Bible Study for July 26: We are joined together

Bible Studies for Life
Eph. 1:20-23; 2:8-10, 19-22
Bryce Jeffcoat, pastor
Farmdale Baptist Church, Sylvania

I have a hobby some of you may find odd for a pastor. I like to practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or submission wrestling.

Wrestling helps me in many areas of life: health, problem-solving, and most importantly, humility. I remember one class I was wrestling a guy around three times my age. Let’s just say he was teaching me humility when a thought came to mind: “Who is this guy kicking my butt?”

I asked him what he did for a living. He told me that he is the head professor of business at a large college. Clearly, he is far ahead of me in the great totem pole of American society, yet here we are finding friendship over wrestling. After further investigation, I found I had been wrestling people who had quite different lifestyles and beliefs.

Then I had a frightening realization – I felt closer to those people than those at my church.

God has designed His church to be a colorful one; it is full of people of different colors, ideas, backgrounds, and beliefs. Furthermore, as beautiful as that is, our differences sometimes take first place over what should be uniting us, the gospel. In Philippians 2, Paul say’s his joy depends on the church being of the same mind. Our joy in fellowship cannot be complete until we all keep our mission, making disciples, at the forefront.

Christ is the head of His body, the church
Ephesians 1:20-23

If you have worked in any sort of business, you know the value of good leadership. The effects of a crisis, like the coronavirus, shows itself the most in places where leadership is lacking.

It is comforting to know that God has placed Jesus not only above the church, but over everything. What would we be without Him as our head? The body, the church, would be aimless and useless.

Jesus gives us life with His death and resurrection, and gives His church direction with His presence.

Christ brought us into His church by His grace
Ephesians 2:8-10

I value a gift based on the personal sacrifice one had to go through to give it. Therefore, God’s sacrificial gift of His Son is the greatest gift ever given.

Yet, this Scripture comes with a warning. Do not forget that a part of what makes this gift so great is that the recipients are not worthy. We are weak. Thus, our good works are not a sign of our greatness, but of God’s life-changing gift of grace.

We are members together in God’s household, Christ’s church
Ephesians 2:19-22

I recently got married, so I have a fresh understanding of the transition from alone to together.

Being a part of a household together simply means that the church is your family. Furthermore, just as I had to change the way I live to accommodate for my wife, Christians must learn to live together as one.

This is not easy, because we are so different from one another, but do not be discouraged for we are held together by Jesus Christ Himself. What is created to be together, is not easily broken.

Live it out, together

1. Be patient with one another. Others may need your help understanding.
2. Hear one another out. Our goal is not to prove each other wrong; our goal is to help each other grow closer to Christ.
3. Look out for one another. This is family and God created us to bear one another’s pain.