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Follow Me
Moving on Towards
Spiritual Maturity

Lesson 15: What Are My Responsibilities As A Member Of The Church?

"Unless the fellowship in the Christian assembly is far superior to that which can be found anywhere else in society, then the Christians can talk about transforming power of Jesus till they are hoarse, but people are not going to listen very hard."
                                                                     - Mark Littleton

The Church, as God intended it to be, is a totally different kind of community. Energized by the life and the Spirit of Christ, its people and how they lived were to be a demonstration of what God's power could do.

In the previous lesson, we have seen a demonstration of this in the life of the early New Testament church (Acts 2:42-47). They had no elaborate structures, no formal organization, and employed no complex programs, fanfare or gimmicks. Just one thing: the Spirit of God moving and energizing them as they were obedient to the Lord in showing concern for one another.

The modern church should do no less!

In our lesson, we would learn about our responsibilities as members of the local church.

The Ministry of Strengthening

1. Exhort To Follow God's Will

All Christians are tasked with speaking the truth in love, so that we may grow up (Eph. 4:15, 16).

According to Hebrews 10: 24, 25, what is our responsibility to other
believers?

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What is meant by spur? How can we put this into practice?

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2. Console During Times Of Pain

Pain is a reality of life - especially of the Christian. The task of the body of Christ is to sympathize with or console those hurting ones.

According to 1 Corinthians 12:26, what should be true of the church? How should we see this in practical terms?

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1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11

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1 Peter 3:8
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3. Share To Meet Basic Needs

The word fellowship actually means sharing. It came from the Greek term koinonia, which can be translated, to have things in common.

1 John 3:16-18

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Acts 4:32-37
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The Ministry of Healing

We are tasked with mending the parts of the body which are weak and disabled. The writer of Hebrews says: "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees! Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled but rather healed" (Hebrews 12:12, 13).


We have two basic responsibilities in line with this ministry.

4. Rebuke To Awaken To The Reality Of A Problem

That's the first stage towards healing - making one realize that he or she has a problem.

This person will not seek for a solution unless he knows that there is a sin threatening his spiritual walk with God.

In Matthew 18:15-17, the Lord Jesus gives some guidelines when dealing with sinning believers.

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5. Restore By Showing The Way To Recovery

Restoration is the second aspect of the healing process. It involves helping the person overcome his sin after he has realized his problem. 

Galatians 6:1

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The Ministry of Prevention

6. Protect From Moral And Theological Corruption

Sometimes, corruption comes from without (external influences) like the media or people outside the church. Other times, corruption comes from within (internal factors), such as a member of the church giving a poor example.

In any case, we have a responsibility to protect the flock from moral or theological corruption. Allowing these to influence the church would do great damage to it.

Heb. 12:15, 16
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Read Revelations 2:12-17.

What critical mistake did the church in Pergamum commit? What steps of actions were prescribed to reverse this?

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Don't Forget.

7. All these responsibilities listed are to be done with Fervent Prayers.

Ephesians 6:18

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More than anything else, the church family needs the commitment of each member to pray for all of its endeavors. This will ensure the progress of the church, and the success of its varied ministries.

Preparations for Next Lesson

1. Answer Lesson 16.
2. Memorize Galatians 6:1.

The whole material can be downloaded in PDF file.

Copyright(c) 1995 NICKY JOYA
EBFC, Inc., Mandaluyong City
Philippines

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