Church Membership

Introduction

There are many excuses not to join a local church, and avoiding it will save you some headaches, but it is assumed in scripture that we will be banded together in the all-important task of reaching the lost.

Reasons to Join a Local Church

1. Church membership reflects the depth of relationship that ought to exist among believers.

   Acts‬ ‭20:28‬ — “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”‭‭

   Colossians‬ ‭3:13 – “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”‬‬

   Romans‬ ‭12:10‬ – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

2. Church membership contributes tothe assurance of your salvation.

   1 Corinthians‬ ‭5:2‬ – “And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.”

   ‭‭Acts‬ ‭5:13-14 – “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,”‬

3. Church membership helps you grow in spiritual maturity.

   Hebrews‬ ‭13:17‬ – “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

   Church membership enhancesthe validity of your testimony.Church membership provides a context for strategic, mobilized ministry. The church should be less like a cruise ship and more like a battleship. Rather than emphasizing their casual atmosphere and fun activities, it’s time for churches to raise the bar, to focus on a serious mission, and ensure that every person aboard serves a vital function. To make the shift, we must recapture the importance and meaning of church membership. –Ken Sande, Peacemaker Ministries

Application

It isn’t revolutionary to go to Starbucks or a golf course with a friend to “experience God.” If you want to be revolutionary, commit to a local church!

Media

Listen to the Podcast

Sermon series: The Marks of a Healthy Church. See all sermons in this series »

Photo credit: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_country_church_Cedar_Valley_near_Winona,_MN.jpg