Healthy Members pt2 - Ephesians 4

Two of a short series just on healthy members or healthy membership.

Trevor's handing around two sheets.

The reason for that is it's just some more notes to follow up.

I think there might be some questions or to dig a bit deeper.

I guess it's an element of a study as much as a sermon in some ways.

There's two pages.

If you weren't here a couple of weeks ago or you didn't get notes,

there are some copies of the notes from the first week,

so please feel free to pick those up on the way out there on the table.

Just to explain, the first sheet is essentially the outline of the sermon.

The second one then is some passages from the New Testament that talk about one another.

So it's just to take away for your encouragement and help as you think

about what it means to be a healthy member of the church.

So question to start.

Is this the church this morning?

Is this the church this morning?

Did you come to church?

Or are you church?

Have we reached a quota for the minimum number of people,

the minimum number of Christians,

in one place to be able to say that we're officially a church?

In some ways, church could simply be a few people who love Jesus.

Just take the words of Jesus in Matthew 18,

on their own, which many do,

and then church is simply whenever two or three people

are gathered together in Jesus' name.

The author George Barna in his book Revolution puts it like this,

Christians have in principle claimed that nothing more,

nothing more is required to constitute a church

than a couple of believers on a park bench.

Yet the vines of bureaucracy and hierarchy

have snaked their way around God's people for centuries,

often choking out innovation and progress.

I don't know what you make of that quote or that idea,

but for George Barna,

church is what two or more believing friends do

when they talk about Jesus

over coffee at Bean and Leaf or at Starbucks.

And church needs to be freed from the stuffy

and institutional formal structures.

And yet I think our hearts are complex

and they often mask our true needs.

What might be appealing or maybe right-sounding

to our ears initially may not be all that we actually need.

Searching for church without structure

or searching for church without commitment

might not lead us to all that we expect.

So as we look again this week

at healthy church members this morning,

I want us to see,

to really think about the deep riches

of all that God has provided to us

together as members of his body.

God tells us in his word

what the community that he created

should act and look like.

And our deep, heartfelt need

for authentic Christianity,

and that's a good desire,

that's a good need to have,

our heartfelt need for authentic Christianity

or authentic church.

I want you to know that that is matched.

It is matched and more

by God's provision to us of his church.

George Barna,

who we quoted earlier,

is correct in saying that

the church is really not a what,

but a who.

Three weeks ago,

Johnny helped us to think deeply about church

in terms of both

who is in the church

and how we identify

who the members are.

So who the church is

and how do we identify the church.

And so we can say

that the church is all Christians,

all Christians in heaven

and on earth,

one body with Jesus Christ

as our head.

But if we stop there,

if we stop there,

we end up with an idea of church

or a definition of church

as simply the plural of Christian.

What do I mean by that?

I mean,

it's just,

church is another way of saying

two Christians

or three Christians

or ten Christians

and that's all it is.

It's just a plural word for Christians.

But we know there's more there,

don't we?

Recall some of what was preached

a few weeks ago.

We are members of one body,

marked out in gathered communities

by our baptism,

by our partaking,

which we will do today,

of the Lord's table.

Both of which,

baptism and the Lord's table,

are things the church should do

and they're commanded by the Lord.

So it's not just sufficient to say

church is just Christians.

There are certain things

associated with church.

On membership,

Johnny showed us

that church membership is,

it's nowhere explicitly taught

in the Bible,

but it is everywhere,

assumed,

everywhere you go through

the New Testament,

membership of a local church

is assumed.

We saw that in Acts 20.

The Christians in Ephesus

could be identified

as a local church

with elders

and the church

or the members

knew who the elders were

and the elders knew

who was in the church,

knew who the members were.

Each in turn knew

and the church knew

and the church formed

in that local place

in Ephesus.

So last time,

our focus was about

who the church members,

the who of the church members

and this morning,

we want to look at the what,

the what.

What does membership

of a local church

look like

in practice?

We're going to turn again

back to the book

of Ephesians,

Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

and we're going to move

through a few verses

this morning,

different parts of the scriptures,

but let's look at Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

and verse 1.

You see,

the church in the New Testament

was not just

the few Christians

meeting up during the week

for a spiritual conversation

at the marketplace

or a couple of buddies

getting together

to go to the Colosseum

to watch some sport

and have a chat about Jesus

in the middle.

No,

believers were bound together

as members

of an identifiable

local church

in a covenantal love

towards one another.

Ephesians 1 and 2.

Paul writing to the church

in Ephesus,

as a prisoner for the Lord

then I urge you,

urge you to live a life

worthy of the calling

you have received.

Be completely humble

and gentle.

Be patient,

bearing with one another

in love.

live a life

worthy of the calling

you have received.

The calling that you

have received

to be a follower of Jesus,

to be a Christian.

And what is the calling

that Paul writes of?

What is he saying here?

Well,

I think it's simply this.

God

has called you

to love

your spiritual family.

love

your

family.

John

13,

the words of Jesus.

Jesus speaking.

A new command

I give you,

love

one another.

As I have loved you,

so you must

love

one another.

God

is our

Father.

Jesus

is our

elder brother.

Therefore,

we are all,

because we are

united to

Jesus Christ

by faith,

we are all

brothers

and sisters

in

Christ.

We are

family.

Love

your

family.

To illustrate

this,

let me read

these words again

as if I was urging

my own family.

my wife and

children,

as to how we

should live

together.

So you can just

picture

Cherry and the

kids there.

Maybe we are

around the

dinner table.

I urge us

to live

a life

worthy of

the calling

we have

received as

members of

this family

around this

table.

Be

completely

humble

and gentle.

Be

patient.

We need to

bear with

one another

in love.

As a

parent,

or as a

child,

or as a

brother,

or as a

sister,

can you see

that these

words that we

have in front

of us,

verse 2,

speak of

family life?

You see,

those are the

kind of words

that I need

to embrace

as a father

when my son

or daughter

is huffing

and puffing

and refusing

to engage

when they're

saying,

everything's

fine,

when I

know they're

bottling up

some hurt

or some

slight.

I need to

be patient

and humble

and kind.

And these

are the

words,

and these

are the

kind of

words of

instruction

encouragement

I need

so that I

can put

the needs

of my

wife

above my

own

when we're

both wrecked

and one of

us has to

do this

bit of

work so

that the

other can

rest.

These are

the words.

These are

words that are

intended to

govern and

to shape

and to

help a

family,

family life,

spiritual

family life.

Jesus says,

love one

another.

Love your

spiritual

family.

You see,

I've bought

them at such

a great

cost,

the cost

of my own

life,

and I've

given my

life to

them so

that they

could be

your

brothers

and be

your

sisters.

They can

be your

spiritual

father or

your

spiritual

mother,

the

spiritual

offspring in

your care

because I

love them

and I

want you

to love

them.

Love

them.

Uphold

them.

Be

patient.

Bear with

their

failings.

Members

then,

they uphold

one

another in

this

holy

brotherly

love.

There's a

great phrase

I want us

to see

just at the

end of

verse 2

and we

need to

note it

so carefully

and look

for it

in our

Bibles.

You see

that phrase

verse 2

the end

one

another

one

another

each

and every

time we

see those

words

in the

scriptures

we should

automatically

think of

our

brothers

and

sisters

in

Christ.

So who

are my

brothers and

sisters in

Christ?

I am to

love like

this.

What's in

view here?

Well yes,

we can say

all Christians

regardless of

their church

affiliation

are to be

considered.

That's

absolutely

true.

Johnny on

his travels

to Ghana

and Johnny

must love

his brothers

and sisters

that he

meets when

he's in

Ghana.

As he has

opportunity

he must

do good

to them.

But I

believe that

there is a

special bond

for those

that Christ

has brought

us close

together

in a

local

church.

Those

within the

local

fellowship

for which

there is

this

special

ongoing

covenantal

bond.

You see

we can

multiply

examples

of this

one another

language

from the

other

New

Testament

letters.

And I'm

going to

take one

of those

sheets

from

some

because

I forgot

to give

one to

myself.

But let's

just read

the ones

from Romans

if you want

to turn to

the sheet

or just

listen.

Listen to

the language

and think

of your

brothers and

sisters

in Christ.

Romans

12

10

Be

devoted

to one

another in

love.

Honor

one

another

above

yourselves.

Live

in harmony

with one

another.

Do not

be proud

but be

willing to

associate

with people

of low

position.

Do not

be conceited.

It's a

great one.

let no

death

remain

outstanding

except

the

continuing

death

to love

one

another.

Whoever

loves

others

has

fulfilled

the

law.

Therefore,

let us

stop

passing

judgment

on one

another.

Instead,

make up

your mind

not to

put any

stumbling

block or

obstacle in

the way

of a

brother

or sister.

Accept

one

another

then,

just as

Christ

accepted

you in

order to

bring praise

to God.

I myself

am convinced,

my brothers and

sisters,

that you

yourselves are

full of

goodness,

filled with

knowledge,

and competent

to instruct

one

another.

Greet

one

another

with a

holy

kiss.

All

the

churches

of

Christ

send

greetings.

You

see,

we make

the most

sense of

the New

Testament

writings on

loving

one another

when we

consider

local

church

membership.

It's

in that

ongoing,

covenantal,

long-term

love and

commitment

that's

marked by

humbly

upholding

one another

as

brothers

and

sisters

in

holiness.

Jesus

says,

love

one

another.

And the

Bible's

realistic about

the struggle

and difficulty

that it is

to love

in a

sinful

world

where our

brothers and

sisters are

not perfect,

yet

healthy

church members

still covenant

together in

the midst

of sin.

They share

their food

and their

homes.

They look

after the

sick,

look after

the elderly.

Brothers and

sisters greet

one another

warmly.

They're patient

when they're

offended.

They're long

suffering in

their grievances.

They accept

one another.

They don't

give up

easily.

They rebuke

and they

correct one

another in

love so

that Satan

will have no

opportunity to

sow discord.

They forgive

one another.

This is

church.

So members

live out their

lives as a

community of

love together,

but that

community must

gather together

as a local

church body.

And the word

church has that

idea of

gathering or

assembly built

into it.

I don't know

if you know,

but I'm not

an expert on

Greek, but

the Greek

word literally

means just

that, a

gathering.

The word

church is

built into

it, the

idea of

gathering.

And that

idea of

gathering has,

for God's

people, has

its origins way

back in the

nation of

Israel, Mount

Sinai, when

God said to

Moses to

gather the

people before

him or

assemble the

people before

him, God's

people,

before God.

And Jesus,

when he talked

about the

church, he

said, I

will build

my church

or I

will build

my gathering.

The

church is

not just

about, it's

no less than

this, but it's

not just

about individual

faith in

Christ.

It's not

just about

individual

Christians.

It is

seen in

the gathering

and

assembling

of saved

people as

a local

church.

And we

sometimes speak

about that,

like, don't

we, on a

Sunday, we

talk about

our Sunday

morning time

as the

gathering, or

a gathering,

and that's

very purposeful.

We assemble

on Sunday,

the Lord's

Day, as

his gathered

people, his

church, his

assembly.

healthy.

So healthy

members will

come together

to practice

the spiritual

disciplines and

graces that

God has given

to us as a

gathered people.

There's many

spiritual disciplines

we practice

ourselves as

believers, yet

there are many

that we can

only do as a

gathered people,

as a church.

Let's look at

Ephesians chapter

five and

verse 15

for some

ideas of

what it

looks like

and what

these

spiritual

practices

are.

Ephesians

five and

verse 15,

be very

careful then

how you

live, not

as wise,

unwise, but

as wise,

making the

most of

every

opportunity

because the

days are

evil.

Therefore

do not

be foolish,

but instead

understand what

the Lord's

will is.

Do not

get drunk

on wine,

which leads

to debauchery.

Instead

be filled

with the

Spirit,

speaking to

one another

with psalms,

hymns, and

songs from

the Spirit.

Sing and

make music

from your

heart to

the Lord,

always giving

thanks to

God the

Father for

everything in

the name of

our Lord

Jesus Christ.

Submit to

one another

out of

reverence.

You see,

Paul is

encouraging the

church to

be filled

with the

Spirit and

to speak

to one

another through

songs and

music.

We read

earlier from

Hebrews and

the writer of

Hebrews instructed

the believers to

not forsake meeting

together, but

instead to spur

one another on to

good works.

If we look in the

book of Acts, we

read about the

early believers, the

first believers in

Jerusalem, and they

gathered together.

They devoted

themselves, it

says, to the

apostles' teaching,

to the breaking of

bread, to

prayer.

Remember the

church in

Antioch.

They gathered

together and

they prayed

together and

they set

apart Paul and

Barnabas for

missions work.

So New

Testament churches

gathered together.

They gathered for

many reasons.

When needed, they

gathered to pass

judgment and

discipline on

those who had

brought disrepute to

the church body.

Paul provides, I

think this is a

good example again

of instruction to

the church in

Corinth on how

they should conduct

themselves.

So let's turn

briefly to 1

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter

14.

And again, the

nature of looking

at this topic, we

need to look at a

few different

passages because

again, it's not

taught just in one

place, but it's

woven into the

fabric of the New

Testament, this idea

of membership and

gathering.

1 Corinthians 14

1 Corinthians 14:26–33

verse 26 to

33.

I'm not going to

read the whole

section, but just

note verse 26 and

verse 33.

What then shall we

say, brothers and

sisters, when you

come together, each

of you has a hymn or

a word of instruction,

a revelation, a

tongue or an

interpretation.

Everything must be

done so that the

church may be built

up.

Down to verse

33.

For God is not a

God of disorder, but

of peace, as in all

the congregations or

gatherings of the

Lord's people.

Being a healthy

member of the body

of Christ involves

this regular pattern

of gathering together

as a church.

You see, our

spiritual, our

personal spiritual

disciplines and

preferences don't

trump the spiritual

disciplines and

graces that the

Lord has given to

us through his

church.

They're not to be in

conflict.

They should

complement.

Christ loves his

church and calls his

church to gather in

local communities,

local outcroppings of

the true heavenly

gathering.

church.

I don't know what

everyone's attitude is

to church or

gathering on a

Sunday.

In many ways, I'm

speaking to those

that are here who

show their desire to

gather.

But yes, I think at

different times, we

need to make a

conscious decision,

don't we, about being

committed to the

gathering.

To some of those who

are in first year of

secondary school, they

finish Sunday school,

and they're with us

now in the service

and they've gained

more freedom.

And you know, I

know it's hard at

that age, or maybe

any age, but

particularly at that

age, there's things

happening on a

Sunday.

There's birthday

parties, there's a

Saturday night away,

there's the match at

12pm that's hard to

resist.

And so, young

people, as we think

about church and

gathering, we have

to resolve to honour

Christ and his

family above those

other good things.

And the strength to

do that isn't found

by looking inwards,

particularly, or by

being guilted by

your parents or

maybe by your

pastor or elder.

It's not going to

cut it, ultimately.

The strength to

gather regularly is

found in the habit

of looking to

Jesus.

Looking to Jesus'

death on the cross

in our place,

following him in the

strength of the

Holy Spirit.

The more we look to

Jesus, the more we

love him, the more

we should love his

family.

It means knowing

that good things

come to us through

being here on a

Sunday.

And Christian, you

must also remember

that he has, God

has given his gifts

very widely.

I do not have all

that I need to

function as a

healthy member of

the body of Christ.

I can't do all

that I need to do

or change in all

the ways I need to

change apart from

the body.

We can turn back

to Ephesians 4 and

11 to 13 and see

there that it was

the whole body as

the gifts were

distributed that

grew and changed

and matured until

the whole church is

brought to

completeness and

fullness in Christ

as we minister one

to another.

So can I encourage

you to pray for

our gatherings?

Pray as we come

together on a

Sunday and as we

gather, especially at

our members meetings

as well, that if the

church gathers that

we would love one

another, that we

would honor Christ,

that we would care

for one another,

that we would gather

in a good order that

shows our love for

Jesus and his body.

For sincere

Christians hurt or

abused by a church,

commitment like this

to a local church

can be a very slow

and understandably a

very hard process.

And I think we

must make some

sense of the

shameful ways that

some local churches

or institutional

churches have

acted.

We want to say

that we see

Christ when the

church gathers.

When the church

gathers, we can

see Jesus.

But how can we

see Jesus in

abuse?

How can we see

Jesus in

scandal?

Given such

failings, we

can understand

that people

turn aside from

church and

begin to look

elsewhere for

Christ.

I just want to

give three ways

briefly that can

help us to think

through our love

for Jesus and

his church in the

midst of failings.

Firstly, we need

to admit that

churches fail.

Leaders are

sometimes

characterized by

unrepented and

gross sin rather

than humble

service.

Good structures

within the life

of the church

can be and

are abused.

And when we

see or even

directly experience

abusive leadership,

we should in

most cases

flee.

Flee.

Flee.

For the sake of

your own heart,

for your family,

for your witness to

the other members

that are sane,

and your witness

to a watching

world, we

should not lend

our credibility

to an abusive

church.

Secondly, the

New Testament

church, as we

read about, knew

of abuse and

scandal.

What we read in

1 Corinthians,

where Paul is

encouraging good

order in the

church, Paul was

writing to a

church that was

filled with wrong

and shameful

practices.

We had wealthy

Christians dominating

poor Christians in

the life of the

church.

There was sexual

relationships happening

in the church that

the world was ashamed

of and the world

would have covered

up, and yet the

church, it was

happening openly.

There was chaos and

hurt when the church

gathered like this,

and pain at the

gatherings and the

meetings.

Paul still calls

them saints at the

start of the

letter.

And with apostolic

authority, authority

given by Christ, Paul

calls them back to

follow Jesus, to

follow Jesus.

You see, the

prescription for a

sick church isn't

less order and

greater individualism.

That's not the

prescription for the

problem.

It's this, it's

repentance through the

power of the Spirit

that's seen in a

love for Jesus.

Having the Spirit

work and change us

so that we obey

his commands, that

we put sin to

death, that we

love one another,

that we do good

works and persevere.

You see, that's

what makes a

healthy church.

Not less order

and greater

individualism, but a

proper prescription

of a love for Jesus

and a love for his

people.

Third thing, and

this is very

pertinent to us as

a family of

believers, we must

hold one another

to account.

You see, members

appoint elders and

deacons in this

church and members

welcome new

members and where

necessary, members

remove leaders or

other members.

You see, Carraghline

Baptist Church is a

congregational-based

church government.

What does that

mean?

Well, among other

things, this, that we

believe that Jesus

himself gave the

keys of the kingdom

to the gathered

congregation when he

said in Matthew 18,

tell it to the

church.

Jesus says that the

final court, when it

comes to issues of

sin and abuse and

bad practice, it's

not in the end the

elders, although it's

good to speak to the

elders.

It's not in the end

a Christian that you

meet up with at

Starbucks for coffee.

It's not a bishop or

a presbytery, but it's

the church.

It's the gathered

body, the members.

I think our best

protection for the

life and witness of

our church is to

know the mind of

Christ through the

gathering of the

church members as we

listen to the spirit

through his word.

All of this matters.

All of these things

matter as our witness

of Christ to a

dying world.

This is the last

point.

All that we spoke

of, our humble life

together as we love

one another, our

meeting together in

good order, our

patient discipline of

one another as we

bear witness to the

reality of a risen

saviour to the

people around us.

All of these things

hold together and

bear witness to

Christ.

This is one of the

greatest themes of,

the great themes of

the Peter's letter,

1 Peter.

And let us just look

briefly at some

verses from 1 Peter.

This theme that the

worked out membership

of the church as

believers work that

out in practice, it

bears witness to the

love of Christ to the

world.

We're going to look at

two passages.

1 Peter chapter 2 and

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

verses 11 to 17.

If I can get to the

right location.

1 Peter 2, 11 to 17.

And I'm just going to

focus on verses 11, 12

and 17.

Dear friends, I urge

you as foreigners and

exiles to abstain from

sinful desires which

wage war against your

soul.

Live such good lives

among the pagans or

those that aren't

believers that though

they accuse you of doing

wrong, they may see

your good deeds and

glorify God on the day

he visits us.

Down to verse 17.

Show proper respect to

everyone.

Love the family of

believers.

Fear God and honor the

emperor.

You see, we're coming

back to this again,

aren't we?

Where we started, if

you want to bear witness

to Jesus in a corrupt

and broken world, God

says above all things,

love your family.

Love the family of

believers.

If we turn over to

chapter 4, look at

verses 7 and 8.

The end of all things

is near.

Therefore be alert and

of sober minds that

you may pray.

Listen to this.

Above all, love each

other deeply.

Because love covers

over a multitude of

sins.

Above all, love each

other deeply.

You see, love is an

action that keeps no

record of wrong, but

forgives as the Lord

forgave us.

This is why Jesus

said, by this everyone

will know that you are

my disciples.

If you love one

another, a unique love

that the world cannot,

cannot, cannot offer.

Jonathan Lehman has a

short book about church

membership and he puts

it like this.

You see, it's through

the lives of its

members, the local

church defines, defines

love for the world.

Jesus says, greater

love has no one to

lay down his life for

his friends.

And then he calls us

by saying, if you love

me, keep my commands.

This is a combination

that the world just

does not understand.

But this is the love

of God.

Love and holiness

are not opposed to

one another, but

partner together to

lead people to God.

Our holy life

together, marked by

walking in love and

gathering as a church

body, is God's

witness of the love

of Christ in the

world.

One brief application

or challenge maybe as

we finish.

Maybe I'd like you to

go away and think

about this.

How would you begin to

help a fellow

Christian, maybe

someone in this

church that says,

well, I get more

out of listening to

online sermons and

songs at home and I

meet up with a

couple of friends

during the week to

pray.

I get more out of

that than I do out

of being part of a

local church and

gathering on a

Sunday.

How would you begin

to challenge that or

to think about that

from God's word or

to see why that may

not be sufficient?

Finally, I was

asked about church

membership recently

and the question was

this, it was a good

question.

What more would I

have to do if I was a

member?

What more would I

have to do if I was a

member?

I hope that you see

this morning that a

member isn't about

being another type of

Christian with additional

responsibilities that are

tagged on.

Membership is about

realizing what it means

to be a Christian

within a family.

The call is to love

one another, to bear

with one another, to

pray for one another,

to gather with one

another.

This is all expressed in

our church covenant,

which is part of our

church constitution here

in Carragoline.

I was able to share that

with the person asking the

question and to reassure

them that it's not about

more, but it's about

continuing to love the

church family as they

were already doing.

I'd like to finish with

sharing these words from

the covenant.

Recognizing our own

unworthiness and

inability and in total

dependence upon God, we

now covenant to give

ourselves first to God

and then to this local

church.

That we will endeavor to

walk in holiness and

brotherly love, being

concerned to honor God

in our lives and

encourage one another to

love and good works, to

pray for one another and

to bear each other's

burdens.

That we will at all times

be loyal to each other,

being patient with one

another's weaknesses and

failings, seeking to

maintain unity and avoid

all causes of division.

That we will endeavor to

meet together on the

Lord's Day and all other

meetings of the church as

we have opportunity,

encouraging one another by

our attendance to pray for

and encourage the officers

of the church in the

discharge of their duty.

Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you for the

love that you have shown to

us through your son,

Jesus Christ.

We thank you that he has

died in our place so that

we could be accepted by you

into your family.

We thank you for one

another.

Convict us, Lord, of our bad

attitude at times to one

another.

our desire for self above

others.

But help us, Lord, to

change, to grow into all

fullness, to become more

like Jesus through the life

of this church in

Carragoline.

For your glory and to bear

witness to the world around.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.