Check-Up for Church Members

Ten Point Check-Up

There are ten sins of which church members are requently guilty. Each of them is plainly forbidden by the Word of God. Beacasue of this, those who induldge in them merit God's strong displeasure. However, as each member honestly faces these issues, the church will recive the fruits of His favor. The 10 Sins are:

1. Hypocricy

How we live in the world is vital. Lack of care and thought about how we live before those outside the church is one of the most common sins of church members. Colossians 4:5 says, "Walk in wisdom towards those who are ouside." By careless disregard for this rule, we harden the wicked in their sins, bring guilt upon ourselves, and reproach upon the name and ways of God.

2. Laziness

Idleness or neglecting our duties in our work plainly contrary to 2 Thessalonians 3:11,12, "There are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all...Those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread." Idleness brings poverty upon ourseleves and scandal on the name of Christ.

3. Tale-bearing

Tale-bearing and gossiping includes revealing things which should be kept confidential within a family or between persons. This causes much strife, cooling and quenching mutual love. It is expressily forbidden in Leviticus 19:16, "You shall not go about as a tale-bearer among your own people." I Timothy 5:13 warns about those who are "not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not."

4. Receiving Gossip

Christians sometimes believe rumors or gossip and take rach action against others on this issue. We ought not to do this against the lowliest member, "that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder." (2 Corinthians 12:20) We must especially guard against doing this against church officers, "Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses." This sin strikes at the bond of peace in the family, the church and society.

5. Neglecting Worship

Do you neglect God's worship or the Lord's Supper for trivial reasons? This is, reasons other than works or nessecity or mercy. This is contrary to Hebrews 10:25, "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Minor matters [of tiredness and functions] should never hinder us from our chief duty--- to worship God.

6. Lateness

Arriving late for worship demonstrates a lack of zeal for God's house. It also shows that you are not expecting God's blessing in worship. "Let is go unto the house of the Lord"  (Psalm 122:1)

7. Irreverence

Irreverence and lack of seriousness at worship are common sins. "God is greatly to be feared  in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those who are around Him." (Psalm 89:7) One evidence of this in an excessive casual attitude towards how we dress for worship. Another evidence of this sin is a lazy posture.  The pew is not a resting place. Nor is a place for idle chatter. Ecclesiates 5:1 admonishes, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil."

8. Reproof

Reproof is universally neglected. We have a duty to reprove sin biblically. "You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him." (Leviticus 19:17) This is Christ's own rule: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." (Matthew 18:15) We are also to recive reproof from our brothers with it is necessary. "Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it." (Psalm 141:5)

9. Disunity

Unresolved strife and friction between members causes divisions. Differences are to be nipped in the bud prudently and promptly, not allowing to blossom into public scandals. The apostles rule in 1 Corinthians 5:5,6 is "I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?" Paul was always concerned about disunity. (1 Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 4:2)

10. Self- centeredness

Beware of a self-centered atiitude. Preoccupation with our own concerns is expressly condemned in Philippians 2:21, "They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." How different was Paul's attitude to his brothers and sisters in Christ. "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?"

Six Blessings that flow from
Faithful Self-examination

1. Facing these sins and repenting of them will out a lustre on your Christian witness before the world. It will make it look glorious to many who now despise you. Paul to Titus admonishes the Christians there to be, "not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior." (Titus 2:10) Paul says this to encourage us to take care how we live as Christians.

2. The will attract and win many of the world to Christ. It will wonderfully prosper the purpose of the gospel. "that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain." (Philippians 2:15,16)

3. This will powerfully shut the mouths of all who mick or blaspheme the Christian faith. "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." (1 Peter 2:15)

4. This will glorify God which is the chief reason for living. "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

5. This will bring God's blessing of much inward peace, according to Galations 6:16, "And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

6. This will insure the presence of God with us and among us, giving us great joy in worship. It will also give us stability and glory in our churches. Why? Becasue Christ walks among the golden lampstands. If we defect from the gospel, He threatens to remove our lampstand rom its place--- unless we repent. (see Revelation 2:5)