What does a Healthy Church and Healthy Church Member Look Like?

1. What does a Healthy Church and Healthy Church Member Look Like? Week 12: What is a Healthy Church Member? Is Truly Converted Biblical evangelist March 24, 2013

2. A Healthy Church Member is Genuinely Converted Review: • The story of Curtis and Kenny • Of the people interviewed for church membership • 40% said at some point they did not understand the Gospel even though they were members of a Church. • John Wesley: In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society (meeting) in AldersgateStreet, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle of the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while the leader was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

3. A Healthy Church Member is Genuinely Converted Matt 25: 31-46: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

4. A Healthy Church Member is Genuinely Converted • God delights in saving the lost. • Luke 19: 10: For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. • We have clear guidance on who truly belongs. • Matthew 7: 17-20: So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. • 1 John 2: 3-7: By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

5. A Healthy Church Member is Genuinely Converted • It is a spiritually healthy thing for us to do a self-examination of our heart: • 2 Cor 13: 5: Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! • Phil 2: 12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, • 2 Peter 1: 5-11: For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

6. A Healthy Church Member is Genuinely Converted Ephesian 2: 4-9: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. The great Scottish theologian John Murray put it this way: • The faith and love of the believer have their ebb and flow. They are subject to all sorts of fluctuation, but the security of the believer rests on the faithfulness of God…. It is on the determinativeness and stability of God’s gifts that our hearts must rest if we are not to be driven about by the fluctuating tempers or temperatures of our own experience

7. Do we walk in the light or in the darkness? (1 John 1: 6-7) • Do we love God the Father or do we appear to love the world? (1 John 2: 15) • Do we love other Christians? (1 John 3: 14-15, 18-19; 5: 1) • Do we have the testimony of the Holy Spirit that we are children of God ? (Rom 8: 15-16; Gal 4: 6; 1 John 3: 24b) • Are we persevering in the faith? (1 John 5: 4-5) Questions that we need to be able to answer concerning ourselves.

8. A Healthy Church Member is a Biblical Evangelist Motivation for our Evangelism • We sin because our affections are misplaced. • The way to stop sinning is to have a heart that is in love with God 1 Peter 1: 8: Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

9. A Healthy Church Member is a Biblical Evangelist Romans 1: 16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Hebrews 4: 12: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. • When you Evangelize be sure to convey 3 things: • Luke 9: 62; Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” The decision is costly and must be considered carefully • Luke 12: 20; But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ The decision is Urgent so make it soon • John 10: 10; The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. The decision is worth it.

10. God promises the world we all want. (Revelation 21-22 and Mark 5) • Jesus shows us Gods new world (Mark 4-5 and Mark 8) • We have spoiled God’s good world. (Genesis 1-3) • God promises a new world. (Genesis 12 and 15; Romans 4) • We cannot create God’s new world. (Nehemiah 9 and Ezekiel 36) • We can enjoy God’s new world because of Jesus. (Mark 15-16) • Christians are God’s people waiting for God’s new world. (Acts 1-2) Gospel Outline

11. Be personal rather than preachy • Make Christ central, tell Christ’s story through our story • Be honest • Include the relevant individuals and churches • Avoid jargon. Talk as you normally talk Telling Our Story

12. A Healthy Church Member is a Biblical Evangelist Format for Sharing your Story • Before and After: • What was my life like before I received Christ? • When did I first become aware of God working in my life? • How did you come to understand the Gospel? • How did you receive Christ? • What changed after you received Christ? • What are your goals and ambitions now?

13. A Healthy Church Member is a Biblical Evangelist Format for Sharing your Story continued… • Always believed • The present; What does my faith in Jesus mean for me today? • The Past; How did you grow in into your relationship with God? Who were the key influences? • The Facts; Why are the gospel events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection so important to me?

14. Class Outline What 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 book Week 8: Biblical Discipleship. • What is a Healthy Church Chap. 12 Week 9: Biblical Church Leadership. • What is a Healthy Church Chap. 13 What is a Healthy Church Member Week 10: 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 11: A Healthy Church Member is Gospel Saturated and Genuinely Converted. • What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 3 & 4 Week 12: A Healthy Church Member is Genuinely Converted and a Biblical Evangelist. • What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 4 & 5 No Class on Easter Week 13:A Healthy Church Member is a Committed Member. • What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 6 Week 14: A Healthy Church Member Seeks Discipline and is a Growing Disciple. • What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 7 & 8 Week 15: A Healthy Church Member is a Humble Follower and a Prayer Warrior. • What is a Healthy Church Member Chap. 9 & 10