Friendship

Friends & Family Check In - Sept 17

If you’ve ever hosted a party at your house, you know that you have different responsibilities than everyone else. Yes you might ask your friend to pick something up at the store on the way, but you are the one responsible to make sure your house is all cleaned up. In this message, Pastor Sean explains how the church has different responsibilities for those that attend as well. The church is to be hospitable to everyone but the church has a much greater responsibility to those who are a part of their local body. But in order to do this, there must be a distinction between who is in that family and who is not. Pastor Sean looks at what the Bible has to say about making these distinctions and what the responsibilities of being a member of a local church are.

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MESSAGE NOTES

Who Is In This Family?

John 1:12 –  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Ephesians 1:5 – God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

God Creates Specific Roles For Specific People

Ephesians 4:11-13 – Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

How Are They To Do This?

2 Timothy 4:2-3 – Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

To Each Other…

Romans 12:9-13 – Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

When We All Do Our Job

Ephesians 4:15-16 –  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

If you’ve ever hosted a party at your house, you know that you have different responsibilities than everyone else. Yes you might ask your friend to pick something up at the store on the way, but you are the one responsible to make sure your house is all cleaned up. In this message, Pastor Sean explains how the church has different responsibilities for those that attend as well. The church is to be hospitable to everyone but the church has a much greater responsibility to those who are a part of their local body. But in order to do this, there must be a distinction between who is in that family and who is not. Pastor Sean looks at what the Bible has to say about making these distinctions and what the responsibilities of being a member of a local church are.

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