Christian Responsibility

CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY

Text: Hebrews 6:9-12

Introduction: Responsibility is a sense of duty and obligation to self and other. Responsibility means accountability, being trustworthy and diligent. It also means accepting duties of roles. Never before has there been a greater need in the church for Christian’s to step up and accept their responsibility as part of the Body of Christ to the local New Testament Church. In a day of Smorgasbord Christianity in which so many show little if any allegiance and commitment to the local church we need to understand what are our responsibilities.

I. It is your responsibility to belong to a local Bible believing Church

A. Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

B. Christ built the church as His instrument for carrying out the Great Commission.

C. Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

D. R.G. Lee when asked "Can I be a Christian without joining the church?": replied, “Yes, it is as possible as being: A student who will not go to school. A soldier who will not join an army. A citizen who does not pay taxes or vote. A salesman with no customers. An explorer with no base camp. A seaman on a ship without a crew. A businessman on a deserted island. An author without readers. A tuba player without an orchestra. A parent without a family. A football player without a team. A politician who is a hermit. A scientist who does not share his findings. A bee without a hive.”

E. There is no instance of New Testament believers ever refusing to belong to a local church. Joining the church was the normal thing to do, immediately after conversion. The person who has settled the matter of salvation as the Bible teaches should be baptized, following Christ’s example and command, and join a Bible-believing and Bible practicing church.

F. Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

G. Ephesians 5:25 …Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her

H. Alone I cannot serve the Lord effectively, and he will spare no pains to teach me this. He will bring things to an end, allowing doors to close and leaving me ineffectively knocking my head against a wall until I realize that I need the help of the Body as well as of the Lord. - Watchman Nee, Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 3.

II. It is your responsibility to faithfully support the ministry of your local Church

A. Malachi 3:10 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

B. The average born again church member contributes approximately 2.2% of his total income specifically to the Lord’s work. It is interesting to not that more than twice as many born again adults gave no money to a church last year (18%) as tithed to a church (7%).

C. I Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

D. II Corinthians 9:6-8 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

E. We should give as we would receive: cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. – Seneca, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 3.

III. It is your responsibility to faithfully work within the organization of your local church.

A. Ephesians 4:8,11-12 Therefore He says: "He… gave gifts to men… And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”

B. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by making disciples who worship and obediently serve Christ.

C. There are those that are willing to serve God, however they get caught up in secular or para-church organizations, and think that this is just as good as the church of the living God. You hear them say, I can serve God just as well in the YMCA, the scouts, the league, the lodge, or this or that organization, as I can in the church.