It is God’s will for every Christian to commit himself to a local church. Why? In order to obey the one another commands, in order to obey and submit to his leaders, in order to restore those who fall into sin, and in order to follow the early church’s example.
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4 Reasons You Should Join A Church
Acts 2:38-42, Heb. 13:17, Mt. 18:15
God has always related to man through covenants. You might think of a covenant as a “promissory oath.” Some covenants are conditional, and others are unconditional. For example, God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants and every living creature that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. Was that a conditional or unconditional covenant? Did Noah and his descendants and all the living creatures have to do something in order for God to fulfill that covenant? No. It was an unconditional covenant. It was unilateral. There was only one party binding himself in this covenant – God.
Take another example – God’s covenant with Israel through Moses in Exodus 19:5-6, “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” So, was that a conditional or unconditional covenant? It was conditional. How do we know? Because there is an “if…then” clause in the covenant. Was it unilateral or bilateral? It was bilateral, because there were two parties binding themselves in this covenant – God and Israel.
Now, let’s take the New Covenant that all Christians today are included in. We find this New Covenant spelled out for us in Jeremiah 31:31-34, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Now, is the New Covenant conditional or unconditional? Did you hear an “if…then” clause in that covenant? What did you hear? Instead, there was an “I will… they shall” clause. Was it unilateral or bilateral? It’s unilateral, because God is the only one who binds himself in this covenant.
I bring all of this up to you this morning, because becoming a member of a church is like entering into a covenant. However, it is more like entering an unconditional covenant that it is like entering a conditional covenant. What do I mean by that?
A conditional covenant is very much like you or I entering into a contract today. How many of you have a cell phone? Well, those of you who do, at one time or another, went to a store, and signed a contract saying that you would pay so much money per month in order to have that phone and that many minutes, and that much text and data. Now, what’s going to happen if you lose your job and are flat broke, and stop paying your cell phone bill? You’re going to turn it on one day, and you’re not going to have any service. You see, your contract is reciprocal. Unless you do your part, they’re not going to do their part. But it also works the other way around too. Let’s say one day, your phone won’t connect to the internet, and you can’t send texts, and you can’t even make or receive calls. But AT&T keeps sending you a bill every month. What’s going to happen? I tell you what, I’m not paying for something I didn’t get! You probably feel the same way, right? You see, that contract is conditional. It is reciprocal. Both parties must continue to do what they promised in order for that agreement to continue.
What I am suggesting to you today, is the commitment we make to a local church is more like an unconditional covenant than a reciprocal contract. The commitment we make to a local church is a lot like the commitment we make to our spouse when we married them. There are a couple of Biblical conditions that can terminate that marriage covenant, but it is definitely not a reciprocal contract. Guys, have you ever told your wife, “I’ll stick with you, as long as you make dinner every night”? She tells you, “Yeah, well as long as you mow the lawn, I’ll make your dinners.” When we said our wedding vows we used unconditional language. “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” Debbie and I have gone through some times when we were dirt poor, and could barely scrape up enough money to survive. However, she didn’t leave me because I couldn’t buy her everything she wanted. We have both gone through times of sickness, but neither one of us bailed because we didn’t want to have to be inconvenienced by taking care of someone else in their sickness.
That’s the way it works when someone becomes a member of a local church. What would you think if a church member walked through the doors on Sunday and said, “I’m here. You can serve me now! He expects everyone to run up to him and greet him, and hug him, and give him a bulletin, and seat him in the best seat, and start encouraging him and praying for him. And if you don’t give him the royal treatment he says, “I’m out of here! I’m not sticking around a church where they don’t treat me right!” No, as Christians we love and serve and encourage unconditionally, because that it is the will of our Savior. It’s great when things are reciprocal, but I don’t demand reciprocal treatment in order to do my duty and obey Jesus Christ in a local church.
Brothers and sisters, becoming a member of a local church is a lot like standing for the minister and saying “I do”. It’s a lot like marrying the church. This kind of covenant commitment is not taught or understood today. In America we function with a humanistic radical independence. We figure we’ll stay at a church as long as it serves my desires and needs, but as soon as it doesn’t, we’re out of there! We have a lot of people who are dating the church, and enjoying all the privileges and benefits of the church without accepting the responsibilities. Maybe that is your situation. Maybe you’ve never made a formal commitment to any church. If that’s true, I’m going to challenge you this morning to stop living with the church, and marry her. Start fulfilling your responsibilities to the church – not just enjoying the privileges.
My question to you this morning is, “Why should you commit to a local church?” I have four answers. You need to commit to a local church because of your responsibility:
1. To Obey The One-Another Commands
Have you ever noticed the commands in your New Testament that end with “one another”? There are 59 verses in your New Testament that command you to do or not do something with one another. I’m just going to read that list to you.
Be devoted to – Give preference to – Be of the same mind toward – Love – Build up – Accept – Admonish – Greet – Have the same care for – Serve – Show tolerance for – Be kind to – Be subject to – Regard as more important than yourselves – Bear with – Forgive – Comfort – Encourage – Live in peace with – Seek after that which is good for – Stimulate to love and good deeds – Confess your sins to – Pray for – Be hospital to without complaint – Employ your spiritual gift for – Clothe yourselves with humility toward – Do not judge – Let us not envy – Let us not challenge – Do not lie to – Do not speak against – Do not complain against – teach and admonish with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
My friends, that is what you are commanded to do as a true believer in Jesus Christ. I submit to you that you will not obey these commands unless you make a serious commitment to a local church. Why? Because you will bail and run when things get hard. This list includes things like “bear with, forgive, show tolerance for, do not judge, do not speak against, and live in peace with.” All of those expressions imply that there is going to be tension in the church. Folks, we are all fallen! There is not a one of us who has his act all together. We all have our warts, and pimples, and bag of rocks. We’re all hard to get along with at times. We can all be selfish, and proud, and judgmental. Unless you make a covenant commitment to a local church, when someone offends, or hurts you, or judges you, you’re going to walk. You’re going to you’re your hands of all the problems and all the pain and just bail. You’re going to disobey the clear commands of Scripture. My friends, when you do this you will sin against Christ and His church and will grieve the Holy Spirit.
All of those different one another commands that I read to you are imperatives. That means that they are not suggestions. They are commands from God Almighty. We have no right to disregard them because we don’t feel like obeying them any more. If you fear God, you will seek to obey God whether it is easy or difficult, pleasurable or painful. So, the first thing I want you to solemnly consider are the commands of God placed upon you as a child of God which will require you to be committed to a local church, “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.”
2. To Submit To Your Leaders
There is another command placed upon every Christian in Hebrews 13:17 that we need to consider together. The text says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
There are two things you are told to do here. “Obey” and “submit” to your leaders. However, how are you going to do this unless you have made a commitment to a local church? This text assumes you know who your leaders are. What leader are you supposed to obey and submit to? Are you supposed to obey and submit to every Pastor in your city? If you have refused to join a local church and put yourself under the authority and care of pastors, you have no leaders. In your case, it is impossible to obey Hebrews 13:17. This passage implies that every Christian should know to whom he is to submit, which implies that there should be clearly defined church membership.
Now, there’s something else in this passage that we need to see as well. It is this phrase, “for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” That last phrase terrifies me. One day I will give an account to God for how I watched over your souls. However, how can any Pastor know whose souls he must give an account for? Will I have to give an account for every person who has ever visited The Bridge? Will I have to give an account for every sporadic visitor, who attends once or twice a month with no real commitment to this body? I don’t believe so. I believe I will have to give an account for those believers who have committed themselves to this body and voluntarily submitted to my leadership.
In 1 Peter 5 Peter is exhorting the Elders to shepherd the flock of God. He says, “nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. Did you notice that language? “Those allotted to your charge.” The phrase means those people that God has assigned to a Pastor to take care of. There should be nothing vague or nebulous about who the Pastors have charge over. They ought to be able to know without any doubt who they are. Folks, I have always been committed to a local church, but usually there was no formal membership. The downside to that is that there is no clearly defined group of people that at the end of the day you know you are responsible for and on Judgment Day must give an account for. The truth is that the Holy Spirit chooses certain men to be Shepherds, and He chooses certain people for these Shepherds to watch over.
3. To Restore Those Who Fall Into Sin
Why should you commit yourself to a local church? Because of your God given responsibility to obey the one-another commands, to obey and submit to your leaders, and to restore those who fall into sin. You see, when you commit to a local church, you become your brother’s keeper. You become responsible to turn your brother from the error of his way, and to restore those who are caught in a trespass, and to reprove, and warn, and exhort, and correct your brothers and sisters out of love. These are not the duties of Pastors alone. These duties fall upon the entire church of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at some of the New Testament texts on church discipline and see whose responsibility it is.
Romans 16:17-18, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” Did you hear who Paul exhorted to keep on the watch for those who cause dissensions? It was the “brethren.” Paul is not exhorting the Pastors to do this, but all the brethren.
Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Again, Paul tells the “brethren” who are “spiritual” to do this task.
2 Thess. 3:6,14 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us… If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.” Again, Paul commands all the brothers and sisters in the church to discipline unruly members, not just the Pastors. Beloved, this is your responsibility just as much as it is mine.
James 5:19-20, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” Again this is addressed to the “brethren.”
Matthew 18:15-17, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” This text is undoubtedly the most well known passage in the New Testament dealing with church discipline. Jesus outlines a four step process when a brother or sister sins.
1) An individual goes to them in private and reproves them for their sin. In other words, they point out the sin in their life. Either they will listen to you, take it to heart, and repent of that sin, or they will say, “Forget you. I’ll do what I want. Bug off.”
2) If they tell you to bug off, or of it becomes evident that they are unrepentant, Jesus said to take one or two more with you and go and reprove him again. Perhaps the sinning brother or sister will listen now, because they see that things are becoming more serious as more people are being brought in to reprove his sin.
3) However, if he doesn’t listen to them, and continues on business as usual, it goes to the Church. The Church needs to speak to this man and urge him to break off this sin and repent. If he listens to the church and repents, the discipline stops and he is restored to fellowship with the Church.
4) However, if he doesn’t listen even to the church, he is to be treated as a Gentile and a tax collector. In Jesus’ day, the way you a Jew would treat a Gentile and a tax collector, was by not associating with them at all. This final step is excommunication. The unrepentant man is removed from membership and excluded from the meetings of the church, and the church is not to associate with him any longer.
Now, the point I need you to see is that if things get to Step 3, when the situation needs to be told to the church, we need to know who “the church” is that are responsible to deal with this situation. If you have no clearly defined membership, then you have no way of knowing who to tell it to. Are we really to call together everyone who has ever attended the church, and ask them to participate in this discipline? Are we to ask those who sporadically attend, but show no real commitment to the church? I don’t think so. Because Christianity is culturally acceptable here in America, we have many unregenerate people who attend church services. Now, if we lived in Iraq or certain villages in India, this would not be a problem. If you convert and get baptized in those places of the world, your life may be in jeopardy. In those countries, uncommitted people do not get baptized and join the church. So, what is the problem with unregenerate people being involved in church discipline? The problem is that they are carnally minded, they don’t accept the things of the Spirit of God and can’t understand them, and are at enmity with God. They are completely unfit and unable to be involved in this very difficult and spiritual process of restoring a fallen professing Christian. That’s why you need a regenerate church membership.
So, why should you commit to a local church? Because one of your Biblical responsibilities as a Christian is to restore those who fall into sin, and you won’t be able to participate in that unless you make a commitment to a local church.
4. To Follow The Early Church’s Example
Let’s go back to the earliest example of the church in Acts 2. You know the story. The Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 just as Jesus had promised. They all began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. At the same time there was a noise like a violent rushing wind, and tongues as of fire resting on each of them. All of this phenomenon attracted a crowd, and so Peter took advantage of it, to stand preach the gospel to them. He told them of Christ who they had sinfully slain with wicked hands, but who had resurrected from the grave and ascended to heaven, and was now both Lord and Christ. At this these Jews cried out, “Brethen, what shall we do?” Peter’s answer was, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” So, what did they do? They repented, and they were baptized. Acts 2:41 says, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.” The next verse says, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Notice carefully the example of the early church.
- People repent and receive the gospel
- They are baptized
- They are added to the church
- They devote themselves to the activities of the church, including the Lord’s Supper.
Recently I have been becoming more and more convinced that we would be wise to follow the example of the early church in this regard. Many of our problems arise when we change the order. In our churches we have people who have been baptized before they have repented and believed the gospel. We have people who have repented and believed who have not been baptized or added to the church. We have people who take the Lord’s Supper who have not been baptized or added to the church. All of this creates confusion and disorder in Christ’s church.
If you have repented and believed the gospel, you need to be baptized. If you have been baptized you need to become a member of a local church, probably the one that baptized you. If you have become a member of a local church, it is your duty and privilege to be devoted to the spiritual activities of that church, including partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
When we mix all these things up and reverse the order of them, all kinds of problems arise.
Notice also in the book of Acts that those who are saved are added to a local church. In the New Testament, you just don’t find individual Christians floating around without any attachment to a local church. Let’s take a look at the Scripture.
Acts 2:47, “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Notice here that those the Lord saved were added to their number. Whose number? The number of those that comprised the church. Notice also “their number.” Back in 2:41 it says “that day there were added about three thousand souls.” How did they now there were about 3,000 souls added to the church on Pentecost? Obviously, someone counted! Then in vs. 47 the Lord kept adding to that number others were being saved day by day. In other words, there appears to be a definite identifiable number of people who were considered to be “the church” in Jerusalem. This group was not vague and indefinite, but particular and precise.
Acts 5:14, “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.” Notice that only believers in the Lord were added to the number of the church.
In Acts 6, the apostles need to solve a problem. The Greek-speaking Jewish widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So, the apostles summoned the congregation of the disciples to discuss the problem with them. May I submit to you that the only way they could have done this is for them to have known who the disciples were. So, how did they know who the disciples were? They would have been those who repented and believed the gospel, were baptized, and then were added to the church. So, in the early church, you don’t find individuals who simply live out a private commitment to Christ. Rather you find disciples who join together formally with other disciples in a local church and devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.
Not only this, but the letters in the New Testament, were almost unanimously written to churches or leaders of churches. In the New Testament it is just assumed that if you become a Christian you will commit yourself to the Lord’s people. When you take Christ for your Savior, you also take His people for your brothers and sisters.
Conclusion
Charles Spurgeon once said in a sermon: “I know there are some who say, ‘Well, I have given myself to the Lord, but I do not intend to give myself to the church.” Now why not? “Because I can be a Christian without it.” Now, are you quite clear about that? You can be as good a Christian by disobedience to your Lord’s commands as by being obedient? What is a brick made for? To help build a house. It is of no use for that brick to tell you that it is just as good a brick while it is kicking about on the ground as it would be in the house. It is a good-for-nothing brick. So you rolling-stone Christians, I do not believe that you are answering your purpose. You are living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live, and you are much to blame for the injury you do.”
So, how does someone join a church? How do they formally become a member? Well, what was the process that the New Testament believers went through when they were added to a local church? We don’t know. The Bible is silent on this issue. Nothing is recorded in Scripture as to how Christians entered into a covenant commitment with a local body. We know they did it, but we just don’t know how. They may have simply told one of the Elders or Apostles. They may have made a verbal commitment in the presence of the church. They may have put their commitment in writing. We don’t know. Well then, what process should we use today? Because the Bible is silent, I believe we have liberty to adopt a process for Christians making a covenant commitment to this local church that seems wise and good to us. This is how we do it here at The Bridge:
1. Express your interest to an Elder. Since I’m the only Elder here as of right now, let me know. I will give you a copy of our Church Constitution for you to read.
2. Attend a Bridge Partners Class. We will explain to you our Doctrine, Vision, and Philosophy of Ministry.
2. Fill out a Bridge Partner Application form.
3. Speak with a Pastor. You must be a Christian and have been baptized after your conversion. Since we can’t know infallibly whether you are a Christian or not, you must be able to give a credible profession of faith. In order to determine this, an Elder and other members may speak with you to see if you understand the gospel, and have been converted.
4. Affirm and Sign our Membership Agreement. This is where you actually make a covenant commitment to The Bridge.
5. Be recognized publicly as a Member by a Pastor at a regular worship gathering or Bridge Partners Meeting.
We have a sign-up sheet for anyone here who would like to attend a Bridge Partners Class. If you are interested, sign-up today and take a copy of our Constitution, and we will get back to you soon on a date and time for the class.
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