Church Membership

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Bible Reading

Context -
SPirit had come at pentecost…Jews confused / amazed.
Peter is explaining to the Jews that what was happening was fulfilment of Joel.
Acts 2:40–47 NIV84
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. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
the man they had had crucified was in fact the One who had been promised.
This passage is the foundation of the church!!
Acts 2:36–47 NIV84
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 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. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:36-

Introduction

Live in a day - Lack of commitment to anything...
What drives this?
Autonomy is king
Autonomy definition:
An individual’s capacity for self-determination or self-governance
Illustration: People wanting to have a child out of wedlock…Cindy tells them - DON’T - wait until you are married.
Lack of commitment before marriage...
Marriage is the demonstration of the commitment of one person to another!
Lack of commitment to anything today.
The idea of autonomy is not Biblical - it’s not in the best interests of people...
God, the grand designer of the universe, has set in place certain institutions amongst men for their good.
And knowingly or unknowingly, men operate within the confines of those institutions.
3 Institutions...
Family
The State
The Church
The fact is, that in a day of autonomy (anti-institutionalism) many Christians want to operate outside of the confines of the church structures.
Very often they want to attend, but very loose kind of manner.
Some possible reasons… (Joshua Harris)… may be others...
The local church is where we are supposed to function
Approach the church with a self-centered consumer’s attitude - what’s in it for me.
Prideful independence that denies the need for others.
Excessively critical eye on the admitted problems and imperfections of all churches.
This morning - want to focus on importance of church membership...
The focus should be on “what is God’s design” with regards to the church...
and then… “How do I respond?” in terms of being in the church.

1. The Biblical Basis of Membership

Does the Bible speak about church membership?
Give me chapter and verse!!!!
There isn’t a chapter and verse...
Mark Dever:
The case for church membership is nowhere argued in the New Testament but everywhere assumed.
It is seen in the nature of salvation, in the commands given to Christians, in the relationship between Christians and their leaders, and in the nature of the church itself. [1]
. Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age (p. 169). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
As we consider...
Those who were converted were assumed to be part of the church!!
In other words, the call to salvation was a call to church membership.
How do we see this?
In a numbers of ways…

1.1 The Profession within the Early Church Context

Firstly, from our text this morning...
We need to understand what was happening...
Jesus had been put to death, partly because he claimed to be a King
But the fact was, He was hated by the Jews!! They wanted Him dead.
In this passage in Acts - Peter doesn’t skirt around the issue of who Jesus was!
He boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah!
This could have cost him his life…and eventually it would!! He would eventually be crucified!
But by the working of God - the people listening were cut to the heart!!
They cried out, asking what could be done?!?!
Then a mindblowing thing happens - they are told to repent, and be baptised!
Considering that in the context....
They were making a public declaration of faith in a man crucified...
They did this under conditions of persecution
This was not some welcoming baptist church, rejoicing with these new converts...
This was in the midst of heightened tension and animosity towards Jesus
And yet, they publicly declared that they were joining the Christ-followers.
This was an act of commitment, publicly declared.
Notice then...
People were "added to their number" ()
There are implications to this…the wording...
Defined number beforehand…3000 were then added to that defined number…
It also seems to imply that those who joined the church were known.
So here we have the first picture of membership!!!
A public declaration of commitment to the body.

1.2 Membership Seen in the Pictures of the Church

Firstly, notice
1 Peter 2:5 NIV84
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The very picture of being built into a spiritual house implies definitive connections with others.
These are not loose connections with other people who call themselves Christians.
In other words, this is not an expression of simply saying “I belong to the universal church”
Universal Church - “All believers in Jesus, past present and future...”
Consider further the universal church notion
“I belong to the universal church, so why should I now go and join a local church?!”
Leads some to be "Lone Ranger" Christians.
Perhaps TV Christians - I belong to a church on TBN....
This notion is not biblical!!!
We are a people called into the fellowship with other people!!!
We are a people called to live life interacting with other people in a committed manner!!!
We can see this clearly in the letters that were addressed to churches
Specific letters were addressed to specific churches
Corinth....Galatia....Thessalonica....Rome…Ephesus etc...
These churches had defined groups of people.
The people in those places met together....they gathered together...
They developed problems together that needed to be addressed - thus even occasioning many of the letters!!!
But the entire implication of that was a committed group of people fellowshiping together, living their Christian lives in union with one another.
These letters were addressed to believers - those who knew Christ
Which leads to another picture of the church, and that is the body...
Go to in your Bible...
Read slowly…explain as you go along!!!
Romans 12:1–5 NIV84
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 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.
Thrust - humble yourselves and become living sacrifices serving one another…
This is how you become a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God!!!
You operate as a body!!!
We are members of a body....
All of this plays out in the expression of a local chuch. Not in the universal church.
- Paul gives an extensive description of the body....one body, many parts.
Each part is needed.
Some parts greater honour, some less honour...
The fact is, all different parts form part of the body!!! There is unity…although the parts are different, they combine their differences to bring about a beautiful working body...
But note what he says in verse 27...
1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV84
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
You are a member of the church! The question is simply whether or not you have committed yourself to a particular local expression of the church.
Paul has written this to a specific church - the church in Corinth!!!
Those who gather in Corinth act as a body...
Some say that they are part of the universal church...
Leads some to be "Lone Ranger" Christians.
Perhaps TV Christians - I belong to a church on TBN....

1.3 Seen in the Authority of the Church to Remove Members (and by implication, to add)

The Bible assumes local expressions of churches
Seen in letters written to churches.
Turn to ...
PARTICULARLY VERSE 19...
Matthew 16:13–20 NIV84
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
What does it mean when it speaks about the keys of the kingdom of heaven?
What is a key? What does it do? - It unlocks doors.
It allows access to places, or denies access to places.
Luke 11:52 NIV84
52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Revelation 1:18 NIV84
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Rev
The statement here is saying that Jesus has authority to grant entrance and exit over those realms of death and Hades!!
So what is meant by the keys in ....?
They represent at least the authority to preach the gospel of Christ and thus to open the door of the kingdom of heaven and allow people to enter (Wayne Grudem)
Jesus Christ is going to build His church on confessors...
But notice the connection there of the keys, to binding and loosing....
Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven...
Then turn with me to ...
In this passage, Jesus addresses the matter of a brother sinning against you...
The passage outlines the various steps of discipline that should be gone through when a person sins...
Discuss the passage as you’re reading through…!!!
Matthew 18:15–18 NIV84
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. 18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
The point of the passage in is that the church ultimately has the authority given to it to declare that a person is a false professor of faith.
If a person continues in unrepentant sin, and refuses to repent, despite all the efforts in these various stages of bringing the person to confess their sin, and to repent of their sin, then the church is granted this authority to say: “You cannot rightly claim to be a representative of Christ, since you do not walk in accordance with His ways”.
Look further with me at the importance of this… ...
1 Corinthians 5:11–13 NIV84
11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
We must note here, the reference to those “outside the church” and those “inside the church”....
We are to judge those inside the church…in other words those who have professed faith in Christ, and form part of the body of Christ.
What we learn through all of this is that the church really affirms or denies the validity of a person’s testimony.
Illustration by Jonathan Leeman - Embassy in another country....
A person in another country…passport expires.
Explain illustration, then....
Leeman states...
A local church is a real-life embassy, set in the present, that represents Christ’s future kingdom and his coming universal church
A person doesn’t declare themselves to be a citizen of kingdom in isolation.
That declaration is done within the context of a local church, with the church affirming (or denying) that claim.
A church member is a person who has been officially and publicly recognized as a Christian before the nations, as well as someone who shares in the same authority of officially affirming and overseeing other Christians in his or her church (Leeman, 29)
Jesus didn’t leave us to govern ourselves and to declare ourselves his citizens. He left an institution in place that both affirms us as believers and then helps to give shape and direction to our Christians lives.

1.4 The Submissive Posture Required Among Believers

Church membership is seen in the posture required amongst believers
Philippians 2:3–4 NIV84
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Picture given is of mutual submission.
That can certainly apply to all contexts in life…even with Christians living amongst unbelievers!!!
But there is a particular sense in which Christians submit to one another...
Notice then further on...
Philippians 2:14–16 NIV84
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
The context of the above is that it is written to a particular church...
It is telling them how they are to interact in order to shine like stars....
And so the aspect of humble submission…doing things not out of selfish ambition and vain conceit, but in humility, so that you shine like stars…again forms part of the context of the local church
While there is an aspect of submission to others within the broader body, it most appropriately fits the local body, where true submission takes place as you interact on an ongoing basis.
But there is also a submission required to Elders
Hebrews 13:17 NIV84
17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Notice the use of “Your Leaders”....
It is impossible that this applies to any leader recognised anywhere...
Illustration - If you find yourself walking down the streets of Port Elizabeth, and you get into a conversation with a gentleman, who it turns out is the pastor of a local church...
Are you obligated to now submit yourself under him as your leader? Of course not!!!
Submission under leadership can only happen within the context of a local church.
Similarly, does an elder of a church take responsibility for the person who walks through the doors for the first time on a Sunday morning, from that very moment?
Are they responsible for the person because the person visited?
Again, of course not. That person has not submitted themselves under the leadershp of the church.
And so the question becomes: “well how many times should they visit before the leader becomes responsible?”
I would submit to you: the person has an obligation, if they are a believer, to seek membership, to publicly declare their submission under the structure of the church in general, and under the leadership of the elders

1.5 In the Practical Outworking of the Faith

We’ve considered this briefly before - the body of Christ.
But consider the commands given to Christians...
John 13:34 NIV84
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Ephesians 5:21 NIV84
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:2
Galatians 6:2 NIV84
2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Peter 4:10 NIV84
10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
In all of these…it’s easy to say we can do that within the universal church. But is that really a practical manner?

1.6 Seen in Letters of Commendation

Letters of commendation were sent when members moved from one church to another
Acts 18:27 NIV84
When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.
Romans 16:1 NIV84
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
Colossians 4:10 NIV84
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)
2 Corinthians 3:1–2 NIV84
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
These letters of recommendation would have been written from a position where the Elders of the church knew, and were familiar with the person they recommended. They would have been under the care of the Elder.
That leads to a further evidence / or demonstration of church membership in a local body...
The submissive posture required amongst believers

Again the quote from Mark Dever...
The case for church membership is nowhere argued in the New Testament but everywhere assumed.

2. The Requirements for Membership

2.1. Acceptance of the Message (v.41a)

First and foremost, to become a member of the church requires an understanding of the Gospel.
A person needs to understand the very basics and essentials of what a Christian really is.
In our passage this morning… ...
Acts 2:41 NIV84
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
What does the Gospel message mean? What is the message?
Need to understand...
The Character of God...
He is absolutely holy, and his law demands perfect holiness
Because God is Holy, God hates sin.
Sinners cannot stand before Him.
The Condition of Man
Sin is what makes true peace impossible for unbelievers
All have sinned (, )
Sin makes the sinner worthy of death
Sinners can do nothing to earn their salvation
sinners are therefore in a helpless state.
The Character of Christ
He is eternally God
He is Lord of All
He became a Man
He is utterly pure and sinless
The Cross of Christ
The sinless One became a sacrifice for our sin.
He was buried for three days
He rose triumphantly from the grave
This was in accordance with Scripture
The Call to Man.
Repent. Turn away from all that dishonours God.
Believe
Trust Christ as Lord and Saviour
Count the Cost

2.2. Baptism (v.41b)

There is a second requirement before a person becomes a member...
Baptism.
Why is this? Because it is commanded in Scripture!!
Acts 2:38 NIV84
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2
Baptism was bound up in the salvation of the people.
This is not to say that baptism itself results in salvation...
Simply that Baptism is so integrally linked to salvation, that it really was part and parcel.
What this means is that a person who was saved would automatically be required to demonstrate that salvation in a public manner.
What he was doing through this was showing the world and any others looking on that He was now identifying himself with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This was a public declaration of the fact that He had died to self, and was now living for the Saviour.
And so baptism was required....
Romans 6:4 NIV84
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
There is a direct connection between faith expressed, and baptism confirming that faith.
So we as a church will always require those who claim to have faith to demonstrate that faith by going through the waters of baptism.
Jonathan Leeman:
If you want to identify yourself with Christ’s people and expect them to identify with you, you need to first identify yourself with Christ, which is the purpose of baptism.
Mark Dever:
Getting wet is the easiest command Jesus ever gave to follow. It only gets harder from there!

3. The Marks of Membership

3.1. A Commitment to Sound Teaching (v.42)

3.2. A Commitment to Fellowship (v.42, 46)

3.3. A Commitment to the Lord's Supper (v.42, 46)

3.4. A Commitment to One Another (v.45)

3.5. A Powerful Testimony (v.47)

4. The Posture of Membership

SUBMISSION
Leeman - Page 95 - 102

4. The Benefits of Membership

4.1. You're not a "lone-ranger" Christian

4.2. You have the affirmation of the body concerning your standing before God

Application and Conclusion

What are some practical ways in which we can submit to the local church
Publicly...
formally or officially. Don’t simply attend, on and off. Make it formal.
Socially...
The church should primarily be the ones with whom we associate and fellowship with.
They will have an impact on us.
We tend to be greatly impacted by our friends.
Let us pursue friendships within the church, that we might impact one another
Financially...
This can be done by contributing through tithes and offerings...
But also, through helping those in need.
Practicing hospitality
Ethically...
“Christians should look to the church for ethical instruction, counsel, accountability, and discipline in matters that are addressed by God’s word.”
Spiritually...
Using spiritual gifts
Building one another up
Interceding for one another
Jonathan Leeman: "If you are a Christian, the local church is not a club. It is not a voluntary organization where membership is optional for you."
You are a member of the church! The question is simply whether or not you have committed yourself to a particular local expression of the church.

Bibliography

Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age (p. 169). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
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