What Does it mean to be a church member?

Intro:

thank parrish memorial for allowing me to preach there

say it’s good to see Pine level’s Pastor Search committee again

Introduce myself and family

explain “I Am A Church Member” as new membership class in pastor pastorates

There are hundreds of books oh how to pastor a church but only a handful on how to be a church member, in his short book Dr. Thom Rainer gives me and you sxi ways each of us can be better church members

We Should Be Functioning Church Members

1 Corinthians 12:27–28 ESV

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

Church Membership Means We Are All Necessary Parts of the Whole

Membership Means We Are Different but We Still Work TogetherChurch Membership Means Everything We Say and Do is Based on a Biblical Foundation of Love

Church Membership Means We Are Different but We Still Work Together

Church Membership Means Everything We Say and Do is Based on a Biblical Foundation of Love

Illustration: Car Wreck my ankle… how one small part can cripple the rest

We Should Be Unifying Church Members

Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

As believers we are to be unified

As believers we should not gossip

Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, "Our people come to us and pour out their hears, confess certain sins and needs. Let's do the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn't confess. The others pressed him saying, "Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered, "It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here."

Before you speak you should THINK

Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind

As believers we should show forgiveness

Ill

• Unforgiveness means we desire to hurt the people who have wounded us. It's like the little boy who was sitting on a park bench in obvious agony. A man walking by asked him what was wrong. The boy answered, "I'm sitting on a bumble bee." "Then why don't you get up?" the man asked. The boy replied, "Because I figure that I am hurting him more than he is hurting me! The healing process begins when we get up off the park bench. God will only heal our wounds when we stop inflicting pain on the one who hurt us.

C.S Lewis, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive”

We Should Not Let The Church Be About Our Preferences And Desires

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 2.

As believers we should not be focused on such things as: music style, meetings, facilities, programs, an inwardly focused budget, what the pastor and deacons can do for me… instead as Philippians just taught us we should have a focus like Christ

He did not consider God as something to be used for His own advantage

He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave/servant

He humbled Himself

He became obedient to the point of death- even death on a cross (Drew and Kristina going to China)

Ill

Boys argue over who gets the first pancake

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake; I can wait.” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

We Should Pray For Our Church Leaders

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

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.

Why?

Lifeway Research 2016

84% say they are on call 24 hours a day

80% expect conflict in their church

54% find their role frequently overwhelming

53% are often concerned about their families financial security

48% often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle

21% say their church has unrealistic expectations of them

We Should Lead Our Families To Be Healthy Church Members

Joshua 24:15 ESV

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Goals For Our Households

• Be faithful to the house of God

We should try to make it to church and encourage our loves ones to do the same

• Read our Bibles

We need to do this to grow closer to God and know more about Him and what He desires for us

• Witness to the lost

This was the last commandment of Jesus

This is what every Christian should be desiring to do

• Love one another

This is a very easy command yet a very hard command

We should go out of our ways to show love to everyone

Illustration:

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail's pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.

God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?

We Should Treasure Our Church Membership

Matthew 7:12–27 ESV

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Matt 7.12-

4 Things the Church Can Learn From

we should treat others well (12-14)

we should produce only good fruits (15-20)

we should know Jesus (21-23)

we should build our church on Christ (24-27)