What Does it Mean to Be a Church Member? Part One: Expectations
1 Timothy 4
Groups of all kinds have requirements and expectations to be a member. They may be explicit, assumed, or even unenforced. To be a church member, there are expectations, responsibilities, and relationships. This week we focus on expectations.
What should your expectations be for the church? As part of the greater body of Christ, through your church you should expect to be challenged by the Word of God in all areas of belief and behavior as a follower of Jesus.The church is all about disseminating the Word of God in such a way that it impacts your life. If you are not feeling the significance, your church is letting you down.
Additionally, you should expect a reasonable level of personal ministry from the leadership of the church. Your deacon is an assistance to the pastor to serve your spiritual needs and help you in times of personal distress. Just as in the early church, deacons help the pastor to distribute aid among the members. Likewise, the pastor is called as overseer of his flock and is chiefly responsible for their spiritual welfare. You should expect these leaders to perform their roles for the congregation as outlined in the Bible.
What should the church expect from you? Expectations are a two-way street, so as a member certain things are expected of you, too. These are separate from responsibilities, which will be discussed another week.
Loyalty- As a church member, you are expected to united together with others in spirituality and purpose.
Commitment & Sacrifice- As a church member you are expected to have an attitude of devotion, both to the church and to fellow members.
Maturing as a disciple of Jesus- Being a disciple of Jesus involves learning the teachings of Jesus and applying them to your life. Growth in the Word is expected as a church member.
Expectations are a gift, not a burden. When people expect something of you it means you have given them reason to believe in you! As a church member you can believe in others
This service was streamed live to Facebook on October 6, 2019.
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Other sermons in this series: