January 19, 2014 Montwood church of Christ

January 19, 2014 Montwood church of Christ
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? January 19, 2014 Montwood church of Christ Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. It is wonderful to be here. I am very excited about this series of lessons, and I hope you will find it as enriching. I thought about teaching this class when I first completed reading this book. I Am a Church Member, by Thom S. Rainer. I Read It I Shared It with others Asked for Feedback Thought about sharing this with as many people as possible (hence teaching a class) This class will be about what it means to be a member of the church. I will reference this book on many occasions, and highly recommend it to read. I will say, that I do not agree with everything written in the book (specifically its thoughts on baptism, nor do I think it necessary to make pledges). Feel free to purchase the book if you’d like. You may even get a free one during the class. Member – Member of Christ’s Body One Church, One Membership It is of vital importance that we, the church, regain the proper understanding of this truth: There is only one church, and only one membership thereof. The New Testament is replete with expressions of this reality. The singularity of the 'body of Christ' is more than evident in Paul's writings: Romans 12:4-5 "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." 1 Corinthians 10:17 "Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread." 1 Corinthians 12: "For even as the body is one and [yet] has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:20 "But now there are many members, but one body." 1 Corinthians 12:25 "that there should be no division in the body, but [that] the members should have the same care for one another." Ephesians 4:4 "[There is] one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;" Colossians 3:15 "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." Ephesians 5:28-30 "So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body." Sunday School Rules CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Sunday School Rules This is not a lecture series
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Sunday School Rules This is not a lecture series Participation is expected Questions and comments are welcome Gifts will be given (if earned) or at the discretion of the class facilitator Have fun and love one another CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

I Am a Church Member 90% of churches are declining
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH 90% of churches are declining Less than 20% of Americans attend church Hawaii is the only state where church growth is outpacing population growth In 2050, the percentage of the U.S. population attending church will be almost half of what it was in 1990. 66% of the Builder Generation (those born prior to 1946) are Christians Spend regular time in private devotional activity Have a strong sense of belonging to their denomination Be involved in church-based community service, justice or welfare activities Be involved in community-based service, care or welfare activities 15% of the Millennial Generation (born ) are Christians High Desire for Relationships, Doctrinally Serious and Community Focused Will check facts of church life (smart phone) Shaping the church of the future Church - 7 Startling Church Facts – Rebecca Barnes and Lindy Lowry Builder Generation – Generations Approach Church Differently – Ruth Powell and Kathy Jacka Millennials – 6 ways millennials are shaping the church – Thom S. Rainer – “ have said on more than one occasion the Millennial Christians, although relatively small in number, will be great in influence in American congregations.” Why did I hit you with a bunch of facts in the beginning of this class? I want us to think and document our initial thoughts going into this 6-8 week journey. So I wanted you to have some facts prior to answering some questions that we will review once we complete the class. Has anyone heard of a SWOT analysis? It is a tool used to help organizations/companies look at their strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats. I have changed the tool a bit, so we can do WERP analysis. I will need your help, so let’s get started. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Group Exercise (WERP Analysis)
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH W E Why Weak Congregations? Expectations Upon Joining Church Robust SCM processes supported Lack of experienced people being able WERP Analysis Responsibility Privileges Region governance (business growth in EMEA) Regional SCM support – build team of regional experts (task force and process audit) - - HP strategic decisions – hard stops (VMI provider, ELF project, RCTO forwarder, Rationalization projects) R P First, I want us (church members) to ask why? As a matter of fact, why do you think the rate of church growth is on the decline / why are congregations are weak? Let’s here you shout them out. Keisha is going to document these. Great answers. Thom Rainer and myself (after reading his book), are suggesting, “congregations across America are weak because many of us church members have los the biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.” What do people expect when they join a church? – Document this too honey. Serve us, feed us, care for us, uplift us, help us, straighten me out Why did God place us in churches (What is our responsibility as church members)? – Let’s get this down too Kit. We explore this question over the next 6-8 weeks, and I believe we will come up with an answer that will be in accordance to scripture. – Serve, Care for others, pray for leaders, to learn, to teach, to give and some even died for the gospel What are the benefits or privileges of church membership? – Grace, Mercy, Eternal life, We have the forgiveness of sins, access to the throne of God, the hope of glory, the precious promises of God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, a mediator that lives always to intercede for us CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

What Does the Bible Say About the Church?
House Soldiers Bride Body Just as stones in a house, we must do our part to support the work of the church. We must never be guilty of becoming a deserter from the army of Christ. We must never become unfaithful to Christ the church's bridegroom We must all work together under the direction of our head for the good of the body of Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (Soldiers) Ephesians 6:10-18 – Full Armor of God Ephesians 6:12 – Our Enemy Defined 1 Timothy 6:12 – Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (Body) 1 Corinthians 12:27 – Christ is the head 1 Corinthians 12:24-26 – No division, all have a responsibility, suffer and rejoice together Ephesians 5:25-27 (Bride) Ephesians 5:23 – Christ is the head – submit to Christ 1 Corinthians 7:10 – Cleave to Christ 2 Corinthians 11:2-3 – Don’t cheat on Christ 1 Peter 2:4-5 – (House) Living stones / Spiritual house – Ephesians 2:20-22 Holy Priesthood – 1 Peter 2:9 Spiritual Sacrifices – Rom. 12:1, Heb. 13:15-16 One loose stone can cause the foundation to crumble As we all know the writers in the bible speak to us in metaphors quite often. I was looking for a way to summarize the metaphors concerning the church and I ran across an article by Ron Hutchinson that I thought explained it excellently. Let’s review it, as I have summarized it for us on this one slide. 1 Peter 2:4-5 (House) - 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Living Stones Eph 2: built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Heb 3: (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Holy Priesthood 1 Pet 2:9 - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Spiritual Sacrifices Rom 12:1 - I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Heb 13: Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (Soldiers) - 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. Who are we fighting – Eph. 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against mprincipalities, against powers, against nthe rulers of 3the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:10-18 – Armor of God Paul wrote to Timothy about waging war in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 6:12 2 Tim. 2: "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us“ Ephesians 5:25-27 (Bride) - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.“ Eph 5:23 - For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 1 Cor 7:10 - To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 2 Cor 11:2-3 - "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ“ 1 Cor 12:12-13 (Body) - 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Cor 12:27 - "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually“ - Christ is the head, we are the body, head leads, body follows 1 Cor 12: which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. – No division, all have a responsibility, suffer and rejoice together (be in one accord) FYI – Paul follows chapter 12 with the Love Chapter, we must do all of these things as one body, exemplifying the love of Christ and for one another CNH I Am A Church Member

Next Week Functioning Membership Unity I Am A Church Member
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Next Week Functioning Membership Unity CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

January 26, 2014 Montwood church of Christ
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? January 26, 2014 Montwood church of Christ Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. It is wonderful to be here. Last week we opened this series called I am a church member. Today we will continue our discussion. Just as a refresher. School Rules. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Sunday School Rules This is not a lecture series
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Sunday School Rules This is not a lecture series Participation is expected Questions and comments are welcome Gifts will be given (if earned) or at the discretion of the class facilitator Have fun and love one another CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

What Does the Bible Say About the Church?
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Church House Soldiers Bride Body Where did the church come from? Matthew 16: Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Just as stones in a house, we must do our part to support the work of the church. We must never be guilty of becoming a deserter from the army of Christ. We must never become unfaithful to Christ the church's bridegroom We must all work together under the direction of our head for the good of the body of Christ. Let’s do a brief recap. Last week we ended on this slide. Talking about the metaphors utilized in scripture to describe the church. Church Where did it come from? Matt 16: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Church Metaphors in Scripture As stones in a house we must do our part to support the church We must never desert the church – as a Christian We must never be unfaithful to the leader of the Church, Christ and we are to submit to Christ, as his bride We all must work together under the direction of our head for the good of the body of Christ I want to expand on the final metaphor. Where Paul parallels the church to the human body. This is detailed significantly in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. As brother Dean would say, “Let’s go there” CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

the church, the Body 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 Many members, one body, vs. 12, 14, 20 Baptized into one Spirit, one body, vs. 13 Each part of the body (church member), has a function, vs 17 Parts of the body must work together to function, vs 19 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 No division (Mark 3:25) Must care for one another, vs25 Suffer and rejoice together, vs26 1 Corinthians 12: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. Many members, one body (there is both unity (one body) and diversity (many members) Baptized into One Spirit, one body Each part of the body has a function Parts of the body must work together to function 1 Corinthians 12: that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. No division – Mark 3:25 - And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. Must care for one another Suffer and rejoice together CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

…. And the Work (Service)
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH …. And the Work (Service) 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11 Varieties of gifts – but the same spirit, varieties of service – but the same Lord and varieties of activities – but the same God empowers them in everyone, vs. 4-6 These gifts are given for the good of the church, vs. 7 God gives these gifts as He sees fit and to whom He choses, vs. 11 Be a Functioning Church Member 1 Corinthians 12: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. Holy Spirit provides gifts to everyone, hence everyone that has received the Holy Spirit has a gift God empowers those gifts, vs. 6 Gifts are given for the good of the church (work/serve the church), 1 Cor. 14:3 - …for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 Knowledge guided by understanding Word of Wisdom Knowledge of God and His ways Word of Knowledge Ability to take God at His word Faith Ability to restore health to a person Gifts of Healing Ability to alter natural events Working of Miracles Speaking forth the word of God Prophecy Insight to another's motives, attitude, purpose Discerning of Spirits Ability to speak in different languages Various Tongues Ability to interpret different languages Interpretation of Tongues Be a Functioning Church Member Nine Gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor 12: For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. Word of Wisdom Value – Gives Happiness (Prov. 3:13), Keeps from evil (Prov. 5:1-6), Better than rubies or weapons (Prov. 8:11, Eccl. 9:18), Produces good fruit (James 3:17) Limitations – Cannot save us (1 Cor. 1:19-21), Nothing, without God (Jer. 8:9), Gospel not preached in (1 Cor. 2:1-5 - And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.) Word of Knowledge – Knowledge of God and His ways (total recall of scripture) Faith – Ability to take God at His word Gifts of Healing – Ability to restore health to a persons body Working of Miracles – Ability to alter natural events These are two of the more controversial gifts in the New Testament. I believe that to be the case because we have seen so many actors and individuals caught doing this fake healing and proclaiming miracles on television. What’s important is that the scripture says this is one of the gifts. This gift may be accomplished today via powerful prayer. We know the prayers of the righteous can change things. Prophecy – Speaking forth the word of God, or a message from God (teacher, preacher), prophets – men called to proclaim God’s word Discerning of Spirits - The ability, through the Holy Spirit to distinguish whether a person is honest or deceitful, good or bad, pure or impure. Various Tongues – Ability to speak in different languages Interpretation of Tongues – Ability to interpret different languages Acts 2 and read verse 4, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages”. The literal translation in Greek is “glossa” and means tongues. This same word “glossa” (language) is used again in Acts 2:11. This means it is a known language not some unknown tongue. Then it says (in Acts 2:5-11) that there were unbelievers present at Pentecost and were hearing God’s message in their own “dialektos” dialects or language: “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues” (dialektos or dialects)! 1 Corinthians 14:19, “in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” Be a Functioning Church Member – these 9 gifts were given to Christians by God via the Holy Spirit in order to uplift, encourage and console our brothers and sisters. Do work, serve one another and the church 1 Cor 14:3 1 Cor 12:7 CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 Apostles – chosen and commissioned by Jesus himself to establish the churches after his ascension Ordained ministers, elders and deacons apostolic teaching is what prophets are to proclaim and what teachers are to make plain 1 Corinthians 12:29-31 Everyone and their different gifts contributes to the well-being of the whole (church body). Desire the higher gifts Be a Functioning Church Member 1 Corinthians 12: 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. Apostles – Mark 3:14 Ministers, elders and deacons – 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 1 Corinthians 12: Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. That God distributes these gifts as he wills is now hammered home through Paul’s use of a series of rhetorical questions (a favorite technique of Paul’s). In verses 29-30, Paul asks “are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” The obvious answer to all of these questions is “no.” These gifts of the Spirit are distributed throughout the body for the greater good of the whole. While it appears from Paul’s questions that all Christians receive at least one spiritual gift, his questions also make it pretty clear that no one Christian receives all of the gifts of the Spirit. Everyone and their different gifts contributes to the well-being of the whole. Since these gifts enable us to serve one another in love, we should desire them–especially the greater ones. As several commentators have pointed out, the pursuit of higher gifts is preliminary to the reception of them.5 The desire for them reflects an internal call–that we desire to use our gifts for the service of others in Christ’s church, and we are willing to receive whatever gift that God has for us because these gifts build-up the body. The temptation to misunderstand Paul’s exhortation to seek the greater gifts–as though these gifts elevated those who have them to the category of spiritual elite–is also mitigated by what follows. Yes, we should desire the higher gifts, but there is something far more important than seeking spiritual gifts, and that is love. “And I will show you a still more excellent way.” The excellent way is spelled out in some detail in chapter 13, Paul’s famous discussion of Christian love. This more excellent way ought to be the desire of everyone in the Corinthian congregation concerned with spiritual things. It should also be the desire of everyone who confesses that “Jesus is Lord.” Don’t be a CEO Christian – Christmas and Easter Only. Commit to being a Functioning church member. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Commit to being a Functioning Church Member
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Thom S. Rainer – “The concept of an inactive church member is an oxymoron. Biblically, no such church member really exists.” Commit to being a Functioning Church Member Next week we will talk about unity and being a unifying church member CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

February 2, 2014 Montwood church of Christ
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? February 2, 2014 Montwood church of Christ Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. It is wonderful to be here. So far in class we have discussed: Who founded the church and who/what the church is Being a Functioning Church Member – means work and service, to and for one another and the Lord Prior to starting the class, I want to recognize John Piper, Thom Rainer, Matt Slick and the Holy Spirit for helping me with this lesson CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

I Am A Church Member Montwood Church of Christ - CNH
1 Corinthians 1:10 Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. Ephesians 4:11-13 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Colossians 3:13-14 You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. Ephesians 4:3 Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! Galatians 3:26-28 So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians -- you are one in Christ Jesus. John 17:22 - The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, We have just read into your hearing, multiple scriptures. The common theme in all of the scriptures read is unity. Unity in the body of Christ. Unity is something we as members of Christ church should strive for, because the scripture instructs us to do so. Today we will explore unity, and Being a Unifying church member Our scripture of focus will be Ephesians 4:1-6 Let’s go there, as brother Dean would say. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Unity of the Spirit Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Ephesians 4:1-6 - 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. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Let’s look at the text. Read it. Calling - What were they called to? Whatever it is, must have some significance, as Paul is encouraging them to walk in a way that is representative of that calling. Let’s investigate. Unity of the Spirit – What is it? What are we as members supposed to do with it? Oneness of Unity Let’s start with this calling Paul is speaking of. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Calling 1:4 - God chose us for himself before the world was created.
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH 1:4 - God chose us for himself before the world was created. 1:5 - he predestined us to be his children—and that means heirs of all our Father owns! 1:7 - he sent Christ to atone for all our trespasses. 1:12 - we are "destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory." 1:13 - he sealed us with his Holy Spirit to preserve us forever. 2:7 - he promises to spend an eternity increasing our joy in the immeasurable riches of his grace. 3:10 - he has given us the mission as a church to display his wisdom, even to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Earlier in Ephesians (chapters 1,2 & 3), Paul explains to his family in Christ, about their calling. Chosen Predestined Heirs Atonement for all of your trespasses Destined and Appointed to live for the praise of his glory Sealed by the Holy Spirit, so that we may live eternally Promise to show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness Display his wisdom CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Unity of the Spirit Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Ephesians 4:1-6 - 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. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. We’ve looked at the calling, let’s now look at the unity of the Spirit. What is it? How do you get it? Why does the scripture tell us to maintain the unity of the Spirit? Does that mean it has already been attained? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Unity – Attained and Maintained
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Unity – Attained and Maintained Unity Attained by Christ Ephesians 2:13-16 Unity to be Maintained by Christ’s church Ephesians 4:11-13 Ephesians 4:2 CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH
Unity Attained Ephesians 2: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Unity of Jew and Gentile via Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This text shows that, in a decisive act of atonement and reconciliation, Christ has already made us one. What he has accomplished at Calvary we should maintain by the Spirit. But in another sense the unity Christ purchased and guaranteed with his blood must now be lived out and brought to full expression in the life of the church. In this sense it is a goal to be attained. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Unity Maintained Ephesians 4: And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Some of this should sound familiar, based on last week. He gave us – apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers to equip the saints (church members, members of the body), for the work (be a functioning member – last weeks class) of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. We are doing these things so we can attain to a: Unity of faith – our common belief/confidence in Christ Jesus Unity of knowledge of Jesus – our common conviction about Christ Mature manhood CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Unity Maintained Continued
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Ephesians 4:2 - with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, Ephesians 4:2 gives us the additional piece of what is needed to maintain unity. You must have and attitude of: Humility – recognizing that God is omnipotent and omniscient and we are able to do nothing without him Gentleness Long suffering & bearing with one another – this says that we/nor our brothers and sister will be perfect and it will require us to be patient and tolerant with one another In love – Agape love We must be prepared to exhibit this behavior as Christians, in order to maintain Unity of the Spirit CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Unity through Oneness in God
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Unity through Oneness in God Eph. 4:4-6 -There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Body Spirit Hope Lord Faith Baptism God and Father CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Be a Unifying Church Member
Summary Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Phil 2:2 - complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. We have been called To maintain the Unity of the Spirit Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Forbearing, Love Unity of Faith – shared belief in Christ Jesus Unity of Knowledge – shared conviction about Christ We are One – Body, Spirit, Hope, Lord, Faith, Baptism, God Be a Unifying Church Member The direction from scripture is for us to be unifying church members. I am a church member, and part of my responsibility is to be a unifying member, maintaining the unity of the Spirit. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

February 9, 2014 Montwood church of Christ
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? February 9, 2014 Montwood church of Christ Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. It is wonderful to be here. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Class Review What / Who is the church? Be a Functioning church Member
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Class Review What / Who is the church? Be a Functioning church Member Be a Unifying church Member Be a Service Oriented church Member What / Who is the church? The Body of Christ We are the church, those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience to God Home, Soldiers, Bride, Body Functioning church Member – we all have been given gifts via the holy spirit. It is our responsibility to utilize them in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Unifying church Member – we are called to maintain the unity of the spirit – Eph. 2 and 4 give us instruction on how to attain and maintain such unity. Today we are going to talk about being a Service Oriented church Member. Chapter 3 in the book is actually entitled, “I Will Not Let My church be about My Preferences and Desires, I decided to change that a bit for this class, but keep that in mind. Church is not about my preferences and desires. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Service Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Luke 6:38 - give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Romans 7:6 - But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. Galatians 5:13 - For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Let’s start with God’s love letter to us (the Bible) and see what it says about service – Jesus says in Luke 6:38 – instructs us to give, and utilizing the analogy of measuring grain, says what we give will be given back to us Paul instructs is in Romans and Galatians - Romans 7:6 – Released from the law – so we can serve in the new way of the Spirit Galatians 5:13 – Called to freedom (freedom from the law), not to pleasure the flesh, but to serve one another through love CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Our Challenge – Be a Service Oriented church Member
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Mark 9: And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Our Challenge – Be a Service Oriented church Member In Mark, Chapter 9 versus 33-36, there is even a spat between the disciples. Men that have seen the best of example of Servant Leadership and Servant hood in person. In this text, we are informed that the disciples are arguing with one another about “who is the greatest”. They were embarrassed to answer Jesus when he asked them what they were talking about. Jesus had to get their attention and explain to them that being a servant (of all – not just the church, your friends, all) is what will be pleasing to the Lord, and this is what will put you first in the eyes of God These scriptures make it clear that service is a part of being a Christian. We started with Jesus in Luke 6, explaining the importance of giving and we are finishing with Jesus himself, having to remind the disciples of the importance of service and humility. Our challenge is to be a service oriented church member. Service oriented church members, will lead to a service oriented church. Have any of you heard the terms inward focused and outward focused when used in reference to the church? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Service Oriented Church
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Inward Focus Outward Focus Worship Services, Bible Studies, Pre-school childcare, Children’s and youth programs and activities, leadership training, new member classes, discipleship, prayer meetings, buildings, staff salaries, counseling services, capital campaigns Crisis pregnancy help, job counseling, GED classes, Mothering classes, financial counseling, benevolence, food and clothing pantry, local/nation/international mission trips, disaster relief, block parties Both "inward" and "outward" are important. You must take care of the "base" (inward) in order to have "place" to launch vibrant ministries (outward). Service Oriented Church Give me some examples. If you would dare, feel free to categorize your example in terms of inward focused vs. outward focused. Let’s look at how Dr. Steve Drake defines activities in terms of inward and outward focused. I think you will find this list to be very comprehensive. How could we utilize this list to help us at Montwood? What do you think the appropriate ratio is? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Varying Views of Church Membership
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Church Country Club Giving Serving Responsibilities Sacrifice Offering Receiving Served Rights Entitlements Dues Privileges (Do any of these sound familiar?) I’ve been a member of this church for over thirty years, so I have a right to get what I want. I don’t pay good money to this church to listen to sermons that long. Look (preacher, youth minister), you need to remember who pays your salary I do a lot of work here, I should be able to tell anyone what I think Remember that I mentioned that the title of this chapter in the book is “I Will Not Let My church be about My Preferences and Desires. These statements and the country club view of a church, makes the church about your individual preferences and desires. “This wrongful view of membership sees church offerings as membership dues that entitle members to a never-ending list of privileges and expectations, instead of an unconditional cheerful gift to God.” We want Montwood and Christ’s entire church to represent those things on the left side of this list. Now let’s start working toward conclusion. – Getting back to service. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Service – Jesus’ Example
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Philippians 2: 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. Paul informs the church at Philippi of Christ’s example. We too can learn from this. Jesus set the example, when he was here on earth in the form of a man. Emptied himself Took the form of a servant Humbled himself Obedient CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

“A church that will positively impact the lives of people must be service oriented. A church that has strong relationships, a church that is a high quality church will not only change the lives of people within it, but also the lives of those outside,” – Dr. Roy Notice – President of Jamaica Bible College Be a Service Oriented church Member, so we can have a Service Oriented church CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

I Am a church Member February 16, 2014
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? February 16, 2014 Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. It is wonderful to be here. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Class Review What / Who is the church? Be a Functioning church Member Be a Unifying church Member Be a Service Oriented church Member What / Who is the church? The Body of Christ We are the church, those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience to God Home, Soldiers, Bride, Body Functioning church Member – we all have been given gifts via the holy spirit. It is our responsibility to utilize them in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Unifying church Member – we are called to maintain the unity of the spirit – Eph. 2 and 4 give us instruction on how to attain and maintain such unity. Today we are going to start the class by closing out Service Oriented church Member. There were a few pages remaining from that lesson last week, so we will do a bit of a refresher quickly about the topic and touch on those two remaining pages. As time permits, we will flow into the next topic. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Service – Jesus’ Example
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Philippians 2: 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. Paul informs the church at Philippi of Christ’s example. We too can learn from this. Jesus set the example, when he was here on earth in the form of a man. Emptied himself Took the form of a servant Humbled himself Obedient CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

10 Dominant Behaviors of Inward Focused Churches
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH 10 Dominant Behaviors of Inward Focused Churches Worship wars. One or more factions in the church want the music just the way they like it. Any deviation is met with anger and demands for change. The order of service must remain constant. Certain instrumentation is required while others are prohibited. Prolonged minutia meetings. The church spends an inordinate amount of time in different meetings. Most of the meetings deal with the most inconsequential items, while the Great Commission and Great Commandment are rarely the topics of discussion. Facility focus. The church facilities develop iconic status. One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church’s buildings and grounds. Program driven. Every church has programs even if they don’t admit it…The problem is not with programs. The problem develops when the program becomes an end instead of a means to greater ministry. Inwardly focused budget. A disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members instead of reaching beyond the walls of the church. We talked about inward and outward focused actions involving the church last week. We concluded a few things: MCOC is pretty knowledgeable about the subject Both inward and outward focused activity are valuable Being cognizant of the balance between the two is something we should be concerned about if we want to be a service oriented church with service oriented members We reviewed a list of inward/outward focused actions This is a list of common traits of inward focused churches based on a survey of 500+ churches. Take an opportunity to review them. Meditate on them and look inwardly, Examine yourself (examine ourselves as a church body) to see if any of these hit home, and what your you prepared to do about it based on today’s lesson. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Inordinate demands for pastoral care. All church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for even minor matters. Attitudes of entitlement. This issue could be a catch-all for many of the points named here. The over-arching attitude is one of demanding and having a sense of deserving special treatment. Greater concern about change than the gospel. Almost any noticeable changes in the church evoke the ire of many; but those same passions are not evident about participating in the work of the gospel to change lives. Anger and hostility. Members are consistently angry. They regularly express hostility toward the church staff and other members. Evangelistic apathy. Very few members share their faith on a regular basis. More are concerned about their own needs rather than the greatest eternal needs of the world and community in which they live. In almost every behavior above, church members were looking out for their own needs and preferences….You get the picture. I. Me. Myself. Church membership from a biblical perspective, however, is about servant hood. It’s about giving. It’s about putting others first. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

“A church that will positively impact the lives of people must be service oriented. A church that has strong relationships, a church that is a high quality church will not only change the lives of people within it, but also the lives of those outside,” – Dr. Roy Notice – President of Jamaica Bible College Be a Service Oriented church Member, so we can have a Service Oriented church CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

I Am a church Member March 2, 2014
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? March 2, 2014 Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. It is great to be back this week. I want to thank Bro. Al Dean for stepping in last week while I was out. I heard he gave a very thought provoking lesson on death and being prepared. Thank you brother. Now picking up where we left of two weeks ago, let’s get back to I Am a Church Member. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Class Review What / Who is the church? Be a Functioning church Member Be a Unifying church Member Be a Service Oriented church Member Be a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership What / Who is the church? The Body of Christ We are the church, those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience to God Home, Soldiers, Bride, Body Functioning church Member – we all have been given gifts via the holy spirit. It is our responsibility to utilize them in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Unifying church Member – we are called to maintain the unity of the spirit – Eph. 2 and 4 give us instruction on how to attain and maintain such unity. Service Oriented church Member – Mark 9:33-35 – Jesus had to remind the apostles of the need to serve and that the last shall be first, when they were arguing about who was the greatest Today we are going to talk about being a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

I Timothy 3: The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Elder Qualifications Above reproach Husband of one wife Sober minded Self-controlled Respectable Hospitable Able to teach Not a drunkard Not violent, but gentle Not quarrelsome Not a lover of money Manage his own household well Must not be a recent convert Well thought of by outsiders Read 1 Timothy, Chapter 3 CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Elder Responsibilities
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Elder Responsibilities Responsibilities Scripture Rule I Timothy 5:17; I Thessalonians 5:12-13a Guide / Lead Hebrews 13:7, 17 Guard Acts 20:28-31 Watch / Admonish I Thessalonians 5:14, Hebrews 13:17 Rule 1 Timothy 5:17 - Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 1 Thess 5:12 – 13a - 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Guide Hebrews 13:7 - Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:17 - 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. Guard Acts 20: 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. Watch 1 Thess 5:14 - And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,[a] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. Read the 1st portion of the chapter 4 in I Am a Church Member CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Pray for your church Leadership
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Pray for your church Leadership Why Pray for your church leadership? Pleases God – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Request for prayer – 1 Thess. 5:12-13, 25 Harshly Judged– James 3:1 Defense against Satan – 1 Peter 5:1-9 Jesus did it for the apostles – Luke 22:31-32 Spiritual wisdom, revelation of knowledge and understanding – Eph. 1:15-17, Col. 1:9 1 Timothy 2:1-4 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Thess. 5:12-13, We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 25 Brothers, pray for us. James 3:1 - Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 1 Peter 5:1-9 - So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,[a] not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Luke 22: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Eph. 1:15-17 – 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, Col 1:9 - And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Pray for your church Leadership A Practical Example – Acts 12 Acts 12:5 Results God sent divine help into the leaders life – Acts 12:7-10 God protected the leader (divine protection) – Acts 12:11 The schemes of Satan were thwarted – Acts 12:23 The church was strengthened – Acts 12:24 Acts 12:5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Elder Qualification Prayer Above Reproach (above finding fault) Pray for his attitude Husband of one wife Pray for their marriage Sober Minded, Self Controlled, Respectable, Hospitable Pray for his physical & mental health Able to Teach Pray for the sermons, lessons and advice he gives (wisdom, insight, discernment) Not drunkard, violent (gentle), quarrelsome, lover of money Pray that there are no addictions / there is focus only on God above Manage his own household well Pray for him and his family No pride or conceit Pray for his spiritual health Snare of the devil Pray for his protection I Timothy 3: The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Praying for our Leaders, can be a ministry in itself. Obviously it behooves us all to pray for our leadership, but if it so moves you to serve and create a team of hedge builders to support our leadership, do so. Again, this class is about helping us to understand our responsibilities / duties of being a church member. Get in where you fit in! Examples of Prayer Intercessors: James 5: Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Romans 10:1-4 - Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. Abraham interceding for Sodom – Genesis 18:22-33 1 Timothy 3:7 – the devils snare – It means that the devil sees the pastor as a threat, and one of his highest priorities is to take him down and take him out. The nature of the trap will be temptation where the elder’s reputation will be harmed. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Be a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Be a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership Using scriptural backing, explain why the elder’s family is such an important factor in his ministry? What is meant by “above reproach” in 1 Timothy 3:2? Is that standard even possible for the elder? Explain the implications of the devil’s trap in 1 Timothy 3:7. What is the meaning of “outsiders” in 1 Timothy 3:7? Why should they be a concern to church members or pastors? Find some key passages in the Bible where intercessory prayer takes place (someone praying for someone else). Relate those passages to praying for your leadership. This list is food for thought. This list can be used for your own development, also can be used to spark conversation between family members at home for spiritual growth. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? March 9, 2014 Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. We are on the 6th week of our series entitled “I Am a church Member”, which was inspired by the book of the same title written by Thom S. Rainer. We will have two more weeks after today, and that will conclude this series. Following that, I believe bible classes will resume as usual. Brother Dean, Martin and Kotter will resume their individual classes. We have a fair amount to cover today, so let us get started. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH What / Who is the church? Be a Functioning church Member Be a Unifying church Member Be a Service Oriented church Member Be a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership Lead Your Family to be Healthy church Members What / Who is the church? The Body of Christ We are the church, those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience to God Home, Soldiers, Bride, Body Functioning church Member – we all have been given gifts via the holy spirit. It is our responsibility to utilize them in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Unifying church Member – we are called to maintain the unity of the spirit – Eph. 2 and 4 give us instruction on how to attain and maintain such unity. Service Oriented church Member – Mark 9:33-35 – Jesus had to remind the apostles of the need to serve and that the last shall be first, when they were arguing about who was the greatest Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Today we are going to discuss leading your family to be healthy church members Does anyone here have hobbies they like to do? Who likes to knit, cook, manicure the lawn? Watch boxing, nascar, baseball? Did your parents have anything to do with your love of this hobby, sport or team? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Lead Your Family to be Healthy church Members
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member – Thom S. Rainer Story – Love and Serve despite it’s imperfections Church and Family are one, and the same (Eph. 5&6) Pray together as a Family for the church Worship Together as a Family (Eph.6, 1 Cor. 7:14) Fall Deeply in Love with the bride of Christ (church) Family being Healthy church Members = Christian Home Story Thom was a young father, recently married, wanted to be a good father, so he decided to become active in the church Bob – Mature church member, served the church faithfully and happily Noticed a pattern – Get excited about church, Get more involved, Discover the imperfections of the church, Get discouraged about the church, Leave the church Fearful that Thom would follow this pattern, so he took him under his wing Taught him to love the church – As he had taught his own family to happily serve and love the church Taught him to look at the plank in his eye before judging others – Matt. 7:3-5 As Bob taught Thom, it is our responsibility to teach our families (children) to love and serve the church despite its imperfections, just as Christ loved us despite our imperfections Church and Family are one, and the same – Eph 5:22-26, and Eph 6:1-4 Eph 5: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word Eph 5: This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Eph 6:1-4 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Pray together as a family for the church – biological family and church family. Praying together helps us strengthen us all, edify and admonish us all. Along with uplifting the church so we can be about God’s work. – Discipling, Loving the Lord, Obeying his commands Worship Together as a Family – Nuclear Family (Father lead your home – Eph. 6:4) , Spouse and Children, Spouse alone with no children (1 Cor 7:14). 1 Cor 7:14 - For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. Fall Deeply in Love with the bride of Christ – Pray, Worship and Serve together with you brothers and sisters. Jesus loves his bride, and expects us to do the same. The focus we have discussed thus far is about families being healthy church members. I think Rainer left a lot on the table with this chapter, so I thought we should provide more information. What should be next, how can you tell if you are creating healthy church members? Shouldn’t you have a Christian home? If so, what does a Christian home look like? Let’s take a look. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Three Essentials for a Christian Home
There must be a revelation of God There must be a response to God’s revelation. There must be a threefold responsibility

Revelation of God His eternality His plurality His unity
God is Lord. God is without end, the eternal one His plurality Father, Son & Holy Spirit His unity “One Lord” the three person of the Godhead constitute one God Jer 10:10 - But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. … His Eternality John 17:3 - 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 1 Cor 8:4,6 - 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. His Plurality and unity Godhead - The Father is called God, Rom. 1:17, the Son, Jesus Christ is called God, Is. 9:6-7; Hebrews 1:8 and the Holy Spirit is called God Acts 5:3-4. This does not mean we have three Gods but it means One God is manifesting in three distinct persons. Though we may not understand it fully yet, we can believe it since it is being taught by the Lord Himself both in picture and in precept – Matt. 3:16, 17, 28:19. Eph. 4:5-6 - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Matt. 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Response to God’s Revelation
The Christian family must respond with a total response of love with all one’s being, heart, soul and mind. Matthew 22: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Three Fold Responsibility by the Father
Matt 22:37 Must be in you soul and spirit Have God’s truth Govern his heart Father teaches God’s truth to his children (formally and informally) – Eph. 6:4, Col. 3:21 Have God’s truth Govern his home The Christian home is to be a divine school in which the father is to be the teacher, under Christ – Eph. 5:25,28-29 Have God’s truth Govern his habits & conduct personally, privately & publically There must be a threefold responsibility. This threefold responsibility acts as a check upon the proper response. The father in the family must respond to God with love; when he does, he fulfills his threefold responsibility; if there is a failure in any particular, confession of sin is necessary because he does not love God with all his heart, soul and mind God’s truth governs his heart Matthew 22: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. God’s truth governs his home Eph 6:4 - 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Col 3: Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Formally – teach diligently Informally – talk to them (instructions) God’s truth governs his habits and conduct, personally, privately and publically Eph 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church There must be heart reality, not mere external conformity or ceremony When there is no father, the mother takes on this responsibility as best she can. Obviously the scripture calls out that the father owns this, but as we read previously in 1 Cor. 7, the mother (believing spouse) can make the children Holy

Three Essentials for a Christian Home
There must be a revelation of God There must be a response to God’s revelation. There must be a threefold responsibility Lead your Family to being Healthy church Members Christian Home – Just reviewed that What is a Healthy church member? What do they look like? How do I know if I am a Healthy church member?

What is a Healthy church Member?
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Expositional Listener Biblical Theologian Gospel Saturated Genuinely Converted Biblical Evangelist Committed Members Seeks Discipline Growing Disciple Humble Follower Prayer Warrior What is a Healthy Church Member – by Thabiti Anyabwile Lead Your Families to be Healthy church Members Expositional Listening - Listening for the meaning of a passage of Scripture, and accepting that meaning as the main idea to be grasped for our personal and corporate lives as Christians, is what we mean by “expositional listening.” Biblical Theologian – Knowing God - the Christian church member who is serious about knowing God is the church member who is committed to the teachings of the Bible about God, because that is where God tells us about Himself. Gospel Saturated - It is the gospel that makes us aware of the love of God, of our depravity and need for redemption, and of the possibility of eternal joy through worshipping God. It is this same gospel, and a healthy understanding of it, that creates health and strength in members of the Christian church. Let us be saturated in it! Lead Your Families to be Healthy Church Members CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? March 16, 2014 Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. We are on the 7th week of our series entitled “I Am a church Member”, which was inspired by the book of the same title written by Thom S. Rainer. Let’s get started, as we have lots of material to cover today. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH What / Who is the church? Be a Functioning church Member Be a Unifying church Member Be a Service Oriented church Member Be a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership Lead Your Family to be Healthy church Members I Will Treasure church Membership as a Gift What / Who is the church? The Body of Christ We are the church, those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience to God Home, Soldiers, Bride, Body Functioning church Member – we all have been given gifts via the holy spirit. It is our responsibility to utilize them in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Unifying church Member – we are called to maintain the unity of the spirit – Eph. 2 and 4 give us instruction on how to attain and maintain such unity. Service Oriented church Member – Mark 9:33-35 – Jesus had to remind the apostles of the need to serve and that the last shall be first, when they were arguing about who was the greatest Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Lead Your Family to be Healthy church Members - Eph 6:1-4 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Today we are going to discuss Treasuring your church membership as a gift. What is the gift given by God? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

The Gift Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God Romans 6:23 -For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Salvation Let’s look to the Bible to help us out. Salvation is the gift. If we want to treasure church membership as a gift, the gift that we have received from God is Salvation. How do we get from Salvation to church membership – being part of the body? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

The Gift from God Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Gift of Salvation – Rom. 6:23 Gift of Forgiveness of Sins – 1 John 1:9 Gift of the Indwelling Holy Spirit – Acts 2:38 Adoption by God the Father – Rom. 8:15 Becoming part of the Body of Christ – 1 Cor. 12:13 Gift of Salvation – Rom. 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Forgiveness of Sins – 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Gift of the Indwelling Holy Spirit – Acts 2:38 – And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Adoption by God the Father – Rom. 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Becoming part of the body of Christ – 1 Cor. 12:13 - For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. As a member of the Body of Christ… Remember, that is a gift from God, we receive what? From Salvation to becoming part of the Body of Christ CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

When you are Part of the Body of Christ
Salvation from Gods Wrath – John 3:16 An Intimate Relationship with God – John 1:12 New Family – Eph. 2:19 Disdain for Sin and a desire to be more like Christ – 1 John 3:9-10 Treasures in Heaven – Matt. 6:19-20 An Eternal Purpose – Matt. 28:18-20 Have you heard of gifts that are like 3 in 1, or 6 in 1? Like a Swiss army knife, Leatherman, bottle opener and a can opener, smartphone (phone, address book, calendar, walkman, camera, etc.). Don’t we love those? Look at everything we get when we are a part of the body of Christ. Salvation from God’s Wrath Rom 3: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. John 3: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Intimate Relationship with God – Become one of God’s children, New Birth & Inheritance, Obedience, Prayer, Marriage God’s Children - John 1: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God New Birth and Eternal Inheritance - 1 Peter 1:3-4 - 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us New Family - Eph 2: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household Disdain for Sin - 1 John 3: No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. Treasures in Heaven – Matt. 6: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." An Eternal Purpose – Matt. 28: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When Receiving a Gift You Feel …
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH When Receiving a Gift You Feel … Thankful Special Appreciated It must be treasured Like we should respond to the giver, with gratitude How do we feel when we receive gifts? He has given us the gift of becoming a member of the body, the church, how do we show our gratitude? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Gratitude for God’s Gift
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH “If you love me, you will obey what I command. “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching" (Jn. 14:15, 23, 24). "This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome…" (1 Jn. 5:3). "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15). "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecc. 12:13) Obedience We can treasure our church membership, by obeying God’s word. By showing him our gratitude for his Son’s sacrifice, intercession (if we believe) and His love. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Treasure your church membership as a Gift
Church membership is not a right, but it is a privilege that was purchased at the Cross of Jesus (Acts 20:28). I ought not to ask whether my local church is worthy of my membership. As a pastor, I ought never to ask whether any member of my local church is worthy of my pastoral care. Rather, I ought to remember that I am unworthy to be a member of my church. I ought to remember that membership in my church is a job. It is a job to which God has entrusted His amazing, universe-defining plan. No job is more important than my job as a member of my church. I ought to remember that it is a job for which I am entirely unqualified. I qualify for this position only by means of the gifts of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This position—this placement within the Body of Christ—is itself a gift from God made according to His desire, not mine nor my pastors'. I am unworthy of this. That's what makes it a gift. It is a gift worth cherishing. – Bart Barber Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I think this quote from Bart Barber encompasses why we should treasure our church membership as a gift. Acts 20:28 - Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood Treasure your church membership as a Gift CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

I Am a church Member Functioning Unifying Service Oriented
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Functioning Unifying Service Oriented Prayerful for church Leadership Leading My Family to be Healthy church Members Treasuring church Membership as a Gift The giver of the gift is the one with the power. The Bible declares that all power belongs to Christ (Matt. 28:18), the only Head of the church. Jesus is Lord, and biblical church membership can only take place when we are surrendered to His lordship over our individual lives and our local churches.– Bart Barber Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Next week we will revisit some information we reviewed during the 1st week of this class. The following week we will have a special class in the auditorium. And in the first week of April, we will return to our regular classes. CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Montwood Church of Christ - CNH I Am a church Member Do you feel any personal responsibility to the congregation that you are a member of? March 23, 2014 Do you feel any responsibility to contribute to the work of that congregation? Good morning everyone. Let’s pray. We are on the 8th and final week of our series entitled “I Am a church Member”. Today, there will be a significant amount of review, but I want to make sure we go home at the conclusion of this serious understanding what it means to be a church member. Any questions before I start? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Class Review What is the church? House – 1Ptr 2:4-5
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH What is the church? Those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience House – 1Ptr 2:4-5 Soldiers – 2Tim 2:3-4 Bride – Eph 5;25-27 Body – 1Cor 12:12-13 Functioning 1 Cor. 12:7 Unifying Eph. 2 & 4 Service Oriented Mk 9:33-35 Prayer Warrior 1Tim. 2:1-4 Lead Your Family – Healthy Members Eph 6:1-4 Treasure your Membership Rom. 6:23 What / Who is the church? The Body of Christ We are the church, those that believe Jesus is the Christ, been baptized and live a life of obedience to God Home, Soldiers, Bride, Body 1 Peter 2:4-5 (House) - 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Living Stones Eph 2: built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Heb 3: (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Holy Priesthood 1 Pet 2:9 - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Spiritual Sacrifices Rom 12:1 - I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Heb 13: Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (Soldiers) - 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. Who are we fighting – Eph. 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against mprincipalities, against powers, against nthe rulers of 3the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:10-18 – Armor of God Paul wrote to Timothy about waging war in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 6:12 2 Tim. 2: "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us“ Ephesians 5:25-27 (Bride) - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.“ Eph 5:23 - For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 1 Cor 7:10 - To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 2 Cor 11:2-3 - "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ“ 1 Cor 12:12-13 (Body) - 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Cor 12:27 - "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually“ - Christ is the head, we are the body, head leads, body follows 1 Cor 12: which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. – No division, all have a responsibility, suffer and rejoice together (be in one accord) FYI – Paul follows chapter 12 with the Love Chapter, we must do all of these things as one body, exemplifying the love of Christ and for one another Functioning church Member – we all have been given gifts via the holy spirit. It is our responsibility to utilize them in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 - To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Unifying church Member – we are called to maintain the unity of the spirit – Eph. 2 and 4 give us instruction on how to attain and maintain such unity. Service Oriented church Member – Mark 9:33-35 – Jesus had to remind the apostles of the need to serve and that the last shall be first, when they were arguing about who was the greatest Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Lead Your Family to be Healthy church Members - Eph 6:1-4 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Today we are going to discuss Treasuring your church membership as a gift. What is the gift given by God? CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Group Exercise (WERP Analysis)
Why Weak Congregations? Expectations Upon Joining Church Lack of Fellowship, Truth Not Being Preached, Lack of Commitment, Lack of Obedience, Society Feels Self Sufficient, Always Too Busy, Too Much Sports and TV , Gone From BCV People Expect to Be entertained, Expect to Be Served, Expect To Be Good, People Expect their Problem to Come to an End When they come to church, Socialization WERP Analysis Responsibility Privileges Grow the Body, Show Up, Be Active and Participation, Share Gods Word, Give LOVE - Eternal Life with God, Forgiveness for Sin, Grace and Mercy, Ability to walk in the Light R P During the 1st week of this class, we completed a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis together. We tweaked the analysis a bit and called it a WERP. We wanted to document the following: Why are congregations weak? Expectations of people upon joining church Responsibilities of church members Privileges of a church member Let’s walk through our answers. Today we are going to utilize this analysis to help us close this series and remind ourselves of what it means to be a church member. CNH I Am A Church Member

Why Are Congregations Weak?
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Eventually, as congregations age, one by one their membership is replaced. Members die. Some fall away. New members are added. Even though the members are new, many congregations become aged in character. (Rev. 2:1-5) They become comfortable and set in their ways. They lose their zeal and no longer serve God with their previous fervor Third generation members tend to fall away Rev. 2:1-5 - “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Vs They were a hard working congregation. c. Vs. 2b ... They were sound in the faith. d. Vs They consistently served over the long haul. e. Vs They were condemned for losing the fire in their belly. Israel – Thought they knew better than God, Wanted to be like nations around them, Lost their desire to follow God. Lost their land because they did not pass on their faith Generations – 1st – Strongest (went through the struggles of separation from the sinful world) – lost friends, ungodly habits broken 2nd – Remember the struggles, see the positive difference, appreciate God’s grace 3rd – Grew up in a household governed by Christ – never saw the struggle, take the church for granted, no fear - experimentation with sin CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Expectations Upon Joining Church
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH What should the church provide? Class Comments Worship God – Luke 4:8, John 4:23 Discipling / Evangelism – Mat: 28:18-20 Study God’s Word – 2 Tim 2:15, 1 Cor. 4:6 Prayer – Acts 2:42 Love One Another – John 13:35, Phil 1:1-4 Help Each Other – Gal. 6:2 Learn How to Live as Godly People – Tit 2:11-12 Preach the gospel – Mark 1:14-15 Communion/Baptism/ Family – Luke 22:19-20, Eph. 5&6, Col. 3:16 Be entertained Be Served Be Good Problems to come to an end Socialization Let’s look at the class comments What should the church provide? worship God (Luke 4:8; John 4:23; Rev. 4:10), study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Cor. 4:6), pray (Acts 2:42), love one another (John 13:35; Phil. 1:1-4), help each other (Gal. 6:2), partake of baptism and the Lord's supper (Luke 22:19-20), to learn how to live as godly people (Titus 2:11-12), and to be equipped to evangelize the world (Eph. 4:12; Matt. 28:18-20). CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Member Responsibility
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Class Comments Class Lesson Grow the Body Show Up Be Active and Participation Share Gods Word Give LOVE Be a Functioning church Member Be a Unifying church Member Be a Service Oriented church Member Be a Prayer Warrior for our church Leadership Lead Your Family to be Healthy church Members Treasure Your church Membership as a Gift Class Comments 7 weeks of study has told us what our responsibilities are as a member of the body of Christ CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Member Privileges Class Comments Class Lesson Eternal Life with God
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Class Comments Class Lesson Eternal Life with God Forgiveness for Sin Grace and Mercy Ability to walk in the Light Salvation from God’s Wrath – Rom 3:20-24 Intimate Relationship with God – John 1:12, 1 Pet. 1:3-4 New Family – Eph. 2:19 Disdain for Sin – 1 Jn. 3:9-10 Treasures in Heaven – Matt. 6:19-20 Eternal Purpose – Matt. 28:18-20 Salvation from God’s Wrath Rom 3: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. John 3: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Intimate Relationship with God – Become one of God’s children, New Birth & Inheritance, Obedience, Prayer, Marriage God’s Children - John 1: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God New Birth and Eternal Inheritance - 1 Peter 1:3-4 - 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us New Family - Eph 2: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household Disdain for Sin - 1 John 3: No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. Treasures in Heaven – Matt. 6: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." An Eternal Purpose – Matt. 28: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

Who is the Church? I Am a church Member I Am A Church Member
Montwood Church of Christ - CNH Who is the Church? I Am a church Member Who is the church? We Are the Church Together Don’t Go to Church, Be the Church I Am a church Member CNH I Am A Church Member I Am A Church Member

January 19, 2014 Montwood church of Christ

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January 19, 2014 Montwood church of Christ

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Presentation on theme: "January 19, 2014 Montwood church of Christ"— Presentation transcript:

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