“With All the Saints” (Eph 3:14-21) - Belong V -

 

Enough

Watchman Nee, a church leader in China during the first half of the 20th century, faced serious illness his whole life. He pleaded with God daily for healing from a chronic stomach disorder and heart disease. One night, he had a dream. In the dream he was crossing a river by boat. But suddenly, a massive rock appeared in his way. He prayed, “Lord, please take away this rock!” But he heard the voice gently respond, “My beloved son, do you want me to take away that rock? Or do you want me to make the waters rise so you may pass over it?” He answered, “Lord, please help me pass over that rock.”

Watchman Nee’s illness was not cured, and each day, he had to lean fully on God’s strength. Through this, he discovered that God’s grace was always enough for him to live fully and abundantly.

 

The Power of the Gospel

Life is hard.

Franciscan priest Richard Rohr shares five core truths about life that resonate deeply with Scripture. He says:

 

1.     Life is hard.

2.     You are not that important.

3.     Your life is not about you.

4.     You are not in control.

5.     You are going to die.

 

All these truths rooted in the Bible, especially in the wisdom books. Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, declares, "Meaningless! Meaningless!" Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (1:2) He goes on, “For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune… All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.” (2:21, 23) James echoes this, saying, “Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

God often does not remove all our sufferings, pains, or struggles in this life; but instead, God redeems our life from them (cf. Ps 103:4):

·       Life is hard, but it’s worth living.

·       I am not that important, but I’m precious in God’s eyes.

·       My life is not about me, but it’s all about Christ.

·       I am not in control, but I am free.

·       I am going to die, but I will live.

 

God accomplished this redemption by sending Christ to die for us, so that we might truly live a rich and satisfying life. Paul understood this, and in today’s passage, he bows his knees and prays for the Ephesian Christians and for us. He prays that God may strengthen us in our inner being by the Spirit, so that we will be rooted and grounded in Christ’s love (Eph 3:16-17). In other words, Paul wants us to know that salvation is not just about forgiveness of sin, but it’s about growing in strength, being deeply grounded and maturing until we fully know Christ and become more like him.

 

With All the Saints

So here’s the question: “How do we grow in the knowledge of Christ and become more like him?” Paul gives us the answer in the next verse. He continues to pray, saying, “I pray that you may be able to understand, with all the saints, how wide and long and high and deep is Christ’s love” (v. 18).

Each of us can know something of Christ’s love. But our individual understanding and experience are one-dimensional. Only “with all the saints” do we begin to grasp the full dimensions of Christ’s love. It takes the whole family of God – “the church” – to fully experience and understand the whole love of God. Together, with all the saints, men and women, young and old, with all different backgrounds and experiences, we come to know Christ’s love more completely.[1]

How do we discover the fullness of Christ’s love? Through the church, with all the saints! How do we grow and become more like Christ? Through the church, with all the saints! Rick Warrens puts it well this way:

The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family. It is a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love… Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other.[2]

Yes, church life can be messy. But the local church is God’s design for us to grow and experience the full dimensions of Christ’s love. For me personally, I can say I’ve come to know Christ’s love intimately through our church. I still vividly remember the day my family and I moved into the parsonage. It was on June 25, 2014. Over these past ten years, we have welcomed new members, baptized babies and new believers. We sent off those who were moving or leaving the church. We also buried quite a few beloved church members. So many times, we have worshiped together, shared meals together, met in small groups together, served in mission together. Through all of this, I believe we have become stronger, more resilient, and more loving like Christ – as a church.

 

Our God Is Able

Let me share a picture of God’s healing that speaks to us today. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing pottery with gold. When a pot is broken, the pieces are carefully glued back together, and each crack is filled with gold. Rather than hiding the damage, this art makes the object even more beautiful than it was before, as each gold-filled line tells a story of restoration.

Imagine a broken pot, shattered and seemingly beyond repair. In the hands of a kintsugi artist, though, every single piece is seen with care, and each crack is carefully filled with gold. What once looked like a useless, broken vessel becomes a beautiful masterpiece, telling a story of resilience and transformation.

This is exactly what God does with our lives and with us as a church. We have faced pain and loss – whether from the pandemic, the challenges from decisions made at the general conference, or the loss of beloved members. These experiences can make us feel fractured, as if parts of us have broken. But our God doesn’t see our cracks as shameful; he sees them as places where his grace can shine. Our God is able. He takes our brokenness, our struggles, and our traumas and fills them with his love, making us stronger, more united, and deeply beautiful. Together, in our gold-filled scars, we see how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Christ’s love truly is. You need the church, and the church needs you.

So in one spirit and with a grateful heart, let us join the Apostle Paul in his doxology to God: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!” (vv. 20-21, NLT) Amen.

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[1] John Stott, The Message of Ephesians (The Bible Speaks Today Series) (pp. 137-138). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

[2] Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those Who Are Tired of Taking Sides (p. 48). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

“One People” (Eph 2:11-22) - Belong IV -

Whose Side Are You on?

Nicky Gumbel, the founder of the Alpha Course, once shared a story about how challenging it can be to maintain the unity of the church. There was a man who was standing in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge, admiring the view. And he heard another tourist say quietly, “What an awesome God!” Intrigued, he turned to the tourist and asked, “Oh, are you a Christian?” The tourist said, “Yes, I am a Christian.” He said, “So am I,” and they shook hands. Then, he asked, “Are you a liberal or a fundamental Christian?” The tourist said, “I'm a fundamental Christian.” He said, “So am I,” and they smiled and nodded at each other. Then he asked, “Are you a covenant or dispensational fundamental Christian?” The tourist said, “I'm a dispensational fundamental Christian.” He said, “So am I,” and they patted each other on the back, agreeing to exchange Christmas cards every year. Then he asked, “Are you an early Acts, mid Acts, or late Acts dispensational fundamental Christian?” The tourist said, “I'm a late Acts dispensational fundamental Christian.” To which the man shouted, “You heretic!” and he pushed him off the bridge.[1]

 

Through the Cross

When we look around, peace seems impossible to find. We hear almost daily of wars, conflicts, and divisions among different tribes, classes, nations, and races. But this isn’t new. Even in Jesus’ time, these problems existed. Jews and Gentiles did not associate with one another. They were hostile toward each other. But something incredible happened. By his sacrificial death, Jesus created peace. Ephesians 2:14 tells us, “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us” (NLT).  

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. At that moment, a double reconciliation took place. First, reconciliation with God. No longer was access to God reserved for the high priest once a year; now anyone who repents and believes can enter God’s presence at any time. Second, Jews and Gentiles were reconciled to each other. Together, they could approach the Father. Through his death on the cross, Jesus created one new humanity (v. 15). In himself, he created the new society – the church.

The Apostle Paul describes how the church was born and how it grows this way: “You [Gentiles] are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” (vv. 19-22, NLT) The church is God’s idea. The church is God’s new society, made up of all who confess Jesus as the cornerstone. Through the church, we get a glimpse of God’s reign – here and now. The church is the sign of God’s kingdom.

 

Christ the Cornerstone

Peace is not something we create on our own. It was created by the blood of Christ. Our role is to keep that unity. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3).

In the early church there were mainly two groups of people in terms of language and culture. The majority of the church believers were Hebrew-speaking Jews, and there were some Greek-speaking believers as a minority group. Satan tried to distort this "diversity" into "division." For some reason, the Greek-speaking widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food. So the Greek-speaking disciples started to complain against the majority group, that is, the Hebrew-speaking disciples. Satan put a barrier between the believers. That division made the apostles “distracted” from their ministry. Now the peace and unity of the church were at stake. So how did the early church overcome this crisis and keep the unity of the Spirit?

The apostles designated and empowered others. They said, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task.” (Acts 6:3) So the church chose seven people. We can find a very interesting fact here. All seven were Greek names. In other words, all of them came from the minority group. The majority of the early church believers did not choose their own people. They did not insist on their own way, but instead, they chose the right persons for this issue. They chose the seven people from the minority group to take care of their neglected widows. In this way, the early church could overcome division and maintain the unity of the Spirit.

 

The Politics of God’s Kingdom

St. Augustine once said, “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity.” There are some essentials we cannot comprise such as Trinitarian faith and the lordship of Jesus Christ. They are the foundations of our Christian faith. But when it comes to non-essentials, such as politics, we Christians have liberty. Both political sides have their strengths and their weaknesses. Republican candidates often emphasize issues like abortion, marriage and family, and religious freedom, while Democratic candidates may focus on racial justice, economic fairness, and the environmental protection.  

Even among Jesus' disciples, we see political diversity. Simon, a Zealot, worked against the government, while Matthew, a tax collector, worked for the government. But both of them were Jesus’ disciples. Jesus himself is nether conservative nor liberal, but he is also both. Sometimes Jesus is more conservative than the far right. He rebukes liberal Sadducees and says, “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:18). Sometimes Jesus is also more progressive than the far left. He rebukes conservative Pharisees and upends religious traditions of his time, saying, “You have heard that it was said this… but I say to you that…” Jesus is outside the lines. Pastor Tim Keller once said, “The more we faithfully preach Jesus, the longer it takes people to figure out where we stand on politics.”[2] It is because Jesus is neither conservative nor progressive. John Wesley gave three pieces of advice to voters this way:

1.     To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy.

2.     To speak no evil of the person they voted against.

3.     To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.

If we place Jesus as our cornerstone, it becomes possible to disagree with others while loving them deeply at the same time. “In nonessential liberty, and in all things love.”

 

Journey to the Peaceful Kingdom

Do you think it’s possible Israel to be reconciled with its neighbors? For Republicans and Democrats to get along? For traditionalists and progressives in our denomination to work together? With the world’s politics, these things seem impossible, but with God’s kingdom’s politics, all things are possible. In the church, God’s new society – with Jesus as the head and cornerstone – we can experience peace and unity in all circumstances.

Dr. King had a vision of building a beloved community, famously saying, “I have a dream today.” In fact, his dream was deeply rooted in the Prophet Isaiah’s vision of God’s peaceful kingdom: “The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). My prayer is that we, the church, may faithfully follow Jesus and make every effort to keep the unity given to us. Then, we will foretaste and live in God’s peaceful kingdom. May God’s name be honored, may God’s kingdom come, and may God’s will be done. Amen.

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[1] Nicky Gumbel, Alpha Course, “Talk 15: What About the Church?”

[2] Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those Who Are Tired of Taking Sides (Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 4.

“Who Is Your Lord?” (Eph 2:1-10) - Belong III -

 

Jesus is Lord

“Jesus is Lord”

In the early church, this was not just a phrase—it was a bold confession of faith. At the time, the Roman Empire demanded that people say, “Caesar is Lord,” pledging loyalty to Rome. But Christians, transformed by the gospel, proclaimed a different Lord: Jesus. This was a radical act because it meant rejecting the authority of Caesar and recognizing Christ’s lordship instead. It was a public declaration that Jesus is most precious.

A powerful example is Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna. He lived during the 2nd century and was a disciple of the Apostle John. When he was 86, Polycarp was arrested during a time of intense Roman persecution. He was brought before the Roman authorities, and they demanded that he renounce Christ and declare “Caesar is Lord.” The authorities promised that if he swore allegiance to Caesar and denied Christ, his life would be spared. But Polycarp refused. Instead, he famously said, “86 years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” He chose to proclaim “Jesus is Lord”, even if it cost him his life.

 

Salvation Journey

Today’s scripture, Ephesians 2:1-10, is one of the most important passages in the Bible, because It tells us about our salvation journey in a nutshell. Salvation is the transformative journey from “I am Lord” to “Jesus is Lord.”

The Bible says that we were once spiritually dead because of our sins (v. 1). What does that look like? The spiritually dead live as the lords of our own lives. They do what they want, when they want, and build their own little kingdoms (v. 3). At the foundation of their lives is self – “I am Lord.” And you know what? We’ve all been there.

Think about Lazarus. He was dead in his tomb for four days. He wasn’t partly alive; he was completely dead. But when Jesus came to him and called, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man arose and came to life. In the same way, we were all spiritually dead, living for ourselves and doing our own thing. But God, in his great mercy, reached out to us and made us alive in Christ. That’s when the foundation of “self” is exchanged for “Christ.” For the first time, we begin to delight in Christ, we make much of Christ, and we surrender our self-centered lives. We declare with joy, “Jesus is Lord!”

 

Who Is Your Lord?

So, how can we tell if "Jesus is Lord" or "I am Lord"? Throughout the Bible, we see stories of people wrestling with this tension. Let me share two key stories from the Bible.

First, we have the story of the young rich ruler in Mark 10:17-27. He comes to Jesus and asks, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, and the young man proudly says he has kept them all since this youth. But then Jesus points out the one thing that shows who is really lord of his life: his wealth. Jesus tells him to sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him.

The rich young ruler couldn’t do it. His wealth and possessions were his lord, not Jesus. Even though he wanted eternal life, his heart was divided. He couldn’t let go of control. “I am Lord” was still reigning in his life. His trust was in his money, not in Jesus, and so he couldn’t fully surrender to Jesus as Lord. It’s a sad story.

The second story is more encouraging. It’s about the Apostle Paul in Acts 9:1-22. Paul’s transformation is a powerful example of moving from "I am Lord" to "Jesus is Lord." Before his conversion, Paul (then Saul) was persecuting Christians, believing he was doing God’s will. He was full of pride, control, and self-righteousness. His life was driven by his own sense of purpose, not by submission to God.

But on the road to Damascus, Paul encountered the risen Christ. In that moment, for the first time Paul realized he had been living with himself as lord, trying to control his own life and even the lives of others. Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Blinded and humbled, Paul surrendered to Jesus as Lord. This was the beginning of his completely transformed life.

So, how do we know “Jesus is Lord” or “I am Lord” in our lives? These two stories teach us that when "I am Lord," we hold on to control and trust in our own efforts. But when “Jesus is Lord”, we let go of control, trust Him fully, and follow His lead, even when it’s difficult or costs us something. When “Jesus is Lord,” we can say, like Paul, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Jesus Is My Lord!

Recently, I heard a story about a college student who answered a telemarketer’s call. This atheist student planned to mock the caller for her friends’ amusement. Using a fake accent, she pretended to be a Christian. But, the man on the other end of the call, instead of engaging in her joke, shared his genuine faith story. He opened up about how Jesus had transformed his life—freeing him from alcoholism, healing his marriage, and filling him with hope. He shared how God’s grace brought him from death to life. He shared how his foundation shifted from “self” to “God.” His joy and peace were so genuine, so contagious. She didn’t know what to say. At the end of the call, the student felt humbled. She realized that she, too, longed for that same joy and peace.

C.S. Lewis once wrote about how God transforms us. He said that when we come to God, we might expect Him to just fix a few things—patch up some leaks, fix the plumbing, maybe stop some drafts. We think we need small improvements to make life better. But then, God starts knocking down walls, tearing up floors, and adding new wings. And we wonder, “What is He doing?”

It’s because God isn’t just making repairs—He’s transforming us into something far greater than we could ever imagine. He’s building us into a palace, a place where He intends to live with us.

This is what Ephesians 2:1-10 is all about. God's grace doesn't just fix a few broken parts of our lives. It radically transforms us from the inside out – from “I am Lord” to “Jesus is Lord”. We were once dead in our sins, living for ourselves. But through God’s grace, we are made into new creations. He is building us into something beautiful, where He can dwell.

So, let me ask you – who is your Lord? Wherever you are on your journey, Jesus is with you. Today you may be walking through unexpected or even painful paths. But Jesus knows what he is doing. He’s shaping you into his masterpiece. Trust him and follow him. Give him full control, and let him turn your life into something beautiful. Let this be our prayer:

Into my heart, into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come in today, come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus!