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Why
Join the Church?
The Case for Church Membership
By Pastor Tim Isbell
New Life Church, Cupertino, CA
I’m
convinced that the Bible instructs every Christian to become a
committed member of some local church. I don’t mean just
a regular attendee or a tither, but someone committed to a local
body of Christ.
In
the New Testament the Greek word “ekklesia” translates
115 times as “church.” In some places this word has
the sense of a gathering or throng of people assembled by chance,
but at least as often it means an assembly or duly constituted
council of people convened for a specific purpose at a specific
place. Another Greek word is “soma,” which English
New Testaments translate 144 times as “body.” Soma
describes the physical body of people and animals, as well as
describing a number of people closely united into one society
or ethical body. After reading through the scriptures that use
these words, I conclude that we Christians are designed to be
an ekklesia in the sense of being a soma. In other words, we are
called to be a duly constituted group of people convened for the
specific purpose of being the body of Christ in a specific place.
This means God expects Christians to join a church.
I’m
convinced that it’s the Christian gospel that creates a
local church. The only way I see to take the New Testament seriously
is to spread the good news that Jesus died to offer forgiveness
for our guilt and that he lives again as our Lord. Wherever this
message goes, the result is a community of forgiven sinners. God’s
Holy Spirit comes into the life of each of these new Christians,
giving them a variety of spiritual gifts and abilities. These
forgiven sinners, now equipped with gifts, naturally gather as
a local body of Christ. That is a church. The call to the Christian
is not to contemplation, but to using our gifts to build up the
church.
I’ve
also discovered several benefits to being a part of a local church.
1.
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New
Testament Christians need a place to worship God weekly. Being
a spectator of worship by watching TV, listening to a radio
broadcast, or just sitting in a congregation on Sunday mornings
simply doesn’t qualify. God wants worshippers, not spectators.
This happens best in a local church.
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2.
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New
Testament Christians need a place to get biblical teaching.
Sermons provide some instruction, but growing Christians are
those who also participate in small Bible study groups. This
happens best in a local church.
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3.
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New
Testament Christians need a place of warm and regular fellowship
with other Christians. This happens best in a local church.
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4.
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New
Testament Christians need the support of one another through
the struggles of life. In case you haven’t noticed,
this is not heaven where we live. Here we discover life is
hard, and it might not get easier. If we have children, we
also discover we need a community to raise them in. This happens
best in a local church.
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5.
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New
Testament Christians need a place to use the spiritual gifts
God gives them. Jesus didn’t come to this world to be
served, he came to serve. As part of Christ’s body,
our role also is to serve. While there are some ways to serve
without joining, ministries like teaching a Bible class or
serving on an elected board are only open to those who have
committed themselves to membership. God has designed us to
bond together to combine our gifts into a body that can impact
our world. This happens best in a local church.
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6.
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New
Testament Christians pool their resources to help the poor
and discouraged. The Bible consistently teaches that followers
of God are to give preferential attention to the poor and
needy. It is hard to do this as an individual, but by joining
together we can help the less fortunate. This happens best
in a local church.
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7.
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New
Testament Christians choose to accept accountability for their
actions and stewardship. We know a holy life is difficult
to live alone. Our submission to some accountability with
other Christians is vital to living in a manner that pleases
God. This, too, happens best in a local church. |
Several
years ago I realized that committing myself to follow Jesus meant
that I would submit myself to living under the authority of scripture.
I’m convinced scripture instructs me to formally join a
local church where I can wholeheartedly embrace its Articles of
Faith. In my case this is the Church of the Nazarene. Sure, I
could receive some of the benefits by just attending. But that’s
not a long term solution for a New Testament Christian. Long term
attendance without membership is like having a long term dating
partner but never committing to marriage. The church is the bride
of Christ, and Jesus makes a real and costly commitment to his
church. So it seems to me that after some appropriate courtship,
God expects Christians to join a local church body.
(Theological
perspective borrowed from Dr. Samuel Mikolaski, Fuller Theological
Seminary)
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