I Am a Church Member: Lead and Treasure

I am a Church Member

Ephesians 6:1–4 ESV

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:27 ESV

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

I will be a functioning church member. 2. I will be a unifying church member. 3. I will be a church member that is not “me” centered, but Christ and others centered. 4. I will be a member who prays for my leaders...

And tonight… We will be looking at our last two commitments as church members:

1. I will be a church member who will lead my family to be healthy members… and 2. I will be a church member who will treasure membership as a gift.

I will lead my family to be healthy church members.

The first institution called and ordained by God is the family. This is the first church, the first assembly of people coming together to call upon the name of the Lord and to imitate Christ with their lives.

The family is to glorify God by coming to Christ together, imitating Christ together, praying together, and serving together.

There is order to be found. The husband leads, the wife helps, the children submit… as they all look to Christ together, doing all things for Him.

Deuteronomy 6 - The parents lead together, surrounding themselves and their children with the Word of God, so that what ever they think will be governed by God, and what ever they do will please God.

Healthy churches start at home. Worship, prayer, discipleship, starts at home. Church discipline and singing starts at home...

And then we bring our families… our small churches together, into the Local Church… and together… we can all be healthy.

Now, not every spouse is not a Christian yet. Not every child is a believer yet. In most families, if there is one spouse that is not the Christian… it is usually the man or the husband.

Now: No matter what the situation may be… how can we lead our families to be healthy church members?

1. Well, we ourselves need to be joyful church members, modeling love and joy around our family.

If you are complaining… if you are not joyful… if you are bitter… Your family will watch you and reflect you.

If you are living a lifestyle at home that contradicts your actions at church… your family will not be healthy.

If you come to church complaining, leave church complaining… Your family will not be healthy church members.

So: What are we to model for our families?

Be the church at home. Find joy in serving the local church. Focus on giving and not receiving. Focus on serving Christ by serving His people.

Do not let the negatives of church people be your focus.

In the book, “I Am a Church Member,” an older church member was watching the younger church member… one who was very enthusiastic and energetic… always trying to find something to do in the church.

The older member was watching… because he was waiting for a pattern to begin, a patter that had been seen many times before… as people get involved, become disappointed, become hurt by the imperfections/sins of people...

And then they leave...

The older took the younger under his wing and would explain the realities: No one is perfect, no pastor or deacon, no member…

The older church member helped the younger to keep his eyes focused on Christ and serving...

And this made all the difference.

Come along beside your family and with new believers and help them to be healthy through family discipleship.

This is wisdom that I wished I had when I became a Christian. I was the younger member, full of energy and passion… And then I found out that all of these spiritual giants were sinful people… men and women at best.

And I struggled with that for some time...

Listen: Godly husbands need godly wives. Godly wives need godly husbands. Godly children need godly parents that will come come by their side and help them to focus on what is important...

And then… they can pray together for the church, for the members of the church, and over the situations going on.

…and not go to Face Book to rip the church in two...

Teach your family to love God’s people. Teach them that they are our spiritual family members. Teach them the will of God.

The first mission field is the home.

Teach your family to love Christ and His people there.

And then come into the Local Body, as healthy members… So that the whole Body of believers can be healthy together.

*I will lead my family to be good member of this church family. We will pray together for our church. We will worship together in our church. We will serve together in our church. And we will ask God to help us to love the church more.

2. I will treasure church membership as a gift.

God has made us and has give us the church. We are member of the Body of Christ. We belong to the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ belongs to us.

How are we to see the church and church membership?

As a gift… as something to be treasured.

This is not a legalistic religion with do’s and don’ts, and works righteousness, so that we come to be saved… so we come out of obligation and out of fear.

It is not your country club that you come to, pay your dues, to be served...

Membership means that you are accepted, you belong, you are in the family, you have all things in common, you have the same foundation, same goal, same mission, same targets… same great God and Savior...

And you have the freedom, the privilege and pleasure to serve your great God and King here… And you get to freely serve one another without fear... hear.

What would happen to our hearts, minds, and attitude if we began to see membership as a gift…?

You life is a gift. Your breath is a gift. Your salvation is a gift. Grace is a gift. The Holy Spirit is a gift. You have received these gifts and much more...

Your membership is a gift from God, a gift that we should enjoy and treasure.

Do not take this gift for granted. Do not treat this gift lightly. We must be thankful for God’s gifts.

And when we are more thankful… we are less negative.

When we serve with a grateful and thankful spirit, service flows into the fellowship with a wonderful attitude and spirit… and we begin to look for ways to serve God as the church where we are.

When you love the gift, you give praise to the Giver and find your joy in Him...

This is healthy… this is good.

I can be first or last. I can be up front or in the background. I can worship with any style of preaching or singing...

Its not about my preferences...

It’s not about me… It is about Christ and others.

I have been given this gift… I am going to be thankful for it and I am going to show gratitude to God by worshipping Him and serving Him here...

The attitude of entitlement is gone. I am throwing it out the window. I do not deserve this.

My perspective has now changed.

God, thank you for this gift.

*I am a church member. This membership is a gift. I am humbled and honored to serve and to love others in our church. I pray that I will never take it for granted again. I pray that I will see it as a gift and as an opportunity to serve others and to be a part of something so much greater than any one person or member...

I am a Church Member

I will be a functioning church member. 2. I will be a unifying church member. 3. I will be a church member that is not “me” centered, but Christ and others centered. 4. I will be a member who prays for my leaders...

5. I will be a church member who will lead my family to be healthy members… and 6. I will be a church member who will treasure membership as a gift.

Close.