FOUNDATIONS OF FELLOWSHIP: ONE BODY
Ephesians 4:1-6
Introduction
Today we begin a series of seven messages that come from Ephesians 4 - a list of seven truths that are the foundation of our fellowship / our life together in the church.
Ephesians 4:1-6
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
These seven ones are the foundations of fellowship. They identify the core beliefs of Christianity. They identify core attitudes that motivate our actions. They identify core strengths that produce unity in the church.
These seven ones provide a foundation for our fellowship. Fellowship means sharing, partnership, communion, participation - the connection we share in Christ. Fellowship pertains to our life together in Christ. It’s about…
-Encouragement and growth; Love and strength!
-Help for the trials of life and faith.
-Accountability when we need direction.
-Reminds that we are part of a spiritual family.
-Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a reminder of the importance of unity and fellowship.
Ephesus:
-A significant center of first-century Christianity.
-One of the largest and richest cities in the Roman world.
-Home to the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
-A cosmopolitan commercial and religious center, widely known for its religious diversity.
-Paul spent almost three years in the city (Acts 19:8–10; 20:31) teaching all who would listen.
Paul writes to this diverse congregation in a large and thriving city to remind them of the foundations of fellowship.
1. “There is one body…”
The One Body is the church - a community composed of the reconciled / saved. The Body is one of Paul’s favorite analogies of the church.
Ephesians 1:22-23 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 2:15b-16 His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
What does it mean to be One Body?
-We have a shared identity because we belong to Christ. Not isolated, spiritually joined members of Christ’s body
(1 Corinthians 12:12-13 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”)
-We have a shared interest in care and support. (Romans 12:4-5 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.)
-We maintain unity despite differences. The fact that the human body is made up of many parts working together helps us understand that unity in the church does not mean uniformity.
-We have a common mission: to love God and love others. (1 Corinthians 12:24-26 But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored every part rejoices with it.)
-We offer light into a dark world, a community of grace. Disunity damages our witness, but unity rooted in Christ displays God’s power to reconcile.
That’s a high calling… how can we accomplish it?
2. Five Powerful Principles of Unity (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Be completely Humble. What does it mean to be humble?
-Recognize that everything we have comes from God.
-Treat others with grace, not looking down on them.
-Humility replaces harshness, quarreling, and impatience.
-Humility recognizes the worth and value of other people.
-Humility is essential to unity because it recognizes the God-given worth of other people and promotes harmony.
Be Gentle - “meekness,” strength under control, a mild spirit.
Stott: Strength under control. Used of domesticated animals - not weak. It is the quality of strong people who are
nevertheless masters of themselves and servants of others. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. Dan Owens: “… a willingness to waive our rights for the good of others or the purpose of God.”
Be Patient - No church is made up of perfect people. There are many quirks and behaviors that can become divisive irritants if we let them. We desire God to be patient with us, and we must be \ patient with one another.
Forbearance - Bearing with One Another
4:2 NLT “…making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”
1 Peter 4:8 Love covers a multitude of sins.
Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Unity is a work of God, a peaceful work of the Holy Spirit among God’s People. “We are all members of one body, whether we like it or not. The Church is not a human society of people united by their natural affinities, but the Body of Christ, in which all members, however different, must share the life of the whole body.” C. S. Lewis
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
John Stott: These are the five foundation stones of Christian unity. Where these are absent, no external structure of unity can stand. But when this strong base has been laid, then there is good hope that a visible unity can be built.
Conclusion
There is one body - Paul’s list begins by reminding us of our need for one another and the necessity of pursuing a life that leads to peace with one another. The opposite of "one body” is a divided body.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in.”
The first foundation of fellowship is the recognition of the One Body. This calls upon us to:
-Be a part of the One Body! This begins with our reception and response to the Gospel! 1 Corinthians 12 says, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body…”
-Be aware of our actions - even when we face difficulty - and seek peace for the sake of the Body of Christ!
-Be alert to ways to serve others, creating unity and strength.
-Be thankful because God knew what we needed and he gave us the church to help us grow and reach out!
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Questions for Discussion
1. Why do you think Paul emphasizes “one” so many times?
2. What Does “One Body” Mean? How does being part of “one body” shape the way you think about church? What makes unity so difficult — even among believers?
3. Unity & Diversity. Paul talks about unity — but we’re all different. How can we be one body without being identical?
4. The Role of Each Member. Read Romans 12:4–5. What does it teach about our roles in the body? Is it possible to be part of the body and still feel disconnected? What causes that?
5. One Spirit, One Hope. According to verse 4, what is the role of the Holy Spirit in keeping us united? How does our shared hope in Christ help us stay focused and avoid division?
6. Which of the five virtues (humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, peacemaking) do you find easiest? Hardest?
7. Is there a place in the church where your gifts are needed but unused? How can you step into your role more fully?
8. Why is unity in diversity such a powerful witness to the world?
9. What else did you want to talk about this week?
Next Week: There is One Spirit
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Resources
One: Unity in the Spirit - sermon series by Scott Bayles
https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/one-unity-in-the-spirit-sermon-series-from-scott-bayles-23779
There Is One - sermon series by Roger Hasselquist
https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/there-is-one-sermon-series-from-roger-hasselquist-23269
Seven Ones Equal Unity - sermon series by David Owens
https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/7-ones-equal-unity-sermon-series-from-david-owens-23678
Fox, Michael. Complete in Christ. Xulon Press, 2007.
