Divinely Ordained Purposes of Church Membership:
1. Receiving instruction from God's Word (I Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2).
2. Serving and edifying one another through the proper use of spiritual gifts(Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-31; I Pet. 4:10-11).
3. Participating in the ordinances (Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38-42).
4. Proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost (Matt. 28:18-20).
5. Submitting to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders that God has placed in that assembly (Heb. 13:17).
The Basis for Church Membership:
1. The Example of the Early Church (Acts 2:41-42, 47; 5:14; 16:5).
2. The Existence of Church Government (Acts 20:28; I Thess. 5:12; I Tim. 5:9; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 5:2-3).
3. The Exercise of Church Discipline (Matt. 18:15-17; I Cor. 5:1-13; I Tim. 5:20; Titus 3:10-11.
4. The Exhortation to Mutual Edification (The "One-Anothers" of the New Testament, and through exercising ones spiritual gifts).
Mutual edification can only take place in the context of the corporate body of Christ. To put it simply, membership matters.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Wednesday Prayer Meeting.
Some principles that present the heart of our Wednesday-evening prayer meeting is:
1. The realization of our utter weakness before God and in handling the issues of life (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
2. A holy discontent with status-quo ministry that outwardly appears to be successful but lacks the authenticity of "fresh wind and fresh fire."
3. A longing to quietly worship the Lord through praise and prayer.
4. A reliance upon and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit in all of life and ministry. The Spirit is always sufficient for our hurts, longings, disappointments, and hopes.
5. Maintaining a hungry heart and humble spirit as it relates to our pursuit of biblical learning (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 4:2).
Jesus wants His house to be a house of prayer (Mark 11:15-18).
The sacred sound of prayer is the sound that delights the heart of God, mystifies the angels, and thrills the heart of a pastor.
May we determine to assemble ourselves together each Wednesday evening in collective prayer for direction and empowerment as we seek to make much of Jesus (Heb. 10:25)!
Pastor Mohl - Ephesians 1:15-23
Some principles that present the heart of our Wednesday-evening prayer meeting is:
1. The realization of our utter weakness before God and in handling the issues of life (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
2. A holy discontent with status-quo ministry that outwardly appears to be successful but lacks the authenticity of "fresh wind and fresh fire."
3. A longing to quietly worship the Lord through praise and prayer.
4. A reliance upon and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit in all of life and ministry. The Spirit is always sufficient for our hurts, longings, disappointments, and hopes.
5. Maintaining a hungry heart and humble spirit as it relates to our pursuit of biblical learning (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 4:2).
Jesus wants His house to be a house of prayer (Mark 11:15-18).
The sacred sound of prayer is the sound that delights the heart of God, mystifies the angels, and thrills the heart of a pastor.
May we determine to assemble ourselves together each Wednesday evening in collective prayer for direction and empowerment as we seek to make much of Jesus (Heb. 10:25)!
Pastor Mohl - Ephesians 1:15-23
Monday, May 24, 2010
Current Sermon Series: The Epistles of John
For this study read First John several times. Allow its recurrent ideas to become fixed in the memory. In our study we are going to focus upon Christian growth. John encourages his readers in the midst of uncertainty and confusion. The certainty to which John refers is 1) That Christ/Christianity is true and 2) that as a true Christian one possesses eternal life. John desires to see his flock possessing the qualities of Joy (1:4, Holiness (2:1), and Assurance (5:13). He also provides three tests of life: 1) The theological test . . true belief. 2) The moral test . . true obedience. 3) The social test . . true love. In our first study we noticed that The Gospel Message is Stable; To Be Shared, and Is the Source of Fellowship. Fellowship is synonymous with being saved. The believer's fellowship is with God (the Father), and with His Son Jesus Christ. In upcoming studies we will be contrasting the professors with the possessors; the believer's with unbeliever's; the saints with the aint's. To John white is white, and black is black; and they cannot be compromised into a middle grey.
The truly born again acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they love God, they love the children of God, they obey His commandments, and they do not go on sinning. John wrote this Epistle so that all who have these family traits may know that they know, that they know that they have eternal life.
For this study read First John several times. Allow its recurrent ideas to become fixed in the memory. In our study we are going to focus upon Christian growth. John encourages his readers in the midst of uncertainty and confusion. The certainty to which John refers is 1) That Christ/Christianity is true and 2) that as a true Christian one possesses eternal life. John desires to see his flock possessing the qualities of Joy (1:4, Holiness (2:1), and Assurance (5:13). He also provides three tests of life: 1) The theological test . . true belief. 2) The moral test . . true obedience. 3) The social test . . true love. In our first study we noticed that The Gospel Message is Stable; To Be Shared, and Is the Source of Fellowship. Fellowship is synonymous with being saved. The believer's fellowship is with God (the Father), and with His Son Jesus Christ. In upcoming studies we will be contrasting the professors with the possessors; the believer's with unbeliever's; the saints with the aint's. To John white is white, and black is black; and they cannot be compromised into a middle grey.
The truly born again acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they love God, they love the children of God, they obey His commandments, and they do not go on sinning. John wrote this Epistle so that all who have these family traits may know that they know, that they know that they have eternal life.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Welcome to the blog of Lakeside Bible Chapel of Bemus Point, NY.
Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ "who is all" (Our Passion is to make much of Jesus) "and in all" (a mutual indwelling enabling us to embrace all those whom Christ embraces). Our Pursuit is to put off the graveclothes and to put on the graceclothes provided by God's sovereign grace. Our Purpose is to glorify God by allowing the Word of Christ to control our lives. Resulting in our being joyful, thankful, and submissive (Colossians 3).
Clyde W. Mohl (Pastor-Teacher)
Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ "who is all" (Our Passion is to make much of Jesus) "and in all" (a mutual indwelling enabling us to embrace all those whom Christ embraces). Our Pursuit is to put off the graveclothes and to put on the graceclothes provided by God's sovereign grace. Our Purpose is to glorify God by allowing the Word of Christ to control our lives. Resulting in our being joyful, thankful, and submissive (Colossians 3).
Clyde W. Mohl (Pastor-Teacher)
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