Open in prayer
Icebreaker
• Are you still shopping for Christmas gifts?
• What’s a favorite holiday tradition that you celebrate?
• Share your favorite Christmas song?
Message Review
The bible says if you see anything unified focus on it because it has power in it. The bible says that it is powerful when people are in one accord and speak and think the same thing. Psalms 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!” Because of the unity God commanded the blessing over their lives forevermore. What a blessing to be part of a group that has the blessing from God. It allows the oil flow from the head down and nothing defiles their unity. That would cause the group as a whole to walk in dominion and authority. Nowadays there are thousands of denominations of churches worldwide. So many things in not only the church but in the world are causing further divisions. But in God what you are assigned here to do is much bigger than just about you. Your individual assignment fits into God’s collective plan. Let’s dig in a little more……
Let’s Talk About It!
Read Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:12
The bible says we have many members in one body, but they do not have the same function. So, we are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. We are connected to our brothers and sisters, and we will be in each other’s book of life. We cannot say to the ear or foot that we do not need them. They all have different functions the body needs. If we all use our functions it is powerful when we work together. We are meant to be different and still honor and recognize the need for one another. Do you see the need to have people with different function in the body of Christ? How can you honor someone who is so different from you?
Read Ephesians 4:11-13
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
The bible says to each person is given a measure of talent and given a measure of faith. We also have a different measure of grace for the things God asks us to do. The word says God distributes as He wills. We weren’t all meant to do the same things. The anointing sat on the physical body of Jesus without measure. Jesus died, rose again and sits now on the right hand of the Father. The anointing is still here on earth. It was left here for us. When the people in the upper room all prayed and all were united, and the anointing fell on them. When Jesus left, he left these 5 gifts (5 anointings God left on earth to build His house). We are to come together to have the full measure of the anointing that Christ had all on His own. Discuss the differences between the 5 gifts (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher) Why are they important for the body of Christ?
Prayer Focus and Requests
Ask your members if they have any prayer requests or praise reports. Pray for God to give you a heart to honor your brothers and sisters in Christ that you are meant to work with in unity.
Scripture Reference
Ephesians 1:3-4
1 Corinthians 12:12
Roman’s 12:4-5
Psalms 133:1-3
Ephesians 4:11-13
Revelation 1:4-6