One Calling

Eph 4:1-3 (Thu am)

CECBC Retreat: United

one-calling

United (Ephesians 4)

What is God's calling for you?

• career, education?
  • vocation = calling
• roles in church:
  • teacher, helper, music, art?
• What is God's calling for you?
  • How do we live up to it?

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Eph4:1-3 One Calling

• 3 areas of application
• but first: what is the call?

1. Worthy of the Call

As a prisoner for the Lord, then,

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Prisoner for the Lord

• prisoner: bound, not free
  • house arrest bc Jews
• to proclaim to us
  • mystery of God's calling
• what is this mystery?

Calling == Identity (3:6, NIV)

This mystery is that through the gospel

the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

• Call: defn by Creator
• cross ethnic/cultural/nation
  • churched vs unchurched
  • successful / "good" vs not
• co-heirs (συνκληρονόμα)
  • co-body (σύσσωμα)
  • co-sharers (συμμέτοχα)
• Already done in Christ!
  • Now we walk in it

Called to Love (3:17-19 NIV, 1/2)

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, ...

Called to Love (3:17-19 NIV, 2/2)

... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge --

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

• Objective is love of Christ:
• Rooted in love
• Empowered in Spirit
• Attain immensity Christ's love
  • Experiential knowledge
• Fulfil potential: life to fullest

What defines your identity?

What does it mean to live life to the fullest?

• job, talent, hobbies, family?
  • Or defn by Creator?
• Fullest: no regrets?
  • Explore / travel / experience?
  • Help others? How?
  • ↠ love of Christ

Eph4:1-3 One Calling

• 2 pairs + unity

2. Humility and Gentleness

• Humble: submit thinking / values to God
  • and to each other: Phil 2:3, Eph 5:21
• Gentle: meek is not weak!
  • inherit the earth (Mt 5:5)
  • learn from Jesus (Mt 11:29)

Have I ever been sure I was right, but I was actually wrong?

What thoughts or values do I need to submit to God?

Eph4:1-3 One Calling

3. Patience and Bearing

• Be patient: large-turmoil (boiling)
  • Long-suffering: e.g., forgive debt (Mt18:26)
• Bearing with one another in love:
  • endure, tolerate, put up with
    • dealing with stress

... bearing with one another in love

• JJ jumping on my tummy, whining

How do I handle stress?

What if it's from church?

Eph4:1-3 One Calling

4. Unity in the Spirit

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

• unity of Spirit:
  • Christ defines our unity
  • not friend with world (Jam)
• effort: eager, hurry, zeal, take seriously
  • keep: guard, treasure, protect
• bond: fetter, cf v1 prisoner in Lord
  • not free to do own thing
  • constrained for sake of peace

... the bond of peace

• church aunties: curtains
  • vs sound equip

Am I zealous for the unity of the Spirit?

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.