Two of a short series just on healthy members or healthy membership.
Trevor's handing around two sheets.
The reason for that is it's just some more notes to follow up.
I think there might be some questions or to dig a bit deeper.
I guess it's an element of a study as much as a sermon in some ways.
There's two pages.
If you weren't here a couple of weeks ago or you didn't get notes,
there are some copies of the notes from the first week,
so please feel free to pick those up on the way out there on the table.
Just to explain, the first sheet is essentially the outline of the sermon.
The second one then is some passages from the New Testament that talk about one another.
So it's just to take away for your encouragement and help as you think
about what it means to be a healthy member of the church.
So question to start.
Is this the church this morning?
Did you come to church?
Or are you church?
Have we reached a quota for the minimum number of people,
the minimum number of Christians,
in one place to be able to say that we're officially a church?
In some ways, church could simply be a few people who love Jesus.
Just take the words of Jesus in Matthew 18,
on their own, which many do,
and then church is simply whenever two or three people
are gathered together in Jesus' name.
The author George Barna in his book Revolution puts it like this,
Christians have in principle claimed that nothing more,
nothing more is required to constitute a church
than a couple of believers on a park bench.
Yet the vines of bureaucracy and hierarchy
have snaked their way around God's people for centuries,
often choking out innovation and progress.
I don't know what you make of that quote or that idea,
but for George Barna,
church is what two or more believing friends do
when they talk about Jesus
over coffee at Bean and Leaf or at Starbucks.
And church needs to be freed from the stuffy
and institutional formal structures.
And yet I think our hearts are complex
and they often mask our true needs.
What might be appealing or maybe right-sounding
to our ears initially may not be all that we actually need.
Searching for church without structure
or searching for church without commitment
might not lead us to all that we expect.
So as we look again this week
at healthy church members this morning,
I want us to see,
to really think about the deep riches
of all that God has provided to us
together as members of his body.
God tells us in his word
what the community that he created
should act and look like.
And our deep, heartfelt need
for authentic Christianity,
and that's a good desire,
that's a good need to have,
our heartfelt need for authentic Christianity
or authentic church.
I want you to know that that is matched.
It is matched and more
by God's provision to us of his church.
George Barna,
who we quoted earlier,
is correct in saying that
the church is really not a what,
but a who.
Three weeks ago,
Johnny helped us to think deeply about church
in terms of both
who is in the church
and how we identify
who the members are.
So who the church is
and how do we identify the church.
And so we can say
that the church is all Christians,
all Christians in heaven
and on earth,
one body with Jesus Christ
as our head.
But if we stop there,
if we stop there,
we end up with an idea of church
or a definition of church
as simply the plural of Christian.
What do I mean by that?
I mean,
it's just,
church is another way of saying
two Christians
or three Christians
or ten Christians
and that's all it is.
It's just a plural word for Christians.
But we know there's more there,
don't we?
Recall some of what was preached
a few weeks ago.
We are members of one body,
marked out in gathered communities
by our baptism,
by our partaking,
which we will do today,
of the Lord's table.
Both of which,
baptism and the Lord's table,
are things the church should do
and they're commanded by the Lord.
So it's not just sufficient to say
church is just Christians.
There are certain things
associated with church.
On membership,
Johnny showed us
that church membership is,
it's nowhere explicitly taught
in the Bible,
but it is everywhere,
assumed,
everywhere you go through
the New Testament,
membership of a local church
is assumed.
We saw that in Acts 20.
The Christians in Ephesus
could be identified
as a local church
with elders
and the church
or the members
knew who the elders were
and the elders knew
who was in the church,
knew who the members were.
Each in turn knew
and the church knew
and the church formed
in that local place
in Ephesus.
So last time,
our focus was about
who the church members,
the who of the church members
and this morning,
we want to look at the what,
the what.
What does membership
of a local church
look like
in practice?
We're going to turn again
back to the book
of Ephesians,
Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4
and we're going to move
through a few verses
this morning,
different parts of the scriptures,
but let's look at Ephesians chapter 4
and verse 1.
You see,
the church in the New Testament
was not just
the few Christians
meeting up during the week
for a spiritual conversation
at the marketplace
or a couple of buddies
getting together
to go to the Colosseum
to watch some sport
and have a chat about Jesus
in the middle.
No,
believers were bound together
as members
of an identifiable
local church
in a covenantal love
towards one another.
Ephesians 1 and 2.
Paul writing to the church
in Ephesus,
as a prisoner for the Lord
then I urge you,
urge you to live a life
worthy of the calling
you have received.
Be completely humble
and gentle.
Be patient,
bearing with one another
in love.
live a life
worthy of the calling
you have received.
The calling that you
have received
to be a follower of Jesus,
to be a Christian.
And what is the calling
that Paul writes of?
What is he saying here?
Well,
I think it's simply this.
God
has called you
to love
your spiritual family.
love
your
family.
John
13,
the words of Jesus.
Jesus speaking.
A new command
I give you,
love
one another.
As I have loved you,
so you must
love
one another.
God
is our
Father.
Jesus
is our
elder brother.
Therefore,
we are all,
because we are
united to
Jesus Christ
by faith,
we are all
brothers
and sisters
in
Christ.
We are
family.
Love
your
family.
To illustrate
this,
let me read
these words again
as if I was urging
my own family.
my wife and
children,
as to how we
should live
together.
So you can just
picture
Cherry and the
kids there.
Maybe we are
around the
dinner table.
I urge us
to live
a life
worthy of
the calling
we have
received as
members of
this family
around this
table.
Be
completely
humble
and gentle.
Be
patient.
We need to
bear with
one another
in love.
As a
parent,
or as a
child,
or as a
brother,
or as a
sister,
can you see
that these
words that we
have in front
of us,
verse 2,
speak of
family life?
You see,
those are the
kind of words
that I need
to embrace
as a father
when my son
or daughter
is huffing
and puffing
and refusing
to engage
when they're
saying,
everything's
fine,
when I
know they're
bottling up
some hurt
or some
slight.
I need to
be patient
and humble
and kind.
And these
are the
words,
and these
are the
kind of
words of
instruction
encouragement
I need
so that I
can put
the needs
of my
wife
above my
own
when we're
both wrecked
and one of
us has to
do this
bit of
work so
that the
other can
rest.
These are
the words.
These are
words that are
intended to
govern and
to shape
and to
help a
family,
family life,
spiritual
family life.
Jesus says,
love one
another.
Love your
spiritual
family.
You see,
I've bought
them at such
a great
cost,
the cost
of my own
life,
and I've
given my
life to
them so
that they
could be
your
brothers
and be
your
sisters.
They can
be your
spiritual
father or
your
spiritual
mother,
the
spiritual
offspring in
your care
because I
love them
and I
want you
to love
them.
Love
them.
Uphold
them.
Be
patient.
Bear with
their
failings.
Members
then,
they uphold
one
another in
this
holy
brotherly
love.
There's a
great phrase
I want us
to see
just at the
end of
verse 2
and we
need to
note it
so carefully
and look
for it
in our
Bibles.
You see
that phrase
verse 2
the end
one
another
one
another
each
and every
time we
see those
words
in the
scriptures
we should
automatically
think of
our
brothers
and
sisters
in
Christ.
So who
are my
brothers and
sisters in
Christ?
I am to
love like
this.
What's in
view here?
Well yes,
we can say
all Christians
regardless of
their church
affiliation
are to be
considered.
That's
absolutely
true.
Johnny on
his travels
to Ghana
and Johnny
must love
his brothers
and sisters
that he
meets when
he's in
Ghana.
As he has
opportunity
he must
do good
to them.
But I
believe that
there is a
special bond
for those
that Christ
has brought
us close
together
in a
local
church.
Those
within the
local
fellowship
for which
there is
this
special
ongoing
covenantal
bond.
You see
we can
multiply
examples
of this
one another
language
from the
other
New
Testament
letters.
And I'm
going to
take one
of those
sheets
from
some
because
I forgot
to give
one to
myself.
But let's
just read
the ones
from Romans
if you want
to turn to
the sheet
or just
listen.
Listen to
the language
and think
of your
brothers and
sisters
in Christ.
Romans
12
10
Be
devoted
to one
another in
love.
Honor
one
another
above
yourselves.
Live
in harmony
with one
another.
Do not
be proud
but be
willing to
associate
with people
of low
position.
Do not
be conceited.
It's a
great one.
let no
death
remain
outstanding
except
the
continuing
death
to love
one
another.
Whoever
loves
others
has
fulfilled
the
law.
Therefore,
let us
stop
passing
judgment
on one
another.
Instead,
make up
your mind
not to
put any
stumbling
block or
obstacle in
the way
of a
brother
or sister.
Accept
one
another
then,
just as
Christ
accepted
you in
order to
bring praise
to God.
I myself
am convinced,
my brothers and
sisters,
that you
yourselves are
full of
goodness,
filled with
knowledge,
and competent
to instruct
one
another.
Greet
one
another
with a
holy
kiss.
All
the
churches
of
Christ
send
greetings.
You
see,
we make
the most
sense of
the New
Testament
writings on
loving
one another
when we
consider
local
church
membership.
It's
in that
ongoing,
covenantal,
long-term
love and
commitment
that's
marked by
humbly
upholding
one another
as
brothers
and
sisters
in
holiness.
Jesus
says,
love
one
another.
And the
Bible's
realistic about
the struggle
and difficulty
that it is
to love
in a
sinful
world
where our
brothers and
sisters are
not perfect,
yet
healthy
church members
still covenant
together in
the midst
of sin.
They share
their food
and their
homes.
They look
after the
sick,
look after
the elderly.
Brothers and
sisters greet
one another
warmly.
They're patient
when they're
offended.
They're long
suffering in
their grievances.
They accept
one another.
They don't
give up
easily.
They rebuke
and they
correct one
another in
love so
that Satan
will have no
opportunity to
sow discord.
They forgive
one another.
This is
church.
So members
live out their
lives as a
community of
love together,
but that
community must
gather together
as a local
church body.
And the word
church has that
idea of
gathering or
assembly built
into it.
I don't know
if you know,
but I'm not
an expert on
Greek, but
the Greek
word literally
means just
that, a
gathering.
The word
church is
built into
it, the
idea of
gathering.
And that
idea of
gathering has,
for God's
people, has
its origins way
back in the
nation of
Israel, Mount
Sinai, when
God said to
Moses to
gather the
people before
him or
assemble the
people before
him, God's
people,
before God.
And Jesus,
when he talked
about the
church, he
said, I
will build
my church
or I
will build
my gathering.
The
church is
not just
about, it's
no less than
this, but it's
not just
about individual
faith in
Christ.
It's not
just about
individual
Christians.
It is
seen in
the gathering
and
assembling
of saved
people as
a local
church.
And we
sometimes speak
about that,
like, don't
we, on a
Sunday, we
talk about
our Sunday
morning time
as the
gathering, or
a gathering,
and that's
very purposeful.
We assemble
on Sunday,
the Lord's
Day, as
his gathered
people, his
church, his
assembly.
healthy.
So healthy
members will
come together
to practice
the spiritual
disciplines and
graces that
God has given
to us as a
gathered people.
There's many
spiritual disciplines
we practice
ourselves as
believers, yet
there are many
that we can
only do as a
gathered people,
as a church.
Let's look at
Ephesians chapter
five and
verse 15
for some
ideas of
what it
looks like
and what
these
spiritual
practices
are.
Ephesians
five and
verse 15,
be very
careful then
how you
live, not
as wise,
unwise, but
as wise,
making the
most of
every
opportunity
because the
days are
evil.
Therefore
do not
be foolish,
but instead
understand what
the Lord's
will is.
Do not
get drunk
on wine,
which leads
to debauchery.
Instead
be filled
with the
Spirit,
speaking to
one another
with psalms,
hymns, and
songs from
the Spirit.
Sing and
make music
from your
heart to
the Lord,
always giving
thanks to
God the
Father for
everything in
the name of
our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Submit to
one another
out of
reverence.
You see,
Paul is
encouraging the
church to
be filled
with the
Spirit and
to speak
to one
another through
songs and
music.
We read
earlier from
Hebrews and
the writer of
Hebrews instructed
the believers to
not forsake meeting
together, but
instead to spur
one another on to
good works.
If we look in the
book of Acts, we
read about the
early believers, the
first believers in
Jerusalem, and they
gathered together.
They devoted
themselves, it
says, to the
apostles' teaching,
to the breaking of
bread, to
prayer.
Remember the
church in
Antioch.
They gathered
together and
they prayed
together and
they set
apart Paul and
Barnabas for
missions work.
So New
Testament churches
gathered together.
They gathered for
many reasons.
When needed, they
gathered to pass
judgment and
discipline on
those who had
brought disrepute to
the church body.
Paul provides, I
think this is a
good example again
of instruction to
the church in
Corinth on how
they should conduct
themselves.
So let's turn
briefly to 1
Corinthians chapter
14.
And again, the
nature of looking
at this topic, we
need to look at a
few different
passages because
again, it's not
taught just in one
place, but it's
woven into the
fabric of the New
Testament, this idea
of membership and
gathering.
1 Corinthians 14
verse 26 to
33.
I'm not going to
read the whole
section, but just
note verse 26 and
verse 33.
What then shall we
say, brothers and
sisters, when you
come together, each
of you has a hymn or
a word of instruction,
a revelation, a
tongue or an
interpretation.
Everything must be
done so that the
church may be built
up.
Down to verse
33.
For God is not a
God of disorder, but
of peace, as in all
the congregations or
gatherings of the
Lord's people.
Being a healthy
member of the body
of Christ involves
this regular pattern
of gathering together
as a church.
You see, our
spiritual, our
personal spiritual
disciplines and
preferences don't
trump the spiritual
disciplines and
graces that the
Lord has given to
us through his
church.
They're not to be in
conflict.
They should
complement.
Christ loves his
church and calls his
church to gather in
local communities,
local outcroppings of
the true heavenly
gathering.
church.
I don't know what
everyone's attitude is
to church or
gathering on a
Sunday.
In many ways, I'm
speaking to those
that are here who
show their desire to
gather.
But yes, I think at
different times, we
need to make a
conscious decision,
don't we, about being
committed to the
gathering.
To some of those who
are in first year of
secondary school, they
finish Sunday school,
and they're with us
now in the service
and they've gained
more freedom.
And you know, I
know it's hard at
that age, or maybe
any age, but
particularly at that
age, there's things
happening on a
Sunday.
There's birthday
parties, there's a
Saturday night away,
there's the match at
12pm that's hard to
resist.
And so, young
people, as we think
about church and
gathering, we have
to resolve to honour
Christ and his
family above those
other good things.
And the strength to
do that isn't found
by looking inwards,
particularly, or by
being guilted by
your parents or
maybe by your
pastor or elder.
It's not going to
cut it, ultimately.
The strength to
gather regularly is
found in the habit
of looking to
Jesus.
Looking to Jesus'
death on the cross
in our place,
following him in the
strength of the
Holy Spirit.
The more we look to
Jesus, the more we
love him, the more
we should love his
family.
It means knowing
that good things
come to us through
being here on a
Sunday.
And Christian, you
must also remember
that he has, God
has given his gifts
very widely.
I do not have all
that I need to
function as a
healthy member of
the body of Christ.
I can't do all
that I need to do
or change in all
the ways I need to
change apart from
the body.
We can turn back
to Ephesians 4 and
11 to 13 and see
there that it was
the whole body as
the gifts were
distributed that
grew and changed
and matured until
the whole church is
brought to
completeness and
fullness in Christ
as we minister one
to another.
So can I encourage
you to pray for
our gatherings?
Pray as we come
together on a
Sunday and as we
gather, especially at
our members meetings
as well, that if the
church gathers that
we would love one
another, that we
would honor Christ,
that we would care
for one another,
that we would gather
in a good order that
shows our love for
Jesus and his body.
For sincere
Christians hurt or
abused by a church,
commitment like this
to a local church
can be a very slow
and understandably a
very hard process.
And I think we
must make some
sense of the
shameful ways that
some local churches
or institutional
churches have
acted.
We want to say
that we see
Christ when the
church gathers.
When the church
gathers, we can
see Jesus.
But how can we
see Jesus in
abuse?
How can we see
Jesus in
scandal?
Given such
failings, we
can understand
that people
turn aside from
church and
begin to look
elsewhere for
Christ.
I just want to
give three ways
briefly that can
help us to think
through our love
for Jesus and
his church in the
midst of failings.
Firstly, we need
to admit that
churches fail.
Leaders are
sometimes
characterized by
unrepented and
gross sin rather
than humble
service.
Good structures
within the life
of the church
can be and
are abused.
And when we
see or even
directly experience
abusive leadership,
we should in
most cases
flee.
Flee.
For the sake of
your own heart,
for your family,
for your witness to
the other members
that are sane,
and your witness
to a watching
world, we
should not lend
our credibility
to an abusive
church.
Secondly, the
New Testament
church, as we
read about, knew
of abuse and
scandal.
What we read in
1 Corinthians,
where Paul is
encouraging good
order in the
church, Paul was
writing to a
church that was
filled with wrong
and shameful
practices.
We had wealthy
Christians dominating
poor Christians in
the life of the
church.
There was sexual
relationships happening
in the church that
the world was ashamed
of and the world
would have covered
up, and yet the
church, it was
happening openly.
There was chaos and
hurt when the church
gathered like this,
and pain at the
gatherings and the
meetings.
Paul still calls
them saints at the
start of the
letter.
And with apostolic
authority, authority
given by Christ, Paul
calls them back to
follow Jesus, to
follow Jesus.
You see, the
prescription for a
sick church isn't
less order and
greater individualism.
That's not the
prescription for the
problem.
It's this, it's
repentance through the
power of the Spirit
that's seen in a
love for Jesus.
Having the Spirit
work and change us
so that we obey
his commands, that
we put sin to
death, that we
love one another,
that we do good
works and persevere.
You see, that's
what makes a
healthy church.
Not less order
and greater
individualism, but a
proper prescription
of a love for Jesus
and a love for his
people.
Third thing, and
this is very
pertinent to us as
a family of
believers, we must
hold one another
to account.
You see, members
appoint elders and
deacons in this
church and members
welcome new
members and where
necessary, members
remove leaders or
other members.
You see, Carraghline
Baptist Church is a
congregational-based
church government.
What does that
mean?
Well, among other
things, this, that we
believe that Jesus
himself gave the
keys of the kingdom
to the gathered
congregation when he
said in Matthew 18,
tell it to the
church.
Jesus says that the
final court, when it
comes to issues of
sin and abuse and
bad practice, it's
not in the end the
elders, although it's
good to speak to the
elders.
It's not in the end
a Christian that you
meet up with at
Starbucks for coffee.
It's not a bishop or
a presbytery, but it's
the church.
It's the gathered
body, the members.
I think our best
protection for the
life and witness of
our church is to
know the mind of
Christ through the
gathering of the
church members as we
listen to the spirit
through his word.
All of this matters.
All of these things
matter as our witness
of Christ to a
dying world.
This is the last
point.
All that we spoke
of, our humble life
together as we love
one another, our
meeting together in
good order, our
patient discipline of
one another as we
bear witness to the
reality of a risen
saviour to the
people around us.
All of these things
hold together and
bear witness to
Christ.
This is one of the
greatest themes of,
the great themes of
the Peter's letter,
1 Peter.
And let us just look
briefly at some
verses from 1 Peter.
This theme that the
worked out membership
of the church as
believers work that
out in practice, it
bears witness to the
love of Christ to the
world.
We're going to look at
two passages.
1 Peter chapter 2 and
verses 11 to 17.
If I can get to the
right location.
1 Peter 2, 11 to 17.
And I'm just going to
focus on verses 11, 12
and 17.
Dear friends, I urge
you as foreigners and
exiles to abstain from
sinful desires which
wage war against your
soul.
Live such good lives
among the pagans or
those that aren't
believers that though
they accuse you of doing
wrong, they may see
your good deeds and
glorify God on the day
he visits us.
Down to verse 17.
Show proper respect to
everyone.
Love the family of
believers.
Fear God and honor the
emperor.
You see, we're coming
back to this again,
aren't we?
Where we started, if
you want to bear witness
to Jesus in a corrupt
and broken world, God
says above all things,
love your family.
Love the family of
believers.
If we turn over to
chapter 4, look at
verses 7 and 8.
The end of all things
is near.
Therefore be alert and
of sober minds that
you may pray.
Listen to this.
Above all, love each
other deeply.
Because love covers
over a multitude of
sins.
Above all, love each
other deeply.
You see, love is an
action that keeps no
record of wrong, but
forgives as the Lord
forgave us.
This is why Jesus
said, by this everyone
will know that you are
my disciples.
If you love one
another, a unique love
that the world cannot,
cannot, cannot offer.
Jonathan Lehman has a
short book about church
membership and he puts
it like this.
You see, it's through
the lives of its
members, the local
church defines, defines
love for the world.
Jesus says, greater
love has no one to
lay down his life for
his friends.
And then he calls us
by saying, if you love
me, keep my commands.
This is a combination
that the world just
does not understand.
But this is the love
of God.
Love and holiness
are not opposed to
one another, but
partner together to
lead people to God.
Our holy life
together, marked by
walking in love and
gathering as a church
body, is God's
witness of the love
of Christ in the
world.
One brief application
or challenge maybe as
we finish.
Maybe I'd like you to
go away and think
about this.
How would you begin to
help a fellow
Christian, maybe
someone in this
church that says,
well, I get more
out of listening to
online sermons and
songs at home and I
meet up with a
couple of friends
during the week to
pray.
I get more out of
that than I do out
of being part of a
local church and
gathering on a
Sunday.
How would you begin
to challenge that or
to think about that
from God's word or
to see why that may
not be sufficient?
Finally, I was
asked about church
membership recently
and the question was
this, it was a good
question.
What more would I
have to do if I was a
member?
What more would I
have to do if I was a
member?
I hope that you see
this morning that a
member isn't about
being another type of
Christian with additional
responsibilities that are
tagged on.
Membership is about
realizing what it means
to be a Christian
within a family.
The call is to love
one another, to bear
with one another, to
pray for one another,
to gather with one
another.
This is all expressed in
our church covenant,
which is part of our
church constitution here
in Carragoline.
I was able to share that
with the person asking the
question and to reassure
them that it's not about
more, but it's about
continuing to love the
church family as they
were already doing.
I'd like to finish with
sharing these words from
the covenant.
Recognizing our own
unworthiness and
inability and in total
dependence upon God, we
now covenant to give
ourselves first to God
and then to this local
church.
That we will endeavor to
walk in holiness and
brotherly love, being
concerned to honor God
in our lives and
encourage one another to
love and good works, to
pray for one another and
to bear each other's
burdens.
That we will at all times
be loyal to each other,
being patient with one
another's weaknesses and
failings, seeking to
maintain unity and avoid
all causes of division.
That we will endeavor to
meet together on the
Lord's Day and all other
meetings of the church as
we have opportunity,
encouraging one another by
our attendance to pray for
and encourage the officers
of the church in the
discharge of their duty.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank you for the
love that you have shown to
us through your son,
Jesus Christ.
We thank you that he has
died in our place so that
we could be accepted by you
into your family.
We thank you for one
another.
Convict us, Lord, of our bad
attitude at times to one
another.
our desire for self above
others.
But help us, Lord, to
change, to grow into all
fullness, to become more
like Jesus through the life
of this church in
Carragoline.
For your glory and to bear
witness to the world around.
Amen.