Here is a condensed blog post from Pastor Chris's sermon, about half the original size:

You’re Not an Afterthought: God’s Intentional Plan for You and His Church

This past Sunday at Cornerstone Fellowship Church (CFC) was a time of celebration as new members joined the family. Pastor Chris used this opportunity to teach and remind everyone about God’s profound plan for believers and the local church.

The Local Church: More Than Just Attendance While church membership never saves anyone – salvation is solely through Jesus Christ – it is God's will for every believer to be part of a local church. The local church is where your identity as part of the universal body of Christ is "fleshed out" in a real, spiritual, and practical way. It allows believers to achieve more together, demonstrating God’s word and Holy Spirit globally. Jesus Himself personally addressed seven local churches in Revelation 2 and 3, showing His care and direction.

The local church is also designed to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. Pastor Chris emphasized that his role is to teach the congregation to do what they might think is "only his job," like praying, reading the Bible, and witnessing. God wants to use everyone; there are "no big eye's and little use's in the body of Christ". We are called to be "marketplace ministers," taking the gospel beyond church walls.

Essential Truths for Believers The Apostle Paul didn't want the church to be ignorant of three vital things:

• The gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians chapter 12).
• The rapture (1 Thessalonians chapter 4:13-18).
• The types and shadows of the Old Testament (1 Corinthians chapter 10), which offer lessons and encouragement.

Being "transplanted to the Lord's own house," or the local church, ensures you "flourish in the courts of their God" and "still produce fruit even in old age, remaining vital and green" (Psalm 92:12-15 NLT). You are not "washed up" or "done with".

Choosing Your Local Church: God’s Choice, Not Yours Pastor Chris provided five crucial factors from scripture for discerning a local church, stressing that it's not just about where your friends go:

1. Is the pastor preaching and teaching the word of God?
2. Are people being saved, born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, healed, and restored to fellowship with God?
3. Is the congregation prospering and growing in the things of God? This includes financial, spiritual, relational, and mental prosperity.
4. Are families being changed and strengthened?
5. Most importantly, is this where God wants me to be? This requires inquiring of the Lord, recognizing it’s "the church of God's choice, not the church of our choice".

Pastor Chris shared his personal testimony of learning this "the hard way," recounting an audible voice experience where God explicitly said, "I want you at Cornerstone Fellowship Church". Obeying God’s specific leading for church membership creates an unshakable foundation against challenges.

Communion: Provision and Power The sermon also highlighted the profound significance of communion, emphasizing the provision and power in Jesus' body and blood.

• The bread represents Christ's broken body, designed for the healing of our diseases (1 Peter 2:24, from Isaiah 53).
• The cup represents Christ's blood, which paid the price for our sin, making us the righteousness of God in Christ and delivering us from darkness (Colossians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). Redemption is twofold: forgiveness of sins and healing of our bodies. We receive it believing we are righteous and healed.

You Are Not an Afterthought Pastor Chris underscored that God's plan for redemption was established "before the world began" (Titus 1:2). Whatever has happened in your life is not an accident. God, foreseeing our fall, already provided a Savior in Jesus Christ. You were not an afterthought in the mind of God; He provided a way for us to become His sons and daughters. The sermon concluded with an invitation to receive eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ, emphasizing that salvation is not just about going to heaven, but about having a victorious life on earth, walking free from sin, and receiving healing.

#NewMembers #LocalChurch #ChurchMembership #Discipleship #FaithInAction