Church Covenant

12 and mark that, and then we'll go from there to Ephesians chapter four. So, basically, we're gonna I'm a have you turn to three passages. They're up here on the screen. But before we get to those passages, we're gonna begin this morning by reading the church covenant. I am not gonna have you read it out loud with me.

I'll just read it and if you would follow follow along there. And then we'll talk about it a bit this morning and actually have a few messages that are connected to it over the next few weeks. MABC Church Covenant. I'm going to read just the the words of the covenant, leave out the references in my reading. Excuse me.

But they are there for you to see, and we'll look at some of them later. Having been led, as we believe, by the spirit of God to perceive the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, we do now in the presence of God in this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church to acknowledge holiness and comfort, to promote its prosperity and spirituality, to sustain its worship ordinances, discipline, and doctrines, to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. We also engage to maintain family and seek for devotions to religiously educate our children, to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger, to abstain from the sale and use of destructive drugs or intoxicating drinks as beverage, to shun pornography, to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love, to remember one another in prayer, to aid one another in sickness and in distress, to cultivate Christian sympathy and feeling and Christian courtesy and speech, to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful the rules of our savior to secure it without delay. We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's word. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for the privilege of serving you here, Missouri Avenue Baptist Church. Thank you, Lord, for those that you have brought to be part of this congregation and body of Christ.

We pray, Lord, that you would guide us and direct us. We pray that you would use us, Lord, as a testimony in this place for the Lord Jesus Christ, that others may see our good works and glorify our Father, which is in heaven. We pray that you would enlarge our ministry and our outreach and our heart and the knowledge and love of our savior, Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord, for the privilege of being part of the ministry of our savior. And we pray, Lord, that you would conform us more to your image today.

And if there be any here today that have yet to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of their life, that today indeed would be their day of salvation. In Jesus' precious name we do pray. Amen. This is called a a covenant. The word covenant means a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties.

However, a church covenant or this church covenant I can't speak for all church covenants, but this church covenant is not a contract. You you don't sign it. It's not just a list of rules to follow. But what it is is a reminder to all who join a church fellowship of the privileges and responsibilities that it entails. It is a reminder that there is a commitment involved to one another and to the Lord.

I would like to start by reading from Romans chapter 12 this morning. Romans chapter 12, if you would turn there. Romans 12, and we're gonna read beginning in verse four. For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office or function, so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith or ministry, let us wait on ministry.

Or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation. He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. He that ruleth with diligence and he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation or hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good.

Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love and honor preferring one another, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessity of the saints given to hospitality. Some of the wording of that covenant we just read is in some way connected to some of those verses that we just read from Romans 12. Let's take now and move to Ephesians chapter four, if you would. Ephesians chapter four, and we're going to read beginning there in verse 11. Ephesians four and verse 11.

And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting or the maturing of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in him and all things, which is the head, even Christ. For whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. And we'll stop there for for the moment.

The subject of both of these passages is the body of Christ. What is the body of Christ? Well, body of Christ can be taken two ways in the scripture. It can mean the entire body of Christ composed of all true born again believers in Christ, redeemed by his blood, whom he whom he will present spotless before his father in heaven. Christ said, I will build my what?

Church. And his church has prevailed, is prevailing, and will prevail. And one day, we will all gather around the throne in heaven to worship him as one big family. This body of Christ can be speaking of the entire body. However, it can also mean a local congregation or assembly of believers, such as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church.

A matter of fact, most of the time this term church or congregation or body of Christ is used, it is referring to the functioning of a local church body like our church. A local church being comprised as was mentioned in our church covenant under the as one body part. A local church being comprised of born again believers in Jesus Christ, baptized after new birth in the name of the father and of the son and the holy spirit following the pattern of acts chapter two. What happened in acts two? Well, they believed, they repented, they believed, they were baptized, and the first church began bound together by the holy spirit.

Thus, we follow that pattern. You first must be born again. You can't be part truly of a local assembly of believers in Christ if you're not a what? If you're not a believer. K?

So are there some people on church roles who are not believers? Oh, yes. There are many, but that is not ideally the way it should be. A local church should be made up of born again believers in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, those that have followed the Lord in believer's baptism, being immersed, dunked in the name of the father and son and the Holy Ghost.

Why in that fashion? Because it pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of who? Jesus Christ, our Lord. It also pictures that our old life has died with Christ and we are risen with Christ to walk in what? Newness of life.

Sprinkling or pouring water on somebody's head doesn't carry the same picture. It would very much appear from the scriptures that Jesus was also baptized in the same manner in the Jordan River. These who have been born again through faith in Christ, been baptized as our Lord has commanded, should band together as one body in Christ to fulfill the great commission that was given to this church here in Matthew twenty eight eighteen through 20. What is that? Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and the holy ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you all way even unto the end of the world. Amen. The Lord Jesus said, all power authority has been given to me. Now you go. You go.

And that first word teach there in the next verse, you therefore teach means to disciples. Make disciples. How do we make disciples? We make disciples by giving them what? By giving them the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And should they believe, they will become a disciple of Jesus Christ. And then, we're not to stop there, but as a church, we're to see that they're baptized in obedience to our Lord and savior. And then we're to continue to teach them all things whatsoever the Lord has taught us, whatsoever is recorded in his what? In his word, that we might be mature, grounded doctrinally, ready for service in the Lord's church, and to go out and to bring others into the church that they might know him also. Hence, we are one body, one team, one family in Christ in this location bound together by a common faith and fellowship in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit and by love for one another.

Blessed with one another and given varying gifts of the spirit that we might worship the Lord and carry out the work of the ministry in this place. If you would, turn in your Bibles over to first Corinthians chapter 12. First Corinthians chapter 12, and we'll begin reading in verse 12. So just a few pages back, if you're in Ephesians, come to first Corinthians 12 and we'll begin reading in verse 12 there. Again, speaking of the church by the use of the term body.

For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all made to drink into have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? Or if the whole were hearing, where would the smelling? But now hath God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members yet but one body.

And the eye cannot say into the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. So, again, Paul is using this powerful illustration to convey the necessity of the members of the body of Christ being faithful participants in the ministry of the church and the work of Christ in the world. As our human bodies are composed of many different members with different functions, so the body of Christ is a body made of different members with different functions, all of which are important to the success of the body in bringing glory to the head, to the founder, to the redeemer of that body, which is who? Which is Jesus Christ. I couldn't have gotten here today if it were not for my feet.

I couldn't be speaking if it were not for my tongue. I couldn't see where I was going if it weren't for my eyes. I would be laying down dead on the floor if it weren't for my heart. Every member of the body is what? Important and has an important function.

And as the body, our human bodies, were created for a purpose to please our heavenly father and bring glory to him, so this body created by and established by Jesus Christ has been brought together to bring glory to him. But it can only function properly as each member does its own what? Does its own part and is faithful to the body. We are each members of this local church body united, directed, and empowered by the same holy spirit like the blood that carries oxygen to our organs. Regardless of race, age, gender, ancestry, position in society, or amount of wealth, We are placed in this body, not merely of our own will, but as led by God.

And we have become a family in Christ, a team in his service, bound together by the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that flows through us as we seek to serve him, to represent his interests. This body is here to represent not the interests of a political party, not to hear to represent the interests of a particular class of society, not to but to represent the interest merely of you. But to in but to represent the interest of who? The one who has called us. Jesus Christ, our Lord.

That's why we are here, to be his hands and his feet. He is not here in bodily form. He is ruling and reigning from heaven over the hearts of his children and his servants. But we are his hands and we are his feet individually and collectively as the body of Christ. God has therefore given to us differing gifts by the spirit, differing talents and abilities which we're to use as part of his team, our church.

But most important or more important than most of these is faithfulness, commitment, surrender to our Lord and one another. First Corinthians four two says this, it is required in stewards that a man be found, what? Faithful. It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And we as members of a church, more importantly as members of the family of God through faith in Christ, we have been made stewards of the gospel and of the commands and of the ministry of Jesus Christ on this earth.

And what is most important? What does God require desire from us that we be found what? Faithful. Faithful. That's that's what this covenant represents.

It's a reminder to be what? To be faithful. Yeah. That's what it is. It's a reminder to be faithful to the commitment that we have made to the Lord Jesus and to one another.

That's why we take time to read it. In Hebrews ten twenty five, it says, not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. The writer of Hebrews writing to a congregation of believers who had seen some withdraw from the church said, don't follow them. It's the wrong thing. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but instead exhorting one another, encouraging one another, uplifting one another, challenging one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching the return of Jesus Christ.

We need one another, and we need not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. That was a problem then as some of the Hebrew believers were leaving the church to go back due to pressure from their Jewish brethren to the temple. But is it a problem today? Are there believers that have forsaken the assembling of their selves together? And the answer to that is yes.

There are a lot of Christians that are no longer faithful to church, and that's wrong. They are missing out. Others are missing out from the ministry that God has them to be a part of. This is not man's institution. This is whose.

God's institution. It is God who established the church, the local church, as we read through the New Testament that he has ordained for our what? For our good and for his for his glory. But he needs people who will stay, be faithful. Our abilities matter little if they're unavailable for Christ's service.

Serving the Lord takes commitment, not something celebrated so much in our world today, where people rarely stay at their job for more than a matter of months. That's why so many businesses have gone to having a probation period. You don't get any time off or any benefits until you've been there for, like, six months. Why is that? Well, because too many people quit after what?

Three months and four months. And they take all their time off. They got a week of vacation. Well, they take all that off and then they quit. They're not what?

They're not faithful. Athletes are not faithful to their teams. They they even even college, they they jump from team to team and college to college now, and and there's there's just commonplace. No no faithfulness. No allegiance.

What's sad most of all is there's little allegiance to marriage vows. It's about fifty percent of couples end up in divorce. God is looking for faithful people, children, servants. Is that you? Should be.

Should be. And for the most part, the people who are under my preaching this morning, it is some sort of preaching to the choir because you're the ones that are here. But secondly, I know most of you, and you are growing in your faithfulness in your ministry for which this preacher is appreciative. This church covenant agreement is a written document which hopefully represents the desire of our hearts and the commitment of our wills towards the Lord's body which we have joined. It is not a contract which we sign or a test to be passed, but a reminder to each member to be faithful, to fulfill the responsibilities of being a member of a local church.

We agree to this not as a matter of duty but a free will. God loves a what? Cheerful giver as directed by the Lord and entered into in his presence as enabled by his spirit. The Lord is the head, the coach of the team, and we have vital but differing roles to play. We must be faithful in doing our part and following the directions of our coach.

Pastors and teachers are more like captains on the field. I'm not over you. I'm I'm one of you. But there is one who is over us, and that's who? Jesus Christ.

And he is the one in charge. He is the one who has given the directives. He is the one who has set the the purpose and the goal. He is the one that has brought us together and given us a purpose. We just need to be faithful and willing to do our part.

And as we do, the team functions. You know, if the center of the basketball team decides he's just gonna stand over there on the side of the court and not be in the center where he's supposed to be, then the basketball team falls apart because, well, the center is standing over there in the middle of nowhere and, well, he's not doing his part. If the quarterback decides that he is not going to quarterback, that's a problem. The guy hiking the ball decides he's not gonna hike the ball. K?

Well, then the quarterback never gets the ball and the plane never starts and guess what? You don't get anywhere. And that that does happen sometimes in churches. It shouldn't If people were just be willing to do their part, it's not all exactly the same part. We have ushers.

We have ushers that hand out the bulletins and and help with other needs. I appreciate them. We have sound system and audio engineers in the back that as I'm preaching this morning, this is going live over the Internet. Brother Mark Schweitzer, who is in Hungary, is likely watching the livestream as we're here this morning. That's because of the sound and audio engineers that make that that possible.

We have those that oversee the finances and keep the books. We have those who keep help to maintain, the property, those that help build in the room back here that was destroyed or partially destroyed by the hurricane last year, those who pull weeds in the flower beds and trim the hedges, those who teach Sunday school, those who go out and witness particularly. I was talking to Faya. He's he's going can I tell him you're going to Bible College? I should be able to tell him by now because you're going in a few weeks, and you better go because, well, we've helped helped him to get there.

So but Thy is going off to Bible College and but, you know, he's not waiting to get to Bible College to to go out on the streets and hand out tracts and and preach and tell people about Jesus. And, just a couple days ago, I got to lead a lady to the Lord or at least help her get the assurance of her salvation over the phone because Faya met her, handed her a track, and spoke with her about the Lord, was willing to take time to to get with her if needed, to share with her, and so that gave me the opportunity. And so we have those that are willing to go and help people in need, to send cards. Many are prayer warriors. This little church actually does quite a bit.

And why? Because there's a lot of people in this little church that are willing to get their hands dirty, that are willing to take on part of the ministry. There's no way I could do all that by myself. The captain on the field can't do it. He needs help.

And as we have come together, we've come together for that purpose to do the work of the ministry together, and that we are doing. Back to Ephesians four, where we were a few minutes ago. In short, the purpose of the body of the church is to advance itself for the glory of God. Why join to bring glory to who? To our savior Jesus Christ through our own personal spiritual growth, by the use of our God given gifts to help grow the body in number and in spirit.

Both are clearly important to the Lord who ordained the church. Notice God gave certain gifts in verse 11 for the perfecting or equipping of the saints, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. By the way, there are no apostles today. There were 12 of them. So they did their job.

There are prophets in that there are those who are called to speak God's message. But as far as the prophecy of the word of God, well, that's been what? Well, that's been completed. But I have the privilege far far greater in some ways than the Old Testament prophets and many others because I have all of it right here at my what? Right here at my fingertips.

So praise Lord for the word of God and the the prophets who wrote it down a four time that we can proclaim it today. Evangelists are like missionaries who go out and spread the good news like God has called, I think, Faye to be in some respect. And pastors and teachers to lead and to shepherd the church. For the perfecting or the equipping of the saints so that the saints by the way, saints is a word that applies to every born again believer in Christ. People, the church, the pope, do not determine who saints are.

Jesus Christ does. And every person who is in Christ Jesus has been set apart from the world, and that's what that word means. It doesn't mean perfect. It doesn't mean extraordinary. It means set apart in Jesus Christ, and that's you.

So God gave these gifts, these offices to some that they might help equip the saints of the church to do the what? The work of the ministry that we all might work together as a team. This bond and mutual hope is produced as a result of the bookends of this statement, Christian love and shared faith. The motivation for service is what? Love for who?

Love for Christ. That's the motivation for our service, is love for Christ. When you say, well, he's commanded it. Well, why do you care what he commands? Why does it matter to you?

But because you what? You love him, hopefully. Yes, you should fear him. You should respect him. But the greatest motivation is not fear.

It's what? Love. Because perfect love casts out what? Fear. The motivation is love.

Jesus said, by this shall all men know that you're my disciples. By your what? By your love for one another. And then not only is the motivation love, but the device whereby we are edified and taught is the what? Is our shared faith in the word of God, and that's important.

You know, the devil the devil has done his best to attack the definition of love in this world, to turn it and to twist it into something that is not the love of God, to destroy man's motivation for knowing and serving the God who made him and one another. And the devil has also done his very best to attack this, the word of God. Why? Because it is it is the foundation of our doctrine, the device which we use to bring others to Jesus Christ. We must stand firmly upon the word of God, defend it, and then proclaim it and live it.

We need to be of one mind, the right mind. First Corinthians one ten says this, now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same manner and in this and in the same judgment. How do we do that? Well, we just all stick with the same what? The same book and serving the same savior and listening to the same holy spirit.

And if that's the case, guess what? We are gonna be of the same what? The same mind and have the same purpose and the same goals to bring glory to our heavenly father and to reach a lost and dying world for Jesus Christ. Thus, we must strive together. If you look on your covenant there, it says, we engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love, to strive together for the advancement of the church, the body of Christ, as Paul wrote here in first Corinthians chapter four.

In these things, in knowledge, the teaching and exhortation of the word of God, in holiness that we properly, in our heart and in our actions, represent Christ likeness to the world. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. In comfort, by exhorting one another, as we read in Hebrews ten twenty five, by promoting its prosperity. You read that and you think, oh, money. No.

That's not what it's talking about. It's talking about the success and the growth and the testimony and the ministry of the church that we promote that. Because it's not just about me. It's about the purpose that we have collectively in serving Jesus Christ in spirituality, in our spiritual growth, our piety in our ministry for the Lord, to sustain its worship, its services, its ordinances that we'll take a closer look one other day, its discipline, its doctrine. Be doers of the word and not hearers only.

We'll look a little closer at some of those next week. But it takes all of us striving together to be the greatest blessing in ministry and testimony we can be. And that's not up to one, it's up to many. That's why we have a covenant to remind us of the privileges and the responsibilities that we have. In closing, a few questions.

Do you share this faith in Christ? Are you born again? If not, you will never truly be a member of Christ's church. You can come forward. You can sign a document.

You can get dunked in the tank behind me. But if you've never been born again, you will never truly be member of the body of Christ because it is the only way. Secondly, have you been baptized? Because you should be. In obedience to the Lord, that is one of the things the church was commanded to do and by which we become members of a local church.

Will you pitch in and faithfully find a part? If you're listening to me here or somewhere else this morning over the Internet and this isn't your local church, well, you should find one, and you should join it, and you should be what? Faithful. But if this is your home church, then what would have God have you to do and be faithful as many of you are? Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, we thank you, Lord, for your word, for the challenge today to be faithful in service to our Lord as a congregation, as a body in Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray if there's one here that is yet to receive Christ as savior, that you would open their heart, that you'd help them to see their need, to repent and come to Christ in faith, and to receive only that that you can give them, salvation from sin and eternal life in Jesus Christ. And, Lord, we pray for those who are here who know you. We thank you, Lord, for their faithfulness and for their service. And, Lord, we pray that you would knit us together as one body in Christ, that you would give us the same mind and heart to be busy about the master's business in this place that you have called us to, to give of ourselves, of our talents, our time, our provision for the ministry that you have called us to.

That others might see Jesus Christ in us. That we might reach more souls for the savior. That we might see more come to know Christ as Lord and savior of their life and bring glory to our heavenly father, we pray. In Jesus Christ wonderful name. Amen.

If you hear the