There is not one Christian mentioned in the New Testament who was not connected to a local church. Many American Christians, however, hop from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. We grow in Christ by being in relationship to other Christians. This same lack of commitment to any one church can be found in the youth of today as well. Without this commitment there is no accountability, few relationships where they serve and love one another, encourage each other toward holiness, or have a sense of responsibility toward the group.
They have learned this from their parents who either model it for them, or enable them to express this behavior of selfishness. Lewis once wrote an essay on church membership, reminding us that the word membership is of Christian origin, but it has been taken over by the world and emptied of all its original meaning. Today, most people associate the term membership with paying dues, meaningless rituals, silly rules and handshakes, and having your name on some dusty roll.
Paul, however had a very different image of membership. To the Apostle Paul, being a member of the church did not refer to some cold induction into an institution, but rather it meant becoming a vital organ of a living body Rom. Any organ that is detached from the body will not only miss what it was created to be, it will also shrivel and die quickly.
He encouraged the congregation to go through their membership class on Wednesday Nights. The pastor spoke about the importance of not just being a consumer in the church, but one who is communion as the church. This was something new to us. We thought that only showing up was enough to make us members. I did not understand that showing up was good, but not enough. God wanted something more than our attendance, he wants our discipleship.
Church membership is the vehicle for that to take place. So if you like me, wonder why church membership is important; let me give you 10 quick reasons. Hopefully, this will help you see the importance of membership and encourage you in the same way my pastor encouraged me. The church is not an organization, company, country club, or a business.
So when we talk membership, we do not mean membership, like at a country club or discount store. A person who is committed within a covenant of believers, to support, encourage, discipline, and mature. Another thing that gives strong evidence as to the importance of the local church is the way in which the work of the church is funded.
There is no super, centrally headquartered organization for the support of the church. This means to put into the treasury of the church. Every member of the local church has a personal responsibility to give. The work of the church is not funded by pie suppers, yard sales, doughnut sales, begging on television, or any other man-made scheme. In years past, the church of Christ did not do much teaching on the subject of giving and as a result, the members did not give properly.
We are doing more now in teaching on this subject. The work of the late V. Black made a great contribution in educating the church on stewardship. A preacher in the local church should prepare sermons that challenge brethren to give generously to support the local work. We should teach brethren that when they give, God will bless them Lk.
We have the money in the church of Christ. When we give as God would have us give, we can preach the Gospel to the whole world. Think of the good that can be done by the local church in spreading the Gospel. Men need to be trained to preach. It takes money to do that. Missionaries need to be sent Rom. Radio and television programs need to be aired. Bibles need to be bought. It is the local church that is the driving force in sending the light of the glorious Gospel to people in darkness.
We cannot afford not to give. One thing of which we can be assured: one cannot out give God! The money we give is to support evangelism Phil. Occasionally, someone will hatch the notion that they will not give into the local church treasury and will direct their money where they want it to go. Be it known, nothing is wrong in giving to any worthy cause over and above giving into the treasury of the local church, but to withhold giving to the local church is fraught with many dangers.
First, to refuse to give into the treasury of the local church shows a lack of loyalty and cooperation. Second, a failure to support the local church financially keeps the church from doing many good works. Fourth, a refusal to give into the church treasury and send that which belongs to God where one wants it to go seems to reduce that person to a one man missionary society. Fifth, withholding money from the local treasury is. Sixth, by giving elsewhere than to the local church treasury on the first day of the week, one takes for himself the glory that should belong to the Lord Eph.
God has designed a plan or pattern for the support of the local church. When we give upon the first day of the week into the local church treasury, the church can function properly 1 Cor. We have allowed too many stingy, covetous people to hold back the church by their blatant refusal to support the work of the local church.
It is the duty of local elders to see that the church is taught the truth on the subject of giving. Leroy Brownlow, in writing about the value of the local church, commented, Jesus recognized the value of the local church by commanding that personal differences, if they cannot be settled otherwise, be taken before the church Matt. This must refer to the local church, for one could not take the matter to the universal church; neither could one hear the universal church. It is the case that as a Christian, I am to love all fellow Christians.
That includes brethren all over the world. In a practical sense, this can only be done through the local church. This is where love can be manifested, or shown. The local church should be one of love, peace, and goodwill. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. We are to encourage and love one another. If it is important to be a member of a local church, then it is equally as important to be an influential member.
Each member should love and want to make the church of which he or she is a member the best it can be. We cannot remain detached and aloof from what is happening in the church.
We need to work and be an active participant. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. It has been said that in some churches, ninety percent of the work is done by ten percent of the members, and the other ninety percent are willing to sit back and let them do it.
Some are like the little boy who had his dog hitched to the front of his lawn mower. The dog refused to pull it. Instead, he was barking. A passerby noticed this and asked the boy why his dog was barking. We have to work together in harmony like an orchestra of many instruments. When they are all in tune and play together, they can make beautiful music. If one of the instruments gets out of tune, it can ruin the performance. The devil tries to get brethren out of tune, to disrupt the peace, harmony, and work of the local church Acts ; We should be loyal to Christ and the church.
May we be impressed with the greatness of the cause of Christ! When we do all within our ability to help build up the local church, 1 we will then be totally committed to Christ Mt. In the local sense it describes the saved in a given locality. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. There is therefore, no super-organization or ecclesiasticism over the churches. In the. This was action to be taken by the local church.
God used great wisdom in setting up his work through the local church. May we as members find our place in the church and work diligently. We can do no less for him who died for us! Wednesday: Bible Study PM. They continued steadfastly in the doctrine of the apostles, fellowship, prayer, and the breaking of the bread Acts And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
Acts The church at Antioch stands out as a mission-minded local church.
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