Make Every Effort

Text: Ephesians 4:1-7

Focus: Unity

Function: To help people commit to unity.

Form: Expository.

Intro: This year, our youth and Rick Flickinger are on a journey to National Youth Conference.

The theme is “Called by Christ -blessed for the journey together.”

And they choose this passage as a framework for the conference. This passage is about the Clergy, in this case, Paul giving commands to the Laity, in this case, the Church in Ephesus.

Called by Christ is appropriate for this. Because he gives the Church, all of us, two callings.

It is important to note that the word laity, the word that denotes non-pastors, prophets, missionaries and denominational executives actually comes from the Greek word Laeo. That is the Greek verb: “to shout, or to call.”

The emphasis, as this was used in the early church was that every Christian, not just the clergy, are called by Christ.

Say this, out loud, to yourself: “I am called by Christ.”

Paul, as their leader, who is now in prison calls them to two things.

And he calls them to do these things as a way of honoring his own personal sacrifice as a prisoner on their behalf.

Call 1: Live a life worthy.

And the means for that, verse 2 is through: “humility, gentleness and patience.”

In verse 2, Yoder Neufeld points out “humility, gentleness and patience would have been seen as `embarrassing non-assertiveness'” to Paul's audience.

So, we live a life worthy by being different. By being willing to be Christian instead of worldly.

The second call then springs out of the first: Call 2: Make every effort to maintain unity.

He is calling the members of his Church to work at unity with one another.

Unity happens by choice. Christian Unity happens by choice. We choose to get along with each other. And to do that we have to know why.

Why? 7 things in common:

1. One Body
2. One Spirit
3. One Hope
4. One Lord
5. One Faith
6. One Baptism
7. One God and Father (parent).

These are the 7 things in common. These 7 things are a glue that holds us together. It is pretty obvious what they are, but let us question the difference between One Lord, and One God/Father/Parent.

One Lord implies dominion. We are under the dominion of God. He is God, and we are not. One God/Father -Parent, implies one family. The good news is reconciliation back into God's family. The Kingdom of God, ruled by Christ is also a kindom, a family.

Notice that there isn't:

1. One race
2. One nation
3. One gender
4. One political party
5. One style of music
6. One favorite sport
7. One favorite color
8. One individual idea
9. One economic class

As Christians, we are part a global family.

Individual preferences are good. No, they are great. They make a fabric woven together that is beautiful, diverse that can celebrate many different styles and passions.

We don't have to be one of all these other things because we are one in the Spirit. We are one in the faith.

But being different means that we have to work at unity.

There is one body. That body is the body of Christ.

The same Holy Spirit is inside of us.

The same hope is here.

The same authority is here

The same trust is here.

The same baptism is here.

• Even then, they had different forms of baptism.
• But we are all baptized by the same Spirit into the same body of Christ.

The same father/family is here.

And this Father has a purpose. To restore humanity to wholeness.

And this Father's body, the hands and feet that restore the world is us.

We have the same purpose.

Make Every Effort to preserve that unity.

That is kind of odd considering there are over 10,000 different denominations of Christianity.

That is kind of odd since Church's splitting is pretty common.

Have we failed that command?

Maybe.

Let us remember something that will help with unity.

It isn't about us.

The Church is the one institution whose members exist for the good of those who are non-members.

Repeat that.

We exist for the good of others.

This has always been the way of God's family.

The call to Abraham. Genesis 12:3 In You (Abraham) all the families of the earth will be blessed.

• I notice 2 things: 1). In talking about the nations, God refers to them as families and 2). God is blessing Abraham in order for Abraham to be a blessing to others.

God has given us His hope, power, Spirit, and blessings so that we can in turn bless others.

But we live in a culture of consumerism. Not only does our culture reject gentleness, patience and humility, it celebrates consumption.

I have mentioned Church consumerism the last few weeks.

I have decried the fact that at times, we come to Church to get our needs met.

And that is kind of backwards. Kind of. Let me explain why it is only kind of backwards.

First the “backwards” and then the “kind of.”

When we were redeemed, when we were baptized, we symbolized that we have died to ourselves to live for Christ.

Covenantially, with God, we are not here to get our needs met, we are here to worship and be equipped to then serve.

But we, because we live in a consumer driven culture, have been taught that we should value something only if we can get something out of it.

And that is backwards.

People question what value they get out of worshiping God.

People question what value they get out of serving others.

Remember, the early Church was persecuted to death by the Romans.

So, to come to Church merely to get our needs met is backwards.

However, the “Kind of” of the “kind of backwards” is important also.

My last statements were in the negative, and guilt and shame motivates no one.

You see, we do get our needs met.

And that is the “kind of” part.

Because, we get our needs met when we are meeting the needs of others.

I am not talking about condescension or patrimony.

I am talking about the joy of fellowship, with God and others, when the Holy Spirit works through us in service.

God Himself is in us working to heal a hurting world.

I am talking about washing the feet of others and letting others wash our feet. Not symbolically, but as a way of life.

I am talking about the Biblical principle of the moving and power of the Holy Spirit.

Out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water.

When God is at work in us, we are a part of something bigger.

We get to enter into partnership with God and with each other.

It comes from our perspective on Church membership/involvement. Do we consider it the privilege of membership or the responsibility of partnership?

Consider the Church more like a galley than a cruise ship.

On a galley, everyone is rowing, setting sails, cooking meals and contributing to the voyage.

On a cruise ship, we hire people to do all that for us so that we can enjoy leisure.

Membership, in that sense implies privilege.

However, partnership, like on the galley implies responsibility.

We are responsible.

Paul is being a great leader here. He is not doing the work for them, he is making them responsible for the success of the Church.

So. We go back to verse 3 of the text.

Make Every Effort to keep the unity...

We are called by Christ, to Christ.

Paul gives a command, or a call, to his congregation based solely on his authority as their Apostle/pastor.

Remember, everyone who is a believer is called out of this world's systems to be a part of God's Kingdom here on earth.

The clergy are called to more, that is true.

But that doesn't excuse the responsibility of everyone else.

He is asking them, because of his own sacrifice for them, to make every effort at unity.

What does it take for this unity to happen?

He says it right here: be humble, be gentle, be patient and bear with each other in love.

I love that bear with each other line the best.

We already looked at how humility, patience and gentleness were perceived as weaknesses back then, as well as now. And we have all taken on the Spirit of Christ and a willingness to demonstrate those fruits of the Holy Spirit.

But let us go back to bear with each other in love.

That means to accept each others' failings as well as their successes.

That means if the current Sunday School teacher lectures more than the previous SS teacher who asked provocative questions, we bear with him or her.

That means if someone's preference for music is more Southern Gospel than an others' desire for choruses, or for well structured hymns, we bear with them.

That means that if someone has the gift of art, or poetry, or sewing, we find ways to incorporate their gifts in worship as well.

Every church has someone who speaks their with a little bit less tact than most other people. We bear with them.

We make allowances for those who do not hear as well, for those who are not as physically able and for those whose spiritual backgrounds and traditions are completely different than our own.

As much as it is within each of us as individuals, we make this effort. Cause we are on a journey together.