Sermon Tone Analysis

The Fellowship Church

of Willis, TX, Inc.

Church Membership Covenant

INSTRUMENT NO.

I – CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior; and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, fully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of kindred acquaintances; to walk carefully in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to live a life according to :

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (English Standard Version).

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy and speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and, mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant, and the principles of God’s Word.

INSTRUMENT NO.

II – MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

The Duties of the Members of this Church Shall Be:

A. Attend services as regularly as possible.

B. Discover an appropriate avenue for serving in ministry and serve.

C. Practice tithing (giving 10% of household income) consistently.

D. Exemplify a lifestyle consistent with the evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit ().

E. Pursue a relationship with Christ through regular Bible reading and prayer.

F. Share their faith in Christ with others as the Holy Spirit allows.

G. Vote in church meetings upon matters of importance when called upon by the pastor.

A valid vote is based upon the member being present at the time of the vote unless the church has made a special provision for absentee balloting.

Only adult members, which shall be any person that is eighteen (18) years or older, may vote on business matters in the church.

H. Participate in the ordinances of the church as administered by the church as outlined in the church’s Bylaws “CHURCH ORDINANCES.”

INSTRUMENT NO.

III – ARTICLES OF FAITH

I.

The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man.

It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.

It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.

All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

; ; ; ; ; ,,,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .; 17:11; ; ; ; ; ; ; .

II.

God

There is one and only one living and true God.

He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe.

God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections.

God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures.

To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.

The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

A. GOD THE FATHER

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace.

He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise.

God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

; ; ; ; .; 20:1ff.; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; .; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .

B. GOD THE SON

Christ is the eternal Son of God.

In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin.

He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.

He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion.

He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man.

He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission.

He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

.; .; 110:1ff.; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ,; ; ; ; ,; , ; ,; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .

C. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine.

He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures.

Through illumination He enables men to understand truth.

He exalts Christ.

He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration.

At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ.

He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.

He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption.

His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

; ; ; ; .; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ; ,,; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ; ; ; ; .

III. Man

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image.

He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation.

The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation.

In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice.

By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race.

Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin.

Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation.

Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God.

The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

; ,,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,; ,,; ; ; ,; ; ,; ; ; .

IV. Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer.

In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.

There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. REGENRATION

Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus.

It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.

Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.

B. JUSTIFICATION

Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ.

Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

C. SANCTIFICATION

Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.

Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.

D. GLORIFICATION

Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.