August 4th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

Living a Life Worthy of Our Calling

Lectionary Readings — Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost — August 4, 2024

2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a; Psalm 51:1-12; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35

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Call to Worship (based on Ephesians 4:1-16)

Leader: Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, we gather to celebrate our unity in the Spirit and our calling as followers of Jesus.

People: We come with humble hearts, ready to embrace the unity and peace that Christ brings.

Leader: Let us be completely humble and gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love.

People: We strive to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, recognizing that there is one body and one Spirit.

Leader: As we worship together, let us embrace our shared hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.

People: We acknowledge the grace given to each of us and seek to use our gifts to build up the body of Christ.

Leader: Let us grow together in maturity, attaining to the fullness of Christ, speaking the truth in love.

People: We commit to growing in every respect into the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Leader: With hearts united in purpose, let us lift our voices in praise, seeking to glorify God through our worship and our lives.

All: Together, we worship You, O Lord, and we dedicate ourselves to living out the unity, maturity, and love that You call us to. Amen.

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Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 51:1-12)

Let us pray.

Merciful and loving God, we come before You today with hearts that seek Your forgiveness and renewal. Inspired by the words of Psalm 51, we humbly ask for Your grace and compassion.

Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out our transgressions. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin. For we know our transgressions, and our sin is ever before us. Against You, and You alone, have we sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.

Lord, we acknowledge our brokenness and the ways we have strayed from Your path. We ask that You create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation, and sustain in us a willing spirit.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unfailing love and endless mercy. As we gather in worship today, we ask that You cleanse us and make us whole. Help us to experience the fullness of Your grace and to be transformed by Your Spirit.

Lord, as we come together, we lift up those among us who are burdened with guilt and shame. May they find comfort in Your forgiveness and strength in Your love. For those who are weary and in need of renewal, we pray that Your Spirit refreshes their hearts and minds.

Guide us in our worship, that we may honor You with our words, our thoughts, and our actions. May this time together draw us closer to You and to one another, as we seek to live out Your will in our lives.

We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: Living a Life Worthy of Our Calling

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16 (NRSV)

Introduction

• Share a personal story or contemporary illustration about growing in maturity and unity.

• Briefly introduce the passage from Ephesians 4:1-16, highlighting Paul's call for unity and maturity in the body of Christ.

I. PRESERVE UNITY

• Humble and Harmonious: Discuss Paul's urging for a life worthy of the calling.

• Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:1-3 "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

• Explanation:

  • Highlight the qualities of humility, gentleness, and patience as essential for unity.

  • Discuss the importance of bearing with one another in love and maintaining the unity of the Spirit.

• Application: Encourage the congregation to cultivate these qualities in their relationships within the church and beyond, striving to maintain unity and peace.

II. PROMOTE ONENESS

• Unified and United: Explore the basis for our unity in Christ.

• Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all."

• Explanation:

  • Emphasize the seven "ones" that form the foundation of Christian unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father.

  • Explain how these elements unify believers despite diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

• Application: Challenge the congregation to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us, celebrating our shared faith and common purpose in Christ.

III. PROVIDE FOR GROWTH

• Equipped and Empowered: Discuss the gifts given to believers for the building up of the body.

• Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:7-12 "But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift... The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

• Explanation:

  • Highlight the diversity of gifts given to believers and their purpose for equipping the saints and building up the church.

  • Discuss the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in fostering spiritual growth and maturity.

• Application: Encourage the congregation to identify and use their spiritual gifts to serve and build up the church community, contributing to its overall health and growth.

IV. PURSUE MATURITY

• Mature and Mission-Focused: Emphasize the goal of spiritual maturity and unity in faith.

• Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:13-16 "until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ... speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."

• Explanation:

  • Explain the process of growing into spiritual maturity, achieving unity in faith and knowledge of Christ.

  • Discuss the importance of speaking the truth in love and how it contributes to growth and unity.

  • Describe how the body of Christ builds itself up in love when each part is working properly.

• Application: Motivate the congregation to pursue spiritual maturity through ongoing discipleship, community involvement, and speaking the truth in love, fostering a healthy and unified church body.

Conclusion

• Reflect on the call to live a life worthy of our calling, emphasizing unity, diversity of gifts, and spiritual maturity.

• Encourage the congregation to apply these principles in their daily lives, contributing to the growth and unity of the church.

• Close with a prayer, asking for God’s help to live out these truths and to build a strong, unified, and mature community in Christ.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word that guides us in living a life worthy of our calling. Help us to cultivate humility, gentleness, and patience, maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Equip us to use the gifts You have given us to build up the body of Christ and to pursue spiritual maturity. As we grow together in faith and love, may we reflect Your glory and bring honor to Your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers