Christ, the Light of the World

May you experience the presence of Christ, the Light of the World, everywhere, in everyone, so that hope will abound in your life and the world you live in. There is no corner of the planet where Christ is not. And may you share the light of Christ that is within you with everyone you meet, wherever you are, everyday.


Wilfredo Juan Baez

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Grow Up

Grow Up
Ephesians 4:1-16
Wilfredo J. Baez
8/2/15

Sometimes I get bitter and I complain about my life. Have any of you ever done that? It’s easy to do, is it not? Life does not always go the way we want it to go. But you know what? I don’t like it when I get bitter and complain? Does anyone here really like to be bitter and complain? I don’t think so. I would much rather be better than bitter. How about you?

Well, Paul is telling us to grow up, and instead of being bitter and complaining, to be better and do our part in making our church, our community, our nation, our world and our lives better. I am tired of all the criticism and all the mean spiritedness and fighting that exists in our churches, our nation and world. You’ve seen it, and even if you’ve participated in it, it makes you sick.

Listen to Paul: “Lead a life 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.”

Who do you think Paul is talking to? He is talking to the Church in Ephesus. Why would he be saying this? The church is not working as one. It is conflicted and at odds with each other. They aren’t acting like Christ would act. They aren’t valuing each other. Everyone isn’t doing their part. Not everyone is being appreciated for the gifts they bring.

It reminds of Cartman in South Park. I can hear him say when a game isn’t going his way. “It’s my ball, I’m taking it and going home” or It’s my ball. You can’t play.” Well, with all respect to poor Cartman, when it comes to the church, the ball doesn’t belong to anyone but Christ!
Listen again to what Paul is saying: “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.”

Paul is calling the Church of Ephesus and is calling us to unity. He is saying, “Stop finding excuses to stop working together for the common goal Christ has called you to. Value one another and each other’s gifts; gifts that are meant to be used to help each other realize our common goal. Realize that God is in you and in one another, in your neighbor and even in your foe.”

Jesus asks: “Who is my mother, my brother my sister?” He answers “They who do the will of the Father, who do the will of God; they are my mother, my brother and my sister; they whose God’s will is manifest in.” Paul doesn’t want anyone to be excluded from the body, from the church, by themselves or by others. Everyone matters.

Are you, are we doing the will of God? Or are we doing what we feel like doing? That’s an important question of us to have, as individuals and as a Church. Who is our master? Who is directing our life?
I have a few gifts that I have been given to use on your behalf. My gifts are of that of apostle (Elder), pastor and teacher; “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Wow - to believe in and know Jesus, to realize perfection in love - to realize ourselves as fully grown children of God – our identity with Christ! Anyone here want that? I mean, if you believe it is possible, do you want that?

Who are the saints that Paul is talking about? Paul is talking about the members of the Church of Ephesus and he is talking about you and me; members of every church. Paul could not do the Church of Ephesus’s work for them; nor can I do your work for you. And your ministry, whatever it is, is essential to the body. You and I, every one of us have equally important parts of fulfilling God’s plan in this place. The question is what is that plan and how shall we fulfill it when we fulfill it?

Grow up! Paul says, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” We’re not called to win theological or doctrinal arguments and come up with the correct biblical interpretation. We’re not here to win on an issue in our next general conference. That’ll only divide and destroy us. We are deceived if we think that there can be a winner, if we do not find a way for all parties to win. Grow up! Be mature! Put love above all other things! If you seek solutions you’ll find them! If you seek problems you’ll find them!

What a perfect or mature faith Paul is telling the Church of Ephesus, and us, Christ is calling us to: “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

We are called to unity; to speak not ideas, opinions and interpretations, but truth in love, truth being a spiritual reality and state of being. And rather than “win a debate”, we are called to grow in Christ, our head, our leader and example; to become like him together, working together as the body of Christ, supporting one another – this faith community, this Church, the Methodist Church, the Christian Church and all people – bridging gaps of conflict - promoting growth from the inside out, as we build ourselves and each other up in love.”

Christ is calling us, you and me, the church and the whole people of God to stop being bitter and complaining to be better and cooperating.

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