Sermon – “The Tie That Binds Us”

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 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 to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it[a] says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”[b] 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Let’s open with a word of prayer the small. Father we thank you so much for your faithfulness we thank you father that you hear our prayers we thank you that you will revive our hearts by the one we seek you with all of our hearts we thank you Father for that promise we pray for your presence today father may your name be lifted high May you receive all the glory any honor father for the things done here today and father just pray that each one of us who are would go away from this place revived in our spirit father revived because we have been in your presence by others not me but it’s to her presence in this place it’s not any of us but it’s your presence among us father’s touching our hearts and our minds and our spirits by the God that it would be. Soley soley surrender to you Father Well again we just sank you just pour out your love upon each one here today in here in my voice or May your love touch each heart made each major need or be met and we just praise be for your honor in your name in Jesus name Amen. The tie that binds us. And be speaking about the unity of the church today there is the tie that binds us together and I’m not speaking about just this church I’m talking about the church as a whole he just for one through sixteen hears the word of the Lord. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness and gentleness with longsuffering bearing with one another in love that’s not always always easy to do is it bearing with one another in love Lord help me for I have fallen short in that calling at times endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one speared just as you were called in one hope of your calling one Lord one. On faith one baptism one God and Father of all who was above all and through all and in you all but to each one of us grace was giving according to the measure of Christ’s give Therefore he says when he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men now this he ascended What does it mean but that he for that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth he who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things and he gave and he himself gave some to be apostles some prophets some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the quipping of the work equipping of the saints for the work of ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ that we no longer be should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in a cunning craftiness at the seep into the sea for plotting but speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head of Christ from whom the whole body joined in it together by what every joint supplies according to the effect of working by which every part does its share causes causes growth of the body for the end it edifying of itself in love a tongue is getting twisted this morning when Paul says to the believers I beseech you I beseech you to live a life worthy of the calling he is expressing the same feeling that most mature Christians would express to more him a chore or younger believers. That they would grow in their faith when he says I beseech you he is beseech means to invite to invoke to implore I implore you. Paul was speaking to his spiritual sons and daughters because Paul is a want to planted these churches so he’s speaking to his sons and daughters he has a right he says I am by Jew to live a life worthy of the calling with which you recall and that’s what any mature Christian is going to want a younger Christian to do to live a life worthy to walk in the ways that God has called us to walk at the root of his heart that imitation is Paul’s knowledge that each one of us one day will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The judgment seat is also called Bhima in Greek it is often a den of five as a raised platform in which Pontius Pilot set when he judged Jesus Christ however Paul’s use of the term Bhima in the context that he’s using here is could be can’t compared to a judge’s chair at athletic games in a Greek it’s the most appalling visions Christians as competitors in a spiritual contest receiving their rewards the judgment that he is speaking of is not about salvation because we know the Salvation is only through Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is judgment over is not over a person salvation but it is clear that is over the rewards because solve ation only comes through the sacrificial death of Christ upon that cross John three eighteen says He who believes in him is not condemn so he who believes he or she who believes in Jesus Christ is not condemn but do you does not believe it is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only big on the Son of God. God so condemnation comes we a person brings condemnation on themselves by not believing in Jesus Christ but He who does believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God is not condemn Romans eight one says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and you can’t take that and twist it around to make it say what you want to say there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spear again there is that do not walk according to the flesh Paul urged them in vote and vote them to walk according to your calling according to your calling in Christ Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ Christians will appear before Jesus to be rewarded for their works done in the his name while they live their lives on a serve so any reference to lost at the judgment concerns loss of rewards not of salvation salvation my friends has already been settled through Jesus Christ redeeming work of the Cross it is said when you believe in Christ that is settled it’s about rewards second Caribbeans five nine through eleven therefore we make it or aim whether present or absent to be well pleasing to Him for we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men but we are well known to God and also trust our well known in your conscience to live a Christian life we cannot live in ignorance of God’s will and plans for our lives we cannot live in ignorance of his plan. That’s why the better we understand God’s word easier it is to. Obey the Bible the word beseech indicates the god in love is urging us to live for His glory. To live for the glory of His Kingdom not our own to live for His glory and honor he does not say to us today as he did to the Old Testament Jews if you obey me I will bless you he is saying rather I have already blessed you I have blessed you when I sent my son to die for you now no response to my love and my Grace I want you to obey me and walk in my ways. It’s now get to the unity part what is unity. Unity does not mean uniformity. Because I know that we will never agree on every little thing every little detail. We will not all agree on the kind of music we want to listen to will wait because we all like some of us like that Southern Gospel Some like the contemporary some like that rock and roll gospel. But we’ll never agree on it because we all like different things we might not even agree on the color carpet we’d like to have we might not agree on the color we want the walls to big. We might not agree on how long the sermons should be some might like a ten minute sermon so they can get out here and get the other thing some might like a long sermon. Some might you know I can remember a board meeting many many many many years ago where they argued back and forth for two hours over whether we should have coffee in Sunday School so we can’t even agree on coffee and Sunday school or rather that curtain should be hung in the front of the church I can remember those days we can always agree on everything and as a speaking about within the church. Imagine. What is outside or speak in looking at the whole church as a whole no one. Or there are so many different denominations. Independent Churches and all these things. Unity comes from a force within us and have forces the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual grace. Uniformity is a result of an outward pressure. If someone belongs to a group that had every little single thing in common to say we all have all things in common. Well I’m going to tell you that person probably belongs to a cult and they’ve been brainwashed or pressured into believe thinking they believe the same way because we are all different we are all very unique in God’s eyes and that’s the way he wants us to be. He wants us to be different special and unique in his eyes Amen we don’t all it would be a boring place if we was all the same wouldn’t. So unity doesn’t mean we have to all think exactly alike and agree on every little detail. But as a Word declares we can and should be in unity as a body of believers. And agree on one of the most important thing in us the foundation of the church that is in the father of the son in the Holy Spirt and that we are safe through the blood of Christ. You know thinking about him as I was researching. The different churches in different denominations you know there are some churches out there some the nominations that. May feel that they are the only ones that are saved and not have to want to whenever they make it to heaven we make to heaven God might say should be careful you go by there because they think they are the only ones there. You know as I was researching it well let me just put it this let me just go this way how many of you are members of the Church of God for the Church of Christ got that wrong how many are members of the Church of Christ. I’m raising my hand. As a member of a Church of Christ OK Sol go here’s where I’m going with this as I was doing my research. Many there are many out there who believe the Church of Christ that the nomination proclaimed that they are the only ones are going to be saved. And one of the leaders said it it sorrows his heart to see that many people when they’re asked many of their members are asked do you believe you the Church of Christ is the only ones are going to be saved they say yes they do not go on to explain what they mean by that. Because the very first church the very first church that they were known as followers of Christ the church they were called they were tagged the Church of Christ. So that very first church the day of Pentecost and it says a God added to their numbers daily they were added to the Church of Christ and then as a went out to other regions they too were added to the Church of Christ my friends today when we become believers we are added to that original church which is the Church of Christ because there is no other way to be say than through Christ Amen so as that leader said it SARS is hard to people don’t explain we do not mean they are saying to the other you did we do not believe that you have to be members of our particular church but the Church of Christ because there is only one way to be saved and that is through Christ Christ is the head of the church so why that name out in the on the sign or might say seventh day Baptists I’m a member of the Church of Christ the Church of Jesus Christ. Because I call myself a Christian so I am of the Church of Christ amen. DEMICK sense now Christ says I am the head of the church and if Asians five twenty three and X. two and a Ward added to the church daily so we are still being at every time of person believes in Christ they are being added to that original church no matter what the nomination will name tag you put on it. There’s a wonderful old hymn called Blessed be the tie that binds and I think we’re going to sing it at the end. Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love the fellowship of Kendrick minds is like to that above. What is that tie that binds every single believer together. The love of Christ Christ is what binds us together crisis what binds not only every member of this church but every member of every church that believes in Jesus Christ there is that unity and that unity is Christ first John five seven says for there are three that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word which is the Son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one they are in complete unity Yes it is true that we are all different in many ways of already shared. Therefore. If believers. Therefore if believers are to maintain a sense of unity we must realize that these smaller matters we may not agree on but we can agree to disagree. But we must agree that there is one body one Spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling there is one Lord there is one faith there is one baptism there is ONE GOD and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all that is a foundational truth that we must stand upon. One Lord one body one faith one spirit we can be united in that first Corinthians twelve twelve through nineteen can help and help us understand the one body truth for as the body is one and has many members but all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ for by one spear we were all baptized into one body whether Jew or Greek whether slave or free and have all been made to drink into one spirit for in fact the body is not one member but many if the foot should say because I am not a hand I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body. And if the ear should say because I am not an eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body the whole body were an eye where would be the hearing if the whole were hearing where would be the smelling But now God has set the members of each one of them in the body jest as he pleased. And if they were all one member where would the body be my friends if God set the members of the body just as he pleased with whether it be within individual churches or the churches as a whole if he said each one just as it pleased him then why are there so many out there today that are so displeased because we are not just like them. Because they don’t understand the Word of God They don’t understand unity there are some that say will because you don’t do this like we do you’re not of the body how foolish they are. I don’t expect everybody to be just like us. I don’t expect everybody to be just like may praise the Lord. Just like me amen. But I know that we are still brothers and sisters in Christ because we believe in whom we are say we believe in Jesus Christ we believe in that one spirit that one Spirit to provides all the gifts to the body. Yes one might be a great administrator. But if we was all administrator who’s going to get up or preach. We’re not all going to be preachers if we was all preachers who’s going to do the administration. If we was all teachers who would do the cleaning if we were all cleaning of the church who would do the teaching you’re following me it takes the whole body but not one is greater than the other. But we could have that perfect unity which concert Christ. The Baptist can’t say to the methods because you’re not about this you’re not saved you’re not part of the body the assemblies can’t say to the Nazareth because you’re not in December you’re not part of the body and so on and so on and so on they’re all part of the body if they believe in Jesus Christ. Believes in Jesus Christ that’s what matters. Romans fifteen five through seven says Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ therefore receive one another just as Christ also received us to the glory of God my friends that is what a statement that is that’s how we should receive others who believe in Jesus Christ just as he received us. Just as he receives us with patience. Many of us. It will help with that patience it’s times I need a little help with that with patience. Shortly after the close of the civil war in a very fashionable Richmond Church members of the congregation were invited to come to the altar rail and receive holy communion after several rows of worshippers came and left after receiving communion side by side a black man walked down the out toward the altar a very tense silence gripped everyone. Not one person got up to come down to receive the bread and wine with that black man although many had not yet received communion that day the black man started to kneel alone. When quietly a tall grain man with a military bearing stood up and strode down the out of the black man’s side and together they knelt before the officiating clergyman could continue people recognized that the personal beside the black man without showing any distinction was General Robert E. Lee. Although least said nothing everyone realized that he had shown his faith through his act of joining that lonely black worshipper at the altar Lee’s example is an example for all of us we must not be content with any system that divides us as fellow Christians. We must seek to demonstrate our essential unity and only then can we truly say that we are one in Christ it shouldn’t matter what the nomination we belong to should matter with color of our skin should matter what nationality we are we can be united and one through Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit for by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body not many bodies but one body members of. The Church of Christ. That first church I’m talking about the day of Pentecost the same Holy Spirit dwells within every single believer so we are united how through the Holy Spirit that is a tie that binds us together we are ninety eight on our hope and that hope is in Christ that hope that Christ will return one day to receive all believers unto himself and that we may dwell with him for all eternity one Lord which is our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God who came to take away the sins of the world he is the Way the Truth and the life for Libyans declares they’re there for God declares him therefore God also has Holly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every nation bow of those in heaven and of those on Earth and those under the earth that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father or one faith the Greek meaning of the word faith as the Jews and if Asians is moral conviction or the truthfulness of God especially reliance upon Christ for salvation. The one baptism is probably referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit since fault Paula speaking of the one body even though we do recognize that there are two different two baptisms the baptismal water which is an outward visible sign of an inward change but then also the baptism of the Holy Spirit which occurs whenever we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ when we repent of our sins and receive him. There is one spirit which imparts every gift there is ONE GOD and Father that is an absolute must agree on that there is only one God. That along with the Son created the heavens and earth and all that we see he is not one god among many gods but he is the one true and only God that is. A foundational truth that we must agree on if we are going to have unity. First Corinthians twelve twenty seven says now you are the Body of Christ and members individually so we are the Body of Christ yes members individually He is the head but my friends we are the body we are the body the parts of the body ecclesiastics for twelve says though one may be overpowered by another two can withstand him any three full court is not quickly broken my friend of the church is the stand we must be united it’s important that we are united together. To stand against the enemy I found a story that is really it’s a gripping story. Said a beautiful little girl. Wandered out into the cold day into the countryside in Canada when the fire family finally realize that she was missing they started the search then they called the people of the community to come together and help search for their daughter but each one took off in their own direction as it became dark and cold in a Canadian winter settled in after some time after they scurried around and looked and looked and couldn’t find or someone suggested that the searchers join hands and cover the grassy field. But it was too late they found the little girl curled up frozen in the cold than a shot when up if only we had joined hands before. The spiritual me of the story is clear Christ love the man’s unity among his church that we join hands that we are united in him not each going our own way and doing our own things. But we do all for the glory of God. That we do all for Christ that is a message for his church my friends when we look today it can be a message for our nation that we join hands and we are united together but let’s make sure that we as believers join hands with our brothers and sisters in Christ no matter what name tag they might have worn or that they belong to this church or that church but if they believe in the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit they are our brothers and sisters let’s be united together with them through the Spirit Amen.