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Each One Teach One Discipleship Lessons
Part Four:
FAITH THAT BUILDS UP
Participating in the Church of God
LESSON SIXTEEN:
SOME BODY NEEDS YOU
Congratulations! You are about to begin the final lesson in this course. We hope these lessons have, in some
measure, accomplished the goals we outlined in the Introduction. We hope you have been enabled to:
1. Understand some of the most basic principles of faith in God.
2. Gain assurance in your standing as a child of God.
3. Realize the importance of spiritual growth and maturity.
4. Prepare to lead others to Jesus.
5. Prepare for positions of service/leadership in the Body.
The title of this lesson is “Some Body Needs You.” The Body it refers to is a local ekklesia–assembly of calledout
ones of Christ, a local fellowship group where you can take your place as an “eye” or “ear” or “finger”–or
whatever part you have been called to be. Just as you do need to be a part of some local Body, where you may
grow spiritually, be nourished, and nourish others, that Body needs you.
[Rom 12:4-8]
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same
function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use
it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is
encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
This passage by no means exhausts the kind of natural and spiritual gifts that individuals may have received from
God to be used in service to others. Some gifts you may have been born with, such as lifting others up with a
musical talent. Others you may receive through God’s Holy Spirit at the time of your baptism, such as a gift of
unusual faith to pray for the healing of others. Still others may be natural gifts supernaturally enhanced, such as
a natural gift for teaching that is particularly empowered by God in the area of imparting understanding of
Biblical principles.
[1Thes 5:11]
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
You need to meditate and pray for understanding on just what gifts God would have you use to build up others
in the Body.
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The gifts given to the individual members of the Church were given to “build up” the whole body. And you can’t
build up others if you don’t gather with others:
[Hebrews 10:25]
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The “Day” spoken of here is the time of the return of the Lord to take up His Kingdom. The “signs of the times”
surely seem to indicate that “Day” is fast approaching. So the admonition in Hebrews above is vital for every
Christian. The Lord doesn’t want “Lone Ranger Christians”!
We hope these lessons have emphasized to you that “putting in time” for two hours one day a week to satisfy
some “religious duty” is not what this scripture is talking about! If we are to become a “family,” we need to
spend as much time as possible with other members of the Body, both at formal meeting times, such as worship
services and Bible study classes, and informal gatherings just for fellowship. We need to “invest” our God-given
“talents” at every opportunity.
You need the Body. The Body needs you!
You don’t need to join some large denominational church. You don’t need to join some small independent
church. The issue here isn’t “joining” anything! You simply need to find others who are sincerely seeking to be
disciples of Jesus, and commit to fellowship with them. They may be part of a larger group. They may simply be
a tiny group of folks meeting in someone’s living room. Together you can grow into Family.
REVIEW:
1. Every Christian has natural gifts given by God at birth.
2. Every Christian has spiritual gifts given by God.
3. God expects us to invest all of our gifts for His glory.
4. We cannot fully use either kind of gifts in isolation.
5. These gifts are given to Christians to edify the Body.
6. These gifts can be shared through regular fellowship.
MEMORY VERSES
LESSON SIXTEEN MEMORY VERSE
Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together,
as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another–
and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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LESSON THIRTEEN MEMORY VERSE:
I Peter 2:9
But you [Christians] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of
Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
LESSON FOURTEEN MEMORY VERSES:
II Tim 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Mark 2:27
Then he [Jesus] said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
LESSON FIFTEEN MEMORY VERSE:
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
QUESTIONS:
1. Name one gift you feel you were born with.
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2. Name one gift you feel may have been given more recently by God for your use in building up the Body.
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3.What excuses do you think some people may give for not finding ways to fellowship regularly with other
believers?
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4. Write one Memory Verse from this series of lessons that has particular meaning for you. Explain why.
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