November 7th
Ephesians 4:1-16 (NIV) and KJV
Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.
12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Title: Lets walk together.
Overview: Paul now shows how God made provision for those in the church to live and work together in unity and to grow together into maturity.
The grace of unity (4:1-3)
Each part of your body is Different from other parts yet all make up ONE body and work together. (The body of Christ works together and it can not work together without a part just like the Human body. (7 Christian graces)
* Lowliness or humility * self last means knowing ourselves and being ourselves to the glory of God
The ground of unity (4:4-6)
*One body - which is the Body of Christ.
* one spirit - The same spirit indwells in each Believer. * One hope of your calling - this refers to the return of The Lord to take his church to heaven. * One Lord - This is our lord Jesus Christ who died for us, lives for us and one day will come for us. * One faith - There is one settled body of truth deposited by Christ in his church. * One baptism - The "One baptism" is the baptism of the spirit when you give you life to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
* One God and Father. - for God is over all and we have the same father in heaven.
The gifts of unity (4:7-11) Paul takes about spiritual gifts in this section. We as Believers in Jesus Christ we each have a spiritual Gift or gifts. Everyone has a different gift that God gives us to use to help Brothers and Sisters in The Lord. What is your spiritual gift or gifts?
The growth of unity (4:12-16)
True believers growing gradually until they reach spiritual maturity (the measure of stature of fullness of Christ)
gifted leaders are supposed to equip the saints unto the work of ministry.
the member of the church grow my using there gifts and ministering to each other.
