Engage with the Church through Service and Fellowship

INTRODUCTION

*begin with small groups.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Follow up with them on the challenges from last week. Did you read your Bible every day last week? Did you make an effort? What is something you learned, challenged you, or you have a question about?

What is the church? (work on a definition of the church together)

Why is the church important? Why should a believer care about the church?

What separates a gathering of the church from a different gathering of people? (what’s the difference between the church and a social club?)

We began with the small groups in order to get your minds ready to think through the church.

This lesson is the third in our series entitled Engage: What it means to be a part of Engage Teens. Each lesson has identified a foundational relationship that all believers must be engaged in. Can anyone remind us of the previous two?

Engage with God through worship and prayer. Engage with Scripture through study and obedience.

These relationships are essential for believers to achieve spiritual maturity. You cannot have one without the other.

Tonight’s lesson is this — Engage with the Church through Service and Fellowship.

CHURCH

*play a quick game saying if the picture is a church building or something else.

What is the church? (take answers from the small groups)

Church: a congregation of baptized believers covenanted together in faith and fellowship, marked by the right preaching of God’s Word and right administration of the ordinances.

Is the church a building? The church is a people.

Now for the sake of time and our brains, we’re only going to focus on a couple of things concerning the church. We could spend hours together fleshing out a complete answer to the question: what is the church?. Tonight we’ll just focus on three aspects of the church — The Church’s Pictures, People, and Practices.

The Church’s PICTURES

Family of God

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV 1900

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Pillar of Truth

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV 1900

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:27 KJV 1900

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

The church is to be the physical representation of a resurrected Jesus.

“The church is the mirror that reflects the whole glory of Christ unto the world.” — Richard Sibbes

Temple of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 KJV 1900

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Bride of Christ

Ephesians 5:25–27 KJV 1900

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

The church is the supreme object of Christ’s love. Why? Christ gave his life for the church.

Flock

John 10:16 KJV 1900

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

“The church is the gathering of the redeemed; it is the house of God, the temple of the Holy Ghost, the bride of Christ. Happy is the man who has a place within her walls.” — Spurgeon

The Church’s PEOPLE

The most important way for believers to be engage with a church is through membership. There are two reasons you may not be a member of a church.

You are an unbeliever.

You have not covenanted with a church.

The church’s people have three characteristics in common:

Are Saved

Acts 2:41 KJV 1900

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The church is uniquely those who have been called out of sinful darkness by God the Father through salvation in Jesus Christ, are now sealed by the Holy Spirit, and now belong to the Lord. — Dustin Benge

*Gospel presentation

Would you like to take this next step?

Are Baptized

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision.

This is an important step in the life of a believer. It declares one’s faith in Christ to others and identifies with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It’s a proclamation to the world and to the church that you claim to be a believer and that the church believes you to be a believer.

Do you need to take this next step?

Are Covenanted

When you join this church as a member, you are committing to the other members and the other members are committing to you. We’ll talk about what this looks like in a second.

However, this is what makes it hard when people leave. I’m committed to them. This is what makes it hard when people don’t attend or attend but don’t interact. It makes me doubt if they’re committed to the church.

Challenge: If you have not been baptized, identify what is stopping you from taking that next spiritual step. If you’d like to take this next step, come see me or one of the pastors.

The Church’s PRACTICES

Ordinances

Baptism (front door)

Lord’s Supper

Church Discipline (back door)

Key Commitments

Biblical Preaching

Gospel-centered Evangelism

Transformative Discipleship

Missions Minded

Passionate Prayer

Committed Membership

God-honoring Worship

SERVICE

Acts 2:41–47 KJV 1900

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Service through PRESENCE — gather!

Hebrews 10:25 KJV 1900

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

*share my dad’s interpretation of this verse.

The most basic form of commitment to the church is to gather with the body. Every member can serve through the ministry of presence.

“In the church of God, it is not the greatness of the parts, but the union of the parts, that makes it glorious.” — Jeremiah Burroughs

Gather on Sundays collectively with the body. Gather throughout the week. Make every attempt to be meaningfully connected with your church family.

Service through POSITIONS — formally serve

Remember Romans 12? You have been specifically gifted by God in order to serve His church.

I believe that every member of Bible Baptist Church should formally serve in one way or another.

Challenge: If you’re not currently serving, identify how you can begin serving in the church.

Need: greeters

Service through PEOPLE — informally serve

Service does not merely mean filling a volunteer position. We should seek out ways/opportunities in which we can serve, bless, and help those in our church body throughout the week.

*highlight Maria

FELLOWSHIP

What should our fellowship look like? What should it look like when we get together?

Hebrews 10:24–25 KJV 1900

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

*cattle prod illustration

EDIFY — build up

Believers edify one another through spurring others to love and good works.

Christian maturity depends on one another. My maturity is affected by my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Look at the person sitting next to you. If you are a member of BBC, you are to be committed to the person sitting next to you, by influencing them to love well and live well.

Believers ought to provoke one another to love well and live well.

How can you interact with others in this way?

We aren’t just friends. We are to be godly friends.

When we fellowship through edification (the building up of one another), the church grows in its maturity.

EXHORT — encourage

*negative nelly illustration

Spiritual encouragement is the fuel that keeps believers running. Encouragement is the boost believers need to continue.

What’s the difference between encouragement and spiritual encouragement? How can we spiritually encourage one another?

*shoutout Ernest.

My hope is that every time we gather together both as the church and as a youth group that you leave encouraged and that you have encourage someone else.

Challenge: The next time we gather together, make it your goal to specifically encourage someone else.

CONCLUSION

Christ loved/loves the church. Do you love the church? Do you serve the church?

Spurgeon leaves us with this, “Nothing in the world is dearer to God’s heart than His church; therefore, being His, let us also belong to it, that by our prayers, our gifts, our labors, we may support and strengthen it.” — Spurgeon

PRAYER PROMPTS:

LOVE FOR THE CHURCH — Lord, thank You for giving us the church, Your body, family, and bride. Help us to love the church the way You love it. Give us hearts that care about one another, not just as friends, but as brothers and sisters in Christ. Teach us to see the church as a gift, not just a gathering.

SERVICE IN THE CHURCH — Father, You’ve given each of us gifts and abilities to use for Your glory. Please show us how to serve our church faithfully — whether through being present, taking a position, or helping people in simple ways. Help us not to sit on the sidelines, but to get involved in building up the body of Christ.

FELLOWSHIP THAT BUILDS UP — God, thank You for making us part of this youth group and church family. Help us to encourage each other, to speak words that build up and not tear down, and to provoke one another to love and good works. May our fellowship be godly, joyful, and Christ-centered every time we gather.