Is Church Membership Biblical?

Transcription

1 Is Church Membership Biblical? We live with a generation today that is not interested in continuing a tradition for the sake of tradition, but are very committed to being Biblical and Godhonoring. So, letʼs ask the question, Is church membership even Biblical? Or is it just a tradition that we continue? If church membership is just a good tradition, then we need to stop emphasizing it. But if it is Biblical, then we need to emphasize it stronger. Sometimes, we just react to othersʼ teachings who take a doctrine to an extreme and we counter with putting too little emphasis on that doctrine. That is true with the Holy Spirit and with the church. The Roman Catholic church has put too much emphasis on the church; so we do the opposite. But we need to be Biblical and not be afraid of putting the strong emphasis that the Bible declares. While the Bible does not command church membership, it is implied. I was raised in the local church; I was saved through the local church; I was called to preach in the local church; I was licensed to preach in the local church; I was ordained to pastor in the local church;

2 Letʼs look at some truths about the church and answers to this question: 1. The very definition of a church implies a gathering or assembly. ekklesia - called out ones. That word is used 114 times in the New Testament with two of those times referring to an Old Testament gathering and three referring to a secular gathering. In the OT, it was that which was used to describe the Jewish assemblies. Deut. 4:10 Gather the people to me... The word gather in the LXX is ekklesiazo. Heb. 10: 25 forsake not the assembly of yourselves. So, the very word ekklesia implies a gathering. 2. The local church is addressed mostly in the New Testament. The Bible teaches what some call a universal church and a local church; the invisible church and the visible church. However, of those 109 references in the New Testament that are left to refer to a Christian community; of those 90 refer to a local church or gathering. Thus, we see the emphasis of the New Testament is a local church gathering. The church at Philippi, Thessalonica, etc.

3 I believe we can say with authority that if Jesus was on the earth today, He would be in somebodyʼs church. Luke 4:16 says that he attended the synagogue every sabbath as was His custom. 3. The local church is the display of Godʼs glory. Ephesians 3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities, and powers in the heavenly places. 4. The officers listed in the New Testament are for a local church. The two-fold office of elders and deacons are local church offices. Hebrews 13: 17 Obey those who rule over you,...as those who must give account. Of those two, if there was not a local church membership, then how would the Pastor/Elder know who he was to give account to and how would the saint know who they are to obey? Local church membership clarifies those issues very well. And in fact, only local church membership answers those issues. 5. Jesus is the builder, the head, the husband, the foundation of the church. There are at least 96 different images of the church in the New Testament.

4 Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; I Corinthians 3:9-11 In Acts 9:9, Jesus identifies Himself with the church. Jesus identifies Himself with the local church. If Jesus is the Groom and the church is the bride, then we dishonor Jesus if we say we love Him but we donʼt love His bride. 6. The church is built on a new covenant with the body of Christ; so it is appropriate that a covenant join the local body of Christ. The new covenant into His body is through His blood - I Corinthians 12:25 This cup is the new covenant in My blood. We call the Lordʼs Supper a Covenant Meal sometime and rightly so. We best live out of that new covenant relationship with the invisible Body of Christ through a covenant relationship with the visible Body of Christ. 7. Discipline in a local church mandates a community of covenanted believers. I Cor. 5: we have no authority over those who are outsiders II Cor. 2: 6 - the majority only makes sense in the context of an assembly Matthew 18:17 is in the context of church discipline and Jesus said if the person does not hear you, then tell it to the church. What church? The world-wide, invisible church? no, the local church.

5 8. Failure to retain community would be a catalyst to prove oneʼs conversion. I Corinthians 5 I John 2:19 Matthew 18:17 says that if the person does not hear the church, then you are to treat them not as brothersand-sisters, but heathen. The final straw of calling an unrepentant church member back to God would expulsion from the body of Christ. That threat should cause them to rise up and say, NO. Donʼt do that. I will repent. If they donʼt, then there would be sufficient evidence that the person is not saved. 9. Love for others is best exemplified in a local body. I John 4: If someone says, ʻI love God,ʼ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. We best love one another and love our neighbor through an on-going, long term relationship with other believers through a local church.

6 Francis Schaeffer The Christian community is the final apologetic. The community of Elgin and East Lauderdale county should see the invisible God through the visible church. John 13:35 By this shall all know you are my disciples if you have love one for another. When we stand before Christ in judgement, I would rather stand there and be accused of putting too much emphasis on His bride than He say, You neglected my bride. You did not make enough of my bride. So, with the faults, shortcomings and frailties of the local church - I am committed to the local church until I have put in the grave. I want the last place I go to be to a local church and then the grave. I am committed to the local church.