Drew Boswell

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Why Is It Important to be a Member of a Local Church?

The Early Church 

In Acts 2:42 ff. immediately following the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon all believers, the believers begin to meet (daily). Luke rarely mentions the Greek word εκκλησία (church) in the book of Luke, but mentions it over 24 times in Acts. So, the church came into existence after Pentecost.

While we don’t know exactly what membership in the apostolic church entailed, it was certainly for the purposes of edification, prayer, service, and, as can be seen particularly in Acts 5, discipline. Christianity is a corporate matter, and the Christian life can be fully realized only in relationship to others.[1]

The early church shows us that members invest their passions, service, resources, and relationships for the kingdom through the local church. They commit to a holy life characterized by integrity and confession of sin. The commitment to membership means active participation in ministry, in worship, in fellowship, and in service for the mission of the church, along with generous giving and evangelistic living.[2]

In the handling of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), as well as Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:1-5) and the Galatians (6:1) regarding the treatment of sinners, argues for a careful monitoring by the group of the spiritual condition and conduct of the members. While prefect purity of the membership is ideal which cannot be realized within this life (Matt. 13:24-30), open unbelief and sin are not tolerated.[3] Before we get too far into what the church should be doing, let’s look at what the church is not, and then give a clear definition.

Defining the word “Church”

What the church is not, as indicated by Mark Driscoll, “The church is not a holy building in which spiritual meetings take place. The church is not a Eucharistic society through which God dispenses grace by means of the sacraments and a duly authorized and empowered hierarchy of bishops and priests operating in unbroken succession from the apostles. The church is not the moral police force of a society seeking mere behavioral change through legislation. The church is not a weekly meeting where people gather to do spiritual things.”[4]

Driscoll goes on to give a definition of the church; “The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and Communion, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God’s glory and their joy.”[5]

The Bible speaks of church membership in relational terms – as members of one body and as members of the household of God – so that God’s people live as a gospel community and help one another grow in Christ and reach others for Christ.[6] There are no “Lone Ranger” Christians in the Bible, and there should be none today.

Why Join a Church? 

Why should I become a member of a local church? I’m already saved and a part of the body of Christ (universal) so does it even matter if I am a member of a local church? Well, it does matter because we do become a part of the family of God when we receive Christ, and the actual expression of that is found in the New Testament local church. There is not one Christian mentioned in the New Testament who was not connected to a local church.

Rick Warren has written, “Many Americans Christians are what I call “floating believers.” Anywhere else in the world, being a believer is synonymous with being connected to a local body of believers‑‑you rarely find a lone‑ranger Christian in other countries. Many American Christians, however, hop from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. This is a direct expression of America’s rampant individualism. They have not been taught that the Christian life involves more than just believing‑‑it also includes belonging. We grow in Christ by being in relationship to other Christians. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”

This same lack of commitment to any one church can be found in the youth of today as well. There is a phenomenon of youth jumping from one youth group to another in order to “get their needs met” or to the one that’s “cool” right this minute. They don’t tithe, serve, or have any formal ties to any one youth group. Without this commitment there is no accountability, few relationships where they serve and love one another, encourage each other toward holiness, or have a sense of responsibility toward the group. They have learned this from their parents who either model it for them, or enable them to express this behavior of selfishness.

C.S. Lewis once wrote an essay on church membership, reminding us that the word membership is of Christian origin, but it has been taken over by the world and emptied of all its original meaning. Today, most people associate the term membership with paying dues, meaningless rituals, silly rules and handshakes, and having your name on some dusty roll.

Paul, however had a very different image of membership. To the Apostle Paul, being a member of the church did not refer to some cold induction into an institution, but rather it meant becoming a vital organ of a living body (Rom. 12:4‑5; 1 Cor. 6:15; 1 Cor. 12:12‑27). Any organ that is detached from the body will not only miss what it was created to be, it will also shrivel and die quickly. The same is true for Christians that are uncommitted to any specific congregation.”

Nowhere in Scripture does it imply that salvation comes through membership in any church. Luke says of the early church, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). When questioned about salvation, the apostle never suggested that it depends upon connection with a group of believers. When Peter and others were asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), the reply was, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (v. 38). Peter’s message was the same in Acts 3:12-26 and 4:7-12. Paul’s reply to the Philippian jailor’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) was straightforward: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (v. 31).[7]    So while there is no link between salvation and membership, there is a direct link between sanctification and membership in the local church.

Benefits of Membership  

It is important to realize that there are several benefits that can come to you through church membership. The benefits include:

1) It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage you in your walk with Christ (Gal. 6:1‑2; Heb. 10:24‑25).

2) It gives you a place to discover and use your gifts in ministry (I Cor. 12:4‑27).

3) It places you under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Heb. 13:17; Acts 20:28‑29).

4) It gives you the accountability you need to grow (Eph. 5:21).

5) It gives you a place where there are people who will share the burdens of life through prayer, love, sharing, support, and encouragement (Gal. 6:2).[8]

As long as you are not committed to a local church body through membership, you are not able to live the Christian life God intends for you live. Even if you “attend” a church for a long time, it is the formal commitment on your part to the church and the church toward you, that creates a bond of accountability, encouragement, and ministry in Christ’s name. [9]


[1] Acts 20:28-31; Ephesians 4;11; 1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Corinthians 11:18 ff.; 1 Timothy 5:16; 1 Corinthians 16:1.

[2] Mark Driscoll. Doctrine (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway) 322.

[3] Millard Erickson. Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker) 1048.

[4] Driscoll, 307.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 2:18-19; 3:6; 4:25; 5:29-30.

[7] Erickson,1047.

[8] Rick Warren, 101 New Members Class Manual.

[9] Other suggested books to read on this topic that were not mentioned in the footnotes;

Bible Doctrine, Wayne Grudem (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan) 1999, and Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, John S. Hammett (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kregel) 2005.

Piggly-Wiggly Bags, Hobo Shoes, and Dealing With Change

I grew up along a rural road, in a rural county, in a state with some wide open spaces. There was no “my neighborhood,” it was more like, “my road.” Along that road children where peppered over ten miles – sparingly. So, in central Alabama it rarely snows, and when it does (trust me) it’s a big deal. But no one on “my road” had snow boots — why would they? Because when it did snow it was nothing more than an inch (at the most).

So we did what any frugal southerner would do when they wanted to play in the “snow.” We would tie plastic Piggly-Wiggly or Wal-Mart grocery sacks around our shoes, and off we would go. The smart kids would put the sack over their socks and then put them in their shoes, but that’s another issue.

Often when these storms would come, it would happen quickly and the snow would be gone within a matter of hours. So if you wanted to experience snow in Dixie, you had to move quickly.

“Mom, where are the Piggly-Wiggly bags!?”

This is often how life comes at you. Changes will occur, and you often feel ill equipped to handle it — why would you? You have rarely experienced “this” before!

Rick Warren says in his book The Purpose Driven Life, “Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change; there is change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain. Every change involves a loss of some kind: You must let go of old ways in order to experience the new. We fear these losses, even if our old ways were self-defeating, because like a worn out pair of shoes, they were at least comfortable and familiar.” [1] So jumping off of pastor Warren’s metaphor of growth and shoes here are some things to think about.

Look down and see what kind of shoes are you wearing. If you happen to be in West Virginia, or live on my road in Alabama, look around you may not have seen any for a while, but they are in the house somewhere.

Hobo Shoes — You Have to Change, it’s Just a Matter of When.

In dealing with change and growth you may be (metaphorically) wearing different kinds of shoes. The first kind of shoes you may be wearing are Hobo Shoes. These shoes feel great. They breath when you wear them, even though those around you can’t.  These shoes are well broken in. You know how they will feel, even before you put them on — that’s because there isn’t much shoe to put on.

These are the people who won’t change because what they currently have “works.” But let’s be honest, when people look at you, they are not going to trust you. “Why?” you ask. Because you look like a hobo. These are the people who say, “We’ve never done it just way before” or “If it was good enough for my daddy, and his daddy, and his daddy, and his daddy (you get the idea) then it’s good enough for me!” Why change — because the shoes you are wearing, have long since been worn out. If you wait too long to change you lose credibility. In the days of Covid-19 this this principle is especially true — how you led six months ago, won’t work now; and quit waiting for the good-ole-days to return because they aren’t (at least for a long time).

Track Shoes — As you Change, Constantly Evaluate.

Another type of shoe you may be wearing are track shoes. These people love to move, run, jump, and do hurdles. They are focused on moving forward (as fast as they can). They are focused, and they seek to improve their time. People who (metaphorically) wear track shoes keep their eyes forward, but they are listening for the sounds of pounding pavement behind them. The problem with people who wear track shoes while engaging change is that they are so focused on moving forward faster than anyone else, is that they fail to realize that they are running in circles.

Around and around they go, and never really going anywhere. it feels like things are being accomplished because there is movement. But in reality, the same issues keep popping up again, and again, and again. Track shoe people don’t like to stop and evaluate. If they stop, someone may get in front of them, and take their place. Their focus is the recognition, the prize, and the ribbons.

Kid’s Shoes — Keep Changing, Don’t Stop.

The last shoes are kid’s shoes. I have four kids and they are constantly going through shoes. It seems as soon as we buy a pair they have either “ragged them out” or outgrown them. So we are constantly changing shoes. This is the most healthy way of dealing with growth. When you are feeling the pinch of crowded toes, or the shoes are disintegrating, then get a new pair. Change your shoes.

You may get the wrong size, or they may not fit exactly right — that’s ok. Try them on in the store, give them time to stretch and break them in, and even exchange them if you need to. But never stop moving into new shoes.

Mom, where are the Piggly Wiggy bags? I think it’s starting to snow!

[1] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan:Zondervan, 2002), 220.

Update: 2/16/2021 While going through some old pictures I came across my piggly wiggly bag snow snows.

 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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