The Church - Week 7
Sunday, October 25, 2020
In the first 6 weeks of “The Church” series, we answered the questions “Why do we need to be taught about the church?”, “What is the church?”, “What is the purpose of the church?”, “Why does the church gather for worship together?”, “How do we live on mission as the church?” and “What is real community in the church?” This week, we look at why church membership is important.
At the beginning of the sermon, Jason said “The structure helps us experience the substance.” Other than the church, what are a few examples of structures that help us experience or enjoy the substance? (Sports field, coffee mug, well-written book, etc. Be creative. Have fun with this one.)
What is your history with church membership? Have you ever been a member of a church before? If so, would you consider it a meaningful membership?
Reread the key passage: I Corinthians 12:12-27.
Why is Paul’s metaphor of “body” so key in describing the importance of church membership?
Why is our American culture so afraid of commitment? How does this fear/hesitancy toward commitment manifest itself in the American church?
Jason gave 4 reasons why church membership is important:
It helps give us a place to serve.
It helps commit us to a family of care.
It helps connect us to leaders we esteem.
It helps provide us with a community for accountability.
How are you currently serving the church? If you’re not serving right now, what is keeping you from it?
How does Acts 4:32-35 help us see the “family of care” that Jason described?
How could our group grow as a “family of care”?
As a church member, why is it important that we “esteem our leaders”? What does it actually look like to esteem them?
How can accountability and church discipline remind us of Christ’s love for His church?
Have you had a significant experience with accountability or church discipline that eventually helped you see Christ’s love for you?
In this series on “The Church”, what are 1-2 significant things you’ve learned or been challenged by so far?