This week marks the 506th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a piece of paper containing the 95 revolutionary opinions on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, that would confront the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church at the time. Faith Alone. Grace Alone. Scripture Alone. Christ Alone. These statements became the principal truths the Reformers proclaimed. There was one more statement that is often overlooked and also very important - The Priesthood of All Believers. All God’s people as “priests” of God receive Holy Spirit-empowered gifts to serve the mission and ministry of Christ’s body. What does that mean? This is our focus today as we discover what it means to be Made to Do More.  

Ephesians 4:1-16

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people.” 9 (What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

For Adult Homes and Groups

1. What is the most memorable gift you have ever received?

2. Read Ephesians 4. Pretend you’ve never experienced church and what you read in Ephesians 4 is your first and only exposure to the characteristics of church. What conclusions or assumptions would you make about church? 

3. There are leaders who believe the five-fold gifts in Ephesians 4 were only for the early church. There are others who believe it’s only for the church’s leaders. Others believe it’s a significant missing piece in church today. What thoughts might the group have in connection with these gifts? 

4. For this question, assume Jesus did intend for churches to have the full mosaic of the functional strengths represented by the different giftings mentioned in Ephesians 4. As you consider the gifts mentioned in v. 11, what gifts are represented in your group? Which of these five functions do you think is your church’s greatest strength/weakness?

5. What is the consequence when followers of Jesus do not discover and engage their unique sweet spot of personal calling, which is given by Jesus so that each person can play his or her unique role in the mission for the church (See Ephesians 4:13)? 

6. After completing the church assessment, share your prayer requests, and be sure to pray for your church – its pastors, staff, and leaders. Be sure to also give thanks for the ultimate gift, Jesus Christ who lived, died, rose again, and ascended in order that He could “give gifts to God’s people” for the building up of His Church.

For Families with Kids

1. All of the gifts we have are from God, and He wants us to share them with others. What favorite gift have you received that you love to share with friends or family? What was a gift you received that is harder to share and you’d rather keep for yourself? Why?