SPEAKER_00: Well, church, this morning we will be in Ephesians chapter 4.
SPEAKER_00: Ephesians chapter 4, if you would turn there with me.
SPEAKER_00: And today we will be looking at verses 1 through 6, which is all about unity in the body of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Unity in the body of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: So here in Ephesians chapter 4, Paul begins this long discourse about the nature of the church.
SPEAKER_00: He explains some of the most important doctrines about how the church should operate.
SPEAKER_00: How should God's people conduct themselves?
SPEAKER_00: What does true unity look like?
SPEAKER_00: Who builds up the saints for the works of ministry?
SPEAKER_00: What is the church's primary calling?
SPEAKER_00: How does the church guard itself from false teaching?
SPEAKER_00: All of these questions and more are addressed in this chapter.
SPEAKER_00: While Paul was writing this letter, the church was still very young and it was full of growing pains.
SPEAKER_00: There was a lot of confusion and division on many fronts.
SPEAKER_00: There was still tension that existed between Jews and Gentiles.
SPEAKER_00: In the city of Ephesus, if you know anything about it, it was very diverse.
SPEAKER_00: So believers from all kinds of different backgrounds and cultures were gathering together, bringing in all their baggage.
SPEAKER_00: And so you can imagine it was messy.
SPEAKER_00: And if the church is truly God's gathered people, founded by Christ, purchased with his blood, then we should expect the enemy to attack it.
SPEAKER_00: We should expect Satan to sow confusion, mistrust, division.
SPEAKER_00: We should expect him to tempt Christians to misunderstand, neglect, or even become bitter towards the church.
SPEAKER_00: That was true then in Paul's time, and that is true today.
SPEAKER_00: We have the same problems.
SPEAKER_00: Today we still have confusion, frustration, hostility towards the church in our time.
SPEAKER_00: There's a reason why 62% of U.S.
SPEAKER_00: adults claim to be Christian, yet only less than 20% attend church regularly.
SPEAKER_00: And so there's many reasons.
SPEAKER_00: I think one big reason is that churches have hurt people.
SPEAKER_00: Churches, just like Christians, can fall into deception and corruption and legalism and so on.
SPEAKER_00: They can drift from biblical truth, chase after cultural trends, and prioritize entertainment and human traditions.
SPEAKER_00: Leaders have abused authority.
SPEAKER_00: Hypocrisy has been exposed.
SPEAKER_00: Scandals have broken trust.
SPEAKER_00: Sadly, churches have misrepresented Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And because of these failures, many people carry church hurt.
SPEAKER_00: And as a result, many people withdraw.
SPEAKER_00: They create distance to protect themselves.
SPEAKER_00: They view leadership with suspicion.
SPEAKER_00: They struggle to trust again.
SPEAKER_00: And this is such a tragedy.
SPEAKER_00: And this leads us to another reason, a movement that I personally have come out of.
SPEAKER_00: It often comes from church hurt, but it also comes from the American Western ideals of autonomy, individualism, independence.
SPEAKER_00: And so this movement says, I know what the church should be.
SPEAKER_00: I've seen how it all goes wrong.
SPEAKER_00: I have lots of experiences, life experiences, I know better.
SPEAKER_00: And a church cannot meet the expectations of a person who believes that they have all the right answers.
SPEAKER_00: In this case, accountability feels unnecessary, authority feels dangerous, and as a result, many people come to church with terms and conditions.
SPEAKER_00: Do-it-yourself Christianity often becomes kind of like a modern Gnosticism, a sense of secret knowledge that other people they just don't get.
SPEAKER_00: It's enlightening, it's empowering.
SPEAKER_00: I have knowledge that every other church out there is missing out on.
SPEAKER_00: I understand the early church, how Christ meant it to be, and everyone else is doing it wrong.
SPEAKER_00: But it isolates people, it leaves them spiritually unanchored.
SPEAKER_00: And this leads us to kind of our third big reason, which is very similar.
SPEAKER_00: It's the just me and Jesus movement.
SPEAKER_00: Who needs church?
SPEAKER_00: Like I am the church.
SPEAKER_00: I talk to God every morning with an open Bible and coffee.
SPEAKER_00: I worship him every day in sweatpants at home.
SPEAKER_00: Plus, people are difficult.
SPEAKER_00: They're so messy.
SPEAKER_00: They're offensive.
SPEAKER_00: People are disagreeable.
SPEAKER_00: People make stupid mistakes.
SPEAKER_00: Doing church alone gives me better emotions and comfort than going to a church where people might challenge me.
SPEAKER_00: I might have to submit to someone or something.
SPEAKER_00: And God forbid someone holds me accountable.
SPEAKER_00: Only God can judge me.
SPEAKER_00: All of these things, compromise churches, do-it-yourself Christianity, the Just Me and Jesus movement, have damaged the doctrine of the church.
SPEAKER_00: All of these things have pulled people away from the very thing that God designed for growth, protection, and maturity.
SPEAKER_00: It has created disunity, a misunderstanding of what church even is, and has stirred a brewing hatred towards church even among Christians.
SPEAKER_00: Most people, when they hear the word church, they don't think, oh, how I adore it.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, how Christ has established it.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, how amazing are the people of God.
SPEAKER_00: Instead, they think, what a joke, church.
SPEAKER_00: What a circus.
SPEAKER_00: What a bunch of man-made, bureaucratic garbage.
SPEAKER_00: The fact that there are more books written criticizing, attacking, and correcting Christ's wife instead of books written about how beautiful and amazing and how awesome Christ's wife is, that's telling where we're at as a culture.
SPEAKER_00: So it's my hope in the next few weeks to restore the doctrine of the church by simply looking at Scripture.
SPEAKER_00: That we might heal from our past experiences and truly appreciate Christ's wife, that we might have a higher view, a more excited attitude, a deeper understanding of that which Christ died for, the church.
SPEAKER_00: So how will the Apostle Paul start the conversation?
SPEAKER_00: Where will he start when it comes to just church?
SPEAKER_00: He starts in verses one through three with addressing one of the key foundations of church, which is unity.
SPEAKER_00: He says, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: Paul starts with an appeal, and he doesn't appeal to his authority.
SPEAKER_00: He could have said, look, I'm an apostle.
SPEAKER_00: I've seen the risen Lord, I've heard directly from him, therefore listen to me.
SPEAKER_00: But he doesn't.
SPEAKER_00: He urges them by appealing to his imprisonment.
SPEAKER_00: I urge you as someone who's willing to suffer for your sake.
SPEAKER_00: This is a powerful appeal.
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't flex his apostolic authority, he rather appeals to his sacrificial love for this church.
SPEAKER_00: And what does he urge them to do?
SPEAKER_00: He encourages them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
SPEAKER_00: It means live in a way that reflects this high calling that you received in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: The word worthy has the idea of matching up our actions with our words.
SPEAKER_00: Our outward presentation should match our inward convictions.
SPEAKER_00: He's not telling us to earn or keep our worthiness.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, listen, if you have truly been called by Christ, then you live your life in such a way that reflects that.
SPEAKER_00: This command, it kind of breaks down any kind of hypocrisy or self-deception.
SPEAKER_00: Stop saying, I love Jesus and living like the devil.
SPEAKER_00: Stop saying I'm a Christ follower and then chasing after dead idols.
SPEAKER_00: Stop saying, I believe in the two greatest commandments and treating people like dirt.
SPEAKER_00: Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.
SPEAKER_00: God's desire for us is that we would walk out what we claim to be.
SPEAKER_00: Now, what does that look like?
SPEAKER_00: Walking worthy of our calling, it seems kind of vague.
SPEAKER_00: Well, Paul explains what this looks like in verses two and three.
SPEAKER_00: He gives us not a complete list, but a thorough list of traits.
SPEAKER_00: He says, with all humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain unity of the spirit and the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: Christ has specifically called each one of us to be somebody.
SPEAKER_00: So often when we think of the word calling, we think of it in terms of just doing.
SPEAKER_00: You know, is it God's will, is it God's calling on my life that I marry Susie or go to college or take the job offer?
SPEAKER_00: But the Bible does not outline every detail of your life.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because the Bible is more concerned about who you are.
SPEAKER_00: This is why the be attitudes in Matthew 5 are called the be attitudes and not the do attitudes.
SPEAKER_00: For example, if God said to me, Jimmy, I am calling you to go plant a church in Newark, that calling is no good.
SPEAKER_00: It's of no use if I am not humble, gentle, patient, bearing with others in love and pursuing peace.
SPEAKER_00: Do you see that?
SPEAKER_00: You could be preaching ten times a day, leading discipleship groups, doing all kinds of religious activities, but if you are not humble, gentle, patient, pursuing peace, then you're not walking in a manner worthy of your calling.
SPEAKER_00: Don't mishear me.
SPEAKER_00: Christian actions are important.
SPEAKER_00: James tells us in chapter two, faith without works is dead, right?
SPEAKER_00: But the emphasis is on a change of being, meaning our identity, our motivation should first be rooted in a love relationship with God rather than just a performance of deeds.
SPEAKER_00: We are called to be these things with the Spirit's help, not just trying to do them in the arm of the flesh.
SPEAKER_00: So let's dig a little deeper into these traits.
SPEAKER_00: How should we understand them?
SPEAKER_00: Let's start with humility.
SPEAKER_00: What does it mean to be humble?
SPEAKER_00: It means without arrogance.
SPEAKER_00: As Philippians 2 tells us, it is esteeming people higher than yourself.
SPEAKER_00: Unlike the Pharisees, you're not trying to impress others or receive praise.
SPEAKER_00: In the Bible, humility is characterized as depending on God, valuing other people, admitting your own weaknesses, being quick to forgive, serving others without recognition, willing to be wronged or corrected, and having a modest view of one's own self-importance as compared to others.
SPEAKER_00: The opposite is pride, self-exaltation, self-importance.
SPEAKER_00: You view yourself as smarter, stronger, wiser.
SPEAKER_00: You're more important than other people.
SPEAKER_00: People owe you because you are deserving.
SPEAKER_00: You feel like you have a lot to offer.
SPEAKER_00: Like Lucifer, you want to be recognized, you want power.
SPEAKER_00: Like Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, you want to be the one who determines what's right and what's wrong.
SPEAKER_00: Like the Pharisees, you boast in your righteousness.
SPEAKER_00: You don't point to God saying, everything good that I even have comes from him alone.
SPEAKER_00: Instead, you take pride in your experiences, your expertise, your intellect, your accomplishments.
SPEAKER_00: As C.
SPEAKER_00: S.
SPEAKER_00: Lewis says, a proud man is always looking down on things and on people.
SPEAKER_00: And of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you.
SPEAKER_00: Christ wants us humble, not prideful.
SPEAKER_00: For this we were called church.
SPEAKER_00: The next trait that Paul mentions is gentleness.
SPEAKER_00: So this word it denotes meekness or strength under control.
SPEAKER_00: This reflects a soft and quiet spirit, its inner strength.
SPEAKER_00: It's a calm demeanor that involves empathy towards others, choosing kindness over anger, using power to serve rather than control, choosing soft answers rather than harsh ones.
SPEAKER_00: It embodies compassion and grace.
SPEAKER_00: The opposite of gentleness is just harshness, reactiveness, or apathy.
SPEAKER_00: You're always looking for a fight.
SPEAKER_00: You're overly direct, easily triggered and lashing out.
SPEAKER_00: You lack self-control when it comes to your emotions.
SPEAKER_00: It's a failure to show grace and mercy.
SPEAKER_00: You think that aggression or being louder, more emotional, will somehow produce better results, but that is not the way of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: A bruised reed he will not break.
SPEAKER_00: A smoldering wick, he will not quench.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus Christ was strong.
SPEAKER_00: He had all power, infinite authority, yet he was gentle and lowly.
SPEAKER_00: Christ wants us gentle, not harsh.
SPEAKER_00: For this we were is what we were called to, church.
SPEAKER_00: The next trait that Paul mentions is bearing with one another in love.
SPEAKER_00: One of my favorite translations of this phrase is making allowance for the faults of others.
SPEAKER_00: This trait is mirroring the way that God bears with humanity.
SPEAKER_00: This means putting up with things that annoy or frustrate you about other people.
SPEAKER_00: Now, don't mishear me.
SPEAKER_00: This is not about tolerating sin or condoning sin.
SPEAKER_00: Rather, it's recognizing that people have a sin nature and they will make mistakes.
SPEAKER_00: It's about approaching others with grace while recognizing your own sin.
SPEAKER_00: So this involves carrying burdens.
SPEAKER_00: We endure with people what they are carrying.
SPEAKER_00: Instead of responding in my disappointed emotions, saying, you know what, I quit.
SPEAKER_00: You know, I give up.
SPEAKER_00: You keep making the same mistake over and over again.
SPEAKER_00: I'm tired of seeing your struggle.
SPEAKER_00: Instead, I bear with you by praying for you, lifting you up, understanding that I myself fall back into sin all the time.
SPEAKER_00: And bearing with others isn't strictly related to moral issues.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe a friend has chronic pain.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone you know lost a dearly loved one.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone is a victim of a crime.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone's dealing with mental health issues.
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe they just talk a lot.
SPEAKER_00: You know, we bear with them as they bear the weight of the world, the weight of their circumstance, the weight of fallenness.
SPEAKER_00: We come alongside them and we help carry their burdens.
SPEAKER_00: Because, guys, we cannot carry them alone.
SPEAKER_00: Notice the last phrase in this command.
SPEAKER_00: We are to do this, look at the verse, in love.
SPEAKER_00: How many times do we carry another person's burdens in frustration or bitterness?
SPEAKER_00: I'm impatient because of your struggle.
SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to support you.
SPEAKER_00: You don't seem to be getting any better, and that's a reflection on me.
SPEAKER_00: Now I'm offended because it seems like my help isn't helping.
SPEAKER_00: And we turn, bearing with others, we make it all about us.
SPEAKER_00: When it should be all about demonstrating Christ to others for his glory.
SPEAKER_00: We start to complain.
SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm tired of bearing with you.
SPEAKER_00: It's your own fault, anyways.
SPEAKER_00: Or we just become insensitive.
SPEAKER_00: It's like, seriously, Nancy, your husband died 10 years ago.
SPEAKER_00: You haven't healed from this yet?
SPEAKER_00: Just keep sobbing about it and consumed by it.
SPEAKER_00: Won't you just move on?
SPEAKER_00: Or we become apathetic.
SPEAKER_00: I'm just going to shut off my emotions to you because I can't handle this.
SPEAKER_00: It's just easier if I just numb myself to your chaos.
SPEAKER_00: Church, Christ has been immeasurably bearing with you.
SPEAKER_00: Think of all the stupid sins that you keep going back to.
SPEAKER_00: How Christ has been patient with you.
SPEAKER_00: Think of all the terrible attitudes you have daily that are so disrespectful to God.
SPEAKER_00: Yet Christ bears with you in that.
SPEAKER_00: Think of all the times God wooed you lovingly and graciously, saying, Come to me, spend time with me.
SPEAKER_00: And you resisted him and you said, No.
SPEAKER_00: Think of all the times Christ should have just let you go and wiped his hands clean from you.
SPEAKER_00: But he didn't, did he?
SPEAKER_00: So I think, church, we can bear with one another in love.
SPEAKER_00: We can allow room for mistakes.
SPEAKER_00: We can lift one another up together, saying, Hey, we are all in the same boat here, so let's hold one another up as we battle sin and experience the fallness of this world.
SPEAKER_00: Next, Paul reveals the goal of all of these traits.
SPEAKER_00: Why be humble, gentle, patient, forbearing?
SPEAKER_00: Because we should be, look at the verse, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: This is a biblical call to actively and diligently preserve the spiritual union that believers share through the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: It's impossible to pursue or maintain peace if we're not humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, and loving.
SPEAKER_00: Consider the opposite.
SPEAKER_00: How in the world could we even pursue peace, let alone want it, if we're all short-tempered?
SPEAKER_00: We're gossiping about each other, we're unforgiving, we're unwilling to allow room for error.
SPEAKER_00: It's simply impossible.
SPEAKER_00: This is what all these traits are working towards that we might be, church, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: The goal here is unity in the Body of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Now, why is it unity in the Spirit?
SPEAKER_00: Look at the verse.
SPEAKER_00: Why is it unity in the Spirit?
SPEAKER_00: Because that is what unifies us.
SPEAKER_00: If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: And if we are all carriers of the Holy Spirit, then His ministry is the same in all of us.
SPEAKER_00: He is empowering all of us to overcome sin.
SPEAKER_00: He's giving all of us spiritual insight into God's Word.
SPEAKER_00: He is comforting and convicting all of us.
SPEAKER_00: He's leading us all to sweet times of communion with God.
SPEAKER_00: He's leading us all to heaven.
SPEAKER_00: This is what all Christians have in common.
SPEAKER_00: The same spirit that is in you is in me.
SPEAKER_00: It's what ties us all together.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, we should be eager to maintain this kind of unity.
SPEAKER_00: We should be focused on this kind of unity.
SPEAKER_00: If we attempt to be unified on worldly things, we get twisted.
SPEAKER_00: I don't like the color of the church carpet.
SPEAKER_00: I don't like Rick's preaching style.
SPEAKER_00: I don't like the way that we do meals here.
SPEAKER_00: I think we should start church at this time instead of that time.
SPEAKER_00: If we try to unify around anything else, we will divide.
SPEAKER_00: Unity church, it's in the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: It's spiritual unity.
SPEAKER_00: If the Holy Spirit was not living in me, don't get offended by this.
SPEAKER_00: But if the Holy Spirit was not living in me, I probably wouldn't hang out with half of you.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because in my natural, sinful man, I am self-absorbed, only focusing on my needs, and I care less about other people's needs.
SPEAKER_00: I have selfish ambitions.
SPEAKER_00: I only want to invest time and money and energy in people that I deem worthy who can serve my agenda.
SPEAKER_00: I would fight you tooth and nail on matters that really don't matter.
SPEAKER_00: But ever since the Holy Spirit has made his home in me.
SPEAKER_00: I love you all.
SPEAKER_00: I'm committed to you all.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you, all of you, really are so close to me as a family.
SPEAKER_00: Some are closer than even blood family.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because we share the same common salvation.
SPEAKER_00: We share eternal life.
SPEAKER_00: There's a unity that I have with you that I don't have with any other unbeliever out there.
SPEAKER_00: Why is it when we meet a Christian from across the world, from a different culture, within minutes we feel like we've known the person our entire lives?
SPEAKER_00: There's this instant understanding.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because we share together true spiritual life in the spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Shouldn't we be eager to maintain that?
SPEAKER_00: Paul describes this union that we have with one another as the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: It's like glue that holds us all together.
SPEAKER_00: It keeps us close.
SPEAKER_00: It keeps us connected.
SPEAKER_00: And it's a peaceful thing.
SPEAKER_00: When we're all coming together as a church in humility, gentleness, patience, and love, and we're all asking each other, How can I serve you?
SPEAKER_00: rather than walking into church saying, How can you serve me?
SPEAKER_00: And we're eager to pursue peace instead of division.
SPEAKER_00: What a peaceful, amazing experience that is.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, how much blessings come from that, and how much God delights himself in such things.
SPEAKER_00: The Jew and the Gentile division during the time Paul was writing this letter was so strong.
SPEAKER_00: The social class division was so ingrained.
SPEAKER_00: What could possibly bring this diverse church of Ephesus together?
SPEAKER_00: I mean, seriously.
SPEAKER_00: The division is historic, it's generational decades of hostility based on race and economic status.
SPEAKER_00: It was only made possible through the cross of Christ and the giving of his Holy Spirit that would cause the church in Ephesus to lock arms together in holy unity in the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: And so, church, where do you fall in this description?
SPEAKER_00: What characterizes you?
SPEAKER_00: Are you lowly, teachable, esteeming others higher than yourself?
SPEAKER_00: A good listener who's gentle, you're patient, you're understanding.
SPEAKER_00: You come alongside those who are struggling.
SPEAKER_00: You're looking around the church saying, How can I promote peace amongst this body of believers?
SPEAKER_00: Are you walking worthy of this calling?
SPEAKER_00: Or are you the kind of person you just know everything in the room.
SPEAKER_00: You have it all figured out.
SPEAKER_00: No one can convince you otherwise.
SPEAKER_00: You're smarter, you're more experienced, you complain, you gossip, you're bitter.
SPEAKER_00: You have a short fuse for those who make mistakes.
SPEAKER_00: You're easily angered.
SPEAKER_00: And you just don't have time to bear other people's burdens.
SPEAKER_00: It's too messy.
SPEAKER_00: It's a lot of work.
SPEAKER_00: You'd rather invest in people who can actually contribute something back to you.
SPEAKER_00: And you're not about peace.
SPEAKER_00: You're more focused on what divides.
SPEAKER_00: And you're not dividing on legitimate issues.
SPEAKER_00: You're dying on hills that are third, fourth, fifth theological issues.
SPEAKER_00: Church, the call this morning is simple.
SPEAKER_00: Walk worthy of your calling.
SPEAKER_00: Be humble.
SPEAKER_00: Be teachable, gentle, patient.
SPEAKER_00: Don't be so easily provoked.
SPEAKER_00: Make it your effort to eagerly maintain spirit-filled unity.
SPEAKER_00: Next, Paul is going to support this call to unity.
SPEAKER_00: Why be unified?
SPEAKER_00: Why is it so important?
SPEAKER_00: What's the big deal if we're not harmonized, glued together in peace?
SPEAKER_00: Paul answers this for us next.
SPEAKER_00: This unity we have is so important because everything else in Christian theology is one as well.
SPEAKER_00: And so he points to seven different theological aspects to prove to us the importance of this.
SPEAKER_00: Look at verses four and five.
SPEAKER_00: For there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
SPEAKER_00: There is only one body of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: People debate whether this verse means, you know, the Capital C, Universal Church, all believers of all time, or whether this refers to each local body, although many, they're one.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't really matter which one Paul has in mind here.
SPEAKER_00: In fact, I think Paul probably has both in sight.
SPEAKER_00: Either way, there's only one body of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: It's made up of many members, but it's all one connected body.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Although he indwells millions of believers, it's the same Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one of him.
SPEAKER_00: And all Christians have the same one Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one hope that belongs to your call.
SPEAKER_00: If you're a Christian, we all have the same shared hope.
SPEAKER_00: The hope of Christ, the hope of eternal life, the hope of the restoration of all things.
SPEAKER_00: We all have the same vision and mission statement.
SPEAKER_00: Christ is our Messiah.
SPEAKER_00: He has begun a work of redemption in us.
SPEAKER_00: In one day we will all together be fully saved, to be with him forever, face to face, reigning with him in the new heaven, in the new earth.
SPEAKER_00: And in that we only have one Lord.
SPEAKER_00: You know, recently in the No King's protest thing that was going on, there's a lot of people that had signs that said, no king but Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And my initial thought was kind of like, ah, that's kind of corny or whatever, it's kind of like a cliche statement.
SPEAKER_00: But as I thought about it more, I was like, but it's true, right?
SPEAKER_00: It's 100% true.
SPEAKER_00: There is only one Lord, the Lord of all other Lords, who rules and has authority over all things.
SPEAKER_00: He is our one Savior, our King, and none are equal to Him.
SPEAKER_00: There's no other church.
SPEAKER_00: Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one faith.
SPEAKER_00: We're not universalists.
SPEAKER_00: We do not believe that there are many ways from heaven that is a lie from hell.
SPEAKER_00: Our faith is that salvation is a gift from God received through faith in Jesus Christ, who was resurrected bodily from the dead, and anyone who confesses their sin and trusts in his finished work on the cross is saved forevermore.
SPEAKER_00: That is our faith, Church.
SPEAKER_00: There's no other.
SPEAKER_00: As John 14, 6 tells us, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
SPEAKER_00: And no one, no one comes to the Father except through Him.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one baptism.
SPEAKER_00: And all of God's Baptists said, Amen, right?
SPEAKER_00: God instituted the ordinance of baptism.
SPEAKER_00: We as believers are only baptized once.
SPEAKER_00: Unless, of course, you got baptized when you were unsaved.
SPEAKER_00: In that case, you would get rebaptized.
SPEAKER_00: But there's only one real baptism, not multiple.
SPEAKER_00: Whether you're talking about the spiritual reality, the day when the Holy Spirit placed you, baptized you into Christ, or whether you're talking about the ordinance of the church, it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one baptism.
SPEAKER_00: And lastly, there's only one God that we serve, who is the Father of all, who is over all, he's through all and in all.
SPEAKER_00: There is only one supreme God that we serve.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, he exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but he is one God.
SPEAKER_00: And he is over all things, he's through all things and in all things.
SPEAKER_00: So all in all refers to God's ultimate and complete supremacy in creation and in the lives of believers.
SPEAKER_00: Overall signifies God's sovereign rule and authority.
SPEAKER_00: And through all means his work is active in creation, and in all denotes his all-pervasive presence and indwelling.
SPEAKER_00: This is our God.
SPEAKER_00: Should we not be in pursue the same?
SPEAKER_00: Now, I want to answer the million-dollar question that many of us are asking right now.
SPEAKER_00: Is there ever a time when we should divide?
SPEAKER_00: And the answer to that is yes, there are times to divide.
SPEAKER_00: Scripture is actually very clear on this.
SPEAKER_00: Paul commands believers in Corinthians to not be unequally yoked to unbelievers, and so sometimes when unbelievers, false churches take over a church, there's times to separate ourselves from that.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says he came to bring a sword, meaning that genuine allegiance to him will naturally create separation even within families.
SPEAKER_00: One of the purposes of God's word is that we would separate ourselves from that which is false or harmful so that we can unify around that which is true and good.
SPEAKER_00: And that requires discernment.
SPEAKER_00: So let me offer a few principles to help us think about unity and division in a biblical way.
SPEAKER_00: Principle number one: never pursue unity at the cost of sound biblical truth.
SPEAKER_00: You've probably heard the phrase before, doctrine divides.
SPEAKER_00: Let's just focus on Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: That sounds very appealing, but the Bible teaches the opposite.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, what unites believers is in sound doctrine, shared convictions rooted in revealed, articulated truth.
SPEAKER_00: In fact, later in Ephesians 4, Paul says that unity grows as we mature in our knowledge doctrine of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Unity is grounded in truth.
SPEAKER_00: It's not achieved by ignoring it.
SPEAKER_00: For example, many groups believe in Jesus: Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, New Agers, but we don't worship with them because our doctrinal convictions about who He is is fundamentally different.
SPEAKER_00: It's articulated, revealed truth that unites the church.
SPEAKER_00: Never seek unity at the expense of sound biblical doctrine.
SPEAKER_00: Principle number two, not all division is bad division.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, at Lazarus Life Ministries, when men first come into our program, there's some men right off the bat, they start pushing back.
SPEAKER_00: And they're like, I want to do AA, I don't want to do the curriculum you guys are doing, I want to drink energy drinks all day long, you guys don't allow that.
SPEAKER_00: They have a whole different view and worldview of the way they think recovery should be done.
SPEAKER_00: And so they keep pressing us, hoping that we'll change our whole entire program just for them, our DNA and our convictions, all just for them.
SPEAKER_00: And they keep pressing us and pressing us.
SPEAKER_00: And when they realize that we're not gonna change in our convictions, they become frustrated.
SPEAKER_00: And so we graciously, lovingly tell them, look, I would love for you to stay here.
SPEAKER_00: But there is another really good rehab right down the road that lines up more closely to what you want and what you believe.
SPEAKER_00: You might thrive better there.
SPEAKER_00: And often they do.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because our way isn't the only way, it's simply our convictional way.
SPEAKER_00: And so division, based on differing philosophies or approaches, can actually be healthy when it helps people grow in the environment that best serves them.
SPEAKER_00: This is the beauty of denominations.
SPEAKER_00: Churches that define what they believe and how they practice that belief.
SPEAKER_00: Some call it narrow-mindedness, but I call it kindness.
SPEAKER_00: Clarity is kindness.
SPEAKER_00: Christians naturally gather in churches where they share convictions about scripture, about how to worship, church practice.
SPEAKER_00: That's healthy.
SPEAKER_00: Shared beliefs help us worship and grow and stay aligned in mission.
SPEAKER_00: But that doesn't mean that we're divided from other gospel-centered churches who differ from us on these secondary issues.
SPEAKER_00: Unity does not stop at these church walls.
SPEAKER_00: Not at all.
SPEAKER_00: We can have deep connection and genuine love for other faithful churches, even if they look different and operate differently than us.
SPEAKER_00: Being aligned in one local church is not disunity with other gospel-centered churches.
SPEAKER_00: It's simply living out our convictions in community.
SPEAKER_00: We are one family serving in different households, all under the same Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Principle number three: don't divide over matters that don't really matter.
SPEAKER_00: If a church is teaching heresy, run.
SPEAKER_00: Get out of that church as fast as you can.
SPEAKER_00: If the disagreement is over a tier two issue, you know, church government, how a church practices the ordinances, stuff like that, it would be very wise to find a church that matches your convictions so that you can minister with other believers in joy and unity and not just be frustrated, right?
SPEAKER_00: Christians interpret secondary matters differently, and that's okay.
SPEAKER_00: We can still love one another while attending different churches.
SPEAKER_00: What we must not do is divide over trivial third-tier, fourth tier, fifth-tier issues.
SPEAKER_00: Our views on the end times, schooling choices, who are the two witnesses in revelation?
SPEAKER_00: Do all dogs go to heaven?
SPEAKER_00: Those types of things.
SPEAKER_00: Don't elevate minor preferences to major doctrines.
SPEAKER_00: That's foolish, it's very divisive, and it's unnecessary, and it's often rooted in pride.
SPEAKER_00: I could spend a lot much more time talking about theological triage, when we should divide, and all those things, but that is not the main purpose of this sermon.
SPEAKER_00: The teaching here is on unity.
SPEAKER_00: Unity starts with humility, gentleness, forbearance, and pursuing peace.
SPEAKER_00: And it's rooted in the doctrine of Christian doctrine: one body, one Lord, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one God.
SPEAKER_00: So proclamation church, our application today is clear and it is simple.
SPEAKER_00: Examine yourself and ask, Lord, where do I need to grow?
SPEAKER_00: As I look at this description, where do I need to grow?
SPEAKER_00: And as a response, don't say I just need to try harder because that won't cut it.
SPEAKER_00: What you need is the Lord's help.
SPEAKER_00: You need his transforming power, his enabling grace to make us more humble and gentle and forbearing and peaceful.
SPEAKER_00: This is a heart problem, not a behavior modification issue.
SPEAKER_00: And so confess your shortcomings in these matters and then give your heart to the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Open it bare before him and ask him to do surgery on the areas of struggle.
SPEAKER_00: Secondly, church, seek unity and pursue peace.
SPEAKER_00: If you're generally kind of a uh always seeing the bad and everything, maybe pessimistic, controlling, critical person, combat that with gratitude, thanksgiving, with praise.
SPEAKER_00: If you're a person that struggles with inflating things in your mind, and I struggle with that to the point of paranoia or evil suspicions, you need to deal with that.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus told us, Blessed are the peacemakers.
SPEAKER_00: Seek restful, joyful, peaceful unity.
SPEAKER_00: You've got to learn to let the small things go.
SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself, whatever the issue may be, is this worth dividing over?
SPEAKER_00: And if it is, then find a group of believers that you can lock arms with.
SPEAKER_00: It's so important that you have that.
SPEAKER_00: You need other believers that you can lock arms with.
SPEAKER_00: There's no problem with that.
SPEAKER_00: But if the answer to the question is no, then give it your all to be unified, knitted closely together with the believers that God has sovereignly placed around you.
SPEAKER_00: I repeat the words of the Apostle Paul from 1 Corinthians 1 10.
SPEAKER_00: I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you.
SPEAKER_00: That you be perfectly united in mind and in thought.
SPEAKER_00: Friends, Jesus Christ died for his church.
SPEAKER_00: He's coming back for his church.
SPEAKER_00: The church represents heaven on earth.
SPEAKER_00: It is the church, as we read before, who displays the manifold wisdom of God to nations and even to angels in heaven.
SPEAKER_00: Do you understand how serious Christ's body is?
SPEAKER_00: How vital it is to be unified, how necessary it is to be connected.
SPEAKER_00: So let us not hate it or neglect it.
SPEAKER_00: Let's start where Paul starts with being humble, gentle, forbearing, patient, pursuing unity in the spirit, in the bond of peace.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus warns us in Luke 11 that every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or house divided against itself, it will not stand.
SPEAKER_00: Church, let us not be ruined.
SPEAKER_00: But let's stand together on Christ with locked arms in spirit filled unity.
SPEAKER_00: Church, let's pray.