Our main point today is this:
“Believers are welcomed into the church through repenting and believing in Christ. Believers maintain their fellowship in the body through the regular practices (ordinances) of the church – Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.” [i]
We will be covering three aspects today: church membership, baptism & the Lord’s Supper.
MEMBERSHIP
What kind of memberships do you have?
A lot of us have warehouse memberships – Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and Costco.
Some have AARP, Triple A, and credit union memberships.
Others may have golf, tennis, swimming, or gym memberships.
How many of you have Amazon Prime, or Netflix, Hulu, Disney Channel, or other streaming memberships?
We probably have more memberships than we realize.
With memberships, we often have an ID card or a username and password. That’s what identifies us as a member and gives us access to the inside. Without that, we aren’t allowed to use the services or purchase goods.
When we think of memberships, we don’t often think about church memberships.
Do you think it’s important to join a church by being a member of the church?
Is church membership just as important as church attendance?
If you’re like me, you grew up in a time when most everyone was a member of a church – even if they didn’t go. I can remember looking at the church directory and seeing some of our neighbors’ names and addresses listed. I had never seen some of those people there.
Nowadays, some churches don’t even provide the opportunity to be a member. Church memberships are not as prevalent as they once were.
“The share of Americans who were not a member of a church or synagogue has been increasing since 1992. In 2022, about 53 percent of Americans were not members of a church or synagogue. In that same year, 46 percent of Americans were members of a church or synagogue.” That same study showed that in 1992, 31 years ago, 70% of Americans had a church membership while only 29% did not.[ii]
It would be interesting to see the results if church memberships are renewed every year like other memberships. If a church sent out emails advising its members, “Your church membership is about to expire. No action is required if you wish to continue being a part of FBC Jonesboro. However, if you wish to remove your membership from FBC Jonesboro, please use this link to cancel.” I wonder how many people would cancel their membership because they didn’t think the church was offering them enough to make it worth their time.
Church attendance has its own statistics. Lifeway Research recently asked pastors and churchgoers what constitutes regular church attendance.
“Pastors are most likely to say attending church twice a month qualifies as being regular (30%). Others say attending once a month makes someone a regular churchgoer (24%). Perhaps most intriguing, older pastors are most inclined to have a higher standard for defining a regular attendee, saying at least weekly attendance is required (22%).
These numbers are quite different from the perspective of those regularly in the pew. Churchgoers are more likely to define regular attendance according to their own attendance practices. For example, 86% of those who attend at least once a month define regular attendance as at least once a month. Still, 2 in 5 (37%) of those who attend one to three times a month would define regular attendance as at least weekly.”[iii]
So, if we can agree that church membership as well as church attendance are important, then what does it mean to be an attending member of a church?
Thom Rainer, who was once the President and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources has written several books. One of them is entitled I Am a Church Member. When asked why a current church member should read his book, this was his response.
“My research shows that most church members do not have a biblical understanding of church membership. The church, for many, is a place to go to be served rather than to serve. I hope that my book will have a role in turning that type of attitude upside down. The biblical picture of church membership is one of serving and giving. In that regard, I hope every church member who picks up the book will benefit.”[iv]
Do you agree with his assessment that many people go to be served rather than to serve? Why do you think that is?
Jesus references the church in Matthew 16:18b GWT “ I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free.”
The church was and continues to be built by Jesus and empowered by Jesus. He uses people as the building materials of a church. If you were to go to Home Depot or Lowes with theto buyls to construct a building, you would need many different items. You would most likely need concrete, drywall, lumber, steel beams, electrical wire, plumbing, insulation, roofing, plywood, etc. Each type of material would be necessary to serve its purpose. Unless you use each essential piece and have it in a position to do what it’s supposed to do, your building won’t pass inspection.
Have you ever walked through a house that’s in the middle of construction? You’re likely to be walking on sheets of plywood and looking through studded walls. It’s not livable in that state because it’s incomplete. That’s the way some churches are trying to function nowadays. They don’t have enough people willing to serve and carry out their purpose.
We are called to be part of the church, to be used by Jesus as building materials to serve our purpose. But some people aren’t willing to be used. They just want to show up on Sunday mornings, make their presence known, and then go back to their normaSome mayugh Saturday.
There are some who may feel as if they’ve done their duty, they’ve served their time on committees or volunteering in the church. They consider themselves retired from church service. But should we ever feel that way? Should we ever think that we’ve exhausted our purpose in God’s house?
Going back to the building example. What would you do if a piece of drywall in your home began to buckle? More than likely, you’d rip it out, throw it away, and replace it. You’d do that because it was no longer of service to you. It wasn’t doing what it was designed to do and because it wasn’t serving like it was expected, it very likely would create problems or cause detrimental issues with other parts of the structure.
The same is true for church members. If we aren’t doing our share, dedicating our time and devotion, and we aren’t serving in the capacity that God has called us to, then it’s likely we might create problems are cause detrimental issues simply because we aren’t as invested as we should be. And God’s purposes will always be carried out whether we do our part or not. If we are like the bucklall and not doing our share, God will simply use someone who is willing.
We think of the first church in the Bible as being those congregated at Pentecost. You may recall that the people were all gathered in one place when a loud noise came upon them. The noise filled the room and tongues of fire sat on each person there. And although different languages were being spoken, they could understand foreign languages. The people were amazed, and Peter explained that this was the gift of the Holy Spirit. He makes the connection between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:37 ICB “36 “So, all the people of Israel should know this truly: God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. He is the man you nailed to the cross!”
37 When the people heard this, they were sick at heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is for you. It is also for your children and for all who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself.”
40 Peter warned them with many other words. He begged them, “Save yourselves from the evil of today’s people!” 41 Then those people who accepted what Peter said were baptized. About 3,000 people were added to the number of believers that day. 42 They spent their time learning the apostles’ teaching. And they continued to share, to break bread, and to pray together.
43 The apostles were doing many miracles and signs. And everyone felt great respect for God. 44 All the believers stayed together. They shared everything. 45 They sold their land and the things they owned. Then they divided the money and gave it to those people who needed it. 46 The believers met together in the Temple every day. They all had the same purpose. They broke bread in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts. 47 They praised God, and all the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding those people to the group of believers.”
Those there accepted and believed and became part of the church. They were baptized. They learned from the apostles’ teaching. They shared, they broke bread and prayed together. And they stayed together. They worshipped together. They became family. They became a united body. How different are churches today from the church described at Pentecost?
1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
It’s not enough to just be a member of a church. We should be active and serving members of our church. Did you notice what God did when the people came together and served? Verse 47 of Acts 2 tells us that the Lord added to the group of believers.
Jesus builds the church and Jesus adds to the church as He sees fit but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t have a purpose for each of us.
BAPTISM
Do you consider baptism to be an important step for believers?
“Baptism is significant in that it represents the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism publicly acknowledges one’s confession of faith and belief in the gospel message. It also symboSome people feelto the community of believers (the church).”[v]
There are some people who feel as if baptism is required as part of salvation. They’ll use the argument that Jesus was baptized. But Jesus didn’t need salvation; He is salvation. Jesus was baptized as a showing that He was the Messiah and His baptism is what brought the Holy Trinity together at that moment. God spoke from Heaven, the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven to Earth, and Jesus was on Earth. John the Baptist and any others present would have had the privilege of witnessing the unity of the Three.
But is baptism necessary?
Mark 16:16 HCSB “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” It doesn’t say whoever is not baptized will be condemned. The believing or not believing is the key to salvation.
“Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are signs of continued fellowship with the local body of Christ.”[vi]
THE LORD’S SUPPER
Matthew 26:26-29
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Participating in the Lord’s Supper or Communion as it is sometimes called, is a reminder of the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us. It’s usually a somber and thought-provoking experience. Or at least it should be.
“In many ways the Lord’s Supper is like a wedding ring that God has given to the church. The Lord’s supper if we just look at the physical elements of it is not something very significant, it is simply a little wine and a little bread. These are in very basic foods. We don’t have any meat here, we don’t have any expensive or exotic foods. Everything is very simple. The significance of the Lord’s Supper is in what it represents. Just as the wedding ring is an important reminder of my marriage and the promises that my wife and I have made to each other, so also the Lord’s Supper is a vital reminder of what Christ has done for us.
God knows that we are forgetful people and that we need regular reminders of these vital truths in our lives.”[vii]
Taking of the Lord’s Supper should never be done without reflection. Listen to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 11: 27 ERV “27 So if you eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in a way that does not fit its meaning, you are sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 Before you eat the bread and drink the cup, you should examine your own attitude. 29 If you eat and drink without paying attention to those who are the Lord’s body, your eating and drinking will cause you to be judged guilty. 30 That is why many in your group are sick and weak, and many have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves in the right way, then God would not judge us. 32 But when the Lord judges us, he punishes us to show us the right way. He does this so that we will not be condemned with the world.”
Membership, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. All are designed to keep us connected to the family of God.
[i] Credit to Andy Cauble
[ii] Church membership among Americans 2022 | Statista
[iii] Being the Church: Church Attendance Isn’t the Goal – Lifeway Research
[iv] Rethinking church membership: An interview with Thom Rainer (religionnews.com)
[v] What is the Purpose of Baptism in the Christian Life? (learnreligions.com)
[vi] Credit to Andy Cauble
[vii] The Lord’s Supper | What Is It and Why We Do It – The Suko Family
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