“We are One in Jesus Christ” April 19, 2020

2537 Lee Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118‐4136 Ephesians 4:1‐6 Telephone: 216‐321‐8880 Rev. Amanda Moseng, Pastor of Discipleship Website: www.COTSumc.org

1) Introduction: Church of the Saviour is a United Methodist congregation, and has been part of the Methodist tradition from its very beginning. But what does it mean to be a United Methodist Church? What is the Wesleyan tradition of Christian practice that joins us with others? In this sermon series we’ll reconnect with our roots through six unique Wesleyan spiritual practices, from how we read scripture and understand grace to the ways we live out our faith in community. Today we are going to explore something known as “the middle way,” a posture that (the founder of ) took when interacting with others. The idea of a middle way is important for us in the church as we face theological differences, but also when we encounter other differences, such as political differences. We are going to focus on unity today, particular for us as Christians. We are united in Christ and the church is the body of Christ, but it is obvious that we do not always agree or see things the same way. Hence, the “Middle Way” becomes an important posture and practice for us as we seek to live in unity with others. (pray)

2) Why is the Middle Way Important?‐ Arminian vs Calvinist Theology a) Finding the middle way is important because there are distinct theological differences we have within Methodism, but also historically in the life of the church b) These are two Protestant systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God’s sovereignty and humanity’s responsibility in salvation. Both are scriptural, both are widely accepted. c) i) French theologian named John Calvin (1509‐1564) ii) Reformed Theology‐ example: Presbyterians iii) TULIP‐ 5 main points of Calvinism (1) ‐ every aspect of humanity is corrupted by sin and we cannot come to God on our own accord (2) ‐ God elects individuals to salvation based on His will, not ours (3) Limited ‐ Jesus died only for the elect (4) ‐ God’s grace cannot be resisted; when God calls that person to salvation the individual will ultimately come to salvation (5) Perseverance of the ‐ Those who God calls to salvation will persist in faith and not turn away or deny Christ iv) Emphasis on God’s sovereignty d) i) Dutch theologian named (1560‐1609) ii) Refuted points of TULIP (1) Partial Depravity‐ Not every aspect of humanity corrupted by sin, such that we can place faith in God in our own accord () (2) ‐ God elects everyone for salvation, but we ultimately choose if we want God/salvation or not (3) Unlimited Atonement‐ Christ died for all people (4) Resistible Grace‐ We can resist the grace of God and can choose to reject the call to salvation (5) Conditional Salvation‐ We can backslide and turn away from Christ and lose our salvation iii) Emphasis on free will/humanity having agency e) These are theological points in which there is difference within the body of Christ, but there is also a wide mixture of beliefs. It is not as though you either side with all the points of one side and none of the other. There is a mix of beliefs, just as there is a wide variety of denominations. This was mainly to set the stage for what we believe as Methodists.

f) is derived from Arminianism i) We start with these differences to emphasize that even though we don’t agree about everything, we still have the same God. We are still united in Christ. This is why we need a middle way.

3) Wesley’s Middle Way (via media) a) Middle way‐ Finding truth in both sides of the theological debate i) He was able to value and listen to people on opposite sides and to find a way in the middle, embracing the best and truth of both sides ii) In his introduction to his Explanatory Notes on the New Testament Wesley wrote: “Would to God that all the party names and unscriptural phrases and forms which have divided the Christian world were forgot; and that we might all agree to sit down together as humble, loving disciples, at the feet of our common Master, to hear his word, to imbibe his Spirit, and to transcribe his life in our own!” b) We have much to learn from this posture, a posture of humility and openness to the other

4) Catholic Spirit (catholic = universal) a) Catholic Spirit was a sermon preached by John Wesley in 1750 b) Key phrase from sermon: “Though we can’t think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without a doubt, we may.” i) We are called to love one another, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we often don’t do this because we let our differences get in the way ii) We can be of one heart even though we are not of one opinion. We will never see all things the same iii) While we believe our opinions are true, there is no way that all of them are true all the time. And, we cannot and/or do not know when we are mistaken c) Importance of humility i) We are not always right ii) Dr. Scott Kisker: We must be willing to admit that we might be wrong. This is not about the stance or the side you take but a posture of humility iii) Ephesians 4:1‐3: “Therefore, as a prisoner for , I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together.” d) “In essentials unity, in non‐essentials liberty, in all things charity” i) While Wesley quoted this, it is attributed to Rupertus Meldenius, an orthodox Lutheran priest during the Thirty Year’s War. He was not seeking ecclesiastical union, but peace in the church and practical, scriptural piety ii) In his sermon “Catholic Spirit,” Wesley describes some of the essentials, mainly involving what one believes about God and one’s relationship with God (1) Do you believe in God? (2) Is your heart right with God? (3) Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Does he dwell in your heart? (4) Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? (5) Are you doing the will of God? (6) Are your eyes fixed on Jesus? (7) Is all that you do, say, and think aimed to glorify God and bring God honor? (8) Do you hate evil ways and avoid sinning against God and neighbor? (9) Is your heart right towards your neighbor? Do you love your enemies? (10) Do you show your love of God and neighbor through good works? iii) You will notice that none of his questions involved style of worship or any of the theological differences we mentioned at the start (1) This does not mean Wesley thought everything was good and right. He definitely thought Calvin was wrong is various areas, particularly double , but allowed others to think differently

(2) But Wesley did emphasize the importance of settling on your opinion and not being tossed around like a wave. Be resolute in what you believe. iv) For Wesley, unity is essential to the mission of the church. This spirit of unity should be the essence of the church. (1) Lack of unity undermines our mission and witness to the world (2) Even though we may not agree on doctrinal issues, that does not negate our responsibility to work together in sharing the gospel (3) Points of difference still mattered to Wesley, but did not stop him from working with others (4) We can still unite across our differences

5) Ephesians 4:1‐6 a) Theme of unity throughout the letter i) Christ broke down the barrier/dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles b) Paul is encouraging them to live as people worthy of the call they have received from God i) God is calling us to new life through Jesus Christ. (1) As such, we are to put away the old self and its selfish desires and put on the new self and see the image of God renewed within us, our minds being renewed through the work of the Holy Spirit so that we can live into our call to righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:22‐24) (2) Christ’s death has reconciled all people to God. He has made us one and is our peace. (a) Therefore, don’t be hostile towards each other! This is incongruent with new life in Christ. We cannot undo the work that Christ has done, but we can treat each other as if His work does not matter or has the power to change anything c) This life in Christ looks like humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love i) This is nearly half of the fruit of the Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‐control.” (Gal 5:22‐23) (1) As Christians, as those of us who live their lives in Christ, this fruit should be developing in increasing measure in our lives. This fruit needs to be manifesting in our words, actions, and thoughts. We cannot have unity if we are not working on our inner heart condition and allowing the Spirit to convict us of our sin, biases, and prejudices. d) We need to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace i) Maintain unity so far as it depends on you! Keep up your responsibility regardless of what others do or don’t do. ii) We have been bound together in and by Christ and it is a bond of peace (1) This includes everyone, even those who disagree with you. I hate to break it to you, but we are all united in the body of Christ. You don’t get to hate on another part of the body just because they are different from you and don’t think the same as you. (2) How do you think that makes Christ feel? He is our head, the head of the Church, the body of Christ. How would you like it if your body started warring against itself? You wouldn’t. Christ died so that all barriers would be broken down and we would be united in Him. He is our bond of peace. How about we trust that there is enough grace to go around and trust that God is big enough to hold together all of our differences? e) There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one , and one God and Father of us all. i) God knows that we aren’t all alike, that we don’t all think the same way, that we won’t believe or prefer the same things. God is above all of these things, yet God is still in all and works through all of us. ii) Despite the differences, we are one. We are united in Christ and united in our mission to share the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world. iii) We have opinions and beliefs that we hold dear, but that often results in us isolating ourselves in silos, seeking our way instead of the middle way. How can you practice the middle way in your life? (1) Listen closely and with open heart and mind to those who have different opinions from you. Instead of entering with your foregone conclusions, be open you what you might learn and experience.

(2) Read or listen to a different media source than you normally might. Unclench your fists and listen for truth you might find. (3) If you have a particular preference for something, such as worship, be open to the ways God is working and touching the lives of individuals in different ways. (4) Remember, the middle way does not mean that you are giving up your convictions, but that you maintain a posture of humility and openness, a willingness to see the truth in both sides 6) Conclusion Even if you can't find truth in the other side, at least look for the best in that individual. Believe the best of them. It's true that we may reach an impasse, but we can still seek to love them and be peaceable towards them. It is then that the bond of peace we have in Christ grows stronger. It is then that the fruit of the Spirit are manifest and developing within our lives. It is then that we are living into the unity that Christ so desires for His church. It is then that the world can see us living into our gospel call to love God and our neighbor as ourselves, rather than tearing each other down. Because at the end of the day, it is all about Jesus, not about us and our opinions. We are called to go to all the world, making disciples and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. We are united in Christ. Let’s find the middle way and make Christ known, together. Amen.

Sources: Hamilton, . Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2014. https://www.gotquestions.org/Calvinism‐vs‐Arminianism.html http://wesley.nnu.edu/john‐wesley/the‐sermons‐of‐john‐wesley‐1872‐edition/sermon‐39‐catholic‐spirit/