More Than Bread

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Life is a battle, you can't win alone. We need to be connected to Christ. There's no authority in the battle without intimacy with Christ, but it's also vital for us to be connected to each other.  Paul's whole letter to his friends at Ephesus is a passionate call to be connected. We are the family of God. We are the body of Christ. We are the dwelling place of the Spirit. AND we cannot win if we fight alone.

Paul's not talking to spies on their own behind enemy lines. It's the unity, the battalion, the team that will win the battle. Be strong as a church, all of you together put on the armor of God. Stand together. You cannot do it alone. At the heart of this episode is a call to together!

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Here's the bottom line when it comes to spiritual battle. It's hard to get a breakthrough if we can't find a way to stand strong.  In fact, the goal of those dark, evil forces, as much as anything, their goal is simply to see you fall. According to Paul, there's someone out there who is waiting to take us down. So Paul calls us to stand in the power of God. Stand firmly, withstand, do everything you can to remain standing.  

Have you ever been in a crisis situation?  Anybody ever say to you, "Don't just stand there...do something!" It's almost like Paul is saying, "Don't just do something, stand there!" God wants to strengthen you so that you can stand, withstand and take a stand!

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The gospel is an epic story, all the more epic, because it is real.  But every epic story involves a battle, and every battle has an adversary. Because at it's heart, every epic story has a battle between good and evil. I think one of the great problems for our movement today is that for the last few decades the invitation to follow Jesus has read
more like a travel agency brochure than an enlistment campaign.  We often hear some form of "Come follow Jesus he will  lead you to the live of your dreams." 

Rarely do we hear "Come follow Jesus and enlist in the battle against evil for good. Come fight for the heart of your King or die trying!"

We have an adversary. There is a battle. So pray always. That's my challenge in this episode.

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Employees listen to your boss, follow their wishes, submit to their instructions, with respect and even a bit of reverence, but mostly with sincerity of heart, integrity. And here’s the big one, don’t miss this one. Work for your boss, just as though you are working for Jesus. Don’t be a good worker just to gain the favor of your earth-boss, because if you only focus on them, you’ll miss the main reward. Work for them as though you are working for Jesus; doing his will… Serve with all your heart, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because ultimately your paycheck is signed by God.

While that's not exactly what Paul says in Ephesians 6:5-9... I'm going to suggest that it's pretty close and if we believe it, it could revolutionize our work.

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Not everything that make a life great has anything to do with money. Right? And when we go hard after money and stuff instead of the true treasures, something within us knows that we are getting cheated. In our hearts we know that some things are simply priceless. 

That’s part of the message of Paul’s letter from prison to his friends in Ephesus…some things are simply priceless; like a family.  Now here’s the deal, whether you are married or not, a parent or not, whether you are last in your line or the first of dozens…you have a family. If you are a follower of Christ, you are part of the family of God. And if family isn’t one of your most cherished treasures, one of the values in which you are investing your life…you are missing out on a great life! Don't miss out!

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So we are finishing up Ephesians 5…with both a focus on the church and on marriage. Paul weaves them both together. Last time it was the church. In this episode, we're looking at marriage. Paul has some great words about the heart of your marriage. (Actually there’s some stuff here on relationships that could help you regardless of whether or not you are married.)

The heart of a marriage is not feelings, though feelings are vital.  A marriage does not begin with a feeling, nor does it begin with physical intimacy, though our society is very confused in this area. At the heart of every wedding is a vow.  Marriage begins with a promise. So how are you doing at keeping your promise?

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If Ephesians 1-3 are filled with theology and doxology, Ephesians 4-6 is filled with practical how-to's on living a life that thrives. BUT, here in the midst of pragmatic instruction on what it means to be a servant in your marriage, we run into this revelation of a truth more precious than diamonds; one of the most profound things ever written about the Church.

Paul leans way back into the origins of our faith, the book of Genesis, and he draws out God's picture of marriage and applies it to the relationship between Jesus and the church. What does he say? The church is the bride, the passion on the heart of Jesus.  Like a bride taking her walk down the aisle he cannot keep his eyes of her face.  He cannot stop dreaming about their life together. He cannot help the fire that rises in his heart when he stands to defend her from the comments of people who cannot see the beauty that he sees.  He is for us and He is not finished with His church.

Let that breathe hope into your heart.

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Moments are not seized in a moment.  Life's greatest moments come to those who have prepared. Life's greatest moments come to those who have made all the necessary decisions before the moment is given birth.  What is it in the human heart?  What is the traction of a soul that gives one person the ability to respond in the moment, with urgency and clarity and passion, while others merely stand and watch? God sets up divine appointments for us to make a difference, but we have to be prepared to seize the moment in the moment when it comes.  So walk with wisdom, don't miss your moment!

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Ephesians 5 gives us a call to be different. To be different; specifically by loving well; following the example of Christ. He loved us and gave his life for us and he was a  pleasing aroma to God. In other words, Christ was a breath of fresh air because he was different. So I'll ask you the question in this episode, "Am I being different?" 

You understand, Jesus came to turn our lives upside down and our hearts inside out. He said, "You will be known as my followers by the size of your heart, by the depth of your passion for God and your capacity to love your neighbor." What are we known for today? What we're against? What party we voted for? How we responded to covid, critical race theory or Q'non? Are we a breath of fresh air or just more of the same old stale air offered by the world? We need to be different to make a difference and in Christ, we can!

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The most significant people in our lives are not always the ones that are most well known, most celebrated, richest or uber powerful. They aren’t necessarily the ones who impacted many people a bit, but more often they are the  ones who impacted you deeply. The theologian Augustine once said that adulthood begins when we start asking ourselves, "how do I want to be remembered?"  What legacy do I want to leave behind?  

 This is the question of significance. There is this stuff that stirs within your heart...the desire to become someone of significance. That desire is a gift from God. It is His confession to us that we are spiritual beings with a purpose...a calling and a legacy to live. Paul describes that person, the person we want to be, in Ephesians 4.