Kopano: The Gospel that Makes us One| Unity

Text: Ephesians 4:1-6

Preacher: Thobezweni Sithole

Transcript

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If you walk the streets of Johannesburg from Rosebank to all the way to downtown, you'll realize that you're constantly surrounded with people. Reminds me of Alex Osoweto, 7 p.m. There's no such thing as a quiet street. It's just a buzz. It's just there's life there. There's a huge surrounding of people. Perhaps if you have lived in a complex like myself, or there's been a complex actually on the news, uh Kikuyu. Kikuyu has hundreds and hundreds of people living there. Or maybe thousands. I don't, I don't know. It's just like they've they've just stacked people into these uh apartments and residential areas and their security gates. The only time they were united was when they were uh complaining or toy-toying over water. But uh other than that, there's a sense in which um as much as we are living in this world full of people, uh, if you've been in a commuter of a taxi, you'll be stacked into a taxi for former Stalisa and a taxi that would load like maybe 15 people, and there you are ni 22 in the taxi. Uh uh there's always people around us. That's that's the point I'm trying to drive here. But there's there's this tension that we we we live with, even with the uh multitudes of people in this area called uh Joburg or Chaudem for that matter. That when you walk into an elevator at your complex, there's this awkward smile, and then you avoid eye contact. If someone is an elevator, just smile and then you avoid eye contact. There's a sense of which we we avoid that because there's a rush in our lives, there's a there's a lot of people in our lives, but at the same time, we are lonely. We we we desperately need people, yet we instinctively hide from people. You you you perhaps have been living in a kikuyu and uh having been surrounded by a lot of people, but you don't even know your neighbor. Our friends, our hearts ache to to be known, to be accepted, yet we are terrified of being vulnerable. That that that that the vulnerability that is required to be in community with people is is is terrifying. The vulnerability that is required for us to be in community and be united is a is a is a terrifying reality. And and my question as I've been preparing the sermon is why is that the case? Because, friends, our hearts are infected by pride and self-protection. We we buy into the cultural lie of self-sufficiency, convincing ourselves we don't need anyone. From a cultural point, this this idea of umuntu muntu gabuntu, we've thrown that away because now umuntu muntu. We've moved away from the ideology even in our culture of Izanza Zia Kezana, meaning one hand washes another. This this communical the this communal aspect of our African culture as people in general. We we've even divorced ourselves from that. Why, friends? Because we worship our reputations, we we wear masks so that people don't see our flaws. We we demand control, insisting that relationships only happen on our own terms. If they don't happen in our own terms, what do we do? We cut people off. We we we we we long for a sense of unity. We we we even sang jingles in the early 90s for those of you who are early 90s, maybe not early 90s. We sang jingles, yes, Sean. We sang jingles called Simung, yeah. We are one. There was a jingle on SAVC Ohan. That was the framework after apartheid post-1994. Simon, yeah, we are one. But somehow, over time, we lost that. Our pride constantly fractures the very community we crave for. If if you have ever felt the ache for deep enough, for for for for authentic community, uh, I really want you to look at Ephesians 4 today. With that lens. That the apostle Paul here is writing from a prison cell, he he is giving us a breathtaking vision for a new kind of human community, a a true copano. That that even as Mandela was uh saying, we are the Rainbow nation, we we we we had commissions, truth and reconciliation commissions, yet we feel, friends, the the fragmentation of our society. Not only from a racial point, but even from a cultural point. Even from uh, as Tabombeki would use the language of Pan-African point. If it's not racism or uh it's it's xenophobia, if it's not xenophobia, it's it's Zulucentrism or tribalism if it's not that it's gender divides, we we're speaking at each other, we we're not having conversations. And friends, the the idea of copano, the idea of hum unity, Paul will show us that it can only be achieved by the gospel. We may try in our own efforts, we may try to have policies around that, but true unity, friends, is in light of what, friends, the gospel. That people like you and me are sitting together in this room as one humanity. That's a miracle. That's what only God can, friends, do. Let's jump in. So um I I basically structured the text backwards. So we're gonna start from verse four to six and then move into um um verse one and then land um with with actually not moving to verse one. I beg your pardon. I said backwards, move into two to three, and then land with verse one. The first point is friends, the foundation of our unity. Look at it quickly. Verse um four to six. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. Friends, the Bible never gives us a list of things to do without showing us what God has already done. We cannot understand how to live out, friends, this idea of Christian unity until we realize that we do not manufacture it. It's God who does the unifying work. Look at the text quickly. There's there's a jump beat there of one, one, one. About seven times Paul hammers that word one. He he's grounding our unity in the very nature of who God is. One spirit, one Lord, that's Jesus Christ, one God and Father. Paul is making a massive theological claim here. The true Christian unity is a spiritual reality that is a given, friends. It is not an organizational thing, it's it's not structured around policy, policies that you build. It is a reality that Christ has already created. You you can no more split the true church than you can split the Holy Trinity. Because, friends, we share one Savior. We we we we who are washed, he has washed us, friends. We we are in this one spirit who who dwells in us, and us in him. We have this one father who has adopted us. Our unity, friends, cannot be destroyed. Our unity cannot be destroyed. In other words, friends, how you apply this foundation is that this means when you look across the room, across this room, across look at the person next to you, look at the person behind you, you you realize that the only reason you are together today is not because of your text brackets. I always say this. Your political backgrounds. Friends, the gospel dismantles all of those things, all of those earthly divisions, the gospel dismantles that. The idea that you you you only mingle with people who are like you, the gospel dismantles that. Our unity is not thin. It's well-founded. You you you you're looking across the room, you you are looking at a brother, you are looking at a sister. We are a family, a family united by a triune God. Well, I'm irritable, I'm irritating to you, we'll get to that just now. We are a family. We we have to fight for the unity. It's not something you you walk out of, it's not a WhatsApp group you exit. It's not a person you unfriend on social media. We are a family. And Paul, as I've said before, this is a cyclic letter. The letter to Ephesus is a cyclic letter. They saw themselves like that. We are one church, you we are the body of Christ. Again, when we read further, Paul will speak about the idea of not being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, kind of uh saying that there is a distinction. Not everyone who says Christian is Christian. So there are measures, there are distinctions. But those who who profess Christ, who profess this one body, who profess this one spirit, this one hope, this one Lord, this one faith, this one baptism, this one God and Father, all of those are our brothers and sisters. It's not limited to Ms. Church. In other words, friends, we we I speak to a lot of church planters like, man, you can plant a church next door, we'll pray for you. Because we are one team. It's not chiefs and pirates, it's one team. We are fighting against uh the kingdom of darkness as we proclaim the gospel, as people come to the faith. We we are in one team, we we celebrate that together. That's why, friends, we are part of a global community of the church. That's why we we have the apostles' creed. That this this is the tenants of the faith that we believe together with a whole lot of Christians across time, the invisible church, as it were, across history, across racial lines, across cultural lines, across history. We are one body, we are one church. Friends, we need to understand this in light of this that because friends, we came here by the exact same sheer grace. God has brought us here by the exact same sheer grace. What is common by all of what is common about all of us is that we are sinners. What is common about all of humanity is that humanity is sinful, it's broken, this the sin, this fragmentation. That's why this unity project cannot be a human project. It's God reconciling people to himself through his son Jesus Christ. That's the plan. To create this one new humanity. That's what's common about all of us. But the miracle is that we are sinners saved by grace. So as someone comes in trying to figure this Christian thing out, walking into this room, like you'll hear some language of thee, thou, and others, hey man, what's up? You know, there's a diversity that that is that is in the room. But but there's a sense in which all of us understand that I say this every week. The ground before the cross is what? Is level. One body, the church is not many disconnected spiritual groups, but one living body united to Christ the head. Though we we come from different backgrounds, in Christ we belong to one family. One spirit, the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, now dwells in every believer. He is the divine presence who binds the church together and produces unity amongst us. He keeps the bond of peace. One hope. All Christians, friends, share the same future hope, the full renewal of creation and eternal life with Jesus Christ. No matter our circumstances today, our destiny is the same glorious inheritance. In other words, as someone is wrestling with assurance and wrestling with just strife and suffering and difficulty, you point them to this one hope you carry. Whether it's it's a loss of a loved one, you point them to this one hope you carry. One Lord, Jesus Christ alone is the Lord and the King of the Church. Our unity is not built around a personality, a culture, a preference, but around our shared allegiance to Jesus Christ. One faith. This refers, friends, to this shared gospel we believe. The good news of Jesus' death and resurrection for sinners. This it is this common confession that unites believers across nations and generations. One baptism. Baptism marks our entrance into this visible community of Christ and signifies our union with him in his death and resurrection. It reminds us that we all came into a family of God the same way by grace. But also it identifies the covenant community. This people of God. From the youngest to the oldest who are families, our covenant children have are baptized, yes, into this community. The word is catechized. We teach them the truth of God's word. We pray with them as part of this uh community. We don't say to our kids, well now you are going to hell. Our father, my father. No, no, you don't have to say our father, you you're not there yet. You you teach them as God's covenant children. And one day we we pray that this this this truth, this mark, this sign is is confirmed. That we pray that they they they believe this truth for themselves as they grow older. One baptism. Friends, there's nothing new here. There's nothing new in the in this in this reality that we we painting. That friends, the foundation of our unity is is is timeless truth that has that has been given to us by God. Our foundation is God Himself. Number two, friends, the character that protects our unity. Look at verse 2 to 3. The character that protects our what? Our unity. With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Friends, because God has made us one, how then do we treat one another? It's a question you need to think about. Because God has made us what? One. How do we treat one another? Again, this is not to say we are perfect. It's actually to say we are a mess. But how do you deal with the mess? We are a mess. And you'll see it in verse 2 and 3. Paul tells us we we must walk with what? With humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Paul doesn't give us a church growth program here or a new organizational chart. He he gives us character. He targets the very pride and self-protection that keeps us isolated in the city. That's why I say we are we are a mess. With humility and gentleness, that's that that assumes there's an issue of pride there. With gentleness, that assumes there's an issue of uh again, when I'm loud, I'm not like uh being a bully, right? But it but it assumes something of that nature. With patience, that that assumes that there are people you're gonna who are gonna irritate you with bearing one another in love. That assumes that there are people who are unbearable. You need to bear with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit. He he targets, friends, these very things that isolate us from community. You see, friends, humility is is this is this idea of having the mind of Christ. It's not thinking less of yourself, it it is this humble recognition of the immense God-given word of the person sitting next to you. It it shatters, friends, our idol of reputation. They're gonna know me, I'm gonna show them. It dismantles the idol of reputation. In fact, it dismantles this idea of of showing up to show others down. The mind of Christ in Philippians gives us a picture of regarding others more significant than yourself. That's humility. Gentleness, friends, is is not weakness. This this this the the Greek word here implies a sense of a strength that is that is in control, a strength that is under control. It means, friends, dealing with the flaws of others with soft encouragement rather than hard bullying. Have you tried to be soft? Because, friends, the idea of being soft, you think no, if I'm soft, they're gonna take advantage of me. They're gonna think less of me. But gentleness, friends, is is is a soft encouragement. Parents, have you tried to soft parenting? No, you whip them, right? Friends, the heart of Christ is described in the Bible. The only time it's described, he's gentle and lowly at heart. He's not repulsive, he he He's compassionate. He's got piles of mercy. He moves towards the strugglers. He moves towards the mess. He doesn't shudder or lean away from the mess. He leans into it. With gentleness. May the Lord help us. Walk with gentleness. With patience and forbearance. The idea here is this. It means I heard a long English word in one of the commentaries, long souled. Right? It says you have to have a long soul. But I was like, no, maybe the better word is have a longer fuse. If you are short fused, have a longer fuse. That's patience and forbearance. Don't be short-fused. Be long souled. Have a longer fuse. Because, friends, we are a fellowship of saved but struggling sinners. We will irritate each other. But forbearance means we stick with people. We don't cut people off. We actively absorb their flaws out of a deep Christ-like love. We absorb them. It doesn't mean we tolerate them, we address issues. We walk with them in love. But we are long so we are long-fused. I don't know if you think it's a word. I know short fuse, but long fuse. We have to be long-fused people. And friends, the posture in which we do it is with eagerness. One of um kind of a counselor identifies this word of eager with a sense of like it implies a fierce, passionate effort. We must fight for this community. We must fight for humility. We must fight for gentleness. We must must fight for forbearance and patience. We must fight, friends, for all of these. We must fight for our unity. The biblical counselor at Welsh makes this point. He paints this beautiful um picture, this window that will give us what it looks like in practice to fight for it. And I want to read it to you. I want you to listen to it and ask yourself if you long for this kind of unity in your life in the church. Listen quick quickly. He says, Imagine an interconnected group of people who entrust themselves to each other. You can speak of your pain and someone responds with compassion and prayer. You can speak of your joys and someone shares in them with you. You can even ask for help with sinful struggles and someone prays with you, offers hope and encouragement from scripture, and sticks with you until sin no longer seems to have the upper hand. There's openness, there's freedom, there's friendship. It's not trite responses, but it's a Jesus-focused community that is that is the flavor of those relationships. The idea of caring for one another. I really think our community would be different if people could show up as themselves. Hey man. I said, hey man. You don't need to walk into church having it all together. I know Rosebank, one of the ladies, Ruth, Ruth works for CD2C, is like, yeah, Rosebank is bougie. Friends, if you're not bougie, it's fine. Walk in as you are. If you're ironing dinner, just just put on your tracksuit and come. It's not a performance culture. It's caring for one another and walking with each other. From a point of pain and a point of joy. Lastly, friends, the calling that regulates our lives. I referred to it already. Verse 1 says, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. I know Neo said it's a home run someone. No, it's just like, guys, we're taking it easy, right? It's I was like, No, what are you saying? But but the finality of this text, if you if you look at it closely, it's it's it's the practical outworkings of the identity that has been uh preached by Paul from chapter 1, verse 1. It's it's now saying, Man, I urge you to walk in a many a manner that is consistent or worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Paul is begging us to bring our daily work into balance with who we already are. The word worthy is a is a word that is rooted in that idea of balance, of of weight, of of of of of consistency. Paul is saying, look at the immense weight of the of the grace of God that has been poured into you. Look at the fact that he chose you, redeemed you, and adopted you into his family. Look at the heaviness of that. Now let that weight of the grace dictate then the way you walk into your office space. It's so weighty. Let that be the the the what strengthens your walk, not your CV, not your abilities or lack thereof. It's kind of saying lean in more into who you are. It's weighty enough to carry you out of into your office, into your 9 to 5, into those spreadsheets, the way you talk to your spouse, the the way you you bear your your your your your with your church family. The grace, the gospel is weighty enough to propel you into that. We don't act humbly and gently to earn God's love. We already have it. We live this way in light of the weightiness of the salvation we already have. That's the word worthy. The gospel has has tilted the balance and said, man, the gospel is sufficient enough not only to save you, but to empower your life. We live out our calling because he first called us. Why should you you step out of your self-protective isolation and and bear with difficult people in love? Why should you do that? Why do you do that? Because, friends, we do it because the Lord Jesus Christ laid down something more. Why move away from your self-isolation into community? Why why lay down your comforts into community because Jesus did something way, way more. He laid down his life. Friends, when we were completely unlovable, alienated from God and fiercely protecting our own pride, Jesus did not hide from us. He left the perfect unity of heaven and stepped into our broken and divided world. He he lived the life we failed to live. And on the cross, he allowed his own body to be broken so that our fractured humanity could be made whole. There on the cross, friends, Jesus bore the full weight of our sin. He absorbed the judgment of our pride, that that it that the judgment our pride deserved. He died so that rebels would be forgiven. Could be forgiven. Strangers would be welcomed. He died for sinners who could be then brought into the family of God. Friends, that that changes the whole conversation altogether. That means, friends, something very important for you today has to happen. If you are here this morning and you feel like an outsider, if you feel far from God, unsure of whether you belong or not, or wary of trying to build your own identity. Friends, this gospel invites you too. You don't have to fix yourself before coming to Jesus Christ. You don't have to clean yourself up or clean your past to come to Jesus Christ. You don't have to prove your worth. He's worthy. The call of the gospel is simple: to turn from your self-reliance and trust in Jesus Christ. Entrust yourself to him, to the weightiness of his grace. Would you receive that? Would would would would the Lord reconcile you to himself? And will that bring you into community, into a new family, into a new people, into a new identity? That the Bible, friends, that that the identity the Bible calls us to the body of Christ. And and as we are about to have this this Lord's table, we we are looking at, friends, the the visible picture of a feast of this invisible unity. This table is is not a place of human achievement, it is a place of grace. Every single one of us who comes this way, he comes with with empty hands. You don't come with your achievements. This week I did well. So I'm gonna I'm gonna participate. You come with empty hands. You come to to receive of Jesus Christ, He, Him, He, His blood, His body, participating with Jesus Himself. It's not a place for human achievement, it's a place of grace. You cannot come to this table through your reputation, you cannot come through your self-sufficiency, you cannot come through your control. You you only come through the mercy of Jesus Christ. And so if you if you're trusting in Jesus Christ today, if if your hope is in Christ, in his finished work, would you come to this table? To to a place of nourishment and joy. Nourishment and joy for you. And and and again, if you are not a Christian and you are here, you are maybe someone invited you. Really, we're really glad you are here. And if you are exploring the faith, we are we are glad you are here. Perhaps today is not the time for you to come. It's the only time we say, actually, don't come. Don't take the the the the the blood and the and the body. Take Jesus Himself. There'll be many opportunities for you to come. There'll be many opportunities for you to participate, but for today, would you trust in Jesus Christ who mends this brokenness, who reconciles us not only to himself but to each other. Friends, the blood washes you whole, and the blood washes you whole across the room. Different stories, different backgrounds, different struggles, but one savior, one faith, one family. So may we live this room, friends, having participated in this table as one family, in light of Jesus Christ, who enables us to lay down our pride, to entrust ourselves to Him and to each other, and to walk in a worthy manner, a beautiful manner that unites us by God's grace and for the glory of Christ alone. Let me pray first, Lord. Dear Lord, the cup of blessing is from you, Lord. We bless it today. It is a participation in the precious blood of Jesus Christ that was poured out for our sins, the precious blood of Jesus Christ that was poured out for our redemption. To redeem us to yourself, Lord, as we break this bread, Lord, we pray that we participate in the body of Christ, body that was broken for our sins. Because Lord, there is one bread. We who are many are one body, and we participate together in community. Would you bless it, Lord? Bless the bread, bless the wine, bless this communion with you, Lord, on this table, and may it nourish us, and may it unite us, Lord. Pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ.