The nature of the church and our relationship with the local church
Dr. Roberto Miranda
(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY: The church is the manifestation of Christ on earth and is established by Jesus Christ to carry out the purposes of the Kingdom of God. It is important to live and develop the Christian life in a community with other believers and to stick with a particular Christian community for the long haul. The church should be a place where the word of God is faithfully preached and taught, with godly leadership and accountability, and emotional health among believers. Imperfection is required for growth in the virtues of the Gospel, and staying in a church long enough allows for the community to have a formative influence on individuals. Jumping from one church to another does not allow for the release of the church's essence through time.
The church should be a place of long-term commitment, where believers stay and grow in faith through the ups and downs of the church's life. Churches should also become a substitute society where believers can find everything they need for a healthy and fruitful life. However, for the church to provide these resources, believers must actively participate and consume them.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of active participation and support in the local church, both through personal involvement in its activities and through financial contributions. It also stresses the need to submit to the spiritual authority of the church and its leadership. The speaker highlights the various expenses that a church incurs, including the costs of maintaining its physical infrastructure, conducting various programs, and supporting missions and social services. He urges the congregation to view their financial contributions as a way of investing in the Kingdom of God and supporting the growth and prosperity of their church. The sermon also emphasizes the need for balance and a healthy perspective on commitment, recognizing that individuals need to balance their participation in church activities with their family and personal lives.
The importance of belonging to and serving in a church is emphasized, as well as supporting it financially and submitting to its authority. The growth and blessing that comes from serving others is highlighted, and the generosity and sacrificial giving of the congregation is praised. The speaker encourages the listeners to invest in faith for the Kingdom of God and to embody the principles discussed. The message ends with a prayer for protection and harmony in the community.
The church should be a place of long-term commitment, where believers stay and grow in faith through the ups and downs of the church's life. Churches should also become a substitute society where believers can find everything they need for a healthy and fruitful life. However, for the church to provide these resources, believers must actively participate and consume them.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of active participation and support in the local church, both through personal involvement in its activities and through financial contributions. It also stresses the need to submit to the spiritual authority of the church and its leadership. The speaker highlights the various expenses that a church incurs, including the costs of maintaining its physical infrastructure, conducting various programs, and supporting missions and social services. He urges the congregation to view their financial contributions as a way of investing in the Kingdom of God and supporting the growth and prosperity of their church. The sermon also emphasizes the need for balance and a healthy perspective on commitment, recognizing that individuals need to balance their participation in church activities with their family and personal lives.
The importance of belonging to and serving in a church is emphasized, as well as supporting it financially and submitting to its authority. The growth and blessing that comes from serving others is highlighted, and the generosity and sacrificial giving of the congregation is praised. The speaker encourages the listeners to invest in faith for the Kingdom of God and to embody the principles discussed. The message ends with a prayer for protection and harmony in the community.
Ephesians 2:19 "You are no longer strangers and strangers." That word upstarts means as a relative, a person who is a last minute appendage, as not genuinely a member of the faith community of God's people.
"You are no longer foreigners or upstarts, but rather fellow citizens" – that is, we are all citizens, we are legitimate, we have legitimate membership in the Kingdom of God – "of the saints and members of the family of God, built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, being the main cornerstone Jesus Christ himself in whom the whole building, well coordinated, is growing to be a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit.
"You are no longer foreigners or upstarts, but rather fellow citizens" – that is, we are all citizens, we are legitimate, we have legitimate membership in the Kingdom of God – "of the saints and members of the family of God, built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, being the main cornerstone Jesus Christ himself in whom the whole building, well coordinated, is growing to be a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit.
