Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
April 1, 2001 p.m.
Character Growth In The Church
Scripture Reading - Ephesians 2.19-22
All of us are interested in CHARACTER GROWTH... Or we should be.
Each of us should want to grow in CHARACTER.
I am talking about becoming all we can be as God’s child and children corporately.
Now... We must know tonight that CHARACTER GROWTH needs a proper environment...
· You don’t grow oranges in Alaska.
· You don’t learn about democracy in the University of Leningrad.
· We cannot expect to improve our character by living like the world... By allowing the
world to force us into its mold.
The best place for improving our character is in the environment of a Loving… Caring... Serving church family. Note with me verse 19 of our text... You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's household. Notice the words... Fellow citizens... members... and God’s household.
This verse teaches us three very important truths about the church...
First... The church is a family.
It is not a building... It is not a social club. It’s not just another organization or institution. It is not a religion... It’s not a doctrine to espouse. The church is a family... God’s family. Christianity means, that we are not only related to God as His children, but we are related to one another as fellow believers. The Christian without a church family is an orphan... Can I say that again... The Christian without a church is an ORPHAN.
Secondly... A Christian isn’t just a believer but a belonger.
Romans 12.5 tells us, In Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. In the New Testament... there was no such thing as a Christian without a church family.... Only in American do we have Lone Ranger Christians. Those who say... I’m a Christian but I don’t need the church.
Read Acts 2.47 again, God added to the church... to their number daily those being saved.
The Bible teaches that as saved ones... we belong to the church... the body of Christ.
Thirdly... Membership has its responsibilities.
Notice our text says members. In our culture... Church membership means nothing... It simply means our name is on a roll. But in the Bible... When one became a member of the church it meant that they were actively involved... In church... In family matters. Folk... Membership in God’s family is more than just being a spectator. It means we are to become a participant.
We’re not just a consumer... We’re to be a contributor.
We’re not just along for the ride... We are a part of the crew.
This is what it means to be a member of the body of Christ.
OK... What kind of church should we look for?
Now don’t put words in my mouth.
I’m not asking what denomination should we join?
You see, we’ve allowed the world to force us into its mold of thinking.
It’s not... Attend or join the church of our choice.. .It is God’s choice.
What church will help me grow in character and help me get to heaven?
First... Will it encourage me and help me stay spiritually motivated? Hebrews 10.25 says, Let us not give up the habit of meeting together... Instead let us encourage one another.
We all need encouragement... DON’T WE?
The Bible says the church is to be a place of encouragement.
Read the book of Acts again.... The early church:
Worshiped together,
Ate together,
Prayed for one another,
Helped one another financially.
The church is not a place to get hurt... wounded... or beaten up... But, where children of God are...
Helped...
Healed...
Edified...
And edified.
Listen to these phrases of encouragement addressed to New Testament churches:
Have fellowship with one another
Greet one another with a holy kiss
Love one another fervently.
Accept one another.
Prefer one another
Be devoted to one another.
Honor one another.
Serve one another.
Be kind and compassionate one to another.
Practice hospitality.
Confess your faults one to another.
Pray for one another.
Forgive one another as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Do you hear the encouragement in these verses?
Do you feel the warmth in this church environment?
We must search for a church that encourages us and helps us stay spiritually motivated.
Look for a church that helps us discover and develop our ministry? God not only created us with a need for relationships with one another. He also created us with a psychological need to feel worthwhile. All of us have a need to feel like our lives count for something. We need to feel like we’re making a significant contribution to something worthwhile. We need to feel that we’re not just on the planet taking up space.
Scripture tells us, the way to find this fulfillment is to do what God created us to do. This is what we call... Ministry. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Paul further develops this idea in Romans chapter 12.
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
You see, the good works we do are called ministry. Each member of God’s family is a minister.
Let me say something here that is very important... And that I hope you will understand...
If we don’t discover our ministry... We’ll never be happy in any church. People leave churches because they didn’t find their ministry. Elders, this is why it is so important, and that you concern yourselves with making sure each and every member of this church has a responsibility to take care of... A job to do.
Here it is church... The secret of contentment... fulfillment... and self-esteem is doing what God created us for... What He created us to do.
Fulfillment and self-esteem don’t come from status... It comes from service... from Ministry.
Do you think Jesus was content... fulfilled... and had good self-esteem?... WHY?
Because He was a servant... He was found doing what the Father wanted Him to do.
Do you think Mother Teresa ever worried about fulfillment and low self esteem?
Let me encourage you to look for a church that will help you discover your ministry and provide opportunity and encouragement to be involved in it.
Does it help me fulfill my mission in life? The moment we became a Christian, we were given a mission. As a Christian we are responsible for what’s called The Great Commission.
Jesus said... Go into all the world and spread the Good News... Make disciples... Teach others.
When life is over, God is not going to ask... how much money we made... BUT... What did you do about our Mission?... Well, I joined a church and went to services. Do we really feel that this is all that God is asking of us? We’re better Bible students than this aren’t we?
Paul understood this mission. Listen to him in Acts 20.24...
I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.
What was that mission Paul? What does he say it was? -- The task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Why does God leave us in this world after we become His child?
Why are we here instead of in heaven?
Why doesn’t God just zap us into heaven from the baptistry?
Because in heaven we can’t fulfill our mission of communicating Jesus to others... Verbally and by our example.
Church, we have a mission... Paul says... We are Christ's ambassadors... As though God were making his appeal through us. As a baptized believer, we represent Jesus Christ:
At work,
At school,
In our neighborhood,
On the golf course.
It is the duty of the church to help us fulfill our mission in life... To exemplify Jesus.
Once we know what kind of church we need to help us personally, what else should we look for in a church? I believe we must look for the church that pleases God.
We need to check out four things. Never place membership in a church without first checking out these four things:
Number one... Its doctrine. What do they believe?... What do they teach as truth?
Do they accept the Bible as God’s inerrant and complete word?
It’s not the Bible, plus our little book.
It’s not the Bible, plus denominational traditions.
It’s not the Bible, plus the concepts from the reformation or restoration movement.
It’s not the Bible, plus what some great church leader in the past said.
It’s just the Bible.... Does this church I’m considering believe in and use the Bible?
Number two... It’s worship style. Jesus told the woman at Jacob’s well... God desires worshippers that will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
First... He is saying that worship must move us personally to a closer relationship to God. The motive of the worshippers is to be correct. Worship is to be in the proper spirit. Check out the spirit of Old Testament worship... Singing... Dancing... Joy. Old Testament worship was a celebration... The Jewish feasts were times of celebration... Leviticus 23.32, in the King James, says... Celebrate the Sabbath. They were to worship with meaning and enthusiasm.
I’ve been in some churches where the service was like a funeral. Folk... God is not dead.
He wants us to be excited about Him and the fact that we are His children. Again, don’t put words in my mouth.. I am not saying that worship must be entertaining. The worship services are not to entertain us... But to GLORIFY GOD.
And at the same time, worship is to be edifying and uplifting to us. Worship is to be a joyous event
Second... At the same time worship is to be in truth... according to truth. Regardless of how edifying and uplifting a service may be, if it is not done according to God’s will... It is not pleasing to Him. The church at Corinth was conducting some very entertaining communion services, but in 2 Corinthians 11 we find that God was not pleased... Because they were not worshipping in his truth.
I believe the New Testament to teach that there are six aspects of Kingdom worship by God’s family today:
1. Singing songs... Hymns... Spiritual songs...
2. Praying...
3. Preaching and study of the Word...
4. Giving of our means...
5. Communion around the Lord’s table, and...
6. Fellowship.
Fellowship ought to be in this list because...
-The Hebrews writer says, Do not forsake the assembly... Our meeting together.
-Paul in 2 Corinthians repeatedly uses the phrase, When the church comes together.
-Acts 20 and 7 says, Upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together.
Folk... In the New Testament... First Day Of The Week worship was a corporate event... A fellowship event. There were no reports of Lone Ranger Christians in the New Testament record. Before you decide on a church... Examine their worship style.
Number three... Check out its mission. What is the mission of the church?
What should be the objectives... The goals of this church... Any church?
The goal of the church is the same as that of Jesus...
I came to seek and save the lost.
I came to call sinners to repentance.
I came not to be served, but to serve.
I came to do the will of My Father.
I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.
The prime objective of a church... this church... must be to seek and save the lost... to call sinners to repentance. The secondary objective is to serve others. And both are to be accomplished by doing the will of the Father.
When Paul consulted with the Apostles about his mission, remember what they said, as reported in Galatians chapter 4?
Preach the word, and.
Remember the poor.
Be sure you check out the mission of the church before you become a part of it.
One more before we stop... Check its organization.
First... Is the church autonomous? This simply means that it stands alone. There is no authority over the local church outside of Jesus through the Word. Ephesians teaches us that... Jesus is the head of the church and the Savior of the body. No man or group of men have any right telling a local church how to run their business. Any organization bigger than the local church is unscriptural. No such identity is found in the Bible.
Secondly... Do qualified men lead the church?
These Elders... as they are called... are:
To shepherd the flock...
To guide...
To feed...
To protect...
To discipline, and...
To oversee.
Our Elders are not here to rule over us by an overbearing... lording it over us type of rule... But to do everything humanly possible to help us grow in character... And help us get to heaven.
In His wisdom... God has provided an environment in which we can grow in character, in which we can become the people and person He has called us to be. That environment is... The church... His family.... His household... The body of Christ.
The question tonight is are you in God’s family?
He’ll add you to His family if you’re willing to... Have faith in Jesus as God’s Son... Repent of your sins... And be born again in the act of New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
Perhaps you’re here as a baptized believer and you’re looking for a church home.
We believe this church is one that will provide you with an environment in which you can grow in character.
We invite you to come, as we stand and sing this invitation song.
Will you come!!
