Sermon Tone Analysis

1. PAUL’S CALL TO UNITY (1-3)

a. THE CHALLENGE (1)

i. (ESV) – I THEREFORE, A PRISONER FOR THE LORD, URGE YOU TO WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE CALLING TO WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED,

ii.

PAUL ISSUES A CHALLENGE TO BELIEVERS TO WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THEIR CALLING.

1. CALLING – A WORD THAT MEAN TO SUMMONS…

a. HERE, PAUL IS ENCOURAGING THESE BELIEVERS TO LIVE THEIR LIVES IN A WAY THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL TO SALVATION.

b.

IN OTHER WORDS, AS I HAVE SAID ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, SALVATION HAS A TANGIBLE EFFECT ON THE LIFE OF A PERSON.

c. WHEN A PERSON IS TRULY SAVED, THERE WILL BE SOMETHING NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM.

d.

WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT?

i. PAUL GIVES US THAT IN THE NEXT SECTION.

2. WHAT UNITY LOOKS LIKE (2-3)

a. (ESV) – 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.

b.

HERE IN VERSES 2 AND 3, PAUL DESCRIBES WHAT WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING LOOKS LIKE.

c. HE SAYS IT WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY YOUR:

1. HUMILITY

2. GENTLENESS

3. PATIENCE

4. FORBEARANCE

5. EAGERNESS TO MAINTAIN UNITY

6.

A DESIRE FOR PEACE

ii.

THINK ABOUT WHAT THE OPPOSITES OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS ARE:

1. PRIDE

2. HARSHNESS

3. IMPATIENCE

4. UNWILLINGNESS TO BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER

5. DIVISIVENESS

6. CONFLICT

iii.

THIS LAST SET OF CHARACTERISTICS, UNFORTUNATELY, DESCRIBES SOME CHURCHES, BUT WE MUST WORK HARD TO INSURE THAT THEY DO NOT DESCRIBE OUR CHURCH.

d.

BUT WHY SHOULD WE STRIVE FOR UNITY IN THE CHURCH?

e. WHAT IS IT THAT MOTIVATES US TO SEEK AND THEN TO MAINTAIN UNITY?

f.

PAUL GIVES US THE ANSWER IN VERSES 4 THROUGH 6.

3. THE MOTIVATION OF UNITY (4-6)

a. (ESV) – 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.

i. ONE BODY – THE CHURCH (UNIVERSAL)

ii.

ONE SPIRIT – THE HOLY SPIRIT

iii.

ONE HOPE – THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

iv.

ONE LORD – JESUS CHRIST

v. ONE FAITH – THERE IS A SINGULAR GOSPEL MESSAGE

vi.

ONE BAPTISM – ONE SINGULAR ACT THAT IDENTIFIES ALL BELIEVERS WITH CHRIST AND WITH EACH OTHER – WATER BAPTISM

vii.

ONE FATHER – WHO LIVES IN AND THROUGH ALL WHO TRUST IN CHRIST.

b.

UNITY HAS BEEN MODELED FOR US:

i. IN THE TRINITY…

ii.

IN GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION…

iii.

IN THE BODY OF CHRIST ITSELF…

iv.

IN GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR IDENTIFICATION WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST…

v. AND IN THE COMMON HOPE THAT ALL TRUE BELIEVERS SHARE…

c. AND CHRIST HAS GIVEN GIFTS TO THE CHURCH TO HELP BELIEVERS UNDERSTAND AND SHARE THE FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE US…

4. THE MECHANISMS OF UNITY (7-14)

a. JESUS’ GIFTS TO THE CHURCH (7-11)

i. (ESV) - 7 BUT GRACE WAS GIVEN TO EACH ONE OF US ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST’S GIFT.

b.

PARENTHETICAL EXPLANATION OF “HE ASCENDED.”

(8-10)

i. 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.)

c.

THE GIFTS HE GAVE.

(11)

i. 11 AND HE GAVE THE APOSTLES, THE PROPHETS, THE EVANGELISTS, THE SHEPHERDS AND TEACHERS,

ii.

FOUR GIFTS CHRIST GAVE TO THE CHURCH.

iii.

DON’T CONFUSE THESE WITH SPIRITUAL GIFTS

1. APOSTLES

2. PROPHETS

3. EVANGELISTS

4. PASTORS AND TEACHERS (SAME GUY)

d.

THE PURPOSE OF THESE PARTICULAR GIFTS (12)

i. (ESV) – 12 TO EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY, FOR BUILDING UP THE BODY OF CHRIST,

ii.

TO EQUIP THE SAINTS

1. FOR WHAT? (13)

a. FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY

b.

FOR BUILDING UP THE BODY OF CHRIST

i. WHY?

ii.

BECAUSE WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE TO MATURE IN THE FAITH.

iii.

LOOK AT VERSE 14…

e. (ESV) – 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.

i. NO LONGER CHILDREN

ii.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN HE IS REFERRING TO HERE?

1. TOSSED TO AND FRO BY THE WAVES.