Ephesians 4:1-16 CSB
A. A call for among God’s people. (1-3)
1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 , making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Colossians 3:14 CSB – 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
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B. The of the unity of the Church.(4-6)
4 There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope at your calling –5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
1 Corinthians 8:6 CSB – 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.
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C. The of Spiritual Gifts (7-10)
7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. 9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens to fill all things.
Ephesians 1:20-23 CSB – 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens — 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
Matthew 4:21 CSB – 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee, their father, preparing their nets, and he called them.
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D. of Spiritual Leadership (11-12)
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Matthew 4:21 CSB – 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them.
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E. The Desired Goal (13-16)
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head — Christ. 16 From him, the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Colossians 1:28 CSB – 28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
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Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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Community Life Group Questions
- What is one thing that stood out to you from Today’s sermon?
- Why is unity in the body of Christ so essential?
- What is the purpose of Jesus giving people spiritual gifts?
- What spiritual gift do you think you have? ask the group. (not talents but gifts)
- How can we pray for you?
List of Spiritual Gifts
Administration
Being an apostle
Discernment
Evangelism
Exhortation
Faith
Giving
Healing
Helps
Hospitality
Knowledge
Leadership
Mercy
Prophecy
Serving
Speaking in tongues (read the definition)
Teaching (sometimes known as shepherding)
Wisdom
Definitions
ADMINISTRATION: The ability to help steer the church, or a ministry, toward the successful completion of God-given goals, with skills in planning, organization, and supervision.
APOSTLE: A person sent to new places with the gospel. You may have heard of missionaries going to different countries to help spread the Word; they could be described as apostles. An apostle can also provide leadership to other churches or ministries and offer advice on spiritual matters.
DISCERNMENT: The wisdom to recognize truth from untruth by correctly evaluating whether a behavior or teaching is from God or another, ungodly source.
EVANGELISM: The ability to successfully communicate the message of the gospel, especially to nonbelievers.
EXHORTATION: Competence in offering encouragement, comfort, and support to help someone be all that God wants them to be.
FAITH: People with this gift have such great confidence in the power and promises of God that they can stand strong in their belief, no matter what may try to shake them. They can also stand up for the church and for their faith in such a way as to defend and move it forward.
GIVING: Those who have this gift are particularly willing and able to share what resources they have with pleasure, and without the need to see them returned.
HEALING: A capability used by God to restore others, be that physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
HELPS: Someone with this gift is able to support or assist members of the body of Christ so that they may be free to minister to others.
HOSPITALITY: A natural ability to make people—even strangers—feel welcome in one’s own home or church as a means to disciple or serve them.
KNOWLEDGE: This is the gift of someone who actively pursues knowledge of the Bible. This person may also enjoy analyzing biblical data.
LEADERSHIP: This aptitude marks a person who is able to stand before a church, to direct the body with care and attention, and to motivate them toward achieving the church’s goals.
MERCY: This is the defining trait of a person with great sensitivity for those who are suffering. It manifests itself in offering compassion and encouragement, and in a love for giving practical help to someone in need.
PROPHECY: The ability to speak the message of God to others with discernment. This involves proclaiming what is to come based on what the Bible says. This skill should be used only to offer encouragement or warning.
SERVING: A talent for identifying tasks needed for the body of Christ and using available resources to get the job done.
SPEAKING IN TONGUES: The supernatural ability to speak in another language (one that has not been learned).
TEACHING: The skill to teach from the Bible and communicate it effectively for the understanding and spiritual growth of others.
WISDOM: The gift of being able to sort through facts and information to discover what is best for the church.