Body Building - Ephesians 4:1-16

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
     and he gave gifts to men.” 

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

1.     Do you agree it can be easy to approach church with a consumer mindset? How often is your primary question, “is this serving my needs?” 

2.     Have you heard something like, “my church is to go on a walk in the redwoods”? How is that possibly like church and also not like church?

3.     Does the local church’s call to be the physical presence of Jesus excite you? Why or why not?

4.     We talked about unity, rescue and experience as ways the church can reflect Jesus. How do you think GSB is doing along those lines, or others, reflecting Jesus? 

5.     Paul paints a picture that believers in the local church are connected to each other and need each other to grow collectively and individually. Do you agree with this? How does this conflict with our individualism?

6.     Do you believe you are needed at your local church and have been given a role and function to play? What might that ‘serving grace’ be?