Sunday, June 29 am
BACK TO BASICS 2014
The New Testament Church - 4
Responsibilities of Church Membership
a.
If you are not part of a
local church, you should be!
i.
As noted last week, in
scripture circumstances where one was not part of a local church were
ALWAYS temporary.
ii.
The majority of letters
were written to churches and the brethren that are a part of them.
It is necessarily concluded that one is EXPECTED to be part of a
congregation.
iii.
There are
responsibilities that can only be carried out, and perhaps others that
can be better done as a congregation (i.e. Lord’s Supper – Acts 20:7, 1
Cor. 11:18-20, etc.).
You also have various “one another” passages where we are there for each
other. Also, in the first
century, you read about how they had “all things in common” and there
was a togetherness (Acts 2:42, 20:7, etc.).
They needed each other – and so do we!
iv.
One might reason that
they will participate but not identify with a local group.
Question: What if everyone felt that way?
Would there be a local church?
v.
Finally, consider that
finding a sound church is SAFE.
You might need to be admonished when you are in error.
Loving brethren value your soul
and they can help keep you in the right direction.
Elders can hold you accountable and watch out for your soul (Heb.
13:7, 17). Friends – that is
NOT a bad thing! Especially
when you consider your eternity.
b.
You are a part of the
body of Christ and A local body of Christ – Eph. 1:21-22, 1 Cor. 12:27,
Eph. 4:11-16 – when every part does it share, it causes growth of the
body.
c.
You are a worker in the
Lord’s vineyard – sharing in the spreading of the gospel.
d.
You are a living stone
in His temple – 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 1 Pet. 2:4-5 – a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, etc.
e.
You are a citizen in His
kingdom – Eph. 2:19-22
a.
Keep yourself pure – we fully understand our need to keep ourselves pure.
Last year this was our focus.
Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is
this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself
unspotted from the world.”
“And everyone who has
this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
This is something you need to do as a Christian PERIOD!
Your eternity depends on it!
When we don’t keep
ourselves pure, it is a reflection on the Lord Himself.
AND as part of a local church whatever your conduct, you reflect
upon her at all times as well.
There is a reason Paul told Timothy to be an example in word, conduct,
love, purity, etc. (1 Tim.
4:12). He was also told, “Keep yourself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22)
1 Peter 2:11-12, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your
conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you
as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify
God in the day of visitation.”
b.
Submit to the elders
– Hebrews 13:7, 17 – we have a responsibility to remember, respect and
obey our elders. They have
been appointed (by us) and entrusted with watching out for our souls.
As a part of a congregation, we must obey our elders.
1 Thess. 5:12-13 call for us to recognize those who labor among you and
are over you in the Lord – esteem them highly. “Be
at peace among yourselves.”
I wonder if that last expression has anything to do with the
imperative command before it!
Turn to them for guidance – James 5:14-15, “Is anyone among you sick?
Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith
will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has
committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
c.
Participate in its work –
i.
Eph. 4:16 – when every
part does its share, the body grows.
ii.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 –
as Paul describes us as a body, he had unity in mind.
But also implied in the text is that each “part” is essential and
has a function. We need to
do our part.
iii.
Assemble as much as
possible – Heb. 10:24-25
iv.
Participate in the
worship – cf. Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 11:23-26
v.
Edify one another – 1
Thess. 5:11, 14, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are
unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”
vi.
Pray for her, etc.
d.
Contribute to the work
– God expects us to “lay by in store.”
We do not have a specified percentage as in the Old Testament,
but we have guidelines.
i.
1 Cor. 16:1-2 – it is to
be done on the first day of the week.
NOTE in vs. 1 that this was not exclusive to Corinth.
Paul had given similar orders to the churches of Galatia.
ii.
2 Cor. 9:6-7 – it is to
be done with a proper attitude – liberally, cheerfully and purposefully.
iii.
NOTE: A study of New
Testament giving and churches demonstrates that the “freewill offering”
of its saints is the ONLY way that money was raised to do its work.
iv.
SO, considering this –
let us realize that as we give, so the limitations of what the church
can do is determined. IF we
gave more, could the church do more?
Think about it!
e.
Strive to maintain unity – a study of New Testament epistles makes it abundantly clear
that we ought to strive for unity.
i.
1 Corinthians 1:10 – let
there be no divisions among you
ii.
1 Corinthians 12:24-27 –
as Paul discusses the body and its various parts, he notes that when all
are functioning properly there is no schism among us.
iii.
Eph. 4:1-3 – we are to
be endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
iv.
Romans 14:19 calls for
us to pursue those things which make for peace and promote edification.
In many of the epistles to churches and preachers there is an
emphasis on avoiding foolish disputes, old wives fables, “endless
genealogies”, profane and idle babblings, etc.
(1 Tim. 1:3-4, 4:7, Titus 3:9, 2 Peter 1:16, etc. )
v.
Romans 16:17-18 even
tells us to mark those who cause divisions.
vi.
As we face an
increasingly godless world, we need to be close to one another.
f.
Strive to maintain its
purity – One
of the characteristics the Roman Empire was known for was is rampant
immorality. Christians
throughout the empire had to deal with it.
Today is certainly no different.
AND if we are not careful it will creep into the church.
i.
Recall 1 Cor. 5:1-2 – it
affected the reputation of the church in Corinth.
It was this impurity that called for the brother being withdrawn
from until he repented. (1
Cor. 5:3-7)
ii.
This purity also
involves the truth (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2-4)
g.
Bear fruit
– our final observation is that God wants us to be producing fruit.
Our goal as the Lord’s body is to be growing – spiritually
(closer to God), closer to one another and numerically (by reaching the
lost). This is emphasized
both to individuals and congregations.
i.
John 15:1-8 – while
Jesus is speaking to His apostles He notes that He is the Vine and we
are the branches. They were
to bear fruit. And so are
we! NOTE that in vs. 8
Jesus concludes, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much
fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
We are ALL disciples!
ii.
Romans 7:4, speaks of
being dead to the law and married to Christ “that we should bear fruit
to God.”
iii.
Ephesians 4:16 when
every part of the body is doing its share it, “causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.”
iv.
The church as
Thessalonica was commended for sounding forth the word (1 Thess. 1:8).