1 00:00:00,625 --> 00:00:02,125 Okay, now you may be seated. 2 00:00:05,325 --> 00:00:08,225 I'm so eager to come to the pulpit today for some reason. 3 00:00:08,225 --> 00:00:10,625 So sorry Jason. 4 00:00:12,125 --> 00:00:13,525 In the name of Jesus. 5 00:00:13,525 --> 00:00:14,225 Amen. 6 00:00:15,625 --> 00:00:20,025 An acquaintance once told me that the church is made up of a whole 7 00:00:20,025 --> 00:00:26,425 bunch of sinners to which I reply and we can always use some more. 8 00:00:30,625 --> 00:00:35,225 You know, the world makes too little of the church. People out 9 00:00:35,225 --> 00:00:39,925 there are offended by his transgressions and quite often, the conclude 10 00:00:39,925 --> 00:00:43,225 that the church is, made up of a whole bunch of sinners. 11 00:00:43,925 --> 00:00:47,825 And its leaders are a bunch of hypocrites who preach one thing and do 12 00:00:47,825 --> 00:00:48,325 another. 13 00:00:48,925 --> 00:00:53,125 For many, the church is a scandal because of its scandles. 14 00:00:55,325 --> 00:00:56,825 Christians at times 15 00:00:56,825 --> 00:00:59,425 also make too little of the church. 16 00:01:00,125 --> 00:01:00,825 We too 17 00:01:00,825 --> 00:01:03,625 can see the church from a human perspective. 18 00:01:03,625 --> 00:01:08,425 From the institutional side were bad decisions are made and sinners 19 00:01:08,425 --> 00:01:11,925 will not always get along with each other or say or do the right 20 00:01:11,925 --> 00:01:12,425 thing. 21 00:01:14,225 --> 00:01:19,125 Over the years, I have met many fine Christians who once considered 22 00:01:19,325 --> 00:01:24,425 working in the church, but then decided that the church was a mess 23 00:01:24,825 --> 00:01:29,325 filled with problems lacking in Holiness, divided. 24 00:01:31,425 --> 00:01:35,625 For many within the church, the church is a scandal. 25 00:01:37,025 --> 00:01:40,925 If you look at the church from the perspective of creaturely 26 00:01:40,925 --> 00:01:45,925 imperfection of from the dark side of the seduction of evil and sin. 27 00:01:47,625 --> 00:01:50,025 That troubles its members. 28 00:01:51,725 --> 00:01:55,725 Then one can easily conclude that there is nothing good in the church, 29 00:01:56,225 --> 00:01:57,125 or at least nothing 30 00:01:57,125 --> 00:01:59,025 good enough in the church. 31 00:01:59,725 --> 00:02:01,125 We can become ecclesial 32 00:02:01,125 --> 00:02:06,925 fatalists dwelling on what is wrong with the church focusing on it's 33 00:02:07,425 --> 00:02:09,325 inevitable ignorance 34 00:02:10,625 --> 00:02:11,825 or demise. 35 00:02:13,725 --> 00:02:18,525 How many of us have dwelled on what is not right with the church? 36 00:02:19,425 --> 00:02:21,925 What is not working in the church? 37 00:02:24,225 --> 00:02:32,725 Been there done that. Ecclesial fatalists make too little of the church. 38 00:02:33,225 --> 00:02:34,025 Indeed suck 39 00:02:34,025 --> 00:02:35,425 the joy out of the church 40 00:02:35,425 --> 00:02:38,725 you might say. They do not see the gift 41 00:02:39,425 --> 00:02:40,525 that is the church. 42 00:02:42,925 --> 00:02:47,125 Now to see the church as a gift requires us to look at it, not with 43 00:02:47,125 --> 00:02:49,825 human eyes, or the eyes of the flesh. 44 00:02:49,825 --> 00:02:54,525 But rather from God's perspective, with the eyes of faith of the Holy 45 00:02:54,525 --> 00:03:00,525 Spirit and that is precisely what Paul gives us in the letter to the 46 00:03:00,525 --> 00:03:01,525 Ephesians. 47 00:03:03,025 --> 00:03:06,525 Rather than dwelling on what is wrong with the church, from a human 48 00:03:06,525 --> 00:03:07,525 perspective. 49 00:03:07,525 --> 00:03:10,025 Paul gives us a view of the church from above. 50 00:03:11,825 --> 00:03:15,725 From the Divine side of things, from the perspective of how the church 51 00:03:15,925 --> 00:03:22,825 fits into God's grand cosmic, eternal purposes for creation in Christ 52 00:03:22,825 --> 00:03:23,425 Jesus. 53 00:03:25,125 --> 00:03:27,825 Paul does not make too little of the church. 54 00:03:27,925 --> 00:03:31,125 In fact, for Paul, the church is kind of a big deal. 55 00:03:31,825 --> 00:03:38,225 The church is an eternal mystery in the heart of God created in Christ 56 00:03:38,225 --> 00:03:43,925 Jesus for an eternal destiny in the vision of God. 57 00:03:45,925 --> 00:03:49,325 The church is the elect whom God has chosen through Christ's 58 00:03:49,325 --> 00:03:52,325 Redemption before, the foundation of the world. 59 00:03:53,025 --> 00:03:57,925 The church is God's creation redeemed through Christ's blood by faith 60 00:03:58,225 --> 00:04:02,725 in the word of truth, sealed with the spirit in baptism and called to 61 00:04:02,725 --> 00:04:06,125 the hope of an inheritance in the new world 62 00:04:06,125 --> 00:04:07,125 that is to come. 63 00:04:09,825 --> 00:04:15,725 An eternal mystery in the heart of God created in Christ Jesus for 64 00:04:15,725 --> 00:04:19,725 an eternal destiny, in the vision of God. 65 00:04:20,825 --> 00:04:22,225 That's a pretty high view of the church 66 00:04:22,225 --> 00:04:28,025 I say, don't you think? From beginning to end Church, holds a special 67 00:04:28,025 --> 00:04:31,925 place in God's plan of restoring his creation. 68 00:04:31,925 --> 00:04:33,725 The church is really the beginning 69 00:04:35,325 --> 00:04:42,125 of God's plan to unite all things in heaven and on Earth under the 70 00:04:42,125 --> 00:04:45,025 lordship of Christ, for the glory of God. 71 00:04:46,725 --> 00:04:52,325 Turns out this little Church in God's mind is a big deal. 72 00:04:54,225 --> 00:04:58,025 So, Paul has a high view of the church, but that is different than a 73 00:04:58,025 --> 00:05:00,625 triumphalist view of the church. 74 00:05:01,625 --> 00:05:05,825 A triumphalist view of the church makes too much of the church so that 75 00:05:05,825 --> 00:05:09,125 the church can say and do no wrong can hurt 76 00:05:09,125 --> 00:05:11,625 no one can sin no more. 77 00:05:12,625 --> 00:05:15,025 And Paul knows all too 78 00:05:15,025 --> 00:05:18,825 well, that the church is beset by the devil and the flesh. 79 00:05:19,525 --> 00:05:20,325 He knows all too 80 00:05:20,325 --> 00:05:23,925 well that the church has serious issues. 81 00:05:25,025 --> 00:05:29,925 And he deals extensively with is transgressions and scandals 82 00:05:31,225 --> 00:05:34,025 in letters like Galatians and 1st Corinthians. 83 00:05:35,725 --> 00:05:41,525 But unlike these letters in his exhortation to the church in Ephesus. 84 00:05:42,425 --> 00:05:44,725 Paul is not trying to put out some fire. 85 00:05:45,625 --> 00:05:50,625 He simply exhorting the Ephesians to act in accordance with their 86 00:05:50,625 --> 00:05:56,725 identity to walk, according to the calling, they have precisely as the 87 00:05:56,725 --> 00:05:59,325 Church of Christ on Earth. 88 00:06:00,625 --> 00:06:06,525 He writes, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which 89 00:06:06,525 --> 00:06:11,525 you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience 90 00:06:11,925 --> 00:06:17,225 bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the 91 00:06:17,225 --> 00:06:20,025 spirit in the bond of peace. 92 00:06:22,925 --> 00:06:23,825 Humility. 93 00:06:23,925 --> 00:06:25,025 Gentleness. 94 00:06:25,425 --> 00:06:26,325 Patience. 95 00:06:26,325 --> 00:06:26,925 Love. 96 00:06:28,425 --> 00:06:29,625 What are these 97 00:06:30,225 --> 00:06:32,125 but the fruit of the spirit. 98 00:06:32,525 --> 00:06:33,325 What are these 99 00:06:33,325 --> 00:06:39,625 but the character of Christ who though, God became a servant for our 100 00:06:39,625 --> 00:06:42,925 sake. That's what the church united to Christ 101 00:06:43,225 --> 00:06:46,625 and to one, another looks like in a world 102 00:06:46,625 --> 00:06:50,725 so full of hostilities and divisions. 103 00:06:52,725 --> 00:06:58,725 By contrast, a triumphalist church comes across across as proud and 104 00:06:58,725 --> 00:07:05,525 arrogant, harsh and preachy, impatient and pushy, vindictive and 105 00:07:05,525 --> 00:07:06,225 judgmental. 106 00:07:07,725 --> 00:07:12,925 It draws attention, but for the wrong reasons, but this is not the way 107 00:07:12,925 --> 00:07:15,325 of Jesus or his spirit. 108 00:07:16,725 --> 00:07:21,725 And so Paul is urging the Ephesians to hang tight to be different from 109 00:07:21,725 --> 00:07:24,025 the world, to act like the church 110 00:07:24,025 --> 00:07:28,625 they have been called to be. To walk like a people called to be 111 00:07:28,625 --> 00:07:31,625 Christ-like in their dealings with one another. 112 00:07:32,225 --> 00:07:37,425 He's calling the body to reflect the life of its head of its Lord 113 00:07:37,425 --> 00:07:44,225 Jesus. Imitate his humility and patience and gentleness and love 114 00:07:44,825 --> 00:07:46,225 so as to keep the unity of 115 00:07:46,425 --> 00:07:49,325 the spirit in the bond of peace. 116 00:07:52,425 --> 00:07:57,125 You know, I think sometimes we do not see the gift that is the church 117 00:07:57,525 --> 00:07:59,625 because we are too close to it. 118 00:08:01,025 --> 00:08:05,925 Or close enough to it to see the good the bad and the ugly in it. 119 00:08:07,525 --> 00:08:12,625 As future pastors and deaconesses, you will be in the front lines of 120 00:08:12,625 --> 00:08:13,725 the church's Ministry. 121 00:08:13,725 --> 00:08:18,025 You're going to be close to the church in the nitty-gritty of everyday 122 00:08:18,025 --> 00:08:18,725 life. 123 00:08:21,225 --> 00:08:23,425 With all the joys and the burdens. 124 00:08:24,825 --> 00:08:27,725 You're going to be there in good and tough seasons. 125 00:08:28,925 --> 00:08:32,925 And you will feel on your shoulders, the weight of serving the Lord in 126 00:08:32,925 --> 00:08:37,325 the company of people who are justified and sinners at the same time. 127 00:08:38,925 --> 00:08:43,625 The same church that blesses you will also hurt you. 128 00:08:46,525 --> 00:08:50,625 And in those difficult moments were pride wants to take over 129 00:08:50,625 --> 00:08:55,525 humility, hardness over gentleness in patients over forbearance 130 00:08:56,025 --> 00:08:56,925 bitterness over 131 00:08:56,925 --> 00:08:59,125 love dissension over unity. 132 00:09:00,625 --> 00:09:02,325 We will need to step back. 133 00:09:03,725 --> 00:09:04,925 Take a deep breath 134 00:09:06,425 --> 00:09:11,725 and see the church and new from God's bigger perspective. 135 00:09:12,925 --> 00:09:16,425 Lest we lose the forest for the trees. 136 00:09:18,025 --> 00:09:19,725 So why don't we give it a try? 137 00:09:21,225 --> 00:09:25,425 Let's see, the church from God's perspective this morning, Ephesians 138 00:09:25,425 --> 00:09:26,125 Style. 139 00:09:27,525 --> 00:09:31,525 For our comfort and for our edification and to restore our faith in 140 00:09:31,525 --> 00:09:33,025 the church once again. 141 00:09:34,425 --> 00:09:38,625 Here is a quick glimpse of Paul's teaching on the church. 142 00:09:39,925 --> 00:09:46,025 Note, specially the references to the place of unity in God's Plan of 143 00:09:46,025 --> 00:09:46,825 Salvation. 144 00:09:49,725 --> 00:09:53,825 The Father's plan for the fullness of time is to bring about a new 145 00:09:53,825 --> 00:09:54,625 creation. 146 00:09:55,725 --> 00:10:02,025 He will do this by uniting in Christ, all things in heaven and on 147 00:10:02,025 --> 00:10:02,625 Earth. 148 00:10:04,325 --> 00:10:10,825 In this new creation, the church is the beginning of God's bringing 149 00:10:10,825 --> 00:10:16,925 about his eternal plan of uniting all things in Christ. 150 00:10:18,925 --> 00:10:24,725 By uniting the church forever to the Lord Jesus, as a body is united 151 00:10:24,725 --> 00:10:25,925 to its head 152 00:10:27,025 --> 00:10:28,725 through faith and baptism. 153 00:10:29,825 --> 00:10:36,525 God has made this church, a new humanity whose members are also united 154 00:10:36,625 --> 00:10:37,525 to one another. 155 00:10:38,925 --> 00:10:40,725 And through Christ's death on the cross 156 00:10:41,025 --> 00:10:46,625 God has made possible the removal of all divisions among humans. 157 00:10:47,725 --> 00:10:50,825 Beginning with the hostilities between Jews and Gentiles. 158 00:10:51,025 --> 00:10:56,825 He has begun to reconcile this divisions through that church. 159 00:10:58,625 --> 00:11:01,225 By making people of all nations 160 00:11:01,725 --> 00:11:03,825 one body under Christ 161 00:11:03,825 --> 00:11:06,225 living in peace with one another. 162 00:11:07,425 --> 00:11:12,625 In other words, the church's unity, which the spirit creates and to, 163 00:11:12,625 --> 00:11:14,125 which we are called 164 00:11:15,525 --> 00:11:22,625 is a sign and witness of what God wants to do to unite all things in 165 00:11:22,625 --> 00:11:23,825 Jesus Christ. 166 00:11:25,625 --> 00:11:30,725 And finally, because of her union with Christ, the church is also 167 00:11:30,725 --> 00:11:31,525 called to one 168 00:11:31,525 --> 00:11:36,325 hope in him. To look forward to her destiny 169 00:11:38,025 --> 00:11:41,425 in the joy of an eternal inheritance in the resurrection and the 170 00:11:41,425 --> 00:11:46,125 vision of God in the new creation. At that time 171 00:11:46,925 --> 00:11:54,825 God will fully reveal that he is over all through all in all and all 172 00:11:54,825 --> 00:12:00,625 things in heaven and on Earth will be fully united under Christ. 173 00:12:03,025 --> 00:12:05,825 In short, from God's point of view 174 00:12:06,425 --> 00:12:13,225 the church is an eternal mystery in the heart of God created in Christ 175 00:12:13,225 --> 00:12:14,025 Jesus. 176 00:12:16,025 --> 00:12:17,725 For an eternal destiny 177 00:12:18,225 --> 00:12:20,225 in the vision of God. 178 00:12:24,425 --> 00:12:26,125 I mean, wow. 179 00:12:28,525 --> 00:12:29,825 It's a lot to take in. 180 00:12:29,825 --> 00:12:31,225 If you think about it, right? 181 00:12:31,425 --> 00:12:32,925 This little church. 182 00:12:33,325 --> 00:12:33,925 What? 183 00:12:35,725 --> 00:12:42,325 But, you know, sometimes it's good to step back and look at the whole 184 00:12:42,325 --> 00:12:42,925 picture. 185 00:12:44,525 --> 00:12:45,725 Aguste picture. 186 00:12:47,725 --> 00:12:50,225 Yes, there will be times 187 00:12:51,325 --> 00:12:53,625 to point out what is not right with the church. 188 00:12:53,625 --> 00:12:54,125 Yes. 189 00:12:55,025 --> 00:13:01,425 There will be times to call the church to repentance beginning with 190 00:13:01,425 --> 00:13:01,825 me. 191 00:13:03,325 --> 00:13:05,025 But today today 192 00:13:06,725 --> 00:13:07,625 remember this. 193 00:13:09,325 --> 00:13:15,125 The one God and Father of all, has promised to work over through and 194 00:13:15,125 --> 00:13:17,725 in this little church on Earth. 195 00:13:18,025 --> 00:13:24,625 Even now with this wrinkles and stains and all. This one little church, 196 00:13:24,625 --> 00:13:29,925 which does not look like much to the world in order to make the 197 00:13:29,925 --> 00:13:34,925 mystery of his plan to unite all things under, Christ's known 198 00:13:35,725 --> 00:13:36,425 to us. 199 00:13:38,525 --> 00:13:39,625 Knowing all this, 200 00:13:41,125 --> 00:13:44,825 how can we know put the joy back in church? 201 00:13:46,525 --> 00:13:47,825 In the name of Jesus. 202 00:13:48,625 --> 00:13:49,025 Amen.