1. What do I owe the Lord and my brethren? Over the last several weeks, we’ve talked about “Membership.” We’ve looked at it from several perspectives:  Meaning- Universal vs. Local  Benefits- Shepherds, Brethren, and Fellowship  Metaphors- Sheep, Married, Disciples, Workers, Stones, Citizens, and Children Now it’s time to start examining its Requirements. What are the obligations of “Local Church Membership”?

2. As a local church member, what are my responsibilities? 1.Be a “Christian” first, foremost, and always.  Be an imitator of God/Christ everyday, Eph.5:1-2.  Think and feel like God does everyday, Matt.5:43-48.  Because you’re an example of a “Christian” to the world everyday, Matt.5:14-16.  And because you’re a representative both of and to this local body of believers everyday, 1Tim.4:12; Titus 2:7; cf.1Cor.5:1-2,11-13; 2Thess.3:6-15.

3. As a local church member, what are my responsibilities? 1.Be a “Christian” first, foremost, and always. 2.When your brethren meet, be there and be actively involved.  Attendance is not only expected, it’s mandatory. God knew how important this was, and so do your Elders, Heb.10:25. It is to your, and everyone else’s benefit, cf. vv.19-25.  Be “devoted to one another”- Rom.12:9, not the deer camp, the lake, family, recreation, etc. Sunday is “the Lord’s Day”- not His hour and ten minutes. Put Him and your local brethren first, so that they can put you first when needed, vv.11-15.  At it’s core, “fellowship” means “joint-participation”- doing things together. You can’t be “in fellowship” if you’re seldom here and even more rarely involved. cf. Acts 2:42-47

4. As a local church member, what are my responsibilities? 1.Be a “Christian” first, foremost, and always. 2.When your brethren meet, be there and be actively involved. 3.Have right attitudes and good activities- the ones that preserve unity and peace/harmony, Eph.4:3.  Nothing curbs growth and enthusiasm in a local church quicker than bad attitudes and wrong actions. Note that we are to “preserve” what Christ put into the Church, John 17:15-23; 1Cor.1:10; 12:24b-26; Eph.4:1.  This obligation isn’t just “not being the one who started it”- cf. Rom.12:18 > Eph.4:2- humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance in love = right attitudes + right actions, cf. vv.15,17-32.

5. As a local church member, what are my responsibilities? 1.Be a “Christian” first, foremost, and always. 2.When your brethren meet, be there and be actively involved. 3.Have right attitudes and good activities- the ones that preserve unity and peace/harmony. 4.Bear fruit for God and your brethren!  By growing and maturing personally, Gal.5:16-25.  By reproducing yourself spiritually, John 15:1-11. Notice He doesn’t mention the importance of foliage and flowers (our “pretty” good works, cf. Luke 18:11-12), just “fruit”! 2Tim.2:2; Matt.12:30; Col.1:25-29.

6. As a local church member, what are my responsibilities? 1.Be a “Christian” first, foremost, and always. 2.When your brethren meet, be there and be actively involved. 3.Have right attitudes and good activities- the ones that preserve unity and peace/harmony. 4.Bear fruit for God and your brethren! To borrow from Paul’s words to Timothy: (1Tim.4:15-16) “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”