Shabbat Shalom. Our Bible reading for today will be from Ephesians chapter 4. We're going to read today the first 10 verses of Ephesians chapter 4. We have covered the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians. A letter that Shaul, Paul, wrote to the brothers and sisters at Ephesus. In the first three chapters, Paul spoke about the beautiful, the precious, the very unique blessings that the Ephesians have been blessed with. They have been brought into such a favored place and been seated with the Messiah because of the finished work that he has accomplished for them. And you and I, of course, as believers in Yeshua the Messiah, are seen positionally seated with Yeshua, with Christ, in heavenly places.

But now he's coming down from this heavenly scene in the next three chapters, Ephesians 4, 5, 6. The Apostle Paul is taking the Ephesians into the here and now, from doctrine to duty, from position to practice. And here is where the rubber meets the road. Here we really can say how much grace and help we need from the Lord to live here and now in light of all the blessing that we have been brought into. So, let's read Ephesians chapter 4, the first 10 verses, and please follow me. And Paul is writing, and he says, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in bond of peace.

There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are 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. But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended upon high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things i'm going to stop with verse 10 even though we could continue on to read up to verse 16, but it's sufficient for us today with the first 10 verses of chapter 4.

Now, as I mentioned before, beloved brothers and sisters, here the Apostle Paul is moving from doctrine to duty, from position to practice. And you remember, he mentioned earlier in the first three chapters of the unique place that those believers have been brought into. Imagine Every one of us realized, Jew and Gentile, but specifically he was writing to the Gentiles who became believers, that we have been chosen in Mashiach, in Christ, before the foundation of the world. And we have been brought in time into that relationship, into this union of this wonderful place of being linked with the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. So in chapter 1 he was speaking about this wonderful place that he had called them into that blessed favorite place chapter 2 you remember he said to them that they were dead in sins and God had quickened you made you alive because of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and be brought into this favorite place chapter 3 he was speaking about that mystery that was not revealed in time past but now is revealed unto us in this present day that the Gentiles and the Jewish believers in Yeshua will be part of this one body.

So he finalized these three chapters by praying. And you remember how he prayed for this cause. Chapter 3 and verse 14, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. And he went into this beautiful prayer which we have covered in our last meeting together. So now, chapter 4, he began to talk about the walk, the practical aspect of the believer's life. And I want you just to notice how many times he used the word walk here. Notice that he began in verse 1, I therefore a prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk. Notice that word for walk. It's mentioned quite a few times here in chapter 4 and verse 17.

Again he says this i say therefore and testify in the Lord that he henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in vanity of their mind in other words walk differently your life as a believer ought to be different than the way you have been walking in the past not that in chapter 5 and verse 2 he said walk in love as the Messiah also have loved us again and again he used this expression to walk notice if we'll go one more verse a little bit later on he's again speaking about the necessity to walk in such a way that it is pleasing to the Lord i have a lineup of verses that deal with the necessity to walk different in a way that we have walked in the past notice in verse 8 of chapter 5 for ye were sometimes in darkness but now ye are light in the Lord walk as children of light notice verse 15 of chapter 5 see then that ye walk carefully circumspectly.

Not as fools but as wise the epistle of Ephesians is filled with this word walking in love walking in light walking carefully that is where the apostle Paul bring us now from heaven the position to the practical walk of the believer. So now in these first 10 verses, we have three major points that I would like to emphasize today in this ministry meeting. The first thing is we are called to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. You will see that in verses 1, 2, and 3. Secondly, in verses 4, 5, and 6, the Apostle Paul present before the Ephesians the sevenfold facts of the unity of all believers. And finally, in our message today, the Apostle Paul present before us the gift giver and his work on our behalf.

How did we become part of this body, and how did he, the Messiah Yeshua gave us gifts to be used for the benefit of the people of God and so let's read. This text one verse at a time and let us look over by the way the Greek word for walk is p-e-r-i-p-a-t-e-o peripato in Hebrew it's simply the word lehithalech lehithalech in Hebrew lehithalech means to walk here in this world lehit ha-lech is where we live down here on earth we take our steps forward wherever we go here in this world we are walking here in this world we live our lives in our homes in school at work on the Job wherever we are in our common relationship with people around us the Hebrew word lehit ha-lech means to walk in a way in which we would conduct ourselves that it is pleasing to the Lord so the Apostle Paul began here in the very first verse of our chapter and he says I therefore prisoner of the Lord beseech you notice here he used the word to walk that ye walk worthy of the vacation wherewith ye are called now let me highlight some words here in this first verse.

He used first of all the word therefore again I mention every time when the Apostle Paul used the word therefore, or for this cause, he's taking us back to what he had already said before. What did he say? We have already pointed out that we are such a blessed people and have been brought into such a favored place in the presence of the Lord positionally in light of this. Therefore, in view of this position, I want you to understand what you got to do here upon the face of this earth. And he said, therefore, in light or on the basis of what you are positionally, now I want you to have your life suitable in connection with your position.

And he says, I, the prisoner. Now notice again, as I mentioned before, he already said that he's a prisoner in chapter 3 and verse 1. He's mentioning again that he's a prisoner, but he's not a prisoner of Rome, though he was a prisoner of Rome indeed. But he says i'm a prisoner of the Lord the Lord have attracted him so much he captured him so much that he was a willing prisoner on behalf of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah even though he was locked in Rome and chained in Rome he was really chained in his heart to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah then notice another thing beloved brothers and sisters that he doesn't commend the believers he doesn't say i commend you to do such a thing no but he beseeched the brethren the Greek here for the word beseech is like begging brothers and sisters i beseech you i beg you he doesn't commend because he is actually appealing to the heart of the conscience of the believers you see we cannot live the life of Mashiach the life of Christ or the christian or the messianic life by force it is the wooing of the Spirit of God that woo us because of the love of the Lord and that's what our pastor does he says i beseech you brothers and sisters.

Beloved saints at Ephesus he's saying to us i beseech you brothers and sisters in the fellowship of holy Scriptures in Israel i beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called the word for vocation meaning is a calling you know we have been called from above God have called us he has saved us he had brought us to himself and he's calling us to live in this world for his own pleasure and for his own blessing and that's why the apostle Paul he says I am a prisoner, I beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling. We have been called by God to be part of the heavenly company, and we are to live our lives in a suitable way that will bring honor to the Lord.

Now, what happened? Can you imagine when a person is called by the Lord, he is saved or she is saved but they do not seek to live a life in light of the calling in which we have been called. Imagine how does that displease the heart of God that's what happened when we at times are not living in this light or don't have this desire to live for the Lord not only that it is dishonoring him but it displeases his heart he's not finding rest and satisfaction with the people whom he called so Paul beseeching us he did the same thing beloved brothers and sisters when he beseeched the Romans in verse 1 of Roman 12 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service here he's telling to the Ephesians I beseech you therefore that you walk worthy on the basis of your calling he had called us he had chosen us he had made us a people that belong to him in glory and therefore we are to work worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called now if we have been called by God to be part of the body of Mashiach the body of.

Messiah how are we going to walk what kind of way what manner are we going to walk are we going to walk now in the way we used to walk in the past are we going to conduct ourselves the way we used to conduct ourselves before we became believers in Yeshua the Messiah the answer is definitely resounding no no more we used to be this way but there ought to be a change in the life of the believer in a practical way and so he gives us in verse 2 the spiritual qualities of which every one of us are to walk the spiritual quality for a worthy walk in verse 2 you notice that he gives us this list of four things that he mentioned here in verse 2 let me read them first of all with all lowliness secondly with all meekness thirdly with all long suffering and fourthly with all forbearness forbearing one another and to do so in love now those four words that I mentioned here in this verse two are exactly the opposite of what we are by nature.

Notice the expression lowliness meekness long suffering and for bareness. How are we going to live together as believers in the body of Messiah if we will not have those four graces or four qualities for a worthy walk? It's not possible because we all have sin nature. We all are proud by nature. We all have the inclination to exalt ourselves, we cannot bear much suffering, and we are all often not willing to forbear with one another. How are we going to be able to live the lives of the believers in the body of Mashiach, in the body of Christ? Well, he gives us these four things.

Well, just the first one, you notice the expression lowliness is really another word for humility. It's very difficult for us to be humbled because we are by nature proud you know how sin came into the world exactly by pride God Adam said in his mind i didn't hear him say it but he said it in his mind you have given me. Everything to the north to the south to the east and to the west but you didn't give me that fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and i want that and by disobedience in pride he have taken of the fruit and he have plunged the human race into sin how do you think Satan, Lucifer fell in the judgment when God judged him Isaiah 14 Ezekiel 28 he have lifted out himself and he says I will be like the most high and therefore God judged him pride comes before fall and it is so difficult for the human nature to humble himself to take the place of humility among the people of God can you imagine what would happen if we are all going to have this attribute you might say or this grace to be humble to be willing not to push my way around and not to get my own way can you imagine what a blessing.

How much harmony among the people of God would be when God's people will take a place of humility, as it says here in our verse, to have lowly, not to exalt oneself, but to humble ourselves. There are many verses that we can look in the Scripture, but you remember what we read, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and he will exalt you in due time. God resists the proud but he gave grace unto the humble unto the lowly one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible was verses that spoke concerning our Lord Yeshua the Messiah remember what he said about himself in Matthew chapter 11 just turn there for a second in Matthew chapter 11 Yeshua invited people to come to him and he said this at the end of the chapter Matthew chapter 11 and in verse 28 he says come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden and i will give you rest verse 29 take my yoke upon you and learn of me for i am meek and here's the word and lowly in heart that's the same word lowly here that we have in Ephesians chapter 4 that we are to walk with all loneliness now why do you think there's so many frictions in many homes in many friendships in many local church groups in congregation groups you know most of the vision that occur among God's people it's because of pride most of the vision not because of doctrine.

Though doctrine is essential and important but most of division and broken relationship occur in our lives because of pride and here is the glorified son of God telling us through these servants of his Shaul Paul listen he says if you are going to conduct yourself in the right way you must develop this in your own personal life this grace you might say Or a quality that is so needed today to have simply lowliness, humility in the lives of every believer in Yeshua, the Messiah. I mentioned James 4, 6 and 1 Peter 5, verses 5 and 6. And we can just go on and go on many verses that we have in Scripture concerning the necessity to have a lowliness, a humility, a humble heart in the life of all believers.

If we are going to practice this among ourselves you'll see what a difference is going to make among the people of God what a joy it will be to be in the midst of the people of God but he doesn't stop here because that's only the first thing he's mentioning in the same verse verse 2 not only all loneliness by the way you notice he used the word all he doesn't say some you know we might say you know I'm willing to have some loneliness or some humility up to here and that's all no he says with all because he cannot give us any lower standard he gives us the standard of the person of our Lord Yeshua the massah with all lowliness secondly notice he used the word for meekness you know sometimes we think of the word meekness the word meekness it is power under control we have to understand that meekness it's not weakness meekness it is power under control you remember when Moshe Moses in the book of Numbers we read.

Of him in chapter 12 and verse 3 where his brother aharon and his sister Miriam spoke against him and the Bible does say and it's actually Moshe himself who wrote the book of Numbers he gave us this expression that is mentioned it says now the man Moshe was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of this earth his brother and sister spoke against him and he in his meekness he didn't sought to empower himself against his brother and sister to speak against him and to act against them in meekness he simply allowed them to speak and the Lord himself who came and spoke on his behalf.

So meekness, it is really power under control. You know, we don't have to always get our own way. Meekness is one of the most precious attributes or precious spiritual qualities for a worthy walk here in this world. And so we read of the Lord himself in the gospel that he was meek and lowly in heart. We read earlier lowliness, but Yeshua the Messiah himself was a meek man. A man that humbled himself and went all the way to the cross. And what a lesson to learn with respect to meekness. To have the power to walk with the Lord, but to have it under control. We don't have to force our own way.

Thirdly, notice this third expression in verse 2 is long-suffering. You know, to suffer long, to be willing to bear with each other. As it says here, to have that long-suffering among the people of God. In this world in which we live in, this is, again, another spiritual quality for a worthy walk. To be willing to be patient and not to force one way all the time. Long-suffering. Now, sometimes we wonder, we ask, well, how long, how much can we take it? Well, notice the apostle says, he doesn't give us a limit, he doesn't set a limit, he says, up to here and no more. No, but to be long-suffering, to bear with one another as long as it is needed in order to benefit the people of God.

So, that expression, long-suffering, is mentioned so many times in Scripture. In Colossians chapter 3 and verse 12 says this, Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-sufferings. Another word for long-suffering is simply patience. We need so much patience as we walk here in this world. Well, if we don't have patience, well, don't ask God, God, give me patience and I want it now. You know how God is going to give you patience? Tribulations Romans work as patience do you want to learn patience what patience you learn through trouble the Lord going to send us trouble so he will teach us patience long suffering well we learn it by experience when we rub shoulders with each other when we deal with all sort of issues in life how much the Lord want us to have this quality this spiritual grace spiritual qualities to enable us to have a walk that is worthy of our calling this is in verse 2 now the fourth thing of course is connect with that and it says forbearing one another in love the fourth word is forbearness and again we've mentioned it in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 13 forbearing bearing with each other you know we are coming from various walks of life various background The Ephesians as well.

They were Gentiles, believers who got saved and became part of the body of Messiah. And now they are living together. They are part of this local assembly in the city of Ephesus. Well, they had friction. They had issues to deal with. How they can continue to live with each other, to be able to function as a local assembly, to communicate with the world around them. Well, they needed also forbearing with one another. And it's beautiful that Apostle Paul had the word in love. Well, love covers multitude of sins. Love is the glue whereby we are able to be a blessing to each other. Love is what's needed.

It's unconditional love. It does not depend if he or she will respond to me in one way or another, if they will do what I say, if they will want what I do want. No, but love is that which enables us to forbear with one another and continue to have this walk that is worthy of our calling. So Paul gives us here those four spiritual qualities or spiritual graces to enable us to walk the worthy walk, the walk of the believer. Well, now notice that in verse 3, he's telling them, if you are going to be able to walk together brothers and sisters of the Ephesians well look what you need to do it says in verse 3 you are to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in bond of peace in bond of shalom now this is an important thing to learn oftentimes people are trying to make unity notice that possible doesn't say to make unity but he says to keep the unity secondly he doesn't say to make the unity of the body but he says to keep the unity of the spirit now what is the difference the difference is simply this you see you and i do not make the unity of the body of the Messiah the unity of the body of Messiah had been done by our Lord Yeshua himself in the power of the holy Spirit of God but what happened is that once we become part of this body we are not to keep the unity of the body he does this keeping of the unity of the.

Body but the believers are to seek to keep the unity of the spirit in other words the believers are not called to start to form all sort of bodies but to seek to keep the unity that was made already by the Spirit of God you see this is amazing you know oftentimes people say you know why are we so divided let us get united together all what we need is simply to love one another make a unity out of one thing out of loving each other we can make one unity but the Lord is saying no the unity of the body is being done by the Lord we are to keep or to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit not the unity of the body and that's why you find yourself having many names today in various groups of professing Christians that's why we have all those names whether it is catholic or protestant or all those names that men make as if there is one body but called by this name.

And there is another body called by that name no we don't have many bodies there is only one body but the believers are to keep the unity of the spirit and this is important and we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit we are to work hard at that sometimes there are people who are not in our midst who are not with us does that mean that i'm supposed to shun them and treat them in a wrong way no we are to be gracious to seek to be a blessing to them but it is not the unity of the body it's the unity of the holy Spirit of God which we are to seek to keep now what about many groups who are forming certain bodies or certain groups on a basis of certain doctrine what about if somebody does not teach sound doctrine can i be united with somebody who teach that Yeshua is not God can i be united with someone who believe that Yeshua.

Can sin can we be united with those who teach for example that there was no incarnation we are not to unite with everything and everyone can we be united with someone who denied the fundamental of the truth of the word of God we can't and that's why we are not called to keep the unity of the body but we are to keep the unity of the spirit in bond of peace so it is very important to understand it here that pastor Paul is saying we are to endeavor we are to work hard at it we are to labor to make haste in seeking to keep the unity of the spirit in bonds of peace in shalom but we cannot beloved brothers and sisters agree with every doctrine that are not right not sound doctrine not fitting to the word of God this is important for us let me for example just show you a verse turn to first Corinthians chapter 12 how does someone become part of this.

One body it is the Spirit of God who plays every true believer in the body of Messiah and so the apostle Paul in first Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13 notice that he said for by one spirit we are all baptized into one body we don't make the body it is he who placed believers into one body every one of us that become part of the family of God we have been placed into this unity of the body is a work of the Lord not the work of yours or mine but we are to keep the unity of the spirit we are to have an attitude a way whereby we are seeking to keep the unity of the spirit that there will be harmony among the people of God that there will be a right attitude among the people of God there will be a right behavior among the people of God we should set this example but we cannot keep the unity of the body he does it on his own the Lord.

Himself and if it will depend upon us to keep the unity of the body we will definitely come short of what God is expecting from us and therefore we are not called to keep the unity of the body but we are called to keep the unity of the spirit so verses 1 2 and 3 the apostle Paul appeals to the believers at Ephesus that they will endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in bond of peace you notice the word in bond of peace in other words seek to do whatever you do to seek to have peace among the people of God oftentimes there is no peace among the people of God look what James says let me just read that because I think it is a suitable verse to read James chapter 3 look the last verses of chapter 3 he says who is wise verse 13 and endued with knowledge among you let him show out of a good manner of life his works with meekness of wisdom but if he have.

Bitter envying and strives in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devilish for where envying and strive is there is confusion and every evil work but then he says in verse 17 and 18 but the wisdom which is from above first is pure then is peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace that make shalom and you notice brothers and sisters if we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit we are to have that wisdom which is from above as James says in chapter 3 verse 17 which is pure which is gentle which is easy to be entreated which is full of mercy this is the fruit of righteousness which is sown in peace in shalom so this is very important as the apostle Paul present before the Ephesians the importance of.

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in bond of peace but now we continue and here is now giving them the sevenfold facts of the unity of all believers now when we look around at the professing Messiah followers we look at the world and we see the whole professing groups and everyone seems to go with another flag we have a different flags but as far as God's concerned notice that there is a sevenfold facts of the unity of all believers notice the sevenfold let me read them to you quickly so you can first have them before you verses four five and six there is one body there is one spirit there is one hope there is one Lord there is one faith there is one baptism and there is one God if we say it in Hebrew there is guf echad there is Ruach echad there is tikva achat there is adon echad there is emuna achat there is tevila achat and there is Elohim.

Echad they are not more than one body or more than one spirit or more than one hope or more than one Lord or more than one faith or more than one baptism or more than one God and father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah apostle Paul present now before the Ephesians the true sevenfold effects of the unity of all believers and he began you notice with the word there is one body the one body is a composition of all believers there's only one body then body is a composition of every person that have accepted that Yeshua is the Messiah. He or she has been placed into this one body, universal body.

Everywhere in this world, every true believer in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, he is part of this one body. Jewish believers, gentle believers. Living in one country or another country, there is only one goof, one body, no more. And this one body is a composition of all true believers. I read already in 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 13, it says, For by one Spirit we are all baptized into that one body. Paul actually takes an illustration from the human body. We have many, many members in our bodies, hands and feet and head and eyes and ears and nose. We have many, many members in our human body. But there is only one body.

Every one of us is occupied only one body, no more than one. Well, among the people of God, the spiritual body of Christ, body of Messiah, there is only one body, no more. There is no body for the Jews and bodies for the Gentiles. There is no body for this countryman or this countryman. There is only one body, a composition of all true believers. Secondly, he used the word one spirit, you notice, and one Ruach, one spirit. There are not three or four or more than one Holy Spirit. It is one Holy Spirit of God that placed us all into that one body. This is, again, 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13.

There is no more than one Holy Spirit. You remember what the Apostle Paul said in other passages, If any man has not the spirit of the Mashiach, of Christ, he does not belong to him. In other words, every one of us, if we do not possess the Holy Spirit of God to indwell us, we do not belong to him. 1 Corinthians 6 says, Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Don't you know that you are not your own? You have been bought with a price. There is only one Holy Spirit that indwells in every one of us. You know, I'm sometimes amazed when i think about how the very same holy Spirit of God one person divine person is indwelling every believer we cannot fathom that but there's only one spirit you don't have one kind of a spirit and another one another kind of the spirit is only one holy Spirit of God that is dwelling in every believer and if one does not have the holy Spirit of God he or she do not belong to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah Romans chapter 8 and verse 9 he says he are not in the flesh but in the spirit if or sin so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you now if any man have not the spirit of Mashiach he is none of his every person who belongs to the Lord is indwelt by the very same holy Spirit of God there are not more than one holy Spirit of God there is only one spirit thirdly you understand he's saying even as he are called in one hope of your calling there's only one hope.

What is the hope of the body of Messiah Yeshua said in John chapter 14 and verses 1 to 3 he said let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me in my father's house there are many mentions and I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and I will receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also the Hebrew word for hope is tikvah. We have a hope, beloved brothers and sisters, and our hope is the same. Every believer in the whole world today who became part of the body of Mashiach has the hope.

What is our hope? We have the blessed hope that Yeshua will come and take us to be with him. Of course, Israel, our nation, had the hope of the restoration to the land, the restoration to Kna'an, where the Messiah will come and establish the messianic kingdom in a future day this is the hope of the nation of Israel the hope of our Jewish people who have not yet become believers in Yeshua today in the present day dispensation but for us as believers already today we have that one hope the hope that we are going to be with the Lord the Lord is going to come to take us to be with him in glory what a wonderful hope we have i trust that you have today in your heart this glorious hope of the coming of the Lord and he will come very soon and will take us to be with him in glory there are many many verses that we can mention here from Scripture but i want to read one verse in Titus listen to what Paul said to Titus in chapter 2 and verse 13 he says looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God.

And our Savior Yeshua the Messiah who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works looking as it says here for the blessed hope do you know beloved brothers and sisters we are awaiting the coming of the Lord he might come even today as we are in this meeting this Shabbat afternoon because the next thing in God's program is the snatching of the church is the coming of the Messiah to meet his own in the air he might come today this is the hope our hope is not to live longer and longer and longer and longer in this world and to get older and older and more pain and sorrow and trial our hope is to meet him in the air and to be taken out of here so this is the hope there is not two hopes there's one hope do you know that believers in taiwan believers in chicago believers in Yerushalayim and believers in Egypt in cairo.

Have the very same hope what is the hope you ask every believer i'm longing for the coming of the Messiah i want to be with him i want to go to be where i belong because he had saved me and he had brought me into this wonderful relationship this is the hope of every believer who possess the Spirit of God and who is part of this one body there is one body there is one spirit there is one hope look at the fourth thing that he mentioned here notice verse 5 he says there is one Lord Adon Echad in Hebrew not two lords not three lords but there is one Lord you notice that he's mentioning here the Hebrew word of course is Adon but you know that the Bible is very clear if Jesus if Yeshua is not Lord he's not Lord at all he must be Lord if you shall confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord and believe in your heart that God had raised him from the dead.

Romans 10 9 you shall be saved you know the Hebrew word Adon simply means that he's master I know that we fail him many times and we don't allow him to be the Lord of our lives but that doesn't change the fact that there is only one Lord he is Lord in fact the Bible said to us it's very clearly I mentioned Romans 10 verses 9 and the basis of our salvation is acknowledging the lordship of Yeshua the Messiah but notice what we read in Philippians chapter 2 that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow things in heaven things in earth things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord to the glory of God the father you know God made him Lord he said this Jesus whom ye have crucified God made him both Lord and Messiah and Mashiach adon vmashiach he's Lord sometimes we sing that song he's Lord he is Lord he's heaven he's Lord he's Lord of all he is the one that is in charge of all things.

God gave him the authority over this universe over this world he is the adon he is the master he is the Lord a time we fail this Lord of ours but there is only one Lord and if somebody haven't acknowledged Yeshua as Lord he or she are not saved are not forgiven if you shall confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord and believe in your heart that God had raised him from the dead you shall be saved beautiful to see one body one spirit one hope one Lord and he continued notice because there are seven full facts of the unity of all believers in verse 5 he says there is also one faith emunah achat you know sometimes we hear people say you have your faith and I have my faith why do you tell me that I have to have your faith well I didn't say that you have to God said it's not what I say or what you say what does the word of God say the Bible say to us the importance of understanding there is only one faith one emunah.

One belief and one way in which one believes in order to enter into a relationship with the Lord you know what the Bible calls it in Jude in verse 3 Jude said beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once and for all delivered unto the saints Jude, Judah he was writing to his Hebrew brethren and he was telling them, brother, Achim you know, I want to tell you, dear brother this is the common salvation it's needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you, beloved brothers and sisters, you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints, I love this expression, because this expression the faith, it's not a matter of now where God i believe but there is only one body of truth upon which we all have part in this common relationship in this body of Mashiach body of Christ the body of truth.

Means simply this that there is only one way to be saved and to be forgiven that God provided this body of truth he loved the world he sent the Messiah the son who died on the cross paid for penalty for our sins was raised be taken to glory and on the basis of this one single the faith we can become part of this family of God this is not not two faith not this islamic i believe in this way and even our own Jewish people they believe through Moses they believe in the Torah but they reject the Mashiach Yeshua and that is what makes the difference between Jewish believers and Jewish who do not believe in Yeshua the Messiah.

The faith is found in the Hebrew Scripture and lead us ultimately to the person of Yeshua the Messiah. We don't have to talk only about our Jewish people and Muslims. We can talk about Hinduism and all sort of groups of people who have their own faith, but there is only one faith. And the Bible teaches us this is the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Paul said this like this. Listen to this in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. There are many other verses that can be added to that. Acts 6 and verse 7, Acts 16 and verse 5, 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5. There are other verses that are speaking about the faith.

There is only one faith, and this is faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. And that's why, brothers and sisters, we might be called many times narrow-minded. People who think that they are only right and everybody else is wrong. But there's no other faith. There's only one faith, and this is the faith of the Son of God, the Messiah Yeshua, who loved us and gave himself for us. Now, notice number six, as the Apostle Paul writes to these Ephesians. In number six, he says that there is only one baptism. That is very interesting also. And many Bible teachers talk about it.

What does he speak about, spirit baptism or water baptism? Now, I'm inclined to take the position that he's really speaking about the spirit baptism and not so much water baptism because there are people who sprinkle and the other one is a double little here, a double little there. There are other ones who keep under for a very long, long time, as you know. There's all sorts of ways that people do baptism. There are all sorts of expressions that people express themselves when they are doing baptism. But I want to tell you, the Bible teaches that by one spirit, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13, we all have been baptized, placed under, or put into the body of Mashiach.

No one entered into the body of Messiah without the Spirit of God placing us in. That's the only way. And while in verse 4 the emphasis is the body of Messiah, in verse 5 at the end the emphasis is on how did we enter into the body of Messiah. The only ground where we all have been brought into the body of Messiah is by the very same Holy Spirit of God. That's why the baptism hatvila or lehitavel simply means to be placed under, to be put into, to be deepened into, into that one body. There is only one baptism. And if a person has not been placed by the Holy Spirit of God into that body, this is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he or she are really not part of this body, not part of the goof, Hamashiach, of the body of the Messiah.

And so we already covered six of these. And finally, listen to this of the sevenfold facts of the unity of all believers. We have in verse 6, one God and Father of all, who is above all, who is through all, and is in you all. Notice that expression, one God, Elohim Echad, and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. And the Apostle Paul seems to love so much to express this word, the Father. He mentioned quite a few times, God and Father. If you notice throughout the Scripture that we read, even in the book of Ephesians, he says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

And so on. Verse 3. Who have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Paul loved this expression of God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Notice in chapter 1 verse 17. And the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The Father of glory will give unto you the spirit of wisdom and so on. Notice he often expressed this word. The God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So there is only one God, really. This God consists of three persons. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is no more than one God. But here is emphasized not only that there is one God, but God and Father, as he mentioned here in verse 6.

And he is the Father of our Lord. But notice, he says he is the God and Father of all. Here is where we have to realize. He doesn't speak about the fatherhood of all humanity here. No. He is speaking about the fatherhood of all believers. You hear this expression sometimes, you know, oh, this God is the father of all of us, all the human race. Well, God is the God of all the human race, but he is the God and father of all the believers in Yeshua, the Messiah. John 1.12 says, As many as received him, to them he gave the right to be called the children of God.

We became sons and daughters of the Father, but only believers. He is the Father, the God and Father of all those that accepted His Son, Yeshua the Messiah. He is above all, verse 6. He is through all, verse 6c. And He is in you all, in the believers. There is only one God and Father of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. And you know, we can call him today Abba Father, Abba, my Father. Many times in prayer, when we pray together, we cry, as Romans tell us, and Galatians tell us, we cry Abba, Father. We can look at him, we can express our hearts towards him as our own Father.

We don't even necessarily have to call him Heavenly Father, because he is at all time the Father of all those that have accepted Yeshua the Messiah. We are the children, we are sons and daughters of that God the Father. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, these sevenfold facts of the unity of all believers, all of us part of this one body, all of us are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, all of us believers have the same hope, all of us believers have one Lord, All of us have one faith, the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. All of us have been baptized into the same body by the same Holy Spirit of God.

And all of us are part of this company that are called the children, the sons of God. As many as receive him, to them he gave the right to be called sons of God, sons of the Father. Yeshua called him himself before he went to the cross. In John chapter 17, he said to him, in verse 1, he called him Father. In verse 11, he called him Holy Father. In verse 25, he called him Righteous Father. This is the very same God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He is the Father. He is a Holy Father. He is a righteous Father. In Hebrew, we have the word Abba.

He is our Abba, the one who loved us and sent his son, the Mashiach, in order to save us and to bring us into a relationship with him. Now, brothers and sisters, the next verses, verse 7, 8, 9, and 10, are very important because we're going to talk a little bit, Lord willing, about gifts that we have received. Remember, we are to walk worthy of the calling by which we have been called. And so verses 7, 8, 9, and 10, the apostle directs us to the gifts giver himself and to the work that he has done on our behalf. And so notice what he says here in verse 7, first of all, to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gifts of the Messiah.

Now he's going to talk about the gifts that we have received. Now, you know that every one of us, that's why the underline here, every one of us, you know, some of us say, well, I don't know, I don't have gifts, I'm part of the body, yes, I'm saved, but I don't know if I have any gifts. Maybe this brother who's preaching there, he has a great gift. Maybe this other sister who works in this area and visiting, she has a great gift, but I don't have any gifts. Sometimes that's what we think and that's what we say. But the Bible is very clear, beloved brothers and sisters, everyone, everyone, everyone, young and old, who are truly children of God, sons and daughters of the Father, every one of us, according to verse 7, and to every one of us is given the grace, this is the gift grace, according to the measures of the gift of the Messiah.

In other words, all believers, without excuse, have a gift. You'll have to develop that gift, to use that gift among the people of God. Now, the gift that we have here are spiritual gifts. It's not natural ability here. He doesn't talk about natural ability. When we were born into this world, all of us have some natural talents. We might be gifted in one area or another, but don't mix the natural ability with the spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts were given unto us by our Lord Yeshua the Messiah in order to be used among the people of God. And you will see, we're going to talk about the gift that the Lord had given in a future ministry meeting, but notice here, everyone, verse 7, Messiah himself have given to us spiritual gifts, and to every one of us gifts have been given.

At least one, if not more. At least one. Now again, I'm emphasizing it is not natural ability, it is spiritual gifts. It is to everyone, not to some elected people, but everyone. There are many verses that we can read. In 1 Corinthians 12, verses 8 and 11, you use the word everyone. In Romans chapter 12 and verse 3, he used the word everyone as well. So that we are without excuse, we all have gifts. And the question is, how do we use our gifts among the people of God? Or do we use it at all? Gifts are not given to keep for ourselves. Gifts have been given so we can benefit the body of Messiah.

In fact, if we do not use our gifts, we are only harming the growth and the development of the body of Messiah. Now notice that. The emphasis is not so much about the gift, but about the gift giver and what he has done in order to give us these gifts. Because in verse 8, 9, and 10, we have the work that the Messiah has done in order to give us those gifts. Now notice that. It says in verse 8, that the Lord Yeshua, that the Messiah, led captivity captive. Notice in verse 8, it says this, and I'm reading. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and he giveth unto men.

Notice this is so important verse, beloved brothers and sisters. It says that he, notice the word he, is mentioned so many times in those verses. He saith, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and he gave gifts unto men. It is all about him. He is the one that gave the gifts. But how did he give us this gift? What was the process whereby he had given us this gift? Notice the three points that the apostle mentioned here in these verses. The first thing he mentioned, he says, when he ascended up on high. You remember in Acts chapter 1, after Yeshua died on the cross, and he was buried, and he rose again, and he was right facing the city of Jerusalem, and the 11 disciples who were with him, because Judah was no longer there, they asked him, will you now restore the kingdom to Israel?

He says, not for you to know the time, the hour, which the father kept with himself, But he says, ye shall be my witnesses. And you're going to receive power. And you're going to be my witnesses beginning in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. This is verse 8 of Acts chapter 1. But then, after he finished to tell them what he said to them, immediately we find that he left them. And you remember what it says in Acts chapter 1, in verse 9, it says, And when he had spoken these things, they beheld and he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight.

In other words, when Yeshua finished to speak with his disciples there on the Mount Of Olives, Harazetim, he was taken, he was ascended and he went up to heaven. A cloud was taking him to heaven. And he was taken out of this world into the presence of the living God. The presence of his Father in glory. Now he ascended. He had gone up. And he had gone up to heaven. We have here in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 8. He says when he ascended up on high. And now the next expression in verse 8 is very important. He led captivity captive. Many times people have no understanding. We need the Spirit of God to help us to understand.

What does it mean he led captivity captive? Do you know, brothers and sisters, that up till the time that Yeshua the Messiah came and finished the work for us on the cross, we were bound, Satan bound men, the human race were bound by Satan. We were captive. Satan held us captives we never had the freedom there was a fear of death what's going to happen when we die Satan kept us captive but you know what happened when Yeshua died and finished the work for us on the cross he led the one who held others captive he now hold him now captive himself and now Satan became a captive of the Lord he bound Satan and Satan no longer can do what he have done prior to the finished work of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah you remember we read Psalm 68 when Paul was quoting Ephesians chapter 4 he was really looking at Psalm 68 and in Psalm 68 and verse 18 he says you have ascended on high and you have led captivity captive in other words what happened when Yeshua finished the work on the cross on the tree and he was taken up to heaven after his resurrection what happened he held captive Satan who once held us captive that's what really happened through the work of the cross where Yeshua finished was the work on the cross.

He's now led captivity to be captive. He's now abound Satan, and Satan is limited. He no longer was able to do prior to the finished work of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. You know, Deborah, the judge of Israel, sang this song in chapter 5, and look what she said, and I want to read this to you as well. All these thoughts that Shaul Paul have presenting now to the Ephesians, he is taking it from his knowledge of the Hebrew Scripture. As a Hebrew, he is writing to them. And notice what Deborah said to Barak in Judges chapter 5 and verse 12. Awake, awake Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song.

Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Avinoam. You see, the people of Israel were captives of Yavin, the king of Canaan. And now by the strength that God had given unto them, he now defeated the king of Canaan. And he led the one that once captivated Israel, he led him captive and he defeated him. And you know what happened at the cross? Yeshua defeated Satan. Yeshua won the victory over Satan who held us. As those that were in bonds, being captivated unto him. Please bear with me. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil.

And he delivered them through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage. Do you know before Yeshua died, a person never knew what's going to happen after death. He was all his lifetime, he was in bondage to fear because he was not sure what's going to happen after death. But when Yeshua finished for us the work on the cross, on the tree, For the believer, death is a servant to lead us absent from the body to the presence of the Lord. That's what we really learn here. He led captivity captive. Satan is no longer cause us to be afraid of death because death becomes a servant for the believer to usher us to the presence of the Lord.

He ascended. He led captivity captive. He defeated Satan. And now there is that beautiful third statement here in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 8, it says, and he gave gifts unto men. And that is again where the Apostle Paul is quoting Psalm 68 and verse 18, thou has ascended on high, thou has led captivity captive, but then it says, thou had received gifts for men. But in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 8, he says, you gave gifts unto men. In other words, really, it is amazing to see how the Scripture is so accurate. Well, once he finished the work on the tree and he had been ascended up to heaven, he receives gifts from the Father.

And now he can give those gifts to those that belong to him in the present day dispensation of the church age in which you and I are part of. So, if we read here, he ascended, he led captivity captive, and he gave gifts unto men. You know, in order for you and I to get those gifts, the spiritual gifts that we have, he had to go to the cross. He had to pay the penalty for sin, in order that you and I will be able to have these gifts that we can use for the benefit of the people of God. And he's now elaborating, and I'm going to close with this in verses 9 and 10.

Look at the process which Yeshua had to undergo in order that he will give us those gifts. It says, and he's mentioning this in verses 9 and 10, he says, Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower part of the earth. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things. In other words, before he ever ascended to heaven, according to verse 9, he first of all had to descend into the lowest parts of this earth. Now, there are many Bible teachers who takes various views on this expression he descended to the lowest parts of this earth many Bible teachers connect with this verse first Peter chapter 3 verses 18 19 and 20 that has to do with the Lord going on to hades and emptying the good part of hades and bringing out the believers to be with him in glory as we know it from first Peter chapter 3 and other passages but i will simply take this text and say simply this the one that ascended to heavens he first of all descended into the lower part of the earth simply means that he became a man in his incarnation and he died the death of the one that became the substitute he was placed in.

The grave and he rose on the third day and then he was ascended to be back from where he came to this world the same one that descended he went all the way to the lowest part of the earth he doesn't talk about beyond this earth he's speaking about the lowest part of this earth simply means he was buried after his death but then he rose on the third day and he was taken up to heaven the same one that is ascended he first of all had to descend and that's what brothers and sisters make it so special for you and i we are saved because he died we are saved because he was buried and resurrected we are saved and a part of the family of God because of his finished work on the cross had he not done that we would have no hope we would not be part of this one body we would not have that one spirit indwelling in us we would not have any hope we would not have.

One Lord we would not have one faith we would not have this baptism of the holy Spirit and we would not have this one God and father of each and every one of us who are part of this redeemed people the family of God all this cost him to die and to be buried and to pay the price for our sins but God raised him and took him to be with him in glory and he's now seated at the right hand of the father defeated this enemy Satan and he gave us gifts that he want us to use in the present day among the people of God.

And we're going to talk, Lord willing, about those gifts and how important they are to be used among the people of God. May the Lord bless these thoughts.