Key Scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-6, John 17:20-23
Ephesians 4:1-6,Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
John 17: 20-23, My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
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The credibility of the gospel is built on the ground of the unity of the church.
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Calling.
• We have a calling for our external lives to demonstrate the internal reality of our transformation in Christ
Ephesians 4:1,Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
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Characteristics.
• The characteristics of the worthy life provide the means to achieve unity.
Ephesians 4:2-3,with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Humility— a deep sense of my moral smallness and modest view of my importance.
1 Peter 5:6, Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
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Meekness—reflecting a spirit of submission to God and consideration for others.
1 Peter 2:23, When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
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Patience—having an endurance/long temper
Hebrews 6:13-15, When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
1 Thessalonians 5:14, And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.
James 5:7, Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
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Bearing with one another in love—to take responsibility for again and again, because of love.
1 Peter 4:8, Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…
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Creed.
• We have to have the right creed to know how to live the right kind of life
Ephesians 4:4-6, There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.