Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Special Services

Membership 1

INTRO: C. John Weborg once said 'The search for the perfect church is an illusion.  Appetite by itself is the sepulcher, the death of reason, judgment, and discipline.  Some form of satisfaction doesn't even stand a chance unless one settles down at a place and serves.  The church is a feast, not a taste, a meal, not a nibble. One sits and serves with the same people week after week, receiving and being received, disappointing and being disappointed, hurting and being hurt, caring and being cared for.
 Church people are in it for the long haul, not the short term.  The ordinary is more crucial than the extraordinary.  The glory of church is the routine, not the exceptional.'

EXP: But Oh how we hate routine and that is perhaps one the biggest reasons people have for not coming to church and if they do come, for not becoming members.

 We want action, we want excitement, we want powerful, tear jerking sermons every week,
 We want robust singing and times of reverential silence,
 We want people who are loving and friendly and we want people who will give us space,
 We want all the right programs and clean, modern facilities but we don't want to be harped on about giving,

We want, we want, we want....and when we don't get what we want we go someplace else...until we no longer get what we want there and then it's   'hi ho, hi ho, it's off to another church we go!' And it is easy to go from church to church because we don't put roots down in any one place...we rarely go beyond casual observer to committed servant.

 In gardening, we know that the roots of a plant must be maintained if there is to be healthy growth and the production of fruit.
Well, many Christians don't stay in one church long enough to develop and nurture their spiritual roots and they wonder why they lack spiritual maturity why they don't see any lasting spiritual fruit.

TRANS: What I want to talk about briefly this week and then at more length next week is planting roots, spiritual roots through commitment to the local church by way of membership.
 Turn to Acts 2:41-47          First...

I. What is Church Membership?
    A. God adds (Acts 2:41, 47)

  Verses 41 and 47 form what is called an 'inclusio'. It is a literary device used to accentuate or highlight the importance of a particular idea or truth. What truth is being highlighted? The thruth that God is the one who adds individual believers to the church. That is why in our charge to new members  we ask the candidate if they believe God is adding them to our fellowship for membership. You are not here because of the music, preaching or nice people. You are here, requesting membership because of the work of God in your heart drawing you to this place...for worship and service. God adds....next

    B. We acknowledge and then act (Acts 2:42, 44, 46)

  Verses 42,44,46 tell us that these Believers acknowledged God's call on their life by becoming active where they were planted...where God placed them. They were continually, they were together, day by day they were continuing...get the point.

  They acknowledged God's leading and acted upon it. Church membership is acknowledging God drawing you to a particular church body and then acting upon it by being added to their number in membership and then in action.

DEF: Church Membership is God drawing a Believer to a particular church body and adding them to their number for the purpose of glorifying God in that place which is demonstrated by participatory worship and practical service.

Trans: But, you may be asking,

II. Why is Church Membership necessary? 8 reasons!

    1. Because it disciplines Believers
        1 Cor. 5; 1 Tim. 5, Matt. 18 all speak of discipline in the church as necessary for the spiritual growth of Believers. But where there is no membership, there can be no discipline as people will just leave and go someplace else before the discipline can be enforced.

    2. Because it models forgiveness
       Where there is sin and failure by God's people, the church is to be the model of forgiveness to it's own so that the world will see the forgiveness of Christ.

    3. Because it reflects the ideal community
  The Christian faith calls us to an impossible lifestyle...yet it is made possible through the Holy Spirit who binds the church and makes it's people one.  In the church, there can be true community, a sense of belonging than is not found anywhere else.

    4. Because it models purity (1 Pet. 1:14-16)
        'As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;  because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." The church is the place where we understand what holiness is and are encouraged to display it.

    5. Because it develops character
       When we commit our lives publicly to follow Christ in a local church the church body then holds us accountable for that commitment and encourages us to develop the character to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

    6. Because it provokes Believers to good works.
       Heb 10:24-25 tells us that we come together to encourage one another, to love one another and to stimulate one another to do good works.

    7. Because it shows the leadership who their flock is.
        1 Peter 5 tells us that Elders are to shepherd, or have oversight over the flock given to them by God. When people come and go and there is no commitment to membership, the Elders don't know who the flock is and they can't do the job God has called them to do. When people come and go, leadership has a difficult time planning for the financial responsibilities of serving God as an instrument of His will to the world.

  Can't the church do the same thing w/o formal membership? To some degree, yes. But the last reason church membership is necessary is

    8. Because it is Biblical
       The Israelites had their names in the Book of Genealogy of the Nation. They were numbered before the Lord. (Num 1,2)

 The Levites were also numbered before the Lord before they could minister in the priestly offices.(Num 3)
 The remnant from Babylon had to be registered in the book in order to minister in the priesthood.
  In the NT we find the names of all true Believers are written in the Lambs book of life. (Rev. 3; 13; 17; 20; 21)

 I find it interesting that God keeps records of members of His eternal Kingdom...I think He is telling us something.

Trans: Is church membership necessary? Yes!  Our constitution states that a specific kind of member is sought...those who are in good standing in the church. What does 'in good standing' mean? Do we take that phrase seriously...do we take our membership seriously. If we do, then are we fulfilling the requirements of church membership and experiencing the rewards of identifying with a local body in membership?

  Do you know the requirements and what are the rewards of church membership? We will examine those questions next week.