Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 4:1-6 | Part 4

Paul has been teaching us in Ephesians that God, by His grace, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has brought together people from every imaginable background, and has made them one in Jesus Christ. Jews who were born under the Law and who are subject to the Law, and Gentiles who were given over to dumb idols, have been brought together in one body.
 
The ground of our unity does not rest in our ability to get along with one another. Our unity in the body of Christ rests upon the common elements that we share as members of His body.
 
All of the elements Paul mentions in these verses are freely given to us by the grace of God. They are the fruit of our relationship with Him. It is these elements that make unity within the church a real possibility.
 

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 4:1-6 | Part 3

In verse 3, we are commanded to walk in unity as a body. In these human bodies we inhabit, there is wonderful unity. If you don’t believe me, take a hammer and strike your thumb. You will be amazed at the unity your body can summon in a moment of crisis like that. Paul illustrates this great truth in 1 Cor. 12:12-26. Verse 3 is The Plea For Unity.
 
These verses do not state the next truth, but it is implied here nonetheless. If we must do as verse 3 says and “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit” it must mean that the unity we are supposed to keep can be broken. Sadly, it can, and quite easily at that. The greatest challenge to the unity of the body of Christ are the very people who are the members of that body. The real problem with our unity is in our diversity. We are a different and diverse people with differing opinions, ideas, wants, and methods, which are unique to each individual in the body. The greatest threat to the unity of the church is not the devil or the world, it is the very people who make up the body. Thus, we have The Problem Of Unity.
 
In the middle verse of this section, verse 2, Paul speaks about The Path To Unity. In this verse, Paul mentions five qualities that each member of the body must possess if there is to be true, lasting unity in the church. The first of those qualities we have already considered. It is the word “lowliness.” This word means, “to think or judge with lowliness; to possess lowliness of mind.” It speaks of “humility.” Humility, as we learned last time, is “the quality or condition of being humble;  modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.” The word used here for “lowliness” literally means, “a deep sense of ones littleness.” It is not thinking little of oneself, it is not thinking of oneself at all! Genuine humility, or lowliness, is the absolute antithesis of pride, which is thinking only of yourself.
 
The other qualities that Paul mentions in this verse flow from a humble spirit. When we come to the place where we are truly humble, these other qualities will naturally be a part of our lives. Unfortunately, we seem to be in a constant search for humility, thus these other qualities were lacking as well. As elusive as humility and these other qualities are, they are essential if there is to be true unity in the church. When these qualities are a part of each of our lives, unity will be the result. When they are not part of each of our lives, it is an evidence that there is pride within our hearts. When there is pride within us, the very unity of the church is threatened.
 
I would like to spend our time today in the remainder of verse 2. I want to talk about the four qualities that remain. We have talked about “lowliness.” Now, let’s consider “meekness,” “longsuffering,” “forbearance,” and “love.” Let’s study these qualities together as we consider The Path To Unity.

Why Christmas?

In this message, Pastor Mashburn examines why Christmas had to happen to accomplish God's Will, Purpose, and our Salvation.

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 4:1-6 | Part 2

In our last study of this chapter, we talked about the unity of the church.
We spoke specifically about the plea for unity issued by Paul in verse 3. In that verse, Paul challenges the church to work toward the goal of “unity”, or “agreement”, within the church. He goes on to tell us that this is only possible when we allow the Spirit of God within us to cause us to walk together as one.
 

Resting in Prayer | Matthew 6 | Allen Mashburn

This message was preached at the Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC where Pastor Mashburn examines the Scripture and helps us rest in prayer.

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Eph. 4:1-6 | Part 1 | Allen Mashburn

In verse 1 Paul calls the church to remember where we came from and all that the Lord has done for us in Christ. He uses the word “therefore” to call to our minds all that He has taught us thus far in the book of Ephesians. He has been writing about doctrine, precept, and belief. Now, he turns his attention to duty, practice and behavior. The phrase at the end of verse 1 that reads, “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” is worth another quick glance.
 
The word “vocation” refers to “a calling; or a career.” It refers to “a person’s life’s work.” The calling we received from God to come to Christ by faith was not a call for a weekend getaway. It was a call to live a radically changed life for the glory of God. We are called on to live differently because we now know Jesus. We are live lives that are “worthy” of what we have been given in Christ. The word “worthy” means, “to balance the scales.” We are to live lives that prove we belong to the Lord. We are to live lives that glorify Him in the world. We are to live such weighty lives that we “balance the scales” with God.
 
Having told us what God expects of us, Paul now moves to tell us how to bring this to pass in our lives. He teaches us in these verses how to walk the worthy walk. One of the clearest ways the church can prove the reality of what it teaches is by living out the essence of what Paul talks about throughout the book of Ephesians.
 

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 4:1 | J. Allen Mashburn

The fourth chapter of Ephesians introduces a change of direction for the book. The word “therefore” in verse 1, signals this change. Paul is saying, “because of what I have said, this is what I want you to do.”
The first there chapters of this book are among the most thrilling and most profound in the Bible. Over the course of just 66 chapters, Paul lays out a wonderful catalog of divine truth. 
In the first three chapters of this book, Paul’s focus has been on doctrine. He has been telling us about the doctrinal truths we believe. He has also been teaching us about our positional standing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Join us as Pastor continues this powerful study in the Book of Ephesians.
 

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 3:20-21 | J. Allen Mashburn

Up to this point, the book of Ephesians has been one long theological exhalation. Paul has emptied the contents of his soul as he has revealed mysteries that were hidden from the foundation of the world. The first three chapters of Ephesians are a theological goldmine. The verses we have studied to get to this point in the book are so embedded with heavenly nuggets of spiritual truth that it is impossible for mortals to fully grasp all they teach. 
After this great outpouring of truth, Paul concludes this chapter by giving voice to the praise that dwells in his heart. As Paul writes the words of this great book, he is overwhelmed by the truths he has been privileged to learn. So, after he prays for the Ephesian saints, he lifts his voice in praise to the One Who made all this possible.