Do y’all know what a ropes course is? It’s a series of outdoor activities, usually involving ropes, that is designed for either personal development or building team unity. I’ve been on numerous retreats and done several different ropes courses in my life with groups in an effort to build unity. When I was growing up and playing sports, one thing that my coaches usually did was to get us to do something together that didn’t involve practice, like a ropes course. When I coached, we did the same thing. For example, we used to take our kids to do a community service project that required them to all work together. Why did we do this? It’s simple really; in order for a team to work most effectively and efficiently, they have to work together, in unity. There has to be a sense of cohesiveness amongst the group, and a church is no different. As Paul begins this application portion to his letter about the church to the Christians in Ephesus, he really emphasizes unity. If one group is worried about this and another that and still another something else entirely, then nothing will be accomplished. The unity of the body of Christ is of the utmost importance for having an impact for the gospel. And we see Paul lay this argument out in his calling for unity, his explaining just what unity is, how this unity is achieved through gifts, and why these gifts are important in the life of the church.
First, the call for unity; Paul urges them to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [they] have been called.” Notice the use of called here. It ought to remind us of the very first part of this epistle. He doesn’t say that you have to fulfill what you chose or what you signed up for, but do what it is that you were called to do. And we are to do it with a variety of characteristics: humility, gentleness, patience, love, and peace. In other words, we are to actually work together. Thomas’ soccer team has been pretty unstoppable this year. Mainly it’s because they have one kid who quite honestly is just better than everyone else. The kid is four and he would probably be a tough match for me to keep up with. However, there will come a point in time when sheer individual talent won’t be enough. Eventually, maybe years from now, he is going to have to rely upon teammates. His coach and his parents know that, so they really work with him on learning to pass and play defense, the less glamorous things. They are teaching him to work as part of a group and not to just take control of every situation. If we, as the body of Christ, are going to work effectively, then it must be a whole body effort and not just a few of the parts leading the way and dragging the rest along.
Secondly, Paul’s explanation of unity. In this brief section from vv.4-6, the word “one” is used seven times. That’s over two times per verse. There are three uses of the word that pertain to the Triune God and four that pertain to mankind. Now, there are some interesting things that we could try and interpret into the total number of uses of the number one; however, I want to stick more of the substance of what Paul says here. “There is one body” (i.e one Church, one way) “and one Spirit” meaning that we all became part of this one body through the work of the same Holy Spirit. “Just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call.” Well, what is our one hope? Paul answers that by saying, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” In other words, Paul is saying that we’re all part of the same body, the body of Christ. We’re all called to saving faith the same way, made new creations the same way, and brought to the same understanding of who God is. Yes, it may look different in your life than in someone else’s, but that doesn’t change it into something different. We all learn differently don’t we? If you show Amy evidence and facts that say that something isn’t going to work then she is typically pretty understanding and doesn’t attempt it. I, however, don’t believe any information until I see it will my own eyes. Don’t just tell me that the couch won’t fit through the door, but show me that it won’t fit. We both arrive at the same conclusion, it just takes some of us a little more to get there. We both are left with a couch that does fit through a door. All those who God calls to Himself get to the same point, some of us just require a little more patience and a little more effort than others. Paul closes this section with a rapid-fire repetition of the word “all” in reference to God. He tells us that this one body that we are to be a part of is completely and totally a work of God in our lives. This is the unity that Paul is talking about, our unity of being found in Christ.
Paul continues on this theme of unity by talking about how this unity comes about through the different gifts of others. In other words, unity happens because of differences between people. Now, that’s a confusing concept when we first hear those words. However, it really isn’t if we think about it. I’ve often said that the one job that I could never do in this world is food service; I could never be a waiter. The reason for that is that the first time someone chose to take their frustrations out on me for the quality of the food; I might throw the food back at them and tell them to get out of the restaurant. All that being said, I do understand that those who work in the food service industry are a vital part of our society. Thank God that He gives some people the patience to do that job. Within the church, God gives people different talents. Paul lists out here for us prophets, apostles, shepherds, and teachers. To some of you, what I am called to do each Sunday terrifies you. The thought of public speaking is enough to cause a panic attack. For me, some of the things that you do in service of God cause a similar reaction for me. I don’t like hospitals. I go to them, but they’re not my thing. For those of you who go and visit friends, family, and even strangers in hospitals in order to witness to them and sit for hours, I am in amazement of you. I go, I visit, and it’s like I’ve got a timer on myself to make sure I get out of there. Now, it is important to note that because Christ is the one who gives us our gifts that we are to use them in service of God. God didn’t give you the gift of being good with numbers so that you could make a comfortable living gambling. God didn’t make you a good conversationalist so that your life could be filled with swindling and lying your way through it. Your gifts were given specifically to you to be used in the service of bringing greater glory to God’s kingdom. It’s up to you to use them in the proper way.
The reason for Christ’s giving each of us our gifts finds a fuller explanation beginning in v. 12. “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” Now, the truth is that I could preach an entire sermon series about these words here, but I’ve got to condense them into a few sentences. Our job, as a church (both locally and universally), as one unified body, is to equip others for ministry. It’s not just the responsibility of the pastor, or the Session, or the leadership, or those who are really involved, but it’s the job of the entirety of the body. If you are truly a Christian and truly part of the body of Christ, then there ought to be a desire for both your own personal growth and the growth of others. Having faith like a child is great in terms of adoring God the way that a child adores their parents; however, having the understanding of a child when it comes to our faith is a different matter altogether. My children are bright kids, but I’m not going to let them handle the family finances. We would have the market covered on Legos and superhero toys. We’re not going to let them buy the groceries because I can’t eat hotdogs 3 times a day every day. Now when they get a little older and more mature in their understanding, we’ll let them pick out more of the food and we’ll entrust them with more of the daily responsibilities in our family. However, until then, it is my job and Amy’s job to train them. We have to train them and prepare them for one day going out into the world and not needing us. I know that some of y’all don’t believe me when I say this, but I hope that there comes a day when my kids don’t need me. I hope that there comes a day that Amy and I have so prepared them for the world that they can live and work and function without any help from us. That’s our goal as parents. Well, our goal as Christians ought to be to see other Christians get to that point. Obviously there will always be a reliance upon Christ, but the goal is to help others get to a point where someone can assume ownership of their own faith.
Paul concludes by saying, “Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” In other words, for the church to function properly, the entire body must be doing its part. If you go out to run and your entire body is functioning properly and your arm doesn’t work can you run properly? Sure, you can still move, but you’re not working properly. Our response many times as Christians is to shy away from our responsibilities. Oh, I’m not knowledgeable enough to lead that study. I don’t really have the time to commit to that like I would need to. I’m not really that good of a public speaker; I think that’s best left up to someone else. I’m not the best person to lead that effort. I’ve just got so much on my plate right now that I don’t really have time. I’ve got so many other commitments that I just can’t. Things are really tight right now so I really can’t. Where’s the priority in all of those excuses? Where’s the willingness to allow yourself to be strengthened by God? Where’s the chance for God’s greatness to be shown through your weakness? Christ has brought all of us together to be part of this body, and he has done so for a purpose. He doesn’t bring us together so that a handful of people can work and drag everyone else with them. He joins together the whole body so that it (we) may work together which will make “the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” We’re all part of the body of Christ. There is not one part more important than another; Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 12, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…For the body does not consist of one member but of many…that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together…Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
To sum all of this up, we have to understand that we’re all together in this. We cannot be simply concerned for ourselves, but we must be concerned with the whole body functioning properly. And we are only functioning properly when the entirety of the body of Christ, the Church, is seeking first the righteousness of the kingdom of God. We’re not seeking bigger buildings or more comfortable experiences, but we’re seeking the proclamation of the Gospel. We only truly fulfill our purpose when we seek not our own way, but the will of God. And this must be the unified desire of the Church, to know Christ, and to make Him known to others.
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