02 Joined and Growing Together

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DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Our church family is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit, and we are missionaries.

Prayer for...

INTRODUCTION:

Review:

Week 1: The church is not something we build for God, it is something God builds for Himself, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. (Eph. 2:19-20)

WHAT IS THE REASON WHY THIS MESSAGE IS BEING SHARED / WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THIS MESSAGE IS ANSWERING?…

People Want Growth Without Friction

Community is avoided because it involves: Difference, Discomfort, Submission, Humility

Problem: What feels like friction is often the very place God is forming us into Christlikeness.

BIG IDEA FOR TODAY: God does not grow isolated believers—He grows a connected body He intends to fill and send.

Primary Text: Ephesians 2:19–21 Supporting Texts: Philippians 2:1–5; John 17:20–23

We Are Joined Together by Union with Christ

Ephesians 2:19–20 “19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,”

Our unity flows from whom we belong to

We are connected to Christ as we are connected to each other

The church is formed by union, not preference

God doesn’t gather people because they are alike, He joins them because they are in Christ.

Reflection Question: Am I rooted in Christ deeply enough to be joined to others faithfully?

God Forms Us As He Fills Us

Ephesians 2:21 “21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”

Initially, formation precedes function

God shapes by connecting us with others

Community is where God shapes character.

Reflection Question: Am I allowing God to shape me through others, or resisting the process?

Growth Happens Through Humble, Shared Life

Philippians 2:1–5 “1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,”

Unity requires humility, not control

Growth slows when self-interest leads

Christlike posture creates Christlike community

Spiritual maturity is not measured by independence, but by interdependence.

Reflection Question: What might God be forming in me through humility and shared life?

Our Unity Prepares Us for Mission

John 17:20–23 “20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Jesus prayed for unity before sending the church into the world. Formation fuels mission.

Unity is preparation for witness

Disunity weakens credibility

Connection makes Christ visible

Reflection Question: How does my connection to the body strengthen our collective witness?

A Structure Being Prepared for God’s Presence

Ephesians 2:21 “21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”

God is actively forming something living, the Church

Growth is ongoing, not complete

This formation is continual preparation, not the final step

God is joining us and growing us so that He may dwell among us and send us.

Conclusion/Reflection:

Practice:

Commit to intentional connection this week:

Coffee/meal with someone in our church family

Coffee/meal with someone far from God

Choose presence, humility, and participation over preference (i.e. go to the coffee shop with them, even if they don’t drink coffee)

Declaration:

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing

Talk It Over

Where is God inviting me to move from independence to interdependence so He can form me for what He wants to do through us?