CONNECTED: MY LIFE IN THE CHURCH

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1 CONNECTED: MY LIFE IN THE CHURCH 10

2 I am a Christian. Therefore, I am connected. Let s make a quick list of pressing issues we face on a regular basis: > > Paying the bills > > Raising a family > > Keeping afloat in today s economy > > Church membership Church membership? I doubt the issue of church membership makes it on most people s list, but it should. Unfortunately, many Christians have developed a faulty view of what it means to be a church member. Many of us talk about our church in terms of what we get out of it. This consumer mentality focuses on the perks we gain from the church, which makes church membership sound more like club membership. In reality, being part of the body of Christ means so much more. The Book of Ephesians helps us see the true benefits that come from our connections to Christ and His church. Within this study we ll discover six ways church members are connected: connected in Christ, connected in unity, connected in growth, connected through words, connected in service, and connected through prayer. Your connection to the church your membership will prove over time to be just as important as paying the bills and raising a family. During this study you ll discover that, through Christ, we are all truly connected in a way that lasts not just for a lifetime, but for all eternity. Thom S. Rainer Thom S. Rainer serves as president and CEO of LifeWay. One of his greatest joys is his family: his wife, Nellie Jo; his three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and his seven grandchildren. Dr. Rainer publishes a daily blog at ThomRainer.com and can be followed on He has authored several books, including the book that complements this study: I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference. 11

3 SESSION 1 CONNECTED IN CHRIST 12 Session 1

4 GET INTO THE STUDY The Point Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. The Passage Ephesians 2:17-22 The Bible Meets Life We join clubs and organizations because of the perks and benefits we receive. After all, we ve paid good money to join. Unfortunately, we often approach the church in the same way. The privilege of church membership, though, does not come from anything we ve done or paid for; instead, Christ paid the price and made it possible for us to be a part of the church, God s family. The Setting Paul penned the Letter to the Ephesians from prison, probably in Rome. He had invested a great deal of time in Ephesus, having visited there briefly near the end of his second missionary journey and spending three years in the city on his third journey. In Ephesus, Christianity confronted both other religions and Greek philosophies. Paul wrote to clarify the church what it is, how one enters it, and how one behaves as part of it. 10 minutes SAY: We re going to spend the next several weeks in Paul s letter to the Ephesians examining the connections we have with one another through the church the body of Christ. (ENHANCEMENT: Direct attention to Pack Item 1: Connected. ) GUIDE: Direct the group to look at the picture (see p. 12; Personal Study Guide [PSG], p. 8). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 8): When have you been interested to join a group or a cause? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 9). Stress that the church is not a club but a body of believers with a common connection faith in Christ. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 9): Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. SAY: Let s focus for a while today on the reality that church membership is a gift from God. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 7 13

5 THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. STUDY THE BIBLE Ephesians 2: minutes TIP: This session is especially helpful for guiding unbelievers who may be part of your group to see their need for salvation through faith in Christ. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit s leading as you guide the session. Consider the suggestions on page 21 under Sharing the Good News. SUMMARIZE: Before reading the focal passage, use the Bible commentary 1 to give some brief background from Ephesians 1:1 2:16 to help set the context for Paul s writing to the Ephesian church. SAY: It s extremely important to not miss Paul s point that the gospel message is for ALL people. Ephesians 2: When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. God s glory in His church is a chief theme of Ephesians (3:21). A chief question for us to keep in mind during this study is Are we committed to glorifying God in His church? The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church from prison, probably in Rome in about A.D. 62. He wrote to clarify what the church is, how we enter it, and how we behave as part of it. Ephesians 2:17-22 plunges us into the depths of Paul s discussion and God s purposes for the church. In fact, beginning at Ephesians 2:17 is a little like joining a superinteresting conversation between friends who have already been talking for a while or like walking into a compelling lecture in the third of a professor s seven points. So, we ll start with a brief look back at Ephesians 1:1 2:16, then draw upon these earlier sections while we study Ephesians 2: After a brief greeting (1:1-2), the apostle set forth God s saving work that is for His people and for the praise of His glory (vv. 3-14). He then prayed for God s people to have clear vision of the glorious riches that are in Christ (vv ). Paul referred to the church, which is His body for the first time in Ephesians 1: He then recounted the story of the Ephesians (and our!) salvation by God s grace and through His people s faith (2:1-10). In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul turned full force to a gospel truth that captivated him and spurred him on in ministry the unity of Jew and Gentile in the one body of the church through the saving work of Christ. From the time of his call, Notes 14 Session 1

6 Paul s assignment was to take the name of Jesus to Gentiles and the Israelites (Acts 9:15). He saw that Christ was bringing different and divided people into one new man in Himself (Eph. 2:15). As Paul proclaimed the Name, his preaching was an extension of Jesus own. That is part of what Paul meant by when the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you. Jesus proclaimed peace during His earthly ministry (Mark 9:50; John 14:27), but Paul referred to something even beyond this. After all, Jesus did not travel to or preach in the flesh to you that is, the Ephesian believers. But Paul and others did proclaim in Ephesus the good news of peace that comes through the cross (Eph. 2:16). In fact, Paul preached the gospel of peace (6:15) for over two years in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10). As he did, Christ was preaching through him. He was Christ s ambassador as Christ spoke through him (2 Cor. 5:20). So, when the Messiah came He announced peace and established its basis in the cross. Then, He proclaimed peace through His apostles and witnesses. Through Paul, the message reached Ephesus. Down through the centuries the Messiah has continued to preach through His witnesses and servants to our own day. Thank God the message reached even us! The Ephesians were far away from God before they were saved. Ephesians 2:11-12 specifies what far away means. Many of the Ephesian believers were Gentiles. They were uncircumcised and had been without knowledge of a coming Messiah. They were excluded from Israel God s chosen nation. They did not know of God s covenants. They had neither hope in nor right knowledge of the true God. Further, magic flourished in their city (Acts 19:18-19). Artemis worship thrived around a famous temple (vv ). Worldly philosophies filled their minds. They were indeed far away. On the other hand, the Jews were near in the sense they had the knowledge and promises of God that the Gentiles lacked. In another sense, they were not so near. They were dead in sin and under wrath as the others were also (Eph. 2:1-3). The Jews needed reconciliation with God just as the Gentiles did (2:16). What does this mean for you and me? Simply that if we are now in Christ, we were once dead in sin and in need of READ: Invite a volunteer to read Ephesians 2: GUIDE: To clarify you who were far away and those who were near (v. 17), direct attention to the two bulleted points on page 10 of the PSG: He wrote to Gentile believers who had been far from God because they had no knowledge of God through the Law of Moses or the prophets. He wrote to Jewish believers, who had knowledge of God but were also cut off from Him by their sin. SAY: It doesn t matter if we have never considered our need for Christ or if we have been coming to church for 70, 80, or 90 years, this good news of peace is for ALL of us. Notes 15

7 THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. GUIDE: Stress that no matter how old we are, it s never too late to come to Christ. Invite anyone who would like to know more about following Christ to talk with you privately after the session. GUIDE: Invite the group to look at the photo of President Kennedy and John, Jr., on PSG page 11. Note the author s illustration of the access to God believers have through Christ. peace with God. Religious background, family training, and warm childhood feelings about Jesus do not make peace between God and sinners. We only have real peace with God by the blood of the Messiah (v. 13). Therefore, Jew and Gentile alike need the cross of Christ, where Jesus shed the redeeming blood by which He would include people in His body, the church. The cross of Christ, not a characteristic or contribution of ours, is the basis for peace with God and our place in His church. Rather, through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Both refers here to Jews and Gentiles, including people of all nations, ethnicities, and cultures (Rom. 1:13-16; Col. 3:11). Thus, both includes every single human being under heaven who comes to God. God has established one way of accessing His salvation: through Christ as the Spirit enables. Therefore, there is no distinction between races or ethnicities. All are saved in the same way (Acts 15:9-11). If we are connected with the Father, we are connected in Christ. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 12): What emotions do you experience when you think about our direct access to God? (Alternate: When you think about your experience with God, what does access mean?) TRANSITION: Remind the group that just as John Kennedy, Jr., had unique access to his father because of their family relationship, so believers in Christ have access to God because he has adopted us into His family. Ephesians 2:19 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God s household, KEY WORDS: Foreigners, strangers (v. 19) Foreigners refers to noncitizens who are short-term in a country; strangers to longer term residents. Neither had citizenship or full rights. So then signals a result of the nearness to God that Gentile and Jewish believers now share in Christ. The result: Gentiles are no longer foreigners and strangers without citizenship in God s kingdom, as Ephesians 2:12 describes them as having been. Notes 16 Session 1

8 2 Instead, believing Gentiles are fellow citizens with the saints. Saints refers simply to people who are truly in Christ (Eph. 1:1). They are not in a special order of Christian or on a higher spiritual level than ordinary believers. They are holy because God has purified and set them apart through Christ s atoning death and called them to grow in holiness as the Spirit works in them. They are not extraordinary Christians. We are all in the same class together. That s Paul s point! Jewish and Gentile believers are all full and fellow citizens of the kingdom of God s saints. Beyond fellow citizenship, we see another image that further presses home the intimacy of fellowship in the church. Jew and Gentile alike are members of God s household. Across ethnic, racial, cultural, and linguistic lines, all believers are included together as members of God s family in the church! To have a biblical view of salvation and the church, we must see that peace with God is more than vertical. It is also horizontal, reaching across ethnic and racial boundaries. The gospel is not just about Jesus and me. When God brings a person to Himself in Christ, He brings that person together with everyone else who is in Christ. Connected in Christ means connected with others who are in Christ. This truth might thrill us or it might stagger us, but one thing is sure it is totally biblical. Let s take a short tour through the Bible to see that God s plan has always included uniting Jews and Gentiles in the church through Christ. In Genesis 12:3, God promised to bless all the peoples (or clans) on the earth through Abraham. Psalm 67:1-4 calls on God to make His salvation known among the nations so they would rejoice in Him. In Isaiah 49:6, God promised His Servant would be a light to extend His salvation to the nations of the earth. In Luke 24:47, the risen Jesus said proclamation of forgiveness of sins through Him was to start in Jerusalem and continue to all nations. In Acts 1:8, Jesus sent His witnesses to the ends of the earth that is, to non-jews of all kinds! In Acts 8 11, God gave His Spirit freely to people who believed the gospel in Samaria and in a Gentile military officer s home. Peter shared fellowship with Gentiles in the military man s home! In Revelation 5:9, Jesus is praised in heaven because He purchased for God by His blood sinners from all tribes, languages, peoples, and nations of the world! STUDY THE BIBLE Ephesians 2:19 READ: Invite a volunteer to read verse minutes GUIDE: Review the KEY WORDS, foreigners, strangers, (p. 16; PSG, p. 12). Note the contrast between people who have no access to God which all believers were formerly and saints those whom Christ has made family members in the church, His body. GUIDE: Use the Bible commentary 2 to help clarify the word saints. Emphasize that Paul was not describing a higher class of Christians. Notes 17

9 THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 13): How is being part of a church like being part of a family? (Alternate: What does it mean to you to be called a citizen or member of God s family?) TRANSITION: Emphasize that although one s personal salvation is indeed a gift and a privilege, we must remember that this gift has also given us the privilege of being united with other believers in Christ s church, not just for our benefit, but for God s glory. STUDY THE BIBLE Ephesians 2: minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses Then Invite a volunteer to read the definition of cornerstone (PSG, p. 14). Stress that the church exists because of Jesus. He is the One holding us all together. Hopefully, God s plan to make the Gentiles His children and members of His household is overwhelmingly obvious to us, but early Jewish Christians struggled to see it. Paul called it a mystery that God has now clearly revealed and that the church is to display for His glory (Eph. 3). Now that the mystery is revealed, we can see how destroying the walls between people and uniting them in Christ in the church would give God great glory. The wisdom of men and the power of governments cannot achieve this. It can happen only by the power of God and the work of His Spirit. Unity in Christ is for God s glory alone because man can achieve nothing truly like it. God s glory is wonderfully on display as believers take practical steps to unify in Christ. In the 2009 Urbana student mission conference, large dividers separated students from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong into three separate groups during prayer sessions due to longstanding and intense political animosities. The students asked their leaders to remove the boundaries and they came together. One was quoted as saying, In Christ, we are all one family we have the desire to make the first steps to connect. 1 Of course, the church has often been imperfect and slow in working this out practically. In 1953, Billy Graham walked into a building before a crusade service and was disturbed to see dividing ropes between the white and black seating sections. He went right to the ropes and tore them down himself. The head usher resigned in hot anger, but Dr. Graham stood his ground. 2 Do you personally or does your church need to remove any contradictions to the gospel you proclaim? Whatever the next step is toward displaying unity in Christ, it is worth taking by God s Spirit and for His glory. Church membership is indeed a glorious privilege Christ has made possible for us to share with others. Notes 18 Session 1

10 Ephesians 2: built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. 22 You also are being built together for God s dwelling in the Spirit. KEY WORD: Cornerstone (v. 20) The foundation stone that anchors the whole structure. It sets the angle and the bearings for the structure that will rise from the foundation. If God s household is not built on cultural identities or along racial dividing lines, on what is it built? The answer to this question lies at two levels. At one level, we see that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets whom Christ gave to the church (Eph. 4:11-16). The apostles witnessed Jesus resurrection and functioned with His authority in founding the church. Prophets were specially inspired by the Spirit to declare and teach God s truth to His people. Like the apostles, they had received and communicated the mystery of Gentile inclusion and partnership in the gospel and the church (3:5-6). Through the apostles and prophets, the gospel went forth in the first century. Their foundational character is inseparable from their message. Their message made clear the focal point of the church s foundation. At the level of deepest importance, we see Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. He is the first stone. He sets the direction of the building. He is the focal point in whom all the building components are joined. The apostles and prophets have their places only in relation to Him. Without Him His towering person, His saving work, His authoritative word there would be no church. Having looked down at the foundation, we now look around to see that the whole building is being put together by Him. Jesus said He would build His church Notes GUIDE: Remind the group of this phrase from The Point: Church membership is a privilege DISCUSS: Question #4: (PSG, p. 15): What prevents us from viewing church membership as a privilege? GUIDE: Note what the purpose of the church is NOT by reviewing the three bulleted points on page 15 of the PSG: The church is not simply for church members to enjoy one another s company (although we should). The church is not to see that we are served and get our needs met (although the church may minister to us). The church is not to entertain us. SAY: The purpose of the church is to worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. 19

11 THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 17): Jesus remains the foundation of the church. What is our role in continuing His work? (Alternate: How is being a member of the church different from being a member of other groups?) DO: Invite volunteers to share how they responded to the activity, What a Privilege! (PSG, p. 17). (Matt. 16:18). As He builds, He includes Jew and Gentile. He includes students from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. He includes black and white. He will include people from every nation, tribe, and language (Rev. 7:9). As Christ builds, the church grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. Jesus applied sanctuary-language to His own body the body that would hang on the cross (John 2:19-21). Since we have access to the Father through Jesus, He is our sanctuary. Further, the church is His body. Jesus and His church should be as united in purpose as the foundation and walls of any great edifice. How do we grow into a holy sanctuary? We grow as we learn and live out together the gospel. We grow as we serve and care for one another and pray with and for one another. We also grow as Jesus adds those whom He is saving. With the words you also, Paul turned attention again to the Gentile believers in the church in Ephesus and, by extension, to every local church. The Ephesians were being built together for God s dwelling in the Spirit. God s Spirit dwells in the body of Christ all true believers across the globe and the ages. It is also true that the local church is to be God s dwelling in which His purposes are on display. Every local church is to affirm the unity in Christ of all believers and show this unity in practice insofar as the church has opportunity. In some communities, the racial distribution may make multi-ethnicity in the local church unlikely. In some churches, entrenched traditions may make major advances in multi-ethnicity unlikely, at least in the short term. Other factors may also come to bear, but most local churches can take some practical step to show unity with believers of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Recently in our church, we have baptized and received as members a young man from India and another from Ecuador. We have ordained a Jamaican-born deacon. In recent years, we have added members from multiple nations and ethnicities. Recently a woman of color told me (a white man), I ve been watching the growth here for more than a year now. God has brought so much diversity compared to where this church was before. Notes 20 Session 1

12 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/JAMES MCLEMORE We have not arrived in displaying fully God s glory in the church, and we are not trying to reflect community demographics or a trend in American culture. We are simply trying to reflect the gospel. God intends to unite previously divided sinners in Christ and in the church for His glory. He intends for His glory to be on display in the church. 1. C. McKee, Asian Students Tear Down Walls, InterVarsity International Student Ministry [online], 11 January 2010 [accessed 9 December 2013]. Available from the Internet: cms.intervarsity.org/ism/news/ Billy Graham, Just As I Am (New York: Harper Collins, 1997), 426. Reconstruction of house at Qatsrin, Israel showing first century A.D. construction techniques. The following excerpt is from the article, Paul the Builder, which relates to this session and can be purchased at biblicalillustrator. What word picture (metaphor) could you use to convey the idea of the steady growth of the kingdom of God, both within the individual Christian and in the church? Several New Testament authors illustrated this steady, patient growth of the kingdom of God by comparing the church to a building. The best treatment of Paul s concept of God as builder is found in Ephesians 2:8-22. This passage contains several rarely used Greek words. Close examination of these Greek words can help us comprehend Paul s understanding of God as builder. Read Daily Life in First-Century Ephesus and Strangers and Aliens in the Fall 2014 issue. Previous articles, Temples of the First Century, and The Importance of Roman Citizenship, relate to this session and can be purchased at biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at or call SHARING THE GOOD NEWS The only way to have a relationship with God is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. 21

13 THE POINT LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. LIVE IT OUT Ephesians 2 lays out the meaning of what the church is. Which application below fits best for where you are in your spiritual journey? DO: IN ADVANCE, procure any type of membership card. Hold it up and state that membership has its privileges. Then emphasize The Point: Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. Stress it is not only a privilege; it is a gift. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 18; see text to the right). Invite group members to think about which application speaks most to their needs. Emphasize the privilege of serving Christ and others. Wrap It Up > > View church membership as a gift. Thank God daily for the opportunity to be included in His family, the church. > > Ask the right question. John F. Kennedy famously challenged Americans, Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. This week, ask your group leader or pastor: What can I do for my church? Then do it! > > Invite others in. Who around you needs to be introduced to the gospel and included in Christ s church? List their names. Then invite at least one of these individuals to come with you to your Bible study group this week. Church membership is not about our expectations to be served and have our needs met. It s about the opportunity to serve and meet the needs of others. Most importantly it s about serving the one true God. Yes, membership certainly has its privileges. SAY: Those of us who have been church members for a long time likely could fill a book listing the privileges of church membership. Let s remember that every blessing is only possible because of what Christ has done. PRAY: Thank God for the privilege He has given to be part of His family, the church. 22 Session 1

14 My Thoughts My Group's Prayer Requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, boomers, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. All Excuses Ceasing In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 60th anniversary of her coronation. In 1953, she sent special invitations to the coronation. The invitations were inscribed, all excuses ceasing. In other words, there is no RSVP you re expected to be there, no excuses. Today, you are invited and expected to accept an invitation from the King of kings. What excuses are you using for not ministering to others? To continue reading All Excuses Ceasing from Mature Living magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles, and enter the article title in the search bar. Or use your smartphone to access the article directly by scanning the QR code. 23