UNITY IN THE LOCAL CONGREGATION

Ephesians 4:1-6

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

6 Things You Do for UnityEphesians 4:1-31. Walk Worthy of God’s Calling You

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”

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)

1. Walk Worthy of His CallingTitus 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.”)

6 Things You Do for UnityEphesians 4:1-3

1. Walk Worthy of His Calling2. With Lowliness

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. 2:3Seeing others as better,

higher, more important than self.

Walk with Lowliness of Mind

6 Things You Do for UnityEphesians 4:1-3

1. Walk Worthy of His Calling2. With Lowliness3. With Gentleness

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. 2:24-26Walk with Gentleness.

6 Things You Do for UnityEphesians 4:1-3

1. Walk Worthy of His Calling2. With Lowliness3. With Gentleness4. With Longsuffering

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.

6 Things You Do for UnityEphesians 4:1-3

1. Walk Worthy of His Calling2. With Lowliness3. With Gentleness4. With Longsuffering5. Forbearing with Each Other in Love

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.

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.”

6 Things You Do for UnityEphesians 4:1-3

1. Walk Worthy of His Calling2. With Lowliness3. With Gentleness4. With Longsuffering5. Forbearing with Each Other in Love6. Endeavoring to be Unified

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.

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.

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 demandJohn 17:20, 21-23. He has given us glory!

Unity, What I Can DoI, 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

GOD’S PLATFORM FOR UNITY

The Structure that God Provides so We can be United

Eph 4:4-6

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

LESSON 1 AND 2Jesus Prayed for Unity

Paul Commanded Unity

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.

LESSON 3 & 4Unity is Achievable when We

Remain within the God-Revealed Standard (the Bible)

Division is Simple if a Church Goes Beyond What God Says

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 Cor 2:8-13.

Contrast Attitudes2 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

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.

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.”

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?