The Apostles' Teaching (Ephesians 4:1-16)
Gary McManus, 05/14/2023Part of the Words that Divide, Words that Unite series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
May 14, 2023 Mother’s Day Sunday
Ephesians 4:1-16
Mother’s Day reference: 2 Timothy 1:5
“. . . faith. . .alive first in your grandmother Lois and
in your mother Eunice. . . “
The scriptures acknowledge a Gospel faith that
LIVES in families. This is a remarkable statement.
The head of the household usually decided the family’s beliefs. Here, the Apostle states an acknowledgement of living individual Christian faith.
In the 20th Century America, mothers had the stronger influence on faith in the family—that is what the pollsters told us. What will the pollsters say of the 21st Century in America?
For today: how to turn pagans into Christians?
Slowly? See Acts 17. Some aspects of the Jewish faith were really hard for pagans to accept: one God (Creator of the universe).
The American church increasingly faces this same problem. People don’t read the Bible (pollsters).
The ancient church did not have Bibles.
The ancient churches depended on “the Apostles’ teaching.
(Acts 2:42, 1 Timothy 4:6, 1 Timothy 4:16, 1 Timothy 6:1, 1 Timothy 6:3: “Apostle’s teaching”, “sound teaching”, “doctrine”)
1 Timothy 6:2: “INSIST on these things.”
Titus 3: “stress these things”
So, what to do with pagan converts to Christianity?
Answer: Acts 2:42.
The Bible verse of the week points out some problems INSIDE the church (Ephesians 4:14).
It is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago.
What does the Apostle want:
“to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ—maturity;
“to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
People have left the church over questions or, rather,
the refusal to deal with questions.
Careful, Christian. Anyone can ask Google. Wouldn’t
it be better to ask a Jesus’ follower, even if it is a tough question?
The Christian faith is over 2,000 years old. Pastor believes
there is nothing new under the sun/Son!
At the same time remember; sometimes the Bible is not interested in things we are interested in.
The word “coffee” is not in the Bible. Does that make
it wrong to drink it? (The answer is “NO”.)
And if questions are mean spirited?
Jesus said that wheat and weeds grow together.
(Matthew 13:25-30) Root out those weeds? No.
But we may “ask, seek, knock”.(Matthew 7:7-8)
We are warned of teachers who do not keep to the
Apostle’s teaching (See Colossians 2)
Jesus makes us holy, not us or our behavior.(Hebrews 7:26-27)
Even the pagans wrestled with issues of the body and spirit. American Christians have often been wrong seeking “holiness.” (wine, dance, musical instruments, etc.)
And Pastors have often mislead their people.
Is our Lord’s request for one or for all?
(See Romans 14:1, Philippians 3:18)
We are to test the spirits ( 1 John 4:1, I Corinthians 12:10) distinguishing the spirits (spiritual gift)
What does the Apostle want? Philippians 1:9-11. Amen.
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