 The title of our sermon this evening the communion of the saints our texts primary text Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 through 16 so we are back together this evening in consideration of our series entitled the essentials one sermon one subject and Essential to the life health growth and maturity of the Christian and tonight We have the joy of looking at a doctrine that is familiar to our confession It's a doctrine that is familiar to the great creeds of our faith Familiar to hymn writers, but unfamiliar to many Christians and tonight the doctrine is the communion of the saints our confession of faith Beautifully explains the communion of the saints this way from chapter 27 article 1 where our confession reads All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head by his spirit and faith Although they are not made thereby one person with him have fellowship in his graces sufferings death resurrection and glory and Being united to one another in love They have communion in each other's gifts and graces and are obliged to the performance of such duties public and private in an orderly way as Do conduce or lead to their mutual good both in the inward and outward man That is an introduction if you will to the communion of the saints in other words No matter where they come from whether those in heaven whether those on earth whether those in Zimbabwe or those in Tuscaloosa no matter where they come from no matter what time period they come from from Adam To you No matter what time period they come from no matter what language they speak what nation they represent whatever the color of their skin is Whatever the distance that would seem at first appearance to divide us All the saints through their union with Jesus Christ their head are united to one another in love Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19 that we are fellow citizens with the saints and Members of the household of God the whole building now growing up into a holy temple in the Lord There's something going on there right with our fellowship with our communion one with another By his spirit and by virtue of our union with Jesus Christ. We have communion with one another now having fellowship in his Gifts and graces in his suffering his death resurrection and glory our confession explains that we also then have communion in each other's Gifts and graces the Bible expresses this reality in beautiful terms and familial terms often in terms of body and head He is our head and we are the members of his body and members of one another That's the communion of the saints that doctrine that reality that spiritual blessing something that we should highly value and Cultivate labor strive to cultivate among us and it's something that is entirely foreign to most Christians It's interesting, but it is something that is entirely foreign to most churches Entirely it goes unexperienced by most professing Christians and most professing churches many today pride themselves on rugged individualism Isolation is them right how many people are used to going in the doors of a church Sitting down real quick to hear a sermon and then bolting before to get to the parking lot to beat the Lutherans to the buffet Right to get out of church because they don't want to have communion with the saints And that's what we're used to we're used to isolating ourselves. We're used to being very private People tend to be unassailably private really difficult sometimes to get to know people Relationships tend to be very superficial and I'm going to submit to you brothers and sisters We have to fight against that here. We have to fight against being superficial We need to be invested in one another enjoying the blessings that flow from the communion of the saints Churches today By many are seen to be a little more than a common activity. They share on a Sunday morning They're a little more than a social club and Besides possibly abstaining from Cussing and course jokes There's likely little if any real difference between your friendships in the world and your friendships at the church if you belong to a place like that the church is far More than a common gathering spot and a common activity Shared on a Sunday morning. There's far more going on there, right? Christians are saved to a living Breathing growing thriving rejoicing hoping loving community and that's a community that we are to cultivate There's something going on there and it's going on by virtue of God's spirit at work among us If you've been here for any length of time, you know what I'm talking about Sometimes it's difficult to put your finger on right maybe it's difficult to Tangibly define but community the communion of the saints is something that we enjoy and are blessed by and it's something through Which the spirit of God works the 18th century English Baptist John Fawcett Was pastoring a small church in a rural town When a large church from London offering a large salary came calling Well Fawcett accepted the job Preached a farewell sermon to his home church And after preaching the farewell sermon they all gathered together outside the church building to help load his belongings his family on to a cart and send John Fawcett on his way to London as They said their goodbyes There was open weeping To which John Fawcett finally responded. I cannot stand it. I know not how to go John Fawcett loved those people those people loved him He would stay and faithfully pastor that church for the next 54 years He wrote this hymn That describes our fellowship together the communion of the saints listen Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above That's the community of the saints right It's what he's describing. What is the tie that binds by the way? What do you think that that is ultimately primarily predominantly? It's the spirit of God But he does so through means that we're gonna talk about those means tonight Listen to the words of the hymn before our father's throne We pour our ardent prayers our fears our hopes our aims are won our comforts and our cares We share our mutual woes our mutual burdens bear and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear You see how connected we are how Intertwined we are When we are called to part it gives us inward pain But we shall still be joined in heart and hope to meet again We we we hear that heart expressed all over the New Testament. Don't we by the apostle Paul, right? I long to see you. I'm there with you in spirit Paul would say right I long to be with you That hymn Blessed be the tie that binds expresses the communion that we share as being heirs together of the grace of life The more that we grow in this grace Oftentimes you'll find won't you the more painful it is when that fellowship when that communion is broken the Lord Jesus Christ himself Alludes to that same kind of spirit-wrought communion on the eve of his crucifixion in John chapter 17 look there with me John chapter 17 And listen to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself on the eve of his death as He prays to the Lord for those who are with him and those who would believe upon him through their word John chapter 17 drop down there with me to verse 11 Now listen to the Lord's prayer verse 11 Now I am no longer in the world But these are in the world and I come to you holy father keep through your name Those whom you have given me that they may be one as We are that is an amazing thought that the body of Christ believers would be one With each other as Jesus Christ is one with the father is the father and the son or one with the Holy Spirit, right? He's speaking of our communion together Even as we are in union with him Verse 12 while I was with them in the world. I kept them in your name those whom you gave me I have kept and none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled But now I come to you These things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of this world Just as I am not of this world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world But that you should keep them from the evil one They are not of the world just as I am not of the world listen verse 17 Sanctify them set them apart right sanctify them by your truth Your word is truth as you sent me into the world I also have sent them into the world and for their sakes. I set myself apart I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth I do not pray for these alone verse 20 But also for those who will believe in me through their word he's speaking of you and I there right verse 21 That they all may be one. He's talking about our unity He's talking about the communion of the saints the communion of believers together They all may be one as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be one in us That the world may believe that you sent me This is something that is entirely foreign to the world right Bingo clubs have no idea what's going on here. They have no experience of that elk lodges Have got nothing on the brotherhood of whatever football team or whatever right? It's it's not the same as communion of the saints right There may be brothers and arms. This is spirit wrought communion. Do you see there's a difference? This is a testimony to the world of the unifying force that is the spirit of god in the church In the glory which you gave me verse 22 I have given them that they may be one just as we are one I in them you and me that they may be made perfect in one And that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me communion of the saints do you see you can sense The depth Of this christian communion in the words and actions of paul all over the new testament We've seen it in the book of romans right romans chapter 1 verse 10. Listen Without ceasing paul says i make mention of you always in my prayers making request if by some means Now at last i may finally find a way paul says in the will of god to come to you Why verse 11 for i long to see you communion of the saints I long to see you paul tells the thessalonians we brethren Having been taken away from you for a short time in presence not in heart That common alone you see paul expressing his heart. We've been taking away taken away from you physically I'm still with you in heart Right endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire Do we not experience that here when you when you're not In church you're missed Is that so difficult to imagine? I long I long to see your face Some of you more than others no i'm just Some of you are better looking than others that i'm even joking completely. We we love our fellowship together. Do we not? And as goofy looking as i am i know you like to see me too. We enjoy communion of the saints a spiritual fellowship that is wrought by the spirit of god among us And you hear that in paul's desire to be with them Right in other words there is a communion in the spirit a fellowship that paul has with them that causes paul to long to be with them Not to text them paul isn't longing i long to send you an email no To see them face to face and heart to heart. Do you see? This is not some shallow Emotionally hyped Sentimentalism we have no Ulterior motive some backward agenda going on trying to get our long arm in your short pocket Which is the way the world tends to think about these things right we're trying we just want your money right no Our confession refers to it as communion in each other's gifts and graces and it is wrought It's a fruit of the spirit This communion our confession says leads to the performance of such duties public and private in an orderly way As do conduced to or lead to their mutual good both in the inward and outward man Can always define how we bless or encourage one another in our communion our fellowship together But it's a reality of our fellowship together And when I see you you are an encouragement to me I hope I am half the encouragement to you that you are to me right we have this fellowship this communion together And it's a fruit of the spirit It's a fruit of the spirit that yields fruit I want to look at that turn to that text with me romans chapter one romans chapter one. Let's look at that text together Romance chapter one look there beginning in verse 11 And this is the text we've already looked at in detail on sunday morning Praise god and notice how this communion that we have in each other's gifts and graces compels paul then to the performance of such duties that lead to their mutual good in other words This is not a communion That is merely sentimental This is not a communion that is merely emotional This is a spirit wrought communion that bears fruit It's a spirit wrought communion our confession says that compels paul to the performance of such duties as do Conduced to or lead to their mutual good Now paul in this text has four goals in mind verse 11 has four goals in mind I long to see you that's not I long to text you I long to write a letter to you. I long to email you I long to see you face to face heart to heart Long to share this communion with you one That I might be a blessing to you and establish you in the faith That's his first goal verse 11 that I may impart to you some spiritual gift so that you may be established or strengthened Some gift of or pertaining to the operation of the holy spirit. That's what spiritual gift refers to It's not referring there to speaking in tongues or word of prop. It's not referring to that it's referring to A gift pertaining to the operation of the spirit a spirit wrought blessing It's a blessing given by imparted by the spirit of god and that gift is given through paul Serving them face to face and as vital and as important as this letter is This is not something that paul feels as though he can do through a letter paul says I Long to see you I long to be among you right Second goal that paul has in mind That we might encourage one another verse 12 that is That I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me It's interesting That our communion together is never a one-sided affair It's a mutual faith a mutual of encouragement both of you and me we employ our gifts For the edification of the body and when we employ our gifts for the edification of the body We ourselves are encouraged. It's impossible not to be right When we get in and amongst one another and we're serving one another in love It's impossible that we ourselves are not encouraged by the mere virtue of getting Involved and jumping in and serving one another That takes place verse 12 through our mutual faith. We share the same faith And we're encouraged by how the lord has worked in us Encouraged by how the lord works through you. It's uh an encouragement for us mutually The third reason of the four goals that paul has in mind the third is fruit Verse 13 I don't want you to be unaware brethren that I often plan to come to you but was hindered until now So that I might have some fruit among you also just as among the other Gentiles I love this heart attitude of the apostle paul like I want fruit I want to bear fruit. I want to be fruitful among you paul desires to bear fruit for the sake of jesus christ And that's a good attitude to have the word of god will most certainly bear fruit among them and among the loss When paul ministers paul knows it so paul wants to go there because paul wants fruit fourth goal that paul has in mind That I might preach the gospel verse 14 I am a debtor both to greeks and to barbarians both the wise and the unwise So as much as is in me. I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in rom also romans chapter 1 paul anticipated that Communion through their fellowship. He wanted to see them face to face. He longed to see them paul anticipated that that Communion would be cultivated through the preaching of the gospel through the preaching of god's word paul anticipated that communion as he served them And he knew it would be mutual as they endeavored to serve in the fellowship with him And this is fellowship in each other's gifts and graces. This is what paul longed for what he looked forward to in his communion together with them This is what should be happening when christians get together When we fellowship when we get together at the church, this is what should be happening and listen by god's grace It is happening. I'm we're so grateful for that Could we cultivate that? Yes, and we should can we abound more and more in that grace? Yes, and we should praise god We see this among us and we should not take it for granted We should not receive that grace of god in vain We should be grateful for it. We should treasure it and want to see more and more of it There's nothing better to talk about. There's nothing better to do than that. Do you see? Talking about the lord talking about the gospel Edifying one another the note with me note None of this merely happens by accident It doesn't happen by accident. This is a spirit wrought spiritually fruitful communion in the blessings and privileges of the gospel and the spirit of god uses means Let's take a look at those means from aphesians chapter four turn over there with me The text read earlier in your hearing aphesians chapter four And look there at verse one Let's take a look at these means together. What are the means? Through which the spirit of god works to bless our Communion together. What are the means through which we have communion in each other's gifts and graces? There's something going on here. The spirit of god is using means first means personal holiness I don't let that be lost on you first means the spirit of god works through In cultivating this kind of communion among us is personal holiness verse one I therefore the prisoner of the lord beseech you To walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness And gentleness with long suffering bearing with one another in love Now notice even from verse one how those Personal fruits of the spirit there are used here to emphasize a distinctively others Focused outlook, right? This is how we're to walk and this is how we're to walk toward one another personal holiness here is characterized by lowliness by gentleness by patience and by love in other words If you're not walking in lowliness gentleness Patience and love you're not going to be a blessing to anybody Right if you're walking in haughtiness harshness Impatience and hate You're not going to be a blessing to anybody You're not going to it's not going to be Experienced as communion of the saints if you're not walking that way, right? It's going to look like disunion of the aintz If you're walking in either way, but walking like this It's going to be disunion of the aintz not communion of the saints, okay So walk i beseech you walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness gentleness long suffering Bearing with one another in love and that will serve as a means through which the spirit of god will cultivate communion of the saints among us second means second means a diligently maintained Vigilantly protected and genuine spirit wrought peace spirit wrought peace look at verse three endeavoring laboring working to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace There is one body in one spirit Just as you were called in 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 you all those Spirit wrought fruits Are the distinct blessing of our communion as saints and are impossible Apart from our communion as saints, right? One of the reasons that we enjoy such a blessed communion is because we have This unity among us and one of the reasons that we have this unity among us is because we enjoy blessed communion as saints We're not talking about uniformity here We're different people different backgrounds different ways of thinking we have liberty of conscience And we're not talking about uniformity, but we are talking about unity We are talking about pace peace unity in faith unity in practice resolving Conflict speaking the truth in love Correcting encouraging loving confrontation It is amazing to me how in a vast majority of churches It's these very things that are completely abandoned neglected. They will run from them Instead of doing these things brothers and sisters. We have to be diligent about doing these things Resolving conflict Which means you have to approach someone And talk to them about a conflict that you have right you've got to do this work correcting There are things that need to be corrected And we have to be diligent vigilant about correcting those things encouraging one another loving Confrontation what does paul say convincing rebuking? Exhorting with all long suffering and teaching i'm going to send an email No face to face heart to heart loving confrontation and not only from behind the pulpit Right i can't just sort of retreat back to this little safe space and like speak over it to you We've all got to be involved in this work together Loving confrontation resolving conflict speaking the truth and love correcting encouraging convincing rebuking exhorting with all patience and teaching Notice how the word of god keeps coming back right as a means through which all this takes place right third means Third means our gifts and graces deployed And employed in the body Verse seven But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of christ's gift Therefore he says when he ascended on high this is a victorious Conquering king when he ascended on high he led captivity captive and he gave gifts to men He divided the spoils right verse nine now this he ascended What does it mean? But that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth We have time to go there right now we'll cover that another time verse 10 He who descended is also the one who ascended far above the heavens that he might fill all things To each one grace is given Show up And put it to work in the body right The lord has given gifts to men show up and put it to work in the body fourth fourth means constant equipping Constant equipping verse 11 And he himself gave some to be apostles some prophets some evangelists some pastors and teachers For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of christ What we mean there by constant equipping is that it's not like you know i'm gonna go to church on Sunday morning at 10 o'clock From 10 to 11 and then i'll be ready No, it's every Sunday morning from 10 to noon And then it's fellowship with the people of god and then it's back Sunday night for evening service and then it's In bible classes in the morning and it's over fellowship at lunch and it's at groups during the week And it's in conversations with brothers and sisters during the week and it's having people over to the house It's constant equipping constant equipping Again, what's common to all those gifts that the lord gives to his church apostles prophets evangelists pastors teachers. What's common? They're all preaching and teaching gifts they're all From the word of god they involve the regular Ministry of the word of god to equip gods people the ministry of the word Replicates itself in the ministry of the people. Do you see? Our confession says that saints by profession Are bound to maintain a holy fellowship in communion in the worship of god And in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification That involves preaching the word right preaching the word Fifth means We're looking at those means that the spirit of god works through to cultivate communion of the saints among us We're doing that from Ephesians chapter 4 the fifth means is sanctifying unifying growing Knowledge of jesus christ a knowledge of jesus christ look at verse 13 And so we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of god To a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of christ So that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting in other words Understanding the truth of the gospel we begin to be transformed We are transformed by the renewing of our minds that through the word of the living god and then The whole of our lives We are transformed Through the word of god the word of god is the means the spirit uses to do his work And that is a means to effect our communion Lastly, what is the fruit of that? We have these five means that I think are clearly outlined there for us in Ephesians chapter 4 Lastly that bears fruit look at verse 15 Speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things and to him who is the head christ We will grow up in all things into him who is the head jesus christ From whom the whole body Joined and knit together that is the communion of the saints. You see Joined and it together by what every joint supplies According to the effective working by which every part does it share Causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love So how does the body grow it grows this way? right the people of god every part doing its share Joined in it together by what every joint supplies according to its effective working It causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love In other words, there's something going on in our communion that is spirit wrought that is the fruit of this work of the spirit of god among us It's not an empty thing that we're doing here tonight. You may be sitting there, right and you know Smaller crowd on Sunday night sometimes there's a little more social distancing going on on a Sunday night And there can be on a Sunday morning. We're all packed in here elbow to elbow, right? But even even sort of sitting over there and sitting back there and sitting over there, right? There's something going on in our communion through this means That the spirit of god works through the word preach works through our fellowship works through our interaction To cultivate this growth in the body the edifying of the body the spirit of god is working through these means to do that very thing What is the unifying theme? That runs throughout all of this. What is the unifying theme? What is one unifying theme? It's through our in person face to face heart to heart communion and fellowship together It doesn't work the same way through any other means The corporate worship the corporate assembly of god's people is used as a means by the spirit of god to effect This kind of growth. It's not the same as a letter You can't do these things through an email a phone call streaming zoom facetime text Face to face people, right face to face We have to be together We need each other. We need to be around each other We need to be in church together at fellowship together Serving together from the weakest to the strongest We all encourage one another. We all have our part to do As we consider the responsibilities that we have for one another responsibilities that we've been given by the lord himself We have to ask ourselves don't we how is it that I am to get this done? How am I? The one and others how am I to get those done? How is it that I can be faithful to love my brother as I am called to love my brother? How can I do it? show up There is blessing and benefit in our communion show up What must that look like over year think with me right what must that look like over years of showing up? Loving one another serving one another being there face to face heart to heart Doing these things what must be the fruit of years of that kind of communion right tested proven fought for and won Uncorrupted immersed in mutual gifts and graces The fruit of years of the word of god being poured into one another through these means Growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love That we may grow up in all things into him who is the head christ Right the spirit of god works that fruit through these means It's this That you're missing right now if you're at home because of corona virus It's this That you're missing right now if you're at home for any other reason We should value this because the spirit of god tells us this is what's going on here, right? And we have to Take stock of how much we do or don't value this It's the reason that The more that we grow as a church The more that we love that the more that we treasure that and cherish that and the more painful it is when that communion is broken through sin Sometimes we lose sight of the fact only that most of the new testament Was written to communities and churches and not individuals Communion of the saints is critical to the church So important was this doctrine to the early church that it was enshrined in the historic creeds of our faith Listen to the apostles creed I believe in god the father almighty the creator of heaven and earth and in jesus christ his only son our lord Who is conceived of the holy spirit born of the virgin mary suffered under Pontius pilot was crucified died and was buried He descended into hell now well Another time the third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of god the father almighty Whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead I believe in the holy spirit in the holy catholic universal church The communion of the saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and life everlasting Amen We share communion with them With those who wrote this creed do we not we share it with the saints who are in heaven Even now the communion of the saints speaks to the unity of the church past present Future through our common salvation William walsham howe wrote to him called for all the saints that I think well captures this He says oh blessed communion fellowship divine We feebly struggle they in glory shine Yet all are one in thee for all are thine hallelujah, hallelujah From earth's wide bounds from oceans farthest coast Through gates of pearl streams in the countless hosts all praising father son and holy ghost hallelujah, hallelujah it is An innumerable host of saints from every tribe tongue and nation gathered in unity and peace By virtue of our head the lord jesus christ and union with him praising his name father son and holy ghost for eternity The communion of the saints god may we abound in this grace amen let's pray Father in heaven lord cause us please lord we pray by your spirit cause us to abound in this grace Lord cause fruit among us through this means may we treasure it and cherish it and value it as we should May we recognize and acknowledge the work of your spirit among us through it producing good fruit And lord may we walk worthy of the calling with which we've been called Uniting with one another in worship and in fellowship and in the preaching of your word and Serving one another may we love one another as we should and lord i pray that you would cause us to grow Cause us to increase in our knowledge of the lord jesus christ growing Into the fullness of him who is our head and may we Enjoy the blessing of it, which is for our good may it be to the praise of your glory We love you. We pray all these things in the name of jesus christ our lord amen