Lesson 6: One Body

Conduct small group worship Make sure they are doing their assignments and are sharing the lesson with someone else.  If you will help them obey, they will help their disciples obey.

The items for accountability are:

Did you read your Bible at least 5 min/day this week?
Did you listen for God to speak during QT?  Have them show journal or share 1 insight from their reading and their obedience to what God showed them.
Did you share the Hand Presentation with at least 3 people?  Tell me their names?
Did you share the last teaching/lesson with 5 people?  Tell me their names.

Spiritual Emphasis: All believers are a part of the invisible body of Christ world-wide and therefore should be a part of the visible body of Christ seen locally.

Lesson – [Tell as interestingly as possible, but still keep it as simple as possible. ]

1.    Read 1 Pet. 2:5.  We are living stones and are being built up as a spiritual house. What do we call a spiritual house, or a house for God or a house for prayer?  (A church)

2.    Read Col. 1:18.  Who is the head of the church?  (Jesus Christ)

3.    Read 1 Cor. 12:27 So who is Christ’s body?  (You are. We are.)

4.    There were not any church buildings dedicated to be used as churches during the first 200-300 years of Christian history.  Yet there were still churches.   Read 1 Cor. 16:19 and Philemon v. 1-2 Where did the church meet? (In their houses.)

Read Acts 2:41-47.  Who were the ones added to the apostles?  (The ones who received his word and were baptized.)  How many were added?  (3,000 in one day.)

Can you find the 6 functions of the church in this passage?  (v. 42 – devoted to the apostle’s teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, [This means their worship.], and to prayer. V. 44-45 “…were sharing with them all, as anyone might have need.” [This means ministry.].  V. 46-47 – [“breaking bread” again means worship.  “Praising God” also means worship.]   “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”  [This means there was evangelism happening daily as well.]

6.    A biblical definition of a church is a “body of baptized believers who have covenanted themselves together to be the visible expression of the body of Christ in their local area.”  Do you remember the 3,000 who were added to the church in Jerusalem?  What did they do after they believed, before they were added?  (They were baptized.)  Since you have believed in Christ, have you been baptized yet?  (personal answer)

7.    Based on the definition earlier, what do you need to do in order to form a church?  (Be baptized and covenant together as a group that we will be a local church. Then you need to do the 6 functions of a church.)

8.    Read Acts 8:35-39.  How soon after the Ethiopian Eunuch believed was he baptized?  (right away)

9.    Read Acts 16:30-33 How soon after he believed was the Philippian jailer baptized.  (immediately)

10.    Therefore, when should a new believer be baptized?  (As soon as possible.)

Do you understand this lesson?  Are there any questions?

Have them practice the lesson.

Verse to Memorize: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1Cor.12:27

How to Obey: Lead any in the group who have not yet been baptized to set a date/schedule when they will be baptized.  Lead the entire group to commit to God and to each other to be a local expression of the body of Christ.

Regular Assignment:

Read your Bible at least 5 min/day.
Listen for God to speak to you during your QT.  Write any special insights He shows you and especially write how you obeyed this insight.
Share the Hand Presentation 3 x with people this week.  List their names.
Share this lesson 5 x with different people this week.  List the names of the ones you share with.
Think about “church” and “worship.”  In our worship/church what is biblical? And what is from tradition?

Prayer – Pray for needs in group and ask for God to make them a light in their community through Spirit’s witness.