What
Should the Church
Expect of Me?
Last
week I focused on things that you and I should expect from the church. Today,
let’s turn the attention to ourselves. What should the church, and Christ who
is the head of the church, be able to expect from individual Christians?
First
of all we’ve got to understand that in order to be added to the church, or
body, of Christ, we must “gladly receive the word” in faith, repentance of
sins, confession of Jesus Christ as Lord, and be baptism for remission of sins
(Acts 2:38, 41, 47). Only after obeying God in these things, can one truly be
added to the Lord’s church.
But
when we become members of the church, we are committing to a lifetime of
service for the Lord, and certain things are expected of God’s people. The
church should expect every member to attend all church services. All Christians
should be able to expect exhortation from the church, and one way this is
achieved is through the faithful attendance of all Christians (Heb.
The
church should be able to expect each Christian to be a hard worker. Paul
encouraged the Christians at Corinth to “be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in
vain in the Lord” (I Cor 15:58). There is no place in
God’s family for one who is self-seeking, and who fails to be busy in the
Father’s business.
The
church should be able to expect me to live in such a way that the Lord and His
body of believers can be proud of me. I must be aware that my life reflects
either positively or negatively on the church. Every Christian is a
representative of the church. Like it or not, people will judge the church by
the lives of its members, therefore we must be careful to “walk properly toward
those who are outside” (I Thess