Text: Ephesians 4: 1-7; 11-16
If you look at the backside of a dollar bill, you will see the seal of the United States. If you look real closely at the seal you will see the Latin saying: E pluribus unum. Do you remember what that means? Out of many, one. Out of many peoples has come our one nation-the United States.
It doesn’t always seem so united, especially in an election year when candidates exploit our differences. But come a hurricane or a 9-11 and you see those differences melt away. Then we are not black or white or brown. We are not Hispanic or Germanic. We are Americans. Out of many, one nation.
Compare that to some of the nations of the world and that’s kind of remarkable. But not near as remarkable as the oneness we share as fellow believers. It’s something that we too often overlook.
Think about it. We are more than fellow citizens of heaven. We are brothers and sisters in Christ here and now. That’s the oneness the apostle Paul speaks of here.
OUT OF MANY, ONENESS IN CHRIST
I. Take a closer look
II. Keep it going
III. Keep it growing
We went to the same high school. We are interested in bee-keeping. We played ball together. We served together in Iraq. We struggle with addiction. Burning man. Quilting. All kinds of things bring people together as one.
Here Paul speaks of what makes us one. It’s more than just having our names printed on a church membership list. It’s more than showing up under the same roof for worship. It’s more than greeting one another with a warm smile and handshake. And it’s so much better than the oneness we once shared.
Go back a few chapters in this letter and we hear about that tragic oneness. You and I were once dead in our sins. Our hearts were beating with life, but we were lifeless spiritual corpses. And we were by nature, objects of wrath. (2:3) Paul writes. From the start we were headed to a real place called hell. So we were one all right. All of us stood together without God and without even a glimmer of hope.
But thanks be to the Lord who is rich in mercy! For look what we now share. Look what makes us ONE. In fact, Paul uses the word one, seven times here to help us remember, to help us take a closer look at our oneness.
Listen: There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. You and I are united by faith in the One true God. And here’s the mystery God has revealed and we now believe. We worship one God yet three persons. Paul names them here. One Spirit…One Lord…One God and Father of all. We know this God, God the Holy Spirit. He gave us faith to believe in Christ and now lives in our hearts. We know this God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for each one of us here. We know this God. This God and Father who is now our Father and calls us his children. So take a closer look. We are ONE through faith in Him.
And keep going with these same verses. Paul names some wonderful blessings we share. We are ONE body. In Christ, you and I belong to each other like your hand belongs to your foot. We share ONE hope. We can look forward to the day when the Lord Jesus will say to us: Come take your place at the banquet of salvation.
But there’s even more. We share one faith here. This is not a place where we agree to disagree. We are one. We come together in one faith. And last but not least, we share ONE baptism. All of us have received that washing with water through the Word. And there the Spirit united us with Jesus our Savior and united us with one another.
So lots of things bring people together, but nothing like what we have here. Take a closer look. We have oneness in Christ. Treasure it. But also keep it going.
Last week our former vicar Peter Heyn drove home to Wisconsin. At least for a few weeks before he moves to Florida where he will serve as pastor. Well when he went through Colorado he passed a sign that said the Great Divide. Did you also know there is also a great divider. No, we’re not talking politics here. We’re talking Satan, the devil. He wants to divide us. He wants to turn us against one another. That would make him very happy. For then he could keep us from coming together to encourage one another. He could keep us from working together to share the only name that brings rescue from sin and death, Jesus.
But not just Satan. We also have this sinful nature that drags us all down. It wants me to think when I am with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m more important. I want my way. I don’t want anything to do with him or her.
But what happens when we let Satan have his way? We trash our oneness. And that’s serious stuff. Remember what Jesus says about marriage? What God has joined together… It’s the same here. This oneness is something that God has made. So Paul wrote to the Ephesians: 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Keep it going.
We often use that verse when new members join our congregation. And notice a couple of things. It says here: make every effort to keep that oneness. It’s that important. And notice the word keep. It’s a word that brings the picture of posting a guard. What do you guard? Things that are valuable.,. important. Well God is telling us to guard what we have here. Make every effort to keep it.
But how do we do that? You see it here: Paul writes: Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. You are a child of God. God has called you by the gospel and made you his own through faith in His Son. Live a life that belongs to your high calling. And when it comes to our oneness that means this:
Look at verse 2. Be completely humble and gentle. Don’t be like that child who insists: I want, never mind anyone else. That divides us. It puts distance between us. Instead guard our oneness with the attitude of Jesus. Even though he is God, he humbled himself for you. He put you first, then bled and died for you. Be completely humble and gentle.
Then also Paul writes, be patient, bearing with one another in love. How easy it is find that Christian brother or sister that gets on my nerves. You might be thinking of that person right now. By the way, someone might be thinking of you or me. He’s always late. She’s always talking about herself. There something about him that gets under my skin.
But what are we doing to our oneness with that attitude? Have we made every effort to keep our oneness? Be patient with one another as the Lord has been oh so patient with you. Put up with one another. For after all, think of what the Lord put up with in you and me. In fact, think of what he did with all it all. He put it on his innocent Son and punished him in our place. So be patient with one another and keep that oneness going.
The 49’ers and Raiders are in training camp. And those are some big strong fellows. But ask the strength coach and he will tell you. I want them stronger. Well in a way our Lord is like that strength coach. For we are united. We share a blessed oneness. Keep it going. But also keep it growing.
Here Paul has us think of an infant. When were that small, we needed a lot of help and attention. We easily got confused. We did foolish things and needed our parents protection.
Well we Christians are sometimes like that small child, especially when we are new to the faith. But not just those new. Also those who haven’t grown, haven’t been in the Word. They lack the maturity that’s needed in their faith and life. So Paul speaks here about no longer being infants.
I remember when we had babies. I remember hearing one of our kids cry and thinking. C’mon stop being a baby. Then I thought that’s silly. He can’t help being a baby. But we can. We can grow up and mature as God’s people. We can grow up in Christ. How? By using what God has given us so we can grow. 11 It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
How do you look at your Bible teachers or pastor? Do you know what they are? They are Christ’s gifts to his church. And not because of who they are. For they too are sinners who struggle every day. Rather they are gifts because of what your teacher or pastor brings you. They bring you God’s precious word and sacraments. They bring you the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. They bring you his precious promises to shore up your faith when things are tough. They bring you his Word to guide you in the way you should go. They are gifts because of the Word they bring.
But their ministry is not just about them teaching and you receiving. Listen: He gave some …to be pastors and teachers 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. So I guess that means. watch out. If you sit and listen here long enough you just might find a way to serve. Maybe visit the sick or teach a class or vacuum the floor. That’s what happens when people get into God’s Word. Good things. As each part does its work, Good things happen. People are loved and served and the body of Christ is built up. We grow closer to our Savior and to one another. We keep on growin’
And just think how it all got started. Every one of us has a story to tell. Where did God find you and me? I think of a vision given to the prophet – a valley of dry bones. We were like that valley of dry lifeless bones spread across the landscape of this world. But the Lord picked us up. He gave us life and hope — and knit us together as one, One in Christ. Amen.