“Love One Another”
Some Things To Expect From The Church You Attend:

   Abraham Lincoln said, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he is living; and I like to see a man live so his place will be proud of Him.” I’d like to mention some things that every church member should expect from the church that they attend. Then, next week, I hope to follow up with some things that the church should expect from you. 

   You should expect a loving bond of fellowship from the church. In Acts 2:42-47, we read about the first-century church and the daily fellowship and union they shared. The picture here is of a real church “family” that did common, everyday things together…and then they stuck together when the not-so-common things came along. The church is a lot like an earthy family that should spend a great deal of time together, but when they don’t, the whole group suffers.

   You should expect to grow because of the edification you receive from the church.  Paul described a healthy, growing body that was such because everyone was doing their share of the work and building one another up in love (Eph 4:15-16). Even when this edification comes in the form of a rebuke or correction, when it is done in love, the body will grow.

   You should expect spiritual and scriptural worship. God has commanded, and we have biblical examples of different worship acts in His word.  We are to remember the death of Christ with a memorial each Sunday (I Cor 11:23-26), preach the gospel of Christ (Acts 20:7), sing and pray (I Cor 14:15), and give of what we have back to God (I Cor 16:2). God expects these commands and examples to be followed, but also expects our hearts, or spirits, to be willingly involved in the actions (John 4:23-24).

   You should expect the Bible to be in the church. Yes, it should be in the pews, but it should also be in the hearts of its members, it should be evident in the organization of the church, and evident in all practices and beliefs of the church. The Bible is God’s truth, and His authority for all religious matters (John 17:17).