One Body, One Spirit, One Hope (Part 1)
Have you ever been a part of building something beautiful that was so much bigger than yourself? Have you ever worked hard with a team to pull off something HUGE that one single person could never do on their own?
BIG DREAMS are rarely executed without BIG TEAMS.
When everyone does their part faithfully, the collective results are EXPONENTIAL. These epic moments highlight the power of a TEAM. Or as the Bible calls it, a BODY. It’s the fullness of what can happen when we function as a family, as a team, as the church.
“He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the FULLNESS of Him who fills all in all.” — Ephesians 1:22-23
As we kickoff this new season, I’m praying for us to be re-envisioned and renewed in our collective commitment to building something bigger than ourselves. The Church, when healthy and working properly, is the most powerful force for transformation on the planet. When the people of God unite around His purposes with their gifts, heaven comes to earth!
The church exists as God’s family on the earth. This family has been called and entrusted with God’s message of salvation (grace), God’s method of transformation (discipleship), and God’s mission to the nations (GO!). Ephesians 4 gives us a beautiful blueprint for building God’s family God’s way.
Ephesians 4:1-16
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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, 14 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. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.
One Body, One Spirit, One Hope
1. One Body — A Fivefold Family that WORKS Together
All about FAMILY
V. 6 “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
God the Father adopts us through Jesus His Son and empowers us for ministry through the Holy Spirit! This is a Kingdom family. We are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.
Family can be hard… family can be messy… but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad model. Scripture says that it’s the container for the FULLNESS of Jesus on the earth. We should expect opposition to such a powerful promise.
Fivefold Ministry
Ministry = Service
V. 11-13 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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…
HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN!
To equip… and for building up
Apostles are on a mission. Prophets are having a vision. Evangelists are seeking the lost. Shepherds are caring for the found. Teachers are guarding the truths that build the house in the first place.
V. 15-16 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.
These gifts are meant to equip and build up the body toward maturity. This is the end goal of a healthy family - to create a safe space when we can all grow up into godliness.
Each part working properly is critical! I have a deep conviction in my soul that when we plug into Scripture’s leadership blueprint for the church, we become an unstoppable force for transformation in our city.
GIFTING vs. SERVING
Gifts are given to be used (see Romans 12:3-8)
Serving is commanded by Jesus, which creates an opportunity to obey.
Mark 10:42-45 // And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So many of you are serving faithfully… if anything, we have too many people wearing too many hats. Our heart is never to call anyone out and say “You aren’t serving.” Our heart is to call everyone UP to being like Jesus, who came to serve and to give. This thing doesn’t work properly if we don’t all find a place to serve.
2. One Spirit — Preserving Unity for the GREATER GOOD
A POWERFUL CHURCH MUST HAVE UNITY IN RELATIONSHIP AND VISION WHILE CELECRATING DIVERSITY IN GIFTING AND FUNCTION.
Without unity, the body falls apart and all this powerful potential is lost.
V. 1-3 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The #1 thing that destroys a family is relational tension, pain and division. Notice all the character traits required to MAINTAIN unity! This all speaks to our ability to love each other through the inevitable problems and pains that we will cause one another. The Gospel is first tested in here… Can we live this out when we let each other down?
The unity of the Spirit speaks both to our relational unity but also to our unity in VISION. So the devil works overtime to mess with our relationships and get us pulling in 100 different directions.
One of the ways we pull together is by having a clarified set of values as a family.
Why does Antioch SLC exist specifically?
To carry a “new song” of worship throughout the land
To build unity with other local churches
To disciple people and plant churches
How do we do this?
By living out the 5 Circles of Healthy Church
3. One Hope — Our future must be bright or we will perish!
Psalm 27:13 // I would have fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
GOD IS BUILDING SOMETHING HERE! It hasn’t been easy and it’s certainly been costly. Most beautiful building projects are. But I believe that we are stepping into a NEW SEASON as a church. In this new season, fresh winds will blow and we will see the fruit of what we have worked for together. “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
I also believe that God is bringing us NEW STONES for this new season of building. I want to say this very intentionally… we need more builders!
We must remember Nehemiah’s strategy for rebuilding the walls around the city of Jerusalem. Each family was instructed to work on the section of the wall directly across from their house. Translation: grab some tools and just start building what’s right in front of you! This is the POWER of a body. No one can do it all. No one is asked to do it all. If everyone simply builds their section, the cumulative effect is staggering. Under Nehemiah’s leadership, a small band of families rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days! There was opposition, distraction, attack, violence and accusation… but they stood together and they finished the task.
Will you build with us?
1 Peter 2:4-5 // As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.