From Gary V. Womack...CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

scripture reading - Acts 9:20-25

PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, PAUL (SAUL) HAD BEEN CONVERTED, OBEYING THE COMMAND OF THE LORD TO BE BAPTIZED. Acts 22:6-16

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, ABOUT 3,000 WERE SAVED IN THE SAME WAY.

Acts 2:36-41, 47 THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH (All of the saved, in the universal sense, comprehensive.)

BY THE TIME WE GET TO Acts 8 THE GOSPEL SPREADS BEYOND JERUSALEM TO SAMARIA, PHOENECIA, CYPRUS, ANTIOCH, AND EVEN TO DAMASCUS. (Acts 8:4-5; 11:19)

AFTER ABOUT 3 YEARS FROM THE TIME OF HIS CONVERSION, HAVING PREACHED IN DAMASCUS & ARABIA, AND THEN AGAIN IN DAMASCUS, PAUL GOES TO JERUSALEM. (The city from which he had gone out to persecute Christians.)  Gal. 1:17-18

Acts 9:26-30 PAUL SOUGHT TO JOIN HIMSELF TO THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM. THIS SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE TO US TO DO LIKEWISE.

JOIN [Kollao] Primarily, to glue or cement together, then, generally, to unite, to join firmly. (It is what the prodigal son did when he "joined himself to a citizen of the country..." he had gone to, for whom he fed his swine. Lk. 15:15) (It is what Paul admonishes in Rom. 12:9 when he says we are to "...Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.")

WE ARE NOT TO GET THE WRONG IMPRESSION ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS NOT LIKE A

FRATERNAL CLUB THAT WE JOIN. (Lions Club, Rotary Club, Junior Chamber of Commerce, etc.)

WHAT PAUL TRIED TO DO IS WHAT DIOTREPHES TRIED TO PREVENT AT THE CHURCH WHERE HE WAS.

3 Jn. 9-10 "I wrote to the church, but Diotephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. [10] Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church."

MANY IN THE WORLD HAVE A MISCONCEPTION OF WHAT IS INVOLVED IN BECOMING A PART OF A LOCAL COLLECTIVITY OF CHRISTIANS.

AN EXAMPLE OF SUCH MISUNDERSTANDING IS SEEN IN THE CREED BOOK OF A MAJOR DENOMINATION:

READ FROM BAPTIST MANUAL, CHAPTER IV, PAGES 22-23

THEY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT BAPTISM IS THAT ACT OF OBEDIENCE THAT PUTS US INTO CHRIST AND THEREFORE INITIATES OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD BY THE REMOVING OF THE SIN THAT SEPARATES US FROM HIM - BUT THAT IT DOES NOT MARK THE JOINING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER INTO A CORPORATE BODY.

THERE IS NO SCRIPTURE THAT TEACHES OF ANY ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH IN A UNIVERSAL SENSE OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH (Eph. 1:22-23)

THE CATHOLIC RELIGION IS BASED ON THE FALSE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DEVISE THEIR OWN HIERARCHY

.

ONLY IN A LOCAL SENSE DO WE FIND ANY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.

NOTE: Christians joining themselves together, as a members of a local church, is necessarily inferred by a number of considerations:

1. Acts 20:28 Elders are to exercise oversight of the "flock." This implies that those who make up the "flock" are subject to being overseen.

NOTE: FLOCK [Poimion] (From Poimen, a shepherd, denotes a flock {of sheep} Also translated, Pastor.)

PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO "TAKE HEED", "SHEPHERD" (FEED, kjv)

1 Pet. 5:1-4 NOTICE THE SCOPE OF THEIR AUTHORITY AS IN Acts 20:28.

MANY OF OUR OWN BRETHREN HAVE GOTTEN INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE, NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS POINT.

Heb. 13:17 "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

NOTICE THE CHURCH IS TO BE SUBJECT TO THE ELDERS. WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM & MUST GIVE AN ACCOUNTING.

NOTE: Elders cannot be accountable for the souls of their brethren if they are members "at large" and not a part of a local group where they serve. Imagine a shepherd trying to oversee sheep scattered to the far winds.

Tit. 1:5 "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-"

WHAT WAS LACKING WAS THE OVERSIGHT OF AN ORGANIZED BODY OF CHRISTIANS.

2. Heb. 10:22-25 THE COMMAND TO NOT FORSAKE THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER IMPLIES THAT THEY ARE TO BE REGULAR IN ATTENDANCE WHERE THEY HAVE JOINED THEMSELVES TOGETHER.

There is no place for a "floating" membership which cannot be overseen by elders, or capable of "drawing near with a true heart", or capable of considering "oneanother in order to stir up love and good works."

EDIFICATION

1 Thess. 5:9-15 HOW CAN WE BE INVOLVED IN EDIFYING ONE ANOTHER AS PAUL HERE DESCRIBES IF WE ARE NOT JOINED TO ONE ANOTHER?

BENEVOLENCE

IN THE AREA OF BENEVOLENCE, THE JOINING TOGETHER OF BRETHREN FACILITATES THE CARRYING OUT OF CARE FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED. This would not be possible with a "floating" membership.

1 Tim. 5:16 "If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who

are really widows." ref. vss. 3-15

1 Cor. 16:1-4 RELIEF TO BE PREPARED FOR NEEDY SAINTS IN JUDEA. ref. 2 Cor. 8:1-15

Acts 11:27-ff RELIEF SENT TO NEEDY SAINTS IN JUDEA. NOTICE THAT IT WAS GIVEN INTO THE HANDS OF THE ELDERS (at Jerusalem, 12:25)

This was an organized effort, which could not have been accomplished without the binding together of brethren in an organized group, working together to complete this work.

NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A COMMON TREASURY. THIS WOULD NECESSITATE A COMING TOGETHER OF A GROUP OF CHRISTIANS TO JOIN TOGETHER IN WORK.

WORSHIP- LORD'S SUPPER

Acts 20:7 THE OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER REQUIRED A COMING TOGETHER TO DO SO.

1 Cor. 11:17 -ff NOTICE IN vs. 22 PAUL'S REBUKE, WHICH IMPLIES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS DONE AT HOME AND WHAT IS DONE IN THE ASSEMBLY.

NOTICE IN vss. 33-34 THIS WAS AN ACT OF WORSHIP THAT TOOK PLACE WHEN THEY CAME TOGETHER. THIS IMPLIES THAT IT WAS A REGULAR PRACTICE.

DISCIPLINE

3. 2 Thess. 3:6-15 DISCIPLINE OF THIS NATURE COULD ONLY BE CARRIED OUT IF THERE WAS A CORPORATE BODY OF CHRISTIANS.

THERE COULD BE NO EFFECTIVENESS IN BRINGING ONE TO SHAME AND ULTIMATELY TO REPENTANCE.

ALSO, YOU CANNOT "WITHDRAW" FROM SOMEONE WITH WHOM THERE HAS NEVER BEEN FELLOWSHIP.

Mt. 18:15-17 JESUS' INSTRUCTIONS HERE COULD NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT A "CHURCH" TO TELL. THIS TOO REQUIRES A LOCAL BODY IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE WILL OF GOD.

CONCLUSION

Eccl. 4:9-12 SEE THE VALUE OF BEING PART OF A GROUP.

1 Cor. 12:12-ff ONE BODY (UNIVERSALLY) BUT AS WE ARE JOINED TOGETHER LOCALLY, WE ACCOMPLISH THE CARE, WATCHFULNESS, HONOR, AND ENCOURAGEMENT SO THAT THERE BE NO "SCHISM" (vs. 25-27).