What does it mean to be a member of Riverside Baptist Church?
First of all, it means that you have confessed to God that you are a sinner and that you believe that Jesus, as the Son of God, is the only One who has the authority and the power to forgive sins.
The Bible is clear that every one of us has sinned. Every one of us is in need of our sins to be forgiven. The only way for our sins to be forgiven is through believing in Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for us so that we might have our sins forgiven and the assurance of heaven. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The word believes means to trust in or rely upon. Have you personally trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, please go to a link on the home page of Riverside Baptist Church’s website which will direct you to a page that will guide you step by step through Scriptures showing you how to accept Jesus and become a Christian.
Second, it means that you are committed, along with all the other Riverside Baptist Church members, to the mission of the church.
Riverside Baptist Church’s Mission Statement reads,
“We believe that a Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a Great Church”.
The Great Commandment Scripture of Riverside Baptist Church is:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
The Great Commission Scripture of Riverside Baptist Church is:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Being a member of Riverside Baptist Church means you are willing to commit your life to be a church member who intentionally and willfully seeks to live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. If you become a member of Riverside Baptist Church, you will be instructed, encouraged and expected to be on mission with God at Riverside Baptist Church. It also means that you, as a church member, are willing to be committed, daily, to the Lord of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission by using your spiritual gifts, talents, and skills in growing a great church at Riverside Baptist Church for the glory of God.
Third, being a member of Riverside Baptist Church means that you will be devoted to a simple strategy of making disciples.
Before returning to His Father in heaven, the last command of Jesus to His followers or learners was the Great Commission. Jesus expects all Christians to be intentional in making disciples. The word “disciple” means one who is a life long learner or follower of the Lord. Disciples are made by mentors or disciple makers. The process of becoming a life long follower or learner of the Lord is real simple. I said “Simple”. I did not say, “Easy”. In fact, the most difficult thing you will ever do as a disciple or learner of Jesus is to stay committed to following the Lord Jesus all the days of your life. The early New Testament church was devoted to some basic principles that enabled them to become life long followers or learners of the Lord. This Scripture from Acts 2:42-47 will help you become a life long disciple or follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
They were devoted to:
Worship
The Great Commandment declares that the single most important thing Christians will ever do is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. A heart devoted to Him worships Him. Worship is both personal and corporate. Our personal worship is centered in Scripture, Prayer, and Praise. On Sunday when we come together as the Body of Christ at Riverside Baptist Church in our worship services, our corporate worship should be an overflow of our personal worship. Being devoted to worship of Jesus means that you will take personal responsibility to read the Scripture, Pray diligently, Praise the Lord daily and be committed to assemble yourself with other Christians in the corporate worship services of Riverside Baptist Church.
Small Groups
The Great Commandment declares that Loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind becomes tangible when we love others the way that God loves us. The early New Testament church was devoted to meeting together in small groups for the purpose of studying the Scriptures, building Christian relationships with one another, and sacrificially meeting personal material needs of each other. At Riverside Baptist Church, we realize the importance of small group ministry. Our Sunday morning schedule reflects a commitment to encouraging all who assemble together in the church building to be involved in a small group Bible study. We believe that we must be devoted to building relationships that are centered on God’s Word with other believers.
Serving
The Great Commandment calls us to love others. We demonstrate our love for others by serving them. Often, in the context of small groups, personal material needs are discovered. We serve the Lord by seeing someone’s material need and meeting it in Jesus’ Name. We serve others to bring honor and glory to God alone, not ourselves. In Philippians chapter two, Christians are commanded to have the same servant attitude as Christ Jesus had. The Lord’s servant attitude is demonstrated unto us by dying on the cross for our sins, thus meeting our greatest personal need. Committing our lives to the Lord in serving others and helping to meet their personal material needs means that we are willing to do whatever He asks of us. Disciples are servants at heart—they serve Christ and each other.
Witnessing
The Great Commission is a command from the Lord to “GO”. The emphasis is as you go or as you live your life you will intentionally and willfully witness to the lost people you know the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. The Bible declares in Acts 2:17 that the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved. Do you know why? The answer is real simple; these Christians just could not help but to tell others about the most amazing person they had ever met—JESUS. As they went about their every day responsibilities they bore witness by the power of the Holy Spirit of the Grace of God and that the forgiveness of sin is in Christ alone.
In summary, to be devoted to a simple disciple making strategy means that you will be committed to Worship God personally and corporately, be enrolled in Small Groups, be involved in Serving Christ and others, and intentionally Witness to lost people that salvation and forgiveness of sin is in Christ and Christ alone.
Finally, it means that as a member of Riverside Baptist Church you will be expected to financially support the mission of Riverside Baptist Church.
How do you financially support Riverside Baptist Church’s mission? You give tithes and offerings from your earned financial resources unto the budget of the church and to special offerings the church gives from time to time.
Tithes
Biblically the tithe is 10% of your earned income from salary, interest and/or earnings from stocks and bonds, dividends from savings accounts, etc. God has commanded in His word to honor Him with the tithe (Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:6-12). It is the responsibility, accountability, and privilege of all church members before God to give tithes of all their earned income to support the mission of Riverside Baptist Church.
Offerings
The tithe is just the beginning of Riverside Baptist Church members financial giving to the church’s budget and other ministry projects. There are opportunities to give above our tithe to help others in need. In Acts 2:42-47 and in Acts 4:32-35, Christians (even poor ones) gave sacrificially beyond their tithe. They would sell homes and lands and bring these monies into the church for the purpose of meeting personal material needs of others. God expects His redeemed people to give joyfully and sacrificially to meet personal material needs in the lives of others inside and outside the membership of the church.
In summary, to be a member of Riverside Baptist Church means that you are a Christian committed:
To the mission of the Riverside Baptist Church
To a simple strategy of making disciples
To financially support the mission of the church by giving tithes and offerings faithfully and regularly on a weekly or monthly basis
