One Spirit, One Church

Ephesians 4:2–6 ESV

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

What is the Church?

The Church is the body of Christ. it is all of us gathered together.

There are two types of Church: The Local Church and the Universal Church

Priorities of the Church

I. Teaching

There is supposed to be teaching at the Church. The point is to have the word of God taught for us to know the Word more. The pastor or teacher’s job is to also teach in a way that is relevant and practical so you can best live your life for God.

Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

II. Fellowship

Fellowship is critical for almost anything in life. Doing life alone, is what no one wants. However, living the Christian life with other brothers and sisters in Christ, is awesome. We are a ll united through the Spirit of God.

III. Communion

We do this together to remind each other of the last supper and what God did on the cross for us.

IV. Prayer and Confess

There is power in prayer, especially when we pray for one another as our hearts will start to change as well.

Confessing our sins to one another. This can be challenging but is truly vital for further growth. You can confess to God in private, but confessing to God in public to those you trust, that ups the accountability and gravity of this sin and how you want help in conquering it.

James 5:16 ESV

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

V. Worship

We can sing all we want on our own and the is vital. But we are also meant to sing worship songs with one another to join in singing the same lyrics to God.

That makes God happy. We know worship is not just singing, but singing definitely can worship God. And when you sing, which is crucial, let it be sincere and reflected in your personal life.

Ephesians 5:19 ESV

19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

What is the purpose of Church?

What are Spiritual Gifts?

Spiritual Gifts are gifts that God has given to us through His spirit.

Prophecy, Teaching, Faith, Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Mercy, Exhortation, Giving, Administration / Leadership, Helping, Service.

From the Fundamentals of the Faith Book:

Prophecy

To prophesy is to preach or to tell forth or declare the Scripture. Prophecy does not necessarily mean to foretell the future.

Teaching

This gift is the ability to teach the Word of God and help the hearers to understand the Scriptures as the author intended.

Faith

This gift is a consistent, enabling faith that truly believes God in the face of overwhelming obstacles and human impossibilities, and for great things. John MacArthur calls this the “gift of prayer” because the gift is primarily expressed toward God through prayer.

Wisdom

This is the ability to apply wisdom, gained from spiritual insight, to believers; knowing what is right and what is wrong, applied knowledge.

Knowledge

This is an understanding of the facts of Scripture. From the human perspective, it is scholarship or the ability to know the truths of Scripture both broadly and deeply.

Discernment

Discernment is the ability to tell which things are from the Spirit and which are not, distinguishing truth from error. This gift serves as protection for the church.

Mercy

This is the ability to show deep compassion to those who have spiritual, physical, or emotional needs.

Exhortation

Exhortation is the ability to encourage and motivate. A person with this gift can come alongside another to comfort him with love, to encourage him to a deeper spiritual commitment and growth, or to exhort him to action. This is the gift that qualifies people to exercise a counseling ministry in the body.

Giving

This gift is a direct reference to the material ministry of giving food, clothes, money, houses, etc., in response to the needs of the church.

Administration/Leadership

This gift is the ability to oversee the flock. This gift should be exhibited by pastors and elders, as well as leaders of missionary societies, youth ministries, evangelistic associations, etc

Helps

This gift is the ability to aid in a time of need or bear one another’s burdens as the situation arises.

Service

The gift of service is working for the body of Christ in areas of physical ministry, such as serving food or performing maintenance.

There are some more crazy gifts that were and sometimes are for a time: Miracles, Healing, and Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues.

All these Gifts come from the same spirit that unites the Church.

1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV

11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Spiritual Gift Survey https://mintools.com/spiritual-gifts-test.htm

Use the Spiritual Gifts to Serve at the Church

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Use these gifts to help the church function and grow. Every person has a role to play and you are not to young to do that. Use your talents and gifts to glorify God by using them in the church.

At the end of the day, remind yourself that love is at the center of these gifts. Without love, it is useless.

Discussion Questions:

What are the biblical guidelines when selecting a church?

What is the purpose of the church?

Why do you go to church?

Would you like to be a member of Trinity Church?

What are spiritual gifts?

What is your spiritual gift?

How can you use your gift for the church?