CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

wan again what happened to him can we turn to the book of john chapter three let's remind ourselves of this thing so that we will be focused in the year 2023 as we are pressing forward and we will press forward towards the right thing john chapter three verse number three media can you help us jesus answered and said unto him verily verily i say unto us accept a man before he cannot see the kingdom of god i was telling our daughter here that the essence of our gathering here is to make heaven anything outside that is a waste of time and whatever it will cost you whatever it will cost me we should endeavor and i'm saying emphatically this morning that the only thing that qualifies you to make heaven is that you must be born again the man in question that we are talking about today he was a leader a spiritual leader a religious leader of his time and he started telling jesus all the miracles we are performing nobody will perform it except god is within jesus told him that is not the matter now very early very early i say unto you you must be born again choir member are you born again band member are you born again sunday school teacher are you born again born born born again i am born born again one one one again i am born body i am born it's okay it's okay you must be born again yes you must be born of the spirit of god can someone who is born again be stealing can somebody that is born again be fighting that someone who is born again be quarreling the bible make us to understand the book of galatians that the works of the flesh are there and he mentioned 19 things that are work of the flesh and any man who is born again who must be a member of the body of christ of the universal church flesh should not have control over your life any longer and i pray for you as i pray for myself that the lord will help us in jesus name when you are born again when you are saved you become a member of the universal church now what qualifies you to be a member of a local church by the grace of god next sunday i'll be preaching on what qualifies you to be a member of assemblies of god today is general because we are going somewhere the local church is a group of christians who meet and work together take note of that the local church is a group of christians now you have been born again and you have been made a member of the universal church and this all now is not a universal church but this is a local church and for you to be a member of a local church a local church is made up of group of christians this time around this is a group of born again christian this a group of men and women where they were saved who meet and walk underline the word who meet m-e-e-t who meet and walk and work together w-o-r-k we meet and we do what we walk together let's have that in the book of first thessalonians chapter number one verse number one let's look at the thessalonian church thessalonian chapter number one first thessalonian please chapter number one verse one media youtube are we together please let's be fast pause and see venus and simone onto which onto the church of what of the thessalonians which is in god the father now the thessalonian church is the who is in god the father and in the lord jesus christ grace be unto you and peace from god our father and the lord jesus christ now when paul was writing he was addressing a particular world church at this point in time as the law enables us in this series we will be looking at what makes a church to be called a church of god because there are many shrines here and here today that people put one big banner and call it was church then you will know what makes up a church or what should be seen in a church that is the church of living god now this church in particular the thessalonian church paul was talking to them he said so they chose the thessalonian church which is in christ jesus you know in the new testament we have the thessalonian church we have the roman church we have the vision church and you have the seven church awards in asia minor so there are different local churches and as we have different local churches these churches are made up of men and women who have been what say and they come together in a particular place to work together to do what to work together and the local church that is made up of people in one location who agree together and we know that scripture that says can two walks together except they do what so if you must be a member of a local church you must agree with the principles and the practices of that church if you are not ready to advise by the principles and the practices of that church for your own good sake it will be better to look for a place where you meet together and agree together on everything that they are doing there am i communicating now as a member of a local church what are your privileges number one you belong to a spiritual praise god you belong to who you belong to who if i call daddy okam my family member am i wrong if i call my family member am i wrong why we have been taught and redeemed by what by one blood which is the blood of who of the lamb and we always say that blood is thicker than water if we feel that our biological blood is stronger than water how much more the blood of jesus that was once shared on the cross of calvary can i ask you this morning what sin has christ committed that we have made him to share this world his blood but for me and for you because of my sinful life because of your sinful life that's the european song that says is oh the pain our boss he took it upon himself and he went through the suffering because of me you know sometimes when we see people today who are making mockery of this christianity is very appalling and and it's very disappointing when you look at jesus who has never committed any crime but because of you and my church he carried that cross and as he was carrying the cross moving to god where he will be crucified for you and myself somebody was there beating him somebody was there lashing him somebody was there but because he consider what will happen after he never bothered in fact he carried the cross and he was moving but today we make mockery of the same gospel i pray for us this morning that the holy spirit will minister more to us in jesus name as a member of a local church your privilege is that you are a member you have a family you have what a family i think uh the pastor i used to sing that song i love this family of who i love the if you love this family of god let me let me hear you shout hallelujah ah you are a member a spiritual member of a family and number two privilege is that this family will strengthens you and that is why i talk to the older christians the older christian role to play over new one is to work to strengthen their work their faith to strengthen their faith roman chapter 15 verse 1 roman 15 verse 1 roman 15 verse 1 say we then that are strong what what do we do do we bear the infirmities of who are not to please it is not the number of years you have stayed in the church it is not the numbers of years it is not to count the number of years is to serve as the motivation for who for those who have been coming behind now let me ask you this question can your life be a motivation to anybody your christian life can it be a motivation to anybody where is that passion in you that other people will see in those days there are people you see in our churches to say oh i just want to be like brother i be very because of his zeal and passion you know there are many um brothers in the church that you will be mistaking them for pastor am i communicating you will be mistaking them for who for pastor not because of their name not because of the title but because of the role they play in the church they are always every day if you call for free station they are there if you call for evangelism they are there if you call for prayer they are there are people we mistaken them for who for pastor and what are they doing they are strengthening the faith of who those who are just coming behind but it's your own christian killer that today thank god for the prayer evangelist google led he asked you a question the way you are now was that the way you were 20 years ago when you were pawning for the lord in the spirit when you are always there you are there for everything me i have a friend from school who is my general vizier why when school then he was a member of baptist church but he wasn't a child of god underlying my way he was a member of a baptist church but he wasn't a child of god he'll go to baptist church morning and when we are having christian fellowship in the evening in our school in the evening it will be part of people that will come and disturb us there they will be having fellowship in the class they will go nearby and be causing problems so that our attention with the world will be distracted but this god is a great god i told you is now a general overseer immediately we finished school 89 november a encounter christ 89 december and from january 1993 he had been carrying the cross the cross to preach the gospel i was with him on monday and he was sharing with me all the missionary activities is putting up in osho is from osho state and all the missionary activities is carrying out over there and when i went there with one of my friends he was telling that my friend what he was doing while we were in school he was telling that my friend why this one was already increasing we are troubleshooters we will go and drink and come and cause trouble he was a member of a church but he was still drinking the school attended we have over three classes for females who are teachers we have a catering department and if you are a young man in that in that school you don't have up to three girlfriend then you are not in that school because they are available just wake up in the evening go to under the mango tree they are there waiting for you you don't need to go to who's there to go and bring them out themselves are there waiting for you so this one you are seeing out there or two ladies where they used to learn of not be today's class you don't you don't this is but as a child of god a member of the church should you continue like that should you be living that type of life no no number three privilege you have mutual comfort in addition to the one you have received from god if anybody have anything now a brother or a sister approach you give you what comfort give you encouragement some of us we are here as a g member whenever we have some issues as it affects our personal life you will see brethren from deeper life am i communicating brethren from redeem brethren from one other church that are not our member that we want that we come around you knowing who you are a child of who a child of god to identify with you that is what we call mutual comfort in addition to the one you have received from who from and that was what paul was telling the corinthian brethren has it was writing to them in second corinthian chapter one from verse number three of second corinthian he says bless me the god and the father of our lord jesus christ the father of mercy and the god of all comfort the god of all comfort therefore he comfort us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of world so that we may be able also to do us to comfort those who i was in any kind of affliction through the comfort we ourselves receive from who from god may they can help us so that everybody will read it together for as the suffering of christ overflow to us so our comfort overflow through christ second corinthian chapter one yes second corinthian one media god will help you from verse number three not space number one from verse number three of second corinthian chapter one all praise to the god and father of our master jesus the messiah father of all mercy god of all healing counsel for us it comes along with us when we go through hard times and before you know it it bring us alongside someone else who is going through what hard time so that we can be what we can be there for that person just as god was there for us now the question is this have you ever been there for anybody some people will carry one big bible bigger than this my own they will tell you say this this heaven personal what personal race make i do my own but the scripture is saying what you must be there for order and listen if you are there for anybody today somebody will be there for you tomorrow i think i have told us one story here and my children used to tell this story every day of those men at any time i think i also remember in the catechism those days of a brother anytime there is a wedding a must attend what football match international match or west africa match it will not be in that wedding so on the day of his wedding this great and mighty god arranged it in such a way that after the church has given him approval there was one intercontinental match on that same saturday he wore his coat and went to church with his wife to be and every time they're going to turn like this to look who did for that who did for back whatever you show is that bible whatever you say you will you don't need anybody to tell you this thing must be done or the other one must be done when you see a brother that needs care that need help you should be there because when you will need help tomorrow somebody was will be there for you but your own you don't care and i pray that as we continue in our journey the lord will help us in jesus name now take note of this very important point and write it down if you care it is only those who are a member of the university or the local church rather that enjoys all these blessings not floaters not who talk to me not who say it again not who who there are people who are who floaters this sunday you are in a jubilee one next sunday you are in redeems the other sunday mountain of fire the other sunday you are in christian battle anytime the sectional program and ds is coming here he will come back here or anytime anybody's reach our dedication you will come back here you are not a member of this church hear it i hear it today you are who say let me hear you a floater next sunday we'll talk more on that you are a floater and all these things that we are talking because if you're having a challenge and you're not you're not a committed member of the church who we tell who we tell who that we are having was a problem and i know in this church there are many of you who may be listening to me now you just travel two three months no information and at your convenience you'll return back again and the next thing is that nobody cares in this church pastor no care medici no care you wake here why is it not customary and reasonable that when you are going to anywhere you should tell who i will show you from the scripture that's why i'm here that you should live your life in such a way that your pastor can give account of you it's in the bible so what type of life are you living that i will be able to do what to give account praise god obligation of a member of a local church you must bear one another's body you must do what come on talk to me you must do what you must do what bear one another's body galatians chapter six verse two bear one another's body galatians six two please give us the old kinjin first thank you bear ye one another's world and do what here ye one another's body okay give us the one you brought earlier stoop down and reach out to those who are worth they don't hear that stoop down and do what reach out to those who are worth share their bodies and so complete christ's law share their words their bodies who is that man or woman that has been oppressed that you have ever reached out to me stoop down come down consider the pain consider the thing that our brother or that sister is going through because as a member of the same body of christ such a woman must be assisted or beheld for here is this here this one today there are people that are there waiting for everybody to help them and they don't have anybody to what to help i call it cheating in the name of the lord what did i call it cheating in the name of the lord when a brother have a problem you may not have what it takes that's your small 20 naira or 200 naira when others are contributing do what contribute your own but your own you don't have anything to contribute you don't have anything to contribute that is cheating fingers are not works fine but is anyone without finger you know we are made to understand of a particular man when thieves enter his house and they say bring bring bring bring he told them fingers are not equal they say okay if fingers are not equal we will teach you that fingers can be what equal and they ask him to put his hand on the table and they use what knife to shut it off so that the fingers can be what can be equal do what do what encourage one another he preached after three verses 12 to 14 he preached after three verses 12 to 14 see to it brothers that none of you has a sinful unbelieving world has that turns away from the living and the dead and the living and the dead and the living and the dead and the living and the unbelieving world has that turns away from the living god but encourage one what encourage one another world as long as the score was today so that none of you may be hardened by sinful deceitfulness you will not be hardened we have come to share in christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we have at work at first do you have confidence at first are you still marching forward or you are going backward you are going backward every day instead of you to move forward we should exhort one another exhort one another encourage one another if a brother is not here today or a sister is not here today the member of that sunday school it is your responsibility to find out who and who are not in the class today and what do we do before next sunday the sunday school teacher what are you doing two three persons were not in your class our brother the confederate for us 22 persons that came from january to last sunday and the sunday school had given me a report that we have 17 physicals during the month of february and i've asked them to go and find out which classes are those persons who are their sunday school teacher hello and i will get across to the sunday school teacher today if i cannot get across to you before service is over i will call you and let you know that you are one of those teachers of those classes that the sunday school gave me their reports go and find out those physicals so that they can become a member of the body of christ somebody shout hallelujah your obligation is to assemble together 24 and 25 of hebrew to assemble together and let us consider how we may fall we may do of one another on towards love and good deeds spoil spoil one another up spoil spoil one another up let us not give up meeting together let us know what as some are in the habit of doing but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day was approaching if i come here on tuesday i see uh is an encouragement to me if i come here on wednesday i see another person that person is what is an encouragement but see the hall now if people come here on tuesday and it is only 20 people or 15 people next week it takes a man who is physically to come back next tuesday because the speech the devil his mind is that in a smarter church it is only sunday sunday myself i will go next you are not scoring such a person you are discouraging such place but the bible said we should all encourage one another we should spoil one another those are our obligations to one another as a member of the local church number four we are to serve one another with whatever abilities we have whatever abilities you have to serve one another to care for one another and to seek peace to seek work peace this is a lunation supply this is a lunation supply from 11 media are you there first is a lunation supply from 11 now read therefore encourage one another and build order up and build each other work just as in fact you are what you are doing to help now we ask you brothers to respect those who walk among you who are over you in the law and who admonish you 13 we are going to 15 hold them in the highest world regard a law because of their work live in peace with what live in peace with world and we urge you brothers warn those who are idle encourage the teenage healthy wish be patient with everyone number 15 make sure that nobody pays back wrong for what is that your bible is that your bible but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else the lord will help us in jesus name these are our obligations to one another as a member of world of the local church and number six obligation you must withdraw from brethren who are walking disorderly you withdraw from them the same thessalonian second thessalonian chapter three let's go to second thessalonian chapter three now from verse number six second thessalonian chapter three thank you second please not first second thessalonian media in the name of the lord jesus christ we command you brothers to keep away to do us from everybody who is idle and does not live according to the teaching according to us the teachings you receive from us what do you do you keep away from them seven please for you yourself knows how you ought to follow our example we were not idle when we were with you eight now did we eat anyone's food without paying for it on the contrary we work night and day laboring and toiling so that we will not be a body to any of you verse nine we did this not because we do not have the right for such world help but in order to make a motive for you to do us to follow verse number 10 for even when we were with you we gave you this rule if a man will not work it's an hour 11 we hear that some among you are idle they are not they are not busy they are busy such people we command and urge in the lord jesus christ to us to settle down to do up and in the bread they eat settle down busy body running up and down having no business and as for you brothers never tire of doing what is worth having no business and as for you brothers never tire of doing what is worth what is right 14 and 15 please if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter take special notice of who if anybody does not take to the teaching of the word of god take what special notice of him do not associate with him in order that he may feel worse that is one of the reasons when they suspend somebody they say don't greet him is that true for today when the brother is being suspended somebody go know my person uh i am still your brother i am your brother not short we can agree for market you are my brother don't worry you go back home yes do not regard him as what but warn him do what do what do what warn him as who as brother isn't war ever true changing me and changing you is every member has his privileges or our privileges and you also have your obligations not only privileges you also have your words obligations membership for the benefit of those of you who are coming from other churches to assemblies of god i will continue from there next week membership in any local church is not automatic it's not what say it to me let me hear you now let me hear you now membership in any local church is not what is not automatic and you have liberty to say i don't want to be your member you have the liberty and that is why we always tell you when you come in for the person we have a newcomer clan when that man in us let's get to the book of acts of apostle i think as of apostle chapter eight now let's see what happened in the book of acts of apostles before that man was baptized acts of apostles chapter eight verse 31 to 39 to 39 so they shot throughout all judea no this is nine okay chapter eight from verse 31 how can i he said unless someone guides me i'm guiding you now so he invited philip to come up and sit with him now the scripture passage he was reading was this it was led like a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb is silent before his shadow so he does not open his mouth in his humiliation justice was denied him who will describe his generation for his life is taking from the air now follow enough reply to philip i ask you who is the prophet saying this about himself or another person so philip proceeded to tell him the good news about who about who good news about jesus beginning from that scripture as they were traveling down the road they came to some water they did not say look there is water what will keep me from being baptized and philip says if you believe with all your heart you may and they reply i do all i believe that jesus christ is the son of god then he ordered the shadows to do us to stop and both philip and the enough went down went down to where they went down to the water and a baptizing when they came out of the water the spirit of the lord carried philip away and enough did not see him any longer but he went on his way rejoicing because he has now become a child of god so it was not it was not philip who baptized the by force he was the one who asked questions as a result of the teachings he has he has asked he said what can i do now now there is water and he said you must be what you must be baptized so membership in a local church is not automatic you have to make sure you volunteer yourself you must sought for it ask questions what does it take to be a member of this very church and let me remind you like i always do the church is both an organization and organizing and as an organization it has a structure that must be followed and the structure is that you must be born again and after you have given your life to christ you go through water baptism a path and one of the ordinances of the church may the lord help us in jesus name and as a general church when somebody is coming in for the first time and the person wants to become a member we must be ready to extend fellowships to that very person to wake up the person that is fellowship let's see that in the book of acts also acts chapter 9 acts chapter 9 verse 26 when he came to jerusalem what did he do he tried to do what to join the disciples but they were all afraid of him not believing that he was really a disciple they were afraid of him i think you know the person we are talking about here it was for himself they were afraid of me but take note of verse 27 but banabas took him and brought him to who to the apostle he told them how saul on his journey has seen the lord and that the lord has spoken to him and how in damascus he has preached fearlessly in the name of who in the name of the lord so it was banaba now who gave a recommendation who does what he did what he gave a recommendation about him maybe next sunday i will show you that in the book of romance i'll let me show you romance is thing romance is thing and there you will know why i said to go use traveling paper praise god are we together are we together this is our church i commend to you our sister the traveling paper is what a letter of word commendation appalled was saying to them i commend to you our sister phobie a servant of the church in what area go ahead and i ask you to do what receive her in the lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help to give her what she may need from you for she has been a great help to many people including me now when paul was writing this letter to them it was recommended for me today many of us are speaking we bear witness to that we have received letters transport paper and the own pastor we indicate he or she is a new combat whatever you people can do to help do that to the world to help to establish him some people are not new member they are established already but they are just coming to that location for the first world for the first time and they will indicate it there whatever help you can maybe like accommodation i remember when i traveled to for that call for the first time my pastor wrote and asked whoever there should help i've never been there before that was my first time and i have to meet with the brethren in the church they have to assist me to get what accommodation is a benefit we enjoy as a child of god in a local church go ahead by three brother and i ask you to receive by the lord go to verse three please greet priscilla and aquila my fellow workers behold and cry they risk their lives for what for me not only i but all the churches of the gentiles are grateful verse five finally greet also the church that meet at their house greet my dear friend epinathus who was the first combat to christ in the province of asia this is where record matters the church kept records and this man was able to say a penance was who was the first combat how did he know a record was not taken the lord will help us in jesus name a person become a member of a local church when such member accept the rules that guide the organization he belongs to and i want to conclude by saying church membership is a worthy aspiration is a worthy world if you have never been a member before church membership is a worthy aspiration haven't known the privileges and haven't seen the obligation a membership in the church universal is necessary and is made possible through salvation but membership in the local church is needed for spiritual growth and study now the membership in the universal church is made possible throughout salvation but your membership in the local church is needed you need it so that you can grow so that you can serve praise god praise the name of the lord let's rise to our feet let's rise to our feet help your brother i want us to pray this morning are you a member of the universal church or are you a member of a local church the two are needed for you to be a member of the universal church you must be born again and the essence of you being a member of the local church is for service is for what and for growth so i want you to pray for yourself this morning i will give my church the gate of hell shall not ward ask god to help you ask god to help me and if there are persons here who have not given their life to christ who are not a member of the universal church let this message this morning serve as an encouragement to them so that they can serve the purpose of god pray pray to the lord so let's talk to the lord my dear brother are you a member of the kingdom of god you don't just come to church and hide you must be born again you must be a member of the kingdom of god and you must identify with the local church not only to benefit not only to benefit but to share in the building of the church thank god for this teaching this morning ask god to help you i help me the area you have not been doing well maybe because you didn't know some of us are just floating you come to church anytime you like nobody knows your whereabouts your Sunday school teacher cannot talk about you your departmental executives women cannot talk about you men cannot talk about you youth cannot talk about your whereabouts you are not a member of this church you are not a member of that local church if anybody if nobody can talk about you nobody can talk about you the lord will help us in jesus name i don't know whether the media can help us with him melodies of praise 52 have you been to jesus for the cleansing path are you washed in the blood of the lamb ah are you fully trusting in his grace are you are you oh oh me are you are you oh oh is is is oh oh oh oh oh oh oh is a question that you must give an answer to have you been washed have you been washed with this blood of the lamb have you been washed in the blood of the lamb in that soul cleansing blood of the lamb are your garments spotless are your garments white as snow are you washed in the blood of the lamb bow down your heads everybody i've got this money the blood of redemption which is the blood of jesus that was shed on the cross of calvary let it wash us clean let it purge us of every unrighteousness that we can stand before him at any given time if the call is made today talk to the lord talk to the lord church membership universal church membership universal church membership and a local church membership ask god to help you so that you can be part of the body of christ that will be raptured at the end and in the name of the lord will be glorified talk to the lord this morning brethren let's talk to the lord