Thursday Night Service, August 2nd, 2018 - Ephesians 4:1-16

Last Thursday, Gail's phone/camera acted up again and the video was ultimately all broken up with some of the segments being corrupt and unable to be opened.  I'll have to look at her phone again and see what is going on with it, she deleted all the old videos but still, it's acting up.  At any rate, I have included below the link to the "Livestream" on Facebook.  Some of the music is muted and I apologize for that, Facebook doesn't seem to believe that we have the proper licensing for music even though we have tried to rectify this, it seems every week we have to go through the same hoops and it's tiring... at any rate let me give you a synopsis of the sermon if I can.

The verses that I touched upon are again found in the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 1 through 16 to be precise.  Once again, the overarching theme of the book of Ephesians is one of 'Unity', the author is extolling upon all of us (this letter was intended as a 'circular letter', one to be distributed to all the churches of the time) the incredible importance of unity within the body of Christ, a/k/a 'The Church'.  I used weightlifting as a metaphor/illustration for the importance of unity and how we are all truly working together... even though at times one aspect of the church (or denomination(s) even) may seem removed from another, ultimately though, all are connected.

I discussed how in the bench press that (if done correctly) the legs are actually a vital part of the lift, and how the back is also vitally important, if you don't have a strong back you won't have a strong bench... it's as simple as that... in the end, it's very difficult to completely isolate any particular muscle or even muscle group.  Just as is true with the human body, it's very unlikely that one can ever divorce the various aspects of church ministry from one another.  This is one of the problems with identifying where programs fall within the divisions of our 'Christian Council' here at Woodlawn, everything overlaps in some way and many overlap in several (many, many) ways.  There is a reason why Jesus talks about us being the 'body' of Christ, you simply cannot divide us.

Together we must put away childish inclinations and join together as one, otherwise, we'll never accomplish what we are called to do, and that calling is to spread the "Good News", to spread the message of Jesus and the love, grace, and forgiveness that He represents to transform this lost, hurting, and wanting world.  We all too often (okay, nearly ALWAYS) get caught up in the method and the means of accomplishing a particular goal and completely forget what the primary concern is... that all crucial detail called "Christ".

We are all one in Christ Jesus... it's about time we started acting like it...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace!
Roy

Livestream of August 2nd Worship Service

Ephesians 4:1-16 (NRSV)

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said,

“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;

    he gave gifts to his people.”

9 (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended[a] into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Footnotes:

a) Ephesians 4:9 Other ancient authorities add first