Belong: Walk as One

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. 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.

We belong to walk as one.

1.) One Mission (v. 1-3)

Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 22:37-39

Matthew 22:37–39 ESV

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

The Mission: Love God, Love People, Make Disciples

The missional standard- dying to self

humility

gentleness

patience

bearing with one another

We have one mission, and you play an important part.

2.) One Identity (v. 4)

We are one body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 ESV

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

There is one Spirit.

The one identity should enable us to pursue the one mission.

3.) One Reality (v. 5-6)

Our mission and our identity point us to our reality- our one hope.

One Lord

One Faith

One Baptism

Belonging to Christ and His church is not a choice, it is who we are.

Head

What stood out to you about tonight’s talk?

As you understand it, what is the mission and the purpose of the church? How do we sometimes miss the point?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? How does being a disciple shape your identity?

Heart

Out of all the missional standards listed in Ephesians 4:2-3 which one do you struggle with the most? which one have we struggled with as a student ministry?

Be honest, do you find yourself putting your hope and/or finding your identity in other things beside Christ? What are they? What steps do you need to take to more fully focus your life on Jesus and the one mission?

What do you think is stopping you from being a more fully functioning part of the body of Christ?

Hands

A big part of belonging is being discipled (brought from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity). Name someone you would trust to help you do this. Who is that person? Commit to being bold enough to ask that person to mentor you in the faith.

Walking as one can be tough, is there anyone in your life you need to have a heart to heart and restore a Godly relationship? Which parts of the missional standard in Ephesians 4:2-3 will you need to repair the relationship?