My next step is the Ministry of Fellowship that is to be the Church.
And how this is put into action.
Helping Rom. 15:1-3 “We who
are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please
ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is
written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” As
members of the body of Christ , we need one another
and we must learn to care for one another. A healthy church is taking interest
in those who need help, being ready for every good deed in order to meet
pressing needs.
Encouraging
Heb. 10:24-25 “And
let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let
us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us
encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Believers must be challenged to encourage one another in the areas of the
Christian life. This could be done through small groups which provide for individual
sharing, encouragement, and accountability.
Disciplining Matt. 18:15-20 “If
your brother sins against you, go and show him hi fault, just between the two
of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will
not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be
established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen
to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church,
treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “ I tell you the truth,
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth
agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in
heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Church discipline is not an option. It is vital
for the purity, power, progress, and purpose of the church. Without this
restorative ministry, conditions continue which defile, weaken, hinder, and
divert the church from its holy calling. However, discipline must be
carried out with biblical attitudes, motives, and goals.
Counseling Rom. 16 the personal greetings chapter of
Romans is a good case in point. Here the new believers that had been brought up
and taught in the faith where urged to hold fast to what had been taught to
them. As believers within the body are built up in the Word, trained for
ministry, and exercise their gifts, they should naturally be able to meet many
of the counseling needs within the church.
Church as a Team 1 Cor. 12:4-11 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
Here we see that even though we have different spiritual
gifts that we are still one body each piece being brought together to bring the
one body to a stronger whole. Recognizing the body concept and learning to work
together as a team with every believer knowing and using their gifts is
critical for the proper and effective operation of the body of Christ .
Sharing, Giving
Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer.”
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