Wouldn’t you like to be caught up in an adventure? Wouldn’t you like to be swept into something meaningful and exciting? I remember watching Die Hard over and over again as a child (the edited-for-tv version recorded on VHS) longing to be John McClain, waging epic battle with the bad guys. I think many of us are familiar with this instinctual desire for excitement. Instead, we’re shackled to the day-to-day demands of work and responsibility. It’s what gets us up in the mornings and what sends us exhausted back to bed in the evenings.
In this post, I want to remind you that if you are a Christian you are caught up in an adventure. You have been swept into something meaningful and exciting. You are experiencing epic drama. This is your life because you are the church. Being the church floods all the mundane parts of life with adventure. It makes getting up in the morning meaningful and your daily efforts exciting, because being the church means being a part of the cosmic work of God in the world.
This sermon was preached during our commissioning service when we recognized those who served in official church roles in 2012 and commissioned those serving in official roles in 2013. It was a good occasion to be reminded of the epic drama that is the church.
In this passage we’ll see two things the father has done and one thing the church is. Let these three points sharpen your understanding of just what it is we’re a part of here. Because church can get boring and routine and mundane. It can get tiresome and ordinary and bothersome. We’re busy people with busy lives, and often church can seem like something we have to make time for, an obligation. If this describes your relationship to the church, drink this passage like precious antidote. Ephesians 1:15-23:
15) For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your lovef toward all the saints, 16) I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18) having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19) and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20) that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22) And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The Father put all things under Jesus’ feet
To understand church, you need to understand what God the Father is up to with Jesus. Let’s look at some other scriptures to round out what Paul is saying here in Ephesians.
Philippians 2:9-11 puts it this way, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Hebrews 1:3-4 puts it this way, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. “
Jesus himself puts it this way in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
The Father has made the Son preeminent in position, unmatched in name, supreme in glory, unparalleled in honor and ultimate in authority. There is no one higher, more important, more glorious, weightier or more authoritative that Jesus Christ. We have heard these things, but we need to be reminded of them and to let them sink deep into our hearts and minds.
We are Christians and often I think we take that to mean that we’re identified with the baby in the manger, warm and cuddly. Or the winsome teacher, persuasive and captivating. Or the betrayed, tortured, naked, bleeding martyr on the cross. Jesus was indeed all of those things and they are vitally important to who we are as the church. But he is no longer in the manger, walking the streets as a teacher or hanging on the cross. He is, according to Ephesians 1:20-21, raised from the dead and seated at the Father’s right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
We don’t just follow a crucified savior; we follow a resurrected and glorified savior. We don’t just follow a great teacher or a great ruler or a great authority or a great power; we follow The greatest teacher, ruler, authority and power. What mighty confidence we have as Christians! What strength!
Meredith and I have recently discovered The West Wing. We’re drawn into the lives of these men and women who work for a great president. President Bartlett is wise, warm, passionate and smart. His staff love to “serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.” They all work with gusto and courage because they work for a man they believe in. Several times while watching the show, Meredith and I have talked about how great it would be to be a part of a team working under the leadership of someone truly great. The fact is, as the church, we are employed in the service of the leader of the universe. The father has put all things under his feet.
Remember who Jesus Christ is before you consider the next point:
The Father gave Jesus as head over all things to the church
This is important to remember on commissioning day, because we can get swept into church business and forget our greatest asset. It is good for a church to have a great leadership team, a great pastor, a great building in which to meet, a great budget, a great program—but God has given us something better than all those things put together. He has given us Jesus Christ.
When you invite someone to church, remember that the biggest draw isn’t the worship music, the sermon, the community, the friendships, the activities—it’s Jesus Christ.
But calling Jesus Christ our greatest asset isn’t really accurate. He’s our only asset. If we don’t have Jesus, we have nothing. Even if we have a great pastor, leadership team, volunteer pool, building, location, budget, and program; it’s nothing without Jesus Christ. Praise God we do have Jesus. The church has Jesus like a body has a soul.
The church is Jesus’ body, the fullness of him who fills all in all
Jesus is not on the earth in bodily form as he once was. You can’t see him, hear him or touch him. But can you imagine what that would have been like? What did his face look like? His eyes? His hair? What was the tone of his skin? How tall was he? What did his hands look like? What would it have felt like to be hugged by Jesus? To receive a pat on the back? To see him looking at you, talking directly to you?
I want us to sense the wonder of this. No, Jesus is not here in bodily form the way he was. But he is here in bodily form in a new way, as the church. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, “You are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” We are Jesus’ body in this world.
When we became Christians, we were forgiven, justified, cleansed, adopted and gifted so that we could become functioning parts of the global body of Christ. I don’t just see people in my congregation; I see Jesus’ eyes, ears, arms, hands, legs and feet. What a privilege!
Some of us get to be Jesus’ eyes, seeing and understanding and discerning the times and the people around us. Some of us get to be Jesus’ mouth, speaking words of wisdom and knowledge and encouragement. Some of us get to be Jesus’ hands, working to serve and help. Some of us get to be Jesus’ arms, embracing the weary and heavy laden. Some of us get to be Jesus’ legs and feet, going to far places with the good news of the kingdom.
This is no small thing. This is anything but boring. If you’re bored with being the church, you’re not being the church. If you find no great sense of mission and purpose in being the church, you’re either missing the point or have forgotten it. You are the very body of Jesus Christ!
Discussion Starters
- If Jesus really is the “head over all things,” what are the implications for us? Our families? Our church? Our anxieties? Our problems? Everything else?
- How exactly is the church Jesus’ body? (See 1 Corinthians 12 for help.)
- What do you suppose is your function as part of the body?
- Examine Dulin’s Grove in light of this view of the church (the body of Christ, with each member functioning as a part). How is the body doing?
- How is the church “the fullness of him who fills all in all?” (See Ephesians 3:10, 14-19; 4:1-16 for help.)
- Do you get the sense that Jesus is the head of the church in Dulin’s Grove? If so, how? What is the evidence?
- What areas of Dulin’s Grove could stand to change or develop so that we better operate in light of these two verses?
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