"Be Church"

"Be The Church" Ephesians 4:1-16

1. The apostle invites us to live a certain life Live a life worth of the calling.

• Paul says to be the church we live life with integrity

• 2live with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

2. To be the church is to be one body, one spirit, one hope, one lord, one faith, one baptism, one God,

• A church with integrity is not going to show love in one situation and hatred in another.

3. To be church is to be with humility and gentleness" (v. 2).

• To be church is have leaders who are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers --

• Leaders are to exercise their gifts with humility and gentleness, in order to "equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (vv. 11-12).

4. To be church Is to have patience (v. 2), another virtue that is in terribly short supply these days.

• Paul tells the Ephesians that they are coming "to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (v. 13). Unity. Knowledge. Maturity. All of these qualities take time.

5. To be Church Is to bear "with one another in love,

• making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (vv. 2-3Paul instructs us not to attack each other, not to undermine each other, not to try to gain victory over each other, but, instead, to bear with one another ... To be church is to be undivided body of Christ in the world.

6. To be church is "speaking the truth in love" (v. 15). This means that we speak the truth that has been revealed to us by God, but we do it in love, without belittling or beating up the people who disagree with us.

• Be church is living life of integrity Be church is being one, Be Church is to be whole To Be Church Is to be gentleness and humility, To Be Church is to be patience, To Be Church is to be bear with one another in love, To be Church is to speak truth,

My Church Covenant

• I will Be Church because I am a prisoner of the Lord

• I am bound in my soul with humility, gentleness, patience,

• I will be Church my efforts are to maintain unity I am bound to peace.

• I will be Church I am bound to one Hope, one faith, one baptism, one God who is above all and through all and in all.

• I will be church I am equipped for work of ministry to build up the body of Christ, some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.

• I will be Church I am no longer like a child tossed to and fro blown by every wind . I know the body the church is many it is joined and knitted together by the Christ who is the head, chief corner stone, the solid Rock, "Here I stand I can do no other, help me God. Amen! "