"Where are Today's Musketeers?"
October 3, 2004

The Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 112: 1 - 6
The New Testament Lesson: Ephesians 4: 1 - 6

To call people to live in the bonds of Christian Love.

 I.  The unity of the Church is meant to be our burning desire
    A. I want you to pretend for a moment that you are locked in prison.
        1. One night you were sitting peacefully at home and heard a knock.
            a. opening the door, you found the police on your stoop.
            b. They have a warrant for your arrest.  The charge: treason!
        2. You are whisked off to jail and placed in a cell.
            a. forget civil rights—you get no phone call.
            b. eventually, you’ll get a lawyer and a trial,
            c. but the trial date depends on how much you can pay the judge.
        3. What are you worrying about right now?
            a. Are you worrying about how to defend yourself?
            b. Are you worrying about how your family is going to get along?
            c. Who’s going to walk the dog?  Take out the trash?
        4. Have any of you spent a moment on the fate of this church?
   B. Paul in that exact condition was most concerned for the church.
        1. His whole life had revolved around its welfare and growth.
        2. Now that he has been snatched from his ministry, he’s concerned.
        3. Mostly, he’s concerned about how they’ll get along together!  In the Message version of the Bible, Eugene Peterson paraphrases it this way: “In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do.  While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel.  I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands.  I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere.  And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.  You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay close together, both outwardly and inwardly.  You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is present in all.”     4. Paul’s most burning concern is of the unity of all Christians.
            a. He knew that people have a tendency to fracture and fight.
            b. He also knew that the success of the church lies in its unity.
            c. His desire was that the church fulfill Christ’s command to love.

II.  The points of Christian unity are the basis for our ecumenical witness
   A. I wish I could say that Paul’s prayer has been answered.
        1. Yet, the situation today is vastly worse than he could imagine.
        2. Instead of having a basic unity, we live in dis-unity.
        3. The church is divided into many different franchises!
            a. Our denominations often promote our distinctiveness.
            b. We compete with each other over members.
            c. We are not even welcomed at each other’s communion tables!
        4. Our witness to the love of God is weakened within denominations.
            a. Those outside the church hear much more about internal strife.
            b. The news reports the theological battles we have.
        5. Even inside our individual congregations we have dissension.
        6. How is world to look at us & say: “See how they love one another!”
   B. The modern movement to correct this is called ecumenicism.
        1. It is a recognition that our divisions grieve God.
        2. It works to heal the divisions and build bridges between denominations.
   C. Paul has drawn for us a plan to repair the unity of the church.  We are called to realize that there is:
        1. One Lord
            a. the primary base of our faith is in Jesus Christ.
            b. He is the prime example for how we should live.
            c. He is the ultimate revelation of who God his.  Jesus unites us.
        2. One Faith
            a. Jesus has taught us all we need to know about creation.
            b. We know why we are here and we know who put us here.
            c. Our belief in God’s love for us in Christ unites us.
        3. One baptism
            a. In baptism we were adopted into the family of God.
            b. That has made us brothers and sisters of each other.
            c. We identified with Christ’s death and are raised to new life in Him.
            d. Our baptism unites us.
        4. One God and Father of all who works through us!
            a. Our central purpose for life is the same.
            b. We work together to spread the news of God’s amazing Love.
            c. We cooperate with each other so that God’s reign can be seen.
            d. Our Call to work for the Kingdom of God unites us!

Some years ago, Alex Dumas popularized the slogan of the King’s Musketeers.  “All for One and one for all!”  It was their pledge to serve the King of France and come to each other’s aid whenever they are needed.  We are one in purpose, they declared.  Their slogan made them an incredibly powerful force in their day.

We will be no less powerful in ours if we will have the same commitment to unity as did the apostle Paul.  If we will recognize that we are made one in Christ then we can change our world.  All who claim the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior, accept the faith as the Church has taught it, have been baptized into the family of God and do the work of God in the world are one.

And as you go from this place, may you walk in the way of Christ Jesus and May God always find you faithful!