The Church

Ephesians 4:11-14, 5:25-32, and Philemon 2:12-15

Conversion is just the beginning of the Christian life. The journey begins here.
The new birth brings us the possibility of becoming Christ-like. The new birth revolutionizes ourselves, our motives, hopes, desires, our aim in life, but these must be worked out in our lives; they must grow. In working out our salvation, we must have a plan and that plan is a Church.
Man can’t work out his salvation by self any more than he can be a husband or father by himself. You must live in a home and have a family to be a good husband, so you must live in a church and be a good Christian in the fullest sense of the Word.

I: The difference between Sinner and Saint:
1. The spirit of God works thru the Christian.
2. God gives him the will to do.
3. God givbes him the power to do.
4. The 1st requirement to becoming a Church member is to admit you are no good.
5. The Christian knows his sin and is trying to do something about it.

II: Some Principles of a Church.
1. We must recognize our own imperfections.
a. The member that forgets that he is imperfect is a perfect target for Satan. He will forget to guard that part of his life that is subject to the devil.
b. Don’t expect perfection of others until you can deliver perfection yourself.
2. We must recognize others imperfections.
a. “Preachers may have clay feet.”
b. “Deacons may have filthy minds.”
c. We strive for perfection all thru life.
d. Jesus urged us to be patient and forgiving.
The perfect man won’t need these.
3. Each member must accept discipline. The most powerful groups are disciplined groups.
a. We must accept the discipline of doing a task for the glory of God.
b. It is an insult for the preacher to beg to do what you ought to glory in doing.
4. Share ourselves with Others.
a. Shame on a Christian without the feeling of sharing.
b. Responsible for one anothers welfare.
5. Energies must be pooled.
a. The Church is not a fort but an army.
b. Every Christian a witness a Missionary Preacher.
c. The Preacher is but a brother leading brothers to work for the Father.
6. New members go to work soon or never work at all.
7. The must glorious group in the world to belong to is a consecrated group of God’s people doing the fathers will. Will your church miss you when you are gone?

III: What is the Church like? The same blind and holt find their way to its doors.
1. A company of believers who have accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
2. The church is a school in which we learn Christianity, every member a learner, every member a teacher.
3. The church is a hospital, every member a patient, every member a doctor. A family, a building, a bride.