Week 4: What do we do?

Our roadmap

Our roadmap
Week 1: What is the gospel?
Week 2: Who are we?
Week 3: What do we believe?
Week 4: What do we do?
Week 5: What is baptism?
Next step: Fill in a member application form
Membership interview: Interview questions

We want you to know what we do. And so we work through our church covenant which is a written summary of how we behave within the church. And outside of it.

The local church

Under the headship of Christ we desire to be joined together with other like-minded believers in this local place, as an expression of the Church universal.

Romans 10:9-10, ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Hebrews 10:24-25, ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Why is it important to publicly declare your commitment to Jesus and His church?

The ordinances

We will uphold the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper, believing these to be a public expression of our faith and our willingness to obey God’s command as instructed in His Word.

Matthew 28:19-20, ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Romans 6:3-4, ³ Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

Luke 22:19-20, ¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26, ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Why is Baptism important for a believer?
What does the Lord’s Supper signify to you personally?

The gospel

We will proclaim the gospel believing this to be the means whereby sinners are convicted of sin and brought to salvation. To that end we will encourage evangelism and missions believing these to be the means whereby, the gospel is taken to the whole world.

Matthew 28:19-20, ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of[a] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[b] I am with you always,[c] to the end of the age.”

Romans 1:16, ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,[a] because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

Acts 1:8, ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Why is proclaiming the Gospel so important?
How can we effectively evangelize in our daily lives?
In what ways can we support missions both locally and globally?

Our responsibilities

We will strive to be consistent and regular in fellowship, corporate worship, prayer and instruction of the whole counsel of God’s Word.

Acts 2:42, ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God[a] and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Why is regular fellowship important for a believer’s spiritual growth?
How does corporate worship enhance our relationship with God and each other?
What role does prayer play in maintaining a vibrant spiritual life?
How can we ensure that we receive and apply the whole counsel of God’s Word?

The one anothers

We will strive to care for the needy, widowed, fatherless among us as an ongoing expression of our love, care and concern for one another.

James 1:27, ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 25:40, ⁴⁰ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Isaiah 1:17, ¹⁷ Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.

Why is it important for the church to focus on caring for the needy, widowed, and fatherless?
What are some practical ways we can support those in need within our community?
How does caring for the vulnerable align with our mission as a church?

Our sanctification

We seek to walk together in brotherly love and unity, expressing care, concern and watchfulness over each other, encouraging, urging and when necessary admonishing one another in the effort to be a healthy, holy and joyous body of Christ.

John 13:34-35, ³⁴ “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Ephesians 4:2-3, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Colossians 3:14, ¹⁴ Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

What does it mean to walk together in brotherly love and unity?
How can we effectively express care and concern for one another?
In what ways can we encourage and hold each other accountable in our spiritual journeys?

Our leaders

We will obey and submit to our leaders recognizing they are keeping watch over our souls as those who must give an account to God. We commit to pray for the leaders God calls and this body affirms, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ as overseers of this local church, that they may lead by example demonstrating godliness, consecration, sacrifice and submission to Christ as the head of the Church.

Hebrews 13:17, ¹⁷ Obey your leaders[a] and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, ¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you[a] in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Peter 5:2-3, ² Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing[a] out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not out of greed for money but eagerly; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Timothy 2:1-2, ¹ First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, ² for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Hebrews 13:7, ⁷ Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.

Ephesians 6:18-19, ¹⁸ Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.

What does it mean to obey and submit to church leaders?
How can we show respect and support for our church leaders?
Why is it important to understand that leaders will give an account to God?

Our holiness

We will seek to live according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, believing that God is holy and that those who seek to be called by His name must be holy too.

Romans 8:5-6, ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.

Galatians 5:16, ¹⁶ I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.

1 Peter 1:15-16, ¹⁵ But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; ¹⁶ for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

What does it mean to live according to the Spirit?
How can we support one another in pursuing holy living?
Why is holiness important in our witness to the world?

Our giving

We will cheerfully give financially to the church believing this to be a privilege and an act of worship, and the means whereby the local church facilities, its ministries and the witness of the church is sustained.

2 Corinthians 9:7, ⁷ Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.

Malachi 3:10, ¹⁰ Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.

Luke 6:38, ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Why is giving to the church considered an act of worship?
How does financial support sustain the church’s ministries and outreach?
What does it mean to give cheerfully and sacrificially?

Our commitment

We undertake – when leaving this church, to seek a new spiritual home as a matter of priority and a means of further expressing our commitment to our Lord, His Church and this covenant.

Philippians 2:2, ² make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Ephesians 4:3, ³ making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Why is it important to prioritize finding a new spiritual home after leaving a church?
How can we honor our commitment to this church’s covenant while transitioning to a new community?
What does seeking God’s guidance look like when considering a new spiritual home?

This week we wanted you to know what we do. And so we worked through our church covenant which is a written summary of how we behave within the church. And outside of it.

Membership matters week 4_ What do we do_Download