Whatchanotgonedo
CENTRAL TEXT: Ephesians 4:1-16
Eph. 4:1 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. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
Eph. 4:9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.
PRE SERVICE TEXT: Ephesians 4:12-13
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 99:1-5
LEADER: The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
ALL: Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
LEADER: The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
ALL: Exalt the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!
CONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostle’s Creed
LEADER: Church, what do you believe?
ALL: The entire bible is One story; all pointing to the beauty and finished work of Jesus.
And so each week we have additional readings and liturgy that connect to the central text and
themes to illustrate this continuity. Our central text for today is found in Matthew 28, and so we
offer a related text found in Daniel 7.
I believe in God the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into Hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.
BENEDICTION: 1 Peter 3:8, 9
LEADER: Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
ALL: Amen
POST SERVICE: Ephesians 4:15-16
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.
RELATED SCRIPTURES:
- John 17:20-28
- Philippians 2:5-11
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- What was the tightest group, club, team, or organization you have ever been a part of? Why? In what ways, large or small, did you contribute to its health and vitality?
- From vv.1-6 what all does the church have in common? Why would the unity of the church always depend on the character of its people?
- Paul names a variety of word-centered gifts of the Spirit. What are others he names in other letters found in the New Testament? How would the gifts he names here equip people for ministry? How might those other gifts do likewise?
- How might you elaborate on what Paul means by attaining to the maturity of “the measure of the stature of Christ”? What might that look like on a churchwide scale?
- In every local church there is at least some variety of belief and conviction on consequential matters, often of public importance. Why is the unity we share according to this passage of greater significance than any other matters over which we might
- reasonably, and sometimes passionately, differ? How does a people in whom that diversity of conviction exists move toward greater maturity without necessarily setting aside those differences?
Illustrations
Books / Docs
“The Church is your Mom,” Tish Harrison Warren
Devoted to the Church, Sinclair Ferguson
Contesting the Body of Christ, Myles Werntz
Church: A Guide to the People of God, Brad East
C.S. Lewis and the Church, eds. Judith and Brendan Wolfe
The Church and its Vocation, Michael W. Goheen
“What is Church?” Jason Micheli
Life Together, Dietrich Bønhoeffer (tl;dr: start here)
Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas
From Isolation to Community, Myles Werntz