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Citywide Baptist Church
The calling you have received
Ephesians chapter 4: Living a life worthy of the calling
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
Communicate with us directly
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https://www.citywidehobart.org.au/payment-or-gift-to-citywide/Chapter 4:1 makes it clear that all that Paul is about to say is dependent on all he has said.
Everything Paul says from now on is about living in light of God’s grace — it’s not about earning your place, it’s about living worthy of it.
Everything Paul says from now on is about living in light of God’s grace — it’s not about earning your place, it’s about living worthy of it.
You’ve been called into God’s plan to bring everything together in Christ. (1:10)
You’ve been called into good works prepared just for you. (2:10)
You’ve been called into a church that shows God’s multi-coloured wisdom to the world. (3:10)
Therefore:
You’ve been called into good works prepared just for you. (2:10)
You’ve been called into a church that shows God’s multi-coloured wisdom to the world. (3:10)
Therefore:
After spending three chapters spelling out God's grand plan for salvation, Paul's first focus is on the unity of the church, particularly the kind of attitude that enables it.
This is, of course, what Jesus prayed for.
This is, of course, what Jesus prayed for.
Unity, though, is not uniformity.
Unity is about love, not likeness.
Uniformity is about control; unity is about connection.
Paul is clear that the church receives different gifts and needs the differences.
Unity is about love, not likeness.
Uniformity is about control; unity is about connection.
Paul is clear that the church receives different gifts and needs the differences.
All of us have work to do, but we all need equipping to do that work.
Apostles – see what is not yet and call others toward it
Prophets – name what God cares about in this moment
Evangelists – carry God’s heart for those outside
Pastors – care for and guide people personally
Teachers – clarify truth for daily life
Apostles – see what is not yet and call others toward it
Prophets – name what God cares about in this moment
Evangelists – carry God’s heart for those outside
Pastors – care for and guide people personally
Teachers – clarify truth for daily life
The outcome of a healthy church is mature people —those whose internal worlds are not determined by external circumstances.
Speak the truth in love means healthy relationships that always take work.
This kind of loving relationship does not allow space for abuse. Abuse is when one person uses another to meet their needs without taking their highest interest into consideration.
Abuse always does damage to the abuser as well as to the abused... taking Paul seriously means not letting yourself be a doormat.
It also doesn’t mean you get to treat any person as not a person.
Talking about people rather than to people is dangerous territory
All churches are limited by the number of core people at their core—people willing to do the sacrificial work of connecting people and to Jesus.
Ligaments don’t draw attention to themselves — they just hold everything together. The church depends on people like that
Love and constructive action are the outcomes of effective ligament leadership.
This kind of loving relationship does not allow space for abuse. Abuse is when one person uses another to meet their needs without taking their highest interest into consideration.
Abuse always does damage to the abuser as well as to the abused... taking Paul seriously means not letting yourself be a doormat.
It also doesn’t mean you get to treat any person as not a person.
Talking about people rather than to people is dangerous territory
All churches are limited by the number of core people at their core—people willing to do the sacrificial work of connecting people and to Jesus.
Ligaments don’t draw attention to themselves — they just hold everything together. The church depends on people like that
Love and constructive action are the outcomes of effective ligament leadership.
The world tells you to focus on your senses and your stuff.
Psychologists keep discovering what Paul already knew — our drives often lead, and our minds justify.
But Christ renews our minds so our lives can follow truth, not impulse
Psychologists keep discovering what Paul already knew — our drives often lead, and our minds justify.
But Christ renews our minds so our lives can follow truth, not impulse
We are now introduced to the lived experience of all of us. Your psychological and physical drives are not all there is to you.
You can transcend them, but it means living from a different story, from a different "attitude of your mind."
Your new-creation self is created to be like God, to reflect his image to the world in how you act and what priorities you maintain (righteousness and holiness)
You can transcend them, but it means living from a different story, from a different "attitude of your mind."
Your new-creation self is created to be like God, to reflect his image to the world in how you act and what priorities you maintain (righteousness and holiness)
Honesty is the starting point, followed by managing your anger... Too often, "honesty" comes from anger; this is not that.
There is the assumption that you need to take responsibility for your own living expenses to be generous.
There is the assumption that you need to take responsibility for your own living expenses to be generous.
Often we think communication is self-expression. For followers of Jesus, communication is about the other rather than self...
Paul is clear how much this matters... its about grieving the Holy Spirit of God.
Genuinely trying to live like Jesus makes a real difference for your relationships.
This is the kind of church we want to be and why we encourage you to get involved in things like:
Kingdom Cells, Life Groups, Mentoring, Dinner Together, Using our building as a hub, Church Camp, Dinner All Together, Prayer times, Time Out, Mens Shed, Meehan Range walk, Anzac Day, Christmas events, Aboriginal Sunday, Combined services, Youth and Kids
Our programs are attempts to put us in the road of relationships, but the programs will never do the job.
Your experience of this kind of community can not be organised by anyone other than you.
Will you lean in?
This is a question we are presented with every time we engage in communion
Genuinely trying to live like Jesus makes a real difference for your relationships.
This is the kind of church we want to be and why we encourage you to get involved in things like:
Kingdom Cells, Life Groups, Mentoring, Dinner Together, Using our building as a hub, Church Camp, Dinner All Together, Prayer times, Time Out, Mens Shed, Meehan Range walk, Anzac Day, Christmas events, Aboriginal Sunday, Combined services, Youth and Kids
Our programs are attempts to put us in the road of relationships, but the programs will never do the job.
Your experience of this kind of community can not be organised by anyone other than you.
Will you lean in?
This is a question we are presented with every time we engage in communion
We are part of a new community thanks to this new covenant
1. What does it mean to “live worthy of your calling” in your daily life?
2. Where do you find unity hardest in the church — and why?
3. Which of the five ligament gifts (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) do you see our church is strong in? What ones would you see we need to pray for God to strengthen?
4. How do you recognise when your thinking is being shaped by “the futility of the world’s thinking”?
5. Where have you seen glimpses of that kind of community Paul is describing— and what part might you personally play in helping build it?
2. Where do you find unity hardest in the church — and why?
3. Which of the five ligament gifts (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) do you see our church is strong in? What ones would you see we need to pray for God to strengthen?
4. How do you recognise when your thinking is being shaped by “the futility of the world’s thinking”?
5. Where have you seen glimpses of that kind of community Paul is describing— and what part might you personally play in helping build it?