This past Sunday, the Lord allowed us to continue our exposition of the book of Ephesians entitled The Church: The United Body of Christ. The Lord led us to look at Chapter 4 verses 1-3 entitled United We Stand. Here is an outline of the message that God gave us to be a blessing to the people of God:
Title: United We Stand
Thesis: A people that will allow themselves to be arrested by the Lord will become a people that will maintain the body of Christ through a spirit of peace
I. Unity Requires a Worthy Walk
a. verse 1 - I therefore a prisoner of the Lord, urge you that you walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called
b. worthy in the Greek means to bring up the other beam of a scale. It carries the idea of a balancing scale where on one side you have your profession of faith, and on the other side you have you walk as a Christian. The point is that your walk ought to match up with your profession that Jesus is the source of your salvation.
II. Unity Requires a Humble Heart
a. verse 2 - with all humility and gentleness
b. humility means to think lowly of yourself. It is used in secular writings of Ancient Greece to describe the status of the Nile River as it runs in its lowest point. The point is that after a sincere self examination, you will act like you truly are, meek and lowly
III. Unity Requires A Patient Personality
a. verse 2 - with patience
b. patience means to have a personality that will endure discomfort without fighting back. It carries the idea of a person who can face trials and tribulations and never loose courage
IV. Unity Requires A Loving Lifestyle
a. verse 2 - bearing one another with love
b. this type of love is agape love which is unconditional love, love that is undeserved yet it is given because as Peter said in I Peter 4:8 that love covers a multitude of sins
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