A MEMBER OF GOD S FAMILY 1.

1 You have become a member of God family: Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 1corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Rom 12:5 So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 1 corinthians 12:13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Peter 1:3 A Living Hope Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. MATTHEW 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Hebrews 12:23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
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A MEMBER OF A LOCAL CHURCH

Act 11:22 News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Romans 16:3-5 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, 4and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Q&A Romans 2:19-22
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and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples?

Romans 10:9-10
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because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. BELONG TO HOUSEHOLD Philippians 1:1-6 THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE Philippians Salutation 1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishopsand deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul s Prayer for the Philippians 3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.

1 john 1:3,6-7 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;7but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. BENEFITS OF BELONGING TO A HOUSEHOLD 1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation Psalm 68:6
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God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.

There are at least 30 instructions in the New Testament that you cannot fulfill unless you decide to belong to a local church. Here are a few of them: y Love one another. 1 john 4:7 God Is Love Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Have compassion for one another: 1 Peter 3:8 Suffering for Doing Right 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Admonish one another: Colossians 3:16 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Pray for one another: James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Comfort one another: 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. Edify one another: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. Exhort one another: Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today , so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

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BELONGING MAKES THE CHURCH GRROW STRONGER Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body s growth in building itself up in love. Romans 12:4-8 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. WHEN YOU BELONG, YOU RECEIVE PASTORAL CARE Luke 12:31-32
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Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. 1 Peter 5:2 to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it not for sordid gain but eagerly. EXERCISES: Q. Who must belong to a local Church? A. Ephesians 2:8,19 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,
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Q. Mention some of the benefits you can derive from belonging to a local Church.

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