Building A Strong Church: The Role of The Church Member

By : Pastor Jerry Panou
Scripture Reference: Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 9:35-38
Sunday, 3rd, September, 2017
A strong church is the church that is teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing every sickness and disease among the people, full of testimonies and miracles, sending out missionaries, planting churches and transforming lives. Our Father desires strong churches as it through them that His will is established here on earth. As inferred from the theme, for a strong church to be built, church members have a critical role to play. As a matter of fact, strong churches are built by church members, not leaders. A strong church has its members having the desire to be sent out to preach the gospel.
EIGHT ROLES OF THE CHURCH MEMBER
1. Attend church regularly: As a church member you’ve a critical role to play in making your church strong. First is, you attend church regularly and punctually. When you go to church regularly and punctually, you set a good example that other people notice and learn from. It is an example that becomes an inspiration for others. People who are trying to make their lives better, people who want a positive change in their lives are going to be impacted by an example of someone who’s committed to regular church attendance. Therefore, don’t compromise church attendance for any other things. Don’t give excuses for not being in church. As a matter of fact, you should only have excuses to rather not miss church. Church members who have the habit of regular church attendance reap some very good outcomes. Hebrews 10:25.
2. Personal Growth: Your personal growth as a church member goes a long way to affect the church positively. Your maturity in church is seen when you behave more like Christ. Make it always a point to pray, fast, read the bible and live a righteous life. Until you grow spiritually, the church will not grow. Ephesians 4:13-32, Romans 12:1-2.
3. Pray for the church: Prayer builds strong churches and they as well give birth to miracles, and miracles in tend silence the enemies. God shapes things in the realms of the spirit when church members pray. When church members pray, people who persecute the church for instance will wish to kill themselves. When church members are prayerful, enemies of the church will bow before it. Instead of grunting and complaining about the things you wish to see in your church, pray for the church. Pray that the church would continually preach the word of truth. Pray for the church’s preparedness and delivery of sermons that would transform people’s lives. Acts 16:25-34.
4. Evangelism/Outreach/Visitation: Evangelism should be the number one priority of every Christian, because Jesus commanded it. As a church member you must be intentional about winning others to the kingdom and the church. You must not be content and complacent with the growth of your church because there are souls that need to be saved every passing minute; there’s no time to waste at all. When you go out to preach the gospel, you actually grow stronger as a child of God. Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 2:10, Luke 19:10, Luke 10:1-3 & 17.
5. Serve in the church: Every believer has at least one spiritual gift given to him/her to employ within the context of the church. At no point in time should a church have the pastor doing almost everything; that church will never be a strong church. A strong church must have other abled people who are willing to serve in other capacities. People who serve in their local churches store up for themselves treasures in heaven. 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Timothy 3:17, Acts 6:1-7.
6. Give material things to support the church: Churches all over the world are inundated with a lot of responsibilities ranging from charities, feeding hungry children, digging wells, and providing medical services. All these responsibilities can only be taken care of when members give to support the church. When you decide to follow Jesus Christ, you must make material sacrifices. Selfish church members do not build strong churches. Church members must pay offerings and tithes and sow special seeds. Acts 4:32-35, Luke 12:16-35, Philippians 4:17.
7. Give to support your pastor: Good church members give to support their pastors to encourage them to continually preach the gospel. It is important to note that church members don’t give to their pastors because they’re richer than them but they do it because it is a spiritual principle. 1 Corinthians 9:11.
8. Support each other in the church: Church members have the responsibility to relate well with others. They must help one another when they’re in need. They must greet everybody in the church with smiles, kindness and friendliness. Acts 4:32-35.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I bow before Your throne this very moment. I ask that You make me a loyal member of my church. Bless me with both spiritual and material gifts so I can remain a blessing to both Your kingdom and my local church, in Jesus Christ name. Amen