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COHc Connections

Module 6 Church Membership

& Christian Peacemaking

Connecting to Christ Our Hope church:

What is church membership? Why is membership important? What is “biblical peacemaking” and

what is its process?

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6.1 The Concept of Church Membership

People often ask, “Why should a church emphasize ‘membership’ anyway? That seems too clique-ish and club-like to me… where is that in the Bible anyway?” The answer is actually pretty simple. On the one hand, we fully recognize that you’ll never find the phrase “church membership” in Scripture. Yet on the other hand, we see that whenever churches are talked about or addressed in the Bible, the assumption of church membership is on almost every page!

Churches have members!... EPH 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens

with God's people and members of God's household…20 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

ROM 12:4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Church members are devoted!... AC 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save

yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The reason for church membership is easy to see: there is no such thing as community without commitment! Making church membership ‘official’ is really just making open and plain what the Bible assumes- that a believer will commit to covenant with other believers in order to live, learn and experience the Gospel as one people joined together in community. After all, we need each other… The Church is a Body!

While we realize that there are a great number of healthy churches that don’t practice church membership, we see great benefits to practicing membership by a local church. For God wants to move all Christians from believing to belonging! God would say to us, “If you love my Son, His loves will become your loves.” Jesus proclaimed, “I will build my Church” (Mt. 16.18); He is obsessed with this work of gathering and building His church. Because Jesus accepted us, we ought to accept His beloved Bride- The Church. A key question to diagnose spiritual health is: what is your relationship with Jesus’ Bride?- Are you committed to Jesus’ commitments? Will you accept this bride?

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6.2 The Benefits of Church Membership

Of course, many of the benefits of a vital church should always be available to anyone who attends. Because Jesus has a huge heart and an open-door policy (“Come unto Me all who are heavy laden…”), so should all churches- not discriminating against anyone- but welcoming all. Even so, Rick Warren helpfully summarizes why church membership is of great benefit:

Worship helps you focus on God. It prepares you spiritually, mentally and emotionally for the week ahead.

Fellowship helps you face life’s problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians.

Discipleship helps you fortify your faith by learning the truths of God’s Word and applying biblical principles to your lifestyle.

Ministry helps you find and develop your gifts & talents and use them in serving others.

Evangelism helps you fulfill your mission of reaching your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers for Christ.

 

“The community we seek is found not in some generic love for man, but in a specific love for the redeemed. Our love should be greater toward those with whom we have Christ in common than toward those with whom we share a job or a hobby...  Every Lord’s Day we have a reunion.  We, all His children, gather in the throne room, the church militant and the church triumphant gathered coram Deo, before the face of God.  And there we are one, in union with Him.”

– R.C. Sproul, Jr, TableTalk Magazine: Building Community (Nov. ’99)

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6.3 The Bible’s Reasons for Church Membership

Undoubtedly, the previously mentioned points are all great reasons to bond with other believers by joining a church! Yet beyond these more pragmatic benefits, the Bible also stresses that the following reasons are of particular importance as well:

A ‘__________’: Members have the benefit of church power to shape the ministry of the congregation. It lies with the members to choose officers who, in turn, guide the direction of the congregation. Officers are elected (Acts 6.1-6), by “the people.” Membership entitles you to voting rights within the government of our church. While congregational meetings are usually open to anyone who wishes to attend, only members may pass resolutions, vote for changes to the by-laws or elect and dismiss pastors.

__________: Informal membership privileges may include priority in pastoral and private counseling, church ceremonies (like marriage) and opportunities to lead church ministries (e.g. serving as church officers). Yet, the sacrament of baptism is so special it is a rite of passage that is reserved for each local church family! That’s why Jesus included it as part of His Great Commission to the Church in Matthew 28.19:

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

So baptism is much more than a sign to the watching world (man’s sign to man). It is the sign that God has chosen to signify His special relationship with His people, symbolizing one’s entrance into the covenant family called The Church (God’s sign to His people). Thus, we believe it’s appropriate that baptism should be reserved for ‘members only.’ Members may baptize their infant children into the covenant family of our church.

__________: Members have the benefit of accountability to the elders, the spiritual leaders of the church. Hebrews 13.17 teaches us “to obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” This command assumes that you are in a covenantal relationship with certain leaders. These leaders labor to both pray for you and provide spiritual care. So, it makes sense to listen to them. Those Christians who

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may say, “I am accountable only to God” are not only living in a way that is unknown to the Bible, they are living in a “spiritual danger zone.”

6.4 The Number 1 Reason to Join a Church

While all the aforementioned reasons for membership are significant, by far and away the number one reason for anyone to practice church membership and join a church is the 58 ‘one-another’ commands in the Bible. By bonding ourselves with other believers in expressed, tangible commitment, we are practically __________ God and making a big step towards living out these ‘one another’ commands in the Scriptures.

JN 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

GAL 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

RO 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

RO 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

GAL 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

HEB 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

1TH 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

EPH 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

COL 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

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RO 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

EPH 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.6.5 IMPLICATIONS for CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

So we would be wise to think through the implications of these ‘one another’ commands for believers and for the local church. As we do, three (3) principles emerge:

The Principle of __________: These are not just suggestions; rather, they are commands from God to us as His blood-bought people.

The Principle of __________: All of these commands are written in the

present continuous tense; so we should be doing these things constantly.

The Principle of __________: Most of these “one-another’s” were written to local churches (all of them in Paul’s epistles). Thus, the biblical writers had specific local church assemblies in mind here. So this implies a need for selectivity; like the folks in the churches Paul addresses, we must select a specific group of believers to practice these “one-anothering” commands with over the long-haul. Indeed, gospel community is the context that God envisions for our spiritual growth: we were made for community. As Paul Tripp writes, “Your growth is a community project!”

“The practice of church membership among Christians occurs when Christians grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love. By identifying ourselves with a particular local church, we are telling the church’s pastors and other members not just that we commit to them, but that we commit to them in gathering, giving, prayer and service.”

– Mark Dever, What Is a Healthy Church?

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6.6 Our Church’s Five Membership Questions

So if you decide to be part of Christ Our Hope without membership, there will be little pressure to join. I only hope to persuade you of God’s wisdom and intent for membership, as well its benefits and responsibilities. You may wish to wait and see how a church like ours develops. Whatever you decide, we do hope you will eventually and prayerfully consider membership. In the meanwhile, you can know for sure: you are always welcome and appreciated. However, if you do indeed decide to become a member, I must ask one thing of you: Please- do not join unless you are ready for its commitments. We certainly desire your fellowship, but we esteem membership as a very important commitment to God and the local church.

But if you do decide to become a member, there will be a few easy steps to take in order to make this happen. First (STEP 1), you will need to carefully read and sign our membership covenant. Next, (STEP 2) there will be a short interview with an elder(s?) in which we will hear your story of how you came to trust in Jesus. But please don’t worry!... These are low-key in tone and are meant to help us get to know you even further- to see where you are in your journey of faith in Christ. And finally (STEP 3), we will have a short ceremony in our Sunday service to officially receive and ‘adopt’ you into our church family. We will present you and your intent before the body and then ask you these five questions:

1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?

2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?

3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes followers of Christ?

4. Do you promise to support the church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?

5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the church, and promise to practice its purity and peace?

As you can see, the membership questions above are focused. They cover your sincere profession of faith (#s 1 & 2), your genuine striving towards a life of holiness (#3), and your desire and pledge to live out the responsibilities of membership to our local body (#s 4 & 5). But there is one

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specific vow that is so important for church health, that we have developed it even further. That is the commitment to do our best to “practice the purity and peace” of the church.

MT 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

JAS 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Membership Commitment # 5: Biblical PeacemakingWe have added one more commitment to undergird Q#5 above. It is a commitment to help us all speak well of one another as brothers and sisters. If I were to ask you what you thought were the biggest problems for churches, what would you say? Given that Christians believe in sin, it’s no surprise that we sometimes struggle with gossip and criticism. Yet nothing douses the flames of a vital church faster than the floods of gossip and criticism. However, in His grace, Jesus gives us an alternative to backbiting- calling us all to a higher way of living in Matthew 18. As those called by the Name of Christ, we are to practice bold love: we are not to break the peace of the Body, nor fake peace, but instead, be faithful makers, keepers and protectors of peace.

MT 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that `every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Our Peacemaking Pledge…

“In obedience to the Word of God- and depending on His grace- we hereby commit ourselves to the goal of peacemaking within our church. We will make peace by purposing here and now to give a good report of our brothers and sisters. When this is not possible, we purpose to remain silent or to go privately to the person, confirm our goal, and explain the offense that would keep us from giving a good report. We hereby purpose to approach anyone who has offended us in a spirit of brotherly love only after having first examined and corrected our own attitudes and actions. When we fall short of this goal, we purpose to ask forgiveness, knowing that God resists the

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proud but gives grace to the humble. May God help us one and all and so bless our church for His glory. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.”

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COHc Connections

Appendix B

Answer Key

Module 6: Church Membership & Christian Peacemaking

6.3 Voice Baptism Accountability

6.4 Following

6.5 Obedience Practice Selectivity