October
5, 2003 Our
Church Covenant Ephesians
5
By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville
Baptist Church
What
are you committed to? What are
you dedicated to, loyal to, devoted to, steadfast, unswerving, and faithful
to? Do you give yourself to God?
He has given himself for you.
How do you give yourself to someone you can’t see?
You give yourself to become who he desires.
This picture of the believer includes the church, which is called the
body of Christ in the New Testament. Within
this body you can become who He wants you to be.
This is our commitment to God through his church.
Are you ready?
Our
Church Covenant
Since
we are trusting Jesus Christ as Savior, and professing Him as our Lord, having
been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, as members of the Fayetteville Baptist Church, we commit ourselves to
the following understanding of Christian living:
Having been led, as we
believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior,
And on the profession
of our faith, having been baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
We do now, in the
presence of God, His angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully
enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
Therefore, we,
the members of the Fayetteville Baptist Church, do engage by the aid of the
Holy Spirit,
To walk together
in Christian love;
To strive for the
advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort;
To promote the
prosperity and spirituality of the church;
To sustain the
ordinances, discipline, and doctrines of the church and the worship of God;
To contribute
cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the
church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all
nations;
To maintain
family and personal devotions;
To educate our
children in the Christian faith;
To seek the
salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;
To walk
circumspectly in the world;
To be just in our
dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct;
To avoid all
tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger;
To abstain from
the sale and use of illegal drugs and intoxicating drinks as a beverage;
To be zealous in
our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior;
To watch over one
another in brotherly love;
To remember each
other in prayer;
To aid each other
in sickness and distress;
To cultivate
Christian sympathy in feeling with courtesy in speech;
To
be mindful of the rules of our Savior, be slow to take offense and to be
prepared to secure reconciliation without delay. When we are removed from this
place, we will unite with another church as soon as possible, where we can
continue to carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's
word.
Scripture
Text:
Eph. 5:14 Wherefore he
saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall
give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as
wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not
unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk
with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to
yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one
to another in the fear of God.
1Pet
2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light: {peculiar: or, purchased}
{praises: or, virtues} 10 Which in time
past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Will
we renew our commitment and promise?
1.
Will we renew our commitment to
God, to Christ, and to the Spirit? To know him better by making the most
of every minute of time which he gives us. To serve him as an humble servant of the one who knows
everything that was, is and is to come. To
love him with our whole person, heart, and body.
To give ourselves to him in all things in all ways of our lives.
To know him and love him as he has revealed himself in the Son.
2.
Will we this day renew our
commitment to the family, our family to strengthen, to provide, and to
give to them our best? God
helping us?
3.
Will we this day renew our
commitment to the church and to this church? The body of Christ that God has brought us into to become
a part of his body. With
his leadership and guidance to serve one another.
Which includes the individual members of the congregation who make up
this body of believers.
4.
Will we this day renew our
commitment to the community / world that we are living in?
Our commitment to seek to shine as the light of Christ to show to
all who see us that there is a living God who lives and loves within me.
God is alive and well within my life.
5.
Will we this day renew our
commitment to ourselves to provide for ourselves the very best that we can
afford? By following the Lord and
keeping his commands and by living up to our promises we have provided for
ourselves the best that God can afford to give to those who choose to join
themselves with him!
By
receiving this communion this day we
join ourselves to him who gave himself for us.
By receiving this communion
this day we join ourselves to one another and to our selves as God has created
us in his image. Will we renew
our promise to Him and to each other today?