The Church s Neglected Priorities

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1 The Church s Neglected Priorities Visit us at the Life On Life Booth # General Assembly Randy Pope Perimeter Church 9500 Medlock Bridge Road Johns Creek, GA

2 1. The Equipping Of The Saints 1.1 What Is Equipping? The Traditional View The Evangelical View The Biblical View 1. 2 Who is to do the pastoring? Owner = God Employer = Elders & Staff Employee = Members Customer = Unchurched & Members Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 1

3 1.3 How does one balance his time between pastoring and leading-equipping? 1.4 To whom does the pastor give care? His personal friends His staff and elders Anyone who has a legitimate need and no one is equipped to minister to them 1.5 What is required for a pastor to be an effective leader-equipper? The pastor must be faithful to focus only on his God-given responsibilities. The laymen must be willing to be equipped and to be the ministers. Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 2

4 2. The Biblical Use Of Membership 2.1 What is membership? 2.2 What is the Biblical basis for membership? Matthew 16: "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." 2.3 What are the keys to the kingdom of heaven? 2.4 What is the binding and loosing function of the keys? Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 3

5 2.5 Who holds the keys to the Kingdom? Matthew 18: "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "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. 17 "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. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Hebrews 13:17 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. 2.6 What are the practical implications to the use of membership? 1) Who takes the sacraments 2) Who can marry as a Christian 3) Whom one can sue in a legal court 4) Who is permitted to divorce 5) Who can be put under discipline and ultimately, if necessary, be excommunicated Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 4

6 Why Church Membership? It is commonplace today to hear of evangelical, Bible-believing churches downplaying the importance of local church membership. Some even reject the practice of membership altogether. But in this de-emphasis on formally uniting with a local church, are God s directives being replaced with merely pragmatic practices which fall short of Scriptural standards? Careful study of the biblical teaching regarding church membership is a critical need in the church today. An instructive passage addressing this issue is found in Matthew 16: After asking the Twelve about the public s opinions concerning Him, Jesus asked His disciples whom they thought He was. Peter, speaking for the apostolic band, replied, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. To this confession Jesus responded,...you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church... Our Lord then stated a declaration which has far-reaching implications: I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. But what are these keys to the kingdom of heaven? What is this binding and loosing function of the keys? Keys have only two functions: to lock and to unlock. Possession of keys represents authority to open and to shut. Since the new Israel of God, the Church, is no longer a theocracy governed directly and immediately by God, He has determined that the Church will function under authoritative human leadership. Thus the keys to the kingdom represent the authority Christ has granted to govern His Church. Church s leadership is granted specific authority to bind -- to derive from God s Word and to enforce that which is obligatory -- and to loose -- likewise to determine and allow that which the Word says is permissible. The teaching of the Bible, however, is often more principle than specific; thus judgments as to the application of scriptural principles to particular situations must be made. The keys of the kingdom are emblematic of the authority given to the Church to determine the proper standards of biblical faith and practice and to carry out biblical discipline when required. Of obvious import is the answer to the logical question: Specifically, to whom in the Church is this binding and loosing authority granted? Church history offers three predominant replies to this query. The First View First, the Roman Catholic Church adopted (during its foundational years) the view that the keys were given uniquely to Peter. According to this understanding, Peter alone received the keys and thus became the first Pope, passing along the keys to generation after generation of Popes throughout history. But this interpretation appears to be based upon faulty exegesis. In the Greek language of the New Testament, the name Peter is Petros, meaning small stone or Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 5

7 pebble. But a different word, petra, meaning a large boulder or underlying bedrock, is used in reference to the rock upon which Christ promised to build His Church. Jesus thus employs a play on words in His reply to Peter by saying in effect, Simon, you are Petros, a small pebble, solid but transitory. But it is upon the immovable bedrock of your confession that I am the Christ, the Son of the Living God, that I will build My Church. It is not Peter himself, but rather his confession of faith in Jesus which forms the foundation of the Church. Moreover, though the English you in I will give you the keys..., whatever you bind... and whatever you loose... is in its singular form in the Greek text, the same exact teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18:18 uses the plural. The same truth is also conveyed in John 20:23 using the plural. In light of these other passages, it seems apparent that in Matthew 16, Jesus was speaking to Peter as representing the other Apostles standing with him. Jesus is indicating in His teaching that the proper recipients of the keys are several in number rather than being a single, particular person. This observation leads to the second and third historic understandings of this passage, both of which rightly recognize the plurality of the key-holders. The distinction between these two views lies in their differing identifications of whom the key-holders are. The Second View The second of these views is represented by the practice of some modern churches which suggests that Jesus has given the keys of the kingdom to each individual Christian. As he exercises saving faith in Christ, each believer uses the key to let himself into the kingdom. Churches adhering to this belief generally devalue the importance of church membership and may reject it altogether. If people believe they are Christians, they are thereby members of Christ s earthly Church. Membership in a local church, those holding this view would purport, is superfluous. One difficulty with this position is that it makes each believer an authority unto himself and negates the need for church leadership and discipline. Advice, admonition and rebuke offered by other (more mature) believers have only the authority of another opinion. A related problem raised by this view is its impracticability. What Christian who has fallen into habitual sin will use his set of keys to remove himself from church fellowship? The Third View The third and most plausible view of the key-holders identity is that one which historically has been adopted by the vast majority of Protestant churches in history past: in giving the keys of the kingdom, Jesus spoke not just to Peter but to all the assembled Apostles. He gave them collectively the authority to bind and to loose, that is, to speak and to act for God. This apostolic authority was subsequently transferred through the laying on of hands to biblically qualified and selected elders in local churches (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 4:14). Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 6

8 Such God-ordained elders continue to hold the keys of God s kingdom in the church today. It is their responsibility to protect the purity of the Church and the honor of God s Word through biblical discipline of Christ s flock: opening church membership to professing believers, withholding membership from non-christians, building up and encouraging the repentant sinner and dismissing from fellowship the unrepentant. The possession of the authority of the keys does not guarantee some sort of infallibility on the part of elders. Their decisions must be based on biblical grounds, but they do not determine whether a particular person is or is not a Christian. Only God knows that with certainty. Nevertheless, the decisions and declarations of the elders carry the authority of God in such a way as to determine whether or not a person is to be treated as a Christian. It is in this context of understanding that the full meaning of passages such as Matthew 18:15-18 and Hebrews 13:17 is revealed: Matthew 18: And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 And 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 taxgatherer. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Hebrews 13:17 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. In the passage from Matthew, Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer means, Let him be treated as a non-believer, which in practice means removing a person from church membership. Leaders in Hebrews 13 refers to those ordained as elders in the church, who plainly have the authority and the responsibility to faithfully direct God s Church. In these Scriptures and others, the Lord has indicated the nature of the authority He wishes to be exercised in His Church. Other passages speak of the authority which God intends rightly to be exercised in the other two of the three foundational institutions He has ordained for the benefit of society: the family and the state (Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Roman 13:1-7). Each of these three has a specific leadership authority which is granted the right and the responsibility to bless the good and discipline the wicked: parents in the family, civil magistrates and governors in the state, and elders in the Church. For the most part, members of society obey the laws of the state, if for no other reason than to avoid Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 7

9 the civil and criminal penalties of law-breaking. The authority of the parent appears to have been in decline over the years, as the practice of loving but firm corrective discipline has been widely abandoned. The authority of the church long ago has been disregarded, in part because of faulty interpretations of the passages cited above and in part because of the unwillingness of the church to enforce biblical discipline even when it is theologically understood. There exists an analogy between membership in the visible church and the invisible Church. In the invisible Church (made up of the truly believing), one is either in or out, with God Himself as the Judge of the authenticity of One s outwardly confessed faith. Similarly, in the visible church (made up of people professing to have faith in Christ) one is either in or out, with judgment as to the genuineness of an applicant s testimony granted to the elders. Practical Considerations On a practical level, local church membership is an expression of obedience to God, through submission to the elders. Apart from this authority structure, leaders cannot lead and members have no one to follow, being like sheep without a shepherd. Thus, local church membership is essential to the proper functioning of the Body of Christ. Through a member s fellowship with the local church, he or she has access to the privileges of corporate worship, the sacraments, oversight, care, loving discipline, and the fellowship and mutual ministry of other Christians. Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 8

10 Child Membership At Perimeter Church Children ages 7 to 12 who are believers in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are eligible for and encouraged to pursue child membership. The child should have the desire to begin the process. Many children come to true faith in Jesus Christ, and it is important to help them understand the value of membership in a local body of believers. In order to take communion, a child (or adult) should be a believer and a member of an evangelical, Bible-believing church. What are the benefits of child membership? Help your child understand the importance and command of membership in a local church Help your child live out a relationship with the Lord in the context of involvement in church membership Ability to take communion and understand the beauty and worship behind the sacrament of the Lord s Supper Help your child put feet on his/her beliefs regarding Jesus and His call to live out our faith in the world Involvement in age-appropriate serving opportunities around the church What is the difference between adult membership and child membership? Child members do not have the right to vote in church elections. Other than that, all rights and privileges are the same. When should my child update his/her membership and become an adult member? After age 12 and before age 17 your child can update his/her membership to full, voting, adult membership by completing Perimeter s adult membership process (attend the Inquirer s and Membership Seminars). If your child does not complete the adult membership process by age 17, the privileges of child membership expire and your child would become a regular attendee of Perimeter. Do the parents need to be members? At least one parent or legal guardian must be a member of Perimeter Church before a child can complete the child membership process. How do I get the process started and learn more? Attend one of three orientation classes offered each year (in November, March and July). Check the website at the Pulse or the bulletin for more information. What materials are used, how do I obtain them,and what is the cost? The curriculum is written by Bobby Scott, the principal of Perimeter Christian School. It is free and provided at the orientation class you attend. The child and at least one parent must be present at the orientation class. Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 9

11 How many lessons are provided in the curriculum and how long does each take to complete? There are 8 lessons in the study and each one takes about minutes to review. You should establish a regular meeting schedule to complete the curriculum in about 12 weeks. Am I qualified to teach my child? The parents manual has all of the answers in it and is a great refresher course for the parents. Those who may not feel qualified will find that it is easy to lead themselves and their child through the process. What happens after we complete the lessons? Your child will complete a membership appointment with two church elders for recommendation into church membership. How long is the membership appointment? What do the elders discuss? Can I be present? Can we have an elder we know present? The interview is about 30 minutes long, and the elders ask basic questions such as when your child accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We prefer the child be interviewed without the parent present in the room so that he/she does not feel pressured or persuaded by the parent. We want the child to own his/her faith apart from the parents. Parents may coordinate with the membership department and arrange for the child to meet with an elder he/she knows. Can my child be baptized? Children under age 6 can be baptized if one or both parents are members of Perimeter Church. After age 6, a child must complete the child or adult membership process in order to be baptized. For more information on child membership at Perimeter, contact Ty Bryant at TyB@perimeter.org or , or Jeremy Case at JeremyC@perimeter.org or Copyright 2008, Randy Pope. Page 10

By John A. Matthews UNO officer)

By John A. Matthews UNO officer) 1 A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP By John A. Matthews (COC @ UNO officer) Winter 2003 INTRODUCTION The Bible does not specify a formal procedure for obtaining membership in a local church.