I recently had the chance to interact with some counselees challenging them to become more a part of their local church. In doing so I built a brief document consisting of Scripture passages with my observations/interpretations drawn out of them and then an application section at the end. The document focuses on 2 areas, Service and Membership. Hopefully you find it as encouraging and challenging as I did in my study of it. =)
Service
Scriptures:
·
Romans 12:4-8
o
Every believer has specific gifts to contribute
to their local body (v.4)
o
Every believer is part of their local body (v.5)
o
Every believer has unique gifts to contribute to
their local body (v.6a)
o
Every believer is called to use their gifts to
the utmost for the benefit of the body (v.6b-8)
·
1 Corinthians 12:4-27
o
There are people with different giftings in the
church (v.4-5)
o
God the Holy Spirit is who gives and empowers
each gifting (v.6)
o
God intends for the giftings to each be used for
the common good of the church (v.7)
o
There are many different types of giftings in
the church (v.8-10)
o
God the Holy Spirit determines who gets what
gifting (v.11)
o
All the members of the church separately make up
the church together as a whole (v.12-14)
o
All the members should expect to have different
functions (v.15-17)
o
God has designed the church to have different members
with different functions (v.17-20)
o
Each member should value the others (v.21-24)
o
The members of the church are there to help and
care for each other (v.25-27)
·
Acts 2:42
o
There are unique aspects of the Christian life
that can only be done fully in the context of the church
·
Colossians 3:16
o
One of the purposes of a believers church
attendance is for the admonishing of other believers
·
Hebrews 10:24-25
o
Another of the purposes of a believers church
attendance is for the encouraging of other believers to grow all the more in
their love for God, others, and actions
Applications:
·
Every believer should seek to determine what
part they might play in benefitting and growing their local church
·
Every believer should serve in at least 1 if not
more areas of their local church
·
Every believer should come to church with the
intentional goal of building into and encouraging their other fellow believers
·
Every believer should seek to come to church regularly
to be able to participate in serving others
Membership
Scriptures:
·
Hebrew 13:17
o
Membership is the means by which church leaders
know who to keep watch over
·
1 Peter 5:1-5
o
Membership is the means by which church leaders
know who is part of their flock (v.2-3)
o
Membership is the means by which members of the
flock know who they are to be subject to (v.5)
·
Acts 20:28-30
o
Memberships helps the elders indentify who is truly
part of Christ’s church and thus who they are to oversee
o
Membership follows the processes of being saved
and then baptized (v.39-41)
·
Acts 2:37-47
o
The early church models the keeping of numbers
of who was part of the church (v.41 & 47)
·
Romans 16:3-15
o
Paul gives a model of knowing all those in a
church by name
·
1 Timothy 5:9-16
o
The early church models keeping lists of those to
be cared for (v.9, 11, & 16)
·
Matthew 18:15-17
o
Church discipline can only occur if there is a
clear demarcation of those in and out (v.17)
·
1 Corinthians 5:1-12
o
There is special accountability for those
claiming to be part of the church (v.12)
·
The term “membership” comes a great deal from
the previous section recognizing service within the church can only truly
happen after someone has been recognized as part of the church
Applications:
·
Every believer should seek to become a member of
their local church
·
Every believer should delight to be identified
with Christ and His bride, the church, publically
·
Every believer should help those in church
leadership with their oversight by gladly taking part in membership processes
to help be identified as someone to be shepherded
·
Every believer should welcome the encouragement and
accountability membership brings
·
Every believer should delight in the chance to
better serve in a local church by being identified as a part of it
May we each continue to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" as we serve His bride well!
Phil
*photo taken from: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRp9pU-kssvKjEo8CKXKLuB4dATSWBedQYc7AwLcCt5CMaLHMKF
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