Our Purpose

OUR PURPOSE (Ephesians 3:7-13; 5:21-32)

OPEN IT:

As a group come up with a one-sentence statement that would summarize the purpose of the church:

DIG INTO IT: 1. Read Ephesians 3:7-13 and answer the following questions:

7. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.
8. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
9. and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11. according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
13. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

a) How would you describe Paul’s attitude concerning his role in the spread of the Gospel?

b) What specific things did God call him to do?

c) God promised to use a certain group of people to reveal Himself to the world. Which group was it? Why did He choose to reveal Himself in this way?

d) What, in particular, did God choose to be made known? To whom should it be made known to?

2. Read Ephesians 5:21-32 and answer the following questions:
3. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
4. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
5. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
6. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
7. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
8. to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
9. and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
10. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
11. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
12. for we are members of his body.
13. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
14. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

a) How is Christ’s relationship to the church similar to the relationship between husband and wife? Why does Paul use this particular analogy?

b) Explain what it means to say that Christ is the “head” of the church? If Christ is the head of the church, what part do the rest of us play?

c) What has Christ already done for the church? What will He do for the church in the future?

d) How does the “one flesh” concept apply to Jesus and the members of His church?

REFLECT ON IT:

1. Would you say that most churches have the same purpose theologically speaking? How about practically speaking?
2. Have you ever been part of a church that has lost its sense of purpose? If so, tell us about what happened (no names please):
3. How is God using our church to make His wisdom known to the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms”?
4. While Christ is the head of the Church, would you also say He is the head of your life? In what ways is He, or is He not?
5. Are you presently “one flesh” with Christ as well as the members of your church? In what ways?
6. How can we pray for you today?

PRAY ABOUT IT:

“Pursuing prayer is prayer on a mission.  It is diligent, fervent, constant, persevering, determined, and convinced.” ~ David Bryant

Davis, Barry L.. Instant Bible Studies for Small Groups (pp. 46-48). GodSpeed Publishing. Kindle Edition.