Today on Mother's Day 2024, we reflect on the fact that the authentic church is built on Christ. We find our “home” in Him with the church as the bride of Christ and Jesus as the groom.  This marriage picture perfectly displays God’s desire for all of His children to find our complete rest in Him.  At the end of life, we leave our earthly home to dwell in a perfect heavenly home.  While we are here, we are to share Christ while growing in Christ and worshipping God.  We accomplish those things as we serve IN Christ.

That word “IN” is used many times by the Apostle Paul in his scripture writings.  In fact, I would say that “in Christ” is a main recurring theme of Paul in this letter written to the church at Ephesus.  The Book of Acts speaks of Paul and his love for the church at Ephesus.  He spent three years there, loving on those folks and teaching them about Jesus. 

When Paul sailed away from Greece and Asia Minor headed to one more meeting in Jerusalem and then to Rome in Acts 20:17-40, the elders of Ephesus came to say a tear-filled goodbye. From this passage in Acts, you can tell that Paul loved this congregation of believers.   Paul desired for them to remain “IN” Christ. 

From Revelation 2, we see that John writes that they had left their first love.  Paul died in 64AD.  John (in his 90’s) wrote in the AD nineties.  So, approximately thirty years after Paul was beheaded, Ephesus had departed from what we are about to study today. We must learn from them that remaining IN Christ is the best way to serve.  Paul was writing this letter from prison in Rome between 60-64AD.

As a prisoner, Paul begs (entreats, pleads, calls out desperately for) them to walk worthy of their calling in Christ.  Humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, love and the preservation of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Looks like they have already begun to find pleasure and joy in other things than those he had taught them in his three years of living among them.

Paul reminded them that there is only one body, one Holy Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.  God is over all and through all and in all.  His drive for unity is boldly and passionately obvious.  Everyone who believes in Jesus has been given a spiritual gift with which their service is rendered for the good of the body of Christ.

Some are to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, some teachers.  These all have been given these spiritual gifts for the following reasons:  gifts are used to equip the saints for the work of service.  When these gifts are fully employed, the church will be being built up into the church family that God can use to reach the surrounding community.  When we serve on our own strength, the church limps along and grows sporadically.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to serve THROUGH us, the church changes radically and grows exponentially!

We are no longer to be children or babies in Christ who are easily tossed about by trickery and swayed by every little breath of wind of different doctrines of false teachings.  We are to reach DEEP and grow UP so we can be prepared to reach OUT.   This can only be accomplished by those who perform their service IN Christ!  Any other service rendered in our own strength is like filling up a car with bad gasoline.  That car might crank and might even run a while and look good doing it.  Soon, the sputters begin, the engine loses its spark, and we choke and land in the nearest ditch or repair shop. 

Paul said we are to grow up by serving IN Christ Who is the Head of the Body of Christ.  It’s when we ignore the HEAD that we experience failure which leads to disunity.  Our joints collapse and our body is rendered useless.  Can’t walk.  Can’t move.  Can’t follow!  Certainly, can’t lead.  

In direct contrast to what was written in paragraph five of this lesson commentary:
Humility becomes pride.
Gentleness becomes forcefulness.
Patience becomes impatience.
Forbearance becomes intolerance.
Unity becomes division and strife.
The bond of peace reverts to infighting. 

An authentic church serves in the strength of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, following the example of Jesus. When we fail to serve the Head of the Body, we experience what it’s like to be a dead body.