A "MAIN THING" FOCUS

 MAY 26, 2022

Ephesians 4:1-13


4 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.



7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:



“When he ascended on high,

he took many captives

and gave gifts to his people.”



9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Have you ever wished that those in close relationship to you saw life the way you do? Or possibly, you hoped they would understand an issue from your point of view?

Relationships do not work like that, do they? Sometimes, our differences can cause conflict. But can you imagine if God made us all the same? How boring would that be! We are individuals, we are unique, and I have learned that this is a blessing from our creator. That is what Paul was writing about a few days back when he discussed how the community of Jesus functions like a body. Not all hands, feet, etc. Not all teachers, intercessors, etc.

God made each of us in His image with wonderful precision. Psalm 139:13-14 reminds us of this when it says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Our skills, talents, and abilities are gifts from God. We are designed with tender, loving care.


The truth is we were meant to be different, and we are called to live a unified life. This is what the apostle Paul calls us to in our reading, when he says, “live a life worthy of your calling” Ephesians 4:1. Please do not misunderstand this calling. God doesn’t want us to ignore what makes us special, or to try to be like everyone else. God tells us to embrace our differences, to bear with one another when we’re annoyed, and to work toward peace. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. “ Ephesians 4:2-3

The foundation for unity for us as believers, is our shared belief in God: Father, Son, and Spirit. What the scriptures challenge us with is that this foundation is greater than any disputes or difference of opinion we may face. Read these words again that you read above. “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.” Ephesians 4:4-5. We are aware that some of our sisters and brothers prefer to worship with a band that rocks out contemporary worship songs, while others like to blend the historic hymns of the church with Contemporary songs, others find singing the hymns of old, maybe with a choir meaningful. Some wear suits to church, while others throw on jeans. The list goes on and on. Here is what I want to say, we can debate these things, with some really good arguments for or against these worship models, but these differences are not, “eternal matters.”

There is song we sing sometimes in worship called When It’s All Been Said and Done, in part of the song we sing these words,

When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for you?

When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I have done
For love's rewards
Will stand the test of time

What will last forever are our relationships with Jesus and others. To live in unity requires us to keep this eternal “big picture” perspective and focus on the main thing: the good news that Jesus transforms us with new life, sets us free to live a life of fullness, and gives us a future and a hope.

I will admit it, unity is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. When Christ’s body lives in unity and not in conflict and tensions, Jesus’ message is declared more clearly, His grace is experienced tangibly, and God’s people grow in maturity.



“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 4:12-13

Let Us Pray,

God,
we know that we are called into a community of believers who are to have one mind, and that is to glorify You and to show your love to all who we encounter in your world. We realize that we cannot possibly have unity in the Community of Jesus, unless Your Spirit has unhindered way with us. Until we are gathered with one mind, we cannot be as effective as your community as we can be. God, help us to focus on the calling that You have for each one of us, and as one body gathered together, so that we can do more to honor you, “that the world may know” through our example that you are truly at work among us. Amen.