"RIGHT CHURCHING"-HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM THE

COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS NOEL ABDULLAHI

WHO NEEDS THIS MESSAGE?

CHURCH MEMBERS CHURCH LEADERSHIP = ALL OF US

WHY DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS?

YOU CAN NOT GET THE FULL BENEFIT OF BEING IN A LOCAL CHURCH , IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO "CHURCH RIGHT". BEING IN A GOOD CHURCH IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO ACESS ALL THAT GOD HAS MADE AVAILABLE IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH, YOU MUST "CHURCH RIGHT" OR PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO ACESS THE BLESSINGS GOD HAS PREPARED FOR YOU VIA THAT CHURCH

THE DANGER OF NOT CHURCHING RIGHT IS THAT INSTEAD OF BEING BLESSED ONE MIGHT END UP PUTTING HE OR HERSELF UNDER A CURSE. ( 1 CHR 13:1-14 )

1 COR 10:1-11 ; ACTS 5:1-4; 1COR 11:28-30

WHAT IS A LOCAL CHURCH?

A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek non-profit corporate status.

WHAT IS A LOCAL CHURCH?

The local church represents a spiritual home for the believer; it can be typed as zion in the scripture (Obad vs 17; Heb 12:22-24).

THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOCAL CHURCH

EVERY LOCAL ASSEMBLY HAS ASSIGNED TO IT A KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT IS BASED ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY THAT GOD BLESSES THE CHURCH. THE SPIRITUAL FORCE OF A LOCAL ASSEMBLY IS THE AGGREGATE OF CHRISTLIKENESS AND KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE CHURCH HAS.

THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOCAL CHURCH

THE LOCAL CHURCH SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A SOLUTION CENTRE BUT AN EMPOWERMENT CENTRE, WHERE THE SAINTS ARE EMPOWERED TO DO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY. YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE CAN NOT BE DISCONNECTED FROM YOUR LOCAL CHURCH, THEREFORE YOU MUST GET IT RIGHT.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

•IT PROVIDES A PLATFORM WHERE BELIEVERS CAN BE NURTURED TO MATURITY-PART OF MATURITY IS KNOWING THE DEFINITENESS OF YOUR PURPOSE AND WHERE YOU FIT MICROSCOPICALLY AND MEGASCOPICALLY.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

•IT IS THE ARENA IN WHICH THOSE IN THE FIVE FOLD MINISTRY AND OTHER MINISTRIES ARE FIRST DISCOVERED AND TESTED. •APPOINTMENTS OF BISHOPS, ELDERS AND DEACONS (TITUS 1:6-9). •PROVIDES PRAYER BACKUP FOR THE CALL ON THE ASSEMBLY

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CHURCH RIGHT?

•CHURCHING RIGHT IS THE COMPLIANCE OF THE BELIEVER TO THE ORDER AND DOCTRINE OF HIS OR HER LOCAL CHURCH

•IT HAS TO DO WITH THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL CONNECTION THE BELIEVER HAS TO HIS OR HER LOCAL CHURCH

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CHURCH RIGHT?

IT HAS TO DO WITH ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BELIEVER TO THOSE SET AS OVERSEERS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BELIEVER TO CATER FOR THINGS AND PEOPLE WITHIN HIS OR HER CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE IN THE LOCAL CHURCH -"THE RESPONSIBLE CHURCH MEMBER MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND TO SOMEBODY“

EPH 4:16

PERSONAL GUIDE TO "RIGHT CHURCHING"

ROM 12:3 (4-21)

2ND TIM 2:19-21

BENEFITS OF "RIGHT CHURCHING"

•CHURCHING RIGHT HELPS US WIN THE "WE" BATTLES OF LIFE-ACTS 4:23-32.

•FASTTRACKS THE MATURITY OF THE BELIEVER (EPH 4:14-16; 2ND TIM 3:5-10)

•FORSTERS UNITY IN THE CHURCH- EPH 4:1-7

BENEFITS OF "RIGHT CHURCHING"

•ENABLES THE MINISTER TO DISPENSE GRACE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY-2ND COR 9:8

•HEIGHTENS THE BELIEVERS SENSITIVITY TO THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELIEVERS. (ACTS 4:32-35)

OBSTACLES TO "RIGHT CHURCHING"

•EGO -ROM 12:3

•SPIRITUAL APATHY-ROM 12:11-12

•WHEN THERE ARE OTHER MOTIVES FOR BEING IN CHURCH OTHER THAN THE LOVE FOR THE TRUTH-PHIL 2:21;

OBSTACLES TO "RIGHT CHURCHING"

•WRONG INFLUENCES WITHIN THE CHURCH, EITHER FROM THE LEADERSHIP OR CHURCH MEMBERS-2ND THESS 3:6; JUDE 16, NUM16:1-3

•LACK OF FOCUS -1 COR 7:35; JAMES 1:8 •COMPARING OURSELVES WITH OURSELVES-ROM 12:6-8

OBSTACLES TO "RIGHT CHURCHING"

•NOT WALKING IN LOVE- 1COR 13:1-13

CONCLUSION-PRAYER POINTS!!!

AM I BEING NURTURED OR AM I JUST ADDING TO THE NUMBERS

DO I LOVE THE TRUTH?

DO I LOVE AND HONOR THE BROTHERHOOD- 1 PET 2:17

CONCLUSION-PRAYER POINTS!!!

DO I JUST MUMMUR AND COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT SEEMS NOT TO BE RIGHT IN THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY AND DO NOTHING ELSE.

WHAT IS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHURCH VISION AND OBJECTIVES

IN WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN I CONTRIBUTE-THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

CONCLUSION-PRAYER POINTS!!!

WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THIS MINISTRY RIGHT NOW? "DO I KNOW OR AM I LOST".

WHO AND WHAT HAS GOD ASSIGNED TO ME

WHO IS GODS APPOINTED AUTHORITY OVER MY LIFE