What I Owe the Local Congregation

Working for God in the Local Congregation

Acts 2:46-47 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Many obey the Gospel of Christ without fully realizing that they have undertaken responsibilities which must be cared for.

Some baptized before really understanding what it means to be a Christian. This does not mean that we do not baptize them, but it means that we must be careful to teach the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Individual Work

My first responsibility as a Christian in a local congregation is to God.

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.

I am to remain in a local congregation, only as long as it is doing the will of God.

Acts 9:26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

Many people are converted to a building and would not leave it no matter what is being taught or practiced.

Specifically, my responsibility as an individual is to live godly, seek righteousness, walk humbly and keep myself unspotted from the world.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

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.

This will help the church to be the glorious body It should be.

Ephesians 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Collective Work

My primary responsibility to the local church is to its elders.

If the elders are qualified and doing the work of the Lord for which they were appointed, I have a special duty to listen to them, to work with them, to cooperate with them, to respect them and to encourage them - pray for them.

In short, I will obey them and follow their examples.

Acts 20:28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Hebrews 13:7, 17 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. ... Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

1 Peter 5:1-4 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

“But we don’t HAVE elders” - then, it is YOUR responsibility to help the congregation have some! We all bear this load together.

Are we too comfortable in our situation without elders? Where is the leadership?

We don’t have elders, but we NEED elders. It may be that we must be willing to make the necessarily sacrifices to have qualified men.

Acts 14:23 NKJV - So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Training, growing, and equipping elders is part of our work as Christians. Are we working?

We should give the local church our loyalty, cooperation, time, money.

I have a relationship to the local church that I sustain to no other congregation in the nation.

Good to visit, etc. - but are we loyal in our work to our local church?

Our primary interest must be in the Kingdom. Whatever is good for the kingdom of God is good for our local congregation.

We are supposed to be “fellow workers for the kingdom of God” (Colossians 4:11).

We must primarily work within our own congregation while still caring and aware of what is going on elsewhere.

Whether the local church has elders or not, I am responsible to elders with reference to my conduct my attendance, my contribution and my work.

Philippians 1:1 NKJV - Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Acts 15:4 NKJV - And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

Since the local church has its own treasury, I am obligated to give regularly to that local treasury.

1 Corinthians 16:2 NKJV - On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

It is impossible for elders to plan and execute the work in financial matters unless they have the full cooperation if all the members.

Since the local church has its own assemblies, I am responsible to be at those assemblies.

Hebrews 10:25 NKJV - not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The church is to meet in order to edify the saints.

Ephesians 4:16 NKJV - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The Lord’s Supper is kept at these services.

The church also obeys the commands of worshiping God in song, prayer and hearing the teaching of God proclaimed.

The local church has both an individual and a collective duty to discipline its unruly and to restore its erring.

1 Cor. 5:1-13 (Collective - “when you are gathered together”)

Gal. 6:1,2 (Individual - “considering yourself”)

2 Thess. 3:6,14,15 (Individual - “do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed”)

Titus 3:10,11 (Both - “reject a divisive man”)

As Christians, we must together seek to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

NOT done by saying we are united, but continually working on uniting OURSELVES to the word of the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:1-3 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

In my conduct, I will put aside all cranky and untested notions and put forth a positive effort not to be spiritually different from the rest of the church.

Disunity will destroy enthusiasm and eventually kill a congregation.

If we cannot speak the same thing, we cannot remain in the same building too long.

The local church must come first in my plans for the week and for the year.