Church Membership

Our study of doctrine has now moved to a study of some of the particulars about the church. Healthy doctrine leads to healthy churches. And how we do church should be an expression of our doctrine.

Before we begin studying our topic for today, I want to say that I recognize that not every church agrees on some of these issues. And even among those churches that agree something is biblical or helpful there is room to practice it in a different way.

I am moving out of those areas of doctrine that are necessary for Christian life, and into the areas of doctrine that are necessary for Christian maturity. That is, some people can disagree with our conclusion and still be Christians, although in some ways, I think their spiritual growth would be negatively affected.

First Bilingual Baptist Church is the only church I’ve even been a part of, or attended regularly. And one of the things you hear people talk about sometimes is the issue of church membership. Church membership.

For some, it’s an uncomfortable topic. People can have a conversation about being a member of LA Fitness or Costco or a sports team, but when you talk about church membership, some people get upset or bothered.

One reason that might happen is that people don’t understand what we mean by that. And so, I hope today corrects some of that.

But more commonly, I think the reason some people push away from the idea of membership is similar to what I mentioned last week—a fear of commitment. Growing up, there were always a couple of friends who had a difficult time saying they would attend an event. Their response to an invitation was: “Sounds good, I’ll let you know.”

And I think what they really were thinking was: “I think I’ll attend, but I’m not sure if something better might come up between now and then. I want to keep my options open.”

Well, frankly that kind of thinking is characteristic of immaturity. It’s characteristic of our culture that values freedom and choice and individuality. It’s a consumeristic culture. It’s a culture that rejects authority, commitment, and accountability.

Proverbs 18:1 addresses this by saying: “He who separates (or isolates) himself seeks his own desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom.”

And that includes people who call themselves Christians, but say things like:  “I love Jesus, but I don’t like the church.” Or “Church would be great if it weren’t for the people.”

Some people think that they can be just as committed to Christ and just as impactful without formally committing to a church. Some think church membership is snobby, or unnecessary. The most commonly heard argument against church membership is that there is no command in the Bible that says I have to be a member of a local church. And frankly, that’s true.

But, just because there is no verse that says “Thou Shalt Become a Church Member”, doesn’t mean that the idea is not biblical. There is no explicit command against abortion either, yet we know it grieves God because we know enough about the sanctity of human life, and life in the womb, and murder. The same is true for membership. We know enough about things connected to Membership to clearly communicate to us that it’s important. In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s part of God’s design.

So, what is the biblical case for church membership? That’s what matters here, right? Are we going to honor God’s word? Are we going to allow the truth of God to inform how we respond to every issue, including church membership? And the fact that it might not be a primary doctrine, doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.

What I want to do today is present to you Four Major Arguments for church membership. But before I do that, I just want to give a clear definition of membership. What is church membership? Here it is: Church Membership is a personal commitment to a local church that connects and identifies you as part of that local church. It’s a personal commitment. And it connects and identifies you with the rest of the church.

Now, you need to keep that definition in mind, because we’re not talking about a specific way of doing it. We’re talking about the fact that it gets done.

Another way to talk about membership is to say that it creates a list of who is part of the church. Now, whether that list exists somewhere on paper, or in a computer, or just in somebody’s head, there’s a list that can be accessed and changed when needed.

There are many, many passages that teach us about the value and importance of connecting and committing to a church, and I want to give them to you in 4 categories—4 arguments. And you can follow along in your sermon notes if you want. Since there are so many passages, I decided to place verses in the notes today so that you don’t feel like you have to turn to all of them during the sermon and so that you can study them for yourself.

Let’s start with number one. The first argument for Church Membership. I call this the argument of Limits and Separation. Limits and Separation. What I mean by this is that the Bible gives us a very clear indication that the church had boundaries. The church made a clear distinction between who was inside and who was outside.

Obviously, when you talk about being included, it implies that some are excluded. Some people don’t like that idea. But setting limits and making a separation is part of what God has done since the beginning. Adam and Eve were inside the garden, and they were kicked out of the garden. Noah’s ark had people inside and outside. The nation of Israel had people in it, and people who were not a part of it. If a man wanted to become part of Israel, he had to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law.

Well, we see the same idea in the New Testament church. The church, from its earliest days knew who was inside and who was outside.

In your notes, you’ll notice a whole bunch of passages from Acts. These passages tell us that the Christians were numbered, or that more people were added. So what? It means that somebody counted them. That’s not to say that they were JUST a number, but that they were a group that people joined. Not everybody who heard the sermons was saved. And not everybody was added to the church. Not everybody joined the church.

Let me show you one example of this. Go with me to Acts 5:13. By now, I think most of you know the story of Ananias and Sapphira. These people were numbers as part of the group. But when they lied to the church and to God, they were struck dead. And look at what is recorded for us. Acts 5:13-14. This is after they died. Acts 5:13-14

Not only were people being added to the church, but some even refused to join. NAS says they refused to associate. This is a strong word that Luke uses. Literally, this word means to glue something together. It’s talking about a strong and definite connection. The word is even used for a husband clinging to his wife. This is not just about hanging out with a group. It’s about connecting.

The connection is visible, and it is strong. Later in Acts 9, we read that Saul was trying to join himself to the church, but they wouldn’t let him. It was a poor decision on the church’s part, but it still lets us know that the church had some kind of limits or boundaries. People knew who was inside the group and who was outside the group.

In fact, throughout the New Testament epistles there are times when unbelievers are referred to as “outsiders.” You can see examples of that in the references I’ve given you. It doesn’t just mean they are physically outside of a building. It means that are outside their group, outside their number.

Lastly, before we move on to argument number 2, we have all the passages about church discipline. This is another touchy subject for people, but it’s a biblical practice. We’ll look more closely at it in a couple weeks. Matthew 18. 1 Corinthians 5. 2 Thessalonians 3. People were being removed from the church because of unrepentant sin.

Listen: If you are a CEO, how can you fire someone who doesn’t work for you? It doesn’t make sense. In the same way, how can you remove someone from a group if they don’t belong to the group? The practice of church discipline assumes that there exists some kind of formal, visible connection.

The New Testament church made a clear distinction between the church and the non-church. There were limits. There was a separation. And one of the ways a local church highlights those limits and that separation is by having people make a formal connection with the group. That’s what church membership does.

Argument number 2. This is the argument of Language and Symbols. Language and Symbols. What’s that? The way the Bible talks about the church tells us that it’s supposed to be something that is connected. God has given us very vivid metaphors for the church. And the symbolism used, the language used, implies a visible connection to one another.

We’re not going to walk through all the verses today. You can study them later. But let me give you 5 of the images God gives us for the church. They are 3 Bs and 2 Fs. Like my High School report card. 3 Bs and 2 Fs. The church is a Bride, a Body, a Building; and it is a Family, and a Flock. Bride, Body, Building, Family, and Flock.

The image of a Bride points to a formal covenantal relationship. It implies love and submission. Second Corinthians 11:2 say we have been betrothed (engaged) to Christ.

The image of a body implies parts that are connected. If police detectives find a hand or a foot in an alley somewhere, they don’t say they found a body. They found a part. A part by itself is not a body. A bunch of scrap metal pieces lying on the ground is not a robot. They have to be connected. And that’s the point 1 Corinthians 12 makes. The church is a connected body.

The image of a building communicates the same thing. Each of us is a stone or a brick. But if we’re not attached, we’re not a building. We’re just a pile of rocks.

The image of a family reminds us that God is our Father, but that we are connected to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a distinction between members of your household and guests. Not everyone who eats or sleeps in my home is part of my household. My family is people I am formally connected to.

The same should be true in a local church. There should be some visible commitment. And people know who is part of the local church and who is not.

Lastly, the image of a flock points to a group that’s been numbered. If one sheep wanders off, the shepherd goes to find it. Jesus is the Shepherd, and we are the sheep. The elders are under-shepherds of the flock of God (1 Peter 5).

These metaphors—bride, body, building, family, and flock—don’t make any sense if Christians are just floating around unattached to anybody else. If the parts are not connected, then you don’t have a whole.

In the New Testament, when people came to faith, they were joined to a group of people in an identifiable way. It is a foreign idea to the New Testament that someone could come to faith and not be committed to a local congregation. And the language and symbols of the church highlight our interconnectedness. And we express that connection today through church membership.

Let’s go to number 3. This is on the other side of your notes page. We have the argument of limits and separation. We have the argument of language and symbols. And number 3, there is the argument of Love and Service. Love and Service.

The New Testament has many words that describe how God expects us to treat one another. Many people actually call them “the one anothers.” Your notes page has a lot of verses you can review to see these commands.

But here’s what you need to keep in mind. These commands were not just general rules about how to treat others. The epistles were mainly written to local churches. And the instructions mainly had to do with how Christians should treat their fellow members in the church. Those they were associated with. Those they had made a commitment to. The commands to service and love imply or assume commitment and connection.

There are responsibilities toward the fellow members of my church that are above and beyond my obligation to others.

Let me give you a fast list of some of the negative commands for how we treat others. The Bible says: Don’t steal from one another. Don’t lie. Don’t judge. Don’t be a stumbling block. Don’t bite. Don’t devour. Don’t boast. Don’t challenge. Don’t envy. Don’t complain.

And then we have all the positive commands, which include: Greet one another. Accept one another. Be at peace with one another. Serve. Be humble with. Encourage. Admonish one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Be kind. Forgive. Seek the good of. Confess sins to one another. Pray for one another. Comfort one another. Seek counsel from one another. And the most common and important of all, the one that summarizes all this—love one another.

Again, these commands imply a connection to others. Being a Christian means you obey these commands. And being a member of a local church means you have a place where you can be obedient to them. You have a place where you can fulfill these duties. You have a specific, identifiable group that you’re connected to.

On your first day of Junior High, when your mom dropped you off, she said to you: Be nice to your classmates. Well, what if you just sat in the cafeteria and talked to people and were nice to them. Would that be obeying your mom’s command? Well, not exactly. She was talking about the people in your class. The people you’re going to be connected to for a semester.

Paul is saying the same thing. He’s saying love one another. And the full expression of that love is when you love the other people in the church you are a part of. Love those people. Love everybody else. But especially love those people. Connect yourself with them.

Galatians 6:10 says: Let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

The unity of a local church is an expression of the unity of the universal church. And being a member of a local church means more than just showing up. It means you serve in the church. We’ll talk more about that in the next month when we address spiritual gifts and spiritual life.

I would also add that being a member of a local church opens your life to new blessings of God, because you are involving your life with other people. It’s sanctifying. A pastor once said: “Sanctification is a community project.” Those of you who are married understand that. That commitment shapes you as a person. It molds you.

Another pastor mentioned how sad it was when people treat church like a buffet. They take what they want, and then they move on. If a relationship is strained, or there’s some difficulty, God is beginning to expose sin. But the people leave before God starts to work on their heart. There’s no commitment.

But being a member means you enter into loving accountability with others. You commit yourself to be a part of a group. You abandon your spiritual independence. You have opportunities to develop and use your gifts for the benefit of others.

God’s command to love and serve others implies that we will be connected to others in a profound way, with a real commitment. And membership is the expression of that commitment.

We have one final argument. And again, you have the verses listed, so we’ll move pretty quick. Number 4. This is the argument of Leadership and Submission.

The New Testament makes it pretty clear that churches need leadership. We’ll talk more about this at the end of the month.

But for now, let me just say that there are very clear responsibilities for the leaders and the members of a church. And these responsibilities only make sense if there is a formal association—some official list of people who are part of the church. If the shepherds watch over the flock, then they have to know who the flock is. They need a clearly identified group of people.

In Acts 6, the elders address the issue with the widows. They weren’t helping all the widows in the city; they were helping the widows who were part of the church.

In 1 Timothy 5, we learn that the church had a list of widows who needed provision and received help from the church. They had a list. They knew who was part of their group.

Another way leaders took care of the people was by writing letters to other churches whenever a member moved away. You can see examples of that in Acts 18, Romans 16, 2 Corinthians 3, and Colossians 4. They wanted to make sure people were welcomed into another group. They wanted to make sure they were recognized by a group and connected to that group.

Go with me to 1 Peter 5. This section highlights the main job of a church leader. And notice the wording here. 1 Peter 5:2a. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you.

Who are they supposed to take care of? The flock among them. For us elders here, the flock is not Pico Rivera. The flock is not the members of another church. The flock is not every person who walks into our building (though we want to serve them and love them). The flock is those who have made a commitment to be a part of our family and who have entrusted themselves to the oversight of the leaders. Those are our members. That’s who we focus on praying for at meetings. That who we will pursue when they wander off.

Do the elders of FBBC watch over you? Your answer shouldn’t be “I hope so.” Your answer should be clear because you either are or are not a member of this church.

Now, what are the responsibilities of the members toward the leaders? First Peter 5:5 says to be subject to them. Submit to them in the Lord. Other parts of the New Testament say to appreciate them. Esteem them for their work. Honor them.

And listen to what Hebrews 13 says, going back just a couple books in the Bible. Hebrews 13:7. Here’s the command. Hebrews 13:7.

This implies you know who your leaders are. And it implies you can see into their life. You can’t do that if you just show up but aren’t connected.

Skip down to verse 17. And this is a major verse about church leadership. Hebrews 13:17.

The leaders of the church will give an account for souls. Now, whom are we accountable to God for? Our flock. Our members.

Here’s the other question: Whom are you supposed to submit to? You submit to the leaders in your own church. Which means that if you’re not committed and joined to a church, you have no way of obeying this command. You can’t even answer the question: “Who are your leaders?” if you’re not connected to a church.

Ask my son, “Who are your parents?” and he’ll give you the answer. He knows Mom and Dad are in a different category than all the other adults.

Anyone not committed and not connected to a church is like a spiritual orphan. You don’t have anybody, humanly speaking, charged with guarding you and watching over you.

James 5 says if you’re sick, call for the elders of the church so they can pray for you. If you’re connected to a church, who are your elders? Who are you connected to and associated with?

Do you see how membership makes it possible for there to be leadership and submission? Every church has leaders and members. And the responsibilities of each group imply a formal connection. They imply a clearly identifiable group. That’s what church membership accomplishes. That’s why membership matters.

Church Membership makes it possible for the church to have limits and separation. Church Membership honors the language and symbolism used in the Bible for the church. Church Membership gives you a clear avenue for love and service. And Church Membership allows for leadership and submission.

Ultimately, church membership is not about a specific process. Every church has its own process and forms. And going through that process is part of submitting to the leadership of the church.

 Being a member places you under the shepherding care of godly men who watch over your soul. Being a member means you clearly identify with Christ and His Church. You are a representative of the church. You are committed to the church. And you believe the church is a faithful representation of Jesus Christ. You enter into the loving accountability of brothers and sisters. You have partners in your in sanctification. You have opportunities to use your gifts and develop them. You are guarded from sin and false doctrine. You’re part of a group that corporately resists the schemes of Satan. You don’t work alone. You evangelize as part of a larger group.

If that’s what you want, if that’s what you affirm, but you are unwilling to follow through with church membership, then something isn’t quite right. It’s like the guy who affirms his love and devotion for a girl, but is unwilling to make the commitment of marriage. Something’s not quite right.

If you profess Christ and you want to experience His design for your life and you are not a member of any church, what should you do? Search the Scriptures. I’ve given you verses to read and arguments to think about. Pray to God asking Him for wisdom. Ask Him to search your heart. Is there pride? Is there rebellion? Maybe, the reason you don’t desire to commit to a local church is because you don’t actually desire to commit to Jesus Christ. Maybe there’s no Holy Spirit within you drawing you closer to Christ. You’d rather come to Christ on your own terms, than follow His design.

If that’s the case, don’t pursue membership. Pursue Christ. Membership won’t save you from hell. But Jesus will. If you come in humble repentance and faith. Lay your life down before Jesus. Ask Him for forgiveness.

If you’re already a member of our church, praise God. Be a better member. Seek to connect and serve all the more.

If you attend our church regularly, but are a member of another church, we’re glad you visit. But if you attend here more than your home church, something doesn’t seem right there. It would be like my little girl having dinner with another family every other day. Maybe you need to go back to your church and set things right. Or maybe you need to change your membership.

For those of you who want to pursue membership here talk to a pastor. Or fill out a blue contact card for us. Start the process. Don’t avoid it. And don’t avoid the church.

Become a member, and begin publicly identifying with Jesus Christ and His Church. Unite yourself to His people, as imperfect as we are. And follow His design for the Christian life. Membership is both biblical and beneficial. Membership matters.