rick warren, purpose driven life: section 17

A Place to Belong

Section 17 (pages 130-137)

Saturday 2 October 2010

Saint Antony 251, gave away all his vast possessions, begged an aged hermit to teach him the spiritual life.To serve God more perfectly, Antony entered the desert and immured himself in a ruin, building up the door so that none could enter...then the devils attacked him

You were called to belong, not just believe.

Even in Eden (perfect, sinless) God said it was not good for man to be alone.

The Bible does not speak about solitary Christians or hermits


Saint Antony 251, gave away all his vast possessions, begged an aged hermit to teach him the spiritual life.To serve God more perfectly, Antony entered the desert and immured himself in a ruin, building up the door so that none could enter...then the devils attacked him


The Bible says we are, “put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, and held together and will be caught up together.”

You are not on your on anymore.

Your relationship with God is personal - God does not intend it to be private.


...so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:5

Being a ‘member’ of the church originally meant being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the Body of Christ.

Nowadays we have reduced the idea of membership to something far less in value or importance.

What does church

membership mean to you?


...so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:5

Being a ‘member’ of the church originally meant being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the Body of Christ.

Nowadays we have reduced the idea of membership to something far less in value or importance.


In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we?

Rom 12:4-5 (TM)


If an organ is severed from the body it shrivels and dies - for a Christian to function properly they must be attached to a local church.

So just as we are members of Christ, we need to become members of the body of believers of Christ and that is by membership in a local church.


One of the first signs of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services and other gatherings of believers.

Whenever we become careless about fellowship, everything else begins to slide, too.


What does Matt 16:18 tell us about the church?



Church is on God’s agenda - it is indestructible and eternal.



Church is on God’s agenda - it is indestructible and eternal.Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.


I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.



2 Cor 11:2



2 Cor 11:2

When we dismiss or complain about the church it is like saying to Jesus, “I love you but I dislike your wife”



2 Cor 11:2


Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.



2 Cor 11:2


Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

1 Pet 2:17


Almost every time the word church is used in the Bible it refers to a local, visible congregation. The New Testament assumes membership in a local congregation.

The only time believers are not part of a local fellowship is when they are being disciplined.

Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependant on each other.

Your Local Fellowship


Why should I be part of a local church?

Why can’t I be a believer in my own home?

Is it ok to join an online community and have that as my

church?

Why You Need a Church Family


John 13:34-35

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

You are not the Body of Christ on your own - you are when you come together with people (often who are varied) - togetherness shows we are a body.

A church identifies you as a genuine believer


Church is the laboratory for learning how to be God’s family in practice - trying out unselfish love.

A church family moves you out of self centred isolation

Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other.


1 Cor 12:26

26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

1 John 3:16

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.


A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle


Participation in the full life of a local church is how you develop spiritual muscle.

Eph 4:16

Over fifty times in the New Testament the phrase “one another” or “each other” is used.

A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle


We are commanded to love each other, pray, encourage, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, hear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other, and many other mutual tasks.

This is biblical membership, and these are your family responsibilities.

Being holy means being holy around other people - untested holiness often leads us into deceiving ourselves.


God has a unique role for you to play in His family. This is called your “ministry” and God has gifted you for this assignment.

1Cor. 12:7 says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”

A Local fellowship helps you to identify and use these gifts - anything else is in addition to this role.

The Body of Christ needs you


The Church is God’s instrument on earth. As members of Christ body, we are His hands, His feet, His eyes, and His heart. He works through us in the world and we each have a contribution to make.

You will share in Christ’s Mission in the World


Paul tells us in Eph. 2:10,

“He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”


We are all ‘open’ to temptation. God gives us to one another to help keep us on track

Heb 3:13

We are responsible to help one another through times of temptation

James 5:14

A Church Family will help keep you from Backsliding


Also a local church provides spiritual protection from godly leadership.

What do you think is the role of ‘good’ leadership in a local church?

See Acts 20:28-29, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Heb 13:7, 17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

What do you think is the role of ‘good’

leadership in a local church?


Also a local church provides spiritual protection from godly leadership.

What do you think is the role of ‘good’ leadership in a local church?

See Acts 20:28-29, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Heb 13:7, 17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.


God’s purposes for the church are identical to his purposes for you, church helps meet your five deepest needs:

Worship helps you focus on God

Fellowship helps you face life’s problems

Discipleship helps fortify your faith

Ministry helps you find your talents

Evangelism helps fulfill your mission

It’s all in the Church


When you are born again you become part of God’s wider family - then you have to choose to become a member of a local expression of God’s family.

Do you attend, or are you committed to a local church?

Attend - spectate, consume, take the benefits

Committed - involved, contributing, responsible

Your Choice


Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

God expects the same commitment from you today - not only committed to Christ but to other christians too.


Point to Ponder:I am called to belong, not just believe.


Verse to Remember:

Romans 12:5


Question to Consider:Does my level of commitment in my local church demonstrate that I love and am committed to God’s family?


rick warren, purpose driven life: section 17

Spiritual

body of christ

body ofbelievers of

alocal church

living body

pure virgin

divine jealousy

god ispersonal god

wassinless god