CRBSTUDENTS
VISION SERIES INTRO
CRB Students has three values: Biblical Foundation, Community Discipleship, Worlds Changed. For the next three weeks, we will look deeper into each of these. Tonight we will look at a Community Discipleship.
Ephesians 4:1-17 ESV
Last week, we looked at Biblical Foundation. One of the major parts of that was that everyone has a foundation, the question is what will it be.
In a similar way, we will all have community somewhere. JD Greer, a pastor in NC, said
Kids will be in a community somewhere and a visitor somewhere and I want to make sure that the community they belong to is the community of God's people.
As we look at Ephesians 4:
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit
When Paul says maintain he means to guard or to keep. But he does not say create or manufacture. Rather maintain REQUIRES us understanding the unity as already being a real thing that we must not lose.
SO, 1. THE CHURCH'S COMMUNITY IS AN AUTOMATIC REALITY
But WHY? Why is our unity an automatic reality.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Forgive me, because I say this a lot...
The community we experience in this group has nothing to do with how you spend your Friday night, how much money your parents make, your skin color, your gender, or whatever else. Those are details, and for the most part unimportant ones.
Rather, for those of us who are believers, we are:
Part of one body
[united] by one Spirit
called to one hope
one Lord
one faith
one [kind of] baptism
one God
one Father of all
So, 2. OUR CHURCH'S AUTOMATIC COMMUNITY IS A RESULT OF WHAT WE SHARE IN CHRIST.
There is more though. Notice how Paul finished verse 6.
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Paul cannot speak of our unity without proclaiming the glory of God the Father-that is worship.
3. OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT THE ULTIMATE PRIORITY.
*If our community is not ultimate, then we do not seek community in of itself. Rather we seek Christ and unity with His people, ALL OF THEM.
As you look at this chapter, verse 7 starting with BUT should be strange.
We are connected through Christ who is the ultimate, But He gave us grace...? "But"?
The reason is because Paul is pointing out that we have all these things in common, BUT we have some unique differences amongst us. Our differences of gifting and roles in the church all serve a purpose:
4. OUR COMMUNITY FUELS OUR DISCIPLESHIP
Paul says that God created us with all these different gifts..
to equip the saints for the work of ministry
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, so that we may no longer be children
Straight up: we talk too much about a personal walk. Your walk is highly dependent on your church.
It is a personal decision and you personally will receive the reward for it. But Christianity is a group adventure. There is no Christian army of one.
APPLICATIONS:
1. COMMIT TO YOUR CHURCH
2. COMMIT TO A SMALL GROUP
3. COMMIT TO ONE ANOTHER