Embracing God's Design for a Unified Church

Devotional

Day 1: Stepping Out in Faith

When we say "yes" to God's leading, it often requires us to step out of our comfort zones and trust in His plan, even when it seems inconvenient or challenging. This act of submission opens the door for God to work in our lives in unexpected and transformative ways. The journey of faith is not always easy, but it is through these moments of trust and obedience that we experience God's profound impact on our lives. By surrendering our own plans and embracing His, we allow God to shape us and use us for His greater purposes. [06:07]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to step out in faith? How can you take a concrete step today to say "yes" to His leading?

Day 2: Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:15-16 teaches that true spiritual growth is corporate, not just individual. A well-functioning church requires every member to work together in unity, contributing to the overall maturity and effectiveness of the body of Christ. This passage emphasizes that growth is achieved through love, as we speak the truth in love and build each other up in love. The church is called to be a coordinated, mature body where each member plays a vital role in its growth and mission. [12:55]

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many."

Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and growth of your church community? What specific actions can you take to build up others in love?

Day 3: Equipping the Saints

Ministers of the Word are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Their role is not to do all the work themselves but to prepare and empower the congregation to build up the body of Christ. This collaborative effort leads to a mature and unified church. The responsibility of ministry is shared among all believers, and each person has a unique role to play in fulfilling the church's mission. [18:13]

Ephesians 4:11-12 (ESV): "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

Reflection: In what ways can you support and participate in the ministry of your church? How can you use your gifts and talents to serve and build up the body of Christ?

Day 4: Avoiding Spiritual Immaturity

Immaturity in the church results from individuals failing to follow God's design and pursuing their own agendas. This lack of coordination leads to instability and vulnerability to false teachings. Maturity, on the other hand, comes from a collective commitment to God's plan. A mature church is one where members are united in purpose, grounded in truth, and growing together in love. [22:07]

Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV): "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

Reflection: Are there areas in your spiritual life where you recognize immaturity? What steps can you take to grow in maturity and align yourself more closely with God's design?

Day 5: Love as the Foundation

The work of building up the church must be done in love. Speaking the truth in love and building each other up in love are essential for a healthy, mature church. Love is the driving force that enables us to function as a unified body, reflecting Christ's love to the world. Without love, our efforts are in vain, but with love, we can achieve great things for God's kingdom. [16:36]

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Reflection: How can you intentionally show love to someone in your church community today? What practical steps can you take to ensure that your actions and words are rooted in love?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the profound impact of saying "yes" to God's leading and His design for the church. This reflection was born out of my experience at the Shepherds Conference, where I witnessed a well-coordinated, mature body of Christ at New Life Fellowship. The conference was a transformative experience for me, despite initial hesitations and numerous personal challenges. Through a series of humorous and humbling events, God prepared my heart to receive His teachings and grow in areas of weakness. This journey underscored the importance of submission to God's will and the blessings that follow when we align ourselves with His purposes.

We delved into Ephesians 4:15-16, which describes a well-functioning church as a coordinated, mature corporate body. The passage emphasizes that growth is not just individual but corporate, requiring every member to work properly. This growth is achieved through love, as we speak the truth in love and build each other up in love. The role of ministers of the Word is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, which involves building up the body of Christ until we all attain unity and maturity.

The sermon highlighted the dangers of immaturity, which results from failing to follow God's design. Immaturity manifests as individuals pursuing their own agendas rather than working together as a unified body. In contrast, maturity comes from saying "yes" to God's design, leading to a well-coordinated church that can effectively fulfill its mission. The call to action is for each of us to recognize where we need to grow individually and corporately and to commit to taking the next step in God's plan for our church.

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Key Takeaways

1. 16 teaches that true spiritual growth is corporate, not just individual. A well-functioning church requires every member to work together in unity, contributing to the overall maturity and effectiveness of the body of Christ. [12:55]
3. The Role of Ministers: Ministers of the Word are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Their role is not to do all the work themselves but to prepare and empower the congregation to build up the body of Christ. This collaborative effort leads to a mature and unified church.

4. Dangers of Immaturity: Immaturity in the church results from individuals failing to follow God's design and pursuing their own agendas. This lack of coordination leads to instability and vulnerability to false teachings. Maturity, on the other hand, comes from a collective commitment to God's plan.

5. Love as the Foundation: The work of building up the church must be done in love. Speaking the truth in love and building each other up in love are essential for a healthy, mature church. Love is the driving force that enables us to function as a unified body, reflecting Christ's love to the world.

### [12:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:19] - Introduction and Personal Reflection
[02:16] - Prayer and Reflection Reading
[03:07] - Struggles Before the Conference
[05:18] - Recognizing Satan's Attacks
[06:07] - Saying Yes to God
[07:48] - God's Humorous Preparation
[09:28] - Blessings and Clarity
[10:17] - Importance of Prayer
[11:31] - Taking the Next Step
[12:15] - Ephesians 4:15-16
[12:55] - Five Central Points
[18:13] - Role of Ministers
[22:07] - Dangers of Immaturity
[25:26] - Maturity Through God's Design
[26:38] - Paul's Metaphor and Corporate Growth
[34:44] - Call to Action
[37:38] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 4:15-16, what is the role of love in the growth of the church?
What are the roles mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-12, and what is their purpose in the church?
How does Ephesians 4:14 describe the state of immaturity in the church?
In the sermon, what personal challenges did the pastor face before attending the Shepherds Conference? ([04:08])

Interpretation Questions

How does the concept of "speaking the truth in love" contribute to the maturity of the church as described in Ephesians 4:15-16?
What does it mean for the church to grow "corporately" rather than just individually, according to Ephesians 4:11-16 and the sermon? ([12:55])
How can the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers equip the saints for ministry, and why is this important for the church's growth? ([18:13])
What are the dangers of immaturity in the church, and how can they be avoided according to the sermon and Ephesians 4:14? ([22:07])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you had to step out of your comfort zone to say "yes" to God's leading. How did that experience impact your faith and growth? ([06:07])
How can you contribute to the corporate growth of your church? Identify one specific way you can work together with others to build up the body of Christ. ([12:55])
In what ways can you support the ministers of the Word in their role to equip the saints for ministry? Consider practical steps you can take to assist them. ([18:13])
Are there areas in your life where you are pursuing your own agenda rather than aligning with God's design for the church? How can you realign your focus to contribute to the church's maturity? ([22:07])
Think of a situation where you need to speak the truth in love. How can you approach this conversation in a way that builds up the other person and the church as a whole? ([16:36])
Identify a personal area of weakness where you need to grow. What steps can you take to seek God's guidance and strength in this area? ([04:08])
How can you encourage others in your church to say "yes" to God's design and take the next step in their spiritual journey? Share a specific example of how you can support someone in this way. ([11:31])

Sermon Clips

1. "I've come to recognize that Satan attacks us in our most vulnerable areas when we have a choice to either follow God's leading or continue stewing in our weaknesses. We can either follow and be blessed and transformed, or give in to weaknesses and follow the same patterns that overwhelm and keep us from experiencing the joyful, fruitful life that God intends for us as our loving Father." [05:18] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Because I said, yes, God caused me to grow in an area of weakness, refreshed me, gave me some clarity about how best to serve our church, and strengthened my faith in Him and His goodness because of how He's so clearly and tangibly blessed me." [10:17] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "See the key is we need to know when to say yes to God. We need to recognize what God is saying to us and how God is prompting us and we need to say yes to it. And in particular at FCC there's a next step that I think that we need to take so that's where I'm going with this." [11:31] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The growth is corporate. It's not individual. Now look, there's plenty of passages in Scripture that talk about individual maturation, individual growth, including from Paul. This is not one of those that we have to be clear about that. And you're going to see that here and in 11 through 14." [13:36] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "We participate in the work. There is I think a somewhat dangerous strand in theology today that it pervades many churches. What says we can't do anything. God does everything. Now, look, there's some truth. To that because we can't do anything unless God overflows through us and the work flows through us, but we have to participate to the general rule is right. Only God can do anything for his kingdom." [15:18] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "It's God's love working through us to transform us so that we willingly participate with him and then his love flows through us outward. Including to the project of maturing the body." [16:36] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Immaturity of the corporate body is a result of people not understanding how the body works and is supposed to grow corporately and or not being willing to say yes to that design." [22:07] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Don't be immature, chasing your own individual pursuits and ministries, however noble you think they might be. Don't just focus on your own individual growth, or the individual growth of others. Instead, we speak to each other in love. We grow up in every way into him who is the head, 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, it builds itself up in love." [25:26] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Christianity is a team sport. What about orchestras? Yo-Yo Ma. You know, he can do some great stuff too. You get the idea. And so New Life Fellowship is doing this. And we're not. That's okay. Not many churches today are. But we're at a point where we can. So that's my call today. That's my challenge to you is to say yes to the next step." [34:44] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "God works through the corporate body, that is the church, when its members are coordinated in following God's leading. Pastor Paul was faithful to lead our shepherds to go to the conference and have us share our reflections. I was faithful enough for once to say yes and just go, despite my fleshly hesitancy. Okay. And all of you, or many of you at least, were faithful enough to pray for those who went. The whole church is strengthened in precisely this way. We're then able to walk together as a single coordinated body." [36:39] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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