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CHOSEN

Apr 03, 2016 | Kelvin Kauffeldt

Our Response to His Call

Ephesians 4:1-21

Full Service

What should be our response to the calling we have received?

- “to live a life worthy of it…”

- Paul makes a transition from focusing on doctrine to application (1)

- “If God’s salvation is so good then live like it” Klyne Snodgrass

What does that look like?”

- Paul describes it in the context of how we relate to fellow believers

1. Keep UNITY in the CROSS(hairs) (4-6)

by… being completely humble + gentle (2)

  • humility is the most foundational Christian virtue
  • starts in the way we think a/b ourselves and others
  • imitate the example of Jesus (Phil 2:5-8)

by… being patient, bearing with one another in love (2)

  • “have a wide + BIG SOUL” John Chrysostom
  • put up with one another in love
  • act of our will, founded in having personally experienced God’s love and grace

by… making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace (3)

  • be zealous/eager
  • no room for being indifferent or lazy

why… because our unity is in the CROSS

-in Christ we share in common…

  • one body, one spirit, one hope (4)
  • one Lord, one faith, one baptism (5)
  • one God + Father (6)

2) Equipped to respond well (7-11)

a) Personally - (7)

-‘grace’ - each of us, enabled by God to contribute to keeping the unity of the Spirit.

-gifts:

    • everyone receives at least one gift
    • are a reminder of grace - not earned or merited
    • distributed according to the sovereign will of Christ

b) Corporately (11)

    • apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/teachers
    • role- to equip HIS people for works of service

3) Your response matters! (12-16)

So that, (12)

      • the body of Christ may be built up
      • becoming mature
      • reflecting the character of Christ - living lives worthy of the calling we have received.
Contrast

Infancy | Maturity

tossed about | joined and held together

deception | speaking truth in love

from humans | from Christ

crafty people serving themselves | loving people/serving people

Ask God to recover in us a sense of the calling we have received and remember with the gift comes responsibility - to live out the reality of God’s love in community with one another

Key to unity + maturity in the body of Christ

K eep UNITY in the CROSS(hairs)

E quipped to respond well

Y our response matters

“Obedience is the response to grace”

Series Information

In this series Pastor Rick takes us through what it means to be CHOSEN. Follow us as we study Ephesians and find out what it means to belong to Christ.