Go with me, if you would, back
to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4. We just sang, my hope is built
on nothing less than the Lord Jesus Christ's blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on the Lord Jesus Christ's name. On
Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. I want us to firmly stand on
that tonight. Firmly stand on that. I want
us to enjoy. rejoice in and take comfort in
the fact that there is one sure foundation that we stand on. One sure foundation. Do you see
how verse 4 in Ephesians 4 verse 4 says there is one. Verse 5 says one. Verse 6 says 1, 1. The title of this message is
1, 1. All right, let's begin by looking at two verses of Scripture.
Go with me over to John chapter 4. John chapter four, verse seven, there cometh a woman of Samaria
to draw water. Jesus sayeth unto her, give me
to drink for his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy
meat. Then saith the woman of Samaria
unto him, how is it that thou being a Jew askest drink of me,
which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto
her, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith
to thee, give me to drink. thou wouldest have asked of him,
and he would have given thee living water." He said, there
is something that you don't know. That's what he said to her. There's
something that you don't know. And then he exposed her for the
sinner that she was down through those, those next few verses,
he exposed her sin to her. And in verse 19, the woman said
unto him, sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers
worshiped in this mountain. And you say that in Jerusalem
is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto
her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither
in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship
you know not what. He said, you go to church. But
he said, you worship you know not what. He said, there's something
you don't know. And then he said, you worship,
you know not what. He said, we know what we worship
for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is
when the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit
and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him. God is a
spirit. And they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him,
I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. When he is
come, he will tell us all things. And Jesus saith unto her, I that
speak unto thee am he. He said, we know what we worship. And God's people do. We know
what we worship. We know. All right. Now turn
with me over to second Timothy chapter one. Second Timothy one verse 12.
It says for the, which calls I also also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." We
know what, we know whom. We know what we worship, we know
whom. Now let's just enjoy that for
a minute, all right? Go with me back to Ephesians 4. Our text is three verses, four,
five, and six. In three verses, he declares
10 things. The first one in verse four,
he said, there is one body. There is one body. I love knowing
that. That's precious to me. There
is one body. There's one congregation of saints,
one. It does not matter geographically
where they are. It doesn't make a bit of difference.
There's a few here, there's a few there, there's a few in another
place. If Christ is our head, then we
are one body. Every true saint everywhere,
we're one with them. Look with me at Colossians chapter
one. Colossians 1 verse 18. It says, And he is the head of
the body, the church. He is the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he might have the preeminence. He might be
first. in all things. He's the head of the body, the
church. In order to decipher particular
people in particular places, the scripture talks about the
churches. It makes mention of the churches,
but when it's talking about every soul God has chosen to save,
they are called the church. The church. There is one body.
One body. All right, now go back to Ephesians
4. Verse 4 says, there is one body
and one spirit. One spirit. You know, the world,
they know that there are differences. There are differences among everybody.
You know, there's differences with what your church preaches,
differences with what this church preaches, and people are okay
with that. Well, what do you believe? Well,
it's probably a little different from what you believe. God's
people know there's one spirit. There's one spirit. There's one
body and there is one spirit. God's Holy Spirit is the one
who comes to every single child of God. And when he comes to
God's children, he does the exact same thing for every one of them. Look at it with me in John 16.
John 16 verse 13, it says, How be it? When He, the Spirit
of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall
not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He
speak, and He will show you things to come. Verse 14 says, He shall
glorify Me. For he shall receive of mine
and shall show it unto you. All things that the father hath
are mine. Therefore said I that he shall
take of mine and shall show it unto you. There's one spirit,
one spirit. And what does God's spirit do?
He glorifies Christ. He glorifies Christ. That's all that the child of
God wants to do. You know, we preach Christ because
we want to preach Christ. We hear Christ because we want
to hear Christ. When somebody says, well, that's
not enough. That's not enough. I need more
than that. I need you to challenge me. I
need you to challenge my mind. I don't know what that is, but
that's not God's Spirit. That's not the Spirit. God's people know there is only
one Spirit and He points me to Christ. He points me to Christ. Alright, go back to Ephesians
4. Verse 4 says, There is one body and one Spirit, even as
you are called in one hope of your calling. There's one hope. There is one hope. What is it? My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus Christ's blood in righteousness. That's it. That's
it. Nothing added to it. Nothing
that this scripture commands of any sinner to do. It's the
blood of Christ alone. Whatever a person cannot stop
talking about, that's what his hope is in. And you'll find this
to be true. As you, as you talk to people,
you're going to run into people who are religious and whatever
a person cannot stop talking about, that's what his hope is
in. Whatever a person to is, whatever
a person is clinging to in his heart. that will continually
come out of his mouth. If all that a person talks about
is baptism, that's what his hope is in. That's what his hope is
in. If all a person talks about is
good works, that's what his hope is in. Yeah, but now the Bible
says that's what his hope is in. If all a person can talk
about is the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, then that's
what his hope is in. It'll come out. Out of the heart,
the mouth will speak. Do God's children believe in
baptism? Absolutely. Do God's children
believe in good works? Absolutely. But what is continually
on their lips? I mean continually when somebody
wants to come in and start sidetracking on this subject, God's people
want to come right back to the blood of Christ alone. Well,
the Bible says this, don't you agree with that? Absolutely.
I agree with that, but we're going to be on the blood of Christ
alone. We're going to stay right there. The answer is Christ. The only hope there's one hope
Christ. Verse 4 says, there is one body
and one spirit even as you are called in one hope of your calling. Verse 5 says, there is one Lord. There is one Lord. All of God's
children cry, there is one Lord and it's not me. It's not me. He is Lord. He is Lord. He is Lord by right. He's Lord by His own right. Go
with me back over to Colossians 1. Colossians 1 verse 16. It says, For by Him were all things
created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him and He is
before all things and by Him all things consist. He is Lord
because He created and He owns everything. That's why He's Lord.
He created everything. I've told our girls before. We
are in charge because we are the parents. That's why one of
these days, if the Lord gives them their own kids, then they
get to be in charge because they'll be the parents right now. That's
not their right. That's not their right. He is
Lord because he created it all. He created it all. He's Lord
by right. He is also Lord because God,
the father said he was look with me at acts chapter two. Acts chapter two, verse 36. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom
you have crucified both Lord and Christ." He's Lord because
it's His right. He's Lord because God the Father
declared Him to be. God declared He is Lord. Go with me to one more, Romans
14. Romans 14 verse 9 it says, For to this end Christ both died
and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead
and living. He is Lord because he conquered
death. He's Lord. HE IS RISEN FROM THE
DEAD, AND HE IS LORD. EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, EVERY TONGUE
CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. THERE IS ONE LORD. ONE
LORD. GOD'S PEOPLE KNOW THAT. THEY
KNOW WHOM. ALRIGHT, GO WITH ME BACK TO EPHESIANS
4. VERSE 5 SAYS THERE IS ONE LORD,
ONE FAITH. One faith. God's people know
there is only one thing to believe. There's only one thing to believe.
And what is that that God's people believe? It's this. This is all
not of ourselves. It is the gift of God. This is
not of ourselves. This is all the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. That summarizes salvation. That summarizes salvation. We
are saved by God's free sovereign grace. This is not of ourselves. It's the gift of God. Somebody
say, what's the gift of God? Christ is. Salvation in Him,
that's the gift of God. Eternal life, that's the gift
of God. Eternal life. Verse 5 says, there's one Lord,
one faith, one baptism. God's children know that. They
do, they know that. When a true believer is immersed
into a pool of water, You know what that sinner is
saying at that exact moment in time? When that sinner goes down
under a pool of tap water, what he's saying at that moment in
time is, this tap water is not my salvation. That's what he's
saying. By doing that, he's saying, this
is not my salvation. He's saying my decision to get
in this tap water is not my salvation. He's saying, I will not be one
bit more saved when I get out of this tap water as I was before
I went into the tap water. Because this is not my salvation.
Christ is. Christ is. I'm going into this
tap water to let everybody know that I died with Him. I died with him. God's Holy Spirit
has immersed me into him." That's what we're saying. God's Spirit
chose me, laid hold of me, and immersed me into the blood of
Jesus Christ. That's the one and only true
baptism. Verse 4, there's one body and
one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling,
one Lord ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM. And verse 6 says, THERE IS ONE
GOD AND FATHER OF ALL. Verse 4 says, THERE IS ONE GOD
THE SPIRIT. Verse 5 says, THERE IS ONE GOD
THE SON. Verse 6 says, THERE IS ONE GOD
THE FATHER. One God the Spirit, one God the
Son, one God the Father. This is an amazing thing to know.
The Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Spirit. In Genesis 1
verse 26, they said, let us make man after our image. Let us make man after our image. In 1 John 5 verse 7, It says,
there are three that bear record in heaven. There are three that
bear record. The Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost. Yet, verse six says, one God. One God. How many gods are there? How many thrones are there gonna
be in heaven? One. One. Well, are there three who rule
and reign? Yes. And how many gods? One. One God the Spirit, one
God the Son, one God the Father. These three are one. Verse six,
it says, one God and Father of all who
is above all. Don't you love knowing that? Who is above all? He's above all. He is in control. That's what
it means. He's in control. He's ordering everything. He's
ruling and reigning over everything. It's all by His perfect design. It's all coming to a perfect
end. He is above all. All of the terrors
in the world are under His direct rule and command. The pestilence
by day, the terror by night. He's above all. There's so much
comfort in that. There is so much. There is nothing
left to chance with God. Nothing. He is above me and he
reigns and he rules over me. Verse six says, there's one God
and father of all who is above all and through all. If it's happening, he's in it. I love whenever the disciples,
you know, they, they quit after the Lord died and they, they
were so discouraged and they said, we're not doing this anymore.
I'm going back to fishing. They got in their boat and they
toiled all night and they caught nothing. And the next morning
the Lord said, children, do you have any meat? No. And he said,
well, pick your net up and throw it right there. And it started
sinking the boat. And they're fighting and they're
trying to get it all in. And I believe it was John looked over at Peter
and he said, it's the Lord. It's the Lord. It's the Lord. If it's happening, he's in it.
If it's happening, he's controlling it. And through it, our good
and his glory will come. It will. Verse 6 says, there's
one God and father of all who is above all and through all
and in you all. Go with me over to John 17. John
17 verse 20. Our Lord said, neither pray I
for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on
me through their word, that they all may be one as thou father
art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me. and the glory which
thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as
we are one. I in them and thou in me that
they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that
thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. What a blessed thing to know
that and hear that. Aren't we so thankful that the
Lord would record that conversation with His Father for us to read?
That's His mind, that's His heart, that's His will. And we are so
blessed to know it. To know it and believe it. That
is the one gospel. The one gospel, those three verses
plainly declare the one gospel and it's a glorious gospel. We
thank the Lord for it. All right, let's stand together.