Built Together - Week 1
Ephesians 1:3–14
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Sermon Notes
Ephesians 1:3–14
Big Idea: Before God calls us to build His Church, He blesses us by making us His people.
Backbone: Identity comes before activity. We need to know who we are in Christ before we can faithfully embrace what Christ has called us to do together.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Following Jesus is personal, but it was never intended to be private.
Wealth — Ephesians 1–3
- What we have in Christ and who we are in Him.
- Paul begins by showing believers the incredible spiritual riches God has already given them in Christ.
Walk — Ephesians 4–5
- Because of who we are, how should we live?
Warfare — Ephesians 6
- What will we face as we faithfully follow Christ together?
Wealth. Walk. Warfare.
- Who we are.
- How we live.
- How we stand.
1. Start With What God Has Done, Not What You Need to Do.
Not with what we do for God, but with what God has done for us in Christ.
- I don't obey so God will accept me. I obey because in Christ I am accepted.
- I don't serve so I can belong. I serve because I belong.
- I don't build His Church to earn a place in His family. I help build up His family because, in Christ, I have been brought into it.
Christian activity should always flow out of Christian identity.
2. Receive Your Identity Instead of Trying to Earn It
They are:
- Chosen.
- Adopted.
- Redeemed.
- Forgiven.
Your Deepest Identity Is “In Christ”
3. Your New Identity Gives You a New Family
- Community isn't incidental to discipleship. It is one of the main environments God uses to accomplish it.
Move from attending to belonging.
4. Secure Identity Creates a Different Kind of Community
- The Church did not begin with us. It began in the heart of God before the foundation of the world.
Small Group Questions — Blessed to Belong
Read: Ephesians 1:3–14
1. What stands out to you about what God has already done for us in Ephesians 1:3–14?
Look back through the passage and notice the words Paul uses: blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, given an inheritance, and sealed.
Follow-up: Which of those truths is easiest for you to believe? Which is hardest for you to really live from?
2. Where are you most tempted to build your identity around something other than Jesus?
It could be your success, failure, career, relationships, reputation, accomplishments, mistakes, or even what you do at church.
Follow-up: How does that affect you when that part of your life is going well? What about when it isn't?
3. The sermon said, “If I don't know who I am, I'll eventually use what I do to try to establish who I am.” Where do you see that tendency in your own life?
Consider areas like serving, performing, comparing yourself to others, needing recognition, or wanting to prove yourself.
Follow-up: How would remembering what God has already given you in Christ change the way you approach that area?
4. Paul consistently speaks about what “we” have received in Christ. What does that teach us about the role of Christian community in following Jesus?
Follow-up: What is the difference between simply attending a church and truly belonging to a church family? Where would you say you are on that spectrum right now?
5. What might change in our relationships if we became increasingly secure in who we are in Christ?
Think specifically about comparison, conflict, recognition, forgiveness, serving, preferences, and disagreements.
Close with this question: What is one way you can move from simply attending toward deeper belonging this week?
Day 1 — Remember Before You Respond
Read:
Ephesians 1:3–6
When Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians, he doesn't start with a list of things they need to do.
He starts with worship.
Before telling these Christians how they should live, Paul reminds them of what God has already done.
God has blessed us.
God has chosen us.
God has adopted us.
And all of it is in Christ.
That's important because our natural tendency is to start somewhere else. We wake up thinking about what needs to get done, what needs to change, where we're falling short, and how we can do better.
But the gospel begins not with what we do for God, but with what God has done for us in Christ.
That order matters.
When we forget what God has already given us, we can begin using our activity to establish our identity. We serve to feel valuable. We perform to feel accepted. We compare ourselves to feel significant.
But we don't obey so God will accept us.
We obey because, in Christ, we are accepted.
We don't serve so we can belong.
We serve because we belong.
Christian activity should always flow out of Christian identity.
Reflect
Before you think about everything you need to do today, stop and ask:
What has God already done for me in Christ?
Which truth from Ephesians 1:3–6 do you most need to remember today?
Pray
Father, thank You that my relationship with You begins with Your grace, not my performance. Help me remember what You have already done for me in Christ before I focus on what I need to do for You. Let my obedience today flow from knowing that I am already Yours. Amen.
Day 2 — Receive Your Identity
Read:
Ephesians 1:7–10
There are countless voices trying to answer the question:
Who are you?
Our culture often encourages us to construct an identity from our accomplishments, relationships, careers, reputations, successes, and even our failures.
But Paul points Christians somewhere deeper.
Again and again he uses two simple words:
“In Him.”
Before Paul describes what Christians do, he describes where they are.
We are in Christ.
And because we are in Christ, our identity is something we receive—not something we achieve.
We are chosen.
We are adopted.
We are redeemed.
We are forgiven.
You don't achieve forgiveness. You're forgiven.
You don't accomplish redemption. You're redeemed.
You don't earn adoption. You're adopted.
Your career may describe something you do. Your relationships may describe an important part of your life. Your successes and failures may tell part of your story.
But none of them get the final word about who you are.
Jesus does.
And when our identity becomes increasingly rooted in Him, we become increasingly free from the exhausting work of trying to prove ourselves.
Reflect
Complete this sentence honestly:
“I feel most valuable when __________________.”
What does your answer reveal about where you may be looking for identity?
Now remind yourself:
“Because I am in Christ, I am __________________.”
Fill that blank with one of the truths from Ephesians 1.
Pray
Jesus, there are so many places I look for significance and identity. Teach me to receive what You have already given me instead of trying to prove who I am. Root my identity more deeply in You today. Amen.
Day 3 — Blessed to Belong
Read:
Ephesians 1:11–14
There's a small word throughout Ephesians 1 that we can easily overlook:
We.
We have been blessed.
We have been chosen.
We have redemption.
We have forgiveness.
We have received an inheritance.
God's plan has always been bigger than rescuing isolated individuals.
God is building a people.
Following Jesus is deeply personal, but it was never intended to be private.
When God saves us, He brings us into a family. That means church isn't simply somewhere Christians attend.
Church is a people to whom Christians belong.
And belonging can be messy.
It means knowing others and allowing yourself to be known. It means showing up, serving, carrying burdens, celebrating victories, forgiving people, receiving forgiveness, and pursuing Jesus together.
Sometimes those relationships will encourage us.
Sometimes they'll challenge us.
Sometimes they'll frustrate us.
And God can use all of it to make us more like Jesus.
So perhaps the question isn't simply:
“Did I attend church this week?”
A better question might be:
“Am I learning to belong to the people God has given me?”
Because before God calls us to build His Church, He reminds us that we already belong to His family.
Reflect
Where are you currently experiencing genuine Christian community?
What is one step you could take to move from attending toward belonging?
Maybe it's joining a group, serving, initiating a friendship, asking someone for help, encouraging someone, forgiving someone, or simply allowing yourself to be known.
Choose one step and act on it this week.
Pray
Father, thank You that You haven't only saved me from something; You've brought me into a family. Keep me from treating Your Church like something I simply attend. Teach me to know others, be known, serve, forgive, encourage, and pursue Jesus alongside Your people. Amen.