Sunday, March 24: 9:30 a.m. Class* Beliefs Matter Lessons from Ephesians It Really Does Make A Difference What We Believe About the One Body Ephesians 4:4; Romans 12:4-5 In the year 1212 a French shepherd boy by the name of Steven claimed he d had a vision from God and it was an appearance where Jesus told him to go to the Holy Land and pick up a letter and deliver it to the king of France. He set out and as he traveled he told anyone who would listen and before long he had a huge crowd of children. He eventually arrived at the Marci and the waters of the Mediterranean did not part as they had anticipated. Instead they met two men, Hugo Ferris and William Porcos, who were impressed with what they perceived their mission to be.and offered them free passage across the Mediterranean. Several hundred children boarded one of the seven ships provided but instead of going to the holy land, they were taken to northern Africa and to the slave markets, where Steven and everyone of the children were sold into slavery. They never reached the holy land. Beliefs matter. If we don t believe God s truths, we won t reach the promised land either. Not because we failed an arbitrary doctrinal test, but because unhealthy beliefs lead to unhealthy spiritual life; our beliefs affect the way we live, leading us to spiritual health or spiritual ruin. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV) 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. We notice that in order for us to be a genuine people of God there is a certain life we need to live and also certain belief matters we need to share. Our lifestyle is tremendously important, but in this series we are focusing on the belief matters. We noticed that in Eph 4 God gives us seven belief matters that we need to hold on to in order to be a part of God s true people these are beliefs that really matter. Today we are going to look at the first one he mentions, the one body, which is a reference to the church. Every true believer is a part of God s one church (Matt. 16:13-18) (Matthew 16:13-18 NIV) When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" {14} They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." {15} "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" {16} Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." {17} Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. {18} And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. The One Body is the church that Jesus built in the 1 st century. Christian means one who belongs to Christ, and that should be our primary identity as individuals. The primary group identity is that we belong to the One Body. More than any other identity I may have as an individual, I see myself as Christian. Church refers to the group of all those who belong to Christ and that should be our primary group identity. More than anything else that gives me identity, I am a Christian, part of the body church. Secondarily I may be right-handed, good-looking and funny or maybe not. Maybe I m rich, liberal, Democrat, Republican, basketball player, from Montana or Tennessee, a guitar player, but all that is secondary to my main identity as a Christian, a part of the church. Because I am a believer and if you are a believer---we have a unique relationship to all others who are also part of this one body. Let s turn to Romans 12 for a few moments. There s a little verse there that might get next to you a little. Some of the things we see in this series are going to rub us wrong. They have that tendency in my life, unless I take on a particular mindset. But it s only fair that if it bugs me I ought to inflict some of that one you! Being a part of God s one church includes having a unique relationship and connection with everyone else who is a part of this group:
(Romans 12:4-5 NIV) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, {5} so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Did you notice anything there that rubs you wrong? You ll notice that the phrase belongs to all the others differs from the independent spirit Americans value, but American is not my primary identity that s secondary to this. We have this God-created connection even with people who are different from us and with whom we might not otherwise associate: (Galatians 3:28 NIV) There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Besides, those identities are secondary: But this does mean, like it or not, that we have that special connection with those Christians whose secondary identity is Democrat and those whose secondary identity is Republican. You & I belong to those believers whose secondary identity is liberal & to those whose secondary identity is conservative. You & I belong to those Christians who also, secondarily, could be described as poor, middle class, or rich. We are all one & we all belong to each other. Not all of these will meet together in the same worship assembly, due to distance certainly, sometimes due to differing languages & perhaps sometimes due to different cultural matters, but never due to barriers that are secular and fleshly. But even in circumstance when we don t all meet together, we are all still a part of the one people of God. As we continue to go through a list of our oneness with people of all kinds of secondary identities, at some point we may begin to wonder whether all those people are a part of God s church.or if we can be comfortable in some associations. It is true, according to Jesus, that not everyone who claims to belong to him really does: (Matthew 7:21 NIV) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. There will be times when we will have to come to some conclusions about who is part of the one body. How do we come to those decisions? We let God and His Word tell us! If we should begin a process to add shepherds to the leadership of this congregation, we would want to use God s definition to make certain they are Christians, wouldn t we? While it will never be my place (or yours) to decide on the eternal fate of anyone, we will be called upon from time to time to let God s word define and clear up some matters as they relate to our ministry here in Beijing or in other world-wide communities. According to Jesus, you know by their fruit, the way they live their lives. According to Eph 4, beliefs matter also, at least some certain core beliefs. As we go about involving people in our various ministries and having fellowship with others, we will sometimes have to make some decisions about whether we think a person in fact is a part of God s people, but we need to remember those decisions are not definitive. God knows who His people are; we too will often know, although not perfectly. In this one group of God s people, not only are we different in that we have a great variety of secondary identities, we are also different in gifts. In this way we are similar to a human body many parts to our bodies, and each part has a different function. That s how we are in the body of Christ. So what? We are all a part of God s one church, we all belong to each other, even with people who have a secondary identity that s really different from us, and we all have different gifts/functions. So what? Well, what we really believe about these matters will affect the way we live. It s easy to say we agree with these truths God has given us about the one body, but the test of whether we really do believe them is how we live our lives, especially how we live them in relation to the other parts of the one body. Some lifestyle matters that test whether we really believe in the One Body. Attitude toward other members of the One body (1 Corinthians 12:14-16 NIV) Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. {15} If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {16} And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. (if you believe you are inferior to others in this one body, I am not so certain that you truly believe in the one body of Christ.)
(1 Corinthians 12:21 NIV) The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" (if you believe you are superior than someone else in this one body, I am not so certain that you truly believe in the one body of Christ.) (1 Corinthians 12:24-25 NIV) while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, {25} so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If you believe in the one body, you know we are equally special and important! (Romans 12:15 NIV) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV) If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. When someone is hurting, to say don t cry or get over it contradicts the word of God. To rejoice at someone s misfortune contradicts the word of God. To be disappointed when someone is blessed or rewarded contradicts the word of God. If we do such things, it calls into question whether we really believe we are all part of the One Body of Christ. Attitude toward and use of our gift(s) in the One Body. Respect the diversity of gifts. Don t insist everyone be like you. Do you have the misshaped idea that everybody ought to be involved in the ministry you are involved in rather than realizing that we have different interests and talents and we need all of them! Whatever gift or gifts we do have, we are to use them to serve & edify the One Body. (Romans 12:6-8 NIV) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. {7} If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; {8} if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV) But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. What God has enable us to do is not about me & my gift & making a name for myself; it s about using the gifts God has entrusted to me for the benefit of others. Whether we respect the diversity of gifts & use ours for others, indicates whether we believe in the One Body. If we think this thing we do called church is primarily about attendance, I question whether we believe in the One Body. Love for other members of the One Body. (1 Corinthians 12:31 NIV) But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. When it comes to my relationships w/ all the other members of the One Body, am I (vv. 4-7)? Paul is painfully specific about what it means to be lovers of the one body! You don t hear Paul saying well you have to love them but you don t have to like them. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV) Love is patient kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. {5} It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. {6} Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. {7} It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Whether we love all the other members of the body indicates whether we believe in the One Body. Sunday, March 24: 10:30 a.m. Word of Encouragement Beliefs Matter Lessons from Ephesians It Really Does Make A Difference What We Believe About the One Spirit Ephesians 4 One New Year s Day, several years ago in the Tournament of Roses parade, one of the more beautiful floats suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone was able to get some more gas for the float. Do you know which float it was? The one representing the Standard Oil Company. With its vast resources of oil, its truck sat there helpless.
We need to talk today about the One Spirit, which is our power supply. How has your power supply been working for you this past week? Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. It matters what we believe; it affects spiritual health. Eph. 4:5 speaks on seven 1 s which serve to unite us. As we are One Body, we also possess One Spirit, which works in each of our lives. How do we begin? Obviously the Spirit is holy (divine) God is Father, Son, & Spirit. The Spirit is spirit. He is not flesh and blood, is not tangible. That makes for much of our difficulty in grasping a better understanding of him. The Spirit is personal a he, not an it. The Spirit lives inside every Christian: (Romans 8:9 NIV) You, however, are controlled not by the [flesh] but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NIV) The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. {13} For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. The Spirit is powerful: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, The Spirit living in us is a down payment on our future inheritance: (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV) Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, {22} set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. The Spirit living in us indicates we are God s children: (Romans 8:16-17 NIV) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. {17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Galatians 4:6-7 NIV) Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." {7} So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. The Spirit is involved in transforming us. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. {18} And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. He also intercedes for us in prayer; convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; empowers us to speak boldly; and gives us gifts. We can tell whether we really believe God s truths by how we live our lives. Belief isn t tested so much theoretically as practically. Again, the reason God wants us to believe his truths is not merely so we can pass a doctrinal test; rather, it is so that we will have healthy spiritual lives. If we examine our lives, that s how we clarify what we really believe. So do you believe in the One Spirit? One important way is to see whether we believe in One Spirit: (Romans 7:6 NIV) But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. What does that mean? How can we tell which way we are in fact approaching it? Some characteristics of the old way of the written code: Law, rules, focus on externals (attendance, conformity, concern over that which is outward and appearances) Pride and superiority or guilt and inferiority There s comparison and concentration on human effort And it is exhausting (Galatians 3:3 NIV) Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? If this is your pattern, Jesus wrote this: (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. {29} Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. {30} For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Biting and devouring others (Galatians 5:15 NIV) If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Being a control freak, It is our determination to be independent by being in control that makes us unavailable to God Richard Neuhaus. Those who are filled with the Spirit have died to that determination, surrendered their right to be in control, and made themselves radically dependent on and available to the Holy Spirit. Stephen Seamands Some characteristics of the new way of Spirit Belong to Jesus as if married (Romans 7:1-4 NIV) Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? {2} For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. {3} So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. {4} So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. Is your relationship by marriage dominated by rules & regulations for your spouse??? Bear fruit to God (Galatians 5:22-26 NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. {24} Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. {25} Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. {26} Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Changed being (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. {18} And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (whole lot easier to act compassionately if we are in fact compassionate) You know the love of God (Romans 5:5 NIV) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Choose to go along with the Spirit: (Galatians 5:18 NIV) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (Galatians 5:25 NIV) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30 NIV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. How do you change to the new way of the Spirit Deliberately stop thinking in terms of rules (cf. die to the law). Am I good enough? (of course not!). Is it a sin to? It s legalistic in its way of thinking. Instead, start thinking in terms of relationship, pleasing someone we love who is close to us. Re-envision your Christianity in terms of being in a relationship with God. (remember, I will not leave you as orphans, children of God). Talk to Him respectfully but as in a real relationship, open yourself up to Him, pour your heart out to Him, greatest commandment is to love God w/ all our heart, soul, mind, & strength, what does that mean? I ve done this and that what else do you want me to do? What does it mean to love our spouses or our children or our friends? The idea of WWJD (what would Jesus do) is pretty good, except that it has become pop religion and frequently doesn t have much substance to it. Can we really do WWJD or even know WWJD if we aren t also doing what He did regularly in terms of spending time alone with God? Give God opportunities to write his word on our hearts (pray, open, read, meditate) this fits fruit-bearing. You must come to a personal understanding of what that means. If we want the power of God to transform our lives, we need to do some work and also make ourselves available for God to do some work to transform us deep within by the power of his Spirit. *(appreciation to Marvin Bryant for many ideas in these two lessons)