The following was preached at Veedersburg and Hillsboro UMC on Sunday, August 2, 2009. The text for this weeks is Ephesians 4:1-16.
This is our fourth and final week in Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. Today we move into the more practical portion of the letter. The first three chapters have been laying a foundation, and now in chapters 4-6 some of the practical instruction starts to kick in. So far, throughout the letter, it has been “because of this” and in chapter 4, it switches to “therefore, do this.” And from chapter 4 through the rest of the letter, we see more of an imperative, or instructive, tone to the letter.
Paul begins by something that was mentioned briefly last week. It is a reminder of his current circumstances. At the time of writing, Paul was in prison. Paul’s words here carry more weight because of his circumstances. Paul has taken these words that he is going to share with the Ephesians so seriously that it has led to his imprisonment. He is not just urging the reader to do X, Y and Z without understanding the potential consequences for following through on his instructions. Setting an example by your life is powerful. We may not think that others are watching, but I can guarantee you that they are.
Parents. Now, I’m not going to assume that just because I have a child on the way now that I can tell anyone how to raise his or her children. I’m sure that it’s always easier to raise someone else’s kids. However, there is one thing that I do know, and you can take this to the bank. Your children are watching you. Whether you think they are or not, and whether they will admit it to you or not; your children watch what you do, they know how you live and they will take their cues from you. Are you setting an example by how you live?
Now, some of you may be thinking, “I have set a good example for my children, but they are still just horrible, horrible people.” Okay, you may not be thinking that exactly, but the truth is that there are times when parents can set incredible examples and, as the saying goes, the apple falls very far from the tree. Yes, that absolutely happens, more often than we would like. But if you have set the example, they know when they are going the wrong way. People can look at the world’s best examples and still fall way short. However, grace has to come into play. If they see grace in the midst of their shortcomings, you’ve once again set an example for them to follow.
In the same way, for those who are not parents, or for those who think that this part of the message is only for parents, I hope you’ve been listening as well because other people are watching you. People who know that you go to church on Sunday morning, and people who know what you are like outside of church during the rest of the week. They are watching you. They are learning about your character and about who you are. And if the day comes that you start to witness to them, and your life has not matched up with your witness, then you will hold no credibility with them.
Last week I was able to watch a movie that I have been putting off for a long time. Some of you may have seen it, it came out a few years ago. It’s called The Prestige and it stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as rival magicians. Early on in the movie, they are working for the same magician, who wants them to figure out a trick that an older Chinese magician has been doing for quite some time. He acts as if he does not have the strength required to complete the trick, but in reality he does. He sells the trick by how he lives out the rest of his life. People were watching him even when he wasn’t performing, and that is how his trick became so unbelievable.
Now, in this case, the Chinese man was living a lie so that he could amaze people with this magic trick. We can’t fake it. Yes, we can be on our best behavior and say all the right things from time to time, but to authentically live out your faith, that’s something that can’t be faked. Sticking with the same terminology here, you sell your faith by how you live, even when you are not on stage. Your life has to flow out of your relationship with God. It has to, because if it doesn’t, then people have no reason to believe it when you talk about the difference that Jesus has made in your life.
And here’s the other thing. Even if you are good enough to fool everyone around you, even if you say all the right things, even if your performance is flawless, there is still One who you cannot fool. There is still One who won’t be amazed by the show that you put on. There is still One who knows where your heart is. Is anyone else uncomfortable yet? You can fool everyone that you have ever known, but in the end, at the end, you cannot fool God. So, which is the better option – putting on a show for everyone else, or authentically living out your faith?
I’d say that’s a pretty easy answer. And I think that is the call that Paul is putting forth in the first few verses of this chapter. He tells his readers 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 in the bond of peace.” Humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity and peace – all are characteristics of one who is living a life of authenticity before the Lord.
We talked about unity a little bit a couple weeks ago. But I think it’s important, once again, to understand the importance of unity in the Christian life. Unity does not mean that every single person has to agree on every single thing. That’s not unity. Unity for the sake of everyone agreeing is not healthy, nor is it beneficial. The important thing for us to remember is exactly what Paul says here. “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all...”
Ministry is never about lifting up our own name, but about lifting up everything to the Father. I think we have a unique opportunity in our community to work together with different denominations and truly make an impact for the sake of the kingdom of God. But it’s important that our focus is in the right direction. And that has to start right here. I don’t know how to do it, but I know that if the churches in this area worked together to share the gospel, then amazing things can happen. We already do some things with other churches. Some of that foundation has already been poured. But what can we do to take it to the next step? That’s the question that we need to wrestle with. How can we join together with what God is doing? It has to start with us living out our lives in a manner worthy of our calling.
In the process of living out our faith, we become aware of the grace that God has given us. And I think it’s important to point out that the grace we receive is not necessarily revealed in the same way as the grace that others receive. Now, this doesn’t mean that the grace one person receives is better or more extensive than the grace that another person receives; it’s just different. In other places, Paul talks more specifically about gifts of the Spirit. This is a manifestation of God’s grace in our lives. Each person is gifted in a different way and all of these gifts have their purpose in the kingdom of God. There isn’t one that is better than another; they are just different, and this is where we get a better understanding of unity.
Unity is not about conformity. Everyone doesn’t need to look the same, act the same and say the same thing in order for there to be unity. Unity is about those who are gifted in different areas working for a common goal. This, I believe, is the reason why so many organizations go through a long process of developing vision statements and core values. It helps to focus all of those involved in a common direction. It helps to give very diverse people some sense of unity. I think they are important, and it is something that we, as a congregation, need to be praying about.
Remember what I said a while back – when your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. I want to know what your dreams are. I want each and every person here to stop allowing their memories to push them forward, and start allowing their dreams to lead them forward. Is that scary? Yeah, I think so. We’re talking about uncharted territory. We’re talking about fully relying on God to guide us into an uncertain future. But God doesn’t ask us to understand everything right away. He asks us to trust in Him and be obedient to the calling that He has placed in our lives. I think one of the places that we need to start is with what Paul is talking about in the second half of this part of the letter.
Paul mentions specifically five different spiritual gifts and he discusses their purpose in the body of Christ. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers are the five that Paul mentions. There are people in this congregation who are gifted in these particular roles. Sometimes others notice them before we do, but each one is a way that God’s grace is working in our lives. These particular gifts have a purpose that is mentioned by Paul in this section.
Their purpose is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” and “to build up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.” The purpose of these gifts is so that people can be equipped for ministry and so that they can mature in their faith. I think one of the biggest problems that we see in today’s Church (and that’s big “C” church) is that people come to faith and go on with their lives as though nothing happened. They profess their faith and continue on with life as normal. But the problem is, that when God breaks into our lives, there is no such thing as life as normal.
When we put our faith in Christ, we are only children. We think that the public profession of faith is the end, but the truth is, it’s just the beginning. Our faith journey never ends, it continues to progress. Sometimes you hear language of coming to faith as a “new birth.” In a sense, that captures the concept that Paul is trying to get across in verses 11-16.
What happens when you are born? You enter into a new phase of life in which you grow and, hopefully, mature. You aren’t the same person that you were on your first birthday. You aren’t the same person you were on your thirteenth birthday. You get the point, don’t you? Every day you grow just a little more, and as the days turn to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years, there have been some significant changes that have occurred in your life. I can’t imagine that there is a single person that hasn’t changed in however many years you have been alive.
But is it like that in our life of faith? Do we constantly grow and change in our faith? I think there are a lot more people who are still in their infancy when it comes to their faith. Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not calling out anyone in particular here. I’m not thinking about some of the interactions that I’ve had with people sitting here today when I say this. I’m saying it in very general terms as a part of what I have seen and heard through the years. I’ve been going to churches since I was a little kid, and over time, you can just how spiritual immaturity has affected people.
Do you ever hear stories about how a church got into a big fight because of the color of the carpet in the sanctuary? That’s spiritual immaturity. In fact, most of the problems that face a church stem from some sort of spiritual immaturity. When we allow our own preferences and selfishness and desire for control to lead us, then we have an issue of spiritual immaturity. And don’t get me wrong here, leaders are not immune to it either. I’ve known a few pastors and a few church leaders who have let their spiritual immaturity get the best of them. And I’m sure there will be times when I do it as well. But the key is that we continue to grow; that, as Paul says, “we my no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” This comes by embracing spiritual growth as an essential part of our lives.
How do we do this? Well, by taking the time to listen to God - spending time in prayer, taking that 15 minutes a day to read your Bible, sharing your faith with others by how you live and by how you act, learning from those who are further down the road and discipling those who are further behind you. Don’t be satisfied with where you are spiritually. I read somewhere this week that when you stop growing, you start dying. Never be satisfied with your spiritual condition. Always strive to be closer to the heart of God. Live your life in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
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