By Randy Keene
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Minor Hill
Focal Passage: Ephesians 1:20-23; 2:8-10,19-22
In this week’s lesson the writer brings out the point that when we come to Christ, we also become a part of the body of Christ. As Christians we were not meant to go this journey alone. The word “independent” has always bothered me when affiliated with the local church. God has designed this church to be serving together as His body, joined together by our love and belief in His son Jesus Christ.
Recently, before the pandemic hit we were about to launch a year-long campaign on what the church really is about. It was called “Let the Church be the Church”.
It never really got started. But I have really seen my church show the true meaning of what the church is supposed to look like. With an elderly crowd at First Baptist Church in Minor Hill, I was very concerned when we canceled services and stopped meeting on a regular basis. Immediately though people started stepping up and being the church. It was awesome to watch our members take care of each other and me and my family. They really stepped up and showed me just how strong our little church was. I saw members cooking for others, running town errands, taking others to doctor appointments and so on. It was a true blessing to watch the church being the church.
In our lesson Paul had come to Ephesus preaching the gospel to a very threatening cult of people for two years. His message to the believers was described here as four things that God had done for Jesus to demonstrate His power.
(1) God had raised Him from the dead.
(2) God had seated Jesus at His right hand in heaven.
(3) God has subjected everything under His feet.
(4) God has appointed Him as head over everything for the church. Wow! What a pipe full of doctrine. If God could raise Jesus from the dead what was impossible for Him?
A liberal teacher explaining to a little boy that there were different gods for different people. He asked the boy, “Which god would you want? “The boy replied, “I want the one who raises people from the dead” Amen and amen!
As for everything subject to Jesus, I remember one year in Memphis at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Don Wilton preached on “The Exclusivity of Christ,” meaning Jesus is the only one who could, should and would be in charge — all things in every way. The church is subject to the Head, not man. Adrian Rogers said once “that anything with two heads was a freak, and anything with no head was dead” Chew on that a minute or two.
Lastly, the truths of this passage are that Jesus can overcome any diversity that we might create to unite His people in love and fellowship for the betterment of the Church.
As we come together through the preaching and singing and teachings of Christ let us be the church, not only in words but in deeds also. After all the church is the extended family where the Spirit of God dwells.
