Today in America, being a Christian is seen as a personal thing and, by many, even a private thing. So I know it is weird to see being a Christian as a communal thing.
I believe that the Bible shows that following God is done best and most effectively in community.
In Ephesians 4:14-16 Paul writes to the church. He shares with us, as the church, how to be the community that God calls us to be.
Ephesians 4:14
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 men in their deceitful scheming.
Jesus does not want us as His people to be unstable.
Jesus does not want us as His people to chase every new trend in the culture or in theology.
Jesus does not want us as His people to be deceived by human thinking.
Jesus wants us as His people to be standing firm in truth.
Jesus wants us as His people to be centered in Him.
Jesus wants us as His people to be living based on God’s Word.
Paul shares with us five things that need to be true of Jesus’ church so that we are really Jesus’ church.
Ephesians 4:15a
Instead, speaking the truth in love
#1: Speak the truth in love
If we speak truth but don’t do it with love, it is harsh and mean.
If we speak love by don’t couple it with truth, it is weak and wimpy.
We need to speak in both truth and love.
The church has been given the Biblical mandate to speak out the truth of God to the culture.
We are not to speak out God’s truth in :
Hate
Condemnation
Arrogance
We are to speak out God’s truth in LOVE!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church sharing the truth of God with the love of God to the culture.
Ephesians 4:15b
We will grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ.
#2: We, the church, are to grow up to be like Jesus.
Romans 8:29 says, “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
The Father wants us to be like Jesus.
He wants us to look like Jesus.
He wants us to think like Jesus.
He wants to value what Jesus valued.
He wants us to act like Jesus.
He wants us to love like Jesus.
We as individuals are to grow up to be like Jesus.
Churches are also to grow up to be like Jesus. We need to remember that we, the church, are the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is to grow up to be like the Head, Christ.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the church growing to be the authentic Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16a
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament.
#3: We are to be in unity with Jesus and each other.
Jesus commands in Mark 12:30 to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and with all your strength.
We are to love and be in unity with God.
Jesus also commands us in Mark 12:31 that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
We are to love each other and be in unity with each other as followers of Jesus.
When God’s people are in unity with Him and each other, it displays God to the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is God’s church being in unity with Him and each other.
Ephesians 4:16b
Grows and Builds itself up in love
#4: We are to grow and build ourselves up
All living things grow. The church is a living thing. The church should grow.
The church grows in number.
The church grows in maturity.
The church builds itself up in knowledge.
The church builds itself up in wisdom.
The purpose of the church growing and building itself up is so that the Kingdom of God will grow..
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is building the Kingdom of God by growing and building up the church.
Ephesians 4:16c
As each part does it works
#5: Each member of the body fulfills its part in the body.
Spiritual gifts are given to each follower of Jesus so that the church can function in the way God created it to function. Spiritual gifts are given so the church can grow and build itself up.
The key to using spiritual gifts to help the church is - To Use Them!
Any gift that is never removed from the package or, when removed is never used, has no value.
We can discuss our spiritual gifts.
We can debate our spiritual gifts.
We can list our spiritual gifts.
But until we use our spiritual gifts, they are of no value.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is every member of the church using their gifts to grow the church.
God the Father envisioned the church.
God the Son established the church.
God the Spirit enables the church.
We are the church. And as the church, let us:
Speak the truth in love
Grow up to be like Jesus
Be in unity
Grow as a healthy organism
And do it together as the family of Jesus.
As the Church, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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