The Church and its Members
Church membership • Sermon • Submitted • 47:30
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· 8 viewsChurch membership 1) fortifies our faith, 2) anchors us in truth, and 3) builds us up in love
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Introduction
Introduction
Our age of individualism and independence
We don’t want to be tied down - committed to anything really
Unfortunately, many apply this to church membership
Church membership appears more and more to be a relic of a bygone era. Many churches today do not require or even offer membership. “Just come” is the motto.
Churches therefore begin to look less and less like the models found in the Bible and more and more like a happening or an event. A church service in some places looks and feels like a concert or a sporting event. People come together for the attraction and do not interact again until the next attraction.
This tendency has bred church hoppers, virtual Christians, and other phenomena.
There’s an old story about a mule who found himself between two haystacks. Both looked delicious and the mule could not decide which to eat first. He looked at one, he looked at the other; he measured the size of one, and the size of the other. In the end, the mule starved to death because he didn’t eat either one.
Christians can be like that mule - what church should I attend. And they jump for one to the other - never committing to anything and the result: they starve that like that old mule.
Today we are going to begin a series on church membership. We hope to answer a series of practical questions:
Why become a member of a local church?
Is church membership biblical?
How does church membership aid you in maturing in Christ?
Can you be a Christian without being a member of the local church?
Can you be a Christian and be a member of multiple churches?
This morning I want to address a more basic question. Namely: What is the church? And once we answer that question, we will consider the question: What is church membership?
The Biblical conception of the church is not that of an organization, an association or an enterprise. The Biblical view of the church is one of an organism - a living being with Christ as its head
Porque así como el cuerpo es uno, y tiene muchos miembros, pero todos los miembros del cuerpo, siendo muchos, son un solo cuerpo, así también Cristo.
A spiritual house made of living stones with Christ as the cornerstone
vosotros también, como piedras vivas, sed edificados como casa espiritual y sacerdocio santo, para ofrecer sacrificios espirituales aceptables a Dios por medio de Jesucristo.
A nation with many citizens under Christ the sovereign King
Mas vosotros sois linaje escogido, real sacerdocio, nación santa, pueblo adquirido por Dios, para que anunciéis las virtudes de aquel que os llamó de las tinieblas a su luz admirable;
As a household with many members and Christ as the firstborn
pero Cristo como hijo sobre su casa, la cual casa somos nosotros, si retenemos firme hasta el fin la confianza y el gloriarnos en la esperanza.
All of these pictures and metaphors show us the unique nature of Christ’s church - His bride who He has promised to sanctify and present spotless
para santificarla, habiéndola purificado en el lavamiento del agua por la palabra,a fin de presentársela a sí mismo, una iglesia gloriosa, que no tuviese mancha ni arruga ni cosa semejante, sino que fuese santa y sin mancha.
What is the church?
What is the church?
Theologians deal with the subject of the church under the heading of ecclesiology. The word comes from the Greek word for Church - ekklesia. The word literally means “called out” “called apart.”
The Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy offers a concise definition of the church. He writes:
para que si tardo, sepas cómo debes conducirte en la casa de Dios, que es la iglesia del Dios viviente, columna y baluarte de la verdad.
The church is the household of God, it is organically connected to the living God and it is the pillar and buttress of truth.
In all of these facets we can see that the church has various dimensions.
Universal and local
Universal and local
The church is universal - it extends around the globe and across the centuries. It is not limited to one place, to one language, to one era.
But even though the church is universal it is also manifested locally. It is manifested locally on every continent, it is manifested locally in over 2700 different languages around the world.
Christ gathers the local church into the one universal church
y en medio de los siete candeleros, a uno semejante al Hijo del Hombre, vestido de una ropa que llegaba hasta los pies, y ceñido por el pecho con un cinto de oro. Su cabeza y sus cabellos eran blancos como blanca lana, como nieve; sus ojos como llama de fuego;
And even so he speaks to the local churches individually
Yo estaba en el Espíritu en el día del Señor, y oí detrás de mí una gran voz como de trompeta,que decía: Yo soy el Alfa y la Omega, el primero y el último. Escribe en un libro lo que ves, y envíalo a las siete iglesias que están en Asia: a Efeso, Esmirna, Pérgamo, Tiatira, Sardis, Filadelfia y Laodicea.
Invisible and visible
Invisible and visible
The Church Perspectives on the Church: Visible and Invisible
The Westminster Confession defines the church as visible and invisible, recognizing the two aspects, but speaking of them as distinct. The invisible church ‘consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof (XXV.I). The visible church ‘consists of all those throughout the world who profess the true religion; and of their children’ (XXV.II).
The church is invisible in that it is chosen to holiness in Christ before the foundation of the world
según nos escogió en él antes de la fundación del mundo, para que fuésemos santos y sin mancha delante de él,en amor habiéndonos predestinado para ser adoptados hijos suyos por medio de Jesucristo, según el puro afecto de su voluntad,
It is not to be likened to the kingdoms of this world
Respondió Jesús: Mi reino no es de este mundo; si mi reino fuera de este mundo, mis servidores pelearían para que yo no fuera entregado a los judíos; pero mi reino no es de aquí.
Only the Lord knows infallibly who are his
Pero el fundamento de Dios está firme, teniendo este sello: Conoce el Señor a los que son suyos; y: Apártese de iniquidad todo aquel que invoca el nombre de Cristo.
And even so, the church is identifiable in the world. It has members and officers. Its sacraments are outward signs of its faith and hope.
Triumphant and militant
Triumphant and militant
Finally, the church can be described as triumphant.
Porque el Señor mismo con voz de mando, con voz de arcángel, y con trompeta de Dios, descenderá del cielo; y los muertos en Cristo resucitarán primero.Luego nosotros los que vivimos, los que hayamos quedado, seremos arrebatados juntamente con ellos en las nubes para recibir al Señor en el aire, y así estaremos siempre con el Señor.
The church may be battered and bruised in history but Christ says
Y yo también te digo, que tú eres Pedro, y sobre esta roca edificaré mi iglesia; y las puertas del Hades no prevalecerán contra ella.
In its final state the church is triumphant, but in its present state it is militant. It contends for the truth
Amados, por la gran solicitud que tenía de escribiros acerca de nuestra común salvación, me ha sido necesario escribiros exhortándoos que contendáis ardientemente por la fe que ha sido una vez dada a los santos.
It goes and makes disciples
Y Jesús se acercó y les habló diciendo: Toda potestad me es dada en el cielo y en la tierra. Por tanto, id, y haced discípulos a todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo;
These different perspectives on the church are interrelated. The local church is connected to the universal church. The visible church to the invisible church and the militant church to the triumphant church. You cannot have one without the other. In fact, the locality, visibility and militancy of the church are prerequisite to its universality, invisibility and triumph.
You cannot lay claim to one without the other. Are you a part of the universal church? Then you are bound to a local manifestation of that church. Are you to be counted among the members of the invisible church? Then you must be counted as a member of the visible church. Is your hope resting on the ultimate triumph of the church at the end of the age? Then you must be part of its present militancy.
What is church membership?
What is church membership?
Church membership is the explicit commitment of an individual and his/her family to bind themselves to a local, visible and militant manifestation of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Does it really matter that my name is on the roll of a particular church?
Does it really matter that my name is on the roll of a particular church?
Shouldn’t I be more concerned about having my name in the Book of Life?
Y el que no se halló inscrito en el libro de la vida fue lanzado al lago de fuego.
This is a false distinction. The Lord adds to church those who are being saved
alabando a Dios, y teniendo favor con todo el pueblo. Y el Señor añadía cada día a la iglesia los que habían de ser salvos.
And as he adds them to the church he also adds them to the Book of Life. Look at what Paul says about his co-laborers:
Asimismo te ruego también a ti, compañero fiel, que ayudes a éstas que combatieron juntamente conmigo en el evangelio, con Clemente también y los demás colaboradores míos, cuyos nombres están en el libro de la vida.
What if I don’t commit explicitly but I just show up?
What if I don’t commit explicitly but I just show up?
Doesn’t that make me part of the church?
The doors of this church will always be open to anyone who wants to hear the Word of God. But hearing the Word is only one part of being part of the body. To be part of the body is to hear the Word and do the Word.
Porque si alguno es oidor de la palabra pero no hacedor de ella, éste es semejante al hombre que considera en un espejo su rostro natural.
And what does it mean to do the Word? Yes, you do the Word in your daily life, in your family, and at work - but there is no place more appropriate and more well suited for you to be a doer of the Word than in the Church of Jesus Christ. You do the Word when you apply the gifts that God has given you in His service and in His house.
Why do I have to bind myself to one church?
Why do I have to bind myself to one church?
Why can’t I just let the Spirit guide me to different churches?
When you hop around from one church to another you are putting yourself out of reach of spiritual leadership. No one really knows you and you don’t really know anyone either. You are not accountable to anyone and no one can give account for your soul.
Obedeced a vuestros pastores, y sujetaos a ellos; porque ellos velan por vuestras almas, como quienes han de dar cuenta; para que lo hagan con alegría, y no quejándose, porque esto no os es provechoso.
When you hop around from one church to another you are also putting yourself out of reach of other Christians. When you commit to one church you get to know and learn to love those who are in the church.
Y considerémonos unos a otros para estimularnos al amor y a las buenas obras; no dejando de congregarnos, como algunos tienen por costumbre, sino exhortándonos; y tanto más, cuanto veis que aquel día se acerca.
We are to consider one another - we are to pay thoughtful attention to one another.
It will be found that not only does love promote fellowship but also that fellowship stimulates love, because it is by meeting together as a true community that Christians have the opportunity for encouraging one another by mutual support, comfort, and exhortation.
Chrysostom observes that “as iron sharpens iron so also fellowship increases love; for if a stone rubbed against a stone sends forth fire, how much more person in contact with person!”
And notice that the author of Hebrews states that the way to cultivate this love through fellowship is by assembly - not forsaking the assembly.
The word here is episynagoge a rare word in the New Testament that only occurs in one other place.
Pero con respecto a la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, y nuestra reunión con él, os rogamos, hermanos,
And this takes us back to what we said at the outset. Your membership in the local church, your membership in IBSJC is your preparation for membership in the universal, invisible and triumphant Church of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So, brothers and sisters, the Church is the household of the living God the column and buttress of truth. When we bind ourselves to the local church, we are expressing our love for Christ. We love the Church for no other reason than Christ loves the Church - it is His bride, His prized possession.
To the extent that you bind yourself to the local, visible and militant church, I can testify that you are binding yourself to the universal, invisible and triumphant church.
Sandra and I have bounced around to pretty much every corner of this country - we have lived in Massachusetts, in Arizona, in South Texas and in Ohio. And in every place that God has placed God has been faithful to place us in His body the universal, invisible and triumphant church. It hasn’t always been immediate, sometimes we have had to wait on the Lord, but the Lord has always driven us to where He wants us to be.