The Organization and Membership of the Church

Good evening, church family. Good to see everybody this evening. We're continuing on in our study of the church. Tonight we'll be talking about two aspects of the church. How is the church organized? And also the membership of the church.

Before we go in and refer to our handout here, I'm going to give just a few minutes here to kind of give you an overview of where I'm going. So kind of a high level of these two topics. And then we'll refer to the handout here and then do a very deep dive into what we're talking about. And we'll be giving you a lot of good scripture references that we're going to talk about regarding these two important aspects of the church, the organization of the church, and the membership of the church.

So local church membership is essential for true believers.

There currently exists in our culture a consumer-driven approach of drifting between congregations. Now we really shouldn't be surprised by that, should we? When we look around at our present culture where virtues like commitment have a very low priority, that this lack of commitment and way of thinking has unfortunately seeped into the church.

Nowadays it's very common for Christians to move from church to church. By doing this, they are not submitting themselves to the direction and care of elders. They are not committing themselves to other believers to pray, teach, love, and serve one another, as the pastor just referred to just a few minutes ago.

To neglect or refuse to join a church as a formal member prohibits one from fully receiving the many blessings that are a result of membership.

So what are the importance? Why is it important to be a church member? And I want to go over — there are many reasons. I want to go over four specific points here of the value and the importance of being a member of a local church. Point number one is the biblical model and submission.

While the phrase "church membership" is not explicitly in the Bible, the New Testament is a symbol of a local assembly. Membership is a way to submit to the care and authority of biblically qualified elders.

Point number two, protection and accountability. Membership protects the church's purity and helps keep believers accountable, preventing them from becoming rogue sheep and easy prey for false doctrine.

Point number three, active service. Membership is not merely having your name on a roll. It is a commitment to serve the body of Christ using specific spiritual gifts.

Point number four, commitment over convenience. Believers need to move beyond a consumer mindset. Those that stay away from church or refuse to join a church are showing disobedience to Christ.

So what is the definition of church membership?

Now we all know that when one is saved, he or she immediately becomes a member of the body of Christ. And we see this in 1 Corinthians 12:13. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." One body. "Whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." So here Paul is using the human body as an analogy — the phrase "one body" — to show unity with Christ.

To become a church member is to publicly and formally identify with that one body.

There are four purposes of that one body or local church. I mean there are many purposes, but I can think of four off the top of my head here.

One is to receive instruction through God's word. 1 Timothy 4:13 says, "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching."

Also point two, serving and edifying each other through the proper use of spiritual gifts. Romans 12:6 says, "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly."

Three, participating in the ordinances. Acts 2:41 says, "So then those who had received his word were baptized." And continuing to verse 42, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

And four, proclaiming the gospel to the lost. Matthew 28:19, in the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

So what is the basis for church membership?

True, there is no command in the Bible explicitly telling one to join a local church, but the biblical foundation for church membership is found throughout the entire New Testament. We see this when Scripture speaks of the early church, church government, church discipline, and mutual edification. I want to take each of those four points I just mentioned and kind of expound upon those.

So first of all, the example of the early church. So what is the example of the early church in the New Testament?

All who were saved were baptized and became part of the body of a local church. Acts 2:41–42 says, "So then those who had received his word were baptized, and that day there were added about 3,000 souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Note that the New Testament believers were not just living a private commitment to Christ, but were regularly coming together with other fellow believers for formal teaching, as well as for worship, prayer, the breaking of bread, and fellowship. We also see that the epistles of the New Testament were written to the churches. The few that were written to individuals were written to leaders in churches. This shows that the Lord assumed that the believers would be committed to a local assembly.

Now, there are several examples from Scripture we can take to show that roles or lists were kept by local congregations.

One example is widows eligible for financial support. 1 Timothy 5:9 says, "A widow is to be put on a list only if she is not less than 60 years old and having been the wife of one man."

There possibly was a list kept of new converts. Acts 2:47 says, "Praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

And also, when a believer moved to another city, it was customary for his church to write a letter of commendation to his new church. Romans 16:1 is an example of that, where it says, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church, which is at Cenchrea."

Throughout the book of Acts, much of the phrasing used points towards the concept of formal church membership. And within the book of Acts, phrases such as "the whole church" in chapter 6, verse 5; "the church in Jerusalem" in chapter 8, verse 1; "the disciples in Jerusalem" in chapter 6, verse 26; "in every church" in chapter 14, verse 23; "the whole church" in chapter 15, verse 17; and "elders of the church in Ephesus" in chapter 20, verse 17 — all these phrases suggest an established and recognizable church membership.

Let's talk now about the existence of church government. We see established in the New Testament a pattern of plurality of elders to oversee the local body. Since their duties are listed in Scripture, it's apparent that there were specific church members under their care. This is another case for church membership. If one is a member of a church that adheres to the biblical model of a plurality of elders, one can partake and receive the benefits and blessings that come from the shepherding of these godly leaders. Elders will give an account to God for the individuals or sheep under their watch and care. We see that in Hebrews 13:7: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account."

Now, elders can only give an account to God of those they are charged with shepherding, and only if they know who the sheep are, right? This implies caring for those within the local church, and thus the necessity for believers to be part of that flock that is under the shepherd or elder.

Now, the elders are not responsible for the spiritual well-being of every visitor that walks through the door of the church, or those that attend sporadically. Their primary role is to shepherd those who have submitted themselves to the care and authority of the elders. And this is done through church membership.

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 13:17, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account."

Question then to all believers: who are your leaders?

The one who has refused to join a local church and place themselves under the care or authority of an elder has no leader. For that person, they cannot be obedient to the commands now of Hebrews 13:17. It's impossible.

Talking about the exercise of church discipline. We will be moving into a more in-depth discussion about church discipline in the coming weeks. But in Matthew 18, there is a four-step process for one who has fallen into sin. We know this is church discipline.

And very quickly, those four steps are: number one, confront your brother privately; number two, if he refuses to repent, then take one or two other believers and confront him again; step three, if he still refuses to repent, then take the matter in front of the church; and lastly, step four, if the sinning brother still fails to repent, is to put the person out of the assembly. Now, these verses would all indicate that the elders know who the members are of their respective churches. The elders here at Beulah Baptist don't have the responsibility or authority to discipline a member of another church. The Bible's teaching on church discipline assumes church membership.

Regarding exhortation and mutual edification. Now, this is where spiritual gifts come in.

Scripture tells us that each believer has been gifted with at least one spiritual gift. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Now, most believers have been bestowed with multiple gifts.

Now, what is the purpose of these spiritual gifts? Is it to use them for our own personal and selfish gain? No, of course not. They were given to us that we can utilize them within the body of Christ or the church, to bring honor and glory to Christ and to serve and lift up fellow believers. So the question is, how do we exercise these precious gifts? If we are neither attending church or attend sparingly or sporadically, these gifts are therefore not being used by those individuals for their biblical purposes intended. That person would then be in disobedience to the word.

Mutual edification can take place in the context of a corporate body of Christ and can only be experienced within the body of the church.

So what does church membership look like? Committing oneself to being a member of a local church entails: one, living a godly lifestyle within the body; two, exercising one's spiritual gifts within the body for the benefit of other believers; three, serving the congregation; four, contributing financially to the ministry; five, giving and receiving admonishment and correction with meekness and in love, not being argumentative or defensive; and six, faithful attendance and participating in mutual corporate worship. It is only when one is committed to these core traits that a church can truly be representative of Christ here on earth.

I'm going to talk a little bit about Pew Research, which is interesting. I did a little research on this regarding church attendance. And these are poll questions. They went out and asked — and this is important to remember as I give you the responses to this question — they asked only professing Christians. So I'm kind of using "professing Christians" in italics here. But these are people that are proclaiming the name of Christ. And this is how they responded. These are people that proclaim the name of Christ but say they do not attend church. So the question was asked: why? Why do you not attend church? You are a Christian, you are proclaiming the name of Christ, yet through your own admission, you do not attend church.

Here are the top five responses. I'm going to start with the fifth and work my way up. The fifth most common response: these people said they dislike the service or the congregation. It was not welcoming. They felt out of place.

The fourth most common reason: they dislike sermons. Some feel the sermon serves no value and was not relevant to their day-to-day life.

The third most common reason they gave was logistical and personal hurdles, such as lack of time. Now we've all heard these. Life gets in the way. Work conflicts. Sunday is my only day to sleep in. Sunday is my family day. I would argue, what better way to spend family day on Sunday than in God's church. It conflicts with football. Those are just some common ones, but there are other reasons as well.

Now I do want to say here that some have legitimate health or mobility issues that keep them from attending. But for these folks that was not the issue. It was not health issues. It was not mobility issues. It was just other personal reasons why they cannot attend church.

The second most common response: "I haven't found a church I like." So they are looking for a welcoming environment.

The number one reason why people who proclaim the name of Christ say they do not attend church: "I practice my faith in other ways." Have we not encountered people that will say that to you? "I don't need to be in church to worship God."

In Colorado, where I moved from a few years ago, I remember talking to a man I ran into, and he said, "I go up to the mountains every Sunday. The mountains are my church." Other people have other ways they say they worship God outside of church. They find church unnecessary.

So Pew Research also asked younger Christians. So these are again people that proclaim the name of Christ but are under the age of 30. So we're talking about Gen Z here now. Why do Gen Z young adults who proclaim the name of Christ not attend church? I'll start with the number one and go down. There are four top reasons. The number one reason — and this was by far the leading reason — they say the reason Gen Z does not attend church is they find church judgmental or hypocritical in its atmosphere. They feel judged when they attend church. I would say they are probably feeling the conviction of their sin from the Holy Spirit, and that probably makes them — and it should make them — feel uncomfortable, and that's why they don't attend.

The second most common reason they cite — and I have seen this online from professing young people that claim the name of Christ and don't attend church — they feel churches are anti-science. The church is out of step with the scientific world, especially on issues such as creation, marriage, gender, and sexuality. Now these are people that proclaim the name of Christ. We would expect to hear this from non-believers, but these are professing believers.

The number three most common reason they don't attend church: lack of relevance. Faith has no relevance to their careers or their interests.

And the fourth is that doubt is discouraged. Many young Christians claim they cannot come to church and cannot ask the most pressing life questions in church without feeling judged, so they feel discouraged.

Interesting that as a result of COVID a few years ago and its aftermath, Pew Research has shown that 31% of people who formerly attended church have not returned to church. Attenders now prefer to stay home and stream churches, either in real time or watch later in the week, as it better fits with their busy schedules and leisure time.

Some demographic differences Pew found in their surveys: most of those professing Christians who claim they are believers but don't attend church are, by far, women. The largest group that does not attend church and cites unbelief is Gen Z men under 30. The largest ethnic group that does not attend church because they don't feel welcomed are African Americans.

So now we're going to switch gears. We're still talking about Pew Research, but now they switch gears and talk about churchgoers. So these are people that do come to church but refrain from joining the church. And there are the top ten reasons why they attend church but have no desire to join.

First was commitment phobia. They want to avoid joining so they can keep their options open. Two is consumerism. Many view church through a consumer lens. They don't want to commit if the music is not to their liking, the youth program does not meet their needs, there is a lack of extracurricular activities outside the Sunday service, or a lack of social programs.

Number three, past hurt or church baggage. They've been hurt by a previous church experience, so just attending feels safer than joining. Four, lack of personal connection. They fail to join small groups. They feel lost in the crowd. Five, fear of accountability or rules. Membership implies mutual submission and commitment to conform to rules that they view as judgmental.

Six, digital options or convenience — it is easier for them to attend online. Seven, a confused process. Many found inadequate teaching on why membership even matters or even how to join.

Eight was distrust of institutions, and we see this in culture today. There is a growing lack of trust of anything that is organized, and it reduces their desire for an official affiliation with anything.

Here is one we do see quite frequently: individualism. This is a lone ranger approach to faith where people believe they can be a good Christian without being a member of a local body.

And ten, perceived too much commitment. They fear that if they join the church, the church will zap and take more of their time than it gives back to them.

Lastly, they polled those that attend church but do so very rarely or sporadically — maybe they are Easter Christian attendees, or they attend just a few times a year. So the question was asked of these individuals: why do you attend church so irregularly? And there are three top reasons. Number one, unsurprisingly, they cite a busy lifestyle. Sunday is no longer reserved for church as other options compete for their time.

Two was unresolved conflict. Personal drama or disagreements with church members caused them to stay away.

Three, they said, was lack of authenticity. Attenders may not see a distinct or positive difference in the lives of Christians, leading to disillusionment.

So that was an overview of kind of where we're going here. So let's go ahead and now refer to our handout here and let's dive in and really dig deep into the issues of organization and membership of the church, referring to Scripture.

So the church is the greatest company of persons who Christ has saved, in whom He dwells, to whom and through whom He reveals God, and in whom He exercises spiritual dominion. Now when referring to the church in Scripture, it's important to take the word in context, is it not, as there can be two different meanings. Sometimes the word "church" refers to the church universal, or the catholic church, which is made up of all believers who have been truly born again by placing their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Catholic" here, though, we need to point out, does not refer to the Roman Catholic church.

The word "church" when used in Scripture is also used to describe the local or regular assembly of believers.

Now the purpose or main objectives of the local church are: one, to glorify God — we do this through worship and the preaching of His word; two, to make disciples — we do this through teaching, guiding, and helping others grow spiritually, not just converting but transforming lives; three, we build a spiritual family — the church is meant to be a community, not just a building, and the local church is the body of Christ where each person has a role.

We do this, four, to be the light of the world. The church should reflect God's character, showing love, mercy, and truth to a broken and sinful world. And five, to grow people spiritually. The church helps believers mature in faith by teaching Scripture, encouraging prayer, and shaping character that conforms to the image of Christ.

Continuing on our handout, united to Christ: the church is the temple of God's indwelling. In Ephesians 2:21–22, we see, "In whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

Now Paul here is not referring to an actual physical building, but that each individual believer is an integral part or stone that contributes to the structure and stability of this building — and the building we're referring to here is the body of Christ. Note that the construction of this building, or the body of Christ, will not be completed until every elect person is brought to saving faith. Note the phrase at the end of verse 22: "a dwelling of God in the Spirit." The word "dwelling" means a lasting or permanent home. The Holy Spirit makes a permanent home in the church, which is the spiritual body of all those who have been born again.

Go ahead and flip over to the back side of your handout and let's refer to 1 Corinthians 3:16–17. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." So here we see a dire warning to one who would destroy or defame the building of the church — which we just saw is not the actual physical church building, but the body of Christ.

You want to flip back to the other side of your handout there? The organization of the church exists in regenerate members, united in equality with one another, whose sole authority is the will of Christ as expressed in Scripture. Let's talk about those three words here: regenerate, united, and authority.

Only regenerate members of the church are truly a part of the body of Christ. Non-believers and the non-repentant are not a part of the body of Christ and therefore should never be accepted as members of the local church body.

Regarding unity: all members of the church are united under Christ. Unity should be our goal. We want to avoid unnecessary conflict and strife. We need to lift each other up and support one another through good deeds and prayer. We don't want to divide or cause unnecessary arguments or have emotionally driven debates over secondary issues. However, unity should not be achieved by compromising essential biblical doctrines or having an indifferent stance towards sin and unrepentant behavior.

Unfortunately, folks, we see this in many mainline churches today under the banner of "affirming, welcoming, accepting." We've seen those signs right outside of churches. They proudly proclaim those words: "You are welcome here." You know what this really translates to? "Come as you are as a sinner and remain as a sinner. You will not be called to repentance, and your sinful lifestyle won't just be tolerated — it's going to be celebrated and embraced."

Our sole authority is the will of Christ. How do we know what the will of Christ is? Don't you hear that from people? "I don't know what God's will is for my life," or "What does God want me to do?" We know this by keeping Scripture front and center of everything we do in the church, as well as having a consistent and regular personal time of studying the word and prayer. Everything is grounded on Christ alone as revealed in Scripture.

Anything else is a different gospel, and thus is no gospel at all, for only the true gospel of Jesus — continuing on our handout — in union with every other, their only object is the very glory of God.

Note that this last sentence reminds us the church should be focused on God and His glory. The church should not become distracted from this goal by spending time, money, and resources on things that take away or distract from the Great Commission. Our application: do you think of the church as God's dwelling? And we just defined the word "dwelling" above when we read 1 Corinthians 3:16.

Point number two on your handout. The early church was very important and quickly resulted in formal organization.

The book of James is one of the earliest epistles written, AD 47 through 49, and recorded in Acts 15. James 5:14 illustrates a definite form of church organization within 20 years of Christ's ascension.

The church's organization is seen in its stated meetings. Acts 20:7 reads, "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began teaching them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight."

So note that we see here in Acts the mention of the first day of the week, which shows that the very early church had already begun to worship on Sunday, because it was the same day as Christ's resurrection. Christians are not required to observe the Saturday Sabbath, as that was a sign of the Mosaic covenant, and as Christians we are under the new covenant. Hebrews 10:25 tells us, "Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." So here we see the command for all believers to come together in a corporate setting for worship. This is a command. This command was made even more emphatic by the writer of Hebrews as we approach the second coming of Christ, to keep one another from falling into apostasy.

Continuing on, the church's organization is seen in its stated elections, and we see this in Acts 1:23–26, where we see Matthias being chosen as the twelfth apostle to replace Judas. This shows that there was an organized group of believers of the early church and that the early church did exist as a local congregation.

Continuing on, the church's organization is seen in its stated officers, and we see this illustrated in Philippians 1:1: "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons." So once again Scripture is clearly showing that the local church had already been established during the time of the apostles.

Continuing, it is seen in designations of its ministers. Acts 20:17: "From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church." And in Acts 20:28: "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." So these two verses that I just read show evidence of an established local church with elder oversight.

Continuing, together with the recognized authority of the minister and of the church, 1 Peter 5:2 reads, "Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God, and not for sordid gain but with eagerness." This verse shows the importance and necessity of the local church both in terms of exercising authority over the flock and also how an elder is to lead his sheep.

It is shown in discipline, 1 Corinthians 5:4–5: "In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." So the word "assembled" used in the verse I just quoted here means this action is to occur within the local church that meets regularly. 1 Corinthians 5:13 says, "But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." So in both these verses we see the important role of the church in the judgment of members who are unrepentant sinners. This is another case for church membership. Note that neither Paul nor any other New Testament writer makes a claim for the church to judge unbelievers outside the church.

It is shown in contributions. Romans 15:26: "For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." And in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come." So these verses show an organized local early church also. Note in verse 2 of 1 Corinthians: on the first day, we're seeing yet another example where the church is meeting the first day of the week.

"It is shown in letters of commendation." Acts 18:27: "And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him." And 2 Corinthians 3:1: "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again, or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?" Now these verses give proof to the existence of many local churches, not just one.

Continuing on, it is shown in registers of widows. And I have just previously read 1 Timothy 5:9. But there is another mention of widows again in Acts 6:1: "Their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food." So both of those verses show an organized early church that cared for widows in need, and the importance of the church to look after them. This is an important role of the church. If one is not part of a local church to contribute time and finances, many widows could go without their basic minimal needs being met.

It is shown in uniform customs. 1 Corinthians 11:16: "But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God." In this verse we have instruction here to women of how to and how not to adorn themselves, and for the local church to exercise authority in these matters.

Continuing on, and it is shown in ordinances. Acts 2:41: "So then those who had received his word were baptized, and that day there were added about 3,000 souls." We see here the necessity of the church to partake in the ordinance of baptism. And then in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 we see the Last Supper and thus the role of the church for believers to regularly partake in this ordinance.

Continuing, it is shown by order enjoined and observed. 1 Corinthians 14:40: "But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner." So there should not be confusion or disorder in the church service. "All things must be done properly," Scripture tells us, and also "in an orderly manner." This means that the church service needs to be thought out and planned, not spontaneous, not haphazard, or off the cuff with no preparation. Those things would show a lack of reverence and respect towards an all-holy God, treating church flippantly and casually.

It is shown by the qualifications for membership and the common work of the whole body. Go ahead and flip over to the back side as we refer to Acts 2:46–47: "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

I'm going to continue on reading the bold print there on the back side. "The church existed in germ." Now I had to stop there at "germ" and actually had to Google that word. I don't know if anybody else immediately knows what that word means. In the context I was kind of guessing what it meant, and I was right, but "germ" also refers to a seed or something in its infant stage. So the church existed in germ before the day of Pentecost. Otherwise there would have been nothing for the converts to be added to in verse 47. The apostles and the others of the 120 in the upper room were already regenerate.

"After witnessing Christ's first miracle, his disciples believed in him." Probably a more accurate translation is: "his disciples believed into him." Believing into Christ unites us with the Savior. As soon as the first believer was joined to Christ through faith, the church existed in miniature and in germ. The apostles were united to Christ through faith, received baptism, and as a body celebrated the first Lord's Supper. For all intents and purposes, the apostles continued as a church — though not fully of Christ's Spirit on Pentecost in fullness of confession, celebration, and constitution.

Flipping back over to the main front page. Acts 6:3: "Therefore brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." Now these seven men were not deacons, though they may have taken on some of the duties of a deacon role. It is clear here that they were evangelists. Acts 6:7: "Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith." Here we see the rapid growth of the local church.

So our application on point number two: "Let all things be done decently and in order."

Continuing on to point three on your handout. The church is distinguished from unregenerate humanity.

Only those who are united to Christ through faith by His Spirit are permitted to unite with His church. Acts 2:47 says that the early church was "praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." This passage illustrates that regeneration is a necessary prerequisite for membership, as the saved ones were then added to the church. Similarly, Acts 5:14 records, "And more than ever believers in the Lord were added to their number, multitudes of men and women." Belief in Christ comes first; only then is their membership recorded.

The faithful church will only add to their membership those who have professed Christ as Lord, and whose profession aligns with their life and character. 1 Corinthians 1:2: "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." So here we see that the church should only be comprised of saints. It is important to point out the name of "saints" here. It does not refer to someone who is super pious or someone that has a very high elevated role in the church, but it is a reference to all of us who have been sanctified through our salvation, thus set apart from our sin through Jesus Christ.

And the application for point number three: what are the dangers of non-believing membership? I'm going to go through some of them. I mean, we could probably have a non-exhaustive list here, but some of the points to be concerned about if a church were to allow non-believing people in as official members of the church. What happens to that church?

Well, the membership becomes meaningless. It becomes merely social. The church begins to look like the world rather than a distinct people. A non-believer will not respond to church discipline. Moral decay begins to spread unchecked. It invites doctrinal corruption. It damages the witness of the church. The church stops looking like a holy people and becomes just another institution.

Non-believers begin to partake of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. It creates false assurance. It shifts the church's mission from evangelism, and that gets replaced with assimilation. The church stops calling for repentance clearly. The culture of this church becomes "belong first and believe later." I've seen churches that actually boldly proclaim that. Rather than what it should be — what should it be? Repent and believe. And there is pressure towards comfort, not holiness.

Continuing on in our handout here, we're moving to point number four.

Church membership provides the context for recognition of conversion, participation in the ordinances, mutual edification, encouragement, shared ministry, accountability, and corporate worship. And we're going to go through that again. Church membership provides the context for recognition of conversion, participation in the ordinances, mutual edification, encouragement, shared ministry, accountability, and corporate worship.

Formal church membership is not explicitly delineated in Scripture, but it is implicitly referenced throughout the New Testament. So through church membership, true conversion is a requirement. This is a non-negotiable.

However, it is interesting that in some churches only the members are allowed to partake in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, to ensure that only true and converted believers are participating. If one is not attending church, they are usually missing out on keeping the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, are they not?

Through church membership, mutual edification occurs, which is the strengthening, encouraging, and spiritually improving of one another. Again, those that don't attend or attend sporadically miss out on this important and vital aspect of the church, and they are missing out on their own personal sanctification.

Let's go ahead and flip to the back side again and refer to 1 Thessalonians 5:11. "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."

So we encourage each other in church, do we not? Do we not share in each other's joys and victories in life and rejoice with each other in Christ? But we also carry one another's burdens, do we not? And we pray for those who are suffering or going through trials. Again, those that don't attend church miss out on this rich blessing.

Go ahead and flip over to the main page, talking about shared ministry. Shared ministry is an integral part of any effective church. The burden of ministry doesn't just fall on the pastor or just on the group of elders, but is shared by the entire membership, regarding teaching, encouraging, giving, helping, and praying.

Accountability occurs within a healthy Bible-believing church. We hold each other accountable to live godly, holy lives. We confess our sins one to another, commanded in James 5:16. We, as church members, are the sheep, and we are under the wise and godly counsel of our pastor and elders who shepherd us with great care, love, and direction. And we have that here at Beulah Baptist.

They guide us. They give us direction. They keep our path straight. And when necessary, they may correct us when we are not completely aligned with Scripture, but they always do so in a gentle and loving manner.

Now, those that don't attend church or are not members of a local church, they don't get to experience the spiritual benefits that come from such oversight.

Corporate worship is a key attribute of a biblically-based local church. Hebrews 10 says we are not to neglect to meet together. 1 Corinthians 14 calls for orderly and edifying worship when the church gathers and comes together. Worshiping Christ in a corporate setting not only gives glory to Christ, but also it builds up one another. If one is derelict in their church attendance, not only are they missing out on participating in corporate worship, but they are also denying the blessings of others with their presence in the worship service when they're not here.

Continuing on in your handout, if in local churches believers were numbered, the reference verses cited on your handout in Acts and 1 Timothy here clearly show that formal church membership was an integral component of the fabric of the early church. Church membership is clearly seen in the context of church discipline. Again, like I said earlier, we're going to be teaching on church discipline and we're going to have a whole session on this and go into very great depth on that important topic. So stay tuned, that's coming.

But believers are commanded to hold one another accountable and, when necessary, discipline someone inside the church. So in preparation for that coming study, I kind of want to give everybody a little homework assignment here on your own so you're prepared. I kind of want to urge you to go back and reread and study Matthew 18.

And also, along with that, study 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, which is cited here in your handout.

Okay, so this command of church discipline can only be obeyed where there are church members, right? If there are no church members, there is no church discipline. Church membership is seen in the commands regarding how believers relate to their leaders and how leaders serve their fellow members. Hebrews 13:17: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." So this too would be nonsensical apart from a local church. Paul's directive to appoint local elders presupposes local churches. Titus 1:5 illustrates this: "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you."

The formal marriage ceremony is not explicitly delineated in Scripture, yet we see it practiced in Scripture. A Christian wedding ceremony solemnizes the covenant commitment between a man and a woman before a group of witnesses who celebrate, minister to, and pray for the new union. Now likewise, church membership recognizes the believer's union with Christ. In formal church membership, we celebrate, minister to, and pray for one another.

Church membership affirms and solemnizes that "so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another," Romans 12:5. So this first shows reference to the church being the bride of Christ. Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." That's the church. We see it again in Revelation 21:2: "I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

The application for point number four: consider how to serve each other in love. Galatians 5:13: "For you are called to freedom, brethren. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." So as Christians, the freedom that we have received is not a license to sin freely without suffering the repercussions. Christian freedom is not to pursue selfish pursuits, but it is to be used in the service of loving and serving one another.

Moving on to point five on your handout. The sole object of the local church is the glory of God in the complete establishment of His kingdom, both in the hearts of believers and in worship, which includes prayer and religious instruction. We see that illustrated in Hebrews 10:25: "Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." I referenced that verse earlier and we're repeating it again here.

It includes mutual watch, care, and exhortation. Hebrews 3:13: "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

It also must entail common labors for the reconciliation of the impenitent world. Therefore, Acts 8:4: "Therefore those who had been scattered went about preaching the word." If the church ceases to be evangelical, it will soon cease to be.

Local churches exist for us to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, Hebrews 10:24. The light that shines the farthest shines brightest near our home.

Matthew 5:16: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." That reminds you of a Sunday school song, and those of you back in the day probably remember this: "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine." Remember that? "Hide it under a bushel? No." That comes from Matthew 5:16.

Our application: in all things, glorify God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10–11. I'm going to close with this. "As each one has received a spiritual gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God. Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."