Holding Together

My sermon notes from Sunday night.

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Last week at the GV Communion service – I shared a few thoughts from Eph

n  I was thinking particularly of the theme of UNITY – that runs through the letter

n  It is a focus on Unity – that starts in ch 1:9-10

n  We see that God’s great Gospel plan – is to bring all things together in Christ

n  That at the end of all things – the whole universe will be unified under Jesus

It’s an amazing thought – an amazing hope

n  That our divided world – with all its conflicts – will one day be united

n  No more segregation / competition / rivalry – but cooperation & peace

n  Because – everything & everyone will be under one King / one Head – Jesus

So at the heart of the Gospel – is bringing people together

n  The book of Ephesians – is concerned that, as Christians, we don’t forget that

n  In ch.2 P reminds the Eph’ Christians – of how they have been brought together

n  Eph church was made up of people from a Jewish background – along with those from pagan / Gentile backgrounds

n  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

n  People who previously - may have distrusted & looked down on each other

n  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

n  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

n  Ch.2v21 – ‘joined together’ / v22 – ‘built together’ / ch.3v6 ‘heirs together’; ‘members together’; ‘sharers together’ / ch.3v18 ‘power together’ / ch.4:16 ‘held together’

n  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

n  In early church – people became Christians who were rich, poor, rough, refined

n  Christian slave-owners found themselves in fellowship with slaves

n  Rich Christian members found themselves - being taught by poor Christian elders

Jews & Gentiles – didn’t just have different faiths – but different ways of life

n  Jewish Christians – might expect to worship in a way they were used to

n  After-all Jesus was Jewish – their Messiah – the Old Testament still the Bible

n  So they might expect people to dress in a Jewish way – or men to have a beard

n  They might expect a certain type of music – that they felt was ‘appropriate’

n  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

n  Might have been very relaxed about what they wore to church

n  They might have started making up hymns to old pagan tunes

n  They might have suggested having a BBQ on the old Sabbath day

Very easily the tensions & emotions between these two groups could rise

n  People could get upset / angry – start to feel offended

n  There was a situation like this in the church at Rome – over food

n  Paul wrote to the Christians there about it - in Romans ch.14

He could have said – rather than risk getting upset or being offended...

n  You should split – have a Jewish Church & a separate Gentile Church

n  Then everyone can have the music they like / the food they like / the church they like – even the leaders they like

n  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?

n  Because – God’s plan is to bring people together – not to divide them up

n  The Gospel – is a plan to bring unity among people – all types of people

n  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

n  Because when Christians hold together despite their differences – it’s a powerful way of showing that we believe the Gospel & that the Gospel works!

n  That we really believe – that we are going to be united in Christ forever 

n  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

n  Non-Christians do that

n  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

n  The message - that the Gospel doesn’t really work

n  The message - that Christians think how they do things is more important than who they do them for

n  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

n  Would probably – literally be the church of just ‘Andy Hunter’

n  I might attract a few other socially awkward Winston Churchill fans

n  But the Church of Jesus Christ - is not some glorified Star Trek Convention

n  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)

n  4:2 – that effort is involves being – humble, gentle, patient, putting up with others

n  It means – not getting everything your way

Putting up with some things - you personally would do differently

n  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

n  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

n  Human body works – not because all the parts are the same – but precisely because they’re different

n  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 

n  But you’re not going to getting very far – sitting on a clutch

n  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

n  Laying down His life – for people who weren’t like Him –

n  People Eph says - were foreigners to God’s Promises – far away from God 

n  So they could be brought together with Him forever

Our call is pursue the same goal – to show the same love & commitment

n  To, as much we’re able, see God’s great plan - to bring all things together under Christ – become true in our churches today.

n  So our churches – can be living examples of what Jesus will do completely – when He comes again.  

n  ‘to bring all things together under one head, even Christ’ (1:10)