Life on the edge

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians 5:22-24 – Honoring God in Our Relationships 

March 29, 2015

Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

I love the way Paul deals with things in the church. There are times where he illustrates a principle by using one idea to teach another and then there are times where he pulls no punches and he goes right to the heart and the core of a matter. In this passages before us today, the marital relationship is one of those subjects.

There is no doubt that this particular passage is one of the most controversial texts in the Bible. It is one of those passages that has been abused, misused, and taken out of context way too often. The problem is that this one passage has been used as an isolated scripture to define a set of theological boundaries that was never intended by God. In doing so the rest of the Bible and other pertinent passages that shed light on this subject are not considered in one’s analysis of this passage. And, the sad part is that it does not have to be this way. So today, we will look at what the passage says, why the passage says it, and what the passage does not say.

As with every passage in the Bible, we must understand a few things in order to grasp the purpose, the intent, and the meaning behind the passage. In this particular passage, we must understand the language Paul used, the culture into which he was speaking, and how we should interpret this passage into our modern culture. We must also be careful and not bend the text to the culture, but rather we are to bend the culture to the text.

So what does the Bible say here? To be honest, it is a straight forward text. It states that wives should submit to their husbands as if they are submitting to the Lord. There is no debate here and there no argument to be had. It is rather clear that God is saying that women should submit to their husbands but let us define the whole picture of how that relationship will look because submission is just one side of this marital relationship coin. To not consider the other side of the coin is to miss the totality of what God’s intent is here.

For many in our current culture, this seems like a strange command that wives should submit to their husbands. It is a strange idea to so many, especially in a day of radical feminism and the wussification of men in this culture. Not only is this a strange idea today, but it was a strange idea in Paul’s day, but for different reasons. In Paul’s day, women were considered a commodity. Prostitution was an acceptable trade and was very rampant in Paul’s day. Those who were enticed into such things were used, abused, and then cast to the street when their partner had no more use for them. Slavery was also very common in his day. While men would honor the command to be the husband of one wife, they would have many slaves and/or mistresses. And the fact is that too often men would treat their wives like slaves. To make matters worse, the husband could divorce their wive for any reason. She might burn the toast. Forget to iron his shirt. You name it. This was all that was needed for a divorce from the male perspective. The result was the wife had no home, no income, and no safety. She had no rights or social standing.

It was into this culture that Paul spoke these words. Because of the culture, and their experience, I am sure the women of Paul’s day grimaced at this command. How could they submit to those who abused them and thought of them as a commodity? It seemed to be an impossible task. But when we understand that there is blessing in following the path that God has laid out before us, we find that it is not impossible. The women of that day would submit but they were doing so with a slave mentality and not as a willing partner in the relationship. They did so because they were forced and not because they were honoring God. Paul was saying in essence this has to change.

To understand Paul’s command we must look at the fullness of the passage and understand that Paul was calling for change on both sides of the equation and not just the female’s side. He wanted passionate followers of Christ to live differently and act differently in the marriage relationship. He wanted them to live a life of respect and a life where love and respect were given. He wanted them to live a life where there was a mutual submission to one another as seen in Ephesians 5:21. God’s desire was that would submit not as a slave but as one who did so they would submit to Christ and in honor of Christ.

Paul’s desire through the leading of the Holy Spirit was to establish a life where women were valued, protected, and loved. It was God’s desire to establish a culture where the command of loving one another was fulfilled. God’s intent was not for man to master his wife but to love and respect her as a creation of God in the very image of God. Think about it. Why would a loving, caring, and godly woman not want to submit to a man who loved her, respected her, and provided for her emotional, physical, and yes her spiritual needs? Listen to Jesus’ own words A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

The fact is this passage applies to the marital relationship as well as the other relationships in our life. When you combine Jesus’ words with Paul’s command to submit, what we have is the greatest act of love a wife could show her husband. She was not to strong arm her husband, or belittle her husband, or coerce her husband into doing anything that he did not believe in. She was not to usurp his leadership. She was to trust and respect him. In the DNA of a man there is built the need to feel respected and honored by those who love him, especially his wive. That is God’s plan here. The desire of God is that the wife would respect and love her husband.

While we understand what submission is, let’s take a moment to understand what submission is not. First, submission does not mean that women should be treated as a commodity to be traded but rather they are to be valued as a creation of God. Women are not a thing, they are prized possessions. I would submit to you that this is one of the greatest problems with pornography and the sexual exploitation of today is that it reduces a woman to a thing rather than  as a beautiful creation of God.

Second, while women have been created as a help mate to the man, submission does not mean that the female is subservient to the male as they have been created in the image of God. Do you know what that means? It means that we are equals in the sight of God. It for this reason that He chose a rib and a toe bone. He chose a rib and not a skull bone. It also means that sometimes our spouse will have a greater sense of finances and purchasing decisions than we do. It means that sometimes they will have insight into an issue that we do not have. True submission means that we honor and respect others. This means we honor and respect our wife’s ideas and opinions. I am indebted to my wife because she has insights into things that I do not have. If I had thwarted some of her opinions, I would have paid the price of wrong decisions.

This also means that she is not a door mat. Submission does not mean that the wife waits on the man hand and foot while he goes his merry way and never considers her needs or desires. The fact is we are to serve one another. One of the things that I have found is that when I seek to honor Michelle and meet her need, there is a reciprocal response from her. I bless her, she blesses me. Now let me hasten to say that a wife should not submit so husbands will love them but because are being obedient to God’s command and the respect the husband needs. Notice I said needs and not deserves. Submission is to be enacted regardless of the husband’s response.

Third, submission cannot be forced or coerced, it is be entered into willingly and lovingly. Forced submission was never God’s plan. That is bondage and slavery. The problem too often is that wives are forced to submit to a husband that has not learned to submit to God or others. Listen to the scriptures. Obey your leaders and submit to them (Hebrews 13:7). Submit yourselves to God (James 4:7). Submit yourselves to one another (Ephesians 5:21). The idea here is that too we want others to do what we ourselves are not willing or ready to do. It is also the refusal to force the spouse to do things they are uncomfortable with. For example, I have heard of men that felt their wife should have sex with them any time they wanted regardless of how the wife feels or her emotional state at the time. That is selfishness and barbaric rather than being loving and kind.

Fourth, submission does not mean that the wife sits idly by while her husband makes all of the decisions or not address issues in the home. A husband and wife must be a team that works together. That is why the man is called to leave his father and his mother and to cleave to his wife. They are to become one. It is into that relationship that we are called relationally.

As we close, let me say this about marriage and the covenant relationship. What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy. If you want to be more like Jesus, there is no better mechanism than marriage. Being married forces us to face character issues we might never face, otherwise. Submission takes humility. It also takes a lot of prayer and relying on the Holy Spirit. As a wife, look to Jesus as an example, and reflect His love and self-sacrifice as you lovingly choose to submit to the husband God has placed in your life.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – How’s Your Walk?

March 8, 2015

Ephesians 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

In the verse before us today, Paul continues to focus on the fact that, as believers, we are called to live differently. In this passage, Paul challenges us to be careful how we walk. As we have discussed before, our walk is inclusive of all we do and how we walk impacts every aspect of our life. Our walk whether good or bad, impacts our family, our community, our job, and yes, even our church.

The principle presented here is that we must take care that we are walking in wisdom and not foolishness. The word “carefully” or “circumspectly” means to walk by looking around and considering everything we do. Wisdom is best defined as the ability to rightly apply what one has learned through an instructional process and through one’s life experiences. The opposite of walking carefully is to walk and live foolishly. It is to make unwise decisions. It is a fool that would hear a truth, ignore it, and refuse to change their ways.

Specifically, Paul is referring to those things detailed in the previous passages. To continue to walk in sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness is an unwise move on the part of the passionate follower of Christ. To be instructed in the danger of such actions and then to continue to pursue such lifestyles, leads one to destruction. These actions, unless corrected, will impact every aspect of one’s life: family, work, community, and church. This passage also generally refers to any other decision or action on our part that is unwise.

To truly understand wisdom we must begin with the fact that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. This is a reverential and awe inspiring kind of fear and not one where we cower in terror away from God or one that is afraid of rejection or being wounded. David said it best, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. (Psalms 111:10). A right understanding of God equals wisdom which equals a good understanding of life. We must understand that God is for us and not against us. That is wisdom.

The second principle of wisdom is that God desires to give us wisdom, if we ask. James stated that If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind? For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8). Think about this. We can ask for wisdom, but if we are going to continue to do our own thing and reject the principles of wisdom, then we will miss the purpose of asking God for wisdom, entirely. We will be unstable because we will hear God but we will not trust his guidance, forcing us to attempt to do our own thing. That is the essence of foolishness.

The third part of wisdom is that we must choose godly wisdom over foolishness. The idea of wisdom here is two-fold. It is a conditioned response related to our experiences and the teaching we have. It is also a decision that we make. We chose wisdom over foolishness. Once again we turn to the writer of Proverbs to understand this process. My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-5). As you read this passage again look at the decisions that are made. Receive, treasure, make your ear,call our, raise your voice, seek it, search for it; and then you will understand it. 

Andy Stanley has stated that we must consider in light of our past experiences, our present circumstances, and our future dreams and hope; what is the wise thing to do? Many of the decisions we make cannot be made only in our understanding of what is right or wrong but what is the wise thing to do. This action helps us deal with the gray areas of life, as the black and white issues are more easily discerned. For example, in terms of our past experiences what happened the last time you went out with them? What happened the last time you drank too much? What happened the last time you watched that movie or read that book that negatively effected you? In the past, these things did not go so well, so it a wise thing to avoid the things that have brought us down in the past.

The second aspect of this passage is that we must make the best use of our time because the days are evil. Who knew that when Paul wrote these words, that we would be reviewing this text in a time where we see chaos in the world, political temper tantrums, and the appearance that sin is ruling the world. The fact is, we live in a culture that is not conducive to the kind of living being proposed by Paul. In fact, it is the opposite. If you move and flow with the culture, you will almost certainly end up in a place you do not want to be relationally, financially, with your kids, with your spouse, or with your employer. It is a fact that the culture desires to take us where we don’t want to go, therefore, we can’t go with the flow. That would be foolish.

Let me give you a couple of things that will help us in this regard. First, consider your relationship with Christ foremost in your life (1 Corinthians 1:4-9). Without that relationship we are destined for failure. Secondly, hide the word of God in your heart because it will be a gauge to reveal the inconsistencies and failures of the current culture (Psalms 119:11). Third, take every opportunity to be available to present Christ to those you encounter (Colossians 4:5-6).

Listen to Paul’s words in Colossians 4:5-6. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. In this passage, note a couple of key points about using our time wisely. Notice how they all relate to our speech. Our speech is to to be gracious. We are to be ministers of grace, but too often the world sees us as condemners and judges rather than seriously being interested in people’s lives. Secondly, our speech is to be seasoned with salt. This simply means that our speech must be measured just as we carefully measure the salt content of our food. Too often, we quote scripture as a conditioned response rather than as an attempt to honestly minister to others. Thirdly, pray for wisdom for God to direct your conversation with those you encounter, especially those who do not know Christ.

The third point here is that we are to discern the will of God so that we avoid foolishness. As we truly understand God’s will and purpose for our life, we will be less inclined to reject wisdom and discernment from God. As we walk in wisdom, it will be easier to ascertain God’s will, but if our decisions are foolish and based in emotion or feeling, we will miss God’s will for our life.

This passage in many ways is for those who are looking for a loop hole in keeping God’s commands. Paul states Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. The word “but” here is an important word. In the Greek language, there are two words used for “but.” It is noteworthy that the word used here is more powerful than the first. While we must avoid being foolish or careless, the idea Paul is communicating is that I want you to understand and face up to the truth. Paul is saying, “Look, you know what you ought to do.” He is saying, “You know this stuff.” He is saying, “Stop playing games.” Stop talking yourself into things you should not be doing and stop talking yourself out of the things that you should be doing. Face up to it and do what God wants you to do. You see the easiest person to deceive is ourselves and we do it all of the time, especially when it comes to the decisions we make. We can easily deceive ourselves into believing the decision we are making is a wise one.

Let us consider these statements in light of Andy Stanley’s words earlier. In light of our past experiences, our present circumstances, and our future dreams and hopes, we must consider what is the wise thing to do? Think about this. If you are trying to pay off your debt is it wise to spend money on big ticket items you really don’t need? If you are struggling with alcoholism, is it the wise thing to go to the bar with your friends? If you have a group of friends that tend to pull you down, is it wise to hang out with them? We must be careful how we walk and not trade the future for a current relationship or decision that might temporarily bring happiness but may not last. Don’t trade in something for the future for what you want now but may not be able to hold onto. You see we never plan on screwing up our life but we never plan not too either.

As we close, take a moment to consider if there are decisions you are making that are unwise. If so, how do you change these decisions from being unwise to wise? What changes do you need to make? Are there activities you need to avoid? Are there areas of deception in your heart? If you are not sure, will you pray and ask God to reveal your heart. It is your choice? As God reveals these things will you walk carefully, as a wise one or as one who is foolish? Will make the changes you need to make? Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. To God be the glory.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – Looking for Love in All of the Wrong Places

Ephesians 5:4-6 

Ephesians 5:4-6 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Before us today is one of the most pertinent scriptures of our day and of our times. In the last several decades, we have seen an explosion of immoral attitudes and mindsets that would cause past generations to blush with embarrassment. Today, we are dealing with open and perverse sexuality in our generation. We are seeing homosexuality and lesbianism being accepted as a normal way of life. To date, most states in America have accepted gay marriage as the new norm. We are now seeing a move toward the acceptance of transgender issues where we no longer have to accept the way we were created but we can choose our gender. And we can choose that gender on the basis of how we feel on any particular day. The list of sexual issues and sexual promiscuity goes on and on.

We may gasp at this, and rightfully so, but this phenomena is nothing new. The Roman Empire experienced similar shifts in morality and the cultural acceptance of perverted morals. Some studies have shown that one of the major causes for the fall of Rome, in the early 400’s, was the moral decay of the society. The actions of our current society also remind us of the days of Noah where everyone with the exception of Noah had been perverted by the acceptance of immoral lifestyles. As the Bible puts it, “all flesh had corrupted their way.”

As we look at this passage, we must do so in the context of Paul’s previous statements. In this text, Paul continues to show us what we need to to put off and what we need to put on as a passionate follower of Christ. In this particular passage, Paul delineates those things that are in opposition to the ways of God and those things that must not be allowed to permeate who we are. When we are obedient to these things with the right mindset and with the right heart, these actions do not steal our joy nor do they bind us but rather they give us life, peace, and contentment.

It is crucial in this passage that we do not just see what is prohibited but we need to see why these things are to prohibited. You see, if we don’t recognize the why, we will miss the power and relevance of the gospel. Without the gospel, these prohibitions become the letter of that kills instead of the Spirit that gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). It simple becomes something we do rather than something we become.

So with that said lets look at this passage. Paul begins by making the proclamation that sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking. What Paul is saying is that as passionate followers of Christ we must live differently. We must act differently. We must be pure and holy in our lifestyles.

In the first part of the verse, Paul defines three actions that must be dealt with in the believer’s life. The first action is the avoidance of “sexual immorality.” This is a broad term for sexual sin and covers all sin and all sexual impurity. The King James Version uses the term “fornication” which primarily has been used for sex before marriage. However, the actually meaning of the term relates to more than sex before marriage and includes any sexual act that is opposed to God’s will and purpose. In the original Greek, the term included premarital sex, extramarital affairs, incest, and any act opposed to the worship of God. Too often we try to narrow the scope of the definition so that we do not accept our fault or sin in an issue.

The second action to be avoided is “all impurity.” By using the term all impurity, Paul, in essence, expands the idea of sexual immorality to include anything that is contrary to God’s intent for godly living. This impurity has a direct correlation to those things that exist when society replaces God with the creature and/or the creation. When society does this, man exchanges that which is natural for that which is unnatural and perverse. The idea presented by “all impurity” is that the whole personality has been infected by moral impurity. The heart is sick and needs to be redeemed.

The third action defined by Paul is “covetousness.” Covetousness is the unbalanced desire to get what one cannot have. It is a strong, inordinate craving. It is an inability to be content and satisfied with the necessities of life and ministry. It may be a inordinate drive for money and success, or it can be a craving for sex outside of the boundaries established by God. In terms of sexual greed, it refers to the desire for self-gratification at the expense of others. We satisfy our needs regardless of the desire or need of the other person. This action is not an example of love and concern for others, as it is opposed to God’s plan for our life. This is in opposition to Paul’s call to walk in love in verse one of Ephesians. To follow after these things is to look for love in all of the wrong places.

The first three terms in this passage deal with the actions of the passionate follower of Christ, the last three terms deal with the speech of the passionate follower of Christ. Paul uses a string of terms filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking to define the kinds of things that the passionate follower of Christ must put off.

The term “filthiness” in the original Greek was a term used for “ugliness” and “deformity.” It is that kind of language that should not be used by believers. The term focuses on the crude and sinful behavior that attempts to legitimatize those sinful acts prohibited by God. We joke and make light of sin as we jest. The second term is the word “foolish talk.” The term refers to that kind of talk that detracts from the elements of faith and spiritual growth. Rather than edifying others and God, it is destructive and harmful to others. It tears down, instead of building up. The third term is “crude joking.” The term means sarcastic ridicule. It refers to joking that has gone too far. It is language that crosses the line and pushes the other person to embarrassment and thus diminishes the other person. It often begins as humor but there is a point that it crosses the line of acceptability and becomes unholy sarcasm.

So why does Paul deal with these things? He does so because he believes that in order to imitate God we must deal with these things in our lives. So how do we do this? What are the steps we can take to begin to change our hearts and our lives?

First, we must immerse ourselves in the word of God in order to understand what God values and what He establishes as the norm. Our reaction to these things is measured by God’s will and not by society’s norm. By immersing ourselves in God’s Word, we are not only instructed in how to live, but we are encouraged and motivated to do so.

Second, develop a grateful heart. Be content in what you have. Find ways to express thanksgiving to your spouse and others so that the enemy of our souls does not have the opportunity to plant opposing thoughts and ideas in our hearts. Gratitude has a way of expelling evil thoughts and mindsets. Gratitude has a way of healing the wandering eye that thinks that the grass is greener on the other side. Gratitude has a way of quieting the covetous heart.

Third, let your words means something. Remove empty thinking and empty talking from your life. The writer of Proverbs stated that even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Think before you speak. When you do speak, speak life. Speak truth. Communicate hope.

Fourth, remember that we must continually put on the new man, which means we constantly take off the old man. We must continually search our soul, mind, and heart to see how we line up with God’s will and His purpose. When we recognize an issue in our life, we must immediately deal with it and not allow time to pass before we must deal with the negative action in our life.

Fifth, we must rely on the Holy Spirit who empowers us to overcome these issues and to live out God’s will and purpose in our life. The Holy Spirit will lead us to truth. The Holy Spirit will purify our minds and hearts so that we are guided and directed by the Word of God and the ways of God.

Sixth, walk in repentance. Repentance is a change of the way we think. Change your thinking and your walk will be changed. What you meditate on you will become. Repentance opens the door to begin thinking rightly so that your thinking begins to change who you are.

One last thing that is not on a slide but it is just as critical. Don’t isolate yourself. Stay in fellowship with like minded believers.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

February 15, 2015

Ephesians – What Is Love?

Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

As we look at these verses we find that Paul presents two specific commands for the passionate follower of Christ to obey. First, we are to “be imitators of God, and secondly we are to “walk in love.” By accomplishing these things we will be positioned for a changed outlook on life and to accomplish great things for God.

The first command Paul gives us is to be imitators of God. How is this accomplished? Paul answers this question by stating that we are to imitate Christ as beloved children. Someone has said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We flatter others when we imitate them. It is a compliment, or at least most of the times it is.

When our kids were small, one of the games they loved to play was copycat. Normally it was Josh who would begin to copy everything his sister would do. He would repeat her words and her actions. It usually started off as being a fun thing, but usually it ended in one of them getting angry at the other person because the doing the mimicking did not know when to stop. Of course, we are not talking about that kind of imitation but about the kind of imitation that brings out the best in us.

The derivative of the word “imitator” is the same word we get the English word “mime.” It is noteworthy to understand that a mime tells a story by their actions and not their words. We too must consider imitating Christ more by our actions than by what we say. Too often, the criticism leveled at Christians is that we say one thing but we do another. It is sad that this is the truth so many times. This is called hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the idea of wearing a mask so as not to expose one’s true identity. But as imitators of God, we are called to genuine, real, and authentic lives that are focused on God’s will and His character. We are not to be posers or players, but real authentic imitators of truth.

The fact is, we begin to imitate those we hang out with. To imitate God, we must know God. We must hang out with God so to speak. We must know His ways. We must know His acts. We must know His will. We must know His character. Have you ever been with someone so long that you begin to act like them? It is funny but you begin to talk like them and you mimic them without even thinking. You know how it goes. Suddenly, you say or do something that is so much like that other person that you have to laugh in the moment.

Remember the cigarette commercial that was popular a number of years ago. We see the father and son doing things throughout the day. They are washing the car together. They are driving in the car together. In each scene you watch as the son mimics the father. And in the last scene we see the father leaning against a tree, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and then lighting up. As the father places the pack of cigarettes on the ground next to him, his son reaches over and picks up the pack. Watch the video with me.

While we are to be imitators of God, Paul is clear that it is the beloved children of God who are called and empowered to imitate God. I feel I need to make a point here that may not go well with some, but it needs to be made. We are all a creation of God but we are not all His children. There is a false perception that we are all His children regardless of our spiritual condition. We miss the mark if we do not believe that His only children are those who have asked Christ into their hearts by seeking the forgiveness that comes through confession and repentance in Jesus’ name. That is why the Bible uses terms like adoption and being born again to characterize our salvation.

It is important to note that the word used in the Greek for children is the word TEKNA, which deals more with the relationship between the parent and the child rather than the age of the child. It is also noteworthy that this word also relates to an only child whose parents have been able to devote their full attention to the child. So here is the point that could be made. We can be imitators of God because it is God who works out his plan of salvation in us and because He treats each of us as if we are the only child He has. Now before you get too giddy or excited, the fact is, while He treats us as if we were the only one, He treats us all that way. We are all His favorites.

So then, as we are in relationship with God as His beloved children, we begin to imitate God. As we get to know Him, we will begin to act more like Him. Someone has said that the best way to raise kids is give them time, because in giving them time, they learn who you are and what you are about.

So how do we get to know God? We get to know God through prayer. We get to know God through Bible reading and study. We get to know God through fellowship with Him. We get to know God through fellowship with others. We get to know God through the circumstances of life. Here is the fact that cannot be denied. Without a relationship with Him, we cannot be the imitators we need to be. You see we cannot imitate what we do not know. We cannot be like Him unless His nature is in us. One of the problems, today, is that people try to live like Christ without having the nature of Christ in them. The result is they attempt to live without the power that comes from a personal relationship with Him.

The second command presented by Paul is that we are not only to imitate God, but we are to walk in love as Christ loved us. Notice the verbiage used. I think it is critical. Paul does not say run in his love. He does not say skip in his love. He says to walk. To walk means that it is a solid and constant pace. It is a journey for the long haul. It is not hit and miss. There is a constancy in the walk we should have on this journey. When the term walk was used in the Hebrew language it was most often used to define the entirety of one’s life. So we need a consistent walk that encompasses everything we do. As passionate followers of Christ, the defining quality and characteristic of our walk must be love.

As imitators of God, we don’t just talk about His love, we walk it out through our daily life. We live it and we express it in all we do. We don’t just tell people about our love, we show it. We must walk in love and make it real. The words of Paul challenge us to walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  That is a powerful command. When we recognize and understand the magnitude of God’s love for us, we can begin to live out this love in a new found way. Let’s look at God’s love for a moment.

First of all, it is a costly love. God gave his only son to die on our behalf to redeem us from our sin and shame. When we walk in the love of God, we will give ourselves on behalf of others. Christ gave all of himself for us. He gave himself willingly upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. He died so we could live. He was broken so we could be restored and put back together. He bled out, so we could be healed and forgiven. He did this for me and He did it for you.

Think about this love for a moment. Christ endured the shame, the rejection of His brothers, the beatings, the brutality of the cross for each one of us. Jesus proclaimed in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” The fact is if you were the only person alive, He would have given Himself just for you. He gave so that “whosoever” could have eternal life and could experience His love (John 3:16). He gave Himself as if you were that only child who needed redemption.

Paul also states that God’s love is like a fragrant offering and sacrifice. The idea of fragrance could be viewed as either a bad thing or a good thing but in the context of this passage it is a welcoming and inviting fragrance. It does not repulse but but it attracts. The love of God draws people to God. They may reject the message but they cannot reject the love that is given. For that reason, it is possible to give love even to the unlovable. Why, because it is a sacrifice. We sacrifice ourselves for those who are unlovable by choosing to love those who are not worthy of our love. We show God’s love by extending to others the same grace and forgiveness that God has shown to us. Why? It is because everyone we encounter needs us to express love to them.

The balance of Ephesians chapter 5 is Paul’s teaching on how to live out this real authentic love. In the next few verses he denotes that we can look for love in all the wrong places and therefore can develop a distorted view of God’s love. He deals with the marriage relationship. He deals with the employer/employee relationship. You see love is a choice to do what is right. It is not a only a feeling although there are feelings associated with it. When there are no feeling, we must choose to love regardless. We choose to show love when our feelings are screaming at us to do something totally different. That is God’s unconditional love and that is God’s call of love to us.

So what is love? It is God’s unconditional, life saving grace given to all who will receive it.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

February 8, 2015

Ephesians – The Actions of a Passionate Follower of Christ

Ephesians 4:25-32 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 

In our message last week, we talked about putting off the old man and putting on the new man as we are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds each day. This week, Paul takes an additional step to detail the actions that a passionate follower of Christ should take. As one puts on the new man, change begins to take place. One’s personal, emotional, mental, and relational life begins to change and what is revealed is a different attitude about life and ministry. So what are the actions of a converted man? Let’s look at these together.

First, Paul states that having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. So the first step, as a passionate follower of Christ, is to “put away falsehood.” This is a biggie for Paul and it ought to be a biggie for us. I do not think that it is an accident that Paul begins with this action. Truthfulness is key to living the life of a passionate follower of Christ. The word used here for “lie” is the word “psuedo.” It means anything that is false or counterfeit. Therefore, it is important to note that this idea of falsehood is more than simply telling a lie. It relates to that which is not real or genuine. You see the old man works in deception, but as a new creation in Christ, we must live in honesty and truthfulness.

Putting away falsehood begins by speaking the truth with our neighbor. This begs the question then as in it did in the gospels, “Who is my neighbor?” The answer comes from Jesus’ own words when he presented the parable of the Good Samaritan. Our neighbor is the one that needs mercy. That includes everyone we encounter. The greatest level of mercy we can show is to be truthful in all we do; especially in our actions and in the words we speak.

Secondly, Paul calls for us to be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. In other words, we must deal with our anger in a timely manner. Notice here that the issue is not if we can be angry but on how we deal with our anger that matters most. This is critical because the principle dealt with is that if our anger is not dealt with in a timely manner, it opens the door for the devil to have access to our hearts and to our way of thinking.

The Greek word used for “sin” means to “miss the mark.” You see when we allow anger to control us, our thinking becomes distorted to the point that we can miss the target of God’s way of living. We respond with hatred and bitterness which has deadly outcomes. When we refuse to deal with our anger and we dwell on what others have done to us, our hearts can be filled with malice and bitterness. An angry heart will dictate how we will respond to things in our lives. The reason is that becomes the filter through which everything must go. The fact is when anger is not dealt with, it grows and becomes a monster that controls us. When this occurs, we have in essence opened a door for the devil to control our lives and create more problems.

Third, Paul calls passionate followers of Christ to do honest work. Here is what he said. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Notice that he calls for the thief not to steal any more. He makes this statement in the context of having a great work ethic that is based in honesty. Notice too that he states that the work should be done by our hands.

Paul makes the case here that there is a blessing in working. What is the blessing of working? It is so that we can help others. In being blessed, we become a blessing to others. We can give to the church. We can give to those in need. We can help provide what another cannot provide for themselves. The goal is to assist those in need so they can begin to work. So in doing honest work we are blessed beyond measure.

Fourth, watch your language. Paul says Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. When I was a teenager in church this text was always used as a ban on cursing or swearing but that is not the exact context of this passage. In fact I believe this interpretation misses Paul intent. Paul’s intent was to communicate to the passionate follower of Christ that we should not allow destructive conversations to be a part of our dialogue. Course or destructive talking limits God’s grace in our communication by tearing others down and at times tears them apart. The focus of all of our conversation must be on building others up and not tearing them down. We have been called to be ministers of grace to those who deserve and to those who do not. It should also be noted that there are those who are watching how we handle ourselves. We may not even converse with them and yet they are witnessing grace or a lack of grace being poured out.

Fifth, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. This verse suggests that we should avoid grieving the Holy Spirit by actions that tear down rather than build up. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we do not live according to Biblical principles and guidelines established in God’s word. The Holy Spirit is a person and can be grieved when we live outside the parameters that God has established for us. When we live according to the commands of God, we please the Holy Spirit and He is free to work on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is grieved because He sees the potential that is ours to succeed and accomplish great things for God. This is similar to what a mother or father experiences with their children. Paul also states that this is the same Holy Spirit that sealed us for redemption. There is nothing that can rip that from us when walk in a heart filled with repentance.

Sixth, control your inward thoughts. The list of issues here relate to the inner issues of the soul. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. This passage relates back to the original idea of anger but magnifies the outcome of a one who does not seek to control their anger. Look at the words Paul used here. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander. These are all outcomes of a life where anger has taken control of the heart and spirit of the individual. That is not the life that God wants for us.

Seventh, guard your outward example. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Rather than respond to people and issues with bitterness, wrath, anger or malice we should respond in an opposite spirit and attitude. The measure or level of kindness and forgiveness to be extended to others is measured by how much we have been forgiven through Christ. The measure of the effectiveness of these actions is measured by the forgiveness given to us by God. When we understand the magnitude of forgiveness and how much we have received from God, we should be so ready to enact these things in our life.

As we share these things, I am keenly aware that we falter and fail in accomplishing all of these things at different times in our journey. But that is the beauty of Christ’s forgiveness and His love to us. When we fail, He is gracious to receive us back to Himself. His hand is always extended. It is much like the story of the prodigal son who realizes that life back home was not so bad. Upon this revelation he picked himself up and returned home to a miraculous welcome. He never expected what he received. He would have been content to serve as a slave but instead the father rolled out the red carpet for him because he was his son and he belonged with the family. So when we fail or fall short in the items listed here, we can press on because God is waiting for us at the end of the driveway. He is looking for us to return. He has the robe for us to wear. He has the ring to place on our finger. He lives for forgiveness and so should we.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – “What You Think will Determine What you Become.” 

February 1, 2015

Ephesians 4:17-24 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

In the passage before us, today, Paul contrasts the old way of living with the new way of living. Paul uses the art of contrast to compare our thought process prior to accepting Christ and our thought process after accepting Christ. It is for that reason that I have entitled this message “What You Think Will Determine What You Become.”

Paul begins with the proclamation that the church of Ephesus was not to walk as the Gentiles were walking. Please note that the term “Gentiles” was mostly used in the New Testament to denote those who had not accepted Christ as their personal Savior and those who had rejected Christ. Paul was not antiGentile, he was simple using their lifestyle, which was well known to the Jews and those new to Christianity, as an example of how not to live. To clarify this, Paul lists the key issues that defined the Gentiles way of life in order to contrast their way of life with the life of one who is a passionate follower of Christ.

The Gentile way of life or the old way of life is characterized by certain qualities which need to be reviewed to understand what is revealed in a life not focused on Christ. The first quality to be considered is that the Gentiles were futile in their minds. This futility of mind led to a darkening of their heart and of their understanding. The result was an alienation from God. In other words, rather than being a friend of God and being in right relationship with God, the Gentile thinking caused division which set individuals in a position of being enemies of God and in being disenfranchised in their relationship with God. Alienation is probably the most difficult outcome of a life not focused on Christ. Alienation has been defined as the state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved. Spiritually, this affects our fellowship with God and with one another. It affects our peace. It affects our hope. It is affects our vision for life. It affects everything we do and say.

As we read this passage, we cannot help but hear the echoes of Romans chapter one. Paul in writing to the Romans confirmed that a failure to honor God in one’s thinking and in one’s way of living leads one to futility, darkened hearts, and loose lifestyles. What is exposed here, in these two portions of Scripture (Romans 1 & Ephesians 4), is the pattern of a downward spiral that is initiated when one fails to acknowledge God and the truth of God in their lives. How does this process begin? It begins with a rejection of God or at least it begins with an obstinance against the will of God and the purposes of God. The hardness of one’s heart leads to the darkness of one’s mind, which leads to the deadness of one’s soul, which finally leads to a total loss of control in other aspects of one’s life.

To better understand this process, let’s look at two of the words used by Paul. These words are  “futility” and “hardened.” The word futility means empty. It means to be void of understanding and of godly wisdom. A second word here is darkness which results in a hardened heart. The problem is that a hardened heart prevents the penetration of God’s word into our lives. The result is defective reasoning capabilities. In other words, the one who has been hardened cannot process that which is right or that which is reasonable. In essence, the result is that one does not care about life and so they begin to live a kind of moral purposelessness.

The idea portrayed here is that of one who has hardened arteries and the blood flow becomes restricted to and from the heart and/or brain. The result is that life giving oxygen is not allowed to travel to the vital organs which are negatively affected in ways that are not always readily revealed or noticeable. If not corrected, the passageway can become totally blocked causing a heartache or stroke depending on the point of blockage.

The callousness and hardness of one’s heart results in the removal of any boundaries to guide them and to protect them. Additionally, they become greedy to the point that nothing satisfies them. Money, sex, drugs, and fame never satisfy the individual in such a state. They need more and more to try and satisfy their desires and the longing of their physical and emotional desires. They gain more, but they are not satisfied which requires gaining more which satisfies less and then they want to gain more, only to find that they continue to be dissatisfied. It is a vicious cycle of wanting, getting, and not being satisfied. This continues until one is cut off from God’s supply and from His presence.

I love the language here in this passage because it provides a turning point and opens the door to hope. Paul says the Gentiles use to live this way but this is not the way you have been taught. What Paul is saying is that you have been taught differently so you now have the opportunity to live differently and to live life to the fullest. As believers, we have a different set of paradigms that now guide and direct our steps. In Paul’s writings to the church at Corinth, he emphatically proclaims that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Here is a fact that is indisputable whether we truly grasp the truth of it or not. We are new creations. We look different. We act different. We live different. We think different.

Paul expands this idea by stating that while we are a new creation in Christ, we must also recognize that we are called to put off the old man which belongs to the old life and the old man is corrupted through its deceitful desires. The visual is of one who is wearing old tattered garments which have been stained by soil and dirt that life has dished out. These garments are filthy.

The old man or self is defined by two descriptive phrases. The first phrase is that of the former way of life. This is the life that has been described here thus far. It is a life that is lived in futility and darkness. The second phrase defines the old way of living as being motivated and corrupted by way of one’s deceitful desires. In other words, the whole basis of their previous way of life was founded in a weak or misguided paradigm. The motivation of their actions was from a basis of their deceitful desires which comes from their hardened hearts and darkened understanding.

Two actions which require a response are presented here. First, we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Once again this scripture echoes Romans 12:1-2 where Paul challenges the church to be transformed by the renewing of one’s mind. This is a daily ongoing process of renewal. It involves daily Bible reading. It involves daily meditation on what God is saying to the church. It is taking action on those Biblical truths we learn and begin to understand.

The second challenge is to put on the new man which is created after the likeness of God. The concept presented here is that we get to enjoy ongoing renewal. What does this renewal look like, it looks a lot like God. You see we are commanded to put on the new self which is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. How is the new self created like God? We are like God in terms of being created in righteousness and holiness.

Here is the point being made. By taking off the old man and putting on the new man, we begin to be conformed to the image of Christ. What image is that? It is in the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness. From the beginning of time, man was created in the likeness of God. We see this in Genesis 1:26. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Paul in Romans 12:1 also reminds us that we are being transformed into His image and not being conformed to the world’s image. There is a huge difference between the two. We choose to focus on one or the other. Do you choose conformity or transformation?

So how are you doing? What are you wearing? What are you thinking? It makes a difference. The putting on and taking off process is an ongoing process. When we are motivated to live or act as we did before Christ, we can take off that soiled garment and put a new garment that is fashioned and formed after the image of Christ. We remove the filthy garments and put on the garments that speak to our new identity and way of living. That is Paul’s goal in these verses.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – Measuring Maturity 

January 25, 2015

Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

In spiritual circles there has been an ongoing debate on how to determine if a person has reach spiritual maturity. Personal, I have often asked this question but the answers have been varied and they span the gamut of ideas. I have also been confronted with the question of what does a mature believer in Christ look like? How does a mature believer act? How does a mature believer respond to the issues of life? It is my belief that in this passage, Paul does a good job of detailing what spiritual maturity looks like.

As we read these verses, we discover something very powerful about God’s purpose for our lives. Know this, God is very interested in seeing us grow and mature as believers. He is so focused on our growth that He has positioned people in our lives and He has given us the tools we need to assist us in our growth. You see growth and maturity have always been His goal and purpose for those who are passionate followers of Christ.

As in physical growth, one’s age does not necessarily mean that one is mature and is grown-up. The fact is one can be in their forties or fifties and yet be immature in their thinking and in the way they act. Spiritually, the number of years one attends church or confesses to be a believer does not make one mature in itself. The ability to quote scripture or a particular doctrinal position does not make one mature either. It is the application of God’s Words and the truth of the Gospel that causes one to mature.

So, while we may understand that He wants us to grow and mature, the question or the debate is what does that look like for us? How do we know when one has matured and has grown into a mature believer? When we measure maturity solely by the outward manifestation of one’s actions or how and what they communicate, we can misjudge a person’s spiritual maturity. The reason is that we do not have a true measure of a person’s heart. This is difficult because we can misread or misjudge a person’s heart and believe one to be either more mature or less mature than they really are. So, the real measure of growth, as defined here, is a method of self examination rather than the examination of another’s heart. With that in mind let me give you five self examination tools to determine your level of maturity.

First, are you actively engaged in ministry? The gifts have been given to equip the church for the work of ministry. Please note here that the work of the ministry is not the pastor’s role, singularly, but it should be in the wheelhouse of every believer to do the work of ministry. When Jesus was on earth, and shortly after the Holy Spirit was released on earth, the idea was that each person would be equipped and released for ministry under the leadership of Christ and the leadership of the local church.

A problem arose however within just a few short centuries, after the establishment of the church; the church moved from the church body as a whole being activated for ministry to where the pastor become the one who accomplished every bit of the ministry. This set the stage for people to think that they did not need to respond to ministry but that it was the pastor’s job. That was never God’s intent. We must do the work of ministry together by using our gifts and talents to the glory of God. I am so grateful for all of those in our church who have joined to make life here at PCC happen. Because of you we are where we are today. But we have some work to do. We need to continue to develop our children’s ministry. We need to continue to develop a youth ministry. We need each of you to do your part in giving financially, inviting folks to come to the church, and engaging in the ministries we have available.

Second, are you a uniter or a divider? A measure of maturity is how you seek to build up and bring unity to the body of Christ. How is your walk of unity? Do you attempt to bring healing or are you an agent of disunity and disruption? Do you talk about others behind their back? Do you gossip about others with others? Do you segregate yourself from others and isolate yourself as a matter of lifestyle? Do you seek to fervently push your own agenda but reluctantly get behind the ideas of others?

Let me suggest here that what Paul is referring to is not a unity around our specific nuisances of believe but rather the basic tenants of faith and knowledge that we must all agree on. For example, we can all agree that we serve one Lord and that there is only one way to access Heaven and that is through a personal commitment to Christ who gave Himself as our Savior. Secondly, we can agree that God loves us and has a plan for our life. We can also agree that it is critical for us to get to know God through His word, which He gave as a love letter to read and share.

When we seek after unity this does not mean that anything goes. This does not mean that we compromise Scripture or truth to keep peace. The fact is, unity has little to do with peace and has a lot to do with vision and purpose. The fact is most of what divides us has little to do with Scriptural truth and more about personal bias, desires, and pride. It is for this reason that James succinctly denotes what causes quarrels and fights that lead to division and disunity. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel (James 4:1-2).

If this defines what disunity looks like, then one who is mature will focus on keeping the unity. When we focus on Jesus, everything else is minor in comparison. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Thirdly, are you spiritually, emotionally, and mentally stable? Paul here says that one who is mature is one who no longer acts like a child, and is tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Too often our lack of maturity causes us to be pulled and pushed and tossed around by every idea and thought that comes along. We sometimes act more like children on the playground than adults who are called by God, but when we are mature in Christ we will make good decisions and will be stable in our way of living.

Listen to what Paul had this to say in 1 Corinthians 13:11. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. What is Pauling saying? Look at the verbs Paul uses here. I spoke, I thought, and I reasoned like a child but now I have grown up.

Fourthly, are you willing to balance truth with love and love with truth? The fourth element of maturity is that we learn to speak the truth in love. We must be reminded of the two-sided coin of spiritual maturity. We speak the truth but we do so in a way that based in love and concern. But we also love others truthfully and righteously so that God’s word and His way is made evident in our lives. Real truth and love is not self seeking but rather is God-focused, Christ-centered, and others oriented. We do not avoid truth. We embrace it. We encourage it.

And finally, are you continuing to mature in Christ? Maturation is a ongoing process. Please note here that maturity is not based on one’s age, it is measured by the process of growth in the individual. You see there are a couple of measures of growth and maturity. Often we think that one is mature by virtue of the fact that they have been a believer in Christ for a long time. The age of an individual does not automatically equate to maturity. A person’s position of authority does not equate to maturity. The fact is we never stop growing and maturing.

We must continue in the apostles teaching and the breaking of bread in order to continue the maturation process. We must be connected in Bible Study and in fellowship with one another. Look at what we have here at PCC. We have Sunday School. We have Sunday worship. We have the home groups. We have the weekly lunch at McDonalds for the men. We have the weekly ladies’s bible study on Thursdays. We have ongoing special events like men’s breakfasts and ladies’ luncheon. Why is this? It is so we can grow personally and corporately as a body. It is also so that we can invest in the lives of others as we invite them to come and be a part of these events.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

January 11, 2015

Diversity in Unity

Ephesians 4:7-14 – But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” ( In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

I love a great action movie. I especially love those movies where the hero has very little hope of winning and yet somehow they beat the odds and win. This is one of the reasons that the “Die Hard” movies have been such a success. If you have seen the movies, you know that John McClane battles against the odds and comes out victorious, every time. He is bloodied and beaten but he is always a winner.

In the verse before us today, Paul relates just such a battle where Christ is the victorious one. It is possible that this verse might cause some confusion because of where it is placed in the chapter and the fact that Paul interjects this subject at this stage in the discussion. It appears that Paul gets distracted for a moment, but when we understand the context and the purpose of Paul’s inclusion of this verse, we will understand its meaning for its use at this specific time.

Paul references Psalm 68:18. David, the author of this Psalm, presents a picture of a victory celebration. When the army of David’s day would return from battle, the commander and his chariot would be at the front of the processional. This was a proud moment for the commander, the army, and the town’s people. Those on the parade route would shout, “Hallelujah, the victory has been won.” Following the commander would be all of those taken in battle. Not too far behind them would be all of the spoils of war. If the commander was a decent and honorable man, he would head to the town square where the celebration would continue. The leaders of the town would present the commander with the spoils of war, but being a decent man he would distribute these gifts to those who served with him as well as the members of the town. The idea here is that what the commander had received, he would give back to those around Him. In essence, he would receive in order to give.

In our text today, Paul is in essence saying that this is exactly what Christ did for us. He descended to earth and won the greatest battle of all time, the battle for man’s soul. Just as the general of old would distribute the spoils of war to His soldiers and to the town’s people, Jesus did that for us. You see Jesus conquered death, hell, the grave, and the power of sin. He led away captives, who represented the spoils of the spiritual battle, as he ascended back to His home in heaven. Just as the warrior leader did in David’s day, Paul makes it clear that Jesus distributed gifts to His body. Listen to Paul’s own words. When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. What was the purpose of Him giving these gifts. It was so that the unity of the body of Christ could be preserved. It was so that each believer could be effective in their work as a passionate follower of Christ in their own way. It was so that in working together the Body of Christ would mature and grow into what God intended.

As we review these gifts, we understand that each gift is so different and yet God gave these gifts to effectively minister to those around us. The opening verse of our text clarifies these gifts were distributed by grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. That is, it is a free gift distributed according to His will. Who determines who receives what gift? It is Christ. Where does the gift come from? It is from Christ. How is the gift given? It is freely given by grace.

The fact is that Christ is the one who has distributed the gifts to His people but here is the amazing thing, He did not just distribute these gifts arbitrarily. He purposed to give each person what they needed individually to accomplish the tasks they had been called to. We should be aware that these specific gifts are in addition to the gifts already established through the work of the cross. We all have been given eternal salvation. We all have been given great grace. We all have redemption from sin. We must be clear that these specific gifts have been given to all of us, regardless of who we are. But when it comes to specific gifts, He assigns those according to how they will be best used by the individual receiving them, and to the measure that Christ believes they should be given out. He distributes to us exactly what we need, when we need them, to accomplish the tasks we have been called to. That is diversity in unity.

It is this diversity that often creates an atmosphere of division and disunity. As the gifts are distributed, we must be careful to protect the unity of the body by refusing to compare ourselves with others or judge another’s gifts. Remember the gifts are God’s and they are distributed by Him to those who may need them and will use them most wisely.

Another idea presented here is that these gifts were distributed for the health and vitality of the body of Christ. Paul states And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

It is clear that one the great gifts Jesus gave the church was spiritual leadership: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers. Each of these gifts have been distributed by God to lead the body of Christ toward a specific purpose and goal. Let me give a brief definition of each of these. First, there is the apostle. The term apostle means one sent and this role is defined in many ways as a missionary or church planter. The one with this gift often has a specific calling to multiply the church of Christ. The apostle is the one who has been given spiritual authority to reach and establish people in Kingdom truth and to bring order to the church, especially in founding and overseeing local churches. An apostle has a burden to build something that did not exist before. We have done a disservice to the Body of Christ by elevating people to the role of apostle when that is not the case.

Secondly, we have the prophet. Prophets reveal God’s heart to His people and give guidance to individuals. The problem is that too often those who might be given this gift tend to exalt themselves and develop a prideful, self seeking heart which results in division and pain. The third role is the evangelist. This is the one who seems to be especially gifted to share the message of hope with the lost and watch them come to the saving grace of God. The fourth role is the pastor or shepherd who has been given to protect and to guard the church. The shepherd deeply cares for the sheep and is ready to lay his life down for them. He longs to feed, grow, equip, and develop the church. The fifth role is that of the teacher who is called to instruct and impart divine life to their listeners.

The key note here is that there is diversity in the gifts but all serve to bring healing and growth to the Body of Christ. The gifts were given because there was a need to have diversity in accomplishing the work of the ministry. We must understand that it is possible that any one individual may exhibit any or all of these gifts at any one time and at different times. This idea of diversity is confirmed in Romans and Corinthians. Listen to what Paul says. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them (Romans 12:4-6).

As we close today, let’s look at what Paul is saying. Christ was sent to earth as the God-man. In coming to earth, He gave Himself to fight the greatest battle ever fought. This fight was not for land, money, or fame. It was for the soul of man. We know the story. Christ willingly went to the cross which in many people’s minds was a great defeat. Even His disciples believed this was a defeat. This is in spite of the fact that He died on the cross, and was placed in a tomb, but when most thought it was all over, three days later He arose. This reminds me of the Easter Hymn that says Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o’er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! 

Can you see the picture? Christ returns triumphantly back to heaven, His home. And as the warrior of old would do, He distributed His spoils of war to those He loved. That would be us. Praise the Lord! May we shout and proclaim “Hallelujah, the victory has been won.” How do I know? I know this because I have received precious gifts from the greatest battle ever won.

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom