 TimOTHY 1:3-11 • Handles Word Properly • v3 Teach strange doctrines (hetero didaskanei) • v4 Devoted selves to controversies (myth, genealogy) • v5 Left sincerity • v7 Affirm what they don’t know

28. Your Job as Christian • Handle the Bible Properly 2 Tim 2:15 • Some things you will never know Deut 29:29 • But what you can know is given for your benefit, also Deut 29:29 • What you can know is the very Mind of God, 1 Cor 2:8-13 • Be United with Christians in more than teaching and practice Phil 3:16 • Be united in your living, in your dreams for the future, in your challenges faced & hopes realized.

29. United – Phil 3:16 • KJV – “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.“ • NKJV –“Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” • ASV –“only, whereunto we have attained, by that same [rule] let us walk.” • ESV, RSV –“only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

30. United – Phil 3:16 • KJV – “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.“ • NKJV –“Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” • ASV –“only, whereunto we have attained, by that same [rule] let us walk.” • ESV, RSV –“only let us hold true to what we have attained.” Don’t Go Backwards

31. United & Not Going Backwards Why we are going forward: • Because Phil 4:3 – he is a “true companion,” a “yoke fellow.” Paul and they were companions, strongly united, working together, bound together (chained together in love - Eph 4:3) • Because 1 Cor 3:9 – You are God’s fellow workers. God is working, you are working w/ Him. But here, God w/ you! • Because 3 John 8, we work w/ the Truth.

32. United & Not Going Backwards Hebrews 11:39 “But we are not of those who draw back to destruction, but of those who trust to the saving of the soul.”

33. Stay within the Realm of God’s Word • God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. Exodus 3:8 Division occurs when we seek to go beyond what is written in the Bible. In this instance, for example, if we speculate that it was a hickory bush, or if we speculate that it was an oak bush, then we are going beyond what is written.

34. Stay within the Realm of God’s Word • Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. John 3:1-5 Division occurs when we seek to go beyond what is written in the Bible. In this instance, for example, if we speculate that the reason he came by night was because he was working too hard to come in the day time, then we are going beyond what is written.

35. Stay within the Realm of God’s Word • Paul had a thorn in the flesh. 2 Cor. 12:7 Division occurs when we seek to go beyond what is written in the Bible. In this instance, for example, if we speculate that this thorne was that he had a speech impediment or weak eyes, then we are going beyond what is written.

36. Stay within the Realm of God’s Word • We are saved by grace. Eph 2:8 Division occurs when we seek to go beyond what is written in the Bible. In this instance, for example, if we speculate that salvation is “wholly by grace alone,” then we are going beyond what is written.

37. Stay within the Realm of God’s Word • Salvation is by faith. Romans 5:1 Division occurs when we seek to go beyond what is written in the Bible. In this instance, for example, if we speculate that salvation is by “faith alone,” then we are going beyond what is written.

38. For Unity, Do Not Go Beyond What is Written in the Bible 2 John 9 “Whoever transgresses and abides not in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” How can you and I be united if I go beyond the Bible?