(Acts 4:23) Is church membership taught in Scripture? In our study of the New Testament the Lord reveals His purpose in belonging to a local church. Membership matters. (0965250314)

 

Questions about Church Membership

A very kind lady called me one day, and she was a little perturbed, we might say, by something that I had given in a Bible message regarding church membership. She said to me, I don't believe in belonging. I don't believe in being a member of a local church. I don't believe that's found in the Bible.

Biblical Basis for Church Membership

And I said to her the truth of the matter is I believe in a local New Testament church, which means I believe that the local church has autonomy. They have the right to do it any way they choose to do it. But the principle of belonging to a local assembly. Is certainly found in the Word of God.

Now, how they keep up with those members and how they track them and all that kind of thing, that's not laid out in scripture, but belonging certainly is. As a matter of fact, at the very beginning of the early stages of the New Testament church, you find it repeatedly emphasized. 

Examples of Church Membership from the Book of Acts

Let me show you what I mean. Acts chapter 4, verse 23, refers to the apostles after they had been beaten and persecuted. The Bible says in Acts 4:23, "And being let go they went to their own company and reported all of the chief priest and elders had said unto them." Look, they belonged somewhere. They had a company, there was a group that they were connected to and watch this.

They were not only connected, they were accountable. I think right in this example, in Acts chapter 4, verse 23 perhaps is one of the reasons why people don't like the idea of membership. People don't wanna belong because they don't wanna be accountable. I. They wanna be attenders and not members, spectators and not participants.

There are far too many people today who view the church as something they just come and observe. So they slip in at the last minute. They sit and they watch the goings on and then they slip out very quietly and they're not expected to do anything. May I tell you that is not the church that Jesus started and knowing the local New Testament church there is great accountability.

Lemme show you again. How about Acts 5:12, "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch and of the rest durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes, both of men and women." Did you hear it? There were some people that joined them, and there were others that said, we're not joining this group. They were. They were afraid. They were frightened. When people look at the New Testament church they may either be attracted or they may be repelled.

And it has everything to do with their attitude towards Christ. If you love Christ, you'll love being with his people. If you love Christ, you'll love what he's doing in this world. And so here were people who were choosing whether they were going to join this local assembly or not. Here's another example.

Paul's Joins the Church

Acts 9:26, the Apostle Paul originally called Saul has just gotten saved, praise God, but there's a little issue because they're all afraid of him. He was a terrorist. He'd been killing Christians and imprisoning them. So in Acts 9:26, the Bible says, "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." And I love the next verse 27 says, "But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly Damascus in the name of Jesus, and he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem."

What do we learn from the example of Paul and the early church in Jerusalem? One thing we know is there was a visible body. There was a local church, there was a group there that met together. Then we know they had an identifiable body of doctrine. They believed something. They were preaching Christ, and only those who could line up with their doctrine.

We're joining them, then we know people could join them because Paul wanted to, he wanted to put himself in line with this local group of followers of Christ. And then we know that only a true disciple was admitted. 

Criteria for Church Membership

Now, that's very important, because we believe that to be a member of a local New Testament church, you first.

Must know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior, that only those who are willing to publicly confess Jesus Christ and follow him in baptism should be admitted into the membership of the local church. If I go stand in a garage, that does not make me a car, and if I go sit in a church, that does not make me a Christian because it doesn't change the fundamental nature of who I am.

No, I need Jesus. I don't need a church first. I need Christ. I didn't start by becoming a church member. I started by becoming one with the Lord Jesus. And when I came to know Christ as my personal savior, an amazing thing happened. Suddenly I loved his people. I wanted to be with them. We had Christ in common.

If you read Acts 2, that's the divine order. They believe the gospel, they were baptized and then they continued in the fellowship of believers. That's still the way that members should be received today into a local New Testament church. 

Importance of Local Church Fellowship

Now, sometimes members have to leave one area and go to another. For example, we just read it in the early pages of the Book of Acts. Acts chapter four they moved from one place to another place. What did they do as quickly as possible. They found another like-minded group of believers in a local assembly, and they join themselves to them. I'd like to give you some advice today.

When you move, when you go to a new area, one of the very first things you ought to be looking for is there a group of local believers there that I can attach myself to? So many people get lost in the in-between times of life. They fall through the cracks during transitional times as quickly as possible.

Connect yourself to a fellowship of believers. You need it and they need it. There's a certain accountability, remember, to being a member, to belonging to a local New Testament church. 

Letters of Commendation and Accountability

In fact, as you study through the New Testament, you'll find that from time to time there were actually letters of commendations sent from one church to another.

In Acts 9:27, Barnabas gave his commendation he's helping the Apostle Paul. Might I say, when people visit our local assemblies, someone has to come alongside them and encourage them and bring them into the fellowship, not just by name, but in practice. But if you look at one Corinthians 1610 or Romans 16 one, or even the little letter of Philemon, what are those?

Those are letters from one place to another. Saying this is a legitimate follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a like-minded family member in the family of God. Receive them into your fellowship. And so that's why we do it the way we do today. When people move from one place to another and they say, I want to join a body of believers, then one assembly recommends them to another assembly.

Now, this is very important. Remember, because membership means accountability. 

Church Discipline and Restoration

One of the things that's not talked about very much frankly today, but it's found all through the New Testament, is church discipline that's necessary for maintaining purity within the local assembly. We read what Jesus said about that in Matthew 18, telling it to the church, but it's also taught in one Corinthians five they had to deal with a man.

It's taught in 2nd Thessalonians 3. They had to discipline some believers who weren't doing the right thing, and we discipline not to push people out. But to help them, in fact, the whole spirit of Reproving members is to restore members. Galatians 6:1, "Ye, which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

I'm simply saying it means something to be a member. 

Join the Membership of a Local Church

So let me give a couple practical applications. Number one, if you're not a member of a local New Testament church. Find one that lines up with the word of God. Find one that teaches the Bible and that's pointing people to Christ and join that local assembly of believers.

And then if you are a member of a local church, by the grace of God, recognize what a privilege it is and what a responsibility it is. And ask the Lord to use you this week to help your church become everything God wants it to be. I'm telling you, it means something. To be a member of a local New Testament church, repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough.

Outro and Resources

We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our Library of Bible teaching resources, including book by book studies of scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening and we hope you'll join us next time on enjoying the Journey.