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Belong to cHRISt // WeeK 3

WAtcH StUDY onlIne At noRtHlAnDcHURcH.net

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.

Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Belong to Christ // Week 3

I n t R o D U c t I o n

“The New Testament knows nothing of freelance Christianity. It is the corporate

witness of the redeemed fellowship that is used by the Spirit of God.” – GEOFFREY KING

When we believe in Jesus and belong to Him, we become part of something much larger than ourselves: the body of Christ. Like a living, breathing human body – all parts working together to sustain itself and thrive – the church is comprised of many members, each belonging to all the others (Romans 12:5). It is this connection to the larger body that nourishes our faith, enabling us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and to carry His message to the world.

Prior to His death, Jesus prayed specifi cally for the body of believers:

John 17:22-23 22 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Unity among believers is a powerful witness. We affi rm our common unity in Christ through the sacraments, remembering His death and resurrection. We experience unity through worship, directing our hearts and minds toward the supreme goal of glorifying God. We demonstrate unity through service, extending the hope of Christ by meeting the needs of others. All of these practices shape who we are, who we become, and what we bring to the world – together.

Belong to Christ // Week 3 // Day 1

If we accept the divine entry of God into human history through the man Jesus

Christ, we cannot help accepting the unique nature of the fellowship which he

founded. For in a true sense it is an extension of the actual visit, sustained

by the living God. - J. B. PHILLIPS

B e l I e V eOnce we believe in Christ and belong to Him, we also belong to each other as the body of Christ.

Colossians 1:12-18 12…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualifi ed you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the fi rstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church…

The body of Christ is a community of faith. It is not an affi nity group. It is not a conventional society, tribe, or culture. It is those individuals who profess Jesus as Lord and who have His transforming Spirit at work in their lives.

Read about the birth of the church in Acts 2. •


B e l o n gGalatians 3:26-28 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

How have you experienced the unity with other believers that comes from •belonging to Christ?

The Bible describes the church as Christ’s body, made up of many parts. Each part has a job to do, and all parts must work together in order to have a whole and healthy body.

Romans 12:3-6 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judg-ment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

As a member of Christ’s body, you have an important contribution to make. How •does God typically use you in the lives of others?What are the gifts that you have to give to the body?•How does humility promote a greater sense of unity and belonging within the •body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Seek opportunities to share your gifts and be of service to others. •

Matthew 18:20 20 “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

How does this definition of community change your perspective?•What opportunities do you have to create community in your own life? •

B e c o m eAs believers, we are not meant to live in isolation. We are meant to be connected, a part of His family. That is how we will thrive individually and corporately.


Ephesians 3:14-19 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

What have you learned of Christ’s loving through other believers?•How has that love transformed you? •

The differences that we come up against in the people around us are what we need to be made in Christ’s image; we become Christ-like together.

Proverbs 27:17 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Who are the people that sharpen you?•What could you do to further these relationships?•Is the process of sharpening always a pleasant one (Proverbs 27:6)? Name an •example of a time when a fellow Christian told you something that was difficult to hear, but had a positive effect on your character.According to Ephesians 4:29, how should we approach these types •of interactions?

B e S e n tLuke 10:27 27 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

This is our mission – to love and serve God and others.

Pay close attention to your neighbors today – not just those who live next door, •but all those whom Christ puts in your path. Watch for ways to actively love and serve them.

Memory: Commit Luke 10:27 to memory this week.

Luke 10:27 27 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Prayer: “O God, creator and preserver of all, we pray especially for thy holy Church: that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bonds of peace, and in righteousness of life. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.” - BOOk Of COmmON PRAYER


B e l o n g t o e A c H o t H e R

“There are three things that spreadthe Christ life to us: baptism, belief,and that mysterious action which

different Christians call by differentnames – Holy Communion, the Mass,

the Lord’s Supper.” -C.S. LEWIS

B e l I e V e We believe that Christ ordained certain holy rituals for the church to observe, and through which the Spirit uniquely acts. These holy rituals are symbolic of spiritual events. They are baptism and the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion or the holy Eucharist.

Matthew 28:19 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…

Baptism is public sacrament that requires a one-time observance. Communion is a more private sacrament – though it is typically observed corporately – that is an ongoing practice.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 24 The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”


B e l o n g John 6:35 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

The word ‘communion’ itself affirms our common union. When we take communion, we remember together Christ’s sacrifice and celebrate our redemption. We look for-ward to the fulfillment of His promise to share this cup with us in heaven. The bread and the cup are symbols of our belonging – symbols of Christ’s death and sacrifice.

Matthew 26:28-29 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

What does communion mean to you?•To what two events do Jesus’ words here refer?•

Baptism is an outward sign, a public statement of belonging to Christ. Baptism is not for the purpose of forgiveness. Rather it symbolizes repentance, which is necessary for forgiveness.

Acts 2:38-39 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. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

What did your own baptism mean to you?•What symbolism do you see there of your salvation?•

In baptism, we become identified with the body of Christ.

Romans 6:3-4 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

B e c o m eThe sacraments are an integral part of our becoming process. There is a spiritual exchange, a renewing of the relationship that takes place. We are refreshed and renewed as we remember, proclaim, and participate. It is a mystery of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 11:26 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.


Galatians 3:26-27 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

We commemorate many important events in our lifetimes. What makes the •celebration of the Lord’s Supper unique?How does this sacrament change you, personally?•How will this study affect the way you view communion in the future?•

B e S e n tIf you have not been baptized, do it. If you have been, commemorate it.

Take communion with another believer and remember Christ’s sacrifice.



Prayer: We do not presume to come to Your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Your table. But You are the same Lord whose property is to always have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to partake of the body and blood of your dear Son Jesus Christ, and to remember His sacrifice for our redemption. keep us until the day when He returns. Amen. - ADAPTED fROm THE BOOk Of COmmON PRAYER



I believe a local church exists to do corporately what each Christian believer should be doing individually – and that is

to worship God. It is to show forth the excellencies of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. It is to refl ect the glories of Christ ever shining upon us through the ministries

of the Holy Spirit. -A. W. TOZER

B e l I e V eAs members of the body of Christ, our common purpose is worship. We believe that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. He is most glorifi ed in us when we are most satisfi ed in Him.

John 4:23-24 23 “…a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

When we gather for corporate worship in this century, it is for the same activities that the fi rst century church gathered. It is through these activities that we are nourished. We worship who God is and what He has done, and realize our own identity as His children.

Acts 2:42 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellow-ship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.


And yet, worship is the purpose of all our lives, not just the reason we gather together. Everything we do, everything we are, and everything we may become is a vehicle through which to honor Him. Our very lives are worship.

1 Corinthians 10:31 31…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

B e l o n gBelonging to the body of faith shapes our identity by confirming who we are – like children identifying with family by listening to their stories. In community, we are invited into a lifestyle of worship.

If worship is the primary pursuit of our lives, and not just a corporate activity, then how we live our lives is vitally important.

Ephesians 4:1-6 1…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

What does a life like Paul describes look like?•What happens to the body of Christ and to the world when believers •live like this?

B e c o m e“The journey of faith is one of transformation. This transformation takes place from future to present, as our earthly existence is imbued with heavenly grace. The change will affect both us and our world, so that nothing will ever be the same again. By faith, our lives can and will make a difference.” - DR. JOEL C. HUNTER, THE JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL mATURIT Y, VOLUmE 5

Romans 12:1-2 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

What does it mean to you to be a living sacrifice?•How do you see your life as worship?•What are the areas in which you tend to conform to the world?•Is renewing your mind a one-time thing, or a repeated action? •What habits do you have that renew your mind?•


“At its heart, the journey on which we have embarked is…an attempt to find our way from the ‘now’ of earthly existence to the ‘not yet’ of life with God in heaven. The further we continue on this journey of faith, the more our lives will be transformed from present realities into future perfections. And the more we are remade in the image of Christ, the more we will be able to change the world by our faith.” - DR. JOEL C. HUNTER, THE JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL mATURIT Y, VOLUmE 5

B e S e n t1 Peter 1:13-15 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

What does it look like to prepare your mind for action as you seek to share •Christ’s love with the world?How does hope empower us to live as obedient children?•This week, open your eyes to the many opportunities for worship all around you •as you seek to be holy in all you do. Hold fast to the power of the Holy Spirit, which equips and encourages us in our journey of faith.



Prayer: “Almighty God, who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections, we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” - THE BOOk Of COmmON PRAYER



“So far reaching would be the infl uence of servants in society, their presence would

be like salt on food or light in the darkness. Neither is loud or externally impressive,

but both are essential.” -UNKNOWN

B e l I e V e The church, meaning the body of Christ, is God’s representative on earth and a change-agent in the world. The world is different as a result of the existence of the community of faith.

Matthew 5:13-16 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”


Likewise, salt is key to our existence:

Light was arguably a more precious commodity in Jesus’ day than in ours. for us, light is always at our fingertips – just a flip of a switch away. But a Jewish house typically had only one window and one lamp - a lamp fueled with oil.

“We can’t live without salt. Salt runs through our language, our history, and our veins. Our appetite for salt and the meanings we attach to it have linked the ages. Salt literally gives us life, and reminds us of the origins of all life in the primordial sea. It has motivated the pious, the warlike, the superstitious and the revolutionary. It has shaped history and inspired storytellers, artists and cooks. It is a commodity, a ‘cure’ and a medium for artistic carving.

“The human body contains about four ounces of salt. Without enough of it, muscles won’t contract, blood won’t circulate, food won’t digest, and the heart won’t beat…In fact, doctors at one hospital have discovered that a treatment for chronic fatigue includes salt supplements and plenty of pickles and other salty foods.”

- SmITHSONIAN mAGAZINE, JANUARY 1999

B e l o n g“The salt that Jesus has in mind is stinging, biting, cleansing, and preserving and is anything but dull, anything but tame. To be the kind of salt Christ spoke about is to be on the cutting edge, in the fray, at the forefront of the battle.

“Notice, He did not say for us to become salt. He said we are salt…But the question is, what do we do? How do we act as salt in our world? The answer lies in the way salt is used. Salt is both a seasoning and a preservative. It seasons by adding taste and enhancing flavor. It preserves by cleansing and retarding spoilage. In both cases, the salt must be brought in contact with its object for its power to be realized. Sitting in the shaker, it does no good. It might just as well be thrown out.”

- BOB BRINER, ROARING L AmBS

The symbolism of salt and light is a common theme in the language of faith. •Who are the people who were salt and light for you, allowing you to see Christ’s nature before you knew Him?How could you get ‘out of the shaker’ today?•

B e c o m eIt was God’s design that the church be the influence for good in the world - merely by its existence. In order to do this, we have to be engaged in the world. But we don’t have to be passive about our faith:

Matthew 20:25-28 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — 28just as the


Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Describe Jesus’ view of greatness in your own words.•Using His definition, how can you become a servant? •

B e S e n tChurch leaders often hear the comment that the church should respond to specific situations of illness, poverty, loss, etc. And certainly that is true. But the church is responding each time a believer responds. You are the church. You take the church wherever you go.

Where or how have you been the church in the world this week?•What opportunities have you had to show up, as the church?•

The church is to be a shining light for the world. And the darker the world, the more obvious that Light will be.

2 Corinthians 4:6 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Into what dark corners will you take the Light today?•



Prayer: “All praise and thanks to You, most merciful God, for adopting us as Your own children, for incorporating us into Your holy Church, and for making us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Grant us, we pray, all things neces-sary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind with they holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” - ADAPTED fROm THE BOOk Of COmmON PRAYER



Give up yourself, and you will fi nd your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite

wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fi bre of your being, and you will fi nd eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away

will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will fi nd in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will fi nd Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

- C.S. LEWIS, FROM MERE CHRISTIANITY

B e l I e V eAs the body of Christ, we are to give our very lives in service to others, taking the hope of Christ to the world.

Matthew 9:35-37 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease


and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

How do you view those who are without Christ, without hope?•Do you see yourself as a worker in the harvest He described?•

B e l o n gWhen we belong to Christ, we give our lives, just as Christ did, in service to Him and to others. Mark 8:34-37 34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

What has belonging to Christ required of you?•What have you gained in the bargain?•

We gather together as the body of Christ to be renewed and restored. Then we dis-tribute ourselves into the world. We, the church, are the workers Christ has called. We are to demonstrate Christ’s love everywhere, everyday, to whomever He puts in our path. (1 Corinthians 3:9)

B e c o m eAs we continue on our spiritual journey, we also continue to more closely resemble the nature of Christ. In taking on His nature, we become lifelong servants.

Philippians 2:5-7 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

What are the things that keep you from willingly serving others?•What blessings have you personally experienced as a result of serving •someone else? How do those blessings compare to the rewards the world offers for putting •yourself first?


B e S e n tLuke 10:2 2 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Seeing the world as a field that is ripe for harvest implies that there are people ready and waiting for us to come to them.

How could you view your random encounters differently?•Are they truly random? •Who is ultimately responsible for ripening the harvest (1 Cor. 3:6-8)? How does •that bring focus and freedom to our role as workers?



Prayer: “O God, thou hast bound us together in a common life. Help us in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront each other without hatred or bitter-ness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect. Grant us not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among the things that are passing away, to hold fast to those things that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Belong to Christ // Week 2

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