The Local Church As a New Covenant Community

Home , New Covenant

Life Together

Six Bible Studies on The Local Church as a New Covenant Community

Request for Membership (1984) 1

The Grace Church Covenant (2016) 2

Introduction: The Purpose of These Studies 3

Week One: God’s Covenant…and Ours 5

Week Two: Redeemed Relationships 7

Week Three: Family Discipleship 9

Week Four: Holy Living 11

Week Five: Faithful Giving 13

Week Six: Faithful Leaving 15

Life Together: A Six-Week Bible Study on the Local Church as a New Covenant Community. Prepared by Tom Lewellen. Copyright © 2016 by Grace Countryside Church (DBA ‘Grace Church’) of White Lake, Michigan. These materials may be copied for personal and group use without permission provided the copyright information remains on the copied pages.

Request for Membership (Used since 1984)

I endorse wholeheartedly and without reservation the Statement of Faith of Grace Church.

I affirm my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as my only Savior from sin through his substitutionary death and glorious resurrection. I affirm my desire to grow in my relationship with him through prayer, Bible study, corporate and private worship, fellowship with other believers, and testimony to those who do not know the Lord.

I commit myself, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit,  to serve God in the accountable fellowship of this local Christian church;  to seek its prosperity and spirituality by my life and words;  to attend its meetings;  to contribute regularly, cheerfully, and sacrificially to its expenses;  to cooperate with its leadership;  and to be subject to its discipline.

Signed Date

Interviewing Elder Date

Our Church Covenant* (Proposed 2016)

We affirm that GOD, by the gospel, has drawn us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and through him has forgiven our sins, adopted us as his children, and given us his Spirit. In grateful praise for God’s redeeming grace, we solemnly and joyfully enter into (renew) our covenant with one another to serve together as a Christian church in this community. We will walk together in Christian love, as brothers and sisters of God’s household, by caring for each other, watching over each other, admonishing each other, and graciously restoring each other when we stumble. We will hold marriage in honor according to God’s design by living in complete fidelity in a relationship of one man and one woman if married and by living in complete chastity if single. We will strive to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and, by a pure and loving example and wise words, seek the salvation of our family and friends. We will endeavor to maintain corporate, personal, and family worship, and will not neglect to pray for ourselves and for others. We will strive to live carefully in the world—to be just in our dealings, faithful in our commitments, exemplary in our behavior, and wise in our counsel—knowing that as we have been voluntarily buried in baptism and raised again from the symbolic grave, we have a special responsibility to lead a new and holy life. We will work together to maintain a faithful gospel ministry in this church, by participating in its worship, programs, discipline, and doctrines. We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. And, if we move from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other gospel-centered church where we can live out the principles of God’s word and the spirit of this covenant. As we seek to fulfill this covenant, May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip [us] with everything good that [we] may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13.20–21)

* Adapted from the 1833 New Hampshire Church Covenant 2

LifeThe Church as Together the New Covenant Community Introduction The Purpose of These Studies

Everyone is aware that we are living in turbulent times in America:  Radical Islamic terrorism is bringing violent death and destruction to the major cities of the world; we can read about it nearly every day in our news sources.  Worldwide economic instability translates locally into little job growth, great financial uncertain- ty for families, and few opportunities for those young people just entering the job force.  Our country is beset by critical and mounting social problems—including violence in our cities, a distrust of the police, growing racial and ethnic tensions, and the collapse of shared social values in our society. Like a gathering storm that finally breaks out, these and other tensions have been building. We, as citi- zens, fear the storm that might overwhelm us. As Christians, however, we know that we must add to the partial list above the additional problem of our culture’s rejection of biblical values. There have always been people who question the beliefs and practices of Christians and of the churches we form. Yet, for centuries, people accepted that the moral teachings of the Bible provided the framework for a healthy society. All that has changed: We Christians and the churches we love are no longer a part of the respected um- pire of moral and social values in our society. We are increasing presented as the outdated, obsolete, even dangerous minions of a rejected god who stands for convictions, views, beliefs, and behaviors that society now regards as illegitimate. It’s a hard thing for us to come to grips with the fact that we find ourselves living in an increasingly unfriendly world. The world is content for us to have our little religion and propagate it among ourselves. But to live it out in the workplace, to spread its message, to stand up candidly for its teachings is not accepted. In short, it is the “freedom to exercise religion” (as guaranteed in the First Amendment of the US Constitution) that is being restricted. This is grim and hard to accept. But against all of those pressures, changes, and dangers, let me add another way of looking at the situation—one that comes from the Bible: God has always had a people whom he redeems, shapes, loves, and guides for his glory! The story of the Bible is the story of God winning out of the fallen race of rebellious humans a people who will represent him. This story is told in the unfolding covenants between God and people that the Bible reveals. It’s a story that grows from a simple starting point of one man—Abraham. God’s people are his descendants, both physical and spiritual, who are in every generation “the people of God.” And the news for us today is that we Christians are the people of God under the new covenant which Christ established with his own blood.  We are those “ransomed...from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5.9);  We are the “sheep” for whom he “laid down his life” (John 10.11, 15);  We are the “wife” for whom “he gave himself up” (Eph. 5.25);  We are the members of his own body whom he “nourishes and cherishes” (Eph. 5.29–30).  We are the “church” which he himself is building and against which “the gates of hell shall not prevail” (Matt. 16.18). I think this gives us a different perspective on the problems we face in our culture. God calls us to live as the new covenant community of his people in our own generation. Copyright © 2016 | Grace Church 3

The elders of our church have thought and prayed over these things for several months. It has become increasingly clear to us that there is one response we must make as a church: We must re-commit ourselves to living and serving together as a “new covenant community.” The way in which God is calling us to do that is by re-establishing an old and long-neglected practice in many of the churches that grew out of the Reformation in the 1500’s: The use of a “church covenant” and “covenant membership” in the church. I say we must “re-commit” ourselves to discipleship for two reasons: We have always been taught and always believed that, as a church, we are under the new covenant. After all, when we celebrate Communion together we often recall the words of Jesus as he took the cup for the first time: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22.20). So this is not a new teaching. And we have always believed that uniting ourselves to serve together as a church involves a commitment to live in responsible community. All of our members have signed a “Request for Member- ship” form (reproduced on page 1 of these studies), which is then signed by the elder who inter- views them. In it we have committed ourselves to six simple statements of discipleship. This is not a new concept. A church covenant is simply a more deliberately written form of those six statements. What results is a written statement that defines more carefully what discipleship means and how our commitment to each other as a church enables us to fulfill these responsibilities. This statement can be used as a way to invite new members to join us. It can also be a set of responsibilities all of our members re-commit themselves to whenever we publicly recognize new members in the congregation. The purpose of these studies is to give you an overview of the biblical concepts of a church covenant and covenant membership.  “Our Church Covenant” is printed at the beginning of these studies. This fall, we invite you read it and ponder it—as individuals, married couples, and families.  In a boxed-in section at the top of each of these six Bible studies, we have written out the part of the Church Covenant that is being covered in that study. The studies are designed to walk you through the topics of the covenant and consider their application in your context.  In these Bible Studies, you will see what it means to be a member of God’s new covenant people. You’ll also see the different responsibilities the new covenant calls us to as covenant members: integrity in relationships, marriage and family, work, service, and worship. For me, the writing of these Bible Studies has been a “labor of love.” It is my hope and prayer that God will use them to unite our church in covenant membership and that we will each choose faithfulness to Jesus Christ over the convenience of a life that is uncluttered by the demands of discipleship. I also hope that we, as a church, will represent Christ more clearly and faithfully to the hurting, bewildered, and increasingly angry world in which we find ourselves. And I hope that we can pass on to the next generation the gospel in all its fullness and power lived out in a new covenant community made up of believers who seek to live for the glory of the only God. Tom Lewellen

We affirm that God, by the gospel, has drawn us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and through him has forgiven our sins, adopted us as his children, and given us his Spirit. In grateful praise for God’s redeeming grace, we solemnly and joyfully enter into (renew) our covenant with one another to serve together as a Christian church in this community. Grace Church Covenant, 2016, Introductory Paragraph

Our proposed Church Covenant will not be difficult to explain—after the introductory statement (printed above), each of seven paragraphs simply unpack our biblical responsibilities to God and one another. We’ll look at each of those in the coming weeks. What is more difficult, however, is the idea of a “church covenant” which is referred to in the words above, “We joyfully enter into our covenant with one another.” What is it? Why should we have one? How will it function?

The Promise and the Covenants The word “covenant” occurs over 300 times in Scripture. Except for a small handful of verses that refer to a formal agreement between two people, it usually refers to the relationship between God and his people. When God makes a covenant with people, it is a legal arrangement that specifies the conditions of their relationship. Between people, marriage is the closest relationship we have that takes the form of a covenant. Basically, the covenants of the Bible unfold the promise made to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.15. This is often called “the first promise of the gospel” in the Bible. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Just when he is imposing the consequences of sin, God promises that someday a male descendent of the woman will be born who will reverse the curse. This Redeemer will deal a fatal blow to the serpent (“he shall bruise your head”), and in the process will experience a non-fatal “wound” (“you shall bruise his heel”). This promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who is “born of a woman” (Gal. 4.4) and ultimately crushes Satan (John 12.31; Hebrews 2.14–15; 1 John 3.8b). Why do you think God gave this promise when he did? (look at the context)

How does Hebrews 2.14–15 help explain how Jesus fulfilled this promise?

When humans failed to obey God in the garden, they fell from their initial fellowship with God. It was now necessary for God to establish another way, one by which they could be saved. Genesis 3.15 sets out the basic promise that will unfold in the amazing plan of salvation through which sinful people can be brought back into fellowship with God. The overall plan to restore fallen people through a mediator is often called God’s “covenant of grace.” The parties to the covenant of grace are God and the people whom he will redeem through the mediator, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8.6; 9.15; 12.24). The condition of receiving his redemption is faith in the work of the mediator, who fulfills the conditions of the covenant for us and reconciles us to God. Each of the biblical covenants (like the covenant with Abraham or the covenant with Moses) are simply steps that unfold the covenant of grace until it reaches its final expression in the new covenant that Jesus established through his death on the cross.

Copyright © 2016 | Grace Church 5 The Community of the Covenant It is most important to understand that the covenant of grace, at each stage of its development, always creates a community of people. Though it starts with an individual (Abraham, Moses, David, or Christ), the individual represents the whole community that will come from him. Every covenant community from Abraham on deals with the same community, “the people of God” under that covenant, all those who share Abraham’s faith in the dead-raising God (Galatians 3.29). The new covenant which was promised by the prophets was sealed by Jesus in his death on the cross (Jer. 31.31; 1 Cor. 11.25). As the mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 12.24), Jesus has a people as well— each one to whom he imparts his life-giving Spirit is a member of the new covenant community. The apostle Peter quotes an Old Testament passage and applies it to us today: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people” (1 Peter 2.10). We are as much the people of God as the Old Testament saints! This means a local church, when it is seeking to be faithful to the Scriptures, is a new covenant community. As a Christian, you are one of God’s people—just as much as Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Peter, or John. And, you are called to function as a member of the new covenant community in your generation. How does 1 Peter 2.10 make you feel about your status in Christ?

What does 1 Peter 2.10 tell you about your responsibilities as a Christian?

God’s Covenant and Our Covenant At key points in the Old Testament, when God’s people were struggling with opposition from without and with lethargy from within, godly leaders led them to renew the covenant. One of those times was in 2 Chronicles 15, where we read: “And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul” (2 Chron. 15.12). We live at a time when devotion to God is widely ignored, dismissed, or brutally attacked. The moral teachings of the Bible which have served as the cornerstone of Western civilization are being discarded. Sincere Christian people are bewildered and troubled. We also live at a time when the whole Christian movement in the United States is weak and wavering. Believers are echoing the question of the psalmist: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11.3) The answer is the same as it is has always been under every form of the covenant of grace: We must renew the covenant! We are not called to re-establish God’s covenant—that covenant and the community it created were sealed with the blood of Christ on the cross once and for all. What we must do is renew our commitment to the covenant and to living as the new covenant community for the sake of our generation. We aren’t proposing a church covenant because we have done something wrong as a church. We are proposing a church covenant because we have matured as a church and we see our biblical responsibilities more clearly. We also recognize that, while we are seeking to be a God-honoring, healthy church we live at a time when the body of Christ in the United States is weak, struggling, sick, and under attack. That is the purpose of these studies. To help us as individuals, as families, and as a church to consider what it means to live as God’s people today. And then, to faithfully covenant together to seek to do that in fellowship with one another in the communities in which we live. How could our “covenant with one another” to live for God benefit us as a church?

How could our “covenant with one another” to live for God benefit the society we live in today?

LifeThe Church as Together the New Covenant Community Week Two Redeemed Relationships

“We will walk together in Christian love, as brothers and sisters of God’s household, by caring for each other, watching over each other, admonishing each other, and graciously restoring each other when we stumble.“ Grace Church Covenant, 2016 Paragraph 1

In the New Testament, the word “church” means “assembly” or “congregation”—it doesn’t refer to a building or an institution in society as we might use the word today. This tells that, at heart, the church of Jesus Christ is a community. We are in fact God’s “new covenant community.” Like family, community is hard to achieve and sustain. The diversity among us can lead to rich and creative service but it can also lead to conflict. Yet we are called to shape our church community as a family—after all, Scripture says we are all to call God “Our Father” (Matthew 6.9), we are “the household of God” (Ephesians 2.19), and we are to treat each other as “brothers and sisters” (Mark 10.30). The first commitment of our Church Covenant describes the ways in which we are to relate to each other in the household of God. How important is this? Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13.35). The effectiveness of our testimony to the gospel is directly tied to our display of love for each other in the church.

Caring for each other I slipped once in a store and disjointed and broke my little finger on my left hand. I never thought much about that finger; I guess you could say I took it for granted. But that little fracture took six months to heal and required occupational therapy to restore. That injury affected my whole body. The apostle Paul uses the image of the parts of the human body to describe the relationship of Chris- tians to one another. He says, “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12.24–26). That is an image of the “body of Christ” in which we share life together. Describe some of the different ways in which believers in a church family should care for each other. Con- sider the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual facets of caring.

Watching over each other To “watch over” others means to guard their spiritual integrity. Scripture tells us that sin hinders our fellowship with God and may cause him to discipline us in order to restore us to obedience. This mutual protection of our spiritual lives is simply an exten- sion of “brotherly” love.

In the world, people think, “How I live is none of your business!” Why do you think that Christians have a different attitude than this about their responsibilities to one another?

What do the following verses say about our attitude as we watch over each other? Matthew 7.3–5: Galatians 6.1

Admonishing each other Hand-in-hand with watching over each other is admonishing one another. To admonish means to give friendly earnest encouragement, advice, or warning. Admonishment is a synonym to exhortation. In the family of God we are to adopt the practice of “mutual admonition.” This means we commit ourselves to helping each other to walk with God faithfully both by encouragement and by pointing out potential dangers of our thinking or direction. This is not a “top-down” responsibility of the elders to the members; it is the shared responsibility of all believers. Read Hebrews 3.13–14 and describe a time when someone exhorted you:

Read Matthew 18.15–17 and explain Jesus’ three-step process for seeking to restore and erring believer:

As members of a covenant community, how can we nurture a “family atmosphere” in which our response when admonished is more likely to be repentance than hardness?

Restoring each other Parents know that there is a distinct difference between discipline and punishment. To the children in the home, however, those two things feel the same! The difference is largely in the attitude of the parents. Loving parents don’t pour out their frustration on their child; they aim them toward heartfelt obedience to God. The aim of admonishment must always be restoration. While we can never guaran- tee the response of another person, we can seek to show redemptive love in our intention to restore the erring Christian to faithful submission to God. How can the following verses help us to always seek restoration and reconciliation? Galatians 6.1–2 Ephesians 4.32 Proverbs 12.18

Ask yourself: How can I contribute to the loving but redemptive family atmosphere of Grace Church in the way I relate to others?

LifeThe Church as Together the New Covenant Community Week Three Family Discipleship

“We will strive to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and, by a pure and loving example and wise words, seek the salvation of our family and friends. “We will endeavor to maintain corporate, personal, and family worship, and will not neglect to pray for ourselves and for others.” Grace Church Covenant, 2016 Paragraphs 3 and 4

According to the Bible the idea that “the family is the foundation of society” is literally true. God gave an initial command to Adam and Eve as the representatives of the human race: “Be fruitful and multi- ply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1.28). Everything else has grown out of humanity’s falter- ing attempt to fulfill this command—family, home, neighborhood, city, state, nation...and church! All of those institutions are just varied extensions of the family. Since family is central to God’s plan for the world, we as a church must focus our energies on equip- ping family members to fulfill their God-given responsibilities. A church family is simply a number of individuals and families who agree to meet together. We share a bond that is deeper than the genetic ties of human families; our connection is the shared presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God! We all have one parent and we are brothers and sisters. This means that one of our chief functions as a church is to equip our component families to be the church in its smallest form. Three practices flow out of the Scriptures teachings on the family and the faith:

Practice Family Worship You read quite a way into the Bible before you come across a command for people to meet for worship in a group larger than a family—all the way to Exodus chapter 12. In that chapter, God commands Isra- el to have a “solemn assembly” marking the beginning and end of the Passover celebration (verse 16). A solemn assembly refers to a public meeting for worship. Let’s ask: Where did worship take place before that? If you read carefully, it is evident that the family was the basic worshiping community! And it remained central even after public worship began. Read Deuteronomy 6.1–9 carefully and answer the following questions: Identify the verses in this paragraph that tell us that the spiritual training of children is primarily the responsibility of believing parents:

What tells you that it involves “formal” instruction? What tells you that it involves “informal” discussion?

Why is family worship so difficult?

If few Christian families have regular family worship, does this make the affirmation in our church covenant hypocritical? Why or why not?

Seize teachable moments What in Deuteronomy 6.1–9, indicates that parents should look for every opportunity to instruct their children in God’s word?

Describe how a parent might do this:

How can this help us in life even if we don’t have (small) children?

Those parents whose children have grown and are on their own are aware that they no longer have the opportunity to lead their children in family worship. We will find, however, that we still have the opportunity to seize teachable moments when we are with them. Those who were converted after their children were grown often wonder what opportunity they have to influence their children spiritually since they missed the opportunity for family worship when their children were small—you still have an opportunity! While you don’t want to lecture at them, the wise words you might share when “teachable moments” arise can go a long way. Judiciously sharing even some of your regrets at previ- ous choices may open up their hearts to the gospel.

Capture meaningful memories When my children were growing up we developed a custom when celebrating birthdays: I would ask that, as we went around the table, each family member would share something they appreciated about the birthday person. When ours were small, one of the boys was usually sent to his room at this point! Later, they began to get more comfortable and the sharing became more meaningful. We can’t do that very often any more. Last year, however, it happened that we celebrated a birthday during the Christ- mas season when everyone was at home—I was delighted with the things that were said. The grand- children were captivated by hearing their parents share so seriously (seriousness is not often found in our family). In the Old Testament, Israel was to celebrate the Feast of Booths by building makeshift living spaces out of leafy branches and then living in them for a week as families. Read Nehemiah 8.13–18: During a time of covenant renewal, the people re-established this forgotten practice. How do you think a child experiencing this event with his family would have felt? What would he or she carry with them for the rest of their lives?

Our Church Covenant is meant to remind us of our responsibilities as followers of Christ, not to make us feel guilty about what we’re not doing. What excites you about affirming this part of our Covenant?

LifeThe Church as Together the New Covenant Community Week Four Holy Living

“We will hold marriage in honor according to God’s design by living in complete fidelity in a relationship of one man and one woman if married and by living in complete chastity if single. “We will strive to live carefully in the world—to be just in our dealings, faithful in our commitments, exemplary in our behavior, and wise in our counsel, knowing that as we have been voluntarily buried

in baptism and raised again from the symbolic grave, we have a special responsibility to lead a new and holy life.” Grace Church Covenant, 2016 Paragraphs 2 and 5

God’s purpose in saving us is not simply to forgive our sins and to give us eternal life. Those are wonder- ful and matchless blessings, but his purpose is to restore us to the image of Christ in which we were created. According to the apostle Paul, the new person that we are in Christ is revealed in the rebuilding of the “true righteousness and holiness” that we lost in Adam (Eph. 4.24). Just as a family is the context in which we grow to adulthood, the local church is the family in which we grow to maturity in Christ. In a family, the goal is for the children to become like the parents in their maturity and responsibility. The church’s goal, likewise, is to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1.28). This is why a key verse from the Old Testament is repeated in the new: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11.44; 1 Pet. 1.16). What does it mean to be holy? What does a holy person look like? Let’s consider some key New Testa- ment passages to see what the Scripture says.

Holiness Basically, the word holy means “set apart” or “devoted” usually for some spiritual or religious purpose. Thus, in the Old Testament, the priest’s garments (Exod. 28.2), the altar (Exod. 29.37), the anointing oil (Exod. 30.25), and all the implements of worship (Num. 4.19) were holy. They were set apart for the worship of God. But in Deut. 23.17, the “cult prostitute” in the Canaanite fertility religion was literally a “holy woman” (Hebrew) since she, too, was “set apart” for their degraded worship! Since Israel’s God was holy, his covenant people were to be holy as well — set apart or devoted to God. To be holy like God, however, meant to have the same characteristics of moral purity, faithfulness, and steadfast love that he has. This is the primary meaning of the word holy as it is used in the New Testa- ment. Our lives are to be devoted to God by seeking to reflect his character in our thinking, our speaking and our behavior. Holy Thinking What do the following verses say about how God wants to deal with our thought-life to make us more holy? How does he work to transform our ways of thinking? What are we called to do to engage in the process? Romans 12.1–2:

Ephesians 4.20–24:

Philippians 4.8:

Holy Speaking In a time of worship, Isaiah had a vision of God which overwhelmed him. His response to the presence of God and God’s response to him is instructive of how we should think about our speech. Describe his experience in Isaiah 6.1–6 and what it says to you about how God wants to work in your life:

How do the following verses impact you about what God wants to do with your speech? Ephesians 4.29: Ephesians 5.4:

Holy Living When I came to Christ in college, the man who discipled me once asked, “A college degree can teach you how to make a living, but who is going to teach you how to live?” Only God can teach us how to live and his word is designed for that very purpose (2 Tim. 3.16–17). Scripture tells us to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise” (Eph. 5.15). To walk carefully means to be prudent and conscientious in our behavior. Since God calls us to be holy in all our behavior, then all of the Bible’s teaching about proper conduct must be included. What follows are just a few important aspects. How do the following verses teach that God’s will for us is chastity in singleness and faithfulness in marriage? (Note that the Greek word porneia, used in these passages, means “sexual immorality.” It refers to all sexual activity outside of a heterosexual and monogamous marriage relationship.) Exodus 20.14:

Matthew 19.3–12:

1 Thessalonians 4.1–8:

What aspects of holy behavior do the following verses teach? Ephesians 4.25: Ephesians 4.28: Ephesians 4.30–31: Ephesians 5.18: Proverbs 23.20–21: 2 Thessalonians 3.6–12:

Ask yourself: How does my participation in the life of our church family enhance our ability to represent Christ more fully in the community around us?

LifeThe Church as Together the New Covenant Community Week Five Faithful Giving

“We will work together to maintain a faithful gospel ministry in this church, by participating in its worship, programs, discipline, and doctrines. We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.” Grace Church Covenant, 2016 Paragraph 6

As an example of grace-filled giving, the apostle Paul holds up the example of the churches in Macedo- nia. He says, “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us” (2 Cor. 8.5). An important principle is embedded in this little encouragement: Giving of our finances to God’s work (contributing) is the overflow of giving ourselves to God’s purposes (participating). Our Church Covenant tries to express that principle in this two-sentence paragraph. The first sentence underlines our responsibility to join with others in God’s work by our personal service; the second em- phasizes the importance of our financial contribution to the cause of Christ. Both of these are simply different ways of giving ourselves to God.

Giving yourself to God: Participating Bud Wilkinson was the head football coach of the University of Oklahoma from 1947–1963. He went on to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. He is credited with describing football as “Twenty-two boys on the field badly in need of rest, and 40,000 people in the stands badly in need of exercise.” Some people think that describes the church. If it does, it shouldn’t. What do the following passages tell us about how and why we should participate in the life of the church? Ephesians 4.1–3 Colossians 3.16 Hebrews 10.24–25 1 Peter 4.9 1 Peter 4.10–11 1 Corinthians 15.58 Scripture tells us that God looks at the heart (motives) not just the activities. Participation in the life of the church is not measured by how many hours we spend doing things for God. It is meant to be the overflow of a heart that is captivated by grace. How do the following passages indicate that our service is more than just racking up hours of activity? Luke 10.38–42

1 Corinthians 3.10–15

Giving yourself to God: Contributing

Even though guilt, shame, and greed are poor motivations for obedience, we unfortunately all experience them to varying degrees in life —from parents, teachers, employers, spouses, and friends. Unfor- tunately, an experience so universal to human beings can at times be found in the church as well. Even if church leaders manage to avoid using these motivations, we can easily bring them into the church ourselves! Let’s consider our motivations for giving: Read 2 Corinthians 9.1–15 and reflect on the following questions: Why are shame and guilt poor motivations for giving?

What in the context tells you that verse 1 is not encouraging giving to get something from God?

List the different positive motivations for giving to God that you see in this paragraph:

While we might say that gratitude to God for his grace in Christ is the purest motivation for giving, the Scriptures do acknowledge some other incentives that we should consider as well. Look at the following passages and identify the principle about giving that is being presented in each passage. Genesis 28.10–22 (esp. verse 22)

What might have motivated Jacob to voluntarily give “a full tenth” to the Lord?

Exodus 23.19 (first sentence only!) What are “firstfruits” and what do they tell us about giving?

Does this verse teach that our giving should be only to the church? Why or why not?

1 Chronicles 21.22–25 (esp. verse 24)

Why do you think worship ought to “cost” us something?

When my wife gave birth to our four children, I remember feeling an overwhelming desire to give her something… anything that would express the gratitude I felt for her self-giving love. She was not ex- pecting presents at that point, which is fortunate because (like most people) our children weren’t born when we’re flush with money! But if you remember a feeling like that (it didn’t have to be at the birth of children) you know the kind of feeling that God wants us to have when we give to him.

In worship—through God’s word, prayer, and singing—we can experience God’s grace at deeper levels. As we do this, we will find our hearts moved to give to God, first ourselves and then our things.

LifeThe Church as Together the New Covenant Community Week Six Faithful Leaving

“And, if we move from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other gospel-centered church where we can live out the principles of God’s word and the spirit of this covenant.” Grace Church Covenant, 2016 Paragraph 7

One significant question that must be answered for those who commit to covenant membership in a local church is, “Can I break the church covenant?”  In Scripture, some covenants are unconditional: each party pledges unilateral commitment to be faithful to the covenant regardless of the other person’s faithfulness. The divine covenants are unconditional.  Other covenants are conditional, meaning that the obligation of one party is at least in part de- pendent upon the faithfulness of the other. God’s covenant of grace with his people, the “Church universal,” is unconditional. The local church covenant, on the other hand, is in part conditioned upon the faithfulness of each party. This means that there are righteous and unrighteous reasons for leaving the membership of a local church. Let’s consider some of these.

Righteous reasons for leaving a local church Obviously, there are some reasons for leaving a church that having nothing to do with the church or its leadership. They are reasons of location, including things like:  Moving to a new city  Getting married to a person who is a member of another church  Finding a healthy, gospel-centered church that is nearer to your home Another righteous reason for leaving a church is expressed by Paul in Acts 20.28–30: What does verse 29 say can happen in a local church?

What does verse 30 say can happen in a local church?

If the leaders of a church turn away from maintaining the truth of the gospel, they have broken the covenant! If the corporate church body is turned away from biblical teaching by the leaders or by outside influences, they have broken the covenant. In either case, the member is in a position of needing to re- spond biblically. What does Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18.15–17 tell us we should do if our church becomes unfaithful?

What is an example of a failure because of the elders’ or members’ disobedience?  The church elders might fail through doctrinal error. If the leadership of the church begins to teach heterodox (as opposed to orthodox) theology, the members are encouraged to confront them and seek their turning from error. If our leaders were to be unwilling to repent of doctrinal error, we sincerely hope you would leave and find a place that preaches the true gospel.  An individual member might fail in such a way as to lead the church to engage in accountability and restoration. If a member of the church were involved in adultery, for example, the church would approach him or her to seek repentance and reconciliation. If that member were unwilling to acknowledge and repent from the sin, the discipline might ultimately escalate to the point where he or she was no longer allowed to participate in the church-life here at Grace until repentance could bring healing and restoration. This would be a righteous reason for the church body to withdraw a person’s membership. If at any time an individual member feels as though the leaders or the corporate church body are not remaining faithful to the requirements of the covenant, it is the responsibility of the individual member to lovingly and humbly express concerns to the leadership of the church. If the church elders are unwilling to change and pursue covenant faithfulness, the member is freed from his or her membership obligations and encouraged to seek membership elsewhere given the church’s disobedience.

Unrighteous reasons for leaving a local church Unfortunately, people leave churches for poor reasons, such as a spirit of consumerism. While people may leave churches today over styles of music, versions of the Bible, or programs for the children, it is difficult to find in the Bible any justification for such motives. A couple is considering leaving because, they say, “our children need more than they can get here.” What would you say to such a couple?

People sometimes leave churches because someone has hurt them and they are unwilling to speak to them about it or to ask one of the leaders to help them to do this. What are some of the ways we can encourage them to handle this? Matthew 18.15–17: Proverbs 19.11: Philippians 4.2–3: Sometimes people leave during a time of sin and rebellion. Of course, when we are struggling in our walk with God, it is not the time to leave the church family. We should be especially sensitive to others’ spiritual state and seek to pursue them before it comes to the point where they think of leaving.

How to leave the church for righteous reasons If you are leaving the church for a righteous reason, please do two things:  Notify one of the pastors or elders to let them know you are leaving.  Seek another church with which you can carry out your biblical responsibilities as a believer.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but to the interests of others. (Philippians 2.4)