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).
