The local church is a group of Christians who agree to work together in a specific geographic location. The pattern clearly outlined in the New Testament is for those who obey the gospel, having been added to the one universal church by the Lord (Acts 2:47), to join local churches (Acts 9:26-27). We read about local churches in places like Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Troas, etc.
Every member of a local church should strive to be as active as possible to help the church reach its full potential. Here are three things you can do to be a beneficial member of your local church.
- We can teach the lost
It is essential to the local church that all its members be evangelistically minded. It is the responsibility of every member of the body of Christ to strive to make disciples for Jesus (Matthew 28:19). Our primary purpose in teaching the gospel is to save souls; however, it is also essential for the long-term survival of the local church. Every local church loses members in four different ways: 1) Some will leave the faith. 2) Some will move away. 3) Some will get disgruntled and change their membership, and 4) some will die. These members need to be replaced if the local church is going to maintain its membership.
Teaching the gospel to the lost is a natural response of true faith. Paul once quoted Psalms 116:10, which says, “I believe, and so I speak.” He then added, “…we also believe, and so we also speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). If we really believe what the gospel teaches, we will not keep that soul-saving message to ourselves.
- We can pray consistently
Another essential ingredient to a successful local church is prayer. Members of the church all have different talents. There is something, though, that every member of the church can do, regardless of our talent level—we can all pray. Prayer is powerful because the God to whom we pray is powerful. Sadly, most of us do not pray as often as we should. The good news is we can change that anytime we want, at least individually.
Why not make up your mind that you are going to pray more often, and that a part of your prayer life will include praying for your local church? When was the last time you prayed for the growth of your local church? Do you pray for the elders who watch over your souls? What about praying for our young people? We could spend much time in prayer if we did nothing more than pray for the church.
- We can forgive those who sin against us
The local church is a family, and as with all families, problems arise once in a while. People make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes hurt others. In a local church, members will be offended by the actions of other members from time to time because we all have faults. The fact is, we have all been on both the giving and receiving end of some offense. For peace to prevail in a local church, members must be willing to forgive one another. Let us not forget, we must be willing to forgive others if we expect God to forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15).
Are you to be a valuable member of your local church? We all can, and if we expect God to watch over us with His providential care, we must (Matthew 6:33). The church is a part of God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10-11). Let us do what we can to build it up.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.