Lisa Godard (Lisa)

TITLE: Household of God: Walking Under the Influence – Eph. 5:15-21 AIM: How to conduct our lives, under the influence of the Spirit. INTRO: Not sure if this is still done, & I’ve not personally experienced it, but one way the police used to test a driver’s sobriety was to make that person walk a straight line, perhaps along the side of the road. If couldn’t walk straight, it would be an indication of intoxication, meaning that the person had been driving under the influence. The thought is that you cannot consistently walk straight if you’re drunk, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, etc. It’s quite the contrary for the Christian; a believer cannot consistently walk straight unless he/she is under the influence, not of drink, but of the Holy Spirit. You/I, as followers of Jesus Christ, are given the provision of the Holy Spirit & are called to live our lives by the Holy Spirit, directed & empowered by Him. Theme: HofG – understanding that we believers in Christ are members of God’s household & seeking to understand what it means to be members of the HofG. I would submit to you today for our consideration, that members of God’s household walk/conduct their lives under the influence of the Holy Spirit. We must make it our continual aim to walk by the Spirit. That’s Paul’s concern in our text, Ephesians 5:15-21 [READ]. As have seen, Paul uses that word “walk” numerous times in this epistle. I remind you that the term means to “conduct one’s life,” to live out one’s life. Paul has admonished us not to walk as the Gentiles/unbelievers do, way used to live, but in a new way, in Christ. Ray Stedman, from whom we’ll hear numerous times in this message, correctly pointed out that walking is simply taking 2 steps at a time, repeatedly. And, he said, those 2 steps are “put off” & “put on.” We are to continually put off the old self & put on the new self, intended to be like Christ. Put off, put on, put off, put on, put off, put on – again & again & again. That’s the Christian life – laying aside the old, learning to think new, & taking up, putting on the new – Christ- likeness. Paul exhorted us to “walk in love” & “walk as children of light.” Then, in vs15-21, Paul again address the manner/conduct of our lives as followers of Christ, members of God’s household. We’re to walk/conduct our lives I) Carefully. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” We’re to watch, turn our attention, direct our mind to, contemplate, weigh carefully how we conduct our lives, how we proceed in life. Stedman points out that Paul didn’t say “watch where you’re going,” altho that’s certainly part of what he was saying; but he wrote, “Be careful ‘how’ you walk. We know where we’re supposed to go – follow Christ, imitate our Father, walk in love, live as children of light, & we need to bear all that in mind. But what we need to pay particularly close attention to is “how” we are walking/living. Are we consistently applying the principle of putting off the old & putting on the new? Are we learning to think new? What does the Bible say? Are we applying the principles of Scripture to our everyday lives? We’re to look carefully how we walk, “not as unwise, but as wise.” According to Strong’s, to be wise is to be “skilled in forming the best plans & using the best means for their execution.” So, we’re to walk/conduct our lives not only carefully, but, in Stedman’s word, II) Understandingly – w/understanding. Stedman points out that we should understand 2 things: A) “The character of life,” or the reality of things, & B) “The will of the Lord” – what is it God wants in any situation? A) The character of life – vs16 – “Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” That’s the character of life in this world – evil. That wd means “full of labors, annoyances, hardships, which press & harass, perilous, evil” (Strong’s). That should be no surprise – read the newspaper, listen to the news on TV. Consider the situations in which we find ourselves every day – daily needs, bills, broken lives, broken things, etc. We understand from Scripture (John 10:10) that we have an enemy of our souls who always seeks to “steal, kill & destroy” the work of God & our very lives. The curse of sin is seen all around us in the ills & diseases of life. War, terror, disaster – all over the place. Our government can’t fix these things, tho they may try to manage the damage. But even our gov & govs of world are led by sinful men & women perhaps honestly trying their best, but often w/their own agendas & not having all the tools. Evil days indeed! But something Stedman said is very imp here. It’s very common & understandable that we, recognizing the evil of our days, will tend to be on our guard, watch, ready to retreat. We might well hunker down & sequester ourselves away, so that we might not be harmed or pulled away from God by the evil of the days. Some of that is wise to do, but there’s something more we should do. Here’s what Stedman said: “Evil days promote opportunities – not just obstacles, but opportunities - opportunity to do what is right in any given situation, opportunity to be who/what we ought to be, no matter what anyone else does. Evil days come to give you/I opportunity to grow. James even wrote that they are designed that way, so that we should “consider it pure joy when we encounter various trials” (1:2). Further, evil days make people want to learn about God.” God is giving us opportunity to share the gospel, point others to Christ. So we should take every opportunity evil days give us, & as Paul wrote, make the most of every opportunity, “make the best use of the time…” That is literally, “to redeem the time,” “to buy it up for one’s use, to make wise & sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal & well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own” (Strong’s). Use the time we have to do/be what is right. So, we are to not be foolish, going our own ways, squandering those opportunities, but we should B) “understand what the will of the Lord is.” What does God want of us – not so much what is His will/guidance for my life – not just what I ought to do w/my life, or what decision I should make in a given situation, but who/what does God want me to be? In every situation, what is it that pleases God? As Pastor Tom pointed out last week, faith is what pleases God - & w/out faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb.11:6). God wants us to take Him at His word. He wants us to understand His viewpoint on life, which He reveals to us in Scripture. He wants us to believe Him that what He has said to us will work for us, is good for us. We can learn from Scripture many specifics of God’s will, what He wants us to be, but there are only 2 places where we read, “This is the will of God for you.” I Thess.4:3 – “your sanctification”- your holiness, turning from sin to God – God ordained growth in Christ-likeness. I Thess.5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray w/out ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances…” To live our lives every day w/a God-focus, not divided between church/Sunday & the rest of life Mon-Sat. Stedman admonishes us, “Don’t blindly accept the moral code or follow the guiding principles of the world – what does God say? Believe Him, follow Him. If you’re not pleasing God, what are you doing? Certainly we need help to in any way get it right. That’s why we are to also walk III) Overflowingly – again, Stedman’s wd. “Don’t be drunk w/wine,” Paul wrote, “that’s debauchery…” – unnecessary excess, wasteful; “an abandoned, dissolute life” (Strong’s). Many people turn to drink, drugs, sex, some other substitute to cope w/life, to escape, to somehow stimulate themselves in overwhelming or under towing situations, hoping perhaps that the intoxication will enable them to do what they can’t do themselves. But I’ve never known anyone under the influence of any such substance or substitute to be at their best. Usually it ends in disaster, or at least failure. We need help w/the demands of life & especially w/being able to walk/conduct our lives carefully, wisely, & make the most of the time, pleasing God & becoming who He wants us to be. But Paul was saying here that we should satisfy that need for a 5 stimulant, enabling influence by being filled w/the Holy Spirit. God has made provision for us. He has not left us to ourselves, & we are not meant to be independent of Him. Every believer, when he/she comes to faith in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell w/in – a marvelous gift of God, giving Himself to us. But tho we have the Holy Spirit, there is still a need to be continually filled w/the Spirit. That wd filled is the Grk, “pleroo,” meaning “to be made full – filled to the top so that nothing is wanting to full measure.” It is to abound w/. We’re to be filled to overflowing w/the Holy Spirit. Stedman said that “The filling w/the Holy Spirit is the momentary taking from Him of the resources you need for the situation in which you are. It is a quiet drinking again & again & again” from the fountain that’s w/in you. Jesus promised in John 4 (14) that “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” And in John 7 (38) He said, “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Then John commented, “This He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive…” If you are in Christ, then the well is in you – the well/reservoir of the Holy Spirit. It’s not about coming to church to get a blessing or going to this meeting or that. Rivers of living water flow w/in you. To be filled w/the Spirit is to drink from that living water in every circumstance, it is to recognize & trust the Spirit w/in you. It is to be directed & empowered by the Holy Spirit, to be under His influence. That’s what we need every moment of every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. It is a matter of embracing Him by faith (just as we embrace the saving work of Christ), believing He is here & believing He will lead, empower. Walk in step w/Him. Learn to hear His voice. The demands & pressures of life come all the time. Don’t try to meet those w/artificial means, but w/the filling of the Holy Spirit, the well 6 that goes w/you. Drink from Him, be drunk w/Him, be under His influence. Now, it’s interesting that Paul then begins to describe some of what it will look like if we’re under the influence of the Holy Spirit. “Addressing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs…” Speaking to one another from Scripture, encouraging one another w/the truths to which the Spirit leads us. The Holy Spirit will always use the Word of God in our lives, so we should prayerfully read & study & let the Word dwell w/in us. Note that whenever the Holy Spirit is involved it’s not just for our good, but for the good of the body, the household of God. He wants to use us in these evil days to encourage & exhort one another, helping each other to do what is right, what pleases God. “Singing & making melody to the Lord w/all your heart…” This is obviously an attitude of worship. We should be God-focused, seeing Him everywhere & in everything, & we should acknowledge Him, worship Him. Christians should go about w/a song in their hearts, & w/all our hearts we should give God praise. It’s an inward bubbling, knowing that we have God & He is in control. The Holy Spirit will always lead us to worship/sing. You don’t have to sing well or even aloud, but from your heart to God. “Giving thanks always & for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Again, we can thank God always, because if we are in Christ we have a solid confidence of His presence & promises & a sure hope beyond these evil days. We can thank God for everything, because He’s at work in all things for His glory & our good. How can we fail if we’re w/Him & being led by His Spirit? “Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” We’ll certainly touch on this more fully next week, but if we’re under the influence of the Holy Spirit, then we’re led to be humble, to put others 1st, to gladly place ourselves under whatever authority He has set up. It’s a life of yielding 1st to God & then to others, trusting God w/our lives. And why shouldn’t we? We’re the Household of God!

TITLE: Household of God: The New Life – Ephesians 4:25-32 AIM: Consider the new life in Christ, coming from a change in heart. INTRO: There have been remarkable gains in medicine over the last 50 yrs & 1 of most amazing has been the ability to transplant organs, esp the heart. In Dec of 1967, Dr. Christian Barnard performed the 1st heart transplant on 53 yr old Lewis Washkansky in Cape Town, S. Africa. How remarkable, to be able to take the heart of 1 person & put it into another & have it work properly! But even that is not as amazing as the heart transplant performed by God in the life of every believer. In Ezekiel 36:26-27 God promised to Israel, “And I will give you a new heart, & a new spirit I will put w/in you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh & give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit w/in you, & cause you to walk in My statutes & be careful to obey My rules.” This is what God has done & is doing thru the work of Christ in the lives of everyone who believes/receives Christ as Savior/Lord. Theme: HofG – understanding that we are, seeking to understand what it means to be. I would submit to you that members of God’s household have new hearts & live new lives. Years ago, the great Chinese Christian apologist Watchman Nee wrote a great commentary on Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, which I heartily recommend to you: Sit, Walk, Stand. We are seated in the heavenly places w/Christ, as Paul wrote about in chap2, so we are to rest in what God has done for us in Christ, who we are in Christ, our victory in Christ, our place of belonging in God’s family, knowing & enjoying the immeasurable love of God (Chap1-3). We’ve spent quite of bit of time looking at that “sit” part of Ephesians, and we must always keep it in mind, because out of that truth we are to walk/live the Christian life. Paul urged us to “walk worthy” & to “walk not as the Gentiles do.” We’re to put off the old self, the way we used to live before we came to faith in Christ, be renewed in the spirit of our minds – that is, learn a 2 new way of thinking, learn to think God’s way - & put on the new self, created to be like God. We have new life in Christ & we’re to live new. Living new comes from a new, changed heart & is evidence of that new heart. If you don’t have a changed heart, you have reason to question your conversion. In Christ, we become new from the inside out. Paul gives us some concrete examples of this in text: Ephesians 4:25-32 [READ]. I think Paul probably drew these examples from areas in which the Ephesian Christians may have struggled. We can/should fill in the blanks in our own lives, but these are some basic struggles that we may have also. How might the new life look? In what ways are we to live new? What changes of heart should be evident in our lives? I)Put away falsehood and speak the truth to one another. That phrase “put away” carries w/it the idea of “once for all,” completely. The prevalent thinking in the world is that it’s ok to “adjust” the truth to suit your purposes, whether it’s a little white lie or blatant untruth – we call politicians or their PR people “spin doctors,” because they “spin” the truth to suit their cause/platform. Do what you need to get ahead, make self look good. But lying is following the example of Satan, who Jesus said is “a liar & the father of lies” (John 8:44). If we’re going to follow Jesus, we need to develop the habit of telling the truth. Now, Paul did urge us to speak the truth in love (4:15), so we need to be mindful how we go about telling the truth, but honesty is indeed the best policy. We need to be honest w/God & w/each other. Why? Because of the relationship w/have, 1st w/God & then each other. We who are in Christ are vitally connected to one another. I like the way Paul put it. He didn’t say “you are each members of the body,” which is true, but “you are members of each other.” As A.R. Fausset put it, we (in the Church) cannot “injure or deceive another w/out injuring [ourselves], as all have a mutual & common interest.” The change of heart/way of thinking that should be evident here is that we realize 3 that we are members one of another, we belong to one another. Therefore I will/must promote truth, honesty. Christians aren’t always good at this. For fear of rejection we hold ourselves back, hide the truth of our struggles or the truth of our concerns for each other. As result, we are stunted in our growth individually & as the body of Christ. II)Stop sinning in anger. Paul put it like this: “Be angry & do not sin.” That tells us that we have a choice (always do). Anger is simply an emotion, a reaction to what we see around us or experience against us. But we never have to sin in expression of our anger. We never have to seek revenge. All too many of us are slaves of our anger, instead of its master. We let anger control us, which never leads to anything good. A change of heart is seen in righteous anger, Jesus being our example. When he met a man w/a withered hand & saw the religious leaders watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, Jesus looked “at them in anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…” (Mk.3:5). When He saw the money- changers in the Court of the Gentiles leading into the Temple, Jesus took cords & made a whip & drove them out of there, turning over their tables. They were hindering folks from coming to the house of God, intended to be a “house of prayer.” They were making it hard to worship God. There are reasons to be angry: injustice, abuse, abortion, misuse of resources, twisting of truth, etc. But we never have to sin by lashing out in in uncontrolled anger. We can control our anger – we do it all the time. People who don’t are called out of control. But, we who are in Christ can/should be under the Holy Spirit’s control. We also sin when we stew in our anger, letting it linger. A change of heart is seen in dealing w/our anger, addressing the situation in love, & being willing to let anger go. “Do not let the sun go down…” is proverbial. Fausset wrote, “Put it (anger) away at once before another day begins, before you part (w/your brother, spouse, child, etc.) at night.” Deal w/it – forgive, say I’m sorry. Ponder whether 4 it’s really worth it. If we don’t deal w/anger we give opportunity to the devil to divide us, use us to hurt our bro/sis, family, & brokenness results. Anger that is not dealt w/, but stuffed down, kept in, erupts at the littlest thing. How sad & unnecessary! Deal w/it w/God’s help, & perhaps God would use a counselor/pastor/friend to help you deal with your anger – men especially. III)Stop stealing & start giving. Again, Paul was perhaps touching on matters w/which Ephesian believers struggled. Maybe some of the Ephesian Christians used to be thieves. The root Grk wd for thief/steal is “klepto,” which we use today, describing a person who has a problem – kleptomaniac. You may say, “I’m not thief; that not talking about me.” But think about it. God said in Malachi 3 that we rob Him when we hold back the tithe & offering. We steal from others when we don’t give our very best effort, or when we hold back what we have that they may need. We steal from others when we’re “takers,” looking only for what we can get out of a situation, instead of what we can give. All that matters is “What’s in it for me?” That can happen in a church family. Paul talks about a real change of heart here. The 1st change of heart he called for was hard work. “Let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands…” This takes a whole new attitude/approach to life. That word translated labor carries w/it the idea of “exertion to the point of exhaustion.” It’s giving one’s all, spending one’s self. Christians should be the hardest workers at any job, because we’re representing Christ & the Church. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work smarter more than harder, but we should do both, giving an honest & total effort in whatever we do. And note Paul’s emphasis of working w/our hands. It takes one’s hands to steal anything that’s a tangible object. What Paul is saying is that we should use our hands for good, to help others in need, to be about God’s business. A change of heart is also seen in the matter of giving: “…that he may have something to share w/anyone in need.” What a 5 turnaround! From stealing/taking, to giving/sharing. As believers, we need to come to the understanding that we are not our own & whatever we have is only ours to use for God’s glory, in His work. Christians generally are & should be the best givers in the world. We’re simply stewards of God’s resources, giving to/sharing w/those in need. That means we must make the effort to notice others & what their needs might be. I know there are many who will try to take advantage, & I also know that no one can give to everyone/organization that has hand out, but we can prayerfully discern to whom/what God would have us give, including the church, of course. And we can be cheerful givers, knowing that God will use us to help others & that we can never out-give God. Don’t be a taker, but a giver. It takes a change of heart. IV)No corrupting talk, but words that build up & encourage. That word “corrupt” means “rotten, putrid, no longer fit for use, worthless,” etc. (Strong’s). That certainly would apply to vulgarity – we need to clean up our talk. Some believers are even proud of their obscenity, profanity. Even had someone say in my hearing once, trying to justify the use of vulgar language, “If you’re going to witness to [some people] you have to speak their language.” But you don’t have to talk like a sailor/biker in order to present the truth to one. As matter of fact, the use of vulgarity might indicate that you’re no different than they. But it’s not just vulgarity that Paul speaks of; I don’t even think that his main intention. It’s primarily hurtful speech that he wrote against – slanderous, degrading, wounding talk. As Pastor Tom pointed out recently, we all know that the childhood saying “Sticks & stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not true, but very much a lie. Words can hurt, cut to the quick, wound the heart. James was certainly right on when he wrote that, “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness…It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:6, 8). O, how careful we ought to be as we speak to our 6 children, spouse, bro/sis in Christ, & unbelievers. Once spoken, words cannot be retrieved. Once wounded, it takes a long time to heal. Now, you/I ought not to be so easily offended/wounded, but it is primarily the speaker’s responsibility to choose words well & not be injurious. A change of heart is seen when we speak words that encourage, build up, when we & our mouths are instruments of God’s grace. Paul urges us to speak “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Instead of tearing down, we are to build others up. The words “build up” are expressed in 1 Grk wd – “oikodome” – edify - & in Paul’s writing it means the “act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness & holiness” (Strong’s). John Brown wrote, “The things that flow from a Christian’s mouth should build people up, not put them down.” That doesn’t mean we can’t lovingly joke around & jab each other, but we should be careful. Sometimes things said in a joking manner only disguise the intentional thought, & often you can tell. We must be careful what we say to others & about others. Our main aim in what we say must be to build up/encourage. I like the way Paul put it, “as fits the occasion.” Is a kind word called for? Does our bro/sis need encouragement? Does he/she need a loving, gentle rebuke? Correction? Exhortation? We’re to be God’s instruments of grace, used by Him to speak into others’ lives the truths of Scripture, the truth of the Gospel, the truth that might lift them up when they’re down, hurting. That seems as far as we’ll get today, so we’ll pick it up w/vs30 next week, but it’s obvious to me that we as Christians struggle w/things that belong to our old self – anger, lust, selfishness, pride, greed, jealousy, etc. So, the putting off of the old self needs to be an ongoing practice, w/God the Holy Spirit’s help; & the learning & aligning ourselves w/a new way of thinking must also be ongoing, remember what God has done for us, who we are in Christ, & how God wants us to 7 live; & the putting on of the new self, living new, needs to be ongoing, making right choices every day. It’s something that Paul says we must do, but can’t do it ourselves. God must do it for us, in us – that’s why we need the Holy Spirit, who is at work in us, as we set our gaze on Jesus & keep falling in love w/Him. He works in us, changing our hearts, transforming our lives from the inside out. Surrender to Him, submit to the Spirit’s control & He will change us into His likeness (vs24). It’s as Christ lives w/in us that our change of heart is evidenced by our new life. Focus on Him! We are the Household of God!

TITLE: Household of God: The Power of One, Pt2 – Ephesians 4:1-8 AIM: Consider the basis of our unity in Christ. INTRO: Children in kindergarten/elementary school are taught the concept of likenesses/differences by being shown several pictures on a page & asked “which of these are the same/different?” Then they are asked to circle the pictures accordingly. Sesame Street had (has?) a segment on each show teaching the same concept. Some things are both the same & different, depending on what the criteria is. Apples & oranges are both fruit, but different kinds of fruit. Male & female are both human, but different kinds of humans (& thank God for the difference!). Asians, Caucasians, Africans, Hispanics, Indians are all the same, but different in skin color & culture, etc. Same is certainly true in the Church – lots of different styles of worship & doctrinal tenets, but it’s what binds us together that’s most imp in the Church worldwide & the local church. Theme: Household of God – understanding that we are & what it means to be HofG. Few weeks ago stated that members of God’s household are one in Christ & listed the basis of that oneness, the spiritual realities which unite us from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He wrote that we are one body, are indwelt by one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God & Father of all. If we look just a little further into vs7-8, we find another element of unity: gifts. Let’s look more closely at this text today & consider the basis of our unity in Christ. Ephesians 4:1-8 [READ]. Just to reiterate what touched on 3 wks ago, Paul spent the 1st ½ of his epistle to the Ephesians teaching/reminding them what God had done for them (us) in Christ & celebrating the mystery revealed that Jews & Gentiles alike are brought together in Christ, into the Household of God, His dwelling place “by the Spirit.” In the remainder of his epistle Paul turns our attention to how we ought to live in response to God’s wondrous love/ salvation/reconciliation of us to Himself & to each other. He begins by saying “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” As said few wks ago, if you are a member of God’s household, it’s because you have been called by God into relationship w/Him thru faith in Christ. Now, we’re to walk – conduct our lives – in a manner worthy of that calling. How we who are Christians live matters because it reflects upon God & His Church. We’re not left to ourselves, God the Holy Spirit is w/in us & will help us as we yield, but how we live is supposed to agree w/our claim to faith. Does your life reflect what you say you believe? And, as said before, walking worthy of our calling involves rightly relating to others who are also called by God into relationship thru faith in Christ. Paul urged humility, gentleness, patience, love & unity. Concerning this unity, Paul wrote that we should be eager – that is we are to hasten, exert ourselves, be diligent, work hard – to maintain – attend to carefully, take care of, guard – the unity – oneness, agreement – of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) in the bond of peace – that which binds us – Jew & Gentile, slave & free, together in the peace of Christ. Note that it is the unity of the Spirit, meaning that the Holy Spirit is the One who produces this unity, who makes us one – we can’t do that, but we can/must maintain it. How? By counting this unity as more important than our individual wants or rights or needs; by laying down our lives for the sake of Christ & the unity of the Spirit. Not unity for the sake of unity alone, but the unity of the Spirit. There are things that should cause division between us who believe & follow Christ & those who don’t. And, the things which unite us in Christ will divide us from others who are not in Christ! Nor is it unity based on other criteria. Not all Christians are men nor women. Not all Christians are Republican nor Democrat. Not all Christians are financially rich nor poor. Just take this church family, this local household of God. Some of you are male, some female, some young, some old, some have reached a level of education others have not. We have engineers & farmers & nurses & teachers & truck drivers & admin assists, security personnel, executives, laborers, etc. We come from different parts of the country & even from other nations. Some of us are Advent Christian in our doctrinal understandings & some are not – we even have Baptists among us! Some of us are reformed in our thinking & some are not. We even have Yankee fans among the majority of us who are rightfully Red Sox fans. How different is that? It’s good that our unity is not dependent on such criteria. We might not even connect w/or know each other if the Lord Himself had not brought us together & united us in Himself. But Paul gives us the criteria, the basis of our unity in Christ. Think about it. I think I am correct in saying that these are the only criteria for the unity of the Spirit that are given by God. If any of these is missing, we aren’t united in Christ. These 8 elements make up the oneness/unity of the Church. They are all there together or not there at all. If you have come to faith in Christ, these things are true of you individually, but you are not alone – you can’t be. We’re part of a greater whole. Let’s consider that which unites us in Christ. We are one body – the body of Christ. Paul had already written (1:22) that the Church is the body of Christ. He is our head. We are the family/household of God. Just as the physical head is essential to a physical body, if it is to live, so the spiritual, organic life of the Church flows from connection w/Christ (individually & collectively). Apart from Him we can do nothing. Thru Him, we can do all things He would have us do. You cannot be Christian if Christ is not your head. There is no Church if Christ is not the Head. There are many so-called churches that are not part of the body of Christ – that’s not by my assertion, but according to the Word of God. There are groups that gather which are not His Church/body. There are many religions, but only one body of Christ. All who believe/receive Christ make up His body, & Paul, later in this chapter wrote of the imp of every part of the body functioning as intended by God. We are inhabited by one Spirit – the Holy Spirit. According to Peter in Acts 2:38 everyone who comes to faith in Christ has received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said (John 14:17), of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth who was to come, “You know Him, for He dwells w/you & will be in you.” Every one of God’s children are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If not, you aren’t God’s child. Paul wrote in Rom.8:9, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.” Sadly, we may not be under the influence of the Spirit because we are not yielded to His control. We may grieve or quench the Holy Spirit, even as believers, but He’s in you if you are in Christ. The key to the Christian life is to be filled w/the Spirit, led by Him, empowered by Him. Think about it: the Holy Spirit indwelling each member of God’s family. Don’t you think that if we are each yielded to His control that would make a colossal difference when we come together? Don’t you think the Spirit in you will connect w/the Spirit in me & move us to walk & worship & work together? Why then is there any division in the Church? Why is there so much individualism? Because we are not diligent to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are called to one hope. Our hope is in the Lord – there is life/hope only in Christ. To paraphrase the bumper sticker: “Know Christ, know hope. No Christ, no hope.” Hope in this life is founded in Christ alone. If you want God’s involvement, help, provision, etc., don’t bother looking for it apart from Christ. He alone has provided for relationship w/God. He alone is the fount of every blessing. Hope for eternity is likewise found in Christ alone. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it has to be done. Neither you nor your loved one who has lived a wonderful life will have a place in God’s eternal kingdom if you/they do not have faith in Christ alone as Savior/Lord. Whether you believe that those who die in Christ are ushered directly into heaven or sleep in their graves until Jesus comes & raises them up, you won’t have a room in the Father’s house unless you come to Him thru Christ! Buddha won’t get you there, nor Mohammed, nor any other. There are not many roads to God, but only one way – Jesus. He alone is our Hope! We are servants of one Lord, Jesus Christ. This is more of the same. That word “lord” is the Grk “kyrios,” meaning “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding: master, lord, owner – one who has control of” (Strong’s). Jesus is the one who bought us/redeemed us w/His own life blood. He has risen from the dead, conqueror of sin & death for us. We belong to Him. If you truly believe that Jesus is your Savior & that He is Lord over all, then He must be your Lord & you must follow/serve Him. We can’t earn our salvation by following Jesus, obeying Him, but if we are not following/obeying, how can we say we truly believe? Too many of us, at least here in America seem to have that confused. We’re to spend our lives for Him & His kingdom, not for our ease or enjoyment, tho those are not forbidden us. The problem is we are out of balance. Every one of us should start each day giving ourselves away to Christ, that we might do His will, be about His business even as we go about ours. His business must be our business! Oswald Chambers: “Probably that is our biggest difficulty – that our Lord is not really Master. We use the phrase ‘Master,’ but we use it in a more or less pious way, we do not intend to make Him Master practically; we are much more familiar w/the idea that Jesus is our Savior, our Sanctifier, anything that puts Him in the relationship of a supernatural Comrade.” Is He your Lord practically or in title only? We have one faith – in Jesus. Again, our faith is not in other religions, the government, ourselves, the goodness of mankind, etc., but in Christ alone. Yes, that is narrow, but Jesus Himself said that no one could come to the Father except by Him (John 14:6). He said (Mt.7:14), “the gate is narrow & the way is hard that leads to life; & those who find it are few.” And yet, “whosoever will may come!” Our faith is that Jesus died for us to pay for our sin & lived a perfectly righteous life that His righteousness might count for us. Our faith is that only in Christ can we be born again into God’s family, become God’s children, be forgiven, given new & eternal life. We have one faith. We have one baptism – this we spent considerable time on 3 wks ago, so we’ll not today; but each one who believes is immersed in/baptized by the Holy Spirit, baptized/brought into the Church, & have one public confession: that Jesus is our Savior/Lord, in whom we believe & to whom we have committed our lives. Most of us have stood (& all of us should stand) publicly in the waters of baptism to make that confession. Then we should live out that confession every day. We belong to one God and Father – Everyone who ever lived has been created by God in His image, somehow knit in our mothers’ wombs. But not everyone is a child of God – only those who believe & are born again thru faith in Christ. Only those in Christ can rightfully call God Father. There are many so-called gods acknowledged & worshipped in this world, but only one true God – Jehovah, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul, speaking in Athens concerning what was to the Greeks the “unknown God,” said “In Him we live & move & have our being.” Here in Eph. he wrote that this one true God is “over all & thru all & in all.” Francis Foulkes wrote that “Christians believe that they ‘live in a God-created, God-controlled, God-sustained, God-filled world’ (Barclay), & even more, that God indwells them & is working out His purpose through them.” Do you believe that? As said earlier, there is one more element to this unity of the Spirit, & that is that We are gifted by God – vs 7-8. We’ll spend more time on this in wks to come, but suffice it to say, as Foulkes wrote, “As Conqueror [our risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ] has received gifts that He can bestow.” “He has conquered His enemies, and returned to His Father’s throne in triumph, now to bestow blessings on His people.” The gifts/blessings are many, but part of them are spiritual gifts given to His followers thru His Holy Spirit & therefore given to the Church. No one, whether leader or any family member, has all the spiritual gifts needed in a church family. Part of what unites us is that each of us is gifted & at the same time we are dependent on each other. I need your gifts & you need mine. God has gifted us & put us together to work for the good of the whole. Again, we look more closely at this later. All of these elements are the basis of the unity of the Spirit: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God & Father of all, and gifts given to each one for the good of the body/family/church. If you are in Christ, then these 8 elements are what unite you to every other believer thruout the world & likewise right here in Vernon Advent Christian Church. We are united by God the Holy Spirit & w/humility & gentleness & patience & love we are to maintain this unity in the bond of peace. Are you doing your part? We are the Household of God!