In Search of the Lord's Way
by Phil Sanders
"Membership in the Church"
If you could be a child of God and a citizen in the kingdom of God, would you? Today, we're exploring what it means to be a member of the church. Romans 15:4 says,
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
The Bible gives us hope on every page. Scripture reveals God's plan to bless and redeem man from His weaknesses and sins. The Scripture teaches us how to live so that we may be free from the trapping of sin and find a home with God in heaven.
Many people today say, "Jesus, yes; but the church, no." About 80 percent of Americans believe that you can be a "good Christian" without ever being a member of any church. Many want to be Christians but not members of an "organized religion". Some people have decided to be Christians "at large" or to establish small "house churches"; but they hold the organized church today in contempt. Can a Christian please the Lord Jesus and refuse to be part of the church that He built? Is attending church and being a church member optional?
Some quit worshipping at church because they had a bad experience, and we're sorry for that. Some leave the church because they have sinned and are ashamed. Some stop going because they disagree with some teaching of the church. Many in our culture think churches are too "judgmental" and have quit because they don't want to hear about sin. Others have simply gotten too busy for God and don't have time to worship. We hope you'll put God first; and we want to explore the value of the church that Jesus built. He purchased His church for a reason, and you will be blessed to be a member.
Our reading today comes from Romans 12:4-8.
"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
I
hear people speak about "being the church", and they have an important message. We must be the body of Christ in the
world today. The notion that we can "be
the church" but not a part of any local congregation, however, is an
unscriptural idea. God expects His
people to assemble with one another for worship and ministry.
The Hebrew writer says,
"and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the habit of some is, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near"(Hebrews 10:24-25).
In the New Testament, when a Christian quit assembling with the church, he was falling away from God. He was leaving the faith. He was hurting himself and hurting the church by returning to the world.
Jesus
built the church to bless us. Solomon
said, "Iron sharpens iron, So one man
sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). People
in the church make each other stronger, better, and more faithful and
committed. Each Christian needs the
example of love and faith that his brothers and sisters give him. Each Christian needs to so live and so love
that he provides an example of commitment to the cause of Christ. Saying, "I love Christ, but I won't go to
church" sends a mixed signal. It says,
"I love God, but I'll choose which commands I'll obey and which I won't." This person isn't really obeying God, but is
obeying himself and his own wishes. Jackie
and I engraved some words of Scripture in our wedding rings.
Solomon said,
"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
God knew His people needed the strength and the love that each one could give the other to grow and to remain strong in faith. Two are better than one, because they have each other.
Where would we be without Bible teachers and godly examples? If you have children, don't cheat them out of a spiritual education. It's a shame that nearly 40 percent of the young people in America grow up without any spiritual guidance. They need the help of God to face the temptations and the pitfalls of life. Your children's education isn't complete if it lacks the Bible. If you educate their minds but fail to educate their souls, you haven't prepared them for the day when Jesus comes again. They won't know Him, but will be like the five foolish virgins who didn't have oil for the lamps and found themselves shut out of the kingdom.
Someone converted you to Christ, and they were likely faithful members of the church. They not only taught you the gospel but also taught you about the church. Bible stories are not myths or legends; they are historical accounts of God's interaction with man. The Bible helps us to make sense of where we came from, why we're here, and what will happen to us after we die. We need this spiritual education!
The
church is God's kingdom in this life, and heaven is God's kingdom in the next
life. We enter the church here so that
we may enter the kingdom of heaven in the days to come.
Philippians 3:20-21 says,
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."
People who have this hope of heaven and want to live for the Lord have a tremendous opportunity by putting their faith there and being active in church.
First John 3:1-4 says,
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. But, we know that when He appears, that we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. And everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness."
Church helps us focus on the things that matter and to keep ourselves ready and pure for the return of our Lord Jesus.
We ask, "What was the church like in the New Testament?" The word "church" refers to an assembly, a congregation that was called together for a specific purpose. After Paul had established several congregations on his first missionary journey, he returned to those congregations, strengthening and encouraging them. Acts 14:23 says,
"When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed."
Later, in Philippians 1:1, Paul wrote
"to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons."
Did you notice that all the members were called "saints" and not a special class? There are no "super saints" in the Lord's church; everyone is important and loved.
New Testament churches were organized with established leaders. They were visible congregations, meeting at set times and in set locations. Paul mentions that many of the members of the church at Philippi or Rome or Corinth by name. Sometimes churches met in a family's house; but in those days a large house could hold a congregation. In some cases, congregations met outside or in caves. At that time, the church was often persecuted and considered illegal. The earliest church buildings date about 250 A.D. Although they could not openly show themselves, churches assembled to worship and to encourage each other.
In the early church God gave leaders,
"for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).
God knew that His people needed training and equipping to do the work that He called them to do: to take the gospel to the whole world, and to build up the church, and to render help to the needy.
Salvation is never without obligation. To be a member of the church means we're responsible to the Lord and to our brethren. The Lord Jesus said,
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple"(Luke 14:27).
When you become a Christian, the Lord adds you to His church. From that day forward, you're God's servant and belong to Christ. You are not your own, and since you belong to Christ, you must consider how your life reflects on Christ and on His church.
Second Timothy 2:19 says,
"Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'"
People who live for the Lord should live so as
to bring glory and honor to the name of Christ. Sadly, some Christians by their ugly language
and wicked behavior bring shame on the Lord Jesus and His church. When we become a Christian, we decide to live
the moral life that Jesus Christ teaches. We must leave sin behind.
Paul asked,
"Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2).
We are obligated to support the church by our attendance. Hebrews 10:24-25 says,
"let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the habit of some is, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
When we get involved in the worship of the church, we influence others to get involved. By attending worship, we get to know our brothers and sisters, and we can encourage them to stay faithful to the Lord; we can stimulate them to love God; and we can stimulate them to be kind and to serve others.
God also expects His people to support financially the work of the church. Paul said,
"Now this I say, that he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
As Christians, we have an obligation to one another. Titus 3:14 says,
"Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful."
1st John 3:17-18 says,
"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and then closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
We can show our love for God by caring for others and helping them.
The
best thing that you can do to bless another's life is to teach him about the
Lord. The primary work of the church is
to preach the gospel to every creature. People need more than physical food; they need
God's Word to live spiritually.
The Lord
Jesus said,
"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4).
We must stay busy working for the Lord.
First Corinthians 15:58 says,
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
Someone says, "Well, Phil, we had a bad experience at church and we won't be going back." I'm sorry that you had that experience, but was it the whole church or just an individual that hurt you? The Bible teaches that when a fellow Christian sins against you, you're to go to that person privately and talk to him, trying to restore the relationship (Matthew 18:15). Many times people, rather than following the instructions of the Lord, simply quit and separate themselves from other godly people that they need in their lives. Don't quit the church over some rude brother or sister. Talk to that person and work it out.
I became a Christian many years ago because of Jesus. He is my Lord and Savior. I committed myself to Him. I want to go to heaven and live with Him forever. My pride is not as important as going to heaven. So, I won't let anything or anyone come between my God and me. We will always have to deal with rude, selfish, and sometimes immature people; but if the Lord was gracious enough to forgive and put up with us and all our sins, we can be gracious enough to forgive and put up with those who sin only a little against us. We don't want to risk our souls, because we couldn't get along with a brother or sister in the church. I would rather forgive and be forgiven than to hold a grudge and lose my soul. Wouldn't you?
Some say they want to follow Jesus, but have no use for the church; but if we enter into a relationship with the Lord, we must also embrace the Lord's family. The Bible calls the church the household or family of God in 1 Timothy 3:15. The church is not only God's family, but also His creation. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church." He loved the church so much that He purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28). We must not set the church aside so quickly. To reject the church is to reject Jesus and His will.
We all realize the church is made up of fallible people who sometimes fail to measure up to the will of God. But, before we give up on the church, let's remember that we all "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We all need God's grace. I don't know of any perfect Christians, but I do know forgiven brothers and sisters in the church who seek to live righteously and grieve when they sin. Amazingly, God's gracious love moves our hearts to walk in the light and to be in His family. We invite you to join us in serving the Lord as a member of His family, the church.
To become a Christian and be added by the Lord to His church, you must believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Repent of your sins, every one of them, and turn your heart to the Lord. Confess the Lord Jesus before others and be baptized into Christ. When you are baptized into Christ, Romans 6:3 says you're baptized into His death, and verse 6 says we are crucified with Christ "in order that our body of sin might be done away with." We're buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. When you're baptized, the Lord Jesus will add you to His church, His family. Nothing, nothing is more important!
