On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard. The disaster shocked the world and halted NASA’s shuttle program. The root cause was the failure of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster, which became brittle in the unusually cold weather. Engineers were deeply concerned about the cold temperatures and advised delaying the launch. — Christa McAuliffe

However, on the night before the launch, NASA held a critical conference. Several senior NASA officials and engineers had concerns. There were key NASA decision-makers who had authority to halt the launch were absent from fully reviewing the risks or dismissed them under schedule pressure.

Their absence left a vacuum where safety concerns were overruled by administrative momentum. The choice to proceed without all critical voices at the table proved catastrophic. The Challenger tragedy remains a stark reminder that one’s absence can lead to irreversible consequences.

The same is true for the church you’re absent can affect this ministry. Today I want to share what the scripture teaches is expected of each of us as members. Every organization has expectations for its members. The Bible teaches that all Christians, which obviously include church members, are expected to do certain things.

In this sermon we will address at least four; the first has to do with a…

I. Worship in the Church vv.1

1. Worship begins with a proper attitude and understanding of the church… If our relationship with God is not healthy, all these things are nothing more than religious pageantry. You involvement makes for a wholesome worship experience together with God’s people.

We don’t walk worthy so that God will love us, but because He does love us. Walk here is the Greek word “pet/tee/pot/tat/o” meaning how one conducts oneself. It has to do with worship! It is motivated out of gratitude, not out of desire to earn merit. When we really understand how much God has done for us, we will naturally want to worship and serve Him out of gratitude.

enhance our worship. The true quality of our worship, however, rests within us… If we do not allowed God the essence of self, our worship will be void of His presence. If you do not have a pure heart, you may be here in body and may give an offering, but your worship will be unacceptable to God. The Bible teaches that all members are asked to give a proper attitude of worship. We also need to respect other members who come

2. Today, we tend to look to external things to to worship.

II. Members, Must Protect the Unity of the Church vv. 2, 3

1. We protect the unity of the church by caring for one another… In Paul’s letter to the Romans he includes the most extensive “one another” profile.

1. We are “members of one another” (Rom. 12:5).

2. We are to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (12:10a)

3. We are to “give preference to one another in honor” (12:10c).

4. We are to “be of the same mind with one another” (12:16a)

5. We are to “accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us” (15:7).

6. We are to “admonish one another” (15:14). –

7. To speak the truth in love…Eph 4:15 – Be “subject to one another” (5:21).

8. To serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). Bear one another’s burdens” (6:2).

9. Show “forbearance to one another” (Eph. 4:2 & 32) – “forgiving one another”.

10. Encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11).

2. Another important way we protect the unity of the church is refusing to gossip about other members or staff. More problems and disunity are created in churches because of gossip than anything else. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

The Bible teaches that all members are asked to give a proper attitude of worship, to protect the unity of the church, third to…

III. Members should participate in the Ministry of the Church vv. 7, 11&12

1. Every time you attend a church service your presence encourages other members. We should never be guilty of forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 gives us this command of regular fellowship. Some believers start drifting spiritually when they begin missing Bible study and worship services…They never intended to become spiritual drifters. However, after missing a Sunday here and there, their spiritual anchors soon lift, and they begin to drift off course spiritually.

2. Invite unchurched people graciously. A good place to start is with F.R.A.N., an acrostic for friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. Inviting others graciously means with respect and gentleness, as opposed to being obnoxious or acting “holier-than-thou.”

3. Help make your church friendlier. The number one reason a visitor returns to a church is feeling welcome. Research reveals that for visitors to feel welcome they must have had their hands shaken at least five times by different people. One of the most important ministries of our church is making people feel welcome–Greet one another” (16:16). The Bible teaches that all members are asked to give a proper attitude of worship, to protect the unity of the church, to participate in the ministry of your church and then last…

IV. Pursue your God’s given Gift for the Church vv.7, 10

1. The apostle Paul stresses here the perfecting of the saints in verse 12. The word “perfecting” comes from a Greek root word that means “complete furnishing or equipping’. God gave spiritual leaders to teach and mature His saints to do the work of the ministry. Leadership is to equip and the saints who are to do the work of ministry. The apostle Paul amplifies this truth in his letter to the Church at Corinth.

2. Indifference toward your duties as a member can harm your church and weaken its’ influence. Every believer has at least one spiritual gift, which is not a ready-made ability but a supernatural enablement that must be developed. You developed it by working it out not by staying out.

3. God has a plan for each of our lives, and finding that purpose is the only way our lives will ever have real meaning and significance. Nothing can make the Christian life more exciting and fulfilling than discovering God’s very important purpose for our lives. God has always had a purpose for you.

To prepare you for His purpose God has allowed you to have certain experiences. These include vocational, educational, cultural, family, and sometimes even painful experiences. God desires us to be good stewards of our pain. Sometimes our greatest opportunities for ministry come as a result of our pain, failure, or mistakes. — Romans 8:28

4. To prepare you for His purpose God has given each believer special endowments of the Holy Spirit. We call these spiritual gifts. In the spiritual body of Christ believers have gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us (Romans 12:6a). Every believer has at least one spiritual gift, which is not a ready-made ability but a supernatural enablement that must be developed.

The apostle Paul amplifies this truth in his letter to the Church at Corinth… He stresses here the perfecting of the saints in verse 12. The word “perfecting” comes from a Greek root word the means “fully grown’. You need to seek out this gift and use it. Spiritual indifference to the duties of members will kill your church. James 1:22 describes it for us…

  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Conclusion:

—You will never be happier than doing this because this is what He created you to do for Him.