Sermons on Church Maturity:

Is Official, Or Formal Church Membership In A Local Church According To Scripture? – Part 1 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 2, 2025

This begins a 4 part study of local church membership in the New Testament. Is a formal church membership biblically required in our churches? Was it required in the first century churches? We will examine scriptures and practices for those answers.

IS OFFICIAL, OR FORMAL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN A LOCAL CHURCH ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE? – PART 1 What is church membership? What does the New Testament teach about church membership? Is this a requirement for us in local churches or must we submit ourselves to a practice of man and denominational ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 5:29-30, Acts 2:47, Acts 2:44, Romans 12:4-6, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Philippians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:2  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is Official Or Formal Church Membership In A Local Church According To Scripture – Part 2 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 3, 2025

Formal church membership that involves special membership and voting rights is contentious. In this Part 2, I open up the matter to show how out of sync the matter is with the membership of the one Body of Christ, and the discrimination. We delve into some scriptures to bring this out.

IS OFFICIAL OR FORMAL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN A LOCAL CHURCH ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE – PART 2 In Part 1 we looked at the practice some churches have of there being an official local church membership that divides “members”, adherents and attendees into “MEMBERS” and “NON-MEMBERS” depending if one has ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, 1 Corinthians 12:24-25  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is Official/Formal Church Membership In A Local Church According To Scripture? – Part 4 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 7, 2025

This is the final part and we look at a numbers of issues here as well as two statements from Internet sites on why membership is important. Over and over I am opposing this notion that commitment is connected with official membership. It is judgemental and untrue. I hope this is of some value.

IS OFFICIAL/FORMAL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN A LOCAL CHURCH ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE? – PART 4 We have been looking at some passages of scripture from Paul’s writings and in vain, do we look for even the slightest suggestion that a church has official membership that discriminates among the Christians ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:29-30, Philippians 4:1-3, 3 John 1:9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 2 Corinthians 2:6, Hebrews 13:7  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It's Not My Job! Series

Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Dec 3, 2004

Participation in God’s Church is VERY important!

INTRODUCTION „X Isn¡¦t it nice to come here today to a warm building? Isn¡¦t it nice to have the lights turned on? I really like coming in and having a nice bulletin that we can look at and know what is going on this morning and this week. „X I also like the fact that someone took the time to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Four Trees Of Easter

Contributed by Charles Goza on Jan 19, 2010

The four significant events in the last week of Jesus' life involved trees and can be likened to spiritual development in our life.

Four Trees of Easter John 12:12-19 . TREES PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE SCRIPTURE. MANY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS TOOK PLACE UNDER TREES. 1. Sin originated from eating fruit from the Forbidden Tree. 2. The first clothes were leaves from a fig tree. 3. Gen. 18. Under a grove of oak trees God told ...read more

Scripture: John 12:12-19

Denomination: Baptist

House Party Series

Contributed by Brian Keith on Jun 17, 2013

Impact City is a siren to today's church, encouraging both the new and mature Believer to consider being multi-task oriented when engaging with lost people who feel disconnected from the local church. A focus on the Great Commision and Mission is the key.

Scripture Reading: John 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:12-14, John 2:13-21

Denomination: Baptist

The Church's New Four-Letter Word

Contributed by Brady Boyd on Apr 29, 2011

A message from 1 Peter 3 reminding listeners to submit to authority.

Let's turn your Bible, by the way, to I Peter Chapter three. I Peter Chapter three, we’re in a sermon series right now where we’re looking through this book, this powerful letter, written by one of the pillars of church. Peter, when he wrote this letter, was an older man. He was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-22

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Dangers Of A Fast Food Faith

Contributed by Jim Kane on Mar 24, 2003

We are to be disciples not converts.

This is the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 period prior to Easter in which Christians have been encouraged to remember the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our salvation by giving up something for the entire 40 days. For some persons some type of food, like chocolate, is given up. Speaking of ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

What's So Important About The Church?

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Dec 10, 2008

1- The church is a serving body 2- The church is a fortified body 3- The church is a growing body

INTRO.- ILL.- A little girl became restless as the preacher’s sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?" I’m sure that’s probably how some people feel about most preachers and the church. "All they ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Marks Of A Mighty Church (Part 5) Series

Contributed by Scott Bayles on Nov 8, 2019

In the last chapter of 1 Thessalonians Paul gives us 12 marks of a mighty church.

Marks of a Mighty Church (Part 5) Scott Bayles, pastor Blooming Grove Christian Church: 9/6/2015 For the past several weeks, we’ve explored the book of 1 Thessalonians together. As I said in the beginning of this series, every local church is made up of sinners saved by God’s grace, so there’s no ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Denomination: Christian Church

The Church's Primary Calling Series

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Jul 18, 2020

The church is God's instrument to glorify Him and build the kingdom. We can only do this if we understand what the church is and what it has been called to do.

The Church’s Calling 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 In Ephesians 6:12, we read “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” This can be no more evident than it is today, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Unity In The Community

Contributed by John Johnson on Nov 9, 2008

The greatest danger facing the church today is an attack on the authority of the Word of God. When the church comes together in unity, the spirit of God is poured out in abundance.

The greatest danger facing the church today is an attack on the authority of the Word of God. There has become a gentle coldness and indifference to biblical truth and God’s standards of righteousness. We want to live like we want to live, we want to act like we want to act, we want to do what ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:14-16

Denomination: Baptist

"Construction Equipment" Series

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jun 6, 2003

God gave gifts for the building up of the Church. Apostles prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. (#14 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13

Denomination: Orthodox

Putting Away Sin Series

Contributed by Rickey Bennett on Aug 18, 2009

We put away sin by fixing our thoughts on Christ.

INTRODUCTION Please turn in your Bibles to Colossians 3:11 as we continue our way through this letter. The question we’ll address today is how do we make progress in godliness? Growing in godliness involves two things: putting away sin and putting on righteousness; not doing the things God ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11

Denomination: *other

I Will Support The Integrity Of Our Church Series

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jan 30, 2004

This sermon asks peoople to seriously consider their attendance, lifestyle, and giving as it relates to what others see in them and what these things say to others about their God and their church.

I Will Support the Integrity of Our Church Matthew 5:16 February 1, 2004 Intro: A. [Ever Met a Christian?] A father was teaching his son what a Christian should be like. When the lesson was over the farther got a stab he never forgot. The little boy asked, “Dad, have I ever met one of these ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational