Read Part 2

(2/18) Thank you for joining us this morning. And for those of you joining us online, welcome! Today, we’re going to be talking about Running the Race Together.

In this series, "Next Steps," we’ve been considering how we’re unified around what we believe and how God sees us as members together of one body. In other words, we are the church, we are the body of Christ, and membership means that we are running the race together. We are huddled together just like a football team on the field, gathered with one purpose, and that is to what? To win the game, right?

Now, what that means is that if we’re going to see the victory, we’ve got to break out of the huddle and run the play. The Bible talks about running the race in such a way as to get the prize, and so while knowing the play, knowing the word of God is essential, we must apply it to our lives for it to have any affect. In fact, James said it this way,

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).

The apostle Paul says, "In whatever we do," we want to live out our faith, and so we want to "work at it with all of our hearts, as if we were working for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23).

Now, I know there is at least one Kansas City Chiefs fan here, and so since we’re talking about winning, I’m going to continue with the example of football. When the team comes out on the field, the quarterback, Patrick Mahomes is going to call everybody in for the huddle. And so, we come in and he tells us exactly what we need to do to win the game; but if all we ever did was gather in the huddle, if we never ran the play, we would never win a game.

In the same way, we are the church, and we’re here today to win the championship. And so, if I’m the quarterback, and we’re gathered in a huddle, we’re listening to the word of God, listening to our instructions, and we know the play because God is speaking directly to us. But if all we do is sit around and discuss the play, considering all the options, wondering what if this happens or what if that happens, and we never run the play what good is it?

And so, my goal is to get you to understand what it is that you’re supposed to do and to encourage you so that you can run the play with confidence. In other words, the key is for me to get each of the members of the team to understand what it is they must do so that they can successfully run the play. You see, we can hear the word of God, we can know what God wants us to do, but we’ve got to put it into practice, we’ve got to execute the play.

That’s what I want to talk to you about today. We are gathered in the huddle, but how are we going to implement our faith? How are we going to run the play? How are we going to run the race together in the context of the church so that we win?

Now, there are so many Scriptures that come to mind when it comes to winning in the realm of faith. But the one that sticks out to me the most is found in first Corinthians chapter 9 where the apostle Paul says,

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever" (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

Today, I want to give you the play, so that you can run to win. I want you to be confident that you are running the right race, running for the right prize, so that you get a crown that will last forever.

You see, when it comes down to running to win at your job, or in school, in your family, or in our church, we have got to run the play God’s way. And so, we can’t spend an hour in the huddle and then go home without running the play. We can’t just listen to the word, but as the Bible says we must,

"Do what it says" (James 1:22).

We’ve got to break the huddle. Eventually, we’ve got to run the play if we’re going to win the prize.

I want to talk to you about church membership, taking this next step, so that together we can run the play to win. And so, I’m going to outline for you the game plan, describing what it means to be a member of the team here at Christ’s Community Church.

Now, I know that there are many of you that would prefer to use your phone, and so this is all right there at your fingertips on our website at cccaog.org. But then, if you would prefer a physical copy, I’m going to ask the ushers to pass out the membership agreement. And so, if you would like a hard copy, would you raise your hand so that the ushers can get you one?

For those of you that prefer to use your phone and those of you watching online who are part of our extended family, join us by going to our website at cccaog.org. On our website, just scroll down past the Men’s and Women’s Conferences, past the Community Day Camp, and click on the "Membership" button.

I want you all to have that in front of you so that we can talk about it together, because this is common ground for everyone who becomes a member of Christ’s Community Church. And so, we’re going to walk through this together so that you understand what you’re being asked to agree to. And this is everything, I don’t have a secret agenda, there’s no fine print, there’s not some surprise that comes later, this is the play that we agreed to every year at Christ’s Community Church.

Step number one, entitled Commitment, begins saying,

"Having received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, giving clear evidence of being born again by living a consistent Christian life, and having been baptized by immersion, following Jesus’ example, I desire to become a member of Christ’s Community Church."

"Therefore, being in agreement with Christ’s Community Church’s purpose, values, strategy, and structure under the Assemblies of God, and having maintained consistent attendance at the Church for at least three months, I now commit myself to God, to the leadership, and to the other members at Christ’s Community Church to do the following:"

Next, step two, is protect. "In step two, we are agreeing to protect the unity of my church by acting in love toward other members, by refusing to gossip, and by following the leadership."

Now, sometimes people will get hung up on this, and so let me break it down for you. We agree to protect the unity of our church by acting in love toward other members just as the playbook tells us. First Peter, chapter 1 says,

"Show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart" (1 Peter 1:22, NLT).

And so, here’s your part, here’s the play,

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" (Romans 14:19, NIV).

In other words, sometimes we have to change our habits and practices that are un-biblical and create disunity and contention within the body. This is important because the Bible encourages us to…

"Live in complete harmony with each other… each with the attitude of Christ toward the other" (Romans 15:5, TLB).

Now, I know sometimes we have this knee-jerk reaction, like what do I have to change, or what do I have to quit doing? But this isn’t about me giving you a list of what you’re not allowed to do, or even what you’ve got to start doing. Instead, I want to give you the grace to grow in your relationship with Jesus and let the Holy Spirit reveal things to you that need to change.

This is a process called sanctification, it’s a work of the Holy Spirit, and as you spend more time in the Bible, you’re going to experience illumination. And so, this is a gradual process that will happen all the way through your life as a believer until we stand before Jesus and see him face-to-face. And until that time, you and I will always be in the process of being sanctified, being made holy, and that comes through revelation in the word of God by the Holy Spirit.

You see, life is a journey, we are all in process, which is why unity in the body is so important. Now, I know that we’re not all going to agree on everything, but if there are habits or practices in your life that cause disunity within the body, in an attitude of love and unity, you are committing to change those things.

Therefore, we agree to protect the unity of our church by refusing to gossip, because gossip harms the body of Christ, and the Bible says,

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs…" (Ephesians 4:29, NIV).

And so, if you’re a gossip and would rather tear people down rather than building them up. Or maybe you have another selfish and destructive habit, and you’re unwilling to change it, then maybe you don’t need to become a member of CCC, because this is a commitment to the process of sanctification.

Now, as believers each one of us should have already made that commitment to God, but now we’re making that commitment to each other in the church as brothers and sisters in Christ. And then, we are making that commitment to the leadership of the church as the Bible says,

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden…" (Hebrews 13:17, NIV).

And so, we agree to protect the unity of our church by loving one another and submitting to the leadership of the church.

Next, in step three, we agree to share the responsibility of our church, by praying for its growth, by inviting the unchurched to attend, and by warmly welcoming those who visit. You could say, this is a commitment to the great commission, not just being disciples of Jesus, but making disciples for Jesus. It’s a commitment to personal regular growth as a member of the body, spending time with God in prayer, worship, and private devotions. But also, praying for the growth of all the members as the apostle Paul demonstrated saying,

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers" (1 Thessalonians 1:2, NIV).

And so, we share in the responsibility of our church to fulfill the great commission by inviting the unchurched to attend. We find that modeled for us in the gospel by the first disciples of Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him,

"We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus" (John 1:41-42).

The very next day, Philip found Nathaniel and told him,

"We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph... Come and see" (John 1:45-46).

In Luke chapter 14, Jesus told a parable in which many people were invited to a great banquet, but those who were invited made excuses for not attending because of all the good things they had to do. In other words, it was all of those good things, like their jobs, their families, the games and activities that kept them from experiencing the very best thing. And so, in verse 23, Jesus told his disciples,

"Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full" (Luke 14:23, NIV).

The message of this parable is so practical because it applies to the unchurched of this generation. Everything is now ready, nothing more needs to be done, the feast has been prepared, and everything is spread out. All are invited to come share in the free gift of salvation, and the Lord wants to see his house full, and so he extends the invitation to others.

In other words, he’s not talking about believers, he’s not talking about the Jews, he’s not talking about inviting people from other churches, but Jesus said go home to your unbelieving pagan family… and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you" (Mark 5:19, NIV).

Jesus said, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame" (Luke 14:21, NIV).

Jesus said, "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full" (Luke 14:23, NIV).

He said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15, NIV).

You see, this is really the essence of all we do, our guiding core value, we are reaching, connecting, and equipping people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This is so important because every soul matters to God, he wants to see his house filled, and yet there is still more room.

And so, we agree to share the good news with unbelievers, inviting the unchurched to attend, and we warmly welcome those who visit, because the Bible says,

"Warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified" (Romans 15:7, TLB).

We do this, sharing with God’s people, welcoming others, because we know that disunity and disagreement do not glorify God. In fact, we are well aware that the world is watching, the church is under scrutiny, and so we don’t want to… "have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful" (2 Timothy 2:23-24).

In a spirit of love, we agree to share the responsibility of our church so that God will be glorified.

And then, next, step four, we agree to serve the ministry of our church by discovering our gifts and talents, being equipped to serve by the leadership, and by developing a servant’s heart. In other words, it’s not only a commitment to personal growth, but it’s a commitment to the growth of Christ’s Community Church. It’s about discipleship and maturity, because we’re not supposed to stay where we are. A disciple or follower of Jesus is one that is continually growing and becoming more and more like their teacher. The Bible says it this way,

"Become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13, NIV).

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not there yet, but I’m working towards that. And so, my hope is that together we can work towards that goal, continually learning, continually growing, and so I want to help you do that every week. That’s why every Sunday and every Wednesday we’re going to open the Word of God and we’re going to learn what it means and how to apply it to our lives.

We’re going to search the pages of Scripture, searching our hearts, discovering our gifts and talents, and we’re not going to give up meeting together. But we’re going to keep encouraging one another, making application of the Word of God, growing and being equipped as the Bible says, serving one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Peter 4:10, ESV).

This step is a commitment to find a place to serve and do ministry at Christ’s Community Church, because the Bible says, that is why Jesus gave some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV).

And so, the goal, no matter how you are gifted, is to develop a servant’s heart so that every member is engaged in ministry and the body of Christ is built up. That’s why the Bible says,

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who… made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" (Philippians 2:4-7).

In other words, we follow Jesus’ example, and so we don’t come to be served, but we come to serve. We don’t come to church for what we can get, we don’t come to church for entertainment, but we come because we are the Church, we are the body of Christ. We are not consumers, we’re contributors, because Jesus said that we are to serve one another. And he said,

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you… Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:15-17).

And so, you have a place to do that at Christ’s Community Church, because this is a place where your gifts and talents can be discovered, developing your servant’s heart, and being empowered to serve.

Next, step five is a commitment to support the testimony of my church by attending faithfully, by living a godly lifestyle, and by giving regularly, cheerfully, and generously.

The first part of this commitment is to attend church regularly and faithfully which means different things to different people. For some people it means every Easter and Christmas, for others it means every couple weeks, but for those first followers of Jesus, the Bible says,

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people" (Acts 2:46-47, NIV).

Now, I’m not saying that you’re committing to be in church every time the doors are opened, but this is agreeing to do more than just visiting every once in a while. In fact, the Bible encourages us not to give up meeting together… but let us encourage one another… and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

This is important, because I plan a spiritual growth journey for the church and if you miss a Sunday or if you miss a Wednesday, you’ll have gaps in your spiritual growth. And so, we want you to stay connected with us, so that we grow together, and it’s easy to catch up by visiting our website. But it’s so much better to be encouraged through regular and faithful attendance, the way the Bible describes the early church, saying that they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42).

And so, step five is a commitment to support the testimony of our church through regular attendance, and the second part of that is by living a godly lifestyle. In other words, it’s a commitment to represent Jesus with all of your life, because when we misrepresent him, we cause people confusion. And so, in everything we do, with our words, our actions, our activity on social media, everything we do should bring glory to God. That’s why the Bible encourages us to conduct ourselves… in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Philippians 1:27, NIV). In other words, it’s about the gospel, it’s about the message of Jesus, and so we want to represent Jesus well because our actions need to back up what we say we believe.

Every day you and I are presented with opportunities to share about Jesus, not just telling others about Jesus, but witnessing or telling about the difference that Jesus made in our lives. And we can do that both actively and passively, by living a godly lifestyle, sharing about Jesus on social media, telling friends and family about what you learned at church, and so this is a commitment to living that out.

The last part of step five, is that we agree to support the testimony of our church by giving regularly, cheerfully, and generously. One of the commitments we make to the Lord is following the biblical standard or principal of tithing. This is the ancient practice of giving 10% of our income to support the ministry of the local church. The Bible tells us,

"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord" (Leviticus 27:30, NIV).

Now, tithing is not a law, it’s not a rule, it’s not a strict you must do this. But it is the privilege of all believers to trust God with the first 10% of our income, because he promises that he will protect and preserve the other 90% we keep. And so, the choice is whether or not I want 100% without God’s blessings or do I want 90% with God’s blessings. And when you consider it that way, as a believer it is really an easy decision to make.

I know some people, especially new believers will say, "I’ve never tithed, I’m not even sure I’m there yet, and I don’t even know how I could do it." But listen to what God says in Malachi chapter 3, he says,

"Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty" (Malachi 3:10).

In other words, God invites you to try it and test him and just see if he doesn’t help you and give you a greater peace in your finances. In fact, he promises in the second half of this verse from Malachi,

"See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" (Malachi 3:10).

And so, God promises that he will pour out a blessing as you test him, starting with the principle of giving a tithe. In fact, we see the practice continuing decades beyond the resurrection of Christ as the apostle Paul tells the church in Corinth…

"Every Lord's Day, each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week and use it for this offering" (1 Corinthians 16:2, TLB).

This is a commitment that we make together as the church, and I believe the tithe is only a starting point, which we’re able to far exceed under the new covenant grace that’s ours in Christ Jesus.

Now, I’ve heard some people say that the tithe is legalistic, but I personally feel that the tithe is only legalistic when you stop there, because this is worship and the new covenant opens the door for the grace of giving. My family has long since moved beyond the tithe, enjoying the grace of giving, and we’ve seen the Lord’s faithfulness in our finances. We believe the Lord when he says,

"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, NIV).

And so, this is our commitment to church membership, our agreement together, and maybe there are some of you who would say, "I’m okay with the first four, but I’m not so sure about the fifth." And if that is the case, then you’re not quite ready for church membership and that’s okay. Because we love having you as part of our church, part of our family, even if you’re not quite ready for this next step of membership.

But for those of you who are ready to run the play, you’re ready to make this commitment, next is step number six. This is an application for membership at Christ’s Community Church. It’s on the back of your membership agreement or step number six on our website and it is simply stating that in agreement with Christ’s Community Church’s purpose, values, strategy, and structure, either reaffirming or applying to become a new member.

I know that for some of you this is a big decision, but this is something that we do every year, recommitting to a common goal, and we embrace the opportunity to make this commitment to church membership, because we are God's workmanship. We have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do, and so I would love to have you join us as a member, being a part of what God is going here in Emmitsburg (Ephesians 2:10). And so, I’m thrilled that you’re with us today, and as the worship team comes up, let’s pray together.

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott