Week 7: What are the Important Marks of a Healthy Church?

1.Biblical Understanding of Church Membership Part 2

2.Biblical Understanding of Church Discipline

February 17, 2013

Important Mark # 3: Biblical Understanding of Membership Part 2

Review from last week:

Romans 13: 1-5: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Christians are subject to the authority of the State.

Review ContinuedChurches are different kind of organization then clubs or

charitable organization

Hebrews 13: 7; 17: 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith;

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.

Christians are subject to the authority of the Church.

Review Continued a little more…John 15: 4-6: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

The Church is an EmbassyWhat is an Embassy? It’s an institution that represents one

nation inside another nation. It protects its home nation citizens that live inside another nation and declares the interests of the home nation to the host nation.

Phil. 3: 20:  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Col 1: 17-18:  He (Christ) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church

Col. 1: 20: and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven

Col. 1: 24: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

The Church’s AuthorityMatt. 20: 25-28:  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Christian authority works by the tender, effective and heart changing power of the Word and Spirit, not by manipulative powers of persuasion and coercion.

What is a Church Member?The local church can exercise formal Church discipline on a

member.The local Church is:

a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to officially affirm and oversee one another’s

membership in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances.

Matthew 28: 19; Acts 14: 27; Hebrews 10: 24-26; Romans 6: 3-5;

1 Cor. 11: 26-29 and 1 Cor. 5: 1

Elements of a Church MemberElements of Church Membership:

A church body formally affirms an individual’s profession of faith and baptism.

It promises to give oversight to that persons discipleship

The individual formally submits their discipleship to the service and authority of this body and its leaders.

Important Mark # 4: Biblical Understanding of Church Discipline

Church Discipline is: the act of excluding someone who professes to be a Christian from membership and participation in the Lords supper because of unrepentant sin, sin they refuse to let go of.

2 Tim. 3: 1-5: But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

How Does the Process Work?Matthew 18: 15-17 provides the guidelines

First, address the sin privately. If that does not work then…

Return a second time with another Christian. If they still refuse to repent then…

As Jesus said, tell it to the church, and if they refuse still they are to be separated and treated like an unbeliever.

God is a Judge:His purposes sometimes are: corrective, redemptive and

restorative.Other times they are: retributive, vengeful and final Either way His judgments are always just!

Christians Judge Themselves1 Cor. 11: 27-28:  Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

2 Peter 1: 5-7:  Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral [a]excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

Rom. 12: 19: Never take your own revenge, beloved,but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

Biblical Example of Discipline1 Cor. 5: 1-5: It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Five Positive Reasons for Discipline It shows Love for:

1. The good of the disciplined individual;2. Other Christians as they see the danger of sin;3. The health of the church as a whole;4. The corporate witness of the church and, therefore,

non-Christians in the community;5. Finally the Glory of God. Our holiness should reflect

God’s holiness.

Class OutlineWhat is a Healthy Church

Week 1: The Church (What is a Healthy Church Chap. 1&2)

Week 2: What is the Church’s Purpose and Function What is a Healthy Church Chap. 3&4 and Article II

from PBC Constitution

 

What are the “Essential” marks of a Healthy Church

Week 3: Essentials of a Healthy Church What is a Healthy Church Chap 5, 6 & 7

Week 4: What the Church Believes Article III PBC Statement of Faith

 What are the “Important” marks of a Healthy

Church

Week 5: A Biblical Understanding of Conversion

What is a Healthy Church Chap. 8,

Week 6: A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism and

Church Membership Part 1. What is a Healthy Church Chap. 9 and 10 and

9Marks Church Membership book

Week 7: Church Membership Part 2 and Discipline. What is a Healthy Church Chap. 10, 11 and

9Marks Church Membership bookWeek 8: Biblical Discipleship and Church

Leadership. What is a Healthy Church Chap. 12 & 13

What is a Healthy Church Member

Week 9: A Healthy Church Member is an Expositional Listener and Biblical Theologian.

What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 1 & 2 and Listen Up booklet

Week 10: A Healthy Church Member is Gospel Saturated and Genuinely Converted.

What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 3 & 4Week 11: A Healthy Church Member is Biblical

Evangelist and a Committed Member. What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 5 & 6Week 12: A Healthy Church Member Seeks

Discipline and is a Growing Disciple. What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 7 & 8Week 13: A Healthy Church Member is a Humble

Follower and a Prayer Warrior. What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 9 & 10