Sunday School Lesson July 26, 2020

Subject: We Are Joined Together

The Point: When we come to Christ, we also become a part of the body of Christ.  

The Passage: Ephesians 1:20-23; 2:8-10, 19-22

Introduction: Why Do I Need The Church?

Spirituality is not declining in America, but church affiliation or a connection with “organized religion” is. Even those whose spirituality is grounded in the tenets of Christianity may question the value of the church. “I love Jesus, so why do I need the church?” Such thinking overlooks the great truth of the purpose of the church, and it misses the great benefits and opportunities that come from connecting with other believers. We do need the church – and the church needs us.

Study The Bible: Ephesians 1:20-23

1). Christ is the head of the body, the church.

20. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens —
21. far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church,
23. which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Lasting truths from Ephesians 1:20-23

• Jesus has the authority to be the head of His church.
• The church is the body of Christ and serves His purposes.
• God has filled Christ with His fullness, and through the church Christ fills the world with His fullness.

Ephesians 2:8-10

2). Christ brought us into His church by His grace.

8. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift –
9. not from works, so that no one can boast.
10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Lasting truths from Ephesians 2:8-10

• Salvation is a work of God’s grace, not a result of people’s achievement.
• No Christian can boast in their church membership, for Christ incorporated them into His body.
• God saved people to do good works through His church.

Ephesians 2:19-22

3). We are members together in God’s household, Christ’s church.

19. So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,
20. built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
21. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

Lasting truths from Ephesians 2:19-22

• Jesus overcomes diversity to unite people into His church, one body.
• The church comes together through preaching the message of Jesus Christ.
• The church is a family where the Spirit of God dwells.