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A Praiseful Cadence

Writer's picture: Rev. Rob JonesRev. Rob Jones

Rev. Rob Jones

July 14, 2024


Psalm 85:8-13

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Surely, his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him and will make a path for his steps.

 

Ephesians 1:3-14

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight, 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ, we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him, you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

 

A Praiseful Cadence

 

In today’s lesson, the harsh criticism of last week, of the bad child, the Corinthian church, is starkly contrasted with the good child, the church in Ephesus. By comparison, this is a faithful community that has accepted the Word of God found in the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. A decade after the church had started, Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians commending their faith and love (A.D. 62). A study of the letter shows that they had done well. They were devout, well-organized, and busy with gospel work. The church was growing, expanding, and doing God’s will. Several ethnicities and nationalities, Jews and Gentiles, came together to form “one new humanity” (2:15) and “one body” (2:16). They were multiethnic and diverse in their socioeconomic makeup. Paul commends their sincerity in the final sentence of his letter: “Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.” (6:24).

 

The Ephesian church is an example of a faithful worshipping community that others should try to emulate. This community has come together as Christians first, not Gentiles and Jews. Paul seems almost elated to write to them, though I am sure his thorn will remind him not to get carried away with the adulation because we are all capable of sin, even such a shining example as Ephesus. This is all too clear when John admonishes Ephesus in the Book of Revelation chapter 2. We should all understand this to be a cautionary tale to stay vigilant in prayer and discernment. (but I digress).

 

Paul’s message for the Ephesian church was, and in many cases, still is quite radical. The message that permeated the early church was egalitarianism, a fancy word with a simple definition: there is no “us” and “them;” there is only Christ. Ephesians 2:14-15 says, “…he (Jesus) is our peace; in his flesh, he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us,15 abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace.” Paul’s message about Christ is that the Gentiles are children of God, just like the Jews. This message is not only radical; it is scandalous and very much at the heart of the Corinthian church’s problem. One can see why this letter to the Ephesians is a welcome respite for Paul.

 

Yet, the pleasure evident in Paul's delivery is more than just surface-level approval for behavior fitting the authority and teachings of Paul himself. Paul says the core message of worship is to equip the faithful to be cunning in order to outsmart sin’s influence. Ephesians 4:1-7 says, “I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, it is said, “When he ascended on high, he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” Paul understands that the work of the gospel is never done; he understands that Ephesus is in danger of becoming complacent, apathetic, and even entitled; listen to John’s accusations from revelation and understand what a church that loses its purpose becomes, “You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember, then, from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.” (Rev. 2:4b-5)

 

The gift of Christ is not to be taken lightly because sin is always lurking, waiting for us to let down our guard. God’s grace is not an entitlement, although many Christians will fall prey to this trap. Paul’s warning still speaks to us today. We have so many influences other than scripture to worry about. There are so many sources to build our theology around: ideologies of class, culture, race, politics, and the most dangerous of all, identity. We are told that we are American first, Republican, Democrat, Presbyterian, Father, Mother, Child, Homeowner, and Individuals first. How many of us identify as one of these modifiers?

 

We label ourselves, paint ourselves as this or that, and before we know it, we are “us,” and others become “them.” The good news of Christ is that we do not have to identify as anything other than children of God. (V.4-5) “just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.”  He has chosen us. We have been Blessed through him. V 2:8 tells us that the grace of Christ is the ultimate gift. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

 

Our identities are planted firmly in Christ's actions. We are “Children of God” first before anything else. We should pray like this, worship like this, and live our everyday lives like this. Be humbled because nothing we have done or will do can change our status as saved from the eternal hold of death. Be humble because we are commanded to be Christ's hands and feet for the glory of God and not for ourselves, not our church, and not for an ideology or identity found in human ideas. Our theology is not static or finished; it is dynamic and should be ever-evolving, growing as we work to sanctify ourselves before God because of the grace we have been shown. Are we doing this? Are we living an active Christian life, or is our Christianity a cool bumper sticker, t-shirt, or piece of jewelry? Have we become static and entitled?

 

Listen to Paul’s praise of the Ephesian church again. (v. 8b-10) “With all wisdom and insight, 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” How many of us know instinctively the Will of God? Here’s a hint: we don’t! Our parents, grandparents, or at least those who fill that role try to teach us right from wrong, empathy, and a sense of what it means to be good adults, but how do you learn the mystery of God’s good Will? How do you first come to understand it? Have you ever understood it? The hope for all of this is found in Christ. We learn by reading and studying the Word of God. We come to know by praying and discerning through the Holy Spirit. In doing so, we find purpose, understanding, peace, and ultimately happiness.

 

Paul plainly tells the Ephesian church that Christ will “gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” When we come to understand the will of God and the plan set forth in the gospels, it becomes clear, at least to me, that as the “body of Christ,” we will be the hands that “gather.” How will we do this? By not being anything other than what we are called to be, the adopted children of God, and as children of God, we show the same love we have been shown, we share the same grace we have been given, we invite into the family of God just as we have been invited. Salvation is at hand for those whose identity is found in the Lord. The Psalmist praises God for the good that befalls the believer. The Psalmist believes, just as Paul does that all who believe will be blessed beyond what this world can offer, beyond anything the labels of society can give. This is a reason to be elated, to use one of Paul’s words. 

 

Illustration:

This week, I was approached by a stranger, as is the case when I wear my clergy collar, because I assume it tells people I am no threat. This charming young stranger asked me two questions, one of which I had never been asked before. The first question is almost expected, “Are you a preacher?” to which I promptly answer, “Yes, I’m pastor Rob. I am the minister at Douglas Presbyterian.” The second question, which was new for me, he asked, “What is it like to be a preacher? Followed by the quantifier, “because I was thinking of becoming one myself.” To this, I also quickly replied, “If you love Jesus, and you love talking about God. If you feel the call and you are willing to commit yourself, it is the perfect career.” Then, I promptly invited him to worship, as per many conversations I’ve had.

 

Later, as I was writing this, it occurred to me that the same answer applied to all the people in the Ephesian church, Douglas church, or anyone who has accepted Christ as their savior. All Christians should heed the call infused in us by the grace of God to not only live a righteous life but also tell others about Christ because the Good News of Christ is not ours to hoard or claim exclusive rights to. If the Good News of Christ is to be our identity, it should be introduced to others. To paraphrase Paul, our Identity in Christ should make us all as approachable as my collar seems to make me so that Grace will be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.



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