SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 28

TITLE: THE BASIS OF UNITY

TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:4-6

INTRODUCTION: (1) IN PSALM 133:1, DAVID, THE PSALMIST MAKES THIS STATEMENT, (READ IT)

* NOW IT IS GOOD AND PLEASANT FOR PHYSICAL FAMILY MEMBERS TO DWELL TOGETHER, TO LIVE IN UNITY.

**TO LIVE IN UNION, IN UNITEDNESS, GETTING ALONG TOGETHER.

*** AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT IT IS A TERRIBLE THING FOR A FAMILY TO BE DIVIDED WHERE THEY DON’T SPEAK WITH EACH OTHER AND WILL NOT SEE EACH OTHER, WHEN THERE IS DIVISION IN THE FAMILY.

**** NOW AS TERRIBLE, TRAGIC, AND SAD AS IT IS FOR A PHYSICAL FAMILY TO BE DIVIDED, HOW MUCH MORE OF A TRAGEDY IS IT FOR THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES, THE CHURCH TO BE DIVIDED.

(2) FOR YOU SEE THE CHURCH IS A FOREVER FORGIVEN FAMILY THAT HAS EXPERIENCED THE MERCY OF GOD’S GRACE AND HIS INFINITE PATIENCE AND KNOWS OF HIS ETERNAL ELECTING LOVE.

* AND IF THERE’S ANYBODY THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET ALONG, IT SHOULD BE GOD’S PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH.

** WE’VE BEEN FORGIVEN AND BLESSED ABOVE MEASURE.

*** AND OUR ABILITY TO GET ALONG AND BE ONE IN PURPOSE AND SPIRIT IS A GREAT TESTIMONY TO THE TRUTHS IN CHRIST.

**** WHEREAS DISUNITY BRINGS REPROACH, SCORN, AND SHAME TO THE CAUSE OF CHRIST.

(3) GANDHI, THE ONE TIME HINDU SPIRITUAL LEADER WAS ONCE ASKED, WHAT IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA?

* HE REPLIED, “CHRISTIANS”.

** AND UNFORTUNATELY EVEN THOUGH HE WAS INVOLVED IN FALSE RELIGION, HE WAS RIGHT ON THAT ANSWER.

*** FOR OUR DIVISIVE, UNKIND, UNGRACIOUS ATTITUDES TOWARD EACH OTHER AT TIMES ARE A GREAT HINDRANCE TO THE GOSPEL AND CHRISTIANITY.

**** NOW UNDERSTAND I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT A FALSE UNITY WHEN PEOPLE ATTEMPT TO UNITE PROFESSING CHRISTIANS IN A WAY THAT IS NOT BIBLICAL AND THROW OUT ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES AND TRUTHS.

(4) FOR UNITY BUILT ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN BIBLICAL TRUTH IS STANDING ON A VERY SHAKY FOUNDATION.

* AND OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS AND ARE NOT AND ARE NOT PREACHING A BIBLICAL CHRIST CENTERED GOSPEL OF GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE BECAUSE OF CHRIST ALONE.

** BUT WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT IS A UNITY OF PURPOSE AROUND TRUTH AND THE GREAT COMMISSION AND THE GLORY OF CHRIST FOR THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL.

*** AND IN OUR TEXT TODAY WE SEE A THEOLOGICAL BASIS OF OUR UNITY AS CHRISTIANS CONNECTED TO CHRIST.

**** FOR REMEMBER, THE CHURCH IN THE FIRST CENTURY WAS THREATENED BY A DIVISION BETWEEN JEWISH BELIEVERS AND GENTILE BELIEVERS.

(5) AND PAUL IN EPHESIANS WILL TALK ABOUT THEIR ONENESS AS FELLOW-CITIZENS AND THAT THEY ARE A PART OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD IN EPHESIANS 2:19.

* AND THAT JEWS AND GENTILES ARE FELLOW-HEIRS AND FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY AND FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISES OF CHRIST THROUGH CHRIST IN EPH. 3:6, WHICH COMMUNICATES UNITY AND ONENESS EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD RADICALLY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND CULTURES.

** AND SPECIFICALLY IN OUR TEXT TODAY, PAUL WILL COMMUNICATE THAT EVERYTHING THAT RELATES TO SALVATION, THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF UNITY.

*** AND THAT IS BROUGHT FORTH IN PAUL’S USE OF SEVEN ONE’S IN VV. 4-6 OF EPH. 4.

**** IN OTHER WORDS THE CAUSE OR BASIS OF OUTWARD ONENESS IS INNER ONENESS.

(6) PRACTICAL ONENESS IS BASED ON SPIRITUAL ONENESS.

* AND NOTE THAT PAUL DOES NOT DEVELOP THE PARTICULAR AREAS OF ONENESS, BUT SIMPLY LISTS THEM:

** ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, ONE HOPE, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD AND FATHER.

*** PAUL’S FOCUS IS ON THE ONENESS OF THIS AND EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF GOD’S NATURE, PLAN, AND WORK AS A BASIS FOR OUR COMMITMENT AS A LOCAL CHURCH AND OTHER TRUE CHURCHES TO LIVE AS ONE.

**** AND IN THIS ONENESS, WE WILL SEE THE ONENESS OF THE GODHEAD, THE TRINITY, AS GOD THE SPIRIT IS TALKED ABOUT IN V. 4, GOD THE SON IS TALKED ABOUT IN V.5 AND GOD THE FATHER IS TALKED ABOUT IN V.6.

(7) AND THE GODHEAD IS THE BASIS OF OUR UNITY, WHICH IS THE TITLE OF OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “THE BASIS OF UNITY”.

* AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 3 THINGS IN VV. 4-6, NO.1 UNITY IN THE SPIRIT, V. 4, NO.2 UNITY IN THE SON, V.5, AND NO.3 UNITY IN THE FATHER, V.6

** AND LET’S BEGIN TODAY BY LOOKING AT UNITY IN THE SPIRIT BY LOOKING AT V.4 OF EPH.4 PLEASE.

I. UNITY IN THE SPIRIT (READ V.4)

A. NOW FIRST OF ALL THERE IS ONE BODY OF BELIEVERS, THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF EVERY SAINT SINCE PENTECOST WHO HAS TRUSTED ON OR WILL TRUST IN CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD.

* AND UNITY HERE IS MANIFEST IN THIS WAY: THERE IS NO DENOMINATIONAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHICAL, OR RACIAL BODY.

** THERE IS NO GENTILE, JEWISH, MALE, FEMALE, SLAVE OR FREEMAN BODY.

***THERE IS ONLY CHRIST’S BODY, AND THE UNITY OF THAT BODY IS THE HEART OF THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS.

**** AND AGAIN THIS BODY IS THE CHURCH AND THAT BODY IS BY DEFINITION ONE!

2. AND UNDERSTAND THIS, ALTHOUGH THE BODY OF CHRIST IS SOMETIMES CALLED THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH OR THE GLOBAL CHURCH, WHICH IS MADE UP OF EVERY TRUE BELIEVER.

* BUT PAUL IS SPECIFICALLY WRITING TO A LOCAL CHURCH AT EPHESUS OR SEVERAL LOCAL CHURCHES IF THIS WAS A CIRCULAR LETTER.

** AND MY POINT, IT IS A TRUE LOCAL CHURCH OR WITH THE VISIBLE LITERAL CHURCHES THAT THIS IS LIVED OR FLESHED OUT.

*** SO ALTHOUGH PAUL IS WRITING ABOUT THE ONE BODY, ALL THAT HE SAYS APPLIES TO EACH VISIBLE LITERAL CONGREGATION, FOR IT IS HERE THAT THE UNITY OF THE BODY IS VISIBLE.

****AND HERE’S WHERE THE BODY ANALOGY IS VERY PRACTICAL. AND THAT IS, A BODY IS MADE UP OF MANY PARTS.

3. AND FOR THAT BODY TO WORK TOGETHER PROPERLY EACH PART MUST BE DEPENDENT AND INTERDEPENDENT RATHER THAN INDEPENDENT.

* I MEAN MY ARM TODAY CANNOT FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE REST OF MY BODY.

** MY BRAIN CANNOT SAY I WANT TO EAT WITHOUT IT USING MY ARMS, MY HANDS AND FINGERS PICKING IT UP AND PUTTING IT IN MY MOUTH.

*** AND THIS SIMPLY ILLUSTRATES THAT THE BODY HAS TO WORK TOGETHER AS ONE FOR IT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

**** THE BODY IS MADE UP OF MANY PARTS OR MEMBERS BUT THOSE PARTS OR MEMBERS ARE INTERDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER.

4. THERE CAN BE NO INDEPENDENCE IF IT IS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

* AND HERE’S WHERE THE CHURCH GETS MESSED UP WHEN IT’S PEOPLE BECOME INDEPENDENT AND ISOLATED AND NOT DEPENDANT AND INTERDEPENDENT.

** OH, I’LL DO MY OWN THING, MY MINISTRY. WELL I OR ME HAS TO BE ELIMINATED WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THE BODY AND US AND OUR ARE THE KEY OPERATIONAL WORDS.

*** FOR YOU SEE WE ALL HAVE A FUNCTION AND EACH OF US AS BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN GIFTED, AND WE HAVE NATURAL TALENTS TO COMPLIMENT THOSE GIFTS, AND AS WE USE OUR DIFFERENT GIFTS THROUGH THE LOCAL BODY, THERE IS UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY.

**** AND WHEN WE OPERATE AS A TEAM, EVERYONE USING THEIR GIFTS, THE BODY FUNCTIONS WELL.

5. BUT WHEN THERE IS INDIVIDUALISM AND SELFISHNESS AND WRONG PRIORITIES AND PEOPLE DON’T USE THEIR GIFTS THE BODY DOESN’T FUNCION PROPERLY, THERE ARE HOLES AND DIVISION.

* SO REMEMBER THERE IS ONE BODY AND MANY PARTS.

** NOW NEXT THERE IS ONE SPIRIT, CAPITAL “S” SPIRIT, SPEAKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

*** AND IN THE ORDER OF THE FLOW OF THE CONTEXT, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE THIRD PERSON OF THE GODHEAD IS MENTIONED FIRST, NOT THAT HE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER TWO PERSONS OF THE TRINITY.

**** BUT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PERSON OF THE GODHEAD ASSIGNED AS THE INNER UNIFYING FORCE OF THE BODY.

6. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PERSON OF THE GODHEAD WHO BRINGS ABOUT UNITY AND COHESION.

* AND IT WAS BY THAT ONE SPIRIT THAT WE WERE PLACED INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST, (READ I CORINTHIANS 12:13)

** SO BY OUR SPIRIT WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY, AND CONTEXTUALLY IN V.3 WHICH WE STUDIED LAST WEEK WE SAW THAT PAUL EXHORTED THE EPHESIANS TO MAINTAIN OR PERSEVERE IN THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT (THE HOLY SPIRIT) IN THE BOND THAT LEADS TO PEACE.

*** AND THE THEOLOGICAL BASIS FOR THAT EXHORTATION COMES FROM EPHESIANS 2: THAT THROUGH CHRIST BOTH JEWISH AND GENTILE BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN RECONCILED “IN ONE BODY” (2:16) AND HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FATHER “IN ONE SPIRIT”. (2:18)

*** SO THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT UNITY IN THE BODY AND WE PRESERVE OR KEEP THE UNITY BY YIELDING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT RATHER THAN THE FLESH.

7. I MEAN IF ALL CHRISTIANS WALKED IN OBEDIENCE TO AND IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THERE WOULD BE UNITY RATHER THAN DISUNITY.

* AND ALL YOU NEED FOR DISUNITY TO TAKE PLACE IS FOR ONE BELIEVER TO CONSISTENTLY YIELD TO THE FLESH AND DIVISION STARTS.

** SO WE NEED TO BE AS THE PATTERN OF OUR LIVES, WALKING IN THE SPIRIT AND THERE WILL BE ONENESS THROUGH THE ONE SPIRIT.

*** NOW NEXT, IN THE LAST PART OF V.4, THE THIRD ONE IS ONE HOPE.

****AND THESE WORDS INDICATE THAT ALL BELIEVERS HAVE A COMMON HOPE REGARDING THEIR FUTURE WITH GOD.

8. AND THIS SURE HOPE IS A CONFIDENCE THAT BEGAN AT THE TIME THEY WERE CALLED TO SALVATION.

* FOR THE WORDS CALLED AND CALLING IN V.1 SPEAK OF THE INWARD EFFECTUAL CALL OF GOD THAT ENABLES US TO BELIEVE.

** AND FROM THAT CALL THAT ENABLES US TO BELIEVE AND BE CONVERTED WE HAVE HOPE, SURE HOPE.

*** THE EMPHASIS IS ON ONE HOPE THAT SPRINGS FROM THE CALL OF GOD, WHICH RESTS ON HIS SAVING SOVEREIGN WORK WHICH MEANS HIS WORK IS SURE AND CERTAIN SINCE IT RESTS ON HIS PURPOSE IN SAVING US.

**** SO PAUL REINFORCES HIS PLEA TO MAINTAIN UNITY OF THE SPIRIT, TO WALK THE WORTHY WALK, BY REMINDING HIS READERS OF THE HOPE THAT COMES FROM THEIR CALLING.

9. WHICH RESULTS IN A SENSE OF EXPECTANCY THAT IN TURN SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO BE UNIFIED.

* BELOVED THERE IS FUTURE GLORY. WE HAVE A PROMISE OF FUTURE HEAVEN THROUGH OUR CALL TO SALVATION.

** AND CERTAINLY WE ARE GOING TO GET ALONG THERE – RIGHT? CERTAINLY WE WILL BE ONE-MINDED THERE AS WE WORSHIP FOREVER OUR GREAT KING AND LORD.

*** SO LET’S LIVE IT OUT NOW! HOPE IS A MOTIVATION FOR ENDURANCE AND SACRIFICE. SO LET’S ENDURE AND BE SACRIFICING RATHER THAN BEING SELFISH. HEAVEN IS AHEAD, WE HAVE OUR HOPE.

**** AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A WORK OF PUTTING US INTO ONE BODY WITH ONE HOPE. SO THERE IS UNITY IN THE SPIRIT.

10. WHICH LEADS US TO OUR 2ND POINT TODAY IN V.5, UNITY IN THE SON. LOOK AT V.5 PLEASE.

II. UNITY IN THE SON, (READ V.5)

A. NOW ONE LORD OBVIOUSLY SPEAKS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, (READ COLOSSIANS 1:18)

* NOW IN THE CHURCH CHRIST IS TO HAVE

PRE-EMINENCE AND BE PRE-EMINENT.

** AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN CHRIST IS PRE-EMINENT AND NOT US, THERE IS ONENESS, THERE IS UNITY.

*** WHEN JESUS IS LORD IN OUR LIVES AS OUR MASTER EXPERIENTIALLY THERE IS ONENESS.

**** FOR WHEN I BECOME THE MASTER, THE SOVEREIGN, THE KING OF MY LIFE, AND IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, I’M NOT ONLY MISERABLE, BUT DO NOT GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE.

1. BUT WHEN JESUS IS RULING IN MY LIFE AND I AM SUBMITTING TO HIS KINGSHIP, I’M NOT MOST IMPORTANT, HE IS.

* SO THEN IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM AND HIS CHURCH AND NOT ALL ABOUT ME. THERE IS ONE LORD.

** BUT ALSO THERE IS ONE FAITH. AND FAITH CAN BE USED HERE AS AN OBJECTIVE FAITH, SPEAKING OF THE CONTENT OF FAITH OR WHAT WE BELIEVE, THE GOSPEL ITSELF. THE FAITH, THE BODY OF TRUTH THAT WE BELIEVE, THE ONCE FOR ALL FAITH DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS. JUDE V. 3

***OR FAITH CAN BE USED IN A SUBJECTIVE WAY SPEAKING OF OUR EXPERIENCE OF FAITH, OUR PERSONAL FAITH IN CHRIST, THERE IS NO SALVATION APART FROM FAITH IN OUR LORD, THE ACT OF FAITH.

****AND QUITE FRANKLY IT COULD MEAN EITHER ONE, FOR IT’S SUBJECTIVE, SAVING FAITH THAT BRINGS US INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST.

2. AND THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OF SALVATION AND IT IS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST, FAITH IN HIS FINISHED WORK THAT SAVES US, SPEAKING OF SAVING FAITH. READ EPHESIANS 2:8-9, JOHN 14:6, ACTS 4:12, AND JOHN 10:9.

* SO FAITH IN CHRIST IS THE DOOR WE ENTER INTO, THE BODY OF CHRIST. AND THAT IS THE WAY I LEAN HERE, AGAINST WHAT MY FAVORITE BIBLE TEACHER BELIEVES.

**BUT LET ME ADD THERE IS ONLY ONE FAITH, BIBLICALLY SPEAKING, OBJECTIVE FAITH, ONE FAITH, THE CONTENT OF WHAT WE BELIEVE REVEALED IN THE WORD OF GOD.

*** ONE FAITH, ONE BODY OF TRUTH, A BODY OF DOCTRINE REVEALED IN THE N.T.. BUT IT IS THROUGH THE ONE FAITH THAT WE ARE SAVED BY THAT MAKES US A PART OF THE FOREVER FAMILY OF CHRIST, UNIFIED TOGETHER AS CHRISTIANS.

**** SO THERE IS ONE FAITH.

3. NOW THERE IS ONE MORE ONE IN THE LAST PART OF V.5, THE SIXTH ONE OF SEVEN, ONE BAPTISM.

* AND HERE AGAIN I DON’T LAND WHERE MY FAVORITE BIBLE TEACHER LANDS, FOR I BELIEVE SPIRITUAL UNION IS IN VIEW HERE WHICH RESULTS FROM FAITH WHICH IS SPIRIT BAPTISM. (I’M NOT A BAPTIST.)

** TO ME THE FLOW OF THE CONTEXT TALKS ABOUT ONE BODY, AND WE ARE PLACED INTO THAT BODY BY FAITH IN OUR ONE LORD WHICH GIVE US ONE HOPE.

*** AND WE ARE PLACED INTO THAT ONE BODY BY FAITH THROUGH SPIRIT BAPTISM. AND WE HAVE ONENESS AND UNITY THROUGH BEING BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WATER.

**** AND AS WE COMPARE SCRIPTURE TRUTH WITH SCRIPTURE WE SEE THIS COMMUNICATED BY GALATIANS 3:27&28 WHERE IT SAYS:

27FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE CLOTHED YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST. 28THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE MAN, THERE IS NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.

4. NOW THROUGH THAT BAPTISM WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST – FAMILY REGARDLESS OF RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, SOCIAL STANDING OR GENDER.

* AND I CORINTHIANS 12:13 JUMPS OUT AGAIN TO ME HERE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EITHER BACKGROUND OR SOCIAL BACKGROUND, (READ IT)

** NOW WITH THOSE VERSES IN MIND AND THE CONTEXT OF EPHESIANS I SEE THE ONE BAPTISM AS SPIRIT BAPTISM.

*** AND LET ME SAY, I AM NOT MINIMILIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER BAPTISM.

****FOR WHEN SOMEONE CAME TO CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF ACTS THEY WERE BAPTIZED AS AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST’S COMMAND IN MATTHEW 28:19&20. (READ IT)

5. SO WE TEACH THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO BE BAPTIZED AFTER SALVATION, NOT TO BE SAVED, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE SAVED.

* BAPTISM DOES NOT SAVE, IT IS A PUBLIC PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH AND AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE AND WE TEACH ITS IMPORTANCE.

** BUT I DON’T BELIEVE THAT ONE BAPTISM HERE IS WATER BAPTISM, BUT SPIRIT BAPTISM.

*** AND IN V.5 WE SEE UNITY IN THE SON. AND IN V.4 UNITY IN THE SPIRIT, NOW MOVING ON IN V.6 WE’LL SEE UNITY IN THE FATHER AS OUR LAST POINT. LOOK AT V. 6 PLEASE.

III. UNITY IN THE FATHER (READ V. 6)

A. NOW THE BASIC DOCTRINE OF JUDAISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN “THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.” AND THIS IS BROUGHT FORTH CLEARLY IN DEUTERONOMY 6:4 WHERE IT SAYS: (READ IT)

* NOW GOD’S ONENESS IS JUST AS FOUNDATIONAL TO CHRISTIANITY. YET THE N.T. ALSO REVEALS THE MORE COMPLETE TRUTH THAT THE ONE GOD IS IN 3 PERSONS – FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT.

** WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN 3 GODS, BUT ONE GOD REVEALED IN 3 PERSONS AND THE PERSON OF THE FATHER IS REVEALED HERE IN V. 6.

***AND THIS ONE FATHER IS THE FATHER OF ALL WHO IS OUR ALL AND THROUGH ALL AND IN ALL.

**** AND WE SEE THE WORD ALL USED IS 4 TIMES IN V.6 AND WE MUST INTERPRET IT IN CONTEXT WITH THE AUTHOR’S INTENT.

1. AND CONTEXTUALLY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR BODY, OUR CALL, OUR FAITH, SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CHRISTIANS, NOT EVERYONE.

* SO GOD IS THE FATHER OF ALL BELIEVERS AND HE IS OVER ALL HIS PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AS SOVEREIGN.

** NOW AS GOD HE IS OVER EVERYONE, BUT AS FATHER OF ALL THOSE IN HIS FAMILY OF FAITH, HE BEARS A 3 FOLD RELATIONSHIP TO ALL OF HIS CHILDREN.

*** HE IS OVER US, HE WORKS THROUGH US, AND IS IN ALL OF US AS BELIEVERS.

**** ALL MUST BE INTERPRETED IN IT’S CONTEXT. AND THAT IS SO CRITICAL IN HERMENEUTICS, OR THE LAWS OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION.

2. HERE’S ARE THE TOP THREE RULES – CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT.

* AND THAT’S ON OF THE REASONS WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXPOSITORY PREACHING, IT IS EASIER TO STAY IN THE FLOW OF THE CONTEXT WHEN WE ARE NOT JUMPING AROUND ALL THE TIME.

** AND HERE IN V. 6 WE HAVE ONE FATHER OF ALL HIS PEOPLE, AND HE’S OVER HIS PEOPLE AND WORKS THROUGH HIS PEOPLE AND IS IN ALL HIS PEOPLE, NOT ALL OF MANKIND.

*** AND SINCE WE AS BELIEVERS HAVE OUR FATHER, WE ARE A PART OF HIS FAMILY. AGAIN WE ARE FAMILY AND NEED TO BE COMMITTED TO EACH OTHER AS WE SHOULD BE IN THE HEALTHY HUMAN FAMILY RELATIONSHIP.

**** IN SOME PEOPLE’S MIND IT IS FAMILY FIRST, BUT IN THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES IT IS FATHER FIRST AND A COMMITMENT TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE CHURCH.

3. WE ARE ONE PEOPLE UNDER ONE SOVEREIGN GOD, AND MAY WE BE COMMITTED TO OUR FAMILY OF FAMILIES AND OBVIOUSLY TO OUR PHYSICAL FAMILIES.

AND AS I WRAP UP OUR TEXT TODAY:

(1) LET ME GIVE YOU THIS OBSERVATION.

* THE TRINITY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR UNITY AND IS THE BASIS OF OUR UNITY.

** THE ONE BODY OF BELIEVERS IS VITALIZED BY ONE SPIRIT, SO ALL BELIEVERS HAVE ONE HOPE.

***THAT BODY IS UNITED TO ITS’ ONE LORD BY EACH MEMBER’S ONE ACT OF FAITH THAT IS GOD GIVEN, AND IT’S UNION WITH HIM IS THROUGH ONE BAPTISM THAT MAKES US A PART OF HIM.

**** AND THE ONE GOD, THE FATHER, IS SUPREME OVER ALL HIS PEOPLE, OPERATIVE THROUGH ALL HIS PEOPLE AND RESIDES OVER ALL HIS PEOPLE.

(2) AND ALL 7 COMPONENTS ARE UNITED IN THE TRINITY.

* SO WE ARE ONE POSITIONALLY, MAY WE BE ONE PRACTICALLY, EXPERIENTIALLY.

**MAY WE WORK HARD, MAY WE BE DILIGENT, MAY WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT, MAY WE ENDEAVOR TO KEEP, TO PRESERVE THE UNITY WE ALREADY HAVE SPIRITUALLY AS A CHURCH IN THE BOND THAT LEADS TO PEACE.

*** AND THERE WILL BE DIFFERENCES, BUT MAY WE AROUND THESE THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF ONENESS WE’VE STUDIED TODAY, BE COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION.

**** FOR YOU SEE DIVISION SIDETRACKS US FROM OUR MISSION.

(3) THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS AT STAKE, TO GLORIFY CHRIST BY OUR ONENESS AND TO GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES AS WE SCATTER AS A CHURCH.

* AND UNITY AND MISSION BELONG TOGETHER. AND I’M NOT SUGGESTING TO THROW AWAY DOCTRINE OR MINIMALIZE DOCTRINE, HOPEFULLY YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT TODAY.

**BUT WE HAVE A BASIC ONENESS WITH OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH. SO MAY WE MOVE FROM THAT AND BE ONE IN OUR MISSION.

*** LET’S NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY TO DIVIDE US OVER PREFERENCES AND OPINIONS. MAY WE BE ONE AND MAY WE USE OUR GIFTS AND TALENTS BY BEING PLUGGED INTO THE CHURCH FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST.

**** WE ARE ONE POSITIONALLY. MAY WE LIVE IT OUT PRACTICALLY.