Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 10
Near the end, he highlights Paul’s prayer that believers would grasp “the hope of his calling,” “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” and resurrection power—and he begins to stress that God’s inheritance is not merely “in heaven… streets of gold,” but “in the saints… you and me.” If God’s gift to you is the people of God themselves, what would have to change about how you treat the church (commitment, forgiveness, reconciliation, accountability, local body life) for that to become real rather than sentimental?
Another way to ask: If God’s “inheritance” is his people (the church), not just heaven rewards, how should that change how you treat your church? What would need to change in commitment, forgiveness, reconciliation, accountability, and local church life?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript only begins this point before it is truncated, but the speaker clearly implies the church must be treated as a real, God-given inheritance—meaning relationships in the body are not optional or secondary. A reasonable inference is that commitment to local body life and serious brotherhood would have to replace a consumer mindset about church.
- Paul’s prayer list: believers would know “the hope of his calling,” “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” and “the exceeding greatness of his power.”
- He stresses inheritance location: “It’s an inheritance… not… on a cloud… streets of gold, but… in the saints.”
- He states the shock value: “What God has done all this work for and wants to give us is you and me.”
- He says this makes him think about “church and body and brotherhood and how we relate to each other… That this is God’s gift to us.”
- Earlier he framed God’s purpose as forming a unified people in Christ: “gather together in one all things in Christ.”