Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16, 28 Growth in Christ Requires the Community of the Church

Growth in Christ Requires the Community of the Church Aug 20, 2017

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A number of years ago in witnessing to a man who was open to the gospel but closed to the idea of attending church, said his objection was, “I thought my faith was to be ‘personal.’ I don’t believe in ‘organized religion’.” But how does that personal relationship become connected with the community of Christ’s church?

I. Maintain the Unity of the Spirit –

A. Unity is a gift to every believer through the blood of Christ –

1. Jesus Christ is building a Temple –

2. This is the Temple prophesied in

3. YOU collectively are being built up to a spiritual house to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ –

B. Such a community requires:

1. A humble and meek spirit. “Blessed are the poor in Spirit” – ;

2. Gentleness –

3. Patience

4. Bearing with one another in love

5. Endeavoring to maintain the gift of the unity of the Holy Spirit –

A solitary, isolated Christian is an unnatural state – . To sow discord among brothers is one of the things the Lord hates – ,

II. The Body of Christ –

A. Gift of pastors and teachers –

1. To equip the body to do the work of the ministry in order that every believer might edify the body of Christ

believer might edify the body of Christ

2. The fullness of the Spirit is only experienced through Christ’s church –

3. Pastors are to put those under their care into a position to fulfill their calling to edify the body of Christ

B. The Church as school –

1. Speak the truth in love

2. So that we grow to a perfect and mature unity

3. The voices include the dead believers who preceded us over the past twothousand years. For example, the early church councils – Nicea 325 AD; Constantinople 381 AD; Chalcedon 451 AD; other councils; and the Reformation witness (Please attend the Sunday School class this fall, September-November)

September-November)

C. The church as servant –

III. Speak the Truth –

A. The organization of Christ’s church on a local level

1. You need the truth – elders or the functional equivalent –

• To feed the flock the truth

• To serve as examples

• To watch out for the flock as shepherds –

• To care for your soul –

2. How can we do that unless there are regular open meetings to speak the truth to one another – ,

truth to one another – ,

The church is a place to rejoice with each other and weep and grieve with one another. People, and particularly millennials, want authenticity where we can be genuinely authentic before the Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Your church!!