Unity, 19 July 2026
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 19, 2026
Ephesians 4:1-16
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters.
Do you enjoy doing puzzles? During the COVID lockdown, the one pastime I enjoyed was completing two different 1000-piece puzzles, both baseball-related as I love baseball. Both took weeks for me to finish, but eventually saw the photo on the box enlarged in front of me.
Imagine I had 990 pieces in place and counted nine left. How awful would it be to have 99.9% of the puzzle completed with one missing piece?!
Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters.
My favorite prayer in the Bible is in John 17 where Jesus says,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21)
I believe this is the only prayer in the Bible Jesus prays for us—those who will believe. His prayer is unity. He prays that we would be one. We are not all the same, but together we form one body, one congregation. We are like pieces of a puzzle, and every one of you matters.
Today we continue reading Paul’s letter from a Roman prisoner to Christians in the first century. Notice the use of the word “one.”
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1)
What is their calling? What is our calling? It’s ultimately to follow Jesus. Often when we think of calling, we think of a mission or vision for an individual, but here it’s corporate. You might say, in fact, the calling is to be the Church, the body of Christ, those who re-present Jesus to the world. This is a high calling. It’s an important calling. It’s at the heart of our mission to love, equip, and send. Paul describes this calling.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
(Ephesians 4:2)
He doesn’t say be a little humble, but completely humble…and gentle. These words seem to have gone out of style in favor of narcissism, pride, power, conquest, control, and—dare I say it—machismo. These are not part of the fruit of the Spirit!
What Paul is describing here is the way of Jesus, the narrow way, the righteous way. It also paints a picture for what we are to be to one another…humble, gentle, patient, loving. This is our calling.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
Unity. This is the theme of our text today. Think one puzzle…all the pieces! The purpose of a puzzle isn’t to collect all of the pieces in a pile…or to scatter them across the table. The goal is for you to end with one picture composed of a variety of parts.
Now notice the use of the word “one” in the next three verses.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
One. LORD, make us one! We’ve witnessed churches splitting, denominations splitting, entire branches of Christianity splitting! Since Paul wrote this, the global Church which brought together Jews and Gentiles split into Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic in 1054 before the Protestant Reformation broke away from the Catholics in the 16th century. Then, Protestants split into Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed which led to groups like the Brethren, Quakers, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists,…and let’s not forget the Churches of God, General Conference which started 201 years ago by John Winebrenner! Today, there are more than 40,000 Christian denominations worldwide…and both Jesus and Paul prayed we would be…one!
Paul continues,
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.” (Ephesians 4:7-8)
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) (Ephesians 4:9-10)
Jesus is the head of the Church. We are his body. He died for us, gave us a mission—a Great Commission—to go and make disciples of every nation. He has given us gifts and resources to accomplish the task.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
What’s the goal? Unity. Knowledge. Maturity. Christ-likeness.
It would be tempting to move on, but I want to highlight one thing…a comma!
First, Jesus gave five gifts to the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. APEST.
Apostle in this case is not a capital-A person who witnessed the resurrection, but instead a small-a person who is a spiritual entrepreneur. They love to start ministries and plant churches and challenge the status quo to avoid death and decay.
Prophets are not future-tellers, but forth-tellers, offering challenges and sometimes warnings to others.
Evangelists proclaim good news, leading people to Jesus. We sometimes call them missionaries.
Pastors or shepherds care for the flock—the people—while teachers…teach!
They are all different, yet all important. Today, we might call them church leaders. Seminaries typically focus on training pastors and teachers, though all five are vital to the flourishing of the Church on earth.
What do they all do? That depends upon a comma!
In the original 1611 version of the King James Bible, the text reads,
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11-13, KJV)
In 1982, the New King James Version was released with a few revisions. It reads,
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:11-13, NKJV)
Did you notice the difference? The original King James Version said God gave APEST leaders for the perfecting of the saints, (COMMA) for the work of the ministry…
Every modern translation I have seen—including the New King James Version—removes the comma.
God gave APEST leaders for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…
I believe that comma has created a Christian culture where the leaders do the ministry instead of equipping the saints to do the work of ministry. This is why I love our mission of love, equip, and send. Our staff is not hired to DO the ministry, but to equip YOU to love, serve, evangelize, care, encourage, prophesy, plant churches, and make disciples. If our staff does its job equipping you…
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:14-16)
This is Paul’s vision for the church, and it’s my vision, too. I want to see College First be a mature, discerning family of men, women, and children on God’s mission, speaking the truth in love, one body joined to Jesus our head, each part—each piece—working together for God’s glory.
So What?
Imagine a team where the players sat in the stands…while the coach played against the other team! That’s a picture of many churches today, Christians watching the professionals do the ministry instead of the professionals equipping the Christians to do the ministry.
Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters. You matter. What piece of the puzzle are you? Are you lost or connected to the others? Are you trying to stand out and make a name for yourself, or focused on making Jesus famous? Are you connected to Jesus or doing your own thing? Are you a spectator watching others or are you on the field playing the game?
College First, we need all of you equipped and sent—across the street or around the world—proclaiming in word and deed the good news that Jesus is LORD, they are loved, and together we are one in Christ.
AMEN!
Get in the Game, 15 May 2022
Series—Alliance Core Values
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 4:11-12
Series Big Idea: After a 2021 reveal of our First Alliance Core Values, this series is a presentation of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Core Values.
Big Idea: Completing the Great Commission will require the mobilization of every fully-devoted disciple.
How many of you like sports…any sports? There are two types of sports fans…those who watch and those who play. Which do you prefer?
Someone once said football is 22 people on the field who need rest and 22,000 people in the stands who need exercise!”
Tragically, many churches are a single pastor who needs rest and a congregation of people who need to get in the game! Not only is ministry a team sport, it was designed to involve everyone who claims to be a Christian. It’s not exclusively for professionals. In fact, as we’ve noted previously, it’s the task of the professionals to equip the saints.
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12, NLT)
Today we’re continuing our series on the Alliance Core Values, those foundational principles that our Christian & Missionary Alliance family values which we also believe describe Jesus’ values.
We began by saying,
Lost people matter to God. He wants them found.
Last week Pastor Mike reminded us that
Everything we have belongs to God; we are His stewards.
It’s not that ten percent belongs to God. Everything we have belongs to God, including all of our time, talents and treasures. Today’s core value states,
Completing the Great Commission will require the mobilization of every fully-devoted disciple.
There are some churchy words there, so I want to be crystal clear about what this means. Working backward, a disciple is a student, a follower, a protégé. Therefore, a fully-devoted disciple is someone devoted to following Jesus…what you might call a “real” Christian, not a CINO: Christian in name only.
Are you a disciple of Jesus? If not, I urge you to consider making Jesus the leader of your life. He is wiser, stronger, and loves you more than any celebrity, social media personality, or philosopher. I’m not a perfect disciple, but I’m seeking to build my life around the teachings and leadership of Jesus.
The Great Commission was read earlier in our scripture reading. It’s one of the most famous passages in the Bible. Jesus commissions his followers—his disciples—before ascending into heaven.
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18, NLT)
The Great Commission will be completed when there are disciples or followers of Jesus of all the nations. Jesus has all authority and he promises us his presence, which is fantastic. The key verbs are go and make. Make disciples. Reproduce the life of Jesus in others. Jesus passed the baton, to use a sports metaphor, to his disciples who have been passing it for generations to us. We don’t want to be the generation that drops the baton!
The Great Commission is the work involved in sharing good news and seeing men, women, and children of all the nations obey Jesus, follow Jesus…and that includes helping others obey and follow Jesus. This is not a command just for pastors. That would mean only about one percent would be engaged. The enemy would love that! No,
Completing the Great Commission will require the mobilization of every fully-devoted disciple.
If you are a disciple—a follower of Jesus—discipleship is your mission, your commission. It’s what life is all about…knowing God and making Him known. My primary role is to disciple our staff and leaders to disciple the rest of you to disciple others until every person on the planet has been invited to the party, has heard the good news, has been given a chance to follow or reject Jesus, his love, his death and resurrection.
We need you to get in the game! For too long, too many so-called Christians have been content to watch. Following Jesus is not a spectator sport! We need every fully-devoted disciple making disciples. I hope that means you!
We often talk about a triangle: Up, In, and Out. A disciple of Jesus has a relationship with God…up. They also have a relationship with others in the Church…in. There’s also an outward relationship with those Jesus called the lost…the unchurched, those who are not yet followers of Jesus. We have the privilege of sharing good news and introducing them to Jesus. Discipleship is helping people develop Up, In, and Out relationships.
The Great Commission is about making disciples…restoring God’s masterpieces. Every person you encounter this week is a broken masterpiece in need of restoration. That’s God’s work, yet we get to be a part of the process.
Jesus said,
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Let’s work backwards: the ends of the earth. This is what most people think of when they hear “missions” or “missionaries.” There are many ways to get in the game with global missions. We’ll look at seven today. The most obvious is to
Go
- Germany video
- Heather: Germany
- Explore next steps with the Alliance (CMAlliance.org/serve)
- Participate in an overseas trip with Envision (WeAreEnvision.org/trips)
We’re praying for God to call men and women and children from First Alliance to go. We want to be a sending church. There’s so much more you can do to get in the game with global missions. You can
Pray
- LIFE Conference
- Alliance International Workers
- The Lost
Mobilize
- Take the Perspectives.org course
- Join the Missions Committee
- Subscribe to Alliance Life magazine
- Participate in our Global Missions events
Send
- Give to the Great Commission Fund
- Give to FAC Missions which includes Faith Missions (our Samaria)
- Support special short-term trips
You can also reach people from around the world without a passport. You can…
Welcome
- Befriend an international in Toledo
- Volunteer at Water for Ishmael
- Engage with the Afghan Resettlement Team (ART)
Serve
- Home Missions partners (our Judea)
- We’re excited about sending the Pollocks this fall to launch Visible Church in Toledo.
Our Jerusalem is here…First Alliance. You can serve in many ways here at First Alliance.
- Leadership at First Alliance (Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses, Trustees)
- Volunteer with Kids Club United, or Alliance Youth
- Sports & Arts Camp
- Life Groups
- Dinner Church
- Celebrate Recovery
- Worship teams
- Masterpiece Mentors (NEW!)
- FreeShapeTest.com is a free tool to help you discover how you might best best able to serve. Please take it and share the results with us.
I have one final way you can get in the game, participating in the Great Commission.
Eat
The Great Commission is all about relationships. Ministry is all about relationships. God’s mission to seek and save the lost is all about relationships. Although we have a variety of activities at First Alliance, we never want to overload the calendar to prevent you from inviting a neighbor over for a BBQ, meeting a co-worker for coffee, or engaging with others in hobbies. We need to be present with others.
When was the last time you sat across the table with a non-Christian? I didn’t even say share your faith…just had a conversation! Months ago I talked about how Bowling Green Alliance is challenging their congregation to have meals with people…inside or outside of the church…in or out. It requires intentionality and I know some are more naturally suited to invite people to coffee or lunch, but eating and drinking are wonderful activities for conversation (and survival!). I want to challenge you—and myself—to have one conversation this week with someone over a drink or meal. Invite someone into your home, to Rustbelt or Black Kite Coffee, to grab breakfast at your favorite greasy spoon or even a trip to DQ or Mr. Freeze.
Completing the Great Commission will require the mobilization of every fully-devoted disciple.
It all begins with relationships. Conversations. Words…and deeds. Be present.
I love First Alliance Church. I love our global family, the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Missionary is our middle name! What is your next step in obeying Jesus, in fulfilling the Great Commission, in making disciples…here and around the world?
Don’t let the professionals have all of the fun! Get out of the stands and get in the game!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.