{"id":130,"date":"2011-07-20T06:29:56","date_gmt":"2011-07-19T19:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/providence.buzzrocketmedia.com\/?page_id=130"},"modified":"2015-06-25T14:14:09","modified_gmt":"2015-06-25T20:14:09","slug":"why-join-a-church","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/?page_id=130","title":{"rendered":"Why Join a Church?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At a time when commitment is a rare commodity, it should come as no surprise that church membership is such a low priority to so many believers.<\/p>\n

Sadly, it is not uncommon for Christians to move from church to church, never submitting themselves to the care of elders and never committing themselves to a group of fellow believers.<\/p>\n

To neglect\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor to refuse\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto join a church as a formal member, however, reflects a misunderstanding of the believer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s responsibility to the body of Christ. And it also cuts one off from the many blessings and opportunities that flow from this commitment. Mere attendance without commitment or remaining in\u00c2\u00a0 permanent \u00e2\u20ac\u0153visitor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d status is not consistent with the Christianity revealed in Scripture.<\/p>\n

It is essential for every Christian to understand what church membership is and why it matters. This position\u00c2\u00a0paper is\u00c2\u00a0offered to clarify the issue. The elders of Providence hope it will move the uncommitted to faithful committment and the misinformed to a solid biblical understanding on the matter of membership.<\/p>\n

The Definition of Church Membership
\n<\/strong>
\nWhen an individual is saved, he becomes a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Because he is united to Christ and the other members of the body in this way, he is therefore qualified to become member of a local expression of that body.<\/p>\n

To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes.<\/p>\n

These purposes include receiving instruction from God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2), serving and edifying one another through the proper use of their gifts (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 1 Pet. 4:10-11), participating in the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost (Matt. 28:18- 20).<\/p>\n

In addition, when one becomes a member of a church, he submits himself to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders that God has placed in that assembly.<\/p>\n

The Basis for Church Membership
\n<\/strong>. .<\/span>
\nAlthough Scripture does not contain an explicit command to formally join a local church, the biblical foundation for church membership permeates the New Testament.<\/p>\n

This biblical basis can be seen most clearly in (1) the example of the early church, (2) the existence of church government, (3) the exercise of church discipline, and (4) the exhortation to mutual edification.<\/p>\n

.<\/span>
\nThe Example of the Early Church
\n.<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.<\/span>
\nIn the early church, coming to Christ meant belonging to the church. The idea of experiencing salvation without belonging to a local church is foreign to the New Testament.
\n.<\/span>
\nWhen individuals repented and believed in Christ, they were baptized and added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5).
\n.<\/span>
\nMore than simply living out a private commitment to Christ, this meant joining together formally with other believers in a local assembly and devoting themselves to the apostles\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42).
\n.<\/span>
\nThe epistles of the New Testament were written to churches. In the case of the few written to individuals\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsuch as Philemon, Timothy and Titus\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthese individuals were leaders in churches. The New Testament epistles themselves demonstrate that the Lord assumed that believers would be committed to a local assembly.
\n.<\/span>
\nThere is also evidence in the New Testament that just as there was a list of widows eligible for financial support (1 Tim. 5:9), there may also have been a list of members that grew as people were saved (cf. Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5).
\n.<\/span>
\nIn fact, when a believer moved to another city, his church often wrote a letter of commendation to his new church (Acts 18:27; Rom. 16:1; Col. 4:10; cf. 2 Cor. 3:1-2).
\n.<\/span>
\nIn the book of Acts, much of the terminology fits only with the concept of formal church membership.
\n.<\/span>
\nPhrases such as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the whole congregation\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (6:5), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the church in Jerusalem\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (8:1), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the disciples\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Jerusalem (9:26), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in every church\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (14:23), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the whole\u00c2\u00a0church\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (15:17), and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the elders of the church\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Ephesus (20:17), all suggest recognizable church membership with well-defined boundaries (also see 1 Cor. 5:4; 14:23; and Heb. 10:25).<\/p>\n

..<\/span>
\nThe Existence of Church Government<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that a plurality of elders is to oversee each local body of believers. The specific duties given to these elders presuppose a clearly defined group of church members who are under their care.
\n.<\/span>
\nAmong other things, these godly men are responsible to shepherd God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s people (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2), to labor diligently among them (1 Thess. 5:12), to have charge over them (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17), and to keep watch over their souls (Heb. 13:17).
\n.<\/span>
\nScripture teaches that the elders will give an account to God for the individuals allotted to their charge (Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:3). Elders don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give an account for\u00c2\u00a0those who aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t allotted to their charge.
\n.<\/span>
\nThose responsibilities require that there be a distinguishable, mutually understood membership in the local church.
\n.<\/span>
\nElders can shepherd the people and give an account to God for their spiritual well-being only if they know who they are; they can provide oversight only if they know those for whom they are responsible; and they can fulfill their duty to shepherd the flock only if they know who is part of the flock and who is not.
\n.<\/span>
\nThe elders of a church are not responsible for the spiritual well-being of every individual who visits the church or who attends sporadically. Rather, they are primarily responsible to shepherd those who have submitted themselves to the care and the authority of the elders, and this is done through church membership.
\n.<\/span>
\nConversely, Scripture teaches that believers are to submit to their elders. Hebrews 13:17 says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Obey your leaders, and submit to them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The question for each believer is, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Who are your leaders?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153To whom do you submit under your allegiance to Jesus Christ?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n.<\/span>
\nThe one who has refused to join a local church and entrust himself to the care and the authority of the elders has no leaders. There is no biblical submission for that individual in terms of church membership.
\n.<\/span>
\nFor that person, obedience to Hebrews 13:17 is impossible. To put it simply, this verse requires that every believer knows to whom he must submit, which, in turn, assumes clearly defined church membership.
\n.<\/span>
\n.<\/span>
\nThe Exercise of Church Discipline
\n<\/em><\/strong>.<\/span>
\nIn Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines the way the church is to seek the restoration of a believer who has fallen into sin\u00e2\u20ac\u201da four-step process commonly known as church discipline. First, when a brother sins, he is to be confronted privately by a single individual (v. 15). The individual in this context is clearly another member of the church. Mutual accountability is understood.
\n.<\/span>
\nIf he refuses to repent, that individual is to take one or two other believers from that local body along to confront him again (v. 16). If the sinning brother refuses to listen to the two or three, they are then to tell it to the church (v. 17).
\n.<\/span>
\nIf there is still no repentance, the final step is to put the person out of the assembly (v. 17; cf. 1 Cor. 5:1-13). This is only possible if the sinning brother is already a member<\/em> of the assembly.
\n.<\/span>
\nThe exercise of church discipline according to Matthew 18 and other passages (1 Cor. 5:1- 13; 1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 3:10-11) presupposes that the elders of a church know who their members are.
\n.<\/span>
\nFor example, the elders of Providence Church have neither the responsibility nor the authority to discipline a member of the church down the street.
\n.<\/span>
\nSadly, the widespread lack of understanding of church membership makes it necessary for our elders to consider the discipline not only of\u00c2\u00a0official members but also those who regularly fellowship at <\/em>Providence<\/em> Baptist<\/em> Church<\/em>.
\n.<\/span>
\nHowever, the Bible\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s teaching on church discipline assumes church membership.<\/p>\n

. .<\/span>
\nThe Exhortation to Mutual Edification
\n<\/em><\/strong>. .<\/span>
\nThe New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ, and that God has called every member to a life devoted to the growth of the body.
\n.<\/span>
\nIn other words, Scripture exhorts all believers to edify the other members by practicing the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153one-anothers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of the New Testament (e.g., Heb. 10:24-25) and exercising their spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).
\n. .<\/span>
\nMutual edification can only take place in the context of the corporate body of Christ. Exhortations to this kind of ministry presuppose that believers have committed themselves to other believers in a specific local assembly. Church membership is simply the formal way to make that commitment.<\/p>\n

. .<\/span>
\nSummary<\/strong>
\n<\/em>. .<\/span>
\nLiving out a commitment to a local church involves many responsibilities: exemplifying a godly lifestyle in the community, exercising one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spiritual gifts in diligent service, contributing financially to the work of the ministry, giving and receiving admonishment with meekness and in love, and faithfully participating in corporate worship.
\n.<\/span>
\nMuch is expected, but much is at stake. For only when every believer is faithful to this kind of commitment is the church able to live up to her calling as Christ\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s representative here on earth.
\n.<\/span>
\nBecause the elders of Providence Baptist Church love Jesus Christ and because they care deeply\u00c2\u00a0for the eternal well-being of His sheep, we must admonish every true believer to embrace those behaviors which will most benefit their souls in obedience to Christ.<\/p>\n

This is what membership is all about.<\/p>\n

The Next Step
\n<\/em><\/strong>
\nNow that you know how the Bible regards membership and its importance to your own spiritual growth and well-being, you need a way to respond obediently to this truth.<\/p>\n

If you have attended Providence services for a few weeks and have\u00c2\u00a0gotten a sense of our passion for the glory of God through Christ-centered worship and expository preaching, the next step toward membership is to request a\u00c2\u00a0membership package.<\/p>\n

This package\u00c2\u00a0primarily consists of\u00c2\u00a0a document called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What We Teach\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong> as a church. This information is also available on this website under the same title.<\/p>\n

After taking time to examine this document, the next step is to set up an appointment with one of our elders for an\u00c2\u00a0opportunity to discuss church membership, your spiritual background, areas in the body of Christ where you would like to serve in building-up the body, and your own personal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Our pastor-elders are Steve Ballinger, Rex Branstetter, Kevin Grant, Brant Steffey, and Robert Vickery.<\/p>\n

For His Glory,
\nThe Elders of Providence<\/p>\n

.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a time when commitment is a rare commodity, it should come as no surprise that church membership is such a low priority to so many believers. Sadly, it is not uncommon for Christians to move from church to church, never submitting themselves to the care of elders and never committing themselves to a group … <\/p>\n

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