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Good Wednesday morning my friends,
Today we begin one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible, in my opinion. . . Ephesians chapter 4. As you are reading this or hearing my voice, I’m actually out over the ocean flying to the country of Jordan, where I’ll have the great privilege of opening my heart and God’s Word to a group of courageous Christ followers in that country. I’ll tell you more after I return. . .IF I return!
Oh, of course I anticipate all will go well…the planes will fly as they are designed, I’ll be met at the airport by someone I’ve never met, we’ll arrive safely to a destination I’ve never seen, I’ll be able to eat foods I’ve never eaten, and spend a week in a place very different from where Dawn and I live, and return safely. . .but oh my, that’s lots of assumptions isn’t it? I have no guarantee of any of that do I? So, I should better say, “I’ll share more about my experience when I return, if it is the Lord’s will.“!
Perhaps you are asking…’why in the world would Pastor Doug be leaving Dawn for a week to go to Jordan with all those uncertainties’? Well, my answer is Paul’s opening statement of Ephesians 4:1 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” For my dear Dawn and me, since the mid 1980’s when we said YES, in response to what we believed was God’s call to leave the careers we had planned, the path we were following according to our agendas, and commit the rest of our lives to ‘walk with Jesus’ and follow Him anywhere, anytime…we have tried to live our lives ‘worthy of the calling we have received’, and for us that simply means YES whenever and wherever Jesus has said ‘come and follow Me.” That has taken us to lots of places in this great adventure.
Now, here’s something really important… God takes Ephesians 4:1 and applies it uniquely, individually to each person according to HIS best plan for them, based on how He has designed and developed them for His glory…TO THE DEGREE that each person has invited Jesus to be Lord in their life and has committed to ‘walking with Jesus’ in full obedience anywhere, anytime Jesus leads them!!
My friends, Ephes. 4:1 is not a sometimes lifestyle. It’s either all in or not. And you may ask…but HOW do I live that way? The next few verses helps us… “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.” Have you noticed it’s virtually impossible to follow Jesus if you are determined to follow your own agenda, your own ambition, pursuing your own goals.
Humility is step one. Paul identifies himself several times as a prisoner of Christ. Sometimes he uses the phrase “bond servant”. Paul is so overwhelmed by God’s goodness in rescuing him from his bondage to sin and Satan, and his condemnation to an eternity in hell, that he sees himself shackled to Jesus voluntarily, lovingly, and following Jesus everywhere, doing whatever Jesus asks him to do, and always with an attitude of humility, gratitude, love, and actual joy that he has the privilege of living his life for Jesus’ honor and glory!
This my friends is the secret, the power, to ‘walking with Jesus’ everyday, joyfully! The only agenda is Jesus’ agenda. The only value in the day is honoring Jesus with every word and action. So every word in verse 2 is key to living this exciting adventure…every word! Can you live those words? “…completely humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love….live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Have you noticed our nation is being ripped apart by individualism, pride, selfishness, a me first and maybe even ‘me only’ attitudes which are pervasive? Do you see these are exactly the opposite of what Paul tells us are keys to living a very fulfilled ‘walking with Jesus’ life?
Listen: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body (that’s the body of Christ, His church) and one Spirit (the Holy Spirit of God) – just as you were called to one hope (hope in Christ Jesus), when you were called – one Lord (that’s Jesus), one faith (saving faith in Christ), one baptism (believers baptism and baptism of the Spirit into the body of Christ), one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph. 4:3-6) Oh my that is such a great, profound statement of truth. You might want to go back and work through it again, thinking deeply about each phrase! Do you see the unity God desires for us is entirely rooted in Jesus, and only possible through the deep work of the Holy Spirit in each and all of us.
Now this would be challenging enough if it was aimed at only, white, English speaking Americans who live in one small community, all part of one little church. But this is aimed at all Christians, living in all places, from all backgrounds, even all generations! That’s impossible isn’t it. . .unless God Himself unites us! And, may I suggest, it’s the key to any community, any nation, even any church, living in unity!
And my friends, the next thing Paul writes, is the central key to it all “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” This kind of living is only possible when Jesus has done a great change work in our lives, and poured His loving kindness into us in such abundance that we extend grace, (loving kindness) to each other!
So when you find yourself in a relationship, a family, a neighborhood or even a church where this is NOT how people are living, you know there’s a fundamental problem there… it’s the absence of the Grace of God poured into the people there through Jesus! If God is not pouring in His grace…, either those people are not authentic Christians, transformed by His Holy Spirit, OR they are not fully submitted to the authority of Jesus, as Lord in their lives. God’s grace for unity living is not poured out unless those two conditions are met. . .authentic born again and truly submission to the Lordship of Jesus.
Now look around at all the people group relationships in which you find yourself…do you see how true this is?
My friends, I sense the Holy Spirit wants me to stop here for today and just let this simmer in all our lives with these questions. . .
1. In my personal life, my mind, my heart, my attitudes… how am I living daily Ephesians 4:1&2&3? What could improve if my life was being lived more empowered by the Holy Spirit and more in lock step with Jesus?
2. In this matter of unity…in every group or relationship I’m part of, how is God using me to bring peace, to help the unity of the Spirit of God? Or, if I’m honest, am I in any way contributing to friction, disunity in these relationships? What will God show me if I see my relationships the way He sees them?
3. How do I see God pouring out His grace upon me? How do I measure it? How do I live as a channel of God’s grace to other people, so God can pour His kindness, His love THROUGH me to others who need God’s touch of loving Grace?
Click to read today’s chapter: Ephesians 4. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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