Behave as a Church Member

Dr. Christopher Powers

Description

Behave as a Church Member takes a look at how church members can use their spiritual gifts, which are given by the Holy Spirit, to grow more mature in their walk with Christ, edify the church by helping others, and glorifying Jesus Christ.
Behave as a Church Member takes a look at how church members can use their spiritual gifts, which are given by the Holy Spirit, to grow more mature in their walk with Christ, edify the church by helping others, and glorifying Jesus Christ.

Sujets

• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 27 mars 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664294677
• Langue: English

Extrait

BEHAVE AS A CHURCH MEMBER
 
 
 
 
 
 
DR. CHRISTOPHER POWERS
 
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 Dr. Christopher Powers.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9468-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9469-1 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9467-7 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023904487
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 03/27/2023
CONTENTS
Introduction
 
Chapter 1       How to Experience the Heart of Real Christianity
Chapter 2       Filled with the Spiritual Gifts of the Spirit
Chapter 3       What does the Spirit Give?
Chapter 4       The Leader Meets the Lord
Chapter 5       Crisis Management
Chapter 6       The Beginning of Discipleship
Chapter 7       What is Discipleship?
Chapter 8       What is Wisdom?
Chapter 9       The Importance of Prophecy
Chapter 10     Defend My Sheep
Chapter 11     Stirring Up God’s People
Chapter 12     Be Strong and Courageous
Chapter 13     The Power of Biblical Faith
Chapter 14     Can They See Jesus in Me
Chapter 15     Royal Ambassadors
Chapter 16     Becoming a People of the Towel
Chapter 17     Love Mercy
Chapter 18     God’s Jubilee
Chapter 19     The Lost Art of Hospitality
Chapter 20     Why Attend Church?
 
References
INTRODUCTION
The Birthday of the Chruch
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty) … (Acts 1:15 NKJV)
“Church members ought not to behave that way.” That is a phrase that has been said or thought at the end of a Wednesday night business meeting, Sunday gatherings, or even out in public. What is it, that causes church members to behave in such a way that is unbecoming of a follower of Christ? There are a number of reasons: feelings get hurt because something was said towards them, about them, or against them. Maybe they didn’t get their way in a decision that was made in the church. However, the majority of the time is the fact that they have not been taught, trained, or discipled on how to behave as a church member. Whose fault is that? Why are we not making disciples? Why are we not fulfilling the discipleship part of the great commission? What is interesting is that most church members tend to believe that discipleship is the job of the pastor and/or deacons of the church; when in fact it is the job of all mature Christian church members. There was this young woman, who was a member of a small church, who was so thrilled of the fact that she had completed a course in First Aid. One Wednesday night during Bible study, they were having a time of testimony. She gets up and begins to give her testimony. She said, “Let me tell you what happened to me. Out in front of my very own home there was a horrible automobile accident. An elderly man lost control of the vehicle he was driving, and went over the curb and hit a big oak tree head-on. He was thrown out of the vehicle onto the ground. He was unconscious and his pulse was thready. It was terrible site to behold.” But then she said, “I was the first one on the scene, and all I could remember from my First Aid training was to put my head between my knees so I wouldn’t faint.”
I am afraid in the church today, there are many members that have been trained to do the work and ministry of the great commission and yet have their head between their knees. However, there could be a number of church members that are attending church and just don’t know how to do ministry, share the gospel, or make disciples. They don’t know about the inner workings of the church, or all the essentials for being a church member. The world around us is in pain, suffering, economic chaos, evil at every turn, plagues and pestilence, and there are church members who are behaving as though they have their head between their knees. Listen, if you are behaving as a follower of Christ, then you will want to behave as a church member, because God has anointed, empowered the followers of Christ, members of the bride of Christ, to rescue the perishing, and to care for the dying; to lift up the fallen ones, the weak and erring ones, to tell them that Jesus is mighty to save. If we are going to behave as church members then we don’t need to be going around in our neighborhoods, work places, school, or everyday activities moaning and groaning or talking about living in the last days as if God were dead! If we are going to behave as church member, we don’t need to go around gossiping about the church you are a member of, nor about the pastor, deacons, Sunday School teacher, or other church members. If you are going to behave as a church member you need to remember why you go to church. A church member goes to church to gather with fellow believers in Christ, to gather in His name, in the presence of the audience of the One to worship Jesus Christ. However, this lack of discipleship, not being trained or just not knowing how to behave as church member is not the first time.
Take the early church for instance, they did not have all the things we find essential for success as a church. The did not have buildings, the early church began in an upper room, in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost. Think about what they were doing, they were being obedient. Notice what is going on before Jesus ascended into heaven, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with Holy Spirit not many days from now.”” (Acts 1:4-5 NKJV). So, the followers of Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost, are in the upper room praying, waiting, on the Promise of the Father. They did not have money or political power or social influence, they didn’t even know about church traditions. The early church had not been formed yet. I’m sure they didn’t even know how to behave as a church member. All they knew at this point was to behave as a follower of Christ; and Jesus said to go to Jerusalem and wait on the Holy Spirit. Then on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and the church was born. After the that day the church began to grow. Notice what is said, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47 NKJV). Listen, there is nothing wrong with a small church or a big church, however, there is something wrong with any church and its members when the church and the members are not behaving in an area where there is a lot of lost people, and not growing. There is something wrong when the church and church members are not fulfilling the entire Great Commission.
This newly born church was perhaps the largest church in the church history. Take a look at these facts. First of all, the newly born church started with just one hundred and twenty members (Acts 1:15). Then in Acts 2:41 it says, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” So, now the early church was at three thousand one hundred twenty. Then we read in Acts 2:47, that the early church was, “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Theologians don’t know how many this was, but just think, every day (day by day) souls were get saved and that was not just in a Sunday service. Another fact to consider is found in Acts 4:4, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” You have five thousand men, not including their wives and children, which is very possible that they were added as well. Now for argument’s sake let say each man had a wife and two children that would be 20,000 souls’ beings saved and added to the church. Let’s tally up to this point, the church went from one hundred twenty to three thousand one hundred and twenty, plus let’s say 20,000 the Lord was adding every day, plus we add the 20,000 from Acts 4:4 that comes to a total of 43,120 in just a few days after the Day of Pentecost. One last fact to consider, in Acts 6:47 it says, “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priest were obedient to the faith.” One time we are talking about adding (Acts 2:47) and now we are talking about multiplying. The early church was gro