Kids' CLUB Ephesians 4:4-7
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Date: October 23, 2022
Introduction: Last week, we considered what it looks like to live your life like you are God’s child: humility, gentleness, love, and promoting unity. Tonight, we’re going to look more into this idea of unity.
Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;”
“There is one body”
In Ephesians 1:22-23, we’re told what this body refers to.
What is it that belongs to God that is also referred to as a body?
the Church!
What Paul is referring to here is the fact that all people who have trusted Jesus as their Savior are part of the larger body of Christ, the Church.
This is why we can travel to other places and find Christians around the world.
They may be part of a smaller group of believers who meet in their local area.
However, they’re still part of a bigger group!
Therefore, they’re still part of Christ’s body, the Church.
This is the blessing of being saved that we’ve referred to before as union; we’re united together with other believers as one body, the Church.
“and one Spirit,”
What one Spirit does this refer to?
The Holy Spirit!
This means that every person who is part of Christ’s body, the Church, also has the one Holy Spirit living inside of them - one of the blessings of being saved.
“just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;”
What is the “hope” that Paul refers to here?
He’s used hope back in Ephesians 1:18 to help us understand that it’s related to one of the blessings of being saved: inheritance.
Inheritance: God’s children get to be with Him in heaven someday!
Is this a good thing?
It’s a great thing!
Being with God is more great beyond what we could ever understand.
The greatness of being with God is demonstrated in the extent to which Jesus went to secure being with God someday.
What did Jesus do so that we could be with God someday?
Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins.
Jesus gave His life so that we could have our sins forgiven and, then made God’s children, be with God forever someday.
What does it mean to be called?
When you call, you are trying to get an individual’s attention.
Like when Mr. Gary begins the Up rules: “All right …”.
Also like when someone calls another person on the phone.
This is God’s great kindness that He is working individually to make people His children Who would live with Him forever someday!
According to Ephesians 4:4, what is another word that we could use instead of the phrase “one body”?
Answer: the Church!
According to Ephesians 4:4, Who does the phrase “one Spirit” refer to?
Answer: the Holy Spirit!
When Ephesians 4:4 uses the phrase “one hope of your calling”, what is the hope of every Christian?
Answer: that they will go to heaven to be with Jesus forever!
Ephesians 4:5 “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
“one Lord,”
Who is the “one Lord”?
Jesus Christ!
This means that Jesus is the only One who fits this role!
What does it mean to be “Lord”?
Jesus has all power and authority.
He deserves our obedience like no other does.
He also controls our life.
This is good news that He is in control of our life.
Jesus is the One Who loves us so much that He gave His life that we would have our sins forgiven and be made God’s children.
“one faith,”
What is faith?
It is confidence or trust in something or someone to do what either they said they would or its designed to do.
Example: chair
Who is it that we are to be confident in?
The Lord Jesus
Why?
Because only Jesus has been raised from the dead, never to die again.
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proves that He has all power and authority and that He is trustworthy in all that He says.
There is no one else that we should place our confidence in to save us from our sins other than Jesus Christ!
“one baptism,”
What is baptism?
It involves water and being physically put under the water only to be brought up again (very quickly).
How many of you like playing in water?
Reference Splash Day, going to the pool
Baptism is more than just about being in the water though; it pictures something for us.
But baptism is all for a purpose: to physically picture what the Holy Spirit has done in your heart by giving you new life.
If the Lord Jesus is your Savior, He has given you new spiritual life.
This new spiritual life is in place of your old, spiritually dead life that was all about sinning by disobeying God (Eph 2).
What baptism then does in its picture is that when one goes under the water, it’s like being buried when someone dies.
When someone is pulled up from the water, again a very quick process, it pictures Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and His new life that we now have new life through Him!
This is all one baptism that brings unity to all believers since we’ve all been through this event to picture what the Holy Spirit is doing in our life through Jesus.
In other words, it’s something that all believers have in common!
When you have something in common with someone, it helps you relate to them in a unique way that you become excited.
Example: like when you meet someone who was born in the same month or likes the same things you do.
For the Christian, this is more than just about what we like.
It’s about something that has transformed us!
Ephesians 4:5 uses the phrase “one Lord”. Who does this phrase refer to?
Answer: Jesus Christ
Dig Deeper Idea: What does it mean that Jesus Christ is Lord?
Answer: He has all power and authority
According to Ephesians 4:5, Who is the only One that we should put our faith, our trust, in to save us from our sins?
Answer: the Lord Jesus Christ
Dig Deeper Idea: Why?
Answer: Because only Jesus has power over death as He showed us in His resurrection from the dead!
Ephesians 4:5 mentions “one baptism”. Is Baptism all about getting wet?
Answer: No!
Dig Deeper Idea: This is a great spot to explain to the clubbers that baptism is a physical picture of what the Holy Spirit does in the heart of the one who has trusted the Lord Jesus to save them from their sins; that every Christian is given new life in Christ where you want to live to please the Lord and not sin
Ephesians 4:6 “one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
“one God”
If there’s only one God, how many other gods can there be?
Only One God!
There are no other gods.
Therefore, this One God must be respected and obeyed as the only God in my life.
“and Father of all”
What kind of relationship do Christians have to the One God?
He’s their Father.
Christians as His children
Only the Lord Jesus could transform us from being God’s enemies because of our sin and making us God’s children through His death and the forgiveness of sin.
“who is over all”
When we say that someone is “over” you, what is meant by that kind of relationship?
That person has authority over you.
Who is it here that has authority over Christians?
God, the Father.
In other words, He has parental authority over Christians.
What kind of authority is parental authority?
To tell you what to do within your family in acting like a family.
Examples: being responsible for your things [ie. cleaning your room]; helping with chores - these are things that families do.
Thus, God our Father has the authority to tell us how to act as His children: humility, gentleness, love, and unity (Eph 4:1-3).
“and through all”
Has anyone ever played basketball?
Probably.
In basketball, the goal is to put the ball through the hoop.
By itself, the basketball does not go through the hoop.
You have to be the one who puts the ball through the hoop.
Similarly, this is calling attention to how God is working through the lives of His children. (BKC)
What is it that God is working through the lives of His children to accomplish?
That His great wisdom in saving people from every background would be displayed across the universe (Eph 3:10).
This great display of His wisdom brings Him great glory or praise.
As the Church, God’s people/children, God is at work through us to proclaim to others the message that only Jesus can save from sin.
He empowers us to share this message.
He gives us the message to share.
He’s done it all!
“and in all.”
What does it mean to be “in” something?
It means to be inside of something.
Another way we can say this is, if you have a hamburger, the burger is inside of the bun.
You have a hamburger and bun together, with one another.
So, similar to our hamburger illustration, but not quite the same, Paul’s use of the word ‘in’ is meant to call attention to the fact that God is with us!
How is it that God is with us?
Through His Holy Spirit!
Application: Clubbers, if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, then you have more in common with others who also know the Lord Jesus as their Savior from sin!
We have God’s One Church, His body.
We have One Holy Spirit.
We have One Hope, that we will be with God in heaven someday.
We have One Lord Jesus Christ.
We have one faith, trust in the Lord Jesus to save us from our sins.
One baptism.
One God and Father: our authority we are responsible to obey, our source of strength motivating our faithfulness, and always with us.
How many gods are there?
Answer: 1
Dig Deeper Idea: If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior from your sins, what is your relationship to God?
Answer: He’s your Father, you are His child!
Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
“But to each one of us”
When Paul uses the word “but”, he wants to draw a contrast.
You see, Paul was talking about those things that bring the Church together as a group.
Now, he’s going to speak about each member of the Church.
“grace was given”
What was given to each member of the Church?
Grace!
God’s grace is His power to help us to live in a way that pleases Him.
Remember, we were encouraged last week that living like God’s children looks like humility, gentleness, love, and promoting unity.
“according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
What does it mean for something to be “according to”?
There’s a comparison being made here.
God’s grace is being compared here.
“measure”
What does it mean to “measure” something?
You’re determining how much or how little of something you have.
Example: following a recipe to get exact measurements.
The amount of God’s grace is being compared against something.
“Christ’s gift”
How’s is grace described here?
As Christ’s gift.
Christ has given to each believer the gift of grace.
The purpose of this grace is so that all who have trusted in the Lord Jesus to save them from their sins, would live like God’s children (humility, gentleness, love, and unity).
Clubbers: Jesus is so generous to give us what we need so that we can live like God’s children, if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior from your sins.
If Christ has given us the gift of grace to live like God’s children, what should our attitude be?
Thankfulness.
If we need Christ’s grace to live like God’s children, from Who should we seek help to live like God’s children?
Jesus
According to Ephesians 4:7, what has every Christian received from Jesus as a gift to help them live like God’s children?
Answer: grace
Dig Deeper Idea: If Jesus has given us grace to help us live like God’s children, Who should we rely on us to help live like God’s children?
Answer: Jesus; This means that we can call out to Him anytime to help us to live like God’s children (humility, gentleness, love, and unity)
Conclusion: Review memory verse Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (X3)