Loving the Local Church
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that ALL Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This passage is 100% true. ALL Scripture is ALL of those things. Within that, however, there are certain passages that are particularly poignant for particular times, situations, and scenarios. I have the great joy and privilege of preaching at The Anchor Bible Church in Redlands, CA this coming Sunday. I certainly covet your prayers as I finish studying and putting the sermon together over the next couple of days.
As I was reading and studying yesterday and this morning, I wanted to share with you the basic outline I’ll be preaching so that you can be encouraged by God’s Word as I have been over the past few days. What an amazing passage of Scripture this is and while it’s certainly helpful for every chapter of any church’s life, it’s definitely helpful and instructive for us as we enter the first chapter of ours. What an exciting time it’s been these past few weeks, and even though we’ve all been through difficulty recently, God remains faithful to His promises and it’s so evident that He is at work at Coram Deo.
Over the next couple of days, read Ephesians 4:1-16 and notice the three main ideas in this passage. They’re so helpful to us!!
Paul writes these words to the Ephesian church encouraging them to walk worthy, which means pursuing unity, understanding diversity, and striving for sanctification and spiritual maturity.
1. Pursuing Unity
This is a non-negotiable. We must pursue the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. This passage speaks of His calling us. Not only did He call us to salvation, but we are called to holiness. In Ephesians 1:4 we were told that He chose us… to be holy and blameless…We must be diligent toward that end. The specific traits we must have in place in each of our lives to achieve this are simple. They’re definitely not easy, but this list is so helpful.
Humility - consider others more important in every way, The Greek dictionary defines this as, “without arrogance.”
Gentleness - "not harsh, especially in your dealings with others"
Patience - "emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune"
Bearing with one another - this points to enduring difficulty. You could phrase it "putting up with..."
Love - agape love. The love Jesus commanded. A love that regards the other highly.
Of course the foundation of unity is that there is one Lord and one gospel that saved us all and brings us together. When we fiercely pursue these characteristics in our lives, it results in unity.
2. Understanding Diversity
God gave each one of us gifts, passions, skills, abilities, etc. He gave them to us to use in saving the church. 1 Peter 4:10 says, as each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another… In case you haven’t noticed, we’re all different. And that’s a good thing.
Jesus won the victory for us on the cross, and He gives gifts to men. A variety of gifts. Notice, however that one of the gifts highlighted is those who lead. Jesus is concerned that His people are equipped to serve and build up the body of Christ and grow in knowledge and Christlikeness.
3. Striving for Sanctification
That’s where all of this leads. All of these pursuits and understandings will lead us toward spiritual maturity. Rejecting these things, not pursuing them, will leave you as a child and susceptible to all sorts of things. Verse 14 is something we don’t want to experience. In John 17:17 Jesus told us that one of the keys to maturity is the Word of God. Without a commitment to Scripture, you won’t experience the maturity He desires for you. Additionally, finding your place of service, and connecting with the Body in that way is what will lead your church not only to grow, but to build itself up in love (and is also results in your own sanctification). What a beautiful thing that we all get to be part of that process! Don’t worry that you can’t do what someone else does. Just bring your gifts, passions, and skills to the table. Your “joint” was meant to supply something for the Body. You're like a puzzle piece that fits in perfectly!
Of course, that’s just a simple summary of Ephesians 4:1-16. Remember, Paul often writes his letters with a pattern. First, the gospel, then the implications. In Ephesians, which is a great theology of the church, after three amazing gospel chapters, he begins his application in 4:1-16. So remember these three keys to living in response to the gospel: Unity, Diversity, Maturity. They’ll serve us well as we move forward as a new church striving to have a high view of God, a high view of His Word, be faithful in discipleship, keep the gospel central, and pursue joy in community.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob Signs