Men who Suffered for the Truth John Wycliffe Sunday Evening: 6 PM Men who Suffered for the Truth

Challenging ‘Private Christianity’ Ephesians 2 Church Membership Challenging ‘Private Christianity’ Ephesians 2

Sunday attendance: Members? Who are the members?

Membership filled with unbelievers Why people attend Sunday services Tradition Lack of Persecution Seeker-sensitive philosophy This is what we’ve always done

Sunday attendance: Members? Why people attend Sunday services Tradition Lack of Persecution Seeker-sensitive philosophy This is convenient

Sunday attendance: Members? This is entertaining! Why people attend Sunday services Tradition Lack of Persecution Seeker-sensitive philosophy

Sunday attendance: Members? Why people attend Sunday services Tradition Lack of Persecution Seeker-sensitive philosophy

Resistance to Membership Individualism Non-Conformity Over emphasis on your Personal Relationship with God Hurt from past members / local churches

Distorted Membership Club-Mentality

The Ephesian Context The believers at Ephesus, Jews and Greeks

The Ephesians The believers at Ephesus, Jews and Greeks Separation, hostility, strangers Philosophies Cultures

The Ephesians The believers at Ephesus, Jews and Greeks Separation, hostility, strangers Philosophies Cultures Ephesians 4:1-3 “Make every effort to keep the unity”

God knows no such thing as ‘Private Christianity’ Ephesians 2 The Church: One United Body God knows no such thing as ‘Private Christianity’

Ephesians 2 God knows no such thing as ‘Private Christianity’ The Church: One United Body God knows no such thing as ‘Private Christianity’ Jesus is Our Life, Our Lord, Our Song

Ephesians 2:11-22

1. ALL people have access.. were completely separated remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world (12)

1. ALL people have access.. were completely separated now completely united Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Col 3:11)

2. All people in Christ are ONE MAN… His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two (15)

2. All people in Christ are ONE MAN… Reconciliation with God is inseparable from reconciliation with all other reconciled people

3. God’s Purpose for the ONE BODY Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, (19)

3. God’s Purpose for the ONE BODY Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, (19) 1 Peter 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood

3. God’s Purpose for the ONE BODY Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, (19) Romans 11:17 you… have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root

Why Membership? Spiritual Membership insists on Physical Membership

Why Membership? Spiritual Membership insists on Physical Membership God knows no such thing as ‘Private Christianity’ a commitment to other believers a commitment to all believers

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever