Sheffield Chapel L.I.G.H.T. lessons posted weekly.

1. L.I.G.H.T.
Sheffield Chapel
Lessons 1 Joining the
Committed

2. Our Purpose Statement:
• Sheffield Chapel is an Evangelical Christian and Second Advent
church that exists to make God supreme by radiating as a L.I.G.H.T.
in a dark world. We exist to…
– Learn the Word with our head (intellectually), heart (emotionally),
and with our hands (practically).
– To Invest in each other with a humble attitude that views others
as better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3), as we administer God’s grace
through our spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10) as well as in our
community through good works (Eph. 2:10) and the world through
evangelism, discipleship, and missions (Matt. 28:18-19).
– To be Generous as people who manage the gifts of God
expressed through our attitude, our character, our time, our
material possessions, and our money (Matt. 25:14-46).
– To be Holy, set apart for God’s use in full obedience and
submission to His will (1 Peter 1:16).
– To be Together through jubilation and tribulation.

3. Is Church Membership Biblical?
•
•
•
•
The Bible does not explicitly state anywhere that the local assembly of believers
must conduct membership classes and keep a membership list. However, there are
passages that imply that some form of membership did exist.
For example, Paul called for the formal exclusion of a particular sinner at the
Corinthian church. Such a formal exclusion certainly seems to presuppose a formal
inclusion. Paul makes a clear distinction between those “inside” and those “outside”
the church: “for what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those
who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the
wicked man from among yourselves” (1 Cor. 5:2, 7, 12-13).
Paul's reference to “the majority” in 2 Cor. 2:6-7 seems to refer to a group
commonly recognized as the church's members: “Sufficient for such a one is this
punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should
rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow.”
The early church kept various lists. We know from the widow list mentioned in 1
Timothy 5:9 that lists of people were kept and tracked. If widows were listed, it is likely
that a list of current members was kept and updated as well. In the book of Acts we read
the phrase “they were added to their number daily.” Numbers represent people and if
numbers were kept then certainly somewhere lists of members were no doubt also kept.
God Himself keeps a list of all believers in the Lamb’s book of life, giving us a precedent
for doing the same in this temporal world (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 21:27).

4. Is Church Membership Biblical?
•
•
•
•
In the same way that the ceremonial and civil laws of the Old Covenant drew a
distinction between Israel and surrounding nations so church membership may play a
similar practical role in our surrounding culture.
Scripture repeatedly commands Christians to submit to their leaders (Heb.
13:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13). The only way to do that is by publicly committing to be
members of their flock, and saying in effect, “I commit to listening to your teaching,
following your direction, and to submitting to your leadership.” There’s no way to obey
the scriptural commands to submit to your leaders if you never actually submit to
them by joining a local church.
Still, it remains that some avoid membership like the plague much like many in
our modern culture are content to date their significant other, but fear crossing the
threshold of commitment into marriage. Thus many are flirting, or worse, fornicating
with the church, but she is just one mistress among many for them. Membership on
the other hand is marital commitment. It is devotion. It moves a person from
consumer to contributor, from life as a lazyboy to life as a lion of Christ.
D.L. Moody once heard his friend say something that impacted his entire life. Henry
Varley, the British evangelist remarked, “The world has yet to see what God can do
with and for and through a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.” Without
formal education, and nearly no formal training, Moody shook the world and
countless souls for Christ. Membership isn’t about the quantity of numbers, but the
quality of Christ in us, the hope of glory. May you serve zealously for the LORD!

5. Outside the Church
(Evangelism)
Occasional
Attendees
(Worship Service)
Regular Attendees
(Fellowship)
Mature Members
(Discipleship)
Ministry Leaders

6. Key Questions
• What is the different understanding
of church those in the congregation
group have from those in the
committed and core group?
• Note the following anecdote and two
analogies.

7. Story from
“What is a Healthy Church Member?”
(p. 9-11)

8. Congregation = Church is a cruise ship!

9. Committed = Church is a battle ship!

10. Key Question
• How will the different perspectives deal with
interpersonal conflict when it arises (and it will)?
• How will the different perspectives handle
uncomfortable, convicting, or biblically offensive
sermons?
• How will the different perspectives treat their duty and
responsibility with regard to growth and service in the
body of Christ?
– Cf. Eph. 6:12; 4:26-27; 1 Pet. 4:8; Dan. 10; Mark 13:33-37.
• How do you encourage someone to move from one
ship to another? (Answer: The committed should
invite others to LIFE groups, Praise & Prayer, Sunday
School, events, etc.)

11. The
Christian
Life

12. The
Christian
Life
Foundation:
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

13. Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Millennium
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Tongues
The
Christian
Life
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Baptism
Foundation:
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

14. Load bearing
walls:
Uncompromising
theological
positions
E.G. Divinity of
Christ; Trinity,
etc.
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Millennium
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Tongues
The
Christian
Life
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Baptism
Foundation:
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

15. Load bearing
walls:
Uncompromising
theological
positions
Glory of
God
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Millennium
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Tongues
The
Christian
Life
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Baptism
Foundation:
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

16. Frame:
Connects
foundation to
roof, holds
everything
together:
Delight in God
Load bearing
walls:
Uncompromising
theological
positions
Glory of
God
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Millennium
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Tongues
The
Christian
Life
Rooms:
Theology
E.G.
Baptism
Foundation:
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

17. • Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the
desires of your heart.”
• Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
Rejoice.”
• Romans 5:2, “Through him we have also obtained access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the
glory of God.”
• Psalm 43:4, “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my
exceeding joy.”
• Psalm 70:4, “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’”
• Psalm 63:3, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my
lips will praise you.”
• Jn 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be
in you, and that your joy may be full.
Jn 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and
you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Jn 17:34 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in
the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves .

18. Our Beginning Framework
“God is MOST glorified in me when I am MOST satisfied in Him”
Man’s Glory
Legalist
Libertarian
Love without judgment
Judgment without love
Political Kingdom
God’s Glory
Christ is my Lord – obedience
Christ is my Savior – gratitude
-Not connected to obedience
-Called to “live by faith”,
“walk by faith” not “live by
gratitude” or “walk by
gratitude.”
-E.G. Analogy of Christmas
gift giving
Christian
Hedonism
Psalm
37:4; 63:1;
42:1-2;
36:8; 34:8;
16:11

19. Homework
(Follow the links)
• The Happiness of God: Foundation for Christian
• God Is Most Glorified in Us When We Are Mos
•
•
•
•
Conversion to Christ: the Making of a Christian H
Worship: the Feast of Christian Hedonism
Love: the Labor of Christian Hedonism
Desiring God by John Piper (free book to
go along with the Christian Hedonism series,
pdf)

20. L.I.G.H.T.
Sheffield Chapel
Lessons 1 Joining the
Committed