The Global Church and the Saints – Ephesians 2:1-22
In a moment marked by extreme individualism commitment to community and one another is revolutionary. We believe in the global church and the communion of saints. We are the people who live in a community with God and each other.
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
THE GOOD LIFE IN OUR CULTURE
In our culture, the good life can be based on individualism and the next new thing.
In our culture, the good life is all about ourselves, and the next new thing:
THE GLOBAL CHURCH & THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
The Global Church includes “the holy ones”, “the saints”, the people who live in community with God and each other. This community regularly shares gifts with each other. These gifts include encouraging each other’s faith, offering each other excessive grace, serving one other and loving each other.
“The lives of the Saints are the hermeneutical key to Scripture.” – Stanley Hauerwas
EPHESIANS
Ephesians was not written so much to address problems in a particular church; more so, it was written to explain some of the great themes and doctrines of Christianity.
While previous letters from Paul focus more on God’s work in us as individual followers of Jesus, Ephesians focuses on the communion of Saints.
Some believe that this letter was not simply written to be heard and kept in one church in Ephesus, but to be heard in Ephesus and distributed to many different churches in different cities… the global church.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD LIFE
ONE: Disconnect & Rebellion
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” – Ephesians 2:1
In this sense, “dead” implies the disconnect between us and God while “trespasses” implies our intended or unintended rebellion towards God
“Sin is an unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.” –Saint Ignatius
TWO: Disobedience
“in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” –Ephesians 2:2-3
THE GOOD LIFE
ONE: Connected & Loved
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:4-7
The Not-So-Good Life leaves us disconnected from the greatest love there is, at odds with ourselves and others, and consumed with ourselves.
The Good Life leaves us connected to the greatest love, that of Jesus. A love that was available in our rebellion. A love that looks past our past, allows us to be deeply connected to Jesus in the present, and promises us immense grace in the future
TWO: Obedience
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 4:8
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
ONE: MICROCHURCH
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:19-22
Microchurch is the full expression of Christ’s church in smaller, everyday environments like a living room, coffee shop, or kitchen table. Microchurches are the primary way we reveal the Kingdom of Jesus, together, in Kansas City.
“When I do surround myself with people, I make sure that I’m able to contribute to them. And in fact, that’s the best part… is when I am there, I am really there. And I go way out of my way to show the people that I love, that I care about them, that I understand them, and that I will do what I can to support them.”
While the burdens of this life can tend to tear us down, the good life of community can build us up by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Good Life is discovered, learned, and lived with:
FELLOWSHIP at Midtown Church.
JOINING a Microchurch
And building the Good Life TOGETHER
