Sermon Notes from "A Biblical Vision for God's People: The Seven Ships Every Church Must Have." Sermon by Mitch Chase.

[From the 10:45AM worship service yesterday morning at Kosmosdale Baptist Church.]

I. Introduction

A. What is a healthy church?

B. How can we please the Lord as a church?

C. What should our mission be as a church?

D. Seven "ships:"

II. Lordship

A. The church belongs to no man.

B. Jesus is the head, chief shepherd, husbandman, and redeemer of the church.

III. Leadership

A. Overseers:
1. Charged with the responsibility of leading and governing (1 Tim 3:4-5)
2. Not dictatorial (1 Tim 3:2-3)
3. "Pastor"/"elder" synonymous with "overseer"
4. It is in the church's best interest to honor our elders (see Heb 13).
5. Elders must be able to teach so that they may equip the saints for works of ministry.
6. Pastoral leadership should be plural (1 Peter 5:5; Titus 1:5).
7. Elder-led congregationalism
8. The NT indicates 'lay' and full-time elders (1 Tim 5:17-18)

B. Deacons

IV. Worship

A. The weekly church gathering is mainly for believers, not unbelievers; the worship of the saints, not unbelievers, is pleasing to God.

B. Corporate worship consists of:
1. Singing
2. Praying
3. Giving
4. Preaching
5. Ordinances

V. Discipleship: understanding and living out the Word.

VI. Membership

A. Church discipline presupposes membership.

B. Membership helps keep us accountable.

C. "Being a church member means more than attendance, but it is not less than that."

D. Church membership means exercise of spiritual gifts in serving one another.

E. Church membership involves financial giving.

F. Church membership involves lending one's voice to the church's decisions.

VII. Fellowship

A. We must pursue and receive encouragement from one another.

B. We are a family.

VIII. Battleship

A. We are characterized by spiritual battle.

B. The passage about 'spiritual armor' was given to a specific church.