Ephesians 4:1-3

I can open it in prayer. Well, in a minute. Okay. We are transitioning today from the first three chapters of Ephesians to the last three.

They support and are part of the bigger picture. The first three are, who am

I as a child of God? Then the last three is, well, what does that mean for me?

Well, I had the blessing as a 19 -year -old at school to have friends share

Christ with me. I was Catholic. It took a couple of weeks of sharing, but it took.

I went back to my room. It was the first Friday of April in 1970.

It was about 10 .30 in the evening when I sat at my desk and prayed. I'm confident that that was my moment of salvation, but with no discipleship and no follow -up,

I did not know what that meant. My life did not really change, except for the fact that trying to do the things that I used to do,

I didn't enjoy them anymore. My life did change. That's why I'm confident I was saved.

Two years later, when I thought it was a ski trip, it was a retreat.

The speaker, John Bishop, spoke to me. I was the only one in the room. So it felt. Coming out of that weekend,

I started to understand and walk with the Lord. There is a major, major difference between my testimony of salvation and my testimony of surrender.

It is unfortunate that often the implication or the impression is that these big evangelical sessions, things that go on, crusades, people get saved, and then they're just left alone without anybody walking alongside them as brother or sister in the

Lord, not having a clue what that means. The reality would say that many people who respond in those crusades are just responding to the emotion of the time.

There never was a heart change. Pastor, I think you testify that to many of the individuals that come to you.

And what happens to those who actually did not surrender? Well, I think in Hebrews 3, 6, and 14, it talks about we are

His children if we hold to the confidence we had at first, which doesn't mean we have to.

It's conditioned on us doing something. It means that the genuine conversion is shown by the continuing in faith.

So it's if the fruit bears it out that that actually happened. Sure, absolutely. So if we take the book of Ephesians, it starts out in chapter 1.

Yeah, Stan. I agree with you on that point. Because when I came to know the

Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I was in the church. I was an officer before that. And then

I needed to be mentored. And I didn't. And I was crying out to grow in the

Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, I needed someone to come alongside. And I cried and cried.

I need someone. I need someone. I need someone to mentor me. I had to do it all on my own.

Okay? Because I could grow into the faith. And I agree with what you said there. You need to have that confidence.

And I was sort of wavering. Okay, am I reading right? Am I learning right?

Am I walking right? I didn't have that confidence at that time. That's very, very well said.

And so Paul opens this letter to the church at Ephesus in chapter 1, verse 1.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. Now, when Paul opens his letters self -describing himself as an apostle, he is proclaiming that this letter is going to have apostolic authority behind it.

As opposed to saying, Paul, a servant of Christ. And there he's talking about a message of humility and surrender to God.

But this is a message of apostolic authority. And then he goes on and he says, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus.

And so he is going to be opening this letter. First of all, this is apostolic authority.

And second of all, as this letter is being written to those who have genuinely bowed the knee. And so he's going to spend the first three chapters describing what that meant, how that came to be.

And then he shifts into verse chapter 4 with, therefore, and he's going to say,

I'm going to urge you to walk in a manner worthy. And Stan, just as you were saying, having a genuine moment of salvation.

It should not be enough. There should be more. And Paul is taking the time here to talk about how we go on from there.

And in fact, just in these first few verses, he's going to talk about bearing with one another.

And so he's going to, even in this first few verses of chapter 4, be emphasizing the fact that, the fact that you are a believer is signed and sealed.

I've talked in time past, John 1 .12. But as many as receive him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on his name.

That word children, techna, talks about a one -time change on your passport.

This is now your identity. We're praying for a lady in our church who is, by all perception, about ready to make that transition from where she is now to being in glory with God.

And as she walks through that door, her passport says, Techna, child of God.

Now that is probably the most significant thing that can happen to you, but that can't be the end of it all, because there are things,

Stan, as you said, there are things that we need to get. My one thing for you in this lesson,

I have written here, as we are called, and as we are identified as a child of God, so our walk should be worthy of that calling.

Now there are some woes in the book of Hebrews. Those woes are warnings to the pretender, not to the genuine child of God.

But a genuine child of God needs to be walking in a manner worthy. Do you want to open us with a prayer?

Yes, absolutely. Father, thank you so much for this chance to open your word and be exhorted to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

And Lord, it begins there that we have been called, and therefore we have been justified and will be glorified.

We know that is a golden chain of redemption, so we thank you for how sure our salvation is, and now we pray that you would strengthen us for the walk.

In Jesus' name, amen. I'm going to be very aggressive and try to get through three verses today.

Three whole verses? It's a place setter for the rest of these three chapters.

So give me verses 1, 2, and 3 of chapter 4, please. Ephesians 4, 1 to 3.

I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the

Spirit in the bond of peace. We're going to start out by taking that word, therefore, because it's the foundation for this chapter, for these four chapters.

And I've actually never done this before, so I had fun with that this week, was going through the first three chapters and highlighting the progression, the definition of what it means that gets us to that, therefore.

So we're going to do this. These are things that we... When did we start this, back in the fall?

So this is almost a midterm exam. Nice. Bob, you're going to get

Ephesians 1, verses 4 and 5, and Carol, Ephesians 1, 7.

John, you got Ephesians 1, 13. I will talk to part of the next ones, but Ephesians 2, 4 to 7.

Bob, if you would have that. Ephesians 2, 19. Sue, if you would have that.

Ephesians 3, 6. Stan, 3, 16. Rick, Sandy, 3, 19.

Because of the identity, thus far, and the letter to the church at Ephesus.

That's what the therefore is there for. Ephesians 1, 4 and 5, please. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called one

Lord, one faith, one baptism. That's 4, 4 and 5. Ephesians 1.

He's going for Ephesians 1, 4 and 5. Oh, I'm sorry. That's okay.

I was trying to work with what you read. It was a great verse.

I'm sorry about that. That's all right. That's okay. Thank you for the catch. 4 and 5.

Ephesians 1, 4 and 5. For he chose us and him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will.

I love this verse because of the sovereignty of God. And I also love this verse because as I was going into my 19th year of life,

I was living the life of a college man, probably not earning any props, not that I ever could.

But before the foundation of the earth, knowing exactly what I was going to be like,

Christ was already predestined to take those sins to the cross. We are pre -chosen, we are predestined, and we are adopted.

It's the sovereignty of God, it's the holiness of God, and it's the love of God all wrapped into a message which allows my transition to take place.

Verse 7, please. God is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his

Son, and our sins are forgiven. Wow. The blood of Christ.

So who I was was already foreknown, and what he planned to do was already predestined, and through the blood, it actually occurs.

I'm redeemed and I'm forgiven through the blood. John, if you would give me one, 13. What we are is sealed in him through the promised

Holy Spirit. And when God puts a seal on something, we think about the tomb where Christ was laid, and we have verification that this was true because the stone was rolled and the

Roman seal was placed on it, and nobody broke that Roman seal without the fear of death.

Well, this seal that's placed on us is not to be broken, and this is an assurance that when you are a child of God, Satan cannot get you back because you are sealed.

You are sealed with that promise. A seal, a Roman seal, also represented ownership and protection.

All the above. Ownership, absolutely. And that's what we get. Now, he backtracks a little bit in the beginning of chapter 2.

He says, now I want you to remember that in time past, you were really pretty bad people. You walked according to the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air.

That is who you were, but Bob, if you would give me 2, 4 -7, and it starts out with those two amazing words, but God.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.

It is by grace you have been saved, and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

There is no place in those verses for religious performance or expectations or how we can comply with.

There is no place in there. But because of God's love towards us, he did all this stuff according to his mercy.

Verses 8 and 9 then is the transition. For by grace you are saved by faith. It is

God's grace. It is not by faith you were saved and then God gave you grace. It is by grace through faith you have been saved.

In 13 and 14 it talks about we once were far off.

That goes back to verses 1, 2, and 3. But now we're drawn near. But now we're drawn near.

That curtain has been torn down and access is there. And because of all of that, how we are perceived has changed forever.

Verse 19. Sue. Now, Eric, for you, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

See, if we're talking to Gentiles who have become believers, there's no longer a differentiation.

There's no longer Jew and Greek, male or female. There's none of that. We are now all fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

The transition just keeps going and it starts out with the fact that we were chosen before the time, predestined and adopted by Him.

That now gives us a new outlook and a new way of living our lives. Stan, 3 -6.

This mystery is that through the gospel that Gentiles are heirs together with Israel members, together in one body, and sharers together with the promise in Christ Jesus.

To be considered an heir, a fellow partaker of the promises of Christ is how our identity is so richly transformed into what we were.

And then 3 -16 just builds upon that. That according to the riches of His glory,

He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being.

Again, this is the reality we're going to be shifting into. Therefore, this is what

I want you to do. But He does not make this transformation. To have the blood cleanse us and to have

His mercy to change us and to have us being drawn into one is a message of immense love and immense power.

But even then He doesn't stop because He says He's going to strengthen you through the Holy Spirit.

What did Jesus say? It's good for you that I should leave because if I leave,

I will send another. Who's that other that He's going to send? And what does the Holy Spirit do for us?

You can just keep on listing and listing and listing what the Holy Spirit does for us. According to this, we are strengthened through everything in the

Holy Spirit. And then verse 3 -19.

And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

As Paul was doing his second missionary journey and as he entered into Ephesus, he starts out talking to the

Jews. He ends up preaching for quite a while to the Gentiles. And it would be an interesting analysis picture to paint who these people were.

Is Ephesus where the Temple of Artemis was? Uh, Corinth, I think. That's Corinth. What was the temple in Diana?

Diana of Ephesus. Ephesus. We had the Temple of Diana. We had all of this false worship going on.

And the Gentiles with their marketing of Diana statues.

All this stuff going on. This three chapters transitions us from all of this to the very end where it says, you now know the love of Christ.

And what that is, an ever fulfilling, never failing, always satisfying depth of love.

You know the love of Christ. And so now we get into chapter 4.

I therefore. I could not get you into chapter 4 and beyond without chapters 1, 2, and 3 because it wouldn't work for you.

It only works for you because you've been changed, you've been chosen, you've been strengthened, you're fellow citizens, and you know the love of God.

You've got the power of the Holy Spirit. You're sealed through all of that. Now, I therefore, I can take you into what is coming next.

Give me verse 1 again. I will rudely stop you. I therefore, a prisoner of the

Lord. Stop. I urge you. I should have let you go. I, a prisoner of the

Lord, for the Lord, I urge you. I found interesting looking into this one because I wanted to understand a little bit more of what it means to be a prisoner of the

Lord or for the Lord. In the Greek, Paul's identity is encurio.

En is in. En is in. It's not for or anything like that.

En is in. In the Lord. Paul is emphasizing the fact that what he is and what he does is in Christ.

Now, he says, I'm a prisoner in the Lord. This is just my identity. I am in this.

This is my, it's not I'm doing it for him. I'm not doing it with him.

This is me. I am in Christ. I am in Christ. I, Paul, in Christ.

And then he says, I urge you. So you gotta start out with this foundational understanding of who each one of us is going through those first three chapters.

Understanding that of who the saints in Ephesus really are and who Paul is so that his message of urgency has rationale to it.

It should be impacting your life. He is being identified as Christ. He's Paul the

Apostle. He's speaking to these saints who have bowed the knee. And now he says, I am going to urge you.

Romans 6 .19. Candy, if you could get that. And back there, Luke 9 .24.

John, I'll ask if you could get that. And if you're ready with Romans 6 .19,

go ahead and read that. That's a powerful word.

Read the first phrase of it again. Okay. Get that.

I'm speaking to you in human terms because of your natural limitation.

What you have without the power of the Holy Spirit, what you have without this transition, you're limited because all you are is mere human flesh.

And so to be able to tell you that I'm urging you something comes from the message that I am in Christ and period.

That's what you are as well. And so she goes on to read that says you used to be a slave to the flesh, but now

I'm urging you to go on to be a slave to righteousness. There has to be a transition of your old way of life to your new way of life.

For me, those year and a half where I had no knowledge of what was going on made things very depressing for me.

But once that January meeting happened and I found the Lordship of Christ, learned what it meant, life all of a sudden changes.

I was living in the flesh and so I was limited. I don't have to be there. I don't have to be there because I'm sealed by the

Holy Spirit. Now it's time to walk in the Spirit. Luke 9, 24,

John. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

What is it that you're not willing to lose?

And each one of us can fill that blank in somehow. What is it in your life that you're not willing to lose?

And if you're not willing to lose it, then you're not being able to gain what you're supposed to gain.

This is an urgent, urgent message. Lose your life for His sake and you will find it because there is a life to be experienced once you go through with that.

And so now give me verse 1 again. I, therefore, a prisoner for the

Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Walk in a manner worthy. So there's a couple of words there that we would talk about.

One of them is walk and the other is worthy. Because saints, because believers are made new and because they, as a believer, you have the indwelling of the

Holy Spirit, God can communicate to us with an expectation that we can walk a life pleasing to Him or worthy of Him.

Go ahead. John, wasn't it Jim Elliott who said a man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose?

Well, he was in Ecuador, a missionary in Ecuador at the time. I guess he gave up everything to come over there, right?

To preach the Word of God to these people. Kind of like killing them. She came back later.

And I can't remember the third. Pete Fleming. Was there a fourth? There were five of them.

There were five of them that were there? Roger Uderian. Yes. And I don't know. We can put it together, but the message of going to Ecuador, it's not going to be good, but he went one step beyond that.

He went up to the Acaindians who were notorious. At that time, yeah.

They were notorious at that time in his statement. He is no fool who gives up what he can't keep to gain what he cannot lose.

And he was willing to go that extra step. Now, whether we're being called to do that much, that God knows.

God knows. But I'm going to say that are there those things that you haven't been willing to let go of?

You've got to let go. So, Rich, you're going to get Matthew 22. 27 to 39.

And 2 Corinthians 5 -17. Frank, would you be able to pull that? 2

Corinthians 5 -17. And then John 14,

Barb, at the bottom of the page, if you would get that. What does it mean to walk worthy?

That's the question. What does it mean to walk worthy of a calling to which you've been called?

Yeah? Well, you give up the things of the world and not self -centered. You're not doing what you used to do.

So now you've been called by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you take on a new identity. So now you're going to walk with Him and not the old self.

And all your friends and relatives see the old self, and they keep saying,

Oh, no, you're still staying. Well, no, no, no. No, I've changed. I've changed. So now you take on a new identity.

Okay, excellent. I'm going to say that Matthew 22, 37 -39, which is actually

Jesus quoting the Old Testament, gives us a pretty good understanding of what it means to walk worthy of the

Lord. Go ahead. And He said to him,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

I understand exactly what you were saying. It's giving up these things that are by my design, for my benefit, for my pleasure.

If our walk is, in all things, seeking to demonstrate love of God, seeking to fully love

God and then to love others myself, everything else, according to Him, all the other law hangs on this.

In fact, He then says in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, 24, that you cannot serve two masters.

You will either love the one and hate the other, or you will despise the one and cling to the other.

You cannot serve both God and man. As our walk is serving something, someone, somehow, motivated by love of the

Lord your God, recognizing that there are conflicting masters going after you at all times.

There are conflicting masters going at you at all times. I had a conflicting master of self -doubt and a little bit of depression today over an issue that came up.

And my brother and I were reading passage and he was encouraging me, which master, which master, which master are you serving?

You're walking worthy of God when you are absolutely denying that other master.

What's that little picture? You've got a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other. And they're both talking to you.

Which one are you serving? 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Frank?

Yes. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new preacher.

Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. Those things that represent the old master, because we are made a new creation, no longer have power over us.

We can submit to them, but they can't make us submit to them any longer.

That's walking worthy of Him. In fact, it says in Galatians 5, 16, this is what

I've got for you right now, walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

That's one of the powerful promises of Scripture. Walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

I love the picture of Nehemiah. He hears of the condition of the walls in Jerusalem, and his heart melts because of it.

And he prays and fasts over the, and weeps over the condition. And then the king calls him in, he's the cupbearer.

And what is he never supposed to do, ever, ever, ever supposed to do when he goes in to the king and has a sad face?

What does he do when he walks in there and he has a sad face? But God works through the king's heart.

He says, what's up? Why are you so sad? And it says that he prayed, and then he spoke to the

Lord. He was walking in the Spirit so much that he didn't have to get down, bowing on his knee.

He just knew enough. God, I need you right now. Walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

John 14, Barb. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Walking in the Lord, worthy of the Lord, is having just in your walk a recognition of the

Godship, the Lordship of God, and seeing and surrendering to it, and not having to add to it, replace to it, because according to what you just read, we're not left as orphans.

We have a passport, we're a technet, we are a child of God, and that's what's damn frank.

I had a flashback. Some churches will lay a diagram of how you can go through the

Bible. But at first, walking in the

Spirit, I think that's a great one. Just to begin with, you're walking in the fruits of the

Spirit. You're walking in the fruits of the Spirit. You've conquered the temptation to go into the flesh.

So Galatians 5, 22 -24 is kind of a cool passage at the end of the day to go through and say, if my heart's desire is to walk in the

Spirit, because that's when I want to fulfill the lust of the flesh. It's not like, if I'm not fulfilling the lust of the flesh, then

I'm going to... No, it's like, I'm walking in the Spirit. Well, okay, at the end of the day, love, joy, peace, long -suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithness, meekness, temperance.

I had a little bit of problem with meekness today. That's a great place to pray.

That's a great place to pray, because that would be an indication that there are some deviations to your walking in the

Spirit. Well said, yeah. Just as I was reading that scripture, it occurred to me when he said,

I will not leave you alone as orphans. Well, it also applies to widows. Absolutely.

I will not leave you alone as widows, because he is in me. Thank you. And what a marvelous thing that is.

It saves me. It saves you. In many ways. And to have this, just life assurance that you know the

Father, that you know the Father. That is how you can get into this passage here of walking worthy, because you know him.

Now, we got the walk described in a couple of ways. Give me verse two, please. In Philippians 2, 3 -8, if you would have that,

Carol. And 1 Peter 5, John, Matthew 5, if you would get that.

Who's there? Bob. And I'm shipping down to Philippians 4. Sue, if you would have that.

I'll speak to all the others. Give me verse two, please. With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.

Oh, my goodness. There's what he's saying. I described to you who you are in the first three chapters.

Therefore, I want you to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. And here's the picture of it.

First of all, he says, humility and gentleness and patience. These are the attributes of a believer who's emulating

Christ. That's what we're told to do. Walk in a way that he walked.

And believers who are denying the flesh. Humility, gentleness, and faith. Philippians 2.

Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble. Thinking of others is, don't look out only for your own interest, but take an interest in others too.

You must have the same attitude of Jesus that Christ Jesus had. Though he was

God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges.

He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being when he appeared in the human form.

He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross.

Talk about setting the bar really high. Yes. Talk about setting the bar really high. Am I really supposed to forgive my brother seven times?

What did Christ say? Seven times 70.

Now that's not to say once I've got to 490 I'm done. That was to be...

How many times has God forgiven me? We're supposed to have that same attitude that was within Christ.

1 Peter 5 .6 Therefore humble yourselves unto the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you at the proper time.

Our world does not want to be submissive to a mighty hand of God.

That does not go well with the message in today's world. God is love.

God will accept everybody. It's like there's many paths. No, that's not true.

See, God is a holy and a just and a loving God and a sovereign

God all wrapped into one. And when I need to be corrected,

I need to be humble enough to let God correct me. That's not always fun, but that's the best way to be is to humble yourself under God.

Proverbs 3 then is going to say that God shows favor to the humble. It's not to the strong, the proud.

It's not to the accomplisher. It's to the humble. God shows favor to the humble.

And opposes the proud. And he opposes the proud. When sin hits your life and when the

Holy Spirit says you shouldn't ought to have done that and he's saying that the mighty hand of God is going to humble you, confess it, pray it.

God shows favor to those who come to him who aren't so puffed up in and of themselves.

Gentleness. Matthew 5 .5. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.

Meek is also the word for gentle. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Not those who have the strength of position.

Not those who have a strong personality to demand their own way. If you're involved with a discussion of Scripture and we're not talking about something as strong as salvation but a minor point like what was the purpose for this letter behind in the first place?

Don't demand your own way. Be humble enough and be gentle enough. Blessed are the gentle or the meek for they will inherit the earth.

I believe the dictionary defines me as one with power under restraint.

One who has power but yet acts gently. Absolutely. It's not a doormat. It's not a doormat.

You're absolutely right. 2 Timothy, I'm just going to read that so you'll get another one.

We're not to be quarrelsome but we're supposed to be kind to everyone. Even when you believe you're right and they're not especially when you believe you're right and they're not.

We are to be the... Blessed are the peacemakers. It goes on further in the Beatitudes. For they will be called children of God.

We're again, we're supposed to have the same attitude as Christ. Philippians 4, 6.

Who did I give that to? Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, that your request be known to God.

Patience. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication. What's the next phrase?

With thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God. Peace of God, which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.

To have that moment where you're just wishing things would be faster doesn't sound like God is listening to me.

Let your request be made known to God with thanksgiving for what he's allowed you to go through today already.

Guard your mind. That's patience.

Yes. The Greek word is phoreiro. It implies a military, you know, a squad that protects.

That's how your mind is guarded. He will protect your mind. To maintain your peace.

Yes, he will. Yes, he will. That's for the patient, not for those who demand, now, I want patience, and I want it right now.

Okay? This is being willing. Again, submitting to the sovereignty of God.

Did I give Isaiah 40 to somebody? It says, basically, those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength.

They will faint and not grow weary. I love this one. You know, those who wait for the

Lord, he will renew their strength. They will not faint nor grow weary. And by the way, if you don't get it all,

Ecclesiastes 7, 8 says that patience is better than haughtiness. Can't say it much plainer than that.

This is our walk initially described. John? Yeah, John, I think, too, that all these characteristics that you're talking about are not just when we pass one another on the street, but it's when we're in service to one another.

When we're in ministry, when we're in the vessel. We really need all these characteristics. You're right. And that's part of our calling, right?

You're right. We should be appreciative of that, too. You mean, John, if I am doing something special and I'm going out of my way and I'm doing a whole lot of something and nobody cares and nobody notices, what am

I supposed to do? I'm supposed to be humble and gentle and patient. It's the full package.

And then the last half of that says that we are supposed to bear one another how? In love.

In love. That's agape. Agape love. Bearing the body of Christ is strongest when believers care for each other, serve each other, and bear each other's burdens and joys.

And that can happen in love. That's when the body is the strongest. Colossians 3, 13 is going to tell us bear one another, forgive one another.

As the Lord forgave you, so you should forgive others. And if you ever feel,

I can't go there, it's just too much, just go back to what

God has done for you. As the Lord has forgiven you, so you should forgive others.

Romans 12 is going to talk about this body. We're supposed to be bearing one another.

Romans 12 is going to talk about the body having many members, but we're one body.

We're different in functions, but we're one body in Christ. So bearing one another, being together.

This really requires us to be involved with each other. This requires a little work.

This requires us... If at the end of service

I'm walking by and I said, hey John, how's it going? And you say, well, okay.

And I say, fine, thanks, catch you later. There's no bearing one another there. It's like I was walking out and I ran across a lady in our church and his son and daughter -in -law are about to go on a very dangerous journey and just take time to talk about it.

And then, oh, by the way, if you're like me and the memory doesn't last that long, write it down so that you can be praying about it every day.

So that when you see that person next week and you say, that son and daughter -in -law of yours, they left on their trip, how's it going so far?

Bearing, taking the time to be with one another. Hey John, what you said, like when you asked

John how's he doing, it also requires honesty. If he's not doing well, you just say, well, not too well.

You know, I can use prayer for this or that. Stop it, I didn't mean for you to tell me that much. I just wanted it to be advice, polite advice.

No, don't go there. Listen to it. Yeah, you're absolutely right. The Japanese have a tradition which is really kind of cool.

When I would go into a business meeting here in the States, it's not unusual, especially with somebody

I don't know yet, we would exchange business cards. And what would

I do with that business card? Quite often I would take that business card and I would put it in my wallet and I'd put it back in my pocket.

Right there, there's your identity. In Japan, I would get a business card and I would look at it,

I would read it. I'd even ask a question about it. And then I'd put it on the table in front of me.

Honoring somebody. Don't be so quick to move on to the next thing. Bearing one another.

1 Corinthians 12 is going to take it to the next level. Don't let divisions divide you. We're not always going to agree in all things.

We had a congregational meeting, Sandy and Stan and Rick, you guys remember this one.

This was about 12 years ago when we decided to put that thing up there and to project on the wall.

Some people wanted to pull down screen. And some people wanted reflective paint.

It divided us for a long time. It really did. Yeah. We're not always going to agree, but there should never be divisions amongst us.

We should rejoice and suffer together. We're one body. Bearing one another in agape love.

Now give me verse 3 please. Eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

I love these two because this is how when we are walking, therefore, everything else that was before is our identity.

By the way, we are one. We are fellow brothers. Everything else, walking in unity of spirit and bond of peace.

The unity of believers is only possible through the spirit. And if we are trying to do it without the spirit, differences don't divide.

Differences by themselves are not divisive. When we're abiding in agape love, true peace, true harmony can be experienced.

And eager to maintain it. And eager to maintain it. Eager. Yeah. I'm going to just pick at random.

Rick, if you would give me Philippians 2, verses 1 and 2. So, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

And that's our encouragement. Acts 4 pictures a congregation that is so together that they shared everything in common.

It's like the picture of not having to have my own way, my own privileges and everything else.

It's having, yeah. You know, John, he says, Paul says to complete my joy.

Does it also complete the Lord's joy? Ah, that's a good question.

Because in that particular passage, Paul is expressing that I hear of you and do these things, it completes my joy.

And his question, does that give God joy? I think that's a rhetorical question. I would think it does.

In fact, the things that we do are even made manifest in the heavenly realm to the angels.

Yes, because we know that, you know, they rejoice in heaven when one sinner is saved. Absolutely, absolutely.

We're going to close with Galatians 2 .20. Sandy, you're going to read that. Before you read it, I just want to say that when

I have accepted Christ, I am no longer a slave to the flesh. With Christ living with me,

I am, though I'm in the flesh, God enables me to live by faith. I am still in the flesh, but because of Christ in me,

I can live according to faith. Galatians 2 .20, we'll close with this. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer

I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh,

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Do you want to close in prayer? Father, thank you so much for your word today. How your word strengthens us, builds us up in the most holy faith.

Thank you, God, for your word, and we pray that we would be found worthy as we walk in the gospel.

Lord, give us the strength that we need today and each day going forward to please you.

And Lord, we look to you because we know we cannot do this on our own strength. In Jesus' name we pray.