HeartSight – Togetherness

HeartSight – Togetherness                                 2-23-20

Bottom Line:  Unity in love is the church’s response to the goodness and greatness of God.

Introduction:

 A. Are you old enough to remember 1969? Better than 1968 by a long shot!

   1. Memories of the moon landing in July

   2. Registering for the draft & beginning my senior year

 B. A couple song became hits that I never liked but couldn’t keep myself from singing – over and over – even today!

   1. Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat, & Tears

   2. One by Harry Nelsson, sung by Three Dog Night “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do” (wrote after calling someone and getting a busy signal) Became #1

 C. When is one not really one?

   1. When eating potato chips

   2. When Grandma says, “You can have one!”

   3. When Mom says, “I’m only going to say this once!”

   4. “Everyone is entitled to one vice.” One bad habit?

   5. WW1 – The war to end all wars

   6. When you joke with one of your three kids by saying, “You are the one I love the most!”

   7. When you tell you wife, “Honey, this will be a once in a lifetime bow hunting trip!”

   8. When you say to God, “Can you look the other way just his one time?”

   9. When you think to yourself, “I made a mistake once!”

  10. When you say, “There is only one God in my life” and then you look in your check book!

 D. Only God did the things for us that Paul talked about in the first three chapters of Ephesians!

   1. All spiritual blessings are found in Christ, vs.7,11, 18

   2. He made us alive in Christ, vs.4-5, 13; 21-22

   3. God gave us the mystery no one else knew, vs.6, 12

   4. We have a special relationship w/ God, vs.14-21

 E. Now – what does God expect from us?

   1. Chapters 4-6 is about our response to God & Jesus!

   2. How we do togetherness = church!

 F. Paul’s foundation elements for pleasing our loving God!

1. “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Vs.1

 A. Live not go!

 B. The problem with being worthy? Not earning or working to pay for it!

   1. Gr. axios, literally bringing up the other beam of the scales.  Equivalence. Balance. Do your part!

   2. Balance between profession and practice!

 C. Four things necessary for worthiness, vs.2

   1. Be completely humble – classical term for low-mindedness & groveling servility – gospel redeemed it! Opposite of conceit, arrogance, egotism, selfishness

   2. Gentle = considerateness but controlled strength

   3. Be patient = clemency, steadfast in suffering

   4. Bearing with one another in love = holding them up

2. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Vs.3

 A. NO LIMITS ON EFFORT!

 B. One is not really one, but seven ones are really six ones under One one!

 C. Six non-negotiable ones (six volunteers to help)

   1. One body = a single visible community of disciples

   2. One Spirit = indwells, 1 Cor.12:13 reason body lives & moves

   3. One hope = because of Spirit pledge, 1:14 & God’s call

   4. One Lord = only name under heaven that saves

   5. One faith = w/o it we can’t please God

   6.  One baptism (immersion) = makes us all one regardless of race, gender, age, or class = equally w/ God

 D. The last is really first – One God and Father of all!

   1. God = creator; Father = family

   2. Reigns over all – active through all – dwells in all!

Conclusion:

A. Living worthy in His church? Like Jesus? “I urge you”

B. Building unity and oneness? Do you have a Father who is over all, through all and in all?

C. Doesn’t sound like church was meant to be a spiritual cafeteria but more a loving, giving family helping and supporting one another on our journey to eternity!

D. BACK TO VS.1 – “As a prisoner for the Lord…” – didn’t stop him!

E. What is your prison today?