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Key Verse: Ephesians 4
Stranger Things – Part 1
Never Walk Alone
Ephesians 4
We studied the first half of Ephesians during Blessed Strangers. Ephesians 1-3 told us who we are as Christians. Now we will look at the
second half of the book of Ephesians. In the second half we find out what we do as Christians. When Paul turns from Ephesians 3 to Ephesians 4 he urges us, based on who we are, to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. We are called to a different kind of life than our non-believing neighbors. The message of the world and the promises of politicians, and the words of the constitution are passing away, but the world of the Lord will never pass away. In Ephesians 1-3 Paul builds the case of who we are. We are the sons and daughters of the King and we should be conquering, ruling, and reigning with Christ.
Ephesians 4:1 (ESV) Ephesians 4:3 (ESV)
Before we talk about our marriages, parenting, or spiritual warfare, we need to work on unity. We need to be strong as one. The enemy loves more than anything for us to give up on our local Church. We need to be the Church that stays together. We cannot let the small things set us off. Pastor Tim explained how one church divided over one little statement. We get strong when we don’t let little offenses get in our Spirit. The world is suppose to divide, but the Church is to unite through the Holy Spirit. When there is no light even familiar places become scary places.
Q. What little offenses have caused division among you and another believer and were you able to resolve the division?
If you want to be strong – don’t WALK alone.
This is the key to our strength. We need someone to walk with.
The FIRST PRIORITY of our CALLING in Christ is UNITY.
Fight for the Family:
1. SURRENDER your RIGHTS for the sake of God-given COMMUNITY.
Ephesians 4:2-3 (ESV)
We have a family that is bonded through the Holy Spirit. We have two choices in life: one is to be all about ourselves and end up alone, the other is to have real close friends. In order to have friends we need to stop thinking about ourselves. We don’t create unity. Mankind creates conformity not community. God creates unity, it is not forced on us but birthed through the Holy Spirit that seals us with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
First Tool: Humility.
Definition: “Humility is not thinking LESS of YOURSELF, it’s thinking of YOURSELF LESS.”
Calling someone else up and seeing how they are doing, praying for others and bringing their name before the throne of grace, putting others ahead of ourselves, serving at church not just goin to church but being the church, this is humility. Rick has been in the hospital and his Small Group, knowing they could not get in to see him, stood in the parking lot and prayed for him. He has no family here but he has his church family. We can choose to be lonely or have friends. We are not oppressed or victims. Anxiety is not an unstoppable force. We can do something about it. We can have friends in our life who will pray for us and relate with us. We need to stop being victims to our fears. Going for a thirty minute walk releases endorphins and makes us happy. We have to do something.
James 4:6 (ESV)
Q. How, if ever, have you been a victim of your fears or anxiety?
Second Tool: Gentleness/Meekness
Definition: Meekness is not WEAKNESS, it is STRENGTH under CONTROL.
Children throw temper tantrums. Babies demand their own way. Children are there to teach us to stop thinking about ourselves and show us who we are on the inside.
Matthew 11:29 (ESV)
When we have a spirit of gentleness we find rest. Demanding our own way is never learning to grow up and realize the world does not revolve around us. We don’t always get what we want but that does not mean we are weak.
Q. What ways have you felt unrest because something did not go your way?
Third Tool: Patience
Definition: Long-suffering/Patience is the ability to ENDURE DISCOMFORT without FIGHTING BACK.
We don’t have to get everybody back for everything. We should go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, return cursing with blessing, pray for our enemies, and love our enemies because that is what God did for us. Our sins nailed Jesus to the cross. We are to now pay it forward. In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul tells us it is better to be wrong than to take a Christian to court. It is not that we are to be pushovers, but it is because we have grown. We have Christ in us so we are strong. The secret to patience is to know there is a perfect righteous judgement from heaven. Jesus is the Judge not us. He will make every wrong right and bring peace to the crated order.
1 Peter 2:23 ESV
If we want peace, remember our Father is watching and he will take care of the wrongs.
Q. When have you had the opportunity to get back at someone for something they did but chose not to? What did you do instead?
Q. When might you have chose to get back at someone?
Fighting for the Family Means:
2. REMEMBERING friends are FRIENDS but family is FAMILY.
Spiritual family is more important than any other relationships in our life.
Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)
The only way the world will see the unity and perfection of God is through the Church. When we are united, the world can see there is a God.
They will know we are His disciples by our love for one another. We are not the only member of the family. Jesus knows us, He understands us and relates to one person differently than to another. Sometimes God shows up in glorious power and sometimes in a small whisper. The beauty of the Church is that we can learn about God’s grace through other’s stories.
We tend to divide over the MEANS of God’s grace instead of UNITE over the GOODNESS of God’s grace.
We may not have an experience another Christian has had.
Q. When have you expected to have the same experience as someone else has had (ie God showing up in glorius power but you got a whisper)?
1 Corinthians 12:21–25 (ESV)
Even the little parts of the Body makes a huge difference. As Pastor Tim explained about a small muscle in his back that took him down.
Fighting for the Family Means:
3. USING my GIFTS to SERVE the FAMILY.
Ephesians 4:7 (ESV)
First: I have a GIFT.
Romans 12:6 ESV; 1 Peter 4:10 ESV; Ephesians 4:8-9 ESV
Each of us has a gift to serve. If we are going to claim to follow the servant Leader Jesus, we must also serve. Are we following Jesus or this world?
We all have gifts. God gives us different gifts. We find our gifts when we start to serve. We bring fulness to the earth when we stop thinking about ourselves.
Q. Can each member share with other members of the group with what you may see what their gifts are (ICNU – I see in you)
Q. What gift have you recently discovered you have?
Second: I have a GIFT to SERVE.
Q. We have been given many opportunities to serve, where have you recently started serving? If not, where can you start?
Third: My gift to SERVE makes an ETERNAL DIFFERENCE.
The best RELATIONSHIPS you’ll ever HAVE will be DISCOVERED in the FAMILY of God
Q. What are some great relationships you have witnessed (others and/or your own) in the Family of God?
Challenge: This week who can you call, pray for, or serve?
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