5.9.39 8.26.2018 Ephesians 4.1-16 One Body

One Body

▾ One

Entice: You need the Church. The Church needs you.

• Entice: You need the Church. The Church needs you.

• Engage: You've gotta want it. Do you? If you are interested in your personal, spiritual growth Paul wants you to understand that you can't become everything God

Engage: You've gotta want it. Do you? If you are interested in your personal, spiritual growth Paul wants you to understand that

wants you to be without the Church. Without the Church you are a disembodied part.

you can't become everything God wants you to be without the Church.

Without the Church you are a disembodied part.

Without the Church you are a disembodied part.

Expand: Paul's understanding of the Church is deeply theological and stubbornly practical. Using a precise analogy he explains how we are connected to each other and connected to Christ.

Expand: Paul's understanding of the Church is deeply theological and stubbornly practical. Using a precise analogy he explains how we are connected to each other and connected to Christ.

• Expand: Paul's understanding of the Church is deeply theological and stubbornly practical. Using a precise analogy he explains how we are connected to each

other and connected to Christ.

Excite: We are in this together! We walk in Christ together. We grown in Him together. We attain Christian maturity together.

Excite: We are in this together! We walk in Christ together. We grown in Him together. We attain Christian maturity together.

• Excite: We are in this together! We walk in Christ together. We grown in Him together. We attain Christian maturity together.

Explore:

• Explore: We walk together the path of growth.

We walk together and grow together.

Expand: Paul shows us how to share this walk…

• Expand: Paul shows us how to share this walk… We are called to walk…

▾ Body of Sermon:

We are called to walk with…

• with…

Integrity.

▾ Integrity. vv 1-3

Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 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.

Ephesians 4.1-3

Worthily

• Worthily 1

Humbly

• Humbly 2

Intentionally

Intentionally

Intentionally 3

• Intentionally 3

We are called to walk in…

• in…

Unity.

▸ Unity. 4-6

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

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.

One Inviting Spirit.

One Integrating Initiation.

• One Inviting Spirit.

• One Integrating Initiation.

One Inclusive Master.

• One Inclusive Master.

with

We are called to walk with

Diversity. 7-12

Diversity.

Ephesians 4:7–12 ESV

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 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,

• Diversity of gifts is a sign of Christ's grace.

Ephesians 4.7-12

Diversity of gifts is a sign of Christ's grace.

• Diversity of gifts is a demonstration of sovereignty.

Diversity of gifts is a demonstration of sovereignty.

• Diversity of gifts equips the Church for it's diverse work in the distributed body of Christ.

Diversity of gifts equips the Church for a variety of service.

▾ to Maturity. 13

We are called to walk in

Maturity.

Ephesians 4:13 ESV

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,

• Unity of the faith

Unity of the faith

• Knowledge of the Son of God.

Knowledge of the Son of God.

• Mature manhood

Mature manhood

• Measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

We are called to walk with

▾ for

Stability.

Stability. 14-16

Ephesians 4:14–16 ESV

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.

• Protected.

Ephesians 4.14-16

Protected.

• Truthful

Truthful

• Constructive

Constructive

▾ Can't do it alone

Can't do it alone

• As much as we need Jesus we need one another.

As much as we need Jesus we need one another.

• Without each other the various parts of the body lack purpose. Without each other our strengths are minimized by our weaknesses…what we have is minimized by

Without each other the various parts of the body lack purpose. Without each other our strengths are minimized by our weaknesses…what we have is minimized by what we don't.

what we don't.

You need to grow in your individual faith…it can't happen without our mutual encouragement.

• You need to grow in your individual faith…it can't happen without our mutual encouragement.

It begins with that one confession, that one baptism into the one body. Is today the day you are filled with the Spirit and integrated into His Body?

• It begins with that one confession, that one baptism into the one body. Is today the day you are filled with the Spirit and integrated into His Body? I hope so. I pray

I hope so. I pray for it to be. And now I give you the opportunity to make it happen.

for it to be. And now I give you the opportunity to make it happen.