All in – Devoted to God, Committed to His Church

It has been said, “The church is God’s answer for reaching a lost world.” Indeed, established by Jesus (Matthew 16:18), it is the primary vehicle He has provided for proclaiming the gospel and discipling believers.

God wants His followers to be active participants in His church. One of the ways we demonstrate this is through church membership. My friend, Phil, a long-time deacon in his church, says church membership is a way of showing our commitment — that we’re “All in!”

He’s right. The church depends on its fully committed members to fulfill its God-ordained mission to reach a lost world. Here are several key commitments that Christians who are “All in,” should keep.

COMMIT TO PRAY FERVENTLY

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers (2 Timothy 1:3).

Committed church members pray for their pastors, fellow members, and outreach ministries of their congregation. Pray that your church will fulfill its mission of glorifying God, discipling believers, evangelizing the world, and showing compassion. Pray for unity among your congregation’s members.

Pray for your ministry staff. Pray for the Lord to anoint them with His Holy Spirit as they lead and care for the people God has entrusted to them. Pray God protects them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray for their families.

COMMIT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY

In Colossians, the apostle Paul urges believers to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

Likewise, the apostle Peter admonishes us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Healthy, living things grow. Healthy church members should grow in their relationship with Christ. Paul instructs believers to grow to their fullest maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:13). We should grow in our knowledge and likeness of Christ, becoming more like Him.

Growth occurs as we spend time with Him in prayer and as we get to know Him through reading and studying His Word, the Bible. As the old children’s song says, “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow.”

Jesus reminds us to abide in Him so that we will bear much fruit (John 15:5).

COMMIT TO SERVE FAITHFULLY

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10).

Every Christian has received unique giftings from God to serve His church and others (Romans 12:6-8). Some are gifted in teaching. Others have the gift of encouragement. Still others are gifted in showing mercy or giving generously. God has called each of us and equipped us for specific tasks to serve Him and advance His purposes.

A few years ago, my son had to have his appendix removed. To my surprise I discovered that medical experts do not know the function of the appendix, but it has been long proven that a person can survive without an appendix as it’s not uncommon for it to be removed; the same can be said of tonsils.

There are no appendixes or tonsils in the body of Christ. Everyone is valuable and has a contribution to make to God’s kingdom. Faithful and healthy church members work to support the ministry of the local church. Jesus modeled true servanthood when He, the Son of God, took a towel and washed the disciples’ feet (John 13).

Along with praying, growing, and serving, there are other commitments Christians should embrace, such as attending church regularly (Hebrews 10:24,25), giving faithfully (Luke 6:38) and loving unconditionally (John 13:35).

The church has a vital mission that can only be accomplished when faithful members do their part. As believers who want to honor God and advance His kingdom, let’s commit to being All in.