“Unveiled Hope”
Introduction: Ephesians 4:1-6
We are called to work together as a healthy body under the headship of Jesus. We recognize there are challenges to our work.
It is issuesinside the Church (wrong beliefs about Jesus, people with hidden agendas that are not in line with the Gospel, hypocrisy, greed, self-righteousness, “my way or the highway” personalities)that all detract from our vision and message! The Great Commission is our Vision Statement! Matthew 28:18-20
We must do everything we can to reach the non-believing world around us! I Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 12:3
(Sources: William Barclay Ephesians Commentary & Vines Complete Expository Dictonary.)
I. LIVES WORTHY OF THE CALLING WE HAVE
II Corinthians 6:3-10We need to realize where the battle is:Ephesians 6:12, II Corinthians 10:3-5
There are 5 basic character virtues expressed here: humility, gentleness, patience, love and peace.
A. Be Completely Humble
Our humility comes at looking into the holiness, the glory, the majesty of God in His perfection and realizing I do not compare!
Matthew 18:1-4, Luke 9:46-48, Matthew 20:24-28
B. To Be Gentle
The person who is praus is the one who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time.
C. Patient
The Greek word is makrothumia - 1. It describes the spirit which will never give up and which because it endures to the end will reap a reward.2. It also means patience with others.
Who is our best example of this? Jesus!I Timothy 1:16, II Peter 3:15
D. Bearing with One Another in Love
In Greek there are four words for love: eros, philia, storge, agape. Matthew 5:43-48 Agape is the quality of mind and heart which compels Christians never to feel any bitterness, never to feel any desire for revenge, but always to seek the highest good of absolutely everyone. Romans 5:8
E. The Bond of Peace
Peace may be defined as “right relationships with one another.”
This oneness, this peace and these right relationships can be preserved only in one way. Every one of the afore mentioned character traits depends on the dying to self! As long as “self” is at the center of things, this oneness can never fully exist!
Matthew 16:24-25, Ephesians 4:22-24
In a church where “self” predominates, people cannot form anything but a disintegrated collection of individualistic and warring units. When “self” dies and Jesus is allowed to transform our hearts then comes the peace and the oneness that needs to characterize the church!
II. THE BASIS OF OUR UNITY (from Ephesians, p. 162-164)
Paul goes on to set down the basis on which Christian unity is founded.
(1) There is one body.
(2) There is one Spirit.
(3) There is one hope in our calling.
(4) There is one Lord.
(5) There is one faith.
(6) There is one Baptism.
(7) There is one God: He is above all, through all, in all.
It is the Christian belief that we live in a God-created, God-controlled, God-sustained, God-filled world.”
Conclusion: With the transforming work of God’s Holy Spirit in us we can do it! Not in ourselves but in our walk with Jesus we can overcome every obstacle and challenge! Ephesians 3:14-21