Lisa Godard (Lisa)

TITLE: House of God: The Power of One – Ephesians 4:1-6 AIM: Focus on the purpose & significance of baptism. INTRO: They say there is power in numbers, meaning I suppose, that the more you have of something the better it is. That’s true in many things. Theoretically, in a battle, the more weapons & troops you have the better. It is certainly the world’s thinking that the more money one has the better (may be true as long as it doesn’t own you). That’s even true of the church – we always want to add more people to the Church, because each person is someone who needs a Savior, & if come to faith in Christ as Savior/Lord, then he/she is brought into the Church & hopefully will find their way to a church. But in the Church worldwide & the local church such as we are, the most powerful number is one! That’s true in a couple of ways: 1)Jesus is the One in whom we believe & who we all follow, if we are true disciples; 2)In Christ, we who believe, tho many, are one. Theme: Household of God – understanding by God’s word that we are the HofG & seeking thru Scripture to understand what it means to be the HofG. In Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians 4:1-6, the apostle makes it clear that members of God’s household are one: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God & Father of all. Let’s turn our attention today to that passage of Scripture. [READ] Having spent the 1st ½ of the epistle teaching the Ephesian believers (& us) what God has done for us in Christ, reminding us who we were, but what God has done to save & bring together under Christ all His Church, then praying for us to get it & embrace the truth by faith, now Paul turns his attention to how we ought to live knowing/believing what we know/believe. He reminds them again, perhaps to put emphasis on the importance of listening to what he is saying, that he is a prisoner for the Lord. He admonishes us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called…” If we are members of God’s household, it’s because we have been called by God into relationship w/Him thru faith in Christ. We were invited by the Spirit of God to embrace salvation thru faith. What a glorious grace God has poured out on each of us who believe! Now Paul is saying, “Don’t take that lightly, but walk worthy of it.” “Walk” – “make one’s way, progress, make due use of opportunities, regulate one’s life, conduct one’s self” (Strong’s). We are to pay attention to how we live, having come to faith in Christ & into relationship w/God our Father. Paul is not saying, “Now it’s up to you to live right.” He makes it clear in chap.6 & elsewhere in his writings that we desperately need God’s help & rule in our lives if we’re going to successfully live the Christian life. But we do bear responsibility to yield to God’s rule & pay attention to how we conduct our lives. And, note that it involves our relationships w/others. Walking worthy of our calling involves rightly relating to others who are also called by God. Paul exhorts us to relate to our bros/sis in Christ w/humility, gentleness, patience, love & unity. Then he zeroes in on this matter of unity, emphasizing that it is the “unity of the Spirit,” meaning the Holy Spirit. Next, he points out that which unites us in Christ: We are one body, the body of Christ, the Church; we’re inhabited by one Spirit, the Holy Spirit, w/& w/in us; we’re called to one hope – the hope of eternal life w/Christ; we’re servants of one Lord, Jesus Christ, who redeemed us for Himself by His sacrifice for us on the cross & thru the empty tomb. And, we have one faith, in Jesus, believing that in Him we are indeed saved, forgiven, given new & eternal life, & brought into relationship w/God. We have one baptism, immersed in Christ, infused w/the Holy Spirit & brought into the Church. And, we belong to one God – Jehovah, who has called us to Himself. Now, we will look more intently at each of these elements of our oneness in Christ in weeks to come, but today, because of our privilege of celebrating w/Deb Tyson in her baptism, I’d like to focus the rest of this message on baptism, considering what & why it is. Most of us have been baptized, some of you may be considering it, & today Deb is doing it. It is significant that thruout the history of the Church & today all over the world Christians have practiced this rite in celebration & declaration of their faith in Christ. There are different modes of baptism & tho I/we believe that immersion is the Biblical mode, I don’t think the mode is as important as the meaning behind it. The word actually comes from the Greek, “baptisma,” which literally means “immersion or submersion,” & Strong’s Concordance adds this: “of Christian baptism, a rite of immersion in water as commanded by Christ, by which one after confessing & professing his faith in Christ, having been born again by the Holy Spirit unto a new life, identifies publicly w/the fellowship of Christ & the Church.” I don’t remember anywhere in the gospels that Jesus commanded baptism, tho His disciples baptized others as John the Baptist did – a baptism of repentance from sin. John the Baptist said of Jesus (Luke 3:16), “I baptize you w/water, but He (Jesus)…will baptize you w/the Holy Spirit & w/fire.” When we come to faith in Christ, we are indeed baptized w/the Holy Spirit – He comes to dwell w/in us, to lead & sanctify us. Baptism w/fire either means the fire of new life in Christ or the fire of judgment, w/which all who do not believe will incur. But thru His apostles Jesus did command baptism: Peter exhorted his listeners on the day of Pentecost to “Repent & be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, & you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). And in Acts 10:48, when Cornelius & his family/friends responded to Peter’s message by faith in Christ, we read that “…he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” It’s obvious from Scripture that baptism is a follow-up/thru of one’s faith in Christ. It points to what has already occurred in the believer’s life. Baptism doesn’t save anyone; it is a witness to God’s saving grace in a life. Baptism doesn’t wash away our sins; it celebrates the washing away of sin by God the Father based on the atoning work of Christ. Baptism symbolizes new life in Christ, the old self dying w/Christ, being buried w/Christ, & the new being raised up w/Christ, but it doesn’t give us new life. I think it very important that a person being baptized understands all that it means & makes the choice to be baptized because he/she believes/receives Christ as Savior /Lord. You who were baptized as infants should consider that thought. Before baptism, one must come to an understanding of the truth of the gospel – the truth of our sin & need of a Savior; understanding what Paul wrote in Rom.3:23 & 6:23 – “All have sinned & fall short of the glory of God.” We’ve missed the mark & fallen short of God’s standard (perfection); therefore we not only cannot know God, but we deserve His wrath/punishment. “The wages of sin is death…” But we also must understand that God has made a way for us by sending His Son to pay the penalty for us. So we confess our sin, need of a Savior & turn from the sin of unbelief, dependence upon ourselves, to God, looking to Him for salvation, new life, relationship w/Him, for which we were created. We must be convinced of the truth of the gospel (that’s what faith is) & so commit ourselves to God’s saving grace, to following Christ as Lord, that He might take charge of us, live His life in us to the glory of God. He will transform our lives, giving us new direction & purpose, fitting us for His kingdom, making us part of His Church, calling us to His work. At baptism one makes a public confession of Christ, declaring to all who see/hear his/her faith in Christ & commitment to Him. In baptism we are identifying w/Christ – we believe in Him, belong to Him. He is our life, our hope, our all in all. And, in baptism we also identify w/the Church, the body of Christ. Baptism doesn’t make us members of the Household of God – that happens when we believe/receive Christ; but in baptism we recognize that we are making the same confession of faith in Christ that millions thruout history have made. We’re taking the same stand that others have taken, making the same commitment others have made – the Apostle Paul, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, D.L. Moody, Billy Graham, your forefathers, grandmothers, bro/sis. It’s no small thing to stand in the waters of baptism! But baptism is not an ending, it’s a beginning of sorts. Being baptized marks a line in the sand, so to speak. As said, it’s a confession of faith, a declaration of commitment. We are to go forth from baptism & live out what we have professed. After baptism, we’re to live committed lives, to Christ & to His Church. As Paul said, we’re to “walk worthy of the calling to which we’ve been called.” We’re to conduct our lives in a way that agrees w/what we have confessed. We’re to pursue spiritual growth, continuing to follow Christ & become more like Him, little by little. All too many people have been baptized & then practically forgotten what they’ve said they believe & the public commitment they’ve made. Deb, don’t let that happen to you! And by the way, how are the rest of us doing w/that? We desperately need God’s help, which He supplies by His Spirit, but we must follow thru. After all, we are the Household of God!

TITLE: House of God: The Not So Impossible Dream – Ephesians 3:14-21 AIM: Christ is w/in! We can live this life - focus on His love & give way. INTRO: A song that was popular when I was in high school was “Impossible Dream.” It was the principal song for the musical “Man of La Mancha,” which was an adaptation of the book Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in the 17th century. It tells the story of the "mad" knight, Don Quixote, as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition – a battle between idealism & realism. In the musical, thru the song Don Quixote explains his quest & the reasons behind it, as he goes off to fight the famed windmill on behalf of his love. The words are enduring tho quite existential – stressing the active role of the will rather than of reason in confronting the problems of life. “To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear w/unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go; to right the unrightable wrong, to love pure & chaste from afar, to try when your arms are too weary, to reach the unreachable star: this is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far, to fight for the right w/out question or pause, to be willing to march into Hell for a heavenly cause. And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest, that my heart will be peaceful & calm when I’m laid to my rest. And the world will be better for this, that one man, scorned & covered w/scars, still strove w/his last ounce of courage – to reach the unreachable star.” That, I think, expresses the absolute best of man, left to himself. We can all do a whole lot more than we think we can, & people have done things thought impossible & mankind has made great accomplishments thruout history, but there are still yet unreachable stars – impossible dreams. I don’t agree w/the thinking that tells our youth, “You can do/be whatever you want.” I agree w/encouraging others to be all they can be, but let’s be realistic. Not every child can be 2 a great athlete or grow up to be president. Can go a lot farther & do lot more by trying than can by not trying, but there are still impossible dreams. Having said all that, & acknowledging that we as Christians are walking against the tide of humankind, climbing a nearly un-scalable mountain as we try to live the Christian life - we fail so often that sometime we question whether or not it is an impossible dream. I want to tell you this morning it is not. Theme: Household of God – understanding that in Christ we are the Household of God & seeking to understand what it means to be the Household of God. I believe Paul would have us understand that while it is difficult to live the Christian & truly impossible to do it on our own, living as members of God’s household is not an impossible dream, but a God-worked reality, realized by faith. Let’s turn our attention to God’s word in Eph.3:14-21. A little different: I’ll read it for you now, but then we will work thru it phrase by phrase, as it comes up on the screen. [READ] Paul began this section of his epistle just as he did the 1st part of chap3: “For this reason…” – again referring to what he has previously written, about these Eph. Gentile believers’ standing in God’s Church, & God’s eternal purpose to bring all things together in Christ. “I bow my knees before the Father…” As he did at the end of chap1, so Paul breaks into prayer for the Ephesian believers, & by God’s providence, for us. 1:17 – prayed to “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.” Here he prays to “the Father” – our Father. Because of Christ’s atoning work, His Father is our Father – everyone who believes, receives Christ by faith belongs to Him! As A.R. Fausset wrote, “The foundation of all sonship is in Jesus Christ.” “From whom every family in heaven & on earth is named.” God’s family includes not only the redeemed of mankind thruout history, but also the realm of unfallen angels. God created, gave life to us all, redeemed us who were under the curse of sin, & so we all are called by His name, ided w/Him. Fausset correctly 3 wrote, “The Church is part of the grand family…which comprehends besides men, the higher spiritual world.” “…that according to the riches of His glory…” – Paul had used a similar phrase in Phil.4:19 – “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God is abundantly supplied w/glorious riches. From Him emanates all grace & strength & love & power, etc – whatever we might need. It is no stretch for God to give us strength from His inexhaustible supply – like asking a billionaire for $1. “He may grant you to be strengthened w/power through His Spirit in your inner being…” God has already given us His Holy Spirit – to be w/us, w/in us, to empower us; He has already given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places; He has given us everything we need to live the Christian life. I believe Paul was asking God to move in us by His Spirit to enable us to know what we have & access all we have in Christ & embrace by faith all that is ours, deep w/in ourselves – His Spirit connecting w/our spirit. Just as Paul prayed (chap1) that God would give us “a Spirit of wisdom & revelation in the knowledge of Him” & open the eyes of our hearts, so here he is asking God to make us able to know the truth. “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…” That phrase almost caused me to stumble, 1st because Paul is writing to Christians. Doesn’t Christ already dwell w/in us? And 2ndly, because if Christ dwells w/in me, why doesn’t that make more of a difference in how I live my life? Why do I fail so often? Why am I not more righteous in my daily walk? It is true that Paul was writing to Christians, but it seems they might have struggled w/their identity in Christ, feeling like 2nd-class Christians, unworthy. He wanted them/us to embrace this truth by faith, that Christ does dwell w/in us. We are never w/out Him & never left to ourselves. And yes, that should/must make a huge difference, a complete difference in how we live our lives, but here’s the key: believing & embracing – giving way to Christ w/in. That word 4 dwell is “katoikeo” – “dwell, settle, inhabit; metaphorically, in order to govern, prompt, pervade” (Strng’s). Jesus is not interested in coming to visit once in a while; He wants to make His permanent home w/us, w/in us. Jesus wants to settle down in our hearts, as Moule wrote, “As a Master resident in His proper home!” That’s what Paul was praying for. David Gudzik wrote, “The glory of the indwelling Jesus is something for us to know, & to know by faith. It is there for us, but must be taken hold of thru faith.” Then he asks, “Why do we need spiritual strength to let Christ dwell w/in us (or to know that He is)? Because there is something in us that resists the influence of the indwelling Jesus. That something can be conquered as the Spirit of God gives us the victory of faith.” Again, Moule wrote, “The indwelling is, from one side, the sovereign gift of God. From the other, it is a matter for the simplest & most personal reception by man. And…the form of that reception is…faith – reliance, submissive trust, not animated action, not exalted aspiration, but acceptance.” Will you accept by faith the rule of Christ w/in you? Most of us stumble because we’re trying to hold onto & maintain control over our lives. We don’t trust the indwelling Christ or the love of God or the grace of God or the sovereign will of God. Perhaps these Ephesian believers struggled in the same way. So Paul’s prayer continues: “…that you, being rooted & grounded in love…” – The wd “rooted” brings to mind a great oak tree – strong, fixed, established, because its roots go so deep. No wind can easily topple it. And the wd, “grounded” puts us in mind of a great building, the foundation of which is strong & firm, stable & again, established. Paul prays that we be rooted & grounded, firmly established in love. Whose love? God’s love; Christ’s love – why? If we’re going to give way to another’s rule, we will do so either because of fear of the consequences of not giving way or because we believe he has our best in mind, that he loves us. Do you believe God the Father loves you? Do you believe 5 that Christ loves you? Rom.5:8 – “God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” Paul’s prayer was that we be firmly established, fully convinced of the love of God for us. Then we can be more comfortable w/His indwelling rule/control. Then we can more fully see the superior pleasure of following Him. And then we can begin to understand that we don’t know the half of it! “…may have strength to comprehend w/all the saints…” That wd “comprehend” is “katalambano” – “to lay hold of, so as to make one’s own” (Strng’s). Paul’s prayer & the Father’s desire is that we, in community – all the Church, all this church – together, would comprehend. Again, we’re not lone rangers, not meant to stand alone. We belong to a great family/God’s household, & He would have us all, together comprehend, “…what is the breadth & length & height & depth…” Obviously these are dimensions, but Paul doesn’t specifically say of what. The context certainly leans toward Christ’s love – “rooted & grounded in love…”; “know the love of Christ…” That’s probably Paul’s line of thinking. “How high & how wide, how deep & how long, how sweet & how strong is your love!” The more established we are in God’s love for us, the more we can grasp just how endless, measureless that love is. We can’t get to the end of it. We can’t reach around it. Can you make God stop loving you? No! Does His love only go so far & then He’s done w/you? No! But this measurelessness expressed by Paul describes more than God’s love – also His grace/ unmerited favor, lavished on His children; His power – limitless; His person – God Himself. If we comprehend the vastness of God & His love & grace & power, etc, then why won’t we trust Him to rule in us for our good? “…and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” The wd “know” here is a different Greek wd from the one used in Eph.1:18. There it is “oida” – “understand the full meaning, 6 grasp the ramifications of” “the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, &…the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us…” Here the wd is “ginosko” – “get a knowledge of, perceive, feel” (Strng’s) & really, “to experience.” It was a Jewish idiom for relations between a man/woman; so it means to know intimately. Paul acknowledges that this love is beyond knowing – that is fully knowing. There’s much more to the love of Christ than we can get; but his prayer is that we might experience the love of Christ far beyond our present experience. That means that we can grow & grow & grow in Christ’s love & never get to the end of it. Then Paul’s prayer continues to an extraordinary conclusion. “…that you may be filled w/all the fullness of God.”(!) Several commentators point out that the word “with” can & should be translated “unto” – “that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.” That wd “filled” means “to capacity,” like a ship laden w/goods & a full complement of sailors. Gudzik wrote, “Paul wanted Christians to experience life in Jesus Christ (who is) the fullness of God (Col.2:9), & to be filled to their capacity w/Jesus, even as God is filled to His own capacity w/His own character & attributes.” Fausset adds, “This is the grand goal, (that we be) filled, each according to [our] capacity, w/the divine wisdom knowledge & love, even as God is full, & as Christ who dwells in [our] hearts has all the fullness of the God-head dwelling in Him bodily.” Filled up w/God! Isn’t that Paul’s meaning when he wrote (Gal.2:20), “I have been crucified w/Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & gave Himself for me.” Now, let’s be honest; this does indeed seem like an impossible dream! How can we grasp the vastness of God & His love/grace? How can we know/experience that which surpasses knowledge? How can we be filled to capacity w/God? How can this be? Only because it depends on God, who alone is able! “Now 7 to Him is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think…” God alone is able to carry this off! Paul coins a new word – God is able to do “superabundantly”- beyond measure, beyond what we might ask or even think to ask. He can do it according to His power at work w/in us – the same power that raised Christ from the dead & seated Him at His right hand & gave Him the name above every name & put all things under His feet & gave Him as head over all to the Church. Our God & Father can strengthen us w/power thru His Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts thru faith, that we, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend w/all the saints what is the breadth & length & height & depth, & to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled w/all the fullness of God. Ours is to believe it & take hold of it by faith, & pray for each other along these very lines. Then Paul closes his prayer w/a fitting doxology, which Gudzik properly points out, “does not only belong to the prayer that precedes it, but also to every glorious privilege & blessing spoken of in the 1st 3 chapters.” “…to Him be glory in the Church & in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever & ever. Amen!” This is the only fitting response to our great/loving God – give Him glory. He has done all things for His glory & He will be always glorified in Christ, but when we get it, embrace by faith all that God has given us in Christ, not only individually, but together, He is glorified in His Church, which is how it should be. We are the Household of God!

Household of God: Our Privilege & Stewardship

Household of God: YOU WERE…BUT GOD (PART 2)

Household of God: YOU WERE…BUT GOD (PART 2)