Tuesday March 31

Read Genesis 3

The Bible speaks clearly about the source or origin of evil. God created a perfect world where all was in harmony with His plan and design. Humanity existed in a perfect relationship with God - a virtual paradise.

But satan tempted Adam and Eve to turn their back on God. He tempted them to disobey God. They did! God had earlier told them  "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Satan’s temptation involved eating from the one tree (out of the millions created) that God had said not to eat from. When they ate of it, God upheld His word.

At that point death, disease, sin, evil, wickedness etc entered the world. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the paradise (which the Bible calls Eden). The world soon became a place of mayhem, lies, murder and rebellion.  Read the first 12 chapters of the Bible and notice how similar it sounds to our own world!

You and I live in a world outside of God’s paradise. We live in a world that has chosen to disobey God. We live in a world sweltering under the consequences of its own actions.

But as you’ll see in the conclusion, the Bible is the story of how God reverses mankind’s sin and brings him back to that perfect paradise. God will not let evil and suffering rule the world for ever. He will bring it to an end.

Monday March 30, 2015

COMING UP THIS SONDAY

If I Were God...

Read Psalm 22

Before we begin any thoughts this week about Easter and what transpired 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, take the time to finish the sentence, “If I were God I would…”

   

I can almost guess that your answer has something to do with evil and/or suffering the world. I can almost guess that you’ve thought of and possibly mentioned something horrible, something wrong and/or something you know should not have happened or be happening.

Evil and suffering! Perhaps the biggest road block for people coming to faith in Jesus Christ is the problem of evil and suffering.

All of us have asked ourselves, ‘If there is a God, why does He let such immense suffering happen? Why doesn’t He intervene? Why doesn’t He stop the suffering?’ Many people have lost loved ones and/or suffered tragically and have cried out these questions from the very depths of their being.

Many people refuse to believe in a loving God because of the state of world around them. Many people choose to ignore God because they themselves have suffered immensely.

As we study the problem of evil and suffering, you may be surprised by what you find out.

While we look at suffering and evil, we do not wish to minimize your suffering or to down play it. Rest assured. There is a God and He cares deeply about your hurts and pains and the agonies of the world.

Saturday March 28, 2015

Read Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:7-13

Having discussed the issue of church membership all this week there would still be, no doubt, people who are antagonistic to membership. Several would quote biblical arguments for avoiding local church membership.

 Several argue that the references to the body of Christ are single and that there is only 1 body of Christ, namely the church. They would no doubt quote Romans 12:4-5, 1 Cor 12:12-13, Col 3:15 etc. And the argument goes that if you are a member of the one body of Christ then you don’t and shouldn’t be a member of the local body of Christ.

But Paul calls the church in Corinth the body of Christ (12:27). He calls the gathering in Galatia, the church and so on. Such language does not negate the truth that there is one universal church and that each believer is a member of that universal church.  The gathered church was expressed locally and in each “church” it was expected that there would be a church government, church discipline and mutual edification of each other. All of these presuppose and can only work when there exists a knowledge of who belongs to the church and who doesn’t. As we have seen all week, there is an overwhelming indication throughout the New Testament that people gathered in the local church were to be committed to that particular local church. Church membership is simply a commitment to the local church. It is not based on anything except genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Several people seem opposed to the public declaration of commitment to the local church. Again, they argue that when one is converted they are joined to the one universal church. That much is true. But in the New Testament baptism was a public declaration of the work of God in one’s life and through baptism one was accepted into the earthly church. At ChristLife church baptism is still a sign of the grace of God in someone’s life and is still the point of admission into membership of the church. But others who transfer into the church from other churches may have already been baptised. Rebaptism is not an option. For these, membership is still an option and to show their commitment they are asked to publicly state their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their commitment to the body of Christ in this particular location. 

In Romans 16:1 and other places, letters of recommendation were used to introduce people into a new church.  Several denominations still have such letters, called disjunction certificates or transfer certificates, which allow people to be recognised by new congregations as genuine bona-fide believers. Many denominations see this as a transference of membership from one local church to another.

Unfortunately almost every church has seen a waning of commitment across the board and the movement of people as soon as such issues as discipline become necessary. Some people are happily swapping churches and denominations to avoid discipline.

Contrary to popular belief among the membership-skeptics, membership does not change the body of Christ from a living organism to a dead corporation. It does not mean some will be more favoured than others. It does not mean that rules and regulations overtake and replace the grace of God. It does not mean only a certain class or group of people can join. It does not mean that you are stuck for ever and a day in that one particular church.

Membership is simply a way for you to express your commitment to your local church. Are we ready to be committed?

Prayer:

Based on today’s reading passage and notes jot down your own prayer points.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Ask the Lord to bring a growing sense of commitment among your church and throughout all the churches in this land. Pray that commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ would bring a growing commitment to each other.

Discussion & Reflection

1. Discuss your views on church membership. 

2. Discuss whether they have changed or not.

Friday March 27, 2015

Read Ephesians 4:1-16

Church membership is nowhere commanded in Scripture. But that alone is a very very very shallow reason to assume that one does not have to become a member of their local church.  It is simply assumed to be the norm for believers and appears consistently throughout the New Testament. It’s also assumed in the biblical injunction for elders to rule and shepherd over the church and for the church to be involved in disciplining members as needed.

The New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ. The use of this phrase in context suggests that the local church is called the body of Christ. Without committed membership the body of Christ image is farcical. It’s absurd to think that the body of Christ is simply made up of whoever decides to turn up Sonday at church or conversely that the local body is made up of all believers in the wider church. Rather, the body image itself suggests and testifies that the people of God are committed to Christ and to each other, a commitment symbolised and made public by membership in the local church.

Within this body of Christ image, God has called every member to a life devoted to the growth of the body. This has already been seen in our sermon on 1 Corinthians 12. There we saw that 1 Corinthians 12:7 was a key verse.

1 Corinthians 12:7

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

It’s simply impossible to apply this verse without being committed to the local church. This verse, with its surrounding context, compels us to be committed to the local church. Similarly, Ephesians 4:1-16 shows clearly that the body is meant to work together, grow together and reach unity of faith together as each part does its work. Anyone who has worked with people will tell you that such change as described in Ephesians 4 does not happen over night. God, when He gave us this Scripture, was not envisaging a short term commitment or an overnight stay of people in the church. It was written assuming that believers would commit to a local church. Such commitment is shown and expressed through membership.

Added to this, Scripture exhorts all believers to edify the other members by practicing the “one-another” commands of the New Testament (e.g., Heb. 10:24-25) and exercising their spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). Mutual edification can only take place in the context of the corporate body of Christ. While one-off acts of service and love are helpful and appreciated, growth and healing and relationship and godliness grow through ongoing commitment and love and service. Nowhere does Scripture enjoin us to be a people of only one-off actions. The “one-another” exhortations presuppose that believers have committed themselves to other believers in a specific local assembly.

As such we are called to love one another sacrificially, to forgive one another, to serve one another humbly, to bless one another, to give to one another, to carry one another’s burdens and so on. Such one-another commands cross all denominational bounds. We are called to treat all believers in this way but these commands find expression most clearly in the commitment shown through the local congregation. Church membership is simply the formal way to make that commitment.

Prayer:

Based on today’s reading passage and notes jot down your own prayer points.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray for a growing sense of one-anotherness in your congregation. Ask God to be growing each person in their comprehension of your love for them, their salvation and grace so that the ‘one-another’ commands flow naturally out of their lives.

· Pray that this one another mindedness would greatly grow your church as others see you as Christ's disciples and are drawn into His love.

 Discussion & Reflection

1. Jackson is willing to commit to the local church but refuses membership. What is a biblical way forward?

2. Find as many ‘one-another’ commands as you can and discuss what each one means, what it would look like and one way to do that command.

Thursday March 26, 2015

Read Matthew 18:15-20

Regarding membership in the local church, we have seen that the accepted practice throughout the entire New Testament was that a new convert would immediately join a local church and be committed to that group. We also saw that the existence of church government through elders and the commands given to them and the congregation suggest strongly that committed membership was the norm rather than the exception throughout the New Testament Church. We also mentioned in passing yesterday the idea of church discipline. Today we delve deeper into an area that many of us would rather ignore - the area of church discipline.

In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines the way the church is to seek the restoration of a believer who has fallen into sin - a four-step process commonly known as church discipline.

First, when a brother sins, he is to be confronted privately by a single individual against whom he has sinned (vs 15). If he refuses to repent, that individual is to take one or two other believers along to confront him again (vs 16). If the sinning brother refuses to listen to the two or three, they are then to tell it to the church (vs 17). If there is still no repentance, the final step is to put the person out of the assembly (v17; cf. 1 Cor. 5:1-13).

The exercise of church discipline according to Matthew 18 and other passages (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 3:10-11) presupposes that the elders of a church know who their members are and that these members are committed. Without committed membership, a difficult situation can easily arise. If, for example, person A has been attending Peevesville Church for some time and needs to be disciplined then without committed membership, person A can simply leave the church and attend another church. In fact, this is no hypothetical example - it’s a common problem in most churches so much so that discipline rarely happens. Many ministers and elders are reticent to discipline because it will almost invariably lead to a reduction of church numbers and/or giving. In fact, disciplining the wrong person could lead to a severe reduction in both.

Even worse, without committed membership couples or groups of people could indulge in sin and move churches when confronted to avoid discipline. They could continue to indulge in sin and attend church without ever being confronted about their sinfulness! 

Discipline was seen by many of the late reformers as one of the marks of a true church. Given that discipline has all but fallen by the wayside, in unison with the fall in commitment and membership, these reformers would not see many of today’s churches as true, genuine and biblical churches. But the fault is not always on the leadership. Many godly leaders have sought to follow godly discipline only to find the person in question moving to another church. Some even move more regularly to avoid any chance of being found out, challenged or disciplined by the church.

 Prayer:

Based on today’s reading passage and notes jot down your own prayer points.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray that each and every believer in your church would be willing to be a member of your church and that they would joyfully submit themselves to the leadership/eldership.

· Pray for the missions that your church supports.

 Discussion & Reflection

1. Should the church be involved in discipline? Why or why not?

2. How can the church cope with the decline in commitment that allows people to run to another church instead of being confronted with their sinfulness?

Wednesday March 25, 2015

Read Hebrews 13:17, Acts 14:23

Yesterday we saw that the consistent pattern throughout the New Testament was that people joined the local church immediately upon their conversion and baptism. Effectively, they became church members, if we choose to use today’s terminology.

Another pattern seen throughout the New Testament is the existence of church government. The consistent pattern is that a plurality of elders is to oversee each local body of believers (Acts 14:23). The specific duties given to these elders presuppose a clearly defined group of church members who are under their care and discipline. The responsibility to care for, shepherd and discipline people who are not committed to the church is an impossible task. Only in the context of committed membership could this system of care and shepherding function.

Among other things, these godly men are responsible to shepherd God’s people (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2), to labour diligently among them (1 Thess. 5:12), to have charge over them (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17), and to keep watch over their souls (Heb. 13:17). Scripture teaches that the elders will give an account to God for the individuals allotted to their charge (Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:3). These responsibilities require that there be a distinguishable, mutually understood membership in the local church. Elders can shepherd the people and give an account to God for their spiritual well-being only if they know who they are. They can provide oversight only if they know those for whom they are responsible; and they can fulfil their duty to shepherd the flock only if they know who is part of the flock and who is not.

While the above does not imply that leaders will avoid caring for or shepherding non-members, we need to realise that the elders of a church are not responsible for the spiritual well-being of every individual who visits the church or who attends sporadically. Rather, they are primarily responsible to shepherd those who have submitted themselves to the care and the authority of the elders. This is done through church membership.

Conversely, Scripture teaches that believers are to submit to their elders. Hebrews 13:17 says,

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

The question for each believer is, “Who are your leaders?” The one who has refused to join a local church and entrust himself to the care and the authority of the elders has no leaders. For that person, obedience to Hebrews 13:17 is impossible. In fact, many anti-membership people take their stance because they do not want to submit to the elders. Again, they make excuses for their stance but God calls for submission, not excuse making!  Some would say that they submit directly to God and to God’s Word. As soon as you read Hebrews 13:17 you’ve made a mockery of that statement. You’re actually sitting in judgment of God’s Word because you are choosing which bits to obey and which bits not to obey. A dangerous precedent indeed!

Prayer:

Based on today’s reading passage and notes jot down your own prayer points.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray that every believer in your congregation would willingly and joyously sit under the authority that God has given the elders/leaders in your church. Ask the Lord to grant repentance to those who continue to withhold their submission.

· Pray that the leaders/elders in your church would be men who hold to the characteristics of 1 Tim 3 and who regard the Word as their highest authority. Pray that these men would be godly  men who love the Lord and display more and more the qualities of Christ in their lives.

 Discussion & Reflection

Jonty and Jackson speak over morning tea about this week’s reading notes and comment that their elders are not worthy of respect and submission. They agree to continue their stance of defiance.

1. What would be a godly thing for Jackson and Jonty to do?

2. What could the elders do in this case?

3. If these men were in your group, how would you advise them?