Why should a believer formally commit himself to a church? In this message, Pastor Brian gives us six reasons.
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6 Reasons To Become A Member of a Church
This morning I want to speak to you about becoming a committed member of a local church. After our morning worship service and lunch, we are going to have a New Member’s Class. However, perhaps some of you are wondering why I would even bring up the subject of church membership. Why is it important? Isn’t it enough if I just casually attend the meetings of a local church?
Let’s suppose that later this afternoon you decided to do some wood working out in your garage. You are building a coffee table for your living room. The first thing you need to do is to cut down the larger boards into boards of the correct size. So, as you are cutting those boards on your table saw, you are momentarily distracted by one of your little children clamoring for your attention, and you run your little finger over the saw. Before you know it, there is blood squirting everywhere, and you realize in your horror that you have just cut off one of your fingers. Now, if that were to happen to you, how would you respond? Would you think of it in a ho-hum fashion, as being no big deal? No! You would look upon that as a tragic thing!
However, to be separated from other believers today, is no big deal. In fact, it is almost looked on as normal! I meet other believers all the time who refuse to put down roots and make a covenant commitment to other believers in a local church. It is just a sign of the times. Folks, we are a product of our culture. And what is the present mood of our culture? Anti-authority and individualism. In fact, one of the most counter-cultural things you can do is become a committed faithful member of a local church. We live in a flighty and noncommittal age. In the early 1960’s, only one out of 10 couples lived together, verses getting married! Today six out of 10 couples live together versus getting married! And this spirit of the age has crept into the church. We want to keep our options open and preserve our freedom of choice, rather than make a covenant to a particular congregation of believers, to live out our Christian faith in the ups and the downs. Therefore, it’s no surprise that so many believers resist making a commitment to one of His local churches. Not only are we not inclined to make a commitment to a local church, but our cities and towns are large, having many different church options. Why limit yourself to just one?
This morning you may be thinking, “Brian, why should I become a covenant member of a local church?” Why not just attend a church without making any formal commitment? Well, why did you make a formal commitment to your spouse in marriage? Why did you enter into a covenant with that person, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part? Hadn’t you already made a commitment in your heart to that man or woman? Why make promises before witnesses? Why sign on the dotted line? Why not just live together, and enjoy all of the benefits of marriage without binding yourself to its responsibilities? You and I both know that it is much too easy to run from our responsibilities when things get hard, and when marriage is not all we hoped it would be, if we never bound ourselves to one another in marriage. Likewise, there are many believers that are dating the church. They are taking advantage of all of the benefits of the church without binding themselves to their biblical responsibilities. My friends, I believe that God wants believers to stop dating the church and marry a local church.
At The Bridge we have not spent a lot of time talking about church membership, and so you may have some questions about it. You might be wondering why you should go through the process of membership. That’s why I’m bringing this message to you today. This morning I’m going to give you six reasons you should become a member of a church.
1. The Pattern of Your Bible
The uniform pattern of the New Testament is that of believers in a committed relationship to a local church. And, if this is what the Scriptures hold out as the pattern for us to emulate, than this is the revealed will of God. Now, why do I say that this is the pattern of the early church? Let’s take a look at some passages of Scripture.
Acts 2:41-42, 47 “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” In the New Testament, to be saved was to become a committed member of a local church. Notice who was “added” here? It was those who received Peter’s word (the gospel) and were baptized. It was also those who the Lord had saved (vs. 47). So the pattern in Acts 2 is that when a person received the gospel and was saved and baptized, he then was “added” to the church. We have no records of lone ranger Christians who were saved and baptized but were not added to the church.
Acts 5:14 “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.” See the pattern. A person believes in the Lord, and then he is added to their number.
John MacArthur has written, “In the early church, coming to Christ was coming to the church. The idea of experiencing salvation without belonging to a local church is foreign to the New Testament. When individuals repented and believed in Christ, they were baptized and added to the church More than simply living out a private commitment to Christ, this meant joining together formally with other believers in a local assembly and devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.”
Although the Bible does not contain a specific process for making a formal commitment to a local church, it does assume that believers will be in a committed relationship with other believers. The formalizing of a person’s commitment to a local church could be carried out in various ways. In one church, believers might verbalize that commitment before the rest of the congregation. In another church, believers might indicate their commitment by signing a document, in much the same way that we enter into a covenant to buy a house or a car. The exact way that each local church carries out that process is not the most important thing. I believe the Lord gives liberty for the leaders of a local body to come up with and implement a process where a believer can be “added.” The important thing is that each believer make a commitment to a local body.
2. The Assurance of Your Salvation
The Bible teaches that Christians may have assurance of their salvation. 1 John 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” However, a person can be genuinely saved, but experience varying degrees of assurance. For example 1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.” If a professing Christian is not loving the brethren, when he reads that statement, it will probably cause his assurance of salvation to decrease. However, if he does actively love the brethren, it will solidify and confirm his assurance of salvation.
Well, in order to become a member of a local church, the leaders of that local church must affirm that your confession of faith in Christ is credible. In other words, it must be believable. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” James writes in James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” The apostle Paul writes in Titus 2:11-12, “For the grace of God has appeared, b ringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.” The Scriptures teach again and again that when a person is saved, he experiences a changed life. He becomes a new creature, old things pass away, and behold, all things become new. He begins to love what he once hated, and hates what he once loved. It is the responsibility of the church, and especially its leaders to confirm that a person has indeed been saved before they are made a member of a church. Remember the pattern we saw in Acts. A person hears, believes and receives the gospel, is saved, is baptized, and then added to the church.
When the church confirms that a person has a credible profession of faith, this should increase the assurance of their salvation. Not only do I believe I’m saved, but there is a whole body of believers that believe this is true as well. Assurance of salvation is a wonderful thing, and anything that increases it in our lives is to be counted a wonderful blessing!
3. The Good of Your Church
Often this is overlooked when we consider the subject of church membership. We are inclined to focus only on ourselves, and the benefits related to us, and forget about how our commitment impacts on others.
The truth is that our commitment to a local church will have a tremendous impact on the rest of the body. I am referring to the “one-anothers” of the New Testament. Over and over, we are commanded to love, exhort, admonish, forgive, serve, restore, confess our sins, stimulate, accept, be devoted to, and encourage one another in the body of Christ.
Now, my friends, if we do not make a solemn commitment to a particular local church, we will probably not fulfill these New Testament commands. It’s just too easy to run down the street to the next church when there are strained relationships in your own church, rather than stay and work through the issues.
It’s not easy to do the hard work of looking out for one another, serving one another, and forgiving one another. However, this is exactly what God has called us to do as members of His body. Friends, if we don’t take our involvement in the body of Christ seriously, others will suffer. Some will wander off into sin, and there will be no one to turn him from the error of his way and save his soul from death. Remember that it is only those who persevere to the end who will be saved. Colossians 1:22-23 says, “He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach – if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
Folks, perseverance is a community project! That’s why we read in Hebrews 3:12-13, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”
One very important reason to make a covenant commitment to a particular group of believers is to help them persevere to the end. If you are just floating around from one church to another, attending whenever you feel like it, you will not fulfill the Scriptural mandate. We are to exhort one another day after day so that none are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
4. The Good of Your Leaders
What does the Bible say about the relationship of pastors to their flock? Let’s take a look at a couple of passages.
Acts 20:28, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
1 Peter 5:1-3, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”
Hebrews 13:17, “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.”
Notice in Acts 20:28, that the Ephesian elders were exhorted to be on their guard for all the flock which the Holy Spirit made them overseers of. But exactly who makes up that flock?
In 1 Peter 5:3 Peter speaks of those who “are allotted to your charge.” In other words, there were specific individuals that were given to these pastors to shepherd. So, who are they?
In Hebrews 13:17, it says these leaders keep watch over souls as those who will have to give an account. This is a question I have to grapple with. On Judgment Day, who will I have to give an account for? Who is it that Christ entrusted to my care to watch over their souls? Is it every Christian in my city? Hardly. Is it every person who has ever attended the meetings of this church? I don’t think so. I believe pastors are accountable to faithfully watch over the souls of those persons who have committed themselves to that local church and voluntarily put themselves under the leadership and oversight of those local shepherds.
When you make a covenant commitment to a local church, you help your leaders. How so? You help them know who it is they are accountable for.
And, by the way, you can’t obey the Word of God without committing yourself to a local church. If you hop around from one church to another with no real commitment to any church, how will you obey this command to obey your leaders and submit to them. If you have not committed to a church, which leaders are you supposed to obey and submit to? Is it all the pastors in America? Is it every pastor in Sacramento? No, it is the pastors of the local church you have committed yourself to.
5. The Good of Your World
Jesus Christ has commanded every Christian to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” So, let me ask you – will this happen more effectively in the life of a lone ranger Christian, or in the life of a believer who is solidly committed to a local church?
Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” I believe that the kind of love between believers that will get the attention of the world is the kind that exists in committed relationships. It’s the kind of love that puts the other person first, serves them, encourages them, and labors for their good, in a stable, rooted, long-standing, life on life relationship, not in a fly-by-night, uncommitted association.
Since we are to give our lives to making disciples, when we have brought someone to Jesus Christ, what do we do with them next? We have already seen that in the New Testament is is just assumed that every new believer will be added to the church. If we are committed to a local church, we can invite them to become a part of our own church. But, if we are committed to no church, then all we can do is suggest they find a church somewhere out there. The church is the greenhouse of spiritual growth for the believer. A major part of learning to observe all the things Jesus commanded us is to be an integral part of the local church. That’s where we heard the Word taught and preached. That’s where we observe the Lord’s Supper. That’s where we sing and worship God. That’s where we get to know and love one another.
If you are modeling commitment to a local church, this new disciple will probably follow in your footsteps and commit themselves to a local church. But, if you are nonchalant about your involvement in a local church, your disciple will probably be the same.
For the sake of the lost, and for the sake of new believers who need to be grounded in the truths of Scripture and grow in the faith, commit yourself to a local church!
6. The Perseverance of Your Soul
We’ve talked about the importance of committing to a local church for the purpose of enabling others to persevere. However, an equally important reason is for your own perseverance. Remember, that it is only those who persevere that will be saved. But, one of the means of perseverance is the loving care and discipline of the church. What if you or I fall into sin? Will we be left to ourselves to try to claw our way out of sin and back to Christ?
What is supposed to happen if someone in the church falls into sin? Are the rest of us supposed to just turn a blind eye and pretend we don’t know about it? What happens in the military when someone is hit? Do the rest just pretend it never happened and go on their way? No, they send in a squad to get him to safety. And, that’s what is supposed to happen in the church.
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.” If someone strays, the rest of us are to go after them! Friends, if someone stops coming to our church meetings, we are supposed to go after them. Find out why. If there is sin involved, persuade them to repent, and return to Christ and His church.
In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines the process His church is go through when someone falls into sin. First, a single individual is go to that person and reprove them, urging them to repent. If that does no good, he is to take one or two more with him, to try to turn him back. If even that does not avail, they are to tell the matter to the church, and the whole church is to go after this person. If even the whole church can’t persuade the person to turn from his sin and return to Christ and the church, they are to be treated as an unbeliever.
Now, let’s say that’s you. You have never committed yourself to a local church. You just float around whenever it strikes your fancy. You have no pastors who are watching over your soul, because you never committed yourself to any particular church. Then, the devil strikes, and you fall into sin, and stop following Christ. The Bible indicates that you if you go on in that condition and die in that condition you are not saved. Don’t you want a body of believers surrounding you that will take your salvation seriously? Don’t you want a family that loves you enough to confront you if you get derailed in following Jesus? Friends, that can only happen if you are in a committed relationship to a local church. It is for your own good, your own perseverance that you need to be a member of a local church!
Conclusion
Let me take a few minutes to answer some questions you may have.
What should I look for in a church? I believe there is an irreducible minimum of things that need to be in place in a church in order for you to commit yourself to it. This is my advice.
- Look for a church with orthodox doctrine. This immediately eliminates all the cults that deny the Trinity and the Deity of Christ. Look for a church that teaches the time-honored truths of salvation by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, to the glory of God alone.
- Look for a church that believe the Bible is the Word of God, and earnestly seeks to live by it.
- Look for a church that loves and exalts Jesus Christ.
- Look for a church that focuses on the gospel. This will eliminate liberal churches which are only interested in social issues.
- Look for a church which is serious about doing their part to fulfill the Great Commission. The church should be actively doing something to make disciples.
- Look for a church that has leadership which is serious about teaching God’s Word and watching over souls.
Once I have become a member of a church, is it ever OK to leave? Yes, of course it is. I would not advise a person to make a hasty decision to leave a church, especially if the reason is because of some strained relationship in the church. God may want to cause you to grow through your repentance or you extending forgiveness to someone else. The kind of commitment I’m talking about is not the same level of commitment you make when get married, for instance. Just because you have become a member of a church does not mean you will always be at that church forever. You may need to leave because the Lord leads you to move to a different location, or because you recognize that your family needs a certain kind of ministry which one church can’t provide. However, while you are at that church, you need to be committed and involved until the Lord leads you somewhere else.
When should I leave a church? You may have to leave a church if the leaders start teaching heresy, and will not listen to your reproof. You may have to leave if the leaders fall into sin, and will not repent. You may need to leave a church if it is not serious about obeying Jesus Christ. However, in all these instances, you should do what you can to try to bring correction and reform. If the leaders will not listen to you, then you may need to leave and commit to another body of believers.
Brothers and sisters, I exhort you to stop casually attending a church, and commit yourself to it. Commit your time, gifts, money, and energy to serving that body of believers, and partnering with them to make disciples. If for whatever reason you feel like you can’t commit yourself to this church, then you need to leave and find a church you can commit to. It is not spiritually healthy for you to be in an uncommitted relationship to a local church. If you just casually attend here at The Bridge, and we never say anything to you about becoming a member, we are just helping you to go on disobeying God. Now, if you have never been born again and baptized, that’s one thing. But, if you have been saved, it is important for you to do this. If you have been here at The Bridge more than six months, and have not become a member, we encourage you to make that commitment.
Charles Spurgeon once quipped: “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.”
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