SESSION 2 CONNECTED IN UNITY. 24 Session LifeWay

SESSION 2 CONNECTED IN UNITY 24 Session 2

GET INTO THE STUDY The Point Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. The Passage Ephesians 4:1-6 The Bible Meets Life There is an excitement inherent in championship games, but when it is a team with only average talent that wins, the excitement is even greater. Talent has a role in winning a game, but what can really make a difference is when the individual players work together as a single unit, a team. This principle is all the more critical when we re talking about the life and ministry of the church. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to work together in complete unity. The Setting Many of Paul s New Testament letters organize into two broad sections: a theological section where Paul deals with his subject from a doctrinal perspective, followed by a behavioral or ethical section elaborating on how the theology addressed impacts the believer s practice of lifestyle. The ethical/practical section of Ephesians begins at 4:1 and addresses the application of redemption. Paul began the section with an emphasis on the unity the Holy Spirit brings to the church. 10 minutes GUIDE: Direct the group to look at the picture (see p. 24; Personal Study Guide [PSG], p. 20). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 20): When have you been in a situation where working together was a necessity, not an option? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 21). Note we all remember the terrible events of 9/11, but amidst the horror, the unity of purpose shown on Flight 93 and among the first responders in New York and Washington, D.C., was a shining example of what we can do when we have a common purpose. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 21): Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. SAY: As with all we do for the Kingdom, the Holy Spirit is the power behind it. As we study Paul s instructions to the Ephesians about unity, let s be committed to working for unity in our own church. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14 25

THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. STUDY THE BIBLE Ephesians 4:1-2 15 minutes READ: Invite the group to turn to Ephesians 4:1-2. Ask a volunteer to read the passage. GUIDE: Emphasize the last phrase of verse 2: accepting one another in love. We are to express this calling to love in our attitudes and actions. READ: Tie what Paul wrote in these verses to Jesus emphasis on the love His followers must have for one another. Ask a volunteer to read the author s second sentence on page 22 of the PSG as the group follows along: Jesus said our love for one another is the identifying characteristic that will tell the world we belong to Him (John 13:35). (ENHANCEMENT: Point to Pack Item 2: Love One Another. ) Ephesians 4:1-2 1 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, KEY WORDS: Humility and gentleness (v. 2) Closely related, humility is the lowliness of spirit that enables a person to defer to others, while gentleness is the meekness that enables restraint rather than overbearing use of strength. It is not weakness a Saint Bernard allowing a small child to stroke and even tug on its fur would be showing gentleness. Years ago a teacher told me that when I see the word therefore in a Bible verse I should ask, What is the therefore there for? That was good advice! In this case, therefore marks the major transition from the magnificent doctrinal section of the letter (Eph. 1 3) to the ethical application section (Eph. 4 6). Therefore means all the exhortations to come are based upon and arise from the doctrinal foundation just laid. This is the normal order in Paul s letters. For example, Romans begins with a lengthy doctrinal section (Rom. 1 11), then with the therefore of Romans 12:1-2 turns to the ethical instruction that clearly follows from the doctrine (Rom. 12 16). Before beginning the exhortations, Paul identified himself as a prisoner for the Lord. He had preached his way right into chains! The Ephesians could understand this. Paul s preaching had stirred up opposition in their city several years earlier (Acts 19:21-41). In a face-to-face farewell address, he told them chains were in his future (20:22-23). As he wrote Ephesians, Paul was indeed a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial by Caesar (25:12; 28:11-31). Of course, Paul was the prisoner of Caesar, but that was secondary in his mind. Primarily, he was the prisoner of the Lord. Service 26 Session 2

unto the Lord led to his imprisonment and occupied him during it. The Lord was working out His divine purposes in the imprisonment (Eph. 1:11). It would last only as long the heavenly King determined. The reminder that he was a prisoner for the Lord served an important purpose. Chains were the cost of Paul s living and preaching the great gospel truths of Ephesians 1 3. Whatever life in keeping with the gospel required of the Ephesians, they should likewise forge ahead. The price they would pay was for the Lord Himself. He is worth it! I urge you launches the ethical exhortations where Paul applied the gospel practically. The fundamental exhortation is to walk worthy of the calling you have received. They had been called through gospel preaching (2:17). Some heard the message through Paul, some through Timothy, some through others. Whoever the earthly messenger, the call was God s call to them to receive peace peace with God Himself through Christ and unity with others in Christ (2:15-16). To walk worthy of the calling is to live in keeping with the calling to live up to and express the calling in the pattern of our lives. 1 What attitudes are required to live worthy of our calling? Paul named three. The first is humility, or having a modest opinion of one s self. Humility willingly accepts treatment beneath one s position. Non-Christian culture in the first century did not promote humility. The culture cheered superiority over others. That is one reason why the message of the cross was foolishness to so many (1 Cor. 1:22-23). Jesus showed profound humility in His sacrificial death in obedience to His Father (Phil. 2:8). To live worthy of our calling is to lower ourselves humbly in obedience. Second, gentleness means quiet restraint, enabling us to treat others kindly, even enduring wrong without retaliation. Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to deliver Him from the cross (Matt. 26:53), but He gently endured suffering without retaliating. He is our example. Third, patience means a long-suffering attitude in the face of undesirable circumstances or treatment. As the Spirit works in us (Gal. 5:22), we patiently endure situations we would not tolerate if we were not in Christ. These three attitudes show up practically in accepting one another in love. This love is more than a merely human SAY: Many of us can joyfully sing O how I love Jesus! But until we can think of our fellow church members and say O how I love Martha, or Jim, or Bill, or Joyce, or the teenagers who lounge on the back pews, our love for Jesus may be a bit suspect. GUIDE: Stress how we are to treat our fellow church members. Point group members to the four bulleted statements on PSG page 23: With humility With gentleness With patience With loving acceptance SUMMARIZE: Use the Bible commentary 1 to briefly explain how love is expressed in humility, gentleness, and patience. GUIDE: State that the Holy Spirit bears this fruit in us as we submit to His will instead of giving in to our own selfish nature. 27

THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. DO: To help the group think about repairing breaks in our circle of unity, invite volunteers to share their responses to the activity, May the Circle Be Unbroken (PSG, p. 23). DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 24): What in these verses do you find most difficult to apply? (Alternate: How would you explain the calling Paul mentioned in verse 1?) TRANSITION: Keeping unity in the church requires diligence from all of us. STUDY THE BIBLE Ephesians 4:3 5 minutes READ: Read verse 3. GUIDE: Note that accepting one another in love (v. 2) is the requirement for diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit (v. 3). virtue. Our calling is not to muster our own strength and use it to love like Jesus. We are the objects of God s love (Eph. 1:4-5). As Christ dwells in our hearts, we are to sink our roots down deeply into His love, gaining from it our own strength to love (3:17). God s love in Christ in our hearts shows through the love in which we accept others. I hope it is clear to us that the ethical exhortation really is application of the doctrine Paul set forth in Ephesians 1 3. Our call is the gospel call. Our humility is gospel humility. The same is true of our gentleness and patience. Our love toward one another is the love God has poured forth and established in our hearts in Christ. We are beginning to see that Ephesians 1 3 is unfolding in practical application in the church. We have much more to see! Ephesians 4:3 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. Accepting one another in love is the reciprocal relational requirement for diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit. In this powerful and telling phrase, Paul brought into view three key facts about unity. First, unity is of great value it is worth keeping! God s plan is to unify all peoples under Christ (Eph. 1:10,22-23; 2:11-22). The unity of Jew and Gentile in the church displays God s wisdom and glory (3:3-6,10). Boundary-crossing unity is precious to God and should be precious to us as well. Second, unity requires diligent effort. Paul s words diligently keeping highlight that our responsibility is demanding. Many types of work will make up our effort. Pastors teach these truths and cast the biblical vision for unity. Bible study leaders diligently teach and set forth vision for their groups. These are not truths and vision we invent. We faithfully convey God s truth to His redeemed people. 28 Session 2

Further, Christians who harbor prejudicial attitudes toward other believers need someone to come alongside and disciple them with clarity through their barriers. Christians in conflict need to confess to and reconcile with others. Also, deep fellowship between people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds requires lots of learning and deference, even when the participants are willing. Imagine life-long Jews and formerly pagan Gentiles in Ephesus worshiping, eating, and fellowshipping together! We also need to separate mere preferences and opinions that could cause divisions from core convictions around which we unite. Whew! If it were not for the next fact about unity, I think I would be overwhelmed by the size and challenge of the task. The third fact about unity is that we are co-laborers with God in our effort to keep it. Thank God! Unity does not depend in the end on our monumental efforts! The church s unity is of the Spirit. It is God s doing! We diligently keep the unity as the Spirit works through us. Because God s mighty power is at work in us, we can maintain unity in humble, gentle, and patient acceptance of others in love (3:20-21). 2 The unity of the Spirit shows in the peace that binds us. This peace is firmly rooted in Jesus atoning work (2:14-16). The cross brings people together in peace. The preaching of the cross is the preaching of peace (v. 17). Jewish and Gentile believers in Ephesus did not create peace. They received it through the cross as they gained access to the Father by the one Spirit (2:16-17). They needed to live together in the peace that bound them. The same is true in our relationships with all believers in Christ, especially in our local congregations where we live in peace face to face and life on life. We do not create the peace. We receive it. We do need to go forward living together in the peace even when we deal with differences, distinctive views, and conflict. Before we take the next step, we need to clarify and firm up in our minds what our job is and is not! Our job is to guard carefully and live out practically unity within the church. Our job is not to create the unity! Unity is a gift from God in Christ. It is a fact in which we are included. GUIDE: Stress that gossip and unforgiveness are two enemies of the peace that binds us together in the atoning work of the Lord Jesus on the cross (see the Bible commentary 2 ). Emphasize the common denominator of these and other obstacles to unity is selfishness, which always grieves the Holy Spirit. GUIDE: Direct attention to the image of the piano tuner on PSG page 25. To stress the absolute necessity of submitting our wills to the Lord as we work for unity, lead the group to read aloud together the quotation: By staying attuned to the Spirit, we remain in tune with one another. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 26): Why does unity require so much effort? (Alternate: What do you think most often erodes unity and thwarts teamwork in the church?) TRANSITION: Paul put an exclamation point on unity with the number one. 29

THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. STUDY THE BIBLE Ephesians 4:4-6 READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 4-6. 10 minutes GUIDE: Note Paul used the word one seven times in these two verses to explain seven elements that tie us together in the one body of Christ. OPTION: IN ADVANCE, obtain a length of string, ribbon, or rope long enough to reach through the group to illustrate we are tied to one another in the body of Christ: 1. Give the string, ribbon, or rope to a person on one side of the circle or, if your room is set up in rows, to a person at the beginning of the first row. 2. Direct the group, each time they hear the word one as you read the passage, to pass the end of the string to the next person. Allow the string to uncoil as it is passed around the group. Each person should be holding a portion of the string when complete. Ephesians 4:4-6 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. We can see how fully unity is a fact of God s work in us as we consider the seven ones in Ephesians 4:4-6. These are sources of unity that are far greater and stronger than things that could divide. Even open conflict does not need to conclude in shameful division. It can conclude in gospel resolution, if we hold dear these seven realities and affirm our brothers and sisters who also hold them dear. The one body is the church into which both Jew and Gentile have been brought together through the cross (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16). God has chosen to bring together people of many backgrounds and ethnicities in the same body because this displays His many-faceted wisdom (3:6-10). The body of Christ is not one because of common race, age, sporting interest, political ideology, or economic status. The body is one because God has united very different people in Christ s redemptive work. The one Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the agent and enabler of unity (4:3). All believers share in common that they have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:13). Our access to the Father is by the one Spirit (2:18). We are strengthened with power to live out our calling by the Spirit. This includes the calling to unity! Fleshly desires produce strife, dissensions, and factions (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:3). The Holy Spirit produces the humility, gentleness, and patience required for unity (Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 4:2). Believers share one hope, in stark contrast to our former lives when we were without hope (2:12). Our hope is in 30 Session 2

Christ for the full redemption the Spirit guarantees (1:11-14). Full redemption includes our resurrection and appearance before the Father in perfected holiness and blamelessness (Rom. 8:18; Phil. 1:6; 3:20-21; Eph. 1:4). Remembering we share this hope with all other true believers can help us when offenses, controversies, or criticisms challenge church unity. John Newton, author of the hymn Amazing Grace, in his work On Controversy, gave wise counsel on how to relate to a critic who is a believer in Christ. Newton reminded us that we will meet the critic in heaven where we will both be perfected. Then the critic will be dearer to us than our closest friend on earth is now. Even if conviction demands that we must differ now, we should treat the critic as precious because we share the one hope of heaven. One Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ (1:2,3,15,17; 3:11). It is through the one Lord we all have access to the Father (2:16). We all live under His lordship including the imprisoned apostle (4:1); Jews and Gentiles; church leaders (v. 11); husbands and wives (5:22-33); parents and children (6:1-4); and both slaves and masters (vv. 5-9). Every true believer has this in common regardless of ethnicity, political party, economic and social status, or level of social skills! We all have the one Savior who is the one Lord above all. You can be inspired in your circumstances by Paul s attitude in his imprisonment for the Lord (4:1). Is living out your call to unity in the church difficult because of circumstances between you and some brothers or sisters in the Lord? Paul was content for his own imprisonment to be under the Lord s authority and management. Your circumstances in your own local church belong to the Lord as well. The Lord sustained Paul and will sustain you as you walk worthy of the calling to unity in Christ right where you are in your present situation. One faith can refer to the trust that proclaims Jesus as the one Lord or the body of doctrinal truths all Christians affirm and confess. Ephesians 1 3 is a breathtaking statement of the faith. It extends from before the foundation of the world (1:4) through the cross (1:7; 2:16) and resurrection (1:20) to the final summing up of all things in Christ (vv. 22-23). If Christianity were an anything goes doctrinally system of belief, unity would be impossible or a GUIDE: Focus on the term one body in verse 4. Note that Paul used the imagery of the human body in Romans 12:4-5 to describe the body of Christ, the church. READ: Direct attention to Romans 12:4-5 on PSG page 28, and invite a volunteer to read the passage as the group follows along: Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. SAY: As individual believers are different yet united in one body, so churches are different. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 28): Since churches are diverse, what unifies us as the body of Christ? (Alternate: How have you seen Christians who differ from one another practice unity?) 31

THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. SUMMARIZE: Within the church you will find people of all ages, races, classes, and more, but there is one Spirit indwelling us all. 1. The Spirit within us is our guarantee of the one hope we share that we who trust in Christ will spend eternity with Him and share in His glory. 2. Christians are bound together by one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We re united by our common belief that Jesus alone is Savior and Lord. We communicate this belief publicly through the symbol of baptism. 3. We worship the one God, who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The oneness of God is the foundation for our unity as the church. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 29): What steps can we take to model unity in our church and community? mere farce. Doctrine matters! If we truly hold to faith s core with clarity and conviction, what should divide us? Sharing one baptism also unites us in Christ. At the deepest level, Paul s reference is surely to the Spirit s baptizing work in the heart to regenerate and renew the believer and include him or her in the body of Christ (Titus 3:5; John 1:33; 3:5-8; 1 Cor. 12:13). All believers share in common this Spirit-baptism (Rom. 8:9). Of course, it seems unlikely Paul would have thought of the deep spiritual reality without its outward sign (Eph. 5:25-26; Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:11-12). This sign was the plunging in water of one who had received the Spirit as a believer in Jesus. Our current baptism debates were unknown in the early church. As the centuries have passed, Christians have developed differences over when and how to baptize. Though baptism debates will continue, all believers can affirm the one shared reality of the Spirit s baptizing work that unites us. The one God and Father of all towers above all and extends His sovereignty through all to work out His will in all. God the Father is the first and final cause of unity in the church. Of course, as Creator of all, God is Father of all humanity. At a much deeper level, the one God is the Father of all whom He saves. God chose us, predestined us, and lavished upon us grace in our adoption in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3-10). Indeed, salvation belongs to our God (Ps. 3:8; Jonah 2:9; Rev. 7:9-11)! It is because of Him we are in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). Everyone who is in Christ has been saved in exactly the same way when we drill down below the level of circumstantial detail: the one God and Father of all has saved us by His grace (Eph. 2:1-10) and included us in His church for His glory (2:19-22; 3:21). For all eternity, God s wisdom and glory will be on display in the perfect unity of all of the redeemed of all the ages. But we are not simply waiting for then and there! The gift of unity is ours now. We are to live in it. Doing so requires resolve and unselfish effort as God works through us. Unity requires a very definite attitude toward our brothers and sisters: since God has accepted you in Christ, I accept you 32 Session 2

and I extend my hand to you. Will you welcome and devote yourself to the demanding process of keeping the unity God has given? SHARING THE GOOD NEWS We can humble ourselves because Christ humbled Himself for us. We can experience salvation because Jesus humbled Himself and died on our behalf. Each week, make yourself available either before or after ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/DAVID ROGERS The baptismal in the baptisterion of the Church of St. John at Ephesus. The following excerpt is from the article, Unity: The Meaning, which relates to this session and can be purchased at www.lifeway. com/biblicalillustrator. sets forth five Christian qualities that promote oneness among believers: humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love (Eph. 4:2). Obviously, the focus is not on structures of church unity but inner attitudes conducive to protecting and promoting unity. As is often the case in spiritual matters, human responsibility couples with divine enablement to produce the desired outcome. Read the article One Baptism What Did Paul Mean? in the Fall 2014 issue. Previous articles, Paul, the Prisoner, and First-Century Baptism, relate to this session and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at 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. We are not left to figure out www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. for ourselves how to go about Look for Bundles: Bible Studies maintaining the unity created for Life. in the church by the Holy Spirit. Before the exhortation to maintain unity, the passage Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator, or call 1-800-458-2772. 33

THE POINT LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. LIVE IT OUT You have a choice. Your actions this week will contribute to unity or division in the church. With that in mind, which of these applications is God speaking to you about specifically? DO: Emphasize The Point: Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 30; see text to the right). Remind the group that the PSG author identified gossip and unforgiveness as two big obstacles to church unity. Encourage the group to consider the applications and whether or not their actions this week will lead to unity or division in the church. Wrap It Up > > Don t participate in gossip. Stop gossip when you hear it, and instead, look for ways to encourage people. > > Forgive. Make a list of any grudges you ve been harboring and the names of the persons involved. Choose at least one this week, and forgive the person without waiting for him or her to seek forgiveness. Write forgiven next to the name. Set a goal to forgive each person on your list before the end of the month. > > Seek forgiveness. Ask the Lord to identify ways in which you may have contributed to division within your church. Confess your actions to God, and seek His forgiveness. Then confess and seek forgiveness from any fellow church member you may have hurt. Like the passengers of United Flight 93, we as Christians find ourselves bound together by a purpose bigger than any of us has alone. We have an urgent mission and a divine calling. We have a chance to heroically strive for unity in the body of Christ. GUIDE: Remind the group of the old statement, It s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Stress that when it comes to church unity, that somebody includes all of us. PRAY: Father, thank you for the unity we have in Christ. Strengthen us by the power of your Spirit to keep that unity you have so graciously given us. Amen. 34 Session 2

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. Walk the Line Every single time I ve hurried into a conflict, I ve regretted my actions. Even if I was the right party, rushing always caused me to handle the situation wrongly and deepen a relational divide. Take time to pray before confronting a brother or sister. Ask the Holy Spirit to examine your own heart for sin. Be honest with yourself, Are you the right person to speak to this issue with this person? To continue reading Walk the Line from HomeLife 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. 35