Unity in the Midst of Diversity 09/26/2021

Paul’s Concern for the Thessalonian Church

Paul had been quite concerned about this church, he'd been away from it not long but he had reasons to question their steadfastness and so here we read about him having sent Timothy to basically check him out.

First Thessalonians chapter three, therefore when we could no longer endure it we thought it good to be left in Athens alone and sent Timothy our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith that no one should be shaken by these afflictions for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this for in fact we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation just as it has happened.

And you know for this reason when I could no longer endure it I sent to know your faith lest by some means the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news of your faith and love and that you always have good remembrance of us greatly desiring to see us as we also to see you.

Therefore brethren in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord for what thanks can we render to God for you for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all just as we do to you so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Let's pray our Father. We pray that you would help us as a church to be faithful to you and that we will be found our God to be true to you devout toward you living faithfully before you when you come help us our God.

We pray that you would establish us and encourage us in the faith and that none of us would be shaken by the afflictions the difficulties which we are facing these days. We thank you our God for your servants one such as Timothy who can bring good news Lord to us and report good news of our faith and love.

We pray our God that you would direct our way to you. We pray as Paul desired to be among the Thessalonians. We desire to be with you and among your people. And so may you help us our God to increase and abound in love to one another and to all that you establish our hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

And now Father we pray that you would employ your word that which you use to sanctify your people to help us to become be all that we can be and should be as Christians. Bless Pastor Jason our God as he brings his word to us.

We pray the Holy Spirit would be upon him and that the Holy Spirit would be upon us instructing us guiding us urging us empowering us our God that we can go forth from this place today resolved and equipped to live.

For you for we do pray these things our Father in Jesus name amen. As a church how can we gather.

Together in true and sincere unity. How can we gather together as sinful and selfish individuals in true unity. I'm not talking about a unity that ignores differences or denies difficulty or compromises the truth of the scriptures but a genuine and earnest unity.

A unity that preserves the truth of the scriptures and acts as a compelling testimony to the world around us. How are we to interact with those in the church who are overly sensitive. How are we to interact with those in the church who are overly insulting.

How are we to interact with those in the church who know better than the rest of us. How are we to interact with our church leaders but still recognize that church leaders are also sinful. How are we to honestly critique an imperfect church without grumbling and without being divisive beloved.

How can we as Christians live together. Despite our ethnic differences. Despite our political differences despite our medical differences. As Christians how can we respond to strong differing opinions without descending to frustration irritation anger gossip or slander.

How are we to live in true and sincere unity when we all come from such very distinct and different backgrounds. Please join with me to the book of Ephesians. Our passage this morning is Ephesians 4 verses 1 to 6 which answers each one of these questions.

Let's look at the text together. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 to 6. 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.

There is one body and one spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Here in this passage Paul introduces us to the lowly walk of our high and exalted position.

The term therefore in verse one marks a transition from the positional truth of this letter to the practical truth of this letter therefore marks the transition from principle to practice from doctrine to duty.

Ephesians chapters 1 2 and 3 is orthodoxy it is right doctrine. And Ephesians chapters 4 5 and 6 is orthopraxy. Right practice. Right doctrine leads to right practice. Beloved right doctrine is essential to Christian living.

Strong and unified churches do not come from programs or marketing campaigns or from similar demographics or from anything else that is external. Strong and unified churches come from truth sound doctrine.

Doctrine that is being lived out through sanctified and holy lives. In Ephesians 4 1 Paul is urging believers to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. And in verse 1 there's a very helpful term that gives us great insight into the meaning of this appeal.

And the helpful term is worthy. How do you define the term worthy. Well this term means to be deserving. It means to have value. It means that you have a worth equal to your position. For example a worthy opponent is an opponent whose gifts equal your own.

A workman who is worthy of his wage is a workman whose service merits the wage that he receives. I find it helpful to think of this term as a scale in which the weight on the one side equals the weight on the other.

In the context of Ephesians 4 the weight of our practice must equal the weight of our doctrine. D martin lloyd jones remarked the apostle is beseeching them and exhorting them always to give equal weight in their lives to doctrine and practice.

They must not put all the weight on doctrine and none on practice nor all the weight on practice and just a little if any on doctrine. To do so produces imbalance and lopsidedness. The ephesians must take great pains to see that the scales are perfectly balanced.

What would be the result of scales that were tipped in favor of doctrine over practice. Well doctrine without practice. Doctrine without application would be hypocritical. James 1 22 says. Prove yourselves doers of the word and not hearers.

Only deceiving yourselves in the nasb. James 1 22 says. Prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. And so doctrine without practice is delusional christianity. Well what would be the result of scales that were tipped in favor of practice over doctrine.

Well practice without doctrine. Application without doctrine would be erroneous. It would be empty zeal for the lord god is nothing if it is not according to knowledge romans 10 2 beloved there must be an equal balance between your doctrine what you believe and the application of the doctrine what you do.

And paul is commanding believers to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. In other words your daily actions must correspond to your high position of being in christ. A worthy walk means that your practice will equal your position your position of being united with christ.

In ephesians chapter 4 verses 2 through 6 paul provides five characteristics or five attitudes that are worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Humility gentleness patience forbearance and an eagerness to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

Let's take a look at each one of these in detail. Ephesians 4 verses 1 and 2 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.

The first attitude that should characterize those within the church. The first attitude that should characterize your life is humility. Well what is humility. How do you define humility. The greek translation of the word humility is a combination of two words low and to think.

Thus humility literally means to think with lowliness. It refers to lowliness of mind to lowliness of thinking. And there are several terms in the scriptures that can be translated as humility and most of them imply a bowing down or a stooping down or a yielding to one another.

The term entails a mild and meek disposition which are attitudes that pertain to a servant or to a slave. I think one of the best descriptions of humility is found in the book of philippians. Philippians chapter 2 verse 3.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you not only look to his own interests but also to the interests of others. To act in humility is to act without selfish ambition.

Selfish ambition describes those who seek personal advantage and personal gain regardless of the effect that their actions have on those around them. The picture is of a person who builds themselves up at the expense of other people.

To act in humility is also to act without conceit. The greek word translated conceit is based on a compound word kenodoxia which appears only here in the new testament. And it's the formation of two words the adjective kenos meaning empty and the noun doxa meaning glory and so the literal translation of this is empty glory or vain glory as the king james translates.

The conceited have a highly exaggerated view of themselves. The conceited have a highly exaggerated view of their own self-worth and their own importance. The conceited have swelled heads an over-inflated sense of their own importance of their own self-image.

A person with such conceit is in constant pursuit of their own acclaim their own approval and the applause of others. These two attitudes stand in stark opposition to humility. For it is humility that counts others more significant than yourselves.

It is humility that first and foremost looks to the interest of others. Now the greatest and most profound example of humility is found in the gospel. God the son god the father sending god the son into the world to be the sacrifice and substitute for sinners.

Philippians 2 6. Who though he was in the form of god did not count equality with god a thing to be grasped. The lord jesus christ was in the form of god and the phrase he was in refers to the essence of what a person is at the very core of their being.

It denotes the continuance of a previous state or existence. It describes that which is true of a person which cannot be changed cannot be altered and cannot be removed. In other words being in the form of god is a clear declaration of the divinity of christ.

He was in the form of god meaning jesus christ is god. Jesus christ at his very core at the very core of his being is god. He is unalterably and unchangeably god. But even though the lord jesus christ existed eternally as god during his incarnation during his incarnation he refused to hold on to his divine rights and privileges and he abandoned his exalted position.

Philippians 2 6 and 7 who though he was in the form of god did not count equality with god a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men the lord jesus christ gave up his glory.

He gave up the full manifestation of his glory all throughout his ministry. There were glimpses of his glory in his miracles in his words and certainly in his transfiguration before peter james and john.

But the full blinding brilliance of the glory of god was temporarily veiled and laid aside. The lord jesus christ showed great humility in his incarnation. But he was even further humbled by taking the form of a servant and dying as a substitute for his people.

Philippians 2 6 through 8 who though he was in the form of god did not count equality with god a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing. Taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross.

This was and is the supreme act of both love and humility. And this is the example that we are to follow in the footsteps of christ. We are to walk in humility and we are to put other people's needs before our own.

We are to give preference to other people. To act in humility is not to think too highly of yourself but to regard others more important and to live in light of this truth. First peter 5 5 and 6. Clothe yourselves all of you with humility toward one another.

For god opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of god so that at the proper time he may exalt you. This phrase clothe yourselves is used to describe an atmosphere of humility which should characterize those who belong to the lord jesus christ.

This phrase clothe yourselves literally means to tie something around yourself with a knot or with a bow. And it was a term that was used to describe a slave putting on an apron in order to perform their duties.

This term was often referred to as the apron itself. It was something that set the slave apart from the free man. The apron was a constant and visual reminder of their status as a slave. And the idea behind this phrase is that all believers regardless of age race class gender intelligence must put on humility as you would put on an apron.

The attitude of humility must be tied on. It must be fastened with a bow or a knot. It must be permanently fixed to our lives so much so that it is easily recognizable in our lives so that we are distinguished as slaves belonging to the lord jesus christ beloved the lord god desires every one of us to be adorned with the grace of humility.

In short we must die to self in our lives and in our relationships. We must put others before ourselves. One of my favorite quotes that i have shared many times is by an unknown author and it describes what this selflessness should look like in our everyday lives.

He writes or she writes when you were forgotten or neglected or purposely said it not and you sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for christ.

That is dying to self when your good is evil spoken of when your wishes are crossed your advice disregarded your opinions ridiculed and you refuse to let any anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself but take it in patient loving silence.

That is dying to self when you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder any irregularity any annoyance. When you can stand face to face with waste folly extravagance spiritual insensibility and endure it as jesus endured it.

That is dying to self when you are content with any food any offering any raiment any climate any society any attitude any interruption by the will of god. That is dying to self when you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good works or itch after commendation.

When you can truly love to be unknown. That is dying to self when you see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question god while your own needs are in far greater and in desperate circumstance.

That is dying to self when you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.

That is dying to self beloved. The lord god is calling each one of us to put on the apron of humility the apron of selflessness and serve one another in love. The lord god is calling each one of us to clothe ourselves with humility and strive to put others before ourselves in life.

We must live with an others centered mentality rather than a self-centered mentality. And the only way to live this way the only way to serve others in humility and selflessness is to follow the example of the lord jesus christ in philippians chapter 2.

The second attitude that should characterize those within the church. The second attitude that should characterize your life is gentleness ephesians 4 1 and 2. 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.

Now i want you to notice something about this passage. These five attitudes are progressive. They build upon one another. One attitude produces the other. You cannot have gentleness without humility. Gentleness is a byproduct of humility.

It is humility that produces gentleness. Gentleness is the translation of the protase meaning to have a mild kind and humble disposition. And this term was commonly used to describe wild animals that had been tamed especially horses that had been broken now which is stronger a wild horse or a broken horse which is faster a wild horse or a broken horse.

Broken horses still have all their strength. Broken horses still all have their spirit. The difference is that a broken horse is under the control of his master and gentleness is power under control. It is a mild quiet gentle and pleasant spirit.

It is a soothing non-vengeful non-retaliating non-vindictive non-bitter non-reacting non-defensive non-self-assertive spirit that is in subjection to the will of the master jesus christ. Gentleness goes right along with self-control galatians 5 22.

But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control. Against such things there is no law. Husbands and wives who are not gentle with their spouses lack self-control.

Children who are not gentle with their siblings lack self-control. People who get angry at every irritation. People who get annoyed at every inconvenience. People who lash out at those who are different from them know nothing of true gentleness or self-control.

Proverb 1632. Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty. And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. A good indicator of gentleness is the ability to control your anger. Do you exercise self-control amidst conflict.

Are you able to rule over your own spirit or do you lose your temper. Do you brood over the conflict. Do you brood when circumstances don't go your way. Gentleness is far more effective than being angry and harsh.

The truth when presented in an angry harsh and unloving manner will often make men cling to their opinions and sins and self-righteousness even more tightly. The truth when presented in a unloving tone will often have the exact opposite effect of that which is actually desired.

Presenting the truth in gentleness. Presenting the truth in love is far more effective and it is far more fruitful. Proverbs 15 1. A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger in the midst of disagreement disunity and discord.

Beloved you must be gentle. You must be humble. Where there is humility there will be gentleness. And where there is gentleness there will be patience. The third attribute the food. The third attitude that should characterize those within the church.

The third attitude that should characterize your life is patience. I therefore a prisoner of 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.

What does it mean to be patient. I'm asking because i have five children. Patience means that you're long-suffering. It means that you are long-tempered. It means that you are even-tempered. A patient person bears any provocation any annoyance any misfortune or pain without complaint without irritation and without the loss of temper.

A patient person has a very long fuse. A patient person endures negative circumstances and never succumbs to them. A patient person amidst trials and difficulty is able to stay the course regardless of its twists and turns.

The word patience can also be translated as endurance or long-suffering. Doesn't matter how bad things get patience endurance and long-suffering will never give in to negative circumstances. Well what do i mean by that.

Can you think of any biblical examples of men who were patient amidst difficulty and trials. A great example is abraham. And what was it that abraham was patiently waiting for. He was waiting for god's promise.

The lord god had promised abraham an heir. Genesis 12. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you.

I will curse and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Abraham is a great example of a man who endured negative circumstances and never lost his patience. Now think about his circumstances.

The lord god says to him. You're going to have as many descendants as the sand of the sea and they're going to come from you. And yet abraham never had any children in. The heir of his house was eliezer of damascus.

His wife was barren and he was pushing 100 years old. But abraham believed the promise of god and he waited with patience. Romans 4 18. In hope he believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations.

As he had been told so shall your offspring be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body which was as good as dead since he was about 100 years old or when he considered the barrenness of syria's womb.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of god. But he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to god fully convinced that god was able to do what he had promised. This is why his faith was counted him as righteousness.

In the midst of great difficulty abraham persevered. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of god even in the midst of hopeless circumstances. A barren wife in old age. And what happened to abraham.

Hebrews 6 15. Thus abraham having patiently waited obtained the promise. The lord god gave abraham and sarah a son isaac. And it was isaac who was the fulfillment of the promise to make him a great nation beloved.

Patience is the ability to persevere even in the most difficult of circumstances. It's the ability to not lose hope to not lose your composure to not lose your head. Patience should be manifest in all of your circumstances and it should also be manifest in your dealings with other people.

Oftentimes the problems that we encounter in life aren't only circumstantial but they are the result of sinful people around us. Patience is used in the scriptures to speak of both patience and circumstances and patience with people.

Are you patient with people. Are you patient with people who are less informed than you. Are you patient with people who have differing views than you. Are you patient with people who sin against you or sin against those whom you love.

How about when they offend you. How about when they speak wrongfully against you. Are you a patient person. 1st thessalonians 5 14. Paul writes. And we urge you brothers admonish the idol. Encourage the faint-hearted.

Help the weak. Be patient with them all. In this verse we're given instruction on dealing with different types of people specifically the idol the faint-hearted and the weak. Well who are the idol. And what does it mean to admonish them.

The idol are the wayward and this word was used in a military sense. It carries the idea of a soldier who was out of line or a soldier who had broken rank. He was guilty of disorderly conduct. The idol are those who are insubordinate who disregard and disobey commands and the the term refers to anyone who fails to do their duty.

The idol are to be admonished. To admonish means to come alongside someone and to warn them. And the term implies putting sense into someone's head so that they are made aware of the consequences and the danger of the direction that they are heading.

For example think about a speeding car that is driving towards a bridge that is out. The driver may not know what is ahead of him. He may not know that the bridge is out. He may not know that he is in serious danger.

This driver needs to be admonished. He needs to be warned not in a critical and condescending way but in a manner that urgently alerts him of the impending danger that lies ahead if he continues to drive down this road.

Beloved do not let the idol continue to follow their course rather admonish them. Well what about the faint-hearted. And what does it mean to encourage the faint-hearted. The faint-hearted literally means the small soul.

This term describes those who cannot seem to rise above their problems. All of the issues and all of the difficulties of life are too much for them. All of the issues and difficulties of life are more than they can bear.

The faint-hearted are the beaten down. They're the crushed those who are at the end of their ropes. To encourage the faint-hearted means to speak by coming along their side. If you know if you know someone that is fearful or worried or sad if you know someone who is depressed or in despair and just can't seem to keep their head above water.

You've got to come alongside and speak truth to them. You've got to develop a caring relationship with them. You've got to come alongside and console them comfort them strengthen them reassure them cheer them up refresh them.

The faint-hearted need to be reminded of the hope of our calling. They need to be reminded of the providential hand of god that the lord god is over all things. They need to be reminded of the great of their great worth in the eyes of god the father who redeemed them by the blood of his precious son.

The faint-hearted need to be reminded of the goodness and the faithfulness of god. Beloved. There are a lot of faint-hearted believers. Do not grow weary in encouraging them. Do not grow weary in caring for them.

Do not grow weary in ministering the word of god to them. Lastly we're also commanded to help the weak. Well. To whom does the weak describe. It's not the physically weak but those who are spiritually weak.

The weak in faith. Matthew henry remarks. Some are not well able to perform their work nor bear up their burdens. We should therefore support them help their infirmities and lift at one end of the burden and so help to bear it.

It is the grace of god indeed that must strengthen and support such. But we should tell them of that grace and endeavor to minister of that grace to them. There are some who have tremendous burdens and the weight of these burdens are just crushing down upon them and we are to help them.

We are to lift at one end of the burden. We are to come alongside and prop them up and firmly support them. Romans 15 1 and 2. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up beloved. We must admonish the idol. We must encourage the faint-hearted. We must help the weak. And we must be patient with all. To who are we to be patient with them all.

And to whom does the all refer to those who try our patience. The idol the faint-hearted and the weak. And how patient are we to be with the idol. The faint-hearted and the weak as patient as the lord god is with you.

And how patient is the lord god with you. Psalm 103 8 through 14. The lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children. So the lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust beloved. Where there is humility there will be gentleness.

Where there is gentleness there will be patience. And where there is patience there will be forbearance bearing with one another in love. I therefore a prisoner of 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.

The fourth attitude that should characterize those within the church. The fourth attitude that should characterize your life and your interactions with other people is forbearance. Forbearing love is a product of patience which is a product of gentleness which is a product of humility.

But what is forbearing love. Well to forbear means to suppress with silence. It carries the idea of throwing a blanket over something to exhibit. Forbearing love for another is to throw a blanket over their harsh word or their harsh offenses or their sins.

Proverbs 10 12. Hatred stirs up strife. But love covers all offenses first. Peter 4 8. Above all keep loving one another earnestly. Since love covers a multitude of sins this has always been a tricky verse for me.

What does it mean that love will cover a multitude of sins. Well the greek word for covers literally means to cause something to be hidden or veiled and hence it's not visible it's covered up. One of the most common ways that the word cover or covered is used in the scriptures is in reference to the lord god covering our sin.

Psalm 32 1. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered. Jeremiah 31 34. For i will forgive their iniquity and i will remember their sin. No more. The lord god covers our sin by forgiving it.

The lord god covers our sin by choosing to remember it. No more. The lord god covers our sin by choosing not to hold our sins against us. He covers our sin by removing it. As far as the east is from the west he covers our sin by cleansing us with the precious blood of the lord jesus christ.

Well when does the lord god do this. When does the lord god cover our sin. Our sin is covered after he has convicted us. After our sin has been addressed. After we confess and repent of our sin. To cover sin with love does not mean that sin is not dealt with.

Nor does it mean that sin is ignored and allowed to continue. Nor does it mean that a blind eye is turned on. Sin doesn't mean that church discipline is invalidated. If sin must be dealt with biblically if sin must be lovingly confronted and addressed then how are we to cover it in love.

What does this mean. Well to cover sin with love means that love will not take it into consideration. It means that love will not bring it up. Love will not share sins that have already been dealt with biblically.

Proverbs 17 9. Whoever covers an offense seeks love but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. Someone who does not lovingly conceal a sin repeats it to other people. This passage is talking about bringing up issues from the past.

This verse isn't telling us to ignore sin in the present but to not gossip about sin that has already been dealt with beloved. Without the covering of love close friends will be separated. Friendships will be destroyed and strife and dissension will prevail in the church.

In the church in the body of christ when all the confrontation is done. When all the exhortation is done when the proper steps of restoration are complete. Then we cover the sin. Then we bury it and we remember it no more.

Our father god loves us with a patient and forbearing love and thus we are to imitate our father god. We must have the same patient and forbearing love for one another. We have been called to live with all humility and gentleness with patience.

Bearing with one another in love. Being eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4 3. Eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The fifth attitude that should characterize those within the church.

The fifth attitude that should characterize your life is diligence. Being eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Now, the term eager means that we are to make every effort. We are to spare no effort.

This is an important and urgent plea. It is also a present participle, which means it is a call for continuous action. We are to continually be eager. We are to continually make every effort. On this particular term, one commentator remarked, it is hardly possible to render exactly the urgency contained in the underlining Greek verb.

Not only haste and passion, but a full effort of the whole man is meant, involving his will, sentiment, reason, strength, and total attitude. This excludes passivity, quietism, or wait-and-see attitude.

Yours is the initiative. Do it now.

Mean it.