CALVARY IS REAL BIBLE CHURCH
#13 UKWANSI STREET, ABAKALIKI
EASTER RETREAT 2018 (30TH TO 1ST
APRIL, 2018)
THEME:
DEVOTION TO THE ONENESS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
We discovered that one thing
that made God to move with the disciples of old and to manifest His power
through their lives the way He did, was their devotion to God’s word. They
devoted themselves to search and study scriptures, to obey it and live by it
and also to teach it and preach it. As a result, the word of God increased and
they disciples multiplied so greatly that many cities and nations were affected
by their lives.
Here, we shall press on to
look at their devotion to the oneness of the body of Christ and to fellowship.
Our prayer is that our commitment to the Lord in this respect will not be less
than that of the disciples of old, but that indeed it shall be greater so that
we may experience God’s move even better than the way they did In Jesus name,
Amen.
TEACHING ONE
1. The
disciples of old devoted themselves to the oneness of the body of Christ.
a. What does it mean to be devoted to oneness
of the body of Christ?
Eph. 4:3; Acts 6:1-5
b. What is the scriptural
basis of unity of the body of Christ?
Eph. 4:4-6; Col. 3:11; 1:27
c. Discuss the seven
dimension of oneness raised in Ephesians 4. How does it affect our devotion to
the oneness of the body of Christ?
From our previous study on
the meaning of devotion, we saw that the word “devotion” means to have constant love for, and loyalty to something or
somebody. So to be devoted to the oneness of the body of Christ means to
constantly love and be loyal to the oneness of the body of Christ, to be
committed to it and to spend a lot of time and effort on ensuring oneness in
the body of Christ.
Note how the twelve apostles
handled the division that was beginning to brood in the midst of the disciples
in Acts 6:1. Being committed to their unity, they delegated part of the work to
other disciples, the fire of division was quenched, unity was restored and the
Lord continues to move mightily among them. Revival stops when there is
division among God’s people, unity enhances the move of the Spirit.
We have a reason to be united
in the body of Christ. The reason or basis of oneness of the body of Christ is
the fact that there is only one body, not two. There is one Spirit and we all
share in that one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one
God who is the father of us all and He is in us all. Christ in you and Christ
in me, is the hope of unity because Christ cannot disagree with Christ; Christ
is not divided. It is the flesh that brings division (1 Cor. 3: 1-4). This
understanding of the indwelling of Christ in you is very important and it is
what to pursue as a lifestyle, in other to be able to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace.
QUESTIONS
1. What do
we understand by oneness of the Body of Christ?
2. How can
our devotion affect the oneness of the Body of Christ?
3. Give
examples of our attitudes that can ensure unity in the oneness of the body of
Christ?
TEACHING TWO
2. What
does it mean for a human body to be one and not divided, and for a house to be
united and not divided? 1 Cor. 12:12-26;
Mrk. 3:24-26.
If the human body is divided,
what happens to the part that is cut off which has become independent? What
happens to the remaining part?
“…And a
house divided itself cannot stand..Mk.
3:25”
And we are the temple of God.
Christ has likened the church (in
functioning) to the human body, and as such there will be no progress or
peace if the members riot against one another. Devotion to the oneness of the
body is the only rational thing to do
if we truly seek the growth of the kingdom of God on earth.
3. Discuss
the advantages of unity in the Body of Christ in a locality and in general. Gen. 11:5-6; Matt. 18:19; Psa. 133:1-3; Jn.
17:20-21
What did you discover? What
is your experience about this among the believers in your locality?
When a group of people are
united, the Lord God says there is nothing they propose to do that will be
withheld from them (even if that thing is really not in line with God’s will).
That is the power of unity when God’s people are united, God commands His blessing
on them, their prayers are answered and their Christian witness in the
community becomes effective. Unity of the body of Christ in any locality makes
people around them to believe in Christ more easily. The reverse is the case
when there is disunity for whatever reason.
QUESTIONS
1. Can a
church with different divisions, segregation and independent attitude among its
members stand? Explain.
2. Give
examples of our activities that can cause riot or disunity in the Body of
Christ?
3. What are
the numerous benefits obtainable in a church where there is unity and the Body
of Christ in general?
TEACHING THREE
4.
Discuss the practical ways in which you can prove your devotion to the unity of
the Body of Christ on a constant basis.
Rom. 12:3-6; Jn. 15:5-6; Eph.
4:1-3; Phil. 2:1-9 (KJV, MSG);Col. 3:11 (LB); 1 Cor. 3:1-7, 17; Jn. 17:20-23
None of us must be
presumptuous as to think you can do everything that needs to be done in the
Body of Christ. You are not the Body of Christ, you are only a part of it; and
you have been given only a measure of faith and grace. Whatever makes you to
think you can separate yourself from the Body of Christ and stand aside even in
your locality, will only make you wither as a branch that is cut off; it will
also render the Body of Christ in that locality ineffective.
Therefore think soberly;
humble yourself. Let the mind of Christ be in you. Be ready to serve, esteeming
the other person better than you.
If you’ve gotten anything at all out
of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit
means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care…
then do me a favour: Agree with each
other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.
Don’t push your way to the front;
don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
Don’t be obsessed with getting your
own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus
thought of Himself. (Phil. 2:1-5 MSG)
Do not take part in dividing the Body of
Christ. Rather pray for its oneness as Jesus did and be devoted to keep it
united. Do not destroy it, for it is the Temple of God. Whosoever destroys the
Temple of God, him shall God destroy.
QUESTIONS
1. How can
one separate himself from the Body of Christ?
2. Can one
that is self centered and allows only his/her will to prevail stand right in
the Body of Christ? And what is its implication to the unity of the Body of
Christ?
3. Give practical
examples on how we can prove our devotion to the oneness of the Body of Christ?
TEACHING FOUR
5.
Discuss the devotion of the disciples to oneness among them. What did you
discover? Acts 1:12-14; 2 :1-4, 42-27;
4:24, 32-37; 5:12-16; 6:1-7; 12:1-11
What was the effect of their oneness on their
lives and on the work of God in their time?
Note the repeated use of the phrase; “one accord” in the above scriptures.
They did not allow any disagreement into their hearts and into their midst. And
as they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of
bread and prayers, they became one in their understanding of scriptures. They
believed alike, understood alike and became one even in their material
possessions and they devoted themselves unto keeping that unity.
Every
trace of disunity that tried to creep in among them was promptly, scripturally
and effectively handled. The result was that great grace upon them all. The
word of God increased, disciples multiplied and a great number of priest became
obedient to the faith. God did great miracles among them and His work
progressed rapidly among them. Indeed, how blessed it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity! For there, God commands His blessings.
The scarcity of the word of God and abundance
of errors in our time is an indication of disunity in the Body of Christ in our
nation and in the nations. Genuine move of the Holy Spirit and His miraculous
manifestations are very scarce. Disciples indeed are not many in our time and
the Church and the name of the Lord is being greatly reproached, all because of
disunity in the Body of Christ. This House of God is fragmented; so the church
is exposed to a lot of hardship from the scorching heat of the sun, storms and
the attacks of the enemy who takes advantage of the gaps in our midst. The
serpent creeps in without any hindrance. If this situation will be reversed,
for us to experience revival, we must get committed to the unity of the Body of
Christ even in our locality and allow nothing and no man to divide us. As a
person it is important for you to commit yourself to this as a devotion.
QUESTIONS
1. How did
the apostles devote themselves to achieve oneness among them and in the Body of
Christ?
2. How can
we handle difficulties that can be faced by the church as the apostles did?
3. Explain
the different disunity that are obtainable in the Body of Christ in the world
today and in Nigeria?
4. In what
ways can the oneness of the Body of Christ achieved in the World?
0 comments:
Post a Comment