CHURCH CHAPTER 3

I. Unity in the Church

Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 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.

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Worship in unity of heart

Fellowship in a unity of spirit

what breaks unity? Unforgiveness & Pride

Question - Why is church membership more than just attendance

II. Members are to serve one another

Read paragraph page 44 about your role in the body

How do we serve one another in the body?

Romans 12:3–8 ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

So this is how unity works and how we are commanded to keep in unity.

If we kept perfect unity in obedience to Gods word there would not be church splits and grudges among members that destroy the body.

Discord and critical attitudes can and will break unity in the body.

Read Page 46 Paragraph on disunity

Question : why are humility and love so important in maintaining unity within the church?

Answer: minor concerns should be overlooked for love covers such things

1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Are the things we fight over, the things we harbor and the things we criticize the pastor or the church or the songs we sing or all of the other things people stake a flag in worth any eternal value? We gather for the sake of eternity and criticize, leave, back bite for the sake of the things that wither and have no eternal value. We should always seek to resolve differences versus quietly slipping out and leaving the church or even worse the most dreadful practice of backing out from a forgiveness and love perspective but staying around and attempting to hide our true discontentment. This is where satan wants us, wandering away from the body and away from, encouragement, love and accountability.

Always guide others to grace and redirect criticism. which sometimes looks like sitting down with someone in love and being honest about whats in your head and seeping into your heart. Often times we are wrong in our perceptions that become our reality.