Week 4
One
Ephesians 2:11-22
Alternative Video site: https://vimeo.com/288993682
Opening: When have you wanted to become a part of a new group? Perhaps it was at school, or at work, with a group of friends, or maybe a club, or perhaps it was moving to a new area, or even a new country. What was your experience like? (If you participated last week, share also with the group how practicing serving went.)
Examine the Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22
- What words did Paul use to describe the Gentiles, non-Jewish people, before they were reconciled to Christ in verses 11-13?
- What was the purpose of Christ and how did he fulfill it (vs.14-16)?
- Grab a pen and circle or highlight key words or phrases that describe what has been given to Gentiles now that they are reconciled to God in verses 13, 17-19. Share with the group.
- Have you experienced “access to the Father”? How has that changed you? (vs. 18)
- In Christ, Jews and Gentiles, which were previously separate ethnic and cultural groups that strongly disliked one another, were now being “joined together” (vs. 21) into the “household” of God (vs. 19) to be the “dwelling” place of God (vs. 22). Imagine, how challenging would it be for them to live out this new oneness? What challenges often come up when groups of people who used to be separate come together to form one group?
- Paul uses three different metaphors to help the Ephesians understand their new oneness – fellow citizens (vs 19), family members (vs.19) and a whole building (vs. 21). Which metaphor resonates most with you and why?
Explore the Theme: Family of God. “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 13:1
- The family metaphor adds elements of tenderness, loyalty and concern for one another. Have you experienced those yet as a part of the family of God? When has the family of God nurtured or sustained you? How should our interactions with each other be different given we are part of the same family, God’s family?
- How does fear of rejection play a role in someone being a full member in the family of God? How can you help someone overcome that fear? What might indicate that a person is afraid of being rejected? When do you feel most at risk for being rejected?
- How can we better include different groups in our church? What changes do we need to make to encourage more openness to include others? How can we be “built together to become a dwelling in which God lives?”
- What “dividing walls” or “barriers” (referred to in vs. 14) exist today between different groups that you believe Jesus wants to bring down? What role might you play in reconciling others and bringing oneness to the family of God?
Engage Your Life: Practice Understanding. During this next week consider how you can be a partner with Christ in bringing oneness in the family of God. Meet with someone different than you and ask them to tell you more of their story. Listen as deeply as you can, and only for understanding, during this meeting. Maintain a posture that is curious, rather than critical. Seek to gain a deeper understanding of this person. If a face to face meeting is not possible, consider reading a first-person account of a person different than you. Again, maintain a posture that is curious, rather than critical. Come ready next week to share what you learned, mostly about yourself, during this process.
Praying Grace and Peace: Share prayer requests with one another. Consider how you can not only pray for one another during this meeting but throughout the week. Provide a couple of minutes of quiet individual prayer time to reflect on thanking God for including you in God’s family. Then go to corporate prayer for one another and for praying grace and peace to all.