We are coming back to our study of Paul’s letter to the church of... Ephesus.  Which is “a letter of… grace and life.”  Grace meaning what God has graciously - surprisingly - undeservedly - over the top done for us in Jesus Christ.  Paul’s focus in the first half of his letter.  Who we are in Christ because of God’s grace.

This morning we are coming to life.  Which is the big picture of the second half of Ephesians.  Life because of God’s Grace.   This is what it means for us - who are in Christ because of God’s grace - this is what life in Christ is. 

We are at Ephesians 4:1.  Let me read for us the passage - as we come together before God and His word - and then we’ll do some unpacking.

I [Paul] therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you 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.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of  Christ’s gift. 

Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.”  (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?  He Who descended is the One Who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 

And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we attain to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may 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.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him Who is the head, into Christ, from Whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Verse 1 - Paul begins with “therefore” which refers back to everything Paul has opened up so far in this letter to the Ephesians.  Who we are in Christ because of God’s grace.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

“to walk” is Bible speak for how we live life in the day-to-day of our lives.

Which is to be “worthy.”  Meaning it needs to measure up to the hugeness of everything that God has done for us by His grace.  Who we are in Christ.

“Called” meaning that God calls us out of where we were in our sin and being spiritually dead.  God sovereignly and purposefully calls us out of all that to live in Christ for Him.

Meaning that:  How we live “for Christ” must be based on and testify of who we are “in Christ.”  Our conduct must demonstrate our calling.

Two years ago Caelie Wilkes bought a small house plant that she was really proud of.  It was full, had beautiful colors - just an overall perfect plant.

And Caelie took good care of it.  Put it up in her kitchen window.  Had a watering plan for it.  Washed it leaves.  Which she did for two years.  She totally loved this plant.

After two years Caelie decided it was time to transplant the plant to a new vase.  Which led to the shocking discovery that her beautiful succulent plant was fake.

Caelie said, “How did I not know this?  I pull it from the container and it’s sitting on Styrofoam with sand glued to the top!  I feel like these last two years have been a lie.” (1)

Walking worthy is living authentic to who we are in Christ.  It is the real deal of what life in Christ is all about.

Paul urges us - pleads with us - to live so that our conduct demonstrates our calling.

Paul uses himself as a example of what that looks like.  Paul is a prisoner.

Let’s make sure we’re clear on what that means.

Paul being a prisoner opens up one the major themes that he’s going to build on for the next three chapters and pound on in chapter 6. 

Hold on to this.  Paul is not just a prisoner - an inmate.  Paul is a prisoner of war.  A POW.

As Paul is writing his letter he’s under arrest in Rome - a prisoner of the Roman Empire - waiting for his case to be heard by Caesar. 

But Paul says he’s “a prisoner for the Lord.”  In chapter 3, Paul wrote that he’s a prisoner for Jesus Christ.

Point being that Paul may be imprisoned by the Roman Empire but Paul is a prisoner because of the ministry that God called Paul to when Jesus Christ confronted Paul on the road to Damascus.

The Bible tells us that we live in a world at war - in conflict - Satan and God - demons and angels - sin and righteousness - a spiritual battle with eternal consequences - the gates of hell and the gates of heaven.  At stake is the eternal destiny of humankind.

The Bible records in gory detail the effects of the battle.

You’ve probably noticed that in the Old Testament a whole of people get dead.  There’s horrendous suffering.  The New Testament begins with children getting slaughtered by their own government.

The history of the church is a bloody mess.  Even today.  In places like North Korea where it’s a death sentence to be a Christian.  Places like the Afghanistan and Pakistan and Eritrea and Iran and China and on and on…  The vast majority of persecution in this century is against Christians.

The war rages spiritually.  But we see its effects around us.  The shadow of hell so many people live in - wounded - broken - hopeless - searching - empty - without purpose and meaning their lives.

Marriages are coming apart.  People are addicted to just about everything.  Kids are killing kids.  People get wounded.  In war people die.  There are casualties.  Human history is a bloody mess. 

We live in a world at war.  Sometimes we forget the significance of that truth.  Or, we try to sanitize it - make it more politically correct or less significant than it is.  We get distracted from the urgency of the battle.

It is that battle that brings Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  At the apex of human history and the focus point of the battle.  Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem that leads to the cross - and by God’s grace - the resurrection.

Paul is a prisoner of war.  But he’s not distracted or discouraged or defeated or side-lined or out of the action.  Paul is living worthy of what God has called him to.

Paul is reminding the Ephesians - and us - that the issues and struggles of life are significant - viruses and pandemics.  But ultimately it is the “therefore” that’s foundational to how and why we do life.

Paul writes - because of all that God has done for you - even in the issues and struggles of life - the battles of this war - I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

We need to hear Paul.

How we live today - in the midst of everything that’s happening around us - how we live today - in our relationship together as siblings in Jesus Christ - in the quality and character - the holiness and righteousness - of our lives - how we live today - authentic - the real deal - has eternal consequences for those around us.

The consequences are real.  They’re huge.  How we live is crucial.  It’s urgent.  It requires everything that we are in total commitment to living worthy of what God has graciously given to you and to me and called us to through Christ’s work on the cross.

In verse 2 - Paul begins a description of that life:  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love...  

Humility is not arrogance.  Humility promotes others not self.

Gentleness is restraint.  The lioness playing with her cubs.  One swat and they're history.  Power and prerogative held a bay for the good of someone else.

Patience is a reluctance to avenge wrongs.

Bearing with one another in love means putting up with each other’s faults and idiosyncrasies.  Some of us require more patience and bearing up than others.

Verse 3:  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Be “eager.”  Be willing.  Be diligent.  Be proactive.  There’s urgency to this.

“to maintain - is to preserve - the unity of the Spirit…” 

Unity is unity of the Spirit.

God taking people from different backgrounds and experiences and educations and economics and creating unity out of all of that.  The church.  Creekside.  God takes this incredible diversity and creates unity characterized by a bond of peace.

Peace that’s not found in the world because it’s a God thing that comes as the church grows in unity together towards God.

We can’t create that.  And, there’s no need to create that.  Unity is a God thing.  Unity of the Spirit.

Let’s be real here.  Creating unity is not the problem.  Maintaining unity.  Being eager to preserve unity is where we struggle.  Which is why we need to be humble and gentle and patience and bearing with each other in love.

We know from the Bible that in Ephesus - in the church - there were power struggles between men and men and men and women.  Marriages were messed up.  Families were in crisis.  The church was split down ethnic lines - Jews verses Gentiles - keeping the law verses freedom from the law.  In the same church there were slaves and masters.

So the church struggled with unity. 

Beneath the surface of any congregation - on fire - large - small - wealthy - poor - if we scratch just a little - there are always issues.  We create division out of doctrine and race and government and pride and ego and greed and the sins we let slide and don’t let God deal with.  We all struggle with humility and gentleness and patience and loving tolerance - living worthy of our calling.

That’s the history of the Church.  Sometimes even here.  Whenever we’re moving forward in greater unity towards what God has for us Satan is at work trying to divide and destroy us.  To tear us apart and tarnish our testimony of the Gospel.  Welcome to the battle.

So Paul writes, “Be eager.”  Recognize the war strategy of the enemy and eagerly work to not allow anything to slip into or remain in our fellowship that may damage the testimony and life of this congregation.

Tell yourself this or tell someone sitting 6 feet away:  “Be eager.”

In verse 4, Paul goes into detail about where our unity comes from and why.

There is one body...

The church is not a lot of little bodies.  The Church is the body of Christ.  Unity characterizes that oneness.

...and one Spirit

One Spirit that regenerates and indwells and seals and enlightens and strengthens and unifies us.  Wherever and whenever the Church exists it’s the Spirit that enables the Church to be the Church.

just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call

God calls us into relationship with Him.  That calling comes with hope.  Our certain hope that our Savior Jesus is coming back and we’re going to be in the joy and presence of God forever.

one Lord...

Lord meaning supreme authority.   Jesus Christ is the Lord of the universe - the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Jesus Who is our Lord and Master. 

one faith…

Peter stood before the rulers and elders and teachers of religion in Jerusalem and declared that faith:  “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

We believe that Jesus is the only hope of humankind and our only means of salvation. 

one baptism…

Baptism that identifies us with the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Christian baptism is always linked to Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the reason the Church exists.  He’s established it by His shed blood and broken body.  

Verse 6:  ...one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all. 

All that oneness comes down to THE one God and Father of it all.

The supremacy of God the Father who is “over all and through all and in all.”

God the Father Who supremely - sovereignly - rules over all of His creation and yet is intimately involved “through” and “in” it all - even us - the church - Creekside.

Our calling comes from God.  Our being brought together in unity as Creekside comes from God.  Which is a God thing not a you and me thing.

Bottom line:  To live authentic to what God has called us to means being eager to preserve what God by His grace has called us to.

On the battlefield of where we do life - to be humble and gentle and patient and loving towards each other - to eagerly do all those things that maintain the unity that all comes from God.

Verse 7 is Paul bringing us back to his theme of grace.  But notice that Paul introduces gifts to that teaching.  Verse 7:  But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 

Paul’s emphasis being that God - by His grace - not our deserving it - God - our Father - God gives to each of us gifts that are not about us - but about how God desires to use those gifts in the church.  Christ’s body.

Verse 8 is an explanation of that.  Paul quotes Psalm 68:18:  Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.”  (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?  He Who descended is the One Who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Imagine a conqueror who’s just... conquered.  Who ascends up on his elevated dais to his throne.  Then the spoils of war are brought in as “gifts” from the vanquished to be placed before the conqueror as his just reward for his having conquered.

Psalm 68:18 in the context of Psalm 68 - that verse describes God as a mighty warrior - the conqueror. 

In verse 8 Paul applies that imagery to Jesus.  Jesus entering into Jerusalem to do battle with Satan.  Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Jesus - who is victorious over the forces of Satan and the spiritual forces of darkness - Jesus who defeats death.  Jesus the conqueror who has ascended to His throne in heaven.

Jesus  who also descended into death and who ascended into heaven - death and resurrection - through Christ - because of God’s grace - we are each given tremendous undeserved gifts to be used in the body of Christ - the church.

Then in verse 11 - Paul - in order to give us an illustration of what that means - Paul give us a list of some of those gifts.

Verse 11:  And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers

Purpose of which is - verse 12:  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we attain to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

A number of years ago - back when our kids were playing soccer - I was asked to coach a soccer team.  So - in a very brief moment of time - I went from being a vocal parent pacing on the sidelines who knew an amazing amount about how to play to soccer to a coach who had no clue about the game.

I was asked to coach.  Apparently they were desperate.  But I thought - this is a great opportunity to coach Nick’s team and I can be on the sidelines and yell all I want.  What can they say? 

I can proudly say that our team had a perfect record.   We never won a game.  We got creamed in just about every game.

But, these boys had heart.  Every game they’d go out an play the whole game full out - all 50 minutes.

Travis Pazin was on that team.  And he was all in, amazing to watch with the ball.

And as the season went on, they matured as team.  They learned how to play together.  How they played at the end of season was way different than when we came together for our first practice.

It really is true.  It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s… how you play the game.

That’s what Paul is writing about here.

Paul uses up front gifts as an example.  Maybe because he’s calling on leadership to wake up and be eager or maybe he’s calling out the church to respect leadership.  Remember this congregation had an issue with following leadership when someone else was leading.

But he’s writing about all the gifts given to “each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” - all of us have a place on the team.

Paul is writing that it takes a whole team to play the game. 

Sometimes we think we’re getting creamed - spiritually or otherwise.  Or, we’re never going to get this.  We just don’t got what it takes.  Unity is not going to happen.

But grab this:  The outcome of the season - the battle - has been determined by God through Jesus Christ.  What God desires for us as team - a congregation - is to mature spiritually.  To authentically walk the walk.  It’s how we play the game together than counts.   

God is the coach that’s brought together Creekside for His purposes.  Our version of win or loose or how to play the game isn’t the issue.

When the team is eager to follow the Coach we mature as a team.  We learn to play well together for what God has called us to.

When the saints are eager to follow God the saints are equipped for ministry.

“to equip” has the idea of preparing.  Jesus takes a diverse group of guys and - and as they follow Jesus - they learn and grow and mature and are prepared for the next level of what it means to follow Jesus.

When the saints are eager to follow God the body of Christ is built up.

The Body of Christ and it’s like an infant being built - growing up.  As the different parts of the infant’s body develop and grow in proportion to the rest of the body we no longer look and live like children.  There’s a health and strength that comes with that building up.

When the saints are eager to follow God - God does the ongoing work of equipping and building us up until we attain to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

Unity that develops from our deepening personal intimate knowledge and relationship with Jesus and our singular commitment and devotion to Him.

Put simply:  As we individually grow closer to Jesus, God grows us closer to each other.

“to a mature man” - towards corporate maturity as the church - we become what God desires for us to become. 

to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” 

Meaning we the end point goal is for us to reach the maturity of Christ Himself. 

A disciple is someone who... seeks to learn - to be mentored - to so closely follow the teaching of the teacher that at the mind and heart level - in the manner of life - to see the student is to see the... teacher.

Maturity as a Christian is when we’re like Christ.

Which is a God thing not a you and me thing.

Bottom line:  To live authentic to what God has called us to means being open to God’s process of maturing us in what God by His grace has called us to.

On the battlefield of where we do life - what would that be like if each of us individually and collectively - equipped and built up as Christ’s Body - mature - acted together in unity according to what God has graciously called us to be in life and ministry?

Verse 14 - so that - meaning the purpose of all that eagerness and maturing - so that we may 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.

Children are captivated by the latest thing.  People are click bait for whatever is trending.  Truth is the latest meme.  Risk assessment is poor and people hoard toilet paper.  A pandemic becomes a panicdemia.

As the church, we’re in trouble when we get our eyes off Jesus - captivated by opinions of others - gossip - peer pressure - teaching that has no Biblical basis.  Uncertainty leads to fear which challenges our faith.  Often with crippling and disastrous results. 

Satan at war against God and God’s people.

Verse 15 - rather - in contrast:  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him Who is the head, into Christ, from Whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

A huge contrast.  Isn’t it?  From the instability and uncertainty of getting tossed and blown around by the craziness of what’s around us.  On the battlefield we’re living on.

God’s truth spoken in love.  Growth.  Stability.  Christ-like character and maturity.  All the joints and ligaments working together.  The body growing and building itself up.  Mutual submission to the Head of the Body - Jesus.

That’s the body being all of what it was created to be.  Buff.  Ripped.  Toned.  Healthy.

That all doesn’t come easy and it doesn’t come instantly.  Being buff means less time at the buffet.  Ripped and toned means muscles get worked and broken down in order to get built up.  That all takes time and a whole lot of commitment over the long haul. 

Remember the tortoise and the hare?  The tortoise by its slow and steady - dogged determination - beat the faster rabbit.  It’s how you play the game. 

Maturity is a slow and steady process with a definite goal - a finish line with tremendous reward. 

There are no short cuts with God.  God is at work maturing the whole person and the whole body of Christ - bringing us to wholeness in Christ.

Which is a God thing.  Not a you and me thing.

Bottom line:  To live authentic to what God has called us to means being committed for the long to what God by His grace has called us to.

On the battlefield of where we do life - that can be hugely uncomfortable.  Ugly.  Painful. 

God dealing with our sin.  Stripping us of our pride and egos.  Unifying us as church under the authority and direction of Christ alone.

And God using us in places where we wouldn’t choose to go.  Imprisoned in Rome or witnessing in Merced.

Be eager.  Be open.  Be committed.  Living worthy isn’t a sprint.  It’s a marathon.  And then some.

_______________

1. Fox News 03.03.2020 https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/woman-waters-plastic-plant

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.