Sermon Tone Analysis

*Opening:*

·         My niece Kayla is in the middle of Marine Corp boot camp at Paris Island, South Carolina.

o   She is a “boot” right now; not a Marine.

o   If all continues to go well, she will be a Marine in a few weeks.

o   With that identity comes the challenge to act like a Marine in whatever circumstance she finds herself.

·         My son Nathanael, who shares the same birthday as his cousin Kayla, will be four in three months.

o   He is a child right now; not an adult.

o   If all continues to go well, he will be an adult in approximately twenty years, give or take a few.

o   With the identity of an adult comes the challenge to act like an adult in whatever circumstance he finds himself.

·         Barack Obama and John McCain are presidential candidates.

o   They are candidates only right now; not presidents.

o   If all continues to go way they would like, one of them will be President of the United States in a few months.

o   With that identity comes the challenge of acting like a President in whatever circumstance they find themselves.

·         Our actions are linked to our identities throughout our lives.

o   Kayla will be called on to act like a Marine.

o   Nathanael will be expected to act like an adult.

o   Our president will be expected to act Presidential.

o   Who we are should affect how we act.

·         This is the basic principle the Apostle Paul is drawing from in the opening sentences of Ephesians 4.

*Ephesians 4:1 \\ 1*As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.*/

TNIV/*

·         What is this calling?

o   We were dead in our sin – Ephesians 2:1

o   We’ve been made alive by grace because of God’s love and mercy – Ephesians 2:4-5

o   We’re raised with Christ, seated with Him in heaven – Ephesians 2:6

§  Physically our position is on earth, but spiritually our position is with Christ in Heaven.

o   All of this has been done through Jesus without one bit of help from us – Ephesians 2:7-9

o   We’re now set to join Him in the good work He has prepared for us to do.

– Ephesians 2:10

·         So Paul is saying, “Now that you know who you are, /be/ who you are!”

o   Just before chapter four begins, Paul prays this prayer:

*Ephesians 3:16-21 \\ 16*I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, *17*so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, *18*may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, *19*and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

*20*Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, *21*to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.*/

TNIV/*

o   If you notice the tone of this prayer, its theme is God’s people cannot live out the calling they’ve received under their own power.

o   It is a tall order, an impossible list of characteristics, for a human to manufacture on their own.

o   Trying to live like we’re called without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit functioning in us leads to religious fans of God.

§  I’m an Oakland A’s fan so from time to time I wear and Oakland A’s hat.

·         My life isn’t changed by the logo I wear.

·         I’m not a member of the Oakland A’s.

·         I don’t go to Spring Training to secure my position on the team.

·         I don’t make my living playing baseball for the Oakland A’s.

·         I’ve never been offered a contract to play for the Oakland A’s.

·         My proficiency at third base in church league slow-pitch softball has never attracted the scout’s eye.

·         I’m a fan, but I’m not changed by that fact like I would be if I was given all the resources and benefits of being an authentic part of the Oakland Athletics baseball club.

§  If I changed my interest as a fan to the Seattle Mariners, I might wear a different hat, but my life still hasn’t been changed.

·         Only the position in the standings of the team I follow.

·         Switching logos isn’t the key.

o   If our life is centered on Jesus, all about Jesus, then it will be a maturing life; your life will be changed.

§  The natural consequence of knowing Jesus is change.

§  The buzz word now is transformation.

·         Becoming more like Jesus and less like our natural self.

·         Personality intact, but transformed.

·         Abilities still functioning, but with changed motivation.

·         Circumstances perhaps the same, but viewed from a different perspective.

·         Good times are still good times, and hard times can still hurt, but our hope is Jesus enables us to persevere in the moment and encourage us as we see a future with Jesus in it to infinity and beyond.

§  Life with Jesus is all about becoming who we really are.

o   What Paul is also addressing is that this process of becoming who we really are takes place in community, not isolation.

§  Two weeks ago: We don’t live in a vacuum.

·         My life impacts your life which impacts my life.

·         That’s the way God designed His church.

o   This means that the health of the local church matters.

§  A healthy church really isn’t about the Sunday morning attendance.

§  It isn’t about the quality of the music or the ability of the day’s speaker to keep you awake.

§  A healthy church will be a place where our lives together create an atmosphere conducive toward the maturation, the transformation, the ability to change more and more into the image of Jesus in each of our lives.

§  Living together as a church means we’re connected in more than just a place where “everybody knows your name.”

§  Living together as a church means we share the calling of God on our lives.

·         As we live together as the Body of Christ, the primary goal for us is to become who God intends for us to be.

·         In order for that to happen, the church has to have some areas in order, unity being one of them.

·         If we’re to be who God intends for us to be and our primary goal as a church is to be evidence that God exists to our community, then our unity will identify who we are.

·         *What is unity?*

o   It is the blending of people from different backgrounds, personalities, life experiences, gifting and talents into a blend that creates something even greater than what can be created by the individual.

o   It is a condition of harmony.

§  Harmony means we’re not all singing the same notes, but our blend creates music.

o   It is continuity without deviation.

o   It is the quality or state of being one.

o   In many areas of life, unity is essential to our effectiveness.

§  Business

§  Sports teams

·         Good people inexplicably coming together for the express purpose of cheering for individuals participating in athletic endeavors under the moniker of water fowl indigenous to the state of Oregon, while wearing combinations of green and yellow.

§  Community

§  Family

§  Politics

o   Unity is not always healthy.

§  NAZI Germany

§  Mobs uniting after sports championships to riot and vandalize their town.

§   Churches uniting to condemn sinners.

o   Unity can bring about great social change and impact.

§  People coming together to help natural disaster victims.

§  People coming together to help those in need in our community.

§  People uniting to vote for certain political candidates or ballot measures.

§  Families that support each other and hold each other accountable.

·         The power of unity is built into our human wiring by God.

o   We’re made to need others… even introverts.

o   Whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not, life is better in a healthy community.

·         Unity is a concept that is not unique to the church, but it is seen at its best in the church.

o   It is organic rather than organizational.

§  I’m a follower of Jesus before I’m a Free Methodist.