I. The Church Video

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II. The Church Transcript

The Bible presents every person living in this world as someone in need of God’s forgiveness for the corruption that exists in human nature. In Psalm chapter 32 verses 1 through 2 in the ESV, the Bible says: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

The people whose transgressions against God are forgiven are known as the Church. In the New Testament, the Church is the people who have received forgiveness from God for everything in their lives that the corruption in human nature causes. We believe this corruption presented to us in the Old Testament makes it harder for God to accomplish his goals in this world, and the local Church is a group of people committed to supporting each other in their struggles to gain freedom from that corruption together.

I have some important thoughts about the Church membership to share with you.

Church Membership

The first thought I want to share with you is about Church membership. Let me state my first thought in the form of a question. The question is this: who does God accept as a member of the Church?

Anyone who God has forgiven for the corruption that makes it harder for Him to accomplish His goals in this world is recognized as a member of the Local Church. This kind of forgiveness comes with a change of heart that Jesus Christ referred to in John chapter 3 verse 3 (ESV) when he said “unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

This idea can also be found in the letters written by the Apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 (ESV) he wrote that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come.”

If you have not had a change of heart, a moment when you realized you were somehow not yourself anymore, you are not recognized by God as a member of His Church.

Discussion Question:

#1. Has there been a moment in your life when you experience a change of heart that Jesus Christ called being born again?

#2. Do you see more and more evidence that the old way of life has actually passed away and a new way of life is becoming more and more obvious each day?

Church Fellowship

Now let’s take a look at another important thought about the Church. I will put this thought in the form of a question for you as well. The question is this: what do I gain from being faithful to a small group of believers within a local Church?

The main benefit to Church fellowship is to have a smaller group of believers within the local Church where you live. Church Fellowship allows you to have a community to support you when you are struggling to learn how to reject the corruption known as the Works of the Flesh and embrace the Fruit of the Spirit in new lifestyle God wants to develop in your life to repair the damage caused by the corruption in human nature.

The kind of struggle that I am referring to can be seen in Galatians chapter 5 verses 19 through 23. This passage of Scripture clearly outlines the kind of character transformation that God can cause in our lives. In the English Standard Version of the Bible, Galatians 5:19-23 says this:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, against such things there is no law.”

Discussion Questions:

#1. Have you ever made any progress in gaining this kind of freedom?
#2. Have other people close to you noticed this kind of character transformation happening in your life?

Church Growth

I have a third thought about the Church to share with you. I will put my third thought about the Church in the form of a question, and that question is simply this: how does God cause a local Church to grow?

The local Church grows as men and women share the Message of Christianity with others in the ordinary moments of life. God will add new people to the local Church in your area when people have not heard the Message of Christianity before are approached by members of the Church who understand the truth about the corruption in human nature and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only solution and are willing to share it with others through building local long term relationships in the ordinary moments of life.

I want to encourage you to use prayer to ask God for help recognizing opportunities to share the Message of Christianity through your relationships. If we approach an entire family with the Message of Christianity at the same time, then they can make the decision to come to Jesus Christ together and begin the kind of character transformation into the fruit of the Spirit together, which will make church growth happen faster.

We also need to remember that Jesus Christ warned us in Matthew 10:16 (ESV) that “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” This warning about the wolves outside of the Church should motivate us to approach an entire family of unbelieving wolves as the same time so that family we want to reach can begin the character transformation process together when we take the Message of Christianity across the street or on the other side of the world.

Discussion Questions:

#1. Who can help you be wise as serpents and innocent as doves?