Part five of the Church Membership series. From Ephesians 5 and 6, Pastor Nana Boadum unfolds the "profound mystery": Scripture describes the church in the language of family — husbands, wives, children, parents — and calls every household to pray, worship, and serve together in the church God planted them in.
The seven movements
- Check the motive. Come out of joy and readiness to serve — like the psalmist glad to go to the house of the Lord — not legalistic obligation or guilt (Psalm 122:1).
- Involvement gets messy. Serve, and you'll meet imperfect people, an imperfect pastor, imperfect structures — and discover you're imperfect too (Matthew 7:3-5). That's what a church of broken people striving after Jesus looks like.
- The church is a family. Ephesians ties husbands, wives, children, and parents to "Christ and the church." You're called to love the family you didn't choose unconditionally — and God expects the same in your church.
- Pray together as a family — for your church's protection, leaders, families, courage, and the preaching of the word.
- Worship together — your home is your mission field. The unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing one (1 Corinthians 7:14); those closest to you watch your worship long before they hear your words. Don't fundraise for a mission trip abroad while ignoring the mission field at your dinner table.
- Fall in love with the bride. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) — so our love for the church is unconditional, whatever comes back. And when offense comes, the Lord has handed you a prayer point.
- Sow unity at home. Children overhear the commentary about the pastor and the church; what you sow at the dinner table determines whether your family can gather in love. The fifth pledge: pray together, worship together, serve together — and ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church, because He gave His life for her.
Walk away with this
See your family as your first congregation and first mission field. Bring them along — to pray, to worship, to serve — and let the love Christ has for His bride set the temperature of your home.