Roles of The Church Member

Intro

Good Morning. It is great to be with you this morning and to able to share with you God’s word. This morning, as I typically do when i get a chance to preach in the pulpit here, we take a break from the normal verse by verse expository preaching of the bible and i do a topical message. Today i want to dive into a topic that doesn't seem to be taught much from the pulpit, that is the Responsibility of the Church Member. Now i have an opinion why this isn't talked much in the church through out America. One of those is it goes against a seeker sensitive church model to put responsibilities on the member other than bring people with you to church. But the bible does have something to say about this. Hear me say this church, what ever God institutes, He puts roles and boundaries on.

A little while back I did a sermon here titled The Church. I broke down what is the Church. I think Voddie Bauchum sums it up well by saying- She is a Biblical Assembly, preaching the Biblical Gospel, with Biblical Officers, administering the Biblical Ordinances and practicing Biblical Discipline.

But, what are the Responsibilities of the church member.? In sunday school we have been going through the 1689 LBC. In chapter 27 paragraph 1 it says. All saints are united to Jesus Christ their head by his Spirit and by faith, although this does not make them one person with him. They have fellowship in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory. Since they are united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces and are obligated to carry out these duties, both public and private, in an orderly way to promote their mutual good, both in the inner and outer aspects of their lives.

Through out studying this topic, I found the ministry 9 marks to be helpful on this. They claim there are 6 responsibilities and I would agree to that. I do believe that these 6 do have subcategories inside of them that if broken down further could be seen as more than 6. Nevertheless, i would like to submit that 6 to you today and then walk through them.

For the note takers in the room, the 6 roles of the church member are- Assemble together, Protect the Gospel, Steward church membership, One Another each other, Submit to the Elders, and Evangelize the Lost. Now these are in no particular order. This isn't a formula as much as it is a collective of things to do.

Assemble Together

“ I believe that every Christian ought to be joined to some visible church; that is his plain duty, according to the Scriptures. God’s people are not dogs, else they might go about one by one; but they are sheep, and therefore they should be in flocks” - Charles Spurgeon

Heb 10:25. 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Protect The Gospel

Gal:1:2To the churches of Galatia:

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

Ephesians (Chapter 4)

13 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,

14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Php 1:9–10 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

1 Jn 4:1–6.

4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error

Steward Church Membership

Mt 18:15–17 15 “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.

16 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.

17 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

1 Corinthians 5:1–13

1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.

2And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.

4When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

5you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

7Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

8Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—

10not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

13God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

One Another each other

Appears 100 times in the New Testament

59 are commands

- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

- “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

- “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9)

- “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)

- “Therefore encourage one another…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a)

- “confess our sins to one another” James 5:16

- “pray for one another” James 5:16

Submit To Elders

Heb 13:17 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.

Evangelize The Lost

Mt 28:18–20 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Roles of a Church Member: Assemble together, Protect the Gospel, Steward church membership, One Another each other, Submit to the Elders, and Evangelize the Lost

“The Lord calls his people into visible societies, that they may carry out the duties of mutual love and watchfulness, as well as for their own growth and edification in their faith.” Richard Baxter