Church Membership
- Are you a member of the Body of Christ?
- Heaven and hell depends on it. Address Unbelievers
- A member is a believer in Jesus
- Gospel —> Position —> Placement —> Growth
- A member is a believer in Jesus
- Heaven and hell depends on it. Address Unbelievers
- Gospel, -Justification + –
- Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
- Position, Destined, heaven bound, sealed, forgiven
- In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13–14
- Placement (our text this morning) within the church. And within the city, AND within your neighborhood, AND your job.
- Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27
- Growth – + Sanctification
- And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:11–13
- The Universal Body of Christ is known as the church.
- And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18
- Are you a member of the church?
- What a second, does that mean I need to sign a paper saying I’m a member?!?!? That I have to go to some class to go to heaven?!?!
- Hold on, I’ll get there.
- What is the church?
- Not a building, but a group of believers gathered for a purpose. What’s the purpose?
- to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:9–11
- you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15
- Not a building, but a group of believers gathered for a purpose. What’s the purpose?
- Is the local church a part of the universal church?
- Acts 11:22 refers to the “church in Jerusalem,” 1 Corinthians 1:2 refers to the “church of God which is at Corinth,” 1 Thessalonians is addressed (in 1:1) “to the church of the Thessalonians,” and so on. 1 Corinthians 16:19 says, “The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.” In Colossians 4:15 Paul sends greetings “to Nympha and the church in her house.” And Paul’s letter to Philemon is also addressed to “the church in your house.”
- The body of Christ is the church which is made up of local expressions of churches that proclaim the Gospel, Positions, Places them within the “church” and we grow.
- Gospel, Position, placement, growth
- Is local church membership biblical? Thou Shalt…
- Explicit / Implicit
- Exegete the text —> Apply the text
- I would love hear how you would apply this outside the local church?
- Church Discipline & Excommunication
- “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15–17
- How do you tell it to the “church” if it’s referring to the universal church?
- No e-mail back then. Who are the “believers” to tell it to? Everyone in the building that day?
- For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12–13
- “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15–17
- Shepherding & Submission
- Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28
- When I care for the local church I am caring for the “church of God”
- Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:17
- Who do you “obey”?
- Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28
- Care and Community
- Exposit text.
- vs. 12-17 If you believe, you belong.
- vs. 18-21 We need each other.
- 22-26. Unity & Care
- vs. 27—> Membership
- How do we apply this text? We believe in the Gospel, Our position with God has changed, he has placed us in the church in this city, to grow in our faith and be ambassadors of the wisdom of God through Jesus Christ as we live his word that outlines what life looks like in the local church.
- Exposit text.
- How we do this at our church.
- Interest Class. Is this the local church for you?
One another’s
- Esteem one another in love (Phil. 2:3).
- Build up one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11).
- Serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
- Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2).
- Be gentle with one another (Eph. 4:2).
- Be kind to one another so as to preserve unity (Eph. 4:32).
- Speak truth to one another (Eph. 4:25; Col 3:9).
- Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21).
- Show compassion to one another (Col. 3:12).
- Forgive one another (Col. 3:13).
- Encourage one another (1 Thes. 5:11).
- Live in peace with one another (1 Thes. 5:13).
- Confess sins to one another (James 5:16).
- Pray for one another’s spiritual and physical healing (James 5:16).
- Be hospitable to one another without complaint (1 Peter 4:9).
- Serve one another (1 Peter 4:10; Gal. 5:13).
- Act in humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5).
- Refuse to become resentful toward one another (1 John 3:11–12).
- Give sacrificially to meet one another’s needs (1 John 3:16–17).
- Fight fear together by growing in love (1 John 4:18).
- Walk in truth together (1 John 3:18; 2 John 1:5).
PRAY