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Last week at the GV
Communion service – I shared a few thoughts from Eph
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I was thinking particularly of the theme of
UNITY – that runs through the letter
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It is a focus on Unity – that starts in ch
1:9-10
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We see that God’s great Gospel plan – is to
bring all things together in Christ
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That at the end of all things – the whole
universe will be unified under Jesus
It’s an amazing
thought – an amazing hope
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That our divided world – with all its conflicts
– will one day be united
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No more segregation / competition / rivalry –
but cooperation & peace
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Because – everything & everyone will be
under one King / one Head – Jesus
So at the heart of the Gospel – is bringing people together
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The book of Ephesians – is concerned that, as
Christians, we don’t forget that
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In ch.2 P reminds the Eph’ Christians – of how
they have been brought together
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Eph church was made up of people from a Jewish
background – along with those from pagan / Gentile backgrounds
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So in the Church - you have this coming together
– of very different people
A coming together of
people – who humanly might have very little in common
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People who previously - may have distrusted
& looked down on each other
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But P reminds them – that in J those barriers
have been taken away
Ch.2:14-22: J allows people to make peace, be
reconciled & be joined together
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Because their identity now – is not being Jewish
or Gentile or any such thing
– but being a follower of Jesus Christ – a
Christian
And this idea – of Christians being ‘TOGETHER’ – comes up
time & time again
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Ch.2v21 – ‘joined
together’ / v22 – ‘built together’
/ ch.3v6 ‘heirs together’; ‘members
together’; ‘sharers together’ / ch.3v18 ‘power
together’ / ch.4:16 ‘held together’
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The Bible is very clear – that being a Christian
is to be joined with other Christians – Together!
But of course there are challenges to that
After all - it’s not
just religious backgrounds that can divide people
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In early church – people became Christians who
were rich, poor, rough, refined
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Christian slave-owners found themselves in
fellowship with slaves
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Rich Christian members found themselves - being
taught by poor Christian elders
Jews & Gentiles –
didn’t just have different faiths – but different ways of life
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Jewish Christians – might expect to worship in a
way they were used to
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After-all Jesus was Jewish – their Messiah – the
Old Testament still the Bible
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So they might expect people to dress in a Jewish
way – or men to have a beard
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They might expect a certain type of music – that
they felt was ‘appropriate’
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And when it came to the fellowship meal – the
thought of eating pork might have made them feel physically sick
The Christians from a
Gentile background – on the other hand
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Might have been very relaxed about what they
wore to church
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They might have started making up hymns to old
pagan tunes
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They might have suggested having a BBQ on the
old Sabbath day
Very easily the tensions & emotions between these two
groups could rise
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People could get upset / angry – start to feel
offended
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There was a situation like this in the church at
Rome – over food
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Paul wrote to the Christians there about it - in
Romans ch.14
He could have said –
rather than risk getting upset or being offended...
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You should split – have a Jewish Church & a
separate Gentile Church
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Then everyone can have the music they like / the
food they like / the church they like – even the leaders they like
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But of course, he doesn’t – he urges them to
stay ‘together’ – to hold together
Why? Why ask people to put-up with things and people – they
find so difficult?
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Because – God’s plan is to bring people together
– not to divide them up
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The Gospel – is a plan to bring unity among
people – all types of people
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Jesus very clear in desiring not just theoretical unity – i.e. the kind
of unity that we speak about but never put into practise
But Jn 17:21: J wants people to see this unity – that they might believe in
Him
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Because when Christians hold together despite their
differences – it’s a powerful way of showing that we believe the Gospel & that the Gospel works!
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That we really believe – that we are going to be
united in Christ forever
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That we really believe – that as Christians we are all
part of one body & share the same Spirit, hope, Lord, Faith, and God &
Father of all (4:4)
Because there’s
nothing impressive about holding together with people – just like yourself
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Non-Christians do that
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The Gospel is real when it holds people together
who are not the same
And when we don’t
hold together – it sends an equally powerful message
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The message - that the Gospel doesn’t really
work
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The message - that Christians think how they do
things is more important than who they do them for
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The message – that the church is just like every
other human organisation – it exists to suit people – not to be what Jesus
wants it to be
‘The church of Andy Hunter’ – as attractive as that
might sound to me
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Would probably – literally be the church of just
‘Andy Hunter’
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I might attract a few other socially awkward
Winston Churchill fans
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But the Church of Jesus Christ - is not some
glorified Star Trek Convention
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In
contrast the church of Andy Macdonald, Andy Cumming & Andi Watson – that
puts up with, and values and includes Andy Hunter – now that’s a powerful thing
But the Bible doesn’t assume that Unity will
just happen
Why– we are called to
make every effort to achieve it (ch.4v3)
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4:2 – that
effort is involves being – humble, gentle, patient, putting up with others
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It means – not getting everything your way
Putting up with some
things - you personally would do differently
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Not doing some things that would be ok - because
you know - they are likely to upset or cause problems for others – all of which
is a '2 Way Street', of course.
It means loving
people – who aren’t always easy to get on with
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Being gentle when you feel annoyed / being patient
when others are holding u up
Because only when God’s people are together – do God’s people
work
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Human body works – not because all the parts are
the same – but precisely because they’re different
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It’s the different bits that means the whole
thing works - is healthy
In a car a clutch doesn’t have much in common with a
steering wheel
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But you’re not going to getting very far –
sitting on a clutch
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So not holding together – actually weakens us –
even if it might feel easier at the time
So in our fellowships
– and together as fellowships
n
We need each other – we are stronger together –
we live and demonstrate the Gospel better – when we stay together
Jesus – prayed that His people might be One
And He paid the
greatest price of all – to make that possible
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Laying down His life – for people who weren’t
like Him –
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People Eph says - were foreigners to God’s
Promises – far away from God
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So they could be brought together with Him
forever
Our call is pursue
the same goal – to show the same love & commitment
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To, as much we’re able, see God’s great plan -
to bring all things together under Christ – become true in our churches today.
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So our churches – can be living examples of what
Jesus will do completely – when He comes again.
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‘to bring all things together under one head, even
Christ’ (1:10)
