Intentional Relationships WATC

The church seeks to build intentional relationships with believers to help each other grow and with unbelievers to share the gospel with them sooner rather than later.  This lesson and post explore what “intentional relationships” mean and look like in the church body.

This week’s lesson and last week’s lesson, Meaningful Membership, reviewed the two weeks of the New Members class to help each member understand what new members and every member are committing to when they join Trinity Baptist Church.

Two main parts of the second week of membership are (1) two initial church membership requirements – salvation and baptism and (2) a BAPTIST acrostic that explains some distinctive beliefs.

BIBLICAL AUTHORITY:  The Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. (2 Tim. 3:16‑17, 2 Tim. 3:16-4:2) 

AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH:   (Col. 1:18; 2 Cor. 8:1-5,19,23)

PRIESTHOOD OF EVERY BELIEVER:  Every believer has direct access to God. (Rev. 1:5‑6, Heb. 10:19, 1 Tim. 2:5)

TWO ORDINANCES:  Baptism by immersion and The Lord's Supper (Acts 2:41,47, 1 Cor. 11:23‑31)

INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY:  Every believer can distinguish truth from error through the teaching of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (1 John 2:20, 27; 1 Cor. 2:12)

SAVED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP (Acts 2:41, 47)

TWO OFFICES:  Elder and Deacon (Phil. 1:1, I Tim. 3:1‑13).  There is a Plurality of Leadership – Never CEO.

Each member of the church plays a vital role in the life of one another because each member is a part of the body of Christ.  In The Gospel Primer, Milton Vincent captures this reality with the following statement: “The more I comprehend the full scope of the gospel, the more I value the church for which Christ died, the more I value the role that I play in the lives of my fellow-Christians, and the more I appreciate the role that they must be allowed to play in mine.”

This intentionality is made known in the many "one another" commands.  Many of these commands can be found at www.challies.com/articles/one-another-the-bible-community/

Hebrews 10:24 and 25 tell us to meet together.  This spurring one another towards love and good deeds and encouraging one another needs to happen all throughout the week, not just Sunday morning.  It is not passively showing on Sunday mornings.  It is intentionally building relationships with others. 

These intentional relationships are built on Sunday mornings, other regular meeting times, special events, and throughout the week. 

These intentional relationships are built on different levels.  There are deep personal relationships, friends, and acquaintances.

A helpful intentional relationships resource is www.crossway.org/articles/building-a-culture-of-spiritually-intentional-relationships/. It contains four Ps that can lead to persistent cultural change. You can discuss how each of these can help grow intentional relationships.

DISCIPLESHIP & EVANGELISM THREAD:

Church members seek to build intentional relationships with believers to help each other grow and with unbelievers to share the gospel with them sooner rather than later

Upcoming Classes

10/01      Ministries of the Church
10/08      75th Celebration
10/15      Prayer & the Church
10/22      The Bible & the Church
10/29      Preaching & the Church
11/05      Leadership & the Church
11/12      Discipline & the Church
11/19      The Gathering of the Church 

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