by Justin Lonas
It's interesting that the passing of Jerry Falwell would come on a day when I've been thinking a lot about my own personal application of Christ.
I think we all, to some degree, struggle with a balance between the private, relational nature of our faith and the need to exercise it in the public arena. The confusion comes because the public application of Christianity often depends on black and white responses to the issues of the day, whereas the personal application is wrapped up in the gray of listening to and following the Father's bidding. Obviously, God has unchanging standards of morality. On the same token, our public actions are carefully weighed on a case by case basis. Too often though, the public (and political) aspect of Christianity seems like little more than a reincarnation of the very law that Christ came to free us from.
The list of Falwell's achievements in the public sphere is long - he arguably reintroduced Christianity to public policy with more fervor and effectiveness than anyone since Wilberforce. He also arguably sacrificed grace on the altar of principle in terms of how he chose to deal with sinners.
The lesson to us is to be always on guard against the easy (taking sides in the public debates of the day), and not to lose sight of the arduous (earnestly seeking God and treating sinners as people rather than opponents). We have to always remember that moral principles cannot save anyone (indeed, without Christ, they can only convict) - if they could, Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). Our public Christianity (and treatment of fellow men) has to flow out of the grace we know as sinners redeemed. Otherwise, we are very much in danger of letting the rigid stances we take in public alter our personal view of God.
It's a fine line to walk, but one that we are asked and expected to. Thank God for His indwelling guidance that makes meeting the expectation as simple as submission to Him.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
40 Slides and a Sunset . . .
by Bob Gerow
Have you ever attempted to break an old habit? It was probably not very easy. You knew you “ought” to change, but could not. The habitual activity provides more irritation and guilt than the satisfaction it once did, but you persist anyway. Several attempts later, you might have given up and resigned yourself to this less-than-productive way of being.
For many of us, “missions emphasis” is little more than an old, annoying habit. We “do” it, but not without wondering if there’s a way “out” that won’t kill us. We’ve sat through innumerable convert counts from faraway places, pictures and films that seem dreadfully predictable, and awkward travelers with big families who don’t quite “fit” in our day-to-day world. The home office pummels us with bulletin inserts, special mailings, phone calls, and itinerant staff looking for their next Sunday engagement. A handful from our congregation occasionally reminds us that “we ought to be doing something,” but none of them seem ready, willing or able to lead the attempt.
How do I break this habit? How do I interrupt this routine? What will it take to find relief?
There are important features of a success story that are worth noting. It’s often more productive to think about creating a new habit than of breaking an old one. I’m not just giving up (you fill in the blank), but I am gaining better health, longer life, stronger friendships, new strength, better skills, and so on. At this point you are not just breaking an old habit, but learning a new one.
Another element of success is that replacing habits is part of a larger program, designed to meet a larger objective. A ministry associate once told me that he got up at 4:00 AM every day because he wanted to be around a long time, and in good health for his wife and children. He also ate well, read widely, and cultivated friendships that reinforced his values. Running replaced being sedentary and overweight as a necessary part of fulfilling a larger objective.
The Great Commission (Matthew 20:18-20) is addressed to the Body, and is stated as something all of Christ’s followers should be doing as a matter of course: “Wherever you go, make disciples …” Both by definition, and by command, making disciples is no longer an agenda item, but that which identifies us in our daily “going.” A New man or woman in Christ cannot help but reflect their newness. Being New means bearing witness. It’s about all of life in Christ. “Missions” is now replaced by Christ-likeness that is inevitably attentive to others still to be drawn into the circle of disciples.
That change of perspective – and in our thinking – can make all the difference. “Missions” is no longer something we “do.” Witnessing is not just for the “called.” Handing out tracts on a street corner is not itself the point. It’s not about whether you are in the United States or in some remote jungle. Embracing Christ is about repentant sinners, not for those seeking only a temporary fix. Convert counts are meaningless unless the new recruit is discipled in Christ.
You may be thinking “Nice thought! But how do I turn those big ideas into meaningful events in the life of our congregation?” Thanks for asking!
First, What is the overriding theme of your ministry as Pastor? You and I, who are in positions of ministry and influence, have a sacred trust. We cannot allow the lead for our ministry to come from our favorite agenda or the felt needs of our congregants. We are to shepherd the flock in our care in the ways of Christ. We are called both to be, and to shepherd disciple-makers.
The great and overriding good toward which every providence in our lives is focused is that we conform to the Image of Christ (Romans 8:29). That ought to be our central ministry emphasis as well. Every meditation, homily and sermon should “ooze” with Christ-likeness. Every counseling session should center on becoming like Christ. The disciple’s noble end of being conformed to Christ should urged as the central objective every time we help folks manage their money, or raise their children, or settle with their neighbors.
In time, they’ll “get the picture!” Talking about “Missions” will come a lot more easily because that is what the Body of Christ longs for. Ideas about and for Missions “events” will be the product of individual giftedness, and the common awareness and interests of the fellowship. Events and programs will be means rather than ends – which will infuse them with new life. Your encouragement and leadership as Shepherd of the flock will help keep it all in focus.
Imagine! The old “40 Slides and a Sunset” becomes PowerPoint, or drama, or arts & crafts. The awkward family with all those kids are now fellow believers in whose life you have a stake through fellowship and partnership. You also have a new, and better, set of criteria for sorting through all that material from the mission agency marketing department!
Does it look like too much? Discipleship is a life-long pursuit. It never happens quickly. As Wayne Barber puts it, “Discipleship doesn’t end at conversion; it only begins there!” But since disciple making is the equivalent of our “marching orders,” how long it can take should not deter us. "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9)
Bob Gerow grew up on the mission field in Argentina. He served in various capacities with multiple ministries before becoming development administrator at AMG International in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Have you ever attempted to break an old habit? It was probably not very easy. You knew you “ought” to change, but could not. The habitual activity provides more irritation and guilt than the satisfaction it once did, but you persist anyway. Several attempts later, you might have given up and resigned yourself to this less-than-productive way of being.
For many of us, “missions emphasis” is little more than an old, annoying habit. We “do” it, but not without wondering if there’s a way “out” that won’t kill us. We’ve sat through innumerable convert counts from faraway places, pictures and films that seem dreadfully predictable, and awkward travelers with big families who don’t quite “fit” in our day-to-day world. The home office pummels us with bulletin inserts, special mailings, phone calls, and itinerant staff looking for their next Sunday engagement. A handful from our congregation occasionally reminds us that “we ought to be doing something,” but none of them seem ready, willing or able to lead the attempt.
How do I break this habit? How do I interrupt this routine? What will it take to find relief?
There are important features of a success story that are worth noting. It’s often more productive to think about creating a new habit than of breaking an old one. I’m not just giving up (you fill in the blank), but I am gaining better health, longer life, stronger friendships, new strength, better skills, and so on. At this point you are not just breaking an old habit, but learning a new one.
Another element of success is that replacing habits is part of a larger program, designed to meet a larger objective. A ministry associate once told me that he got up at 4:00 AM every day because he wanted to be around a long time, and in good health for his wife and children. He also ate well, read widely, and cultivated friendships that reinforced his values. Running replaced being sedentary and overweight as a necessary part of fulfilling a larger objective.
The Great Commission (Matthew 20:18-20) is addressed to the Body, and is stated as something all of Christ’s followers should be doing as a matter of course: “Wherever you go, make disciples …” Both by definition, and by command, making disciples is no longer an agenda item, but that which identifies us in our daily “going.” A New man or woman in Christ cannot help but reflect their newness. Being New means bearing witness. It’s about all of life in Christ. “Missions” is now replaced by Christ-likeness that is inevitably attentive to others still to be drawn into the circle of disciples.
That change of perspective – and in our thinking – can make all the difference. “Missions” is no longer something we “do.” Witnessing is not just for the “called.” Handing out tracts on a street corner is not itself the point. It’s not about whether you are in the United States or in some remote jungle. Embracing Christ is about repentant sinners, not for those seeking only a temporary fix. Convert counts are meaningless unless the new recruit is discipled in Christ.
You may be thinking “Nice thought! But how do I turn those big ideas into meaningful events in the life of our congregation?” Thanks for asking!
First, What is the overriding theme of your ministry as Pastor? You and I, who are in positions of ministry and influence, have a sacred trust. We cannot allow the lead for our ministry to come from our favorite agenda or the felt needs of our congregants. We are to shepherd the flock in our care in the ways of Christ. We are called both to be, and to shepherd disciple-makers.
The great and overriding good toward which every providence in our lives is focused is that we conform to the Image of Christ (Romans 8:29). That ought to be our central ministry emphasis as well. Every meditation, homily and sermon should “ooze” with Christ-likeness. Every counseling session should center on becoming like Christ. The disciple’s noble end of being conformed to Christ should urged as the central objective every time we help folks manage their money, or raise their children, or settle with their neighbors.
In time, they’ll “get the picture!” Talking about “Missions” will come a lot more easily because that is what the Body of Christ longs for. Ideas about and for Missions “events” will be the product of individual giftedness, and the common awareness and interests of the fellowship. Events and programs will be means rather than ends – which will infuse them with new life. Your encouragement and leadership as Shepherd of the flock will help keep it all in focus.
Imagine! The old “40 Slides and a Sunset” becomes PowerPoint, or drama, or arts & crafts. The awkward family with all those kids are now fellow believers in whose life you have a stake through fellowship and partnership. You also have a new, and better, set of criteria for sorting through all that material from the mission agency marketing department!
Does it look like too much? Discipleship is a life-long pursuit. It never happens quickly. As Wayne Barber puts it, “Discipleship doesn’t end at conversion; it only begins there!” But since disciple making is the equivalent of our “marching orders,” how long it can take should not deter us. "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9)
Bob Gerow grew up on the mission field in Argentina. He served in various capacities with multiple ministries before becoming development administrator at AMG International in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Titles Often Mask Pride
By Joe McKeever
Not far from where I live stands a little church that always puts negative stuff on its signs. They seem to be forever infuriated that not everyone uses the King James Bible, as this seems to be their primary message. Last week, the sign was apparently addressed to Catholics. Quoting from Matthew 23:9, it said, “Call no man on earth your father, for one is your father, who is in Heaven.” If they read the rest of that chapter, Jesus also warned against being called “teacher‚” and “leader‚” and said “servant” is the proper title for those who would be great in the Kingdom of God. These are all good words and excellent roles in
life, but the point seems to be that God’s people are to avoid pretentious titles that place barriers between people.
What kind of person would want to be called “servant”? I’ll tell you: hardly anyone. The word “minister” is roughly the equivalent, and is a good name for preachers as well as anyone else in the Kingdom, although some have tried to infuse it with a certain grandiosity. The remedy adopted by a lot of preachers? Get a doctorate. Now, everyone has to call you “Doctor.” A visitor to our services recently said he was slightly offended for me that everyone calls me “Brother Joe.” “With your degrees and position,” he said, “they ought to call you something with more status.” I told him if he knew what some called me, he would know how happy I am for them to call me “Brother”!
I once went to an orthopedic surgeon whose office staff called him by his first name. Surprised by this informality, I asked about it. “There are too many barriers between people,” he said, “and this is one I can do something about.” However, I noticed he did not encourage his patients to address him by his first name. That was fine with me. I feel about this the same way I felt flying in the old Valu-Jet airliners a few years back: the informality of the crew unnerved me just a little. I want to feel they are professionals and maybe a cut above the rest of us.
God’s people who take their discipleship seriously have to wage a never-ending struggle against pride. Pride is a soul-deadening, people-dividing, ministry-killing cancer which never quits coming, never admits defeat, and forever looks for new ways of taking over its host. Pride has a thousand faces. It masquerades as merit (“I earned this”), as concern (“It will be good for them”), as love (“I’m doing this because I care”), as ministry (“You’ll be a better Christian”), and even as humility (“Lord knows, this is far less than I deserve”).
Jesus said His followers should think of themselves as unworthy servants who are getting far more than they deserve. He did not say God sees us that way, or that we should treat one another that way—only that we should think of ourselves in this way (Luke 17:10). In so doing, He gave us a key that unlocks a hundred doors in the Christian life and solves a multitude of problems before they strike. The attitude of a lowly servant also drives a stake through the heart of pride. But don’t be fooled; pride will be back tomorrow wearing a different outfit. Be watching.
When opponents of the Lord’s people wanted to caricature them and belittle them, they called them “Little Jesuses.” That’s what the word “Christians” means. It was first given at Antioch in Syria and was intended as a put-down (Acts 11:26). What they meant as ridicule, the Lord’s children began to wear as a badge. The very idea—that we get to be like Jesus! Now there is a grand all-encompassing name. A Name above all other names! A Name to really take pride in!
Joe McKeever is director of missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans, Louisiana
Not far from where I live stands a little church that always puts negative stuff on its signs. They seem to be forever infuriated that not everyone uses the King James Bible, as this seems to be their primary message. Last week, the sign was apparently addressed to Catholics. Quoting from Matthew 23:9, it said, “Call no man on earth your father, for one is your father, who is in Heaven.” If they read the rest of that chapter, Jesus also warned against being called “teacher‚” and “leader‚” and said “servant” is the proper title for those who would be great in the Kingdom of God. These are all good words and excellent roles in
life, but the point seems to be that God’s people are to avoid pretentious titles that place barriers between people.What kind of person would want to be called “servant”? I’ll tell you: hardly anyone. The word “minister” is roughly the equivalent, and is a good name for preachers as well as anyone else in the Kingdom, although some have tried to infuse it with a certain grandiosity. The remedy adopted by a lot of preachers? Get a doctorate. Now, everyone has to call you “Doctor.” A visitor to our services recently said he was slightly offended for me that everyone calls me “Brother Joe.” “With your degrees and position,” he said, “they ought to call you something with more status.” I told him if he knew what some called me, he would know how happy I am for them to call me “Brother”!
I once went to an orthopedic surgeon whose office staff called him by his first name. Surprised by this informality, I asked about it. “There are too many barriers between people,” he said, “and this is one I can do something about.” However, I noticed he did not encourage his patients to address him by his first name. That was fine with me. I feel about this the same way I felt flying in the old Valu-Jet airliners a few years back: the informality of the crew unnerved me just a little. I want to feel they are professionals and maybe a cut above the rest of us.
God’s people who take their discipleship seriously have to wage a never-ending struggle against pride. Pride is a soul-deadening, people-dividing, ministry-killing cancer which never quits coming, never admits defeat, and forever looks for new ways of taking over its host. Pride has a thousand faces. It masquerades as merit (“I earned this”), as concern (“It will be good for them”), as love (“I’m doing this because I care”), as ministry (“You’ll be a better Christian”), and even as humility (“Lord knows, this is far less than I deserve”).
Jesus said His followers should think of themselves as unworthy servants who are getting far more than they deserve. He did not say God sees us that way, or that we should treat one another that way—only that we should think of ourselves in this way (Luke 17:10). In so doing, He gave us a key that unlocks a hundred doors in the Christian life and solves a multitude of problems before they strike. The attitude of a lowly servant also drives a stake through the heart of pride. But don’t be fooled; pride will be back tomorrow wearing a different outfit. Be watching.
When opponents of the Lord’s people wanted to caricature them and belittle them, they called them “Little Jesuses.” That’s what the word “Christians” means. It was first given at Antioch in Syria and was intended as a put-down (Acts 11:26). What they meant as ridicule, the Lord’s children began to wear as a badge. The very idea—that we get to be like Jesus! Now there is a grand all-encompassing name. A Name above all other names! A Name to really take pride in!
Joe McKeever is director of missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans, Louisiana
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Why Join a Church? 4 Practical Reasons
Part 2 of 2
By Tim Schoap
Church membership is on the decline across America. Even in strongly evangelical, Bible-believing churches, there is a growing number of Christians who view church membership as unnecessary at best, unbiblical at worst.
Four Practical Reasons for Church Membership
1) Join the church for the sake of other Christians
Mature Christians need to set an example for weaker Christians, and weaker Christians need the encouragement of stronger Christians. Being a member of a local church provides significant opportunities for just that.
Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C., tells of a man in fulltime ministry who didn’t want to join the church he regularly attended because he thought it might slow his ministry down. Dever agreed, joining the church may well slow him down. But had he given serious thought to the idea that joining the church may speed others up?
Mature Christians need to realize that not joining a local church sets a poor example for weaker Christians who truly need the accountability of formal church membership.
Further, Christians are called to love one another (Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:16). Biblical love is characterized by commitment and sacrifice. That’s why Paul compares a husband’s love for his wife to the love Christ has for the church: completely sacrificial (Ephesians 5:25). The weakest Christian needs to be committed to a body of believers to be loved, encouraged, and held accountable through good times and bad. The strongest Christian needs to be committed to a body of believers for the same reasons, and to make sure the weaker Christians have someone to do all that encouraging.
Join a church to encourage and to be encouraged, and to make your love for Christ known by committing to love others.
2) Join the church to encourage godliness and obedience in Christ
Part of identifying with a local church is the accountability that such a relationship provides us. Consider First Corinthians 5:1-5, where Paul addresses a man in the Corinthian church who is living in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife, a relationship so immoral, Paul says it was even unknown among pagans.
Paul says that this man needed to know that he could not live the life he was living and consider himself a Christian. In directing the church to put him out of the fellowship, he was driving this man to an awareness of his sin and his need to repent of it.
Being willing to submit to such accountability, and caring enough for people to exclude them from the fellowship to clarify what God requires, is an act of love.
God has given the local church the responsibility to encourage one another in the faith and to correct unrepentant sin. Join a church as a means of accountability, to encourage holiness in your life and other’s.
3) Join the church to be under biblical authority
This reason goes hand in hand with the previous. God has ordained that the church be led by elders and deacons (Acts 14:23). Elders are responsible for the spiritual well-being of the believers in their care. The qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:4-9 make it clear that elders are to care for the church in the same way they would care for their own families.
If elders are entrusted by God with a leadership role to direct the affairs of the church, they must know who the church is. Most churches have many more members than attendees. How can a pastor or an elder watch over a flock he never sees? How can he watch over a flock that doesn’t identify with the church in membership? How can leaders serve the church if they do not know who the church is?
How can the individual members of the body of Christ place themselves under the elder’s authority if they are not part of a local body, governed by elders? Join a church to be under biblical authority.
4) Finally, join the church because it is God’s design
In the New Testament, God is not building a collection of individual believers. He is building an ekklesia, a gathering of believers called out of the world together.
In Acts 2, through Peter’s proclaiming the Gospel and the faith that resulted, many people were saved. As we saw in Acts 2:47, “…the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Tim Schoap is co-pastor of Signal Mountain Bible Church—
a non-denominational body in Signal Mountain, Tennessee
By Tim Schoap
Church membership is on the decline across America. Even in strongly evangelical, Bible-believing churches, there is a growing number of Christians who view church membership as unnecessary at best, unbiblical at worst.
Four Practical Reasons for Church Membership
1) Join the church for the sake of other Christians
Mature Christians need to set an example for weaker Christians, and weaker Christians need the encouragement of stronger Christians. Being a member of a local church provides significant opportunities for just that.
Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C., tells of a man in fulltime ministry who didn’t want to join the church he regularly attended because he thought it might slow his ministry down. Dever agreed, joining the church may well slow him down. But had he given serious thought to the idea that joining the church may speed others up?
Mature Christians need to realize that not joining a local church sets a poor example for weaker Christians who truly need the accountability of formal church membership.
Further, Christians are called to love one another (Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:16). Biblical love is characterized by commitment and sacrifice. That’s why Paul compares a husband’s love for his wife to the love Christ has for the church: completely sacrificial (Ephesians 5:25). The weakest Christian needs to be committed to a body of believers to be loved, encouraged, and held accountable through good times and bad. The strongest Christian needs to be committed to a body of believers for the same reasons, and to make sure the weaker Christians have someone to do all that encouraging.
Join a church to encourage and to be encouraged, and to make your love for Christ known by committing to love others.
2) Join the church to encourage godliness and obedience in Christ
Part of identifying with a local church is the accountability that such a relationship provides us. Consider First Corinthians 5:1-5, where Paul addresses a man in the Corinthian church who is living in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife, a relationship so immoral, Paul says it was even unknown among pagans.
Paul says that this man needed to know that he could not live the life he was living and consider himself a Christian. In directing the church to put him out of the fellowship, he was driving this man to an awareness of his sin and his need to repent of it.
Being willing to submit to such accountability, and caring enough for people to exclude them from the fellowship to clarify what God requires, is an act of love.
God has given the local church the responsibility to encourage one another in the faith and to correct unrepentant sin. Join a church as a means of accountability, to encourage holiness in your life and other’s.
3) Join the church to be under biblical authority
This reason goes hand in hand with the previous. God has ordained that the church be led by elders and deacons (Acts 14:23). Elders are responsible for the spiritual well-being of the believers in their care. The qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:4-9 make it clear that elders are to care for the church in the same way they would care for their own families.
If elders are entrusted by God with a leadership role to direct the affairs of the church, they must know who the church is. Most churches have many more members than attendees. How can a pastor or an elder watch over a flock he never sees? How can he watch over a flock that doesn’t identify with the church in membership? How can leaders serve the church if they do not know who the church is?
How can the individual members of the body of Christ place themselves under the elder’s authority if they are not part of a local body, governed by elders? Join a church to be under biblical authority.
4) Finally, join the church because it is God’s design
In the New Testament, God is not building a collection of individual believers. He is building an ekklesia, a gathering of believers called out of the world together.
In Acts 2, through Peter’s proclaiming the Gospel and the faith that resulted, many people were saved. As we saw in Acts 2:47, “…the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
“Their number,” the known and identified believers, the local church of Jerusalem. They were identified with the church in a personal way. When Jesus confronted Paul on the Damascus road in Acts 9:4, he said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Who had Paul been persecuting? The church. Jesus is saying that when Paul is persecuting the church, he is persecuting Christ. Christ identified with the church completely. Christians should do the same. Join the church because it is God’s design for you as a Christian.
Slated for publication in Pulpit Helps, June 2007
Tim Schoap is co-pastor of Signal Mountain Bible Church—
a non-denominational body in Signal Mountain, Tennessee
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Why Join a Church? Biblical & Philosophical Reasons
Part 1 of 2
By Tim Schoap
Is Church Membership Biblical?
The U.S. Congregational Life Survey (www.uscongregations.org), the largest profile of worshipers and their congregations ever done in the United States, found that 10 percent of the people sitting in church pews are not members of any congregation. The survey, conducted in April, 2001, of more than 300,000 worshipers in over 2,200 congregations, also confirmed what many pastors already know, that a growing percentage of active churchgoers are hesitant about something that was once taken for granted: church membership.
One fourth of the people who are actively involved in a church congregation declined to join for at least six years, and almost 20 percent resisted membership for more than 10 years. The reasons given for not joining a church are many.
Some Christians are opposed to church membership on practical grounds. They think that if they come to worship, fellowship, and serve alongside the members of a local church, there is no reason to formally join with that church.
Some Christians are opposed to church membership on what they believe are biblical grounds. They say that since church membership isn’t mentioned in the New Testament, it isn’t something they need to do.
But joining a church is not simply something you “do,” like registering to vote or going out to eat. The church is far more than a spiritual social club. In fact, I believe Scripture provides a solid basis for church membership, and for the conclusion that every Christian should be an active, practicing member of a local church. Here’s why:
The Church, the Body of Christ
Scripture is clear: all who trust Christ as Savior are already members of the Church; the universal, supernatural Body of Christ that is made up of all believers, in all churches, for all time (1 Cor. 12:12-13).
This is the capital “C” Church, described by C. S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters as “spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners.” All who have confessed Christ are part of that Church.
That Church is not visible to us, at least in its entirety. But there is another church that we do see—or perhaps more accurately, an aspect of the universal, triumphant Church that is decidedly fixed in space and time. This one is spelled with a small “c,” the local church.
The Local Church
While there is a big difference between the “Church” and the “church,” every local expression of the Church is the visible expression of Christ’s Body, and is just as much part of that Body as the part that is “terrible as an army with banners.”
The establishment of local churches is clearly taught in the New Testament (Acts 14:23,27), and believers are directed to associate together in local assemblies (Heb. 10:25).
Most often in the New Testament, the word “church” is the translation of the Greek ekklesia, from ek, “out of,” and kaleo, to call or invite. In secular usage, an ekklesia was a gathering of citizens called out from their homes to a public place. In Scripture, an ekklesia is a gathering of Christians “called out” from the general populace to come together for a common purpose. A church, an ekklesia, is not a building. If our church buildings fell down around our ears, we’d still be the church, living and functioning as a local expression of the greater Body of Christ. So why join a local church?
The Biblical Evidence for Church Membership
While the New Testament does not use “membership” language, it most definitely presumes that Christians belong to and identify with other Christians with whom they fellowship, and submit to a central authority who has responsibility for that group.
The New Testament church knew who was a part of that group and who was not. Acts 1:15 says the “number” of the church was about 120. That’s fairly specific. Clearly, somebody counted. In Acts 2:41, “… about three thousand were added to their number.” In Acts 2:47, “… the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Again, in Acts 4:4, a specific number is given. Some form of record was being kept, tracking who was coming to this new work of God.
In 1 Timothy 5:9, Paul directs Timothy to put certain widows on “the list” for financial aid from the church. A list of widows approved for assistance means the New Testament church was not haphazard about who belonged to it.
Scripture consistently underscores commitment to the local church as an important and public statement of commitment to the Lord. The way Scripture speaks of that commitment presumes a formal, public identification with a local church that is analogous to our church “membership.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 stresses the importance of membership for the sake of biblical fellowship: “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Obedience to that command outside of the local church is impossible.
Hebrews 13:17 highlights the importance of membership for the sake of accountability: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” All Christians are to be accountable to their church leaders. Obviously, that assumes membership in a specific body of believers.
Finally, the “one anothers” of Scripture underscore the importance of the local church for spiritual maturity. “Love one another,” John 13:34; “be kind to one another,” Ephesians 4:32; “Encourage one another,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11; and on, and on. Without public, formal commitment in a local church, the “one anothers” don’t make much sense.
It is clear from the New Testament that even in the earliest days of the church, membership mattered. Membership in a local church is God’s design for fellowship, for accountability, and for spiritual maturity.
To be concluded - Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May 2007
Tim Schoap is co-pastor of Signal Mountain Bible Church—a non-denominational body in Signal Mountain, Tennessee
By Tim Schoap
Is Church Membership Biblical?
The U.S. Congregational Life Survey (www.uscongregations.org), the largest profile of worshipers and their congregations ever done in the United States, found that 10 percent of the people sitting in church pews are not members of any congregation. The survey, conducted in April, 2001, of more than 300,000 worshipers in over 2,200 congregations, also confirmed what many pastors already know, that a growing percentage of active churchgoers are hesitant about something that was once taken for granted: church membership.
One fourth of the people who are actively involved in a church congregation declined to join for at least six years, and almost 20 percent resisted membership for more than 10 years. The reasons given for not joining a church are many.
Some Christians are opposed to church membership on practical grounds. They think that if they come to worship, fellowship, and serve alongside the members of a local church, there is no reason to formally join with that church.
Some Christians are opposed to church membership on what they believe are biblical grounds. They say that since church membership isn’t mentioned in the New Testament, it isn’t something they need to do.
But joining a church is not simply something you “do,” like registering to vote or going out to eat. The church is far more than a spiritual social club. In fact, I believe Scripture provides a solid basis for church membership, and for the conclusion that every Christian should be an active, practicing member of a local church. Here’s why:
The Church, the Body of Christ
Scripture is clear: all who trust Christ as Savior are already members of the Church; the universal, supernatural Body of Christ that is made up of all believers, in all churches, for all time (1 Cor. 12:12-13).
This is the capital “C” Church, described by C. S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters as “spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners.” All who have confessed Christ are part of that Church.
That Church is not visible to us, at least in its entirety. But there is another church that we do see—or perhaps more accurately, an aspect of the universal, triumphant Church that is decidedly fixed in space and time. This one is spelled with a small “c,” the local church.
The Local Church
While there is a big difference between the “Church” and the “church,” every local expression of the Church is the visible expression of Christ’s Body, and is just as much part of that Body as the part that is “terrible as an army with banners.”
The establishment of local churches is clearly taught in the New Testament (Acts 14:23,27), and believers are directed to associate together in local assemblies (Heb. 10:25).
Most often in the New Testament, the word “church” is the translation of the Greek ekklesia, from ek, “out of,” and kaleo, to call or invite. In secular usage, an ekklesia was a gathering of citizens called out from their homes to a public place. In Scripture, an ekklesia is a gathering of Christians “called out” from the general populace to come together for a common purpose. A church, an ekklesia, is not a building. If our church buildings fell down around our ears, we’d still be the church, living and functioning as a local expression of the greater Body of Christ. So why join a local church?
The Biblical Evidence for Church Membership
While the New Testament does not use “membership” language, it most definitely presumes that Christians belong to and identify with other Christians with whom they fellowship, and submit to a central authority who has responsibility for that group.
The New Testament church knew who was a part of that group and who was not. Acts 1:15 says the “number” of the church was about 120. That’s fairly specific. Clearly, somebody counted. In Acts 2:41, “… about three thousand were added to their number.” In Acts 2:47, “… the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Again, in Acts 4:4, a specific number is given. Some form of record was being kept, tracking who was coming to this new work of God.
In 1 Timothy 5:9, Paul directs Timothy to put certain widows on “the list” for financial aid from the church. A list of widows approved for assistance means the New Testament church was not haphazard about who belonged to it.
Scripture consistently underscores commitment to the local church as an important and public statement of commitment to the Lord. The way Scripture speaks of that commitment presumes a formal, public identification with a local church that is analogous to our church “membership.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 stresses the importance of membership for the sake of biblical fellowship: “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Obedience to that command outside of the local church is impossible.
Hebrews 13:17 highlights the importance of membership for the sake of accountability: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” All Christians are to be accountable to their church leaders. Obviously, that assumes membership in a specific body of believers.
Finally, the “one anothers” of Scripture underscore the importance of the local church for spiritual maturity. “Love one another,” John 13:34; “be kind to one another,” Ephesians 4:32; “Encourage one another,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11; and on, and on. Without public, formal commitment in a local church, the “one anothers” don’t make much sense.
It is clear from the New Testament that even in the earliest days of the church, membership mattered. Membership in a local church is God’s design for fellowship, for accountability, and for spiritual maturity.
To be concluded - Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May 2007
Tim Schoap is co-pastor of Signal Mountain Bible Church—a non-denominational body in Signal Mountain, Tennessee
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