Ephesians 4:1-16

I've heard a lot of people braggin' on Grace. And there's a lot to brag about. I have heard people bragging about our music program. I've heard people say we have a choir better than some of the choirs of certain prominent Columbia church that will remain unnamed. Given the small size of Grace it is amazing the amount of musical talent we have. And with the direction we receive from Susan that talent is put to good use.

I have heard people brag about our outreach. They talk about the involvement of the church in Wheels and Sharing God's Love. Did you know that we now have 4 church members who regularly lead church service at nursing homes? That's in addition to the one we have always done at Eden Garden. And the list of other outreach ministries goes on: Habitat for Humanity, blood drives, Seeds of hope, Angel tree, Christmas in Lexington County, and so on.

But its no wonder, Grace is a church that knows its mission. Our mission at Grace is ... "To Know Jesus and To Make Him Known to Others." And so we have a great Sunday School program and Disciple and other Bible Studies. Through our worship and prayer life we are actively seeking to know Jesus. And through our Outreach programs we are actively to reaching out and making Him known to others.

I almost feel bad when I get together with other preachers. They are always talking about the problems they have at their churches. And I feel I have to share my problems. "Oh it's just awful, we have so many coming to Sunday School we had to lease a portable to hold them all." "And that's not all we have so many people coming to church they used to turn around and leave because there was no room for them to park - that was until we expanded our parking lot." You notice I said I almost feel bad about sharing my problems.

Well, the reason I am braggin' on Grace is I think that is kind of what Paul is doing in his letter to the Ephesians. Sometimes Paul as a pastor had to step on a few toes, but sometimes he had to pat a church on the back. The tone of this passage is that of Paul patting the Ephesians on the back and encouraging them. But he does more than just say "keep up the good work." He tells them how they can do it. And he tells them exactly what it is that they are doing that is so good.

He writes, "lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."(vs. 1-3) Paul here is telling them to continue to maintain their unity. Continue to forbear one another in love. You know it is not easy to love every one. Sometimes it is even difficult to love everyone in the church. But that is what we are called to do.

To encourage them in this, Paul explains the spiritual basis of our unity. We all share in the one body of Christ and each have received the same Holy Spirit. We have all been baptized into the same hope and we all serve the same Heavenly Father. There will be times when, on a human level, we have our differences with one another. But if we remember the Spirit and Faith that we share, that memory can lift us above those human differences. And despite our differences we can embrace one another in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Then Paul went on to say, "But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift."(vs. 7) He later adds, "And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers."(vs. 11) Paul is here following up on the theme of being one body in Christ. In his other writings he expands on this image. We are the Body of Christ and each of us different part of it. So we don't all have the same gifts and abilities ands callings. If the whole body were an eye where would the hearing be. And the foot can't say to the hand I don't need you. If everyone in the church were a preacher who would be in the congregation?

But what is the purpose of this division of labor. Is it just to keep us all busy. No the purpose is "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."(vs. 12) We each have been graced so that each of us can play a role in building up the church.

But to what end? "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."(vs. 13) The purpose of all this is that we grow to know Jesus - sound familiar? God enables us, through the Spirit, to work together so that we can help one another know the grace and love of God in Christ.

So through the grace of God we have been brought together in one body to know Jesus. Then what? Paul writes, "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles."(vs. 14) I heard it said that people who believe in nothing, will fall for anything. That is the way people seem today. They run after every fad of spirituality. Even within the church people get caught up in arguments over doctrinal questions that are inconsequential.

But this strength against "every wind of doctrine" is not just for our benefit. We are made strong so that we can speak "the truth in love."(vs. 15) In this world people need to hear the truth. There are so many competing philosophies and priorities in our society. Someone needs to stand up and say what is most important.

We need to speak the truth and Jesus is the truth. So God has graced us so that we can make Jesus known to others. Sound familiar again?

God has given us grace through his Spirit to unite us so that we can know Jesus and make him known to others. But you already knew that didn't you. Grace already knows that we have been given God's grace to bring us together. We already know of the call to humility and meekness in our one faith. We also know that we are to strengthen one another so that we can know Jesus and make him known to others.

Those are the things that we're talking about when we brag on Grace. But according to Paul all of it comes from God as a gift of grace. The Family feel of Grace and its unity of mission are all from the grace of God. It is God who gives us the gifts of teaching and music and praying that help us to know Jesus. And it is by grace that we are made strong in the faith so that we can reach out to help those in need.

So why are we braggin' on Grace? Perhaps instead of braggin on Grace the church we should be braggin' on the grace of God. If it weren't for the grace of God, Grace would not be the church it is today!

John 6:24-35

"Look Up" is the title of a painting. This painting depicts the front of a large city church. On the sidewalk in front of the church people are walking back and forth: women with children, men with briefcases. On the side of the church, about 10 feet off the pavement is a sign. It is one of those signs that are often in front of a church. It has those white on black letters that can be removed and rearranged. The sign proclaims the times of worship services and the sermon title. The priest or pastor is standing on the pavement in front of the church. And the church custodian is on a ladder and is next to the sign. He has just changed the sermon title. It says: "Sunday's Sermon: 'Look Up'."

The scene is a common one that the painter would have seen on any city street in his day. So why did he bother to paint it? The answer becomes obvious when you begin to examine the people in the painting. They all appear to be looking down. The people walking in front of the church are looking at the sidewalk. The custodian on the ladder is looking down at the priest, perhaps checking to see if he approves of the sign. The only person looking up is the priest.

That scene in many ways resembles the scene in our Scripture lesson. In it Jesus is looking up and everyone else is looking down. Last week we read how Jesus fed the five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Remember how the people failed to see the spiritual significance in what he did. They failed to see that he was the Son of God. Because he could fill their bellies they tried to make an earthly King out of one who was already the Prince of Heaven.

The people talking to Jesus in today's lesson are from the same crowd that ate the bread that Jesus blessed and divided. They still wanted to make him an earthly king. So they went after him when they realized he was gone. A small group of diligent seekers finally found him on the other side of the lake. Astonished they said, "How did you get here?" He hadn't gotten into the boats with the others. When had he come over?

But Jesus knew what was going on in their minds. They didn't really care how he had gotten there. They just wanted more bread. They had eaten the day before and they were hungry again. So like stray dogs they went straight to the one who had fed them the last time. They didn't want Jesus; they wanted their breakfast.

So Jesus told them: "You didn't come here because you learned something yesterday. You came here to get more free food. Don't waste you time on food which perishes. When you eat earthly bread your stomach aches for more before long. It's a temporary satisfaction. Look up to heaven for the food that God's Son will give you. That food will nourish your soul unto eternal life."

I guess at this point these people realized that they were looking down. So they began to think about more than their bellies. And one looked up and asked, "Jesus, what is God's will? What does God want us to do?" Jesus answered, "God wants you to believe in the one whom he has sent." Then another looked up and said, "Jesus, we want to believe what you say, but a great teacher is supposed to work some wonder so that we know that he is from God. We believe Moses because our ancestors ate heavenly bread in the desert. What sign do you give so that we may believe what you say?"

Jesus had just given them a sign the day before. He had fed five thousand people from just one boy's lunch box. He had worked a wonder before their very eyes. And now they were asking for more proof that God had sent him. He had fed them, just as God had fed their mothers and fathers in the wilderness, and yet they failed to see it.

So Jesus said: "Look, you have missed the whole point. Moses didn't give your great great grandparents that bread. That bread came from God. God gives true bread from heaven that nourishes the soul. The bread that God gives from heaven gives eternal life."

So they all looked up and said, "Jesus, give us this bread always." Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not hunger and whoever believes in he shall never thirst."

Jesus is the bread of life. But few people look up to him. We are too busy looking down at the problems and troubles of the day. We are too busy looking down at the sidewalk to see where we will take the next step or looking down to others for approval for what we have done. Like the people in Norman Rockwell's painting we are the ones looking down. Even our "spiritual" lives become subverted and turned downward.

Have you ever heard of "prosperity teaching?" Like most false doctrine it begins with a correct observation. That observation is that God wants what is best for his children. God wants to bless us and give us good gifts like any good father. God wants to cause us to prosper and grow. That part is correct but then it takes a (pardon the pun) downward turn. This downward logic concludes that if God wants to give us "good things" then that is what I should pray for and expect. Here is a for instance: Let's say I need a car desperately to get around, go to the doctor, run errands, make a living. If I need it than God wants to give me one. But not just any car, God wants to give me good things so it must be a good car; like a Mercedes. Gold is a good color for a Mercedes so I will pray for a gold Mercedes and accept nothing less."

How materialistic! What a perversion of God's Word! Don't misunderstand me. If you need something, God wants to bless you with it. If you need transportation God wants to provide it to you. If you need a house to live in or food to eat or help for a bad relationship God wants to give it to you. And we should pray for those things without hesitation, because God wants us to share our deepest needs with him. If what we seek is not what we need, God will show us like a loving, parent. And we will learn to look higher as a result. But does anyone need a Gold Mercedes? And would such a gift satisfy the soul? Or would if leave the recipient eventually hungry for something more?

Jesus is the bread of life. Look up to him. He came down from heaven to give us eternal life. Earthly bread feeds the body and gives it life. But Jesus feeds the soul and sustains it unto everlasting life.

In a moment we will be responding to God�s word. I will invite you to come to the altar and we will share in communion. Sometime during this part of our service commit yourself to look up. To look beyond the ache in you stomach to the empty places in your soul.

Jesus is the only one that can truly satisfy our deepest hungers. Look to him. He is the bread that gives eternal life. Look beyond gold Mercedes; mortgage payments, dinner plans, and fixed incomes. Look to God's Son, then you will find eternal satisfaction!