Are You a Church Member or a Church Attender?
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12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
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.
A Tale of Two Church Members
A Tale of Two Church Members
There is a common conversation that takes place in churches.
Two friends meet over lunch and one says to the other, we are leaving the church…
Why?
(The first is always deeply hurt and the other is always deeply surprised.)
Conversation usually follows the same basic script.
Well when we started, we had a great connection to the pastor and the messages always dealt with right were we were living. But lately, we are not being fed. We feel like church is a waist of time...
I call this the devils script...
Now there are some good people in the church. (Beware of people who put themselves intentionally on some moral high ground with a precious few others because it’s not moral high ground but a pedestal about to topple).
But MOST are nothing but hypocrites!
There are two kinds of church members…
Church stats
Nine out of 10 churches in America are growing at a pace that is slower than their own communities. Mose are actually declining rather then growing at all.
Builder generation: born before 1946 - 75% were christian
Millennials: born between 1980 and 2000 - 15% are christian
We have all but lost that generation!
We can blame it on Secular culture
Polotics
Hollywood
Or is the problem to be found in the church itself?
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
The problem of the declining church is a problem that can only be solved from within the church!
In the next few weeks, I am going to be proposing that we spend time looking in the mirror at a church.
Asking ourselves some hard questions.
Because I am coming to the conclusion that society is in the mess that it not because the Devil is strong and sin is rampant but because the church is weak!
I am suggesting that we as members of the body of Christ look into the mirror and carefully asses what is happening on our pews, consider our own ideas and thoughts on what church is all about.
Ask ourselves some questions:
What does it mean to be a part of the body of Christ?
Is church about what I can get on Sunday?
Is it about making me feel better to counter the bad decisions I’ve make all week?
When did church become about what I can get rather than what I can give?
If we can identify that moment, then we can identify the moment that we, the church, began to fail our communities!
It is our responciliblty to get back to a Godly definition of what we should be as a church!
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
When we find it easier to identify the failure of our brothers and sisters than to identify the last time we spent time in prayer...
We are the hypocrites in the pew!
God did not extend membership in the church so that we could have special members privileges...
The only privileges are those we could not give ourselves.
Forgiveness of sin, healing, blessing
But he placed us in the church to serve others, pray for leadership, learn, give and sometimes even die for the sake of His Kingdom!
Churches are weak because we have changed the meaning of membership.
Time to get it right!
Time to be the church that God intended!
Time to give rather than give!
(KJV 1900)
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Why is it that the church has become about the things we get?
I don’t like the music, I like the music...
The preaching was great today, pastor obviously didn’t spend enough time in prayer this week because that was a waist of time!
In the next little while, we are going to take a journey of discovery!
Learn two things…
1. Learn about the privilege of belonging to the Body of Christ and what that means to the local assembly!
Going to be a time of Commitment
Time to renew your attitude toward coming to church.
Learn the joy of coming to the House of God.
Find out that all the things that distract you are not problems in the church buy opportunities for you to minister.
Ministering is not fixing!
I can’t fix you...
God can’t fix you!
Only you through the power of the Holy Ghost can fix you!
2. When you change, the church changes!
That’s a really nice way of saying “You’re the problem”!
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Strongs Concordance:
Mote: Karpho = a dry twig or straw — mote
Beam: dokos = a stick of timber - beam
If you are quick to see what is wrong then it’s because you are squinting past this huge beam in your own eye!
Conclusion:
I want God to be a tour guide for the next few weeks as we take a journey on what it is to be a member of the body of Christ and it’s connection to the House of God.
God put 5-layered check and balance in place to grow, guide and protect us:
People of God
Fellowship
Encouragement
Done in your home, coffee shop, social media, attending rallies and conferences
17 Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Sharpeneth: Shape, be fierce with
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
We’ve always interpreted that as no one knows how to hurt you like a friend does...
Better interpreted would have been, A true friend will always tell you the truth!
2. House of God
Local assembly
Teaching
Correction
Guidance
Heb 10:25 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.
3. Spirit of God
Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit
Quickening spirit
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Quickening = to make alive, give live to
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
4. Man of God
Most seen in the church is the Pastor - but he is a member of the Five Fold MInistry
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher
Perform the work of ministry
Prayer
Study
In doing so they “feed the flock of God”
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
5. Word of God
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 5. Word of God
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 5. Word of God
a. Final authority for everything!
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
There is a dichotomy that I have observed in in churches over the years.
It does not matter what church it is or who the pastor is or where it is
I have always heard comments like these:
First Group
The church is full of hypocrites
Pastor don’t really care for us or he would _________.