We are thankful for the great opportunities which God gives to us every day. The greatest blessings we can enjoy in this life are the blessings which God has given to the church. “He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:3).

A great part of those blessings is found in serving God and others together as the church family. Ephesians 4:11-16 says:

“And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.“

It is important for us to work together because God has given us this blessing (4:11); when we all work together, the saints can be “perfected” (4:12); the church can enjoy unity (4:13); the church will enjoy great spiritual maturity (4:14-15); and the church will “build itself up in love” (4:16).

Jesus goal for the church is that for which he prayed in John 17.  Jesus said, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:10-11).