SESSION 2 CONNECTED IN UNITY 22 SESSION 2
The Point Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. The Passage Ephesians 4:1-6 The Bible Meets Life All sports carry a high level of excitement in championship games, but the excitement is even greater when a team with only average talent wins. Talent has a role in winning games, 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. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 23
What does the Bible say? Key Words Humility and gentleness (v. 2) Humility is the lowliness of spirit that enables one to defer to others. Gentleness is the meekness that enables restraint rather than overbearing use of strength. Ephesians 4:1-6 (HCSB) 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, 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. 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. 24 SESSION 2
THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 19 of the PSG: When have you been in a situation where working together was a necessity, not an option? Notes ENHANCEMENT: Display Pack Item 2, I Am Connected, in order to reinforce the primary theme of this study. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Lead group members in a team-building exercise. Prior to the group meeting, find two images (at least 8.5 x 11 inches) that are distinct from each other. Cut each image into 10 pieces, and then mix the pieces together in a container. During the group meeting, instruct group members to select pieces by passing the container around the group. When the container is empty, challenge them to re-assemble both pictures as quickly as they can. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point at the top of page 20 of the PSG: Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. GUIDE: Direct group members to The Bible Meets Life on page 20 of the PSG. Introduce the concept of unity by reading or summarizing the text or by encouraging group members to read it on their own. PRAY: Transition into the study by affirming your desire to experience unity within your group, within your church, and within the universal body of Christ. TIP: Be involved in the lives of your group members. Connecting outside the group only strengthens the time you spend in the group study and discussion. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 25
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes 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, READ: Ephesians 4:1-2 on page 21 of the PSG. Read the text out loud or ask a volunteer from the group to do so. SUMMARIZE: Use the final two paragraphs from the commentary on page 27 of this Leader Guide to summarize the four attitudes required for living in a way that s worthy of God s calling: humility, gentleness, patience, and loving acceptance. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How would you describe the calling we have received as followers of Jesus and members of the church? DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 22 of the PSG: What in these verses do you find most difficult to apply? DO: Direct group members to complete the activity Have Patience? on page 23 of the PSG. If time permits, ask for volunteers to share what helps them demonstrate patience in frustrating situations. Look through the images above. What helps you demonstrate patience in these and other frustrating situations? TRANSITION: We ve explored some of the characteristics necessary for maintaining unity in the church. Let s continue with the theme of working toward unity by moving to Ephesians 4:3. 26 SESSION 2
THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. Ephesians 4:1-2 Commentary 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. As he wrote Ephesians, Paul was indeed a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial by Caesar (25:12; 28:11-31). Primarily, however, Paul was the prisoner of the Lord. Service 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). 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. The Ephesian Christians had been called through gospel preaching (Eph. 2:17). Some heard the message through Paul, some through Timothy, some through others. Whoever the earthly messenger, the call was God s exhortation for them to receive peace with Himself through Christ and unity with others in Christ (Eph. 2:15-16). To walk worthy of the calling is to live in keeping with that calling to live up to and express the calling in the pattern of our lives. What attitudes are required to live in a way 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. Second, gentleness means quiet restraint, enabling us to treat others kindly even enduring wrong without retaliation. 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 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 (Eph. 3:17). God s love in Christ in our hearts shows through the love in which we accept others. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 27
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Ephesians 4:3 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. READ: Ephesians 4:3 on page 21 of the PSG. DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 24 of the PSG: Why does staying unified require so much effort? SUMMARIZE: Use the commentary on page 29 of this Leader Guide to explain three important facts about unity within the church: 1. Unity is of great value. 2. Unity requires diligent effort from us. 3. We are co-laborers with God in our efforts to maintain unity. RECAP: Highlight the final paragraph on page 24 of the PSG: The common denominator of any action that interrupts unity in the church is selfishness. The desire to get the upper hand on others runs counter to the work of the Holy Spirit. But it takes work to put aside our own interests and serve others. Unity requires that we are diligent about living in the peace given to the church through the presence of the Spirit. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What do we gain by actively staying unified as a church? DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 24 of the PSG: Since churches are diverse, what unifies us as the body of Christ? TRANSITION: As we conclude with Ephesians 4:4-6, we ll see that all people have been designed to live the Christian life in connection with the body of Christ. 28 SESSION 2
THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. Ephesians 4:3 Commentary 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 people under Christ (Eph. 1:10,22-23; 2:11-22). Therefore, the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church displays God s wisdom and glory (Eph. 3:3-6,10). Boundary-crossing unity is precious to God and should be precious to us as well. Second, unity requires diligent effort from us. Paul s words diligently keeping highlight that our responsibility is demanding. Many types of conscientious work will make up our effort. For example, pastors do the work of teaching these truths and casting the biblical vision for unity. You as a Bible study leader diligently teach and set forth vision for your class. These are not, of course, truths and vision we invent. We simply and faithfully convey God s revealed truth to His redeemed people. 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. All of this is hard work in which we need to be diligent. The third fact about unity is that we are co-laborers with God in our efforts to keep it. Thank God! Unity does not depend in the end on a monumental effort from us. Instead, 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 (Eph. 3:20-21). The unity of the Spirit shows in the peace that binds us. This peace is firmly rooted in Jesus atoning work (Eph. 2:14-16). The cross brings people together in peace. The preaching of the cross is the preaching of peace (v. 17). In Paul s day, the Jewish and Gentile believers in Ephesus did not create peace. They received it through the cross as they both gained access to the Father by the one Spirit (Eph. 2:16-17). They did need to go forward living together in the peace that bound them. The same is true today 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 that peace. We receive it. We do need to go forward living together in that peace even when we deal with differences, distinctive views, and conflict. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 29
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes 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. READ: Ephesians 4:4-6 on page 21 of the PSG. RECAP: Direct group members to the bullet list on page 25 of the PSG. Highlight the seven ways Paul emphasized the word one in Ephesians 4:4-6. > > > > Though made up of individual Christians, the church exists as one body. Within the church you will find people of all ages, races, classes, and more. We are completely diverse, but one Spirit indwells us all. > > The Spirit s dwelling within us is our guarantee of the one hope we share (see 2 Cor. 1:22). Our common hope is that we who trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity with Him in heaven. > > Christians are bound together by one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We re united by our common belief that Jesus alone is Savior (see John 14:6). We proclaim this belief publicly through the symbol of baptism. > > All Christians 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. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What has our church accomplished by working together and staying unified? DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 25 of the PSG: What steps can we take to model unity in our church and community? GUIDE: Refer back to The Point of this session: Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. If time permits, encourage group members to share any final thoughts or questions. 30 SESSION 2
THE POINT Unity is a given, but staying unified takes work. Ephesians 4:4-6 Commentary We can see how fully unity is a fact of God s work in us as we consider the seven ones Paul placed before us in Ephesians 4:4-6. 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, 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 (Eph. 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! Believers share one hope, in stark contrast to our former lives when we were without hope (Eph. 2:12). Our hope is in Christ for the full redemption the Spirit guarantees (1:11-14). One Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 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). One faith can refer to the trust that proclaims Jesus as the one Lord or to the body of doctrinal truths all Christians affirm and confess. Ephesians 1 3 is a breathtaking statement of that 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). 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). 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. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 31
5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes GUIDE: Direct group members to page 26 of the PSG. Encourage them to consider the following ways to work for unity in the church: > > Don t participate in gossip. Stop gossip when it s shared with you and look for ways to encourage people instead. > > Forgive. We ve all been wronged. Identify any grudges you ve been harboring and forgive the people involved. > > Seek forgiveness. Work with the Holy Spirit to identify ways in which you have contributed to division within your church. Confess your actions and seek forgiveness. Wrap It Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the conclusion from page 26 of the PSG: Christians have an urgent mission and a divine calling. We have a chance to heroically strive for unity in the body of Christ. PRAY: Ask that God would help you and your group members fully appreciate your roles in working for unity in the church. 32 SESSION 2
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. Wal k the Line I was having a particularly rough day at the office, and I carelessly left a weapon lying around my email inbox. Chafed at a colleague who publicly embarrassed me in a team meeting, I composed a bitter and sarcastic email and, without hesitation, clicked Send. Then I propped up my feet on the desk and waited for the smoke cloud to rise from the office of my perceived enemy. To continue reading Walk the Line from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 33