Weekly Update – October 1st, 2021

Typically when the average church goer thinks of membership, it is usually with the idea of having your name put on an official role at the church in which you attend.  Some would agree that it is necessary, whereas others would see it as something completely optional.  There seems to be a sense among Christians (and rightly so) that being a part of a church is good, but yet as long as they are in a church, whether committed or not, then that is okay too.  Last week, we asked the question, “Why Membership.” We said that to understand membership, we must first understand what the purpose of the church is. Then, from there, we can begin to look at what a church member is. This is such an important aspect of who we are as a church that I wanted to take this additional avenue and rehearse it again with you. So then, this week, I want to take time to explain why we place such an emphasis on membership within First Baptist Church.

Once again, when understanding membership, we must begin with a proper understanding of what the local church is.  Let me quote Jonathan Leeman from his book titled Church Membership here.  He says, “The local church is the authority on earth that Jesus has instituted to officially affirm and give shape to my Christian life and yours.”  We see this definition take center stage in Matthew 16:18-19 where it says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  The debate that always takes place here is what “this rock” is?  Is it Peter or his confession of Christ given earlier in verse 16 where he says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  The problem with this debate is that Peter and his confession cannot be separated.  So then it seems right to say “this rock” that Jesus says he will build his church, is the foundation of those who profess to believe and follow the truth of Jesus Christ.   

Therefore what we have here is the proclamation from Jesus Christ that his church will be built through the confession of true believers.  In other words, the church is composed of only those who are truly believers in Jesus Christ.  Then through these true believers, we apply what Jesus says in Matthew 16:19 about the church holding the “keys to the kingdom.”  What this means is that the church is given the authority to hear a person’s confession of faith, examine their deeds in line with that confession, and either affirm or deny the truth of what they proclaim.  By the way, I think this is why two chapters later we have Jesus again talking about the church for the second and final time in the gospels, mentioning it in the context of church discipline.  What all of this means is that according to Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, the church is meant to be a representation of the kingdom of God.  The church holds the keys to the kingdom and this kingdom is to be composed of those whose lives attest to a right confession of faith.   

So then, if the church is meant to display the kingdom of God on earth, there are many, many implications to this.  This ought to affect how we view worship, how we unite together to serve, how we teach and how we care for one another.  But in the context of membership, this ought to attest to the priority that we place upon our members.  If we allow members to walk away and live a life contrary to the claims of the gospel, then we misrepresent the kingdom of God.  Likewise, if we don’t take the time to get to know prospective members then we mishandle our duty as kingdom members before our King.  There is a seriousness placed upon membership here that we as the church representing the kingdom of God ought to take heed to.   

Therefore, if we would be clear on our confession of Christ and clear on how we demonstrate grace and mercy to each other, then we must take membership seriously.   Membership in the local church is not an optional add on to the Christian life where a Christian decides the amount of commitment they want to have.  On the contrary, membership is a necessity because the local church is the earthly representation of God’s kingdom.   Let us then as Christ’s church place a necessary seriousness on how we represent his kingdom.     

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson