I thought I would start a new thread on why is there membership for a church. I'm a member of a church and go to church but why do churches want you to become a member. If I left my church and went somewhereelse I would have to give up membership and then be a member of that church. Just tellme why there has to be membership involvedin churches. I do understand fellowship and all that I don't unerstand membershipto belong to a church. Please know long explainations just why. It should not make a differance if you are a member.
Well neb, why are people members of the KKK, Masons, Rotary Club, Moose Lodge, Elks,Sertoma, Knights Of Columbus, Salvation Army, etc.,etc.,etc......they all have meeting halls of some sort?
Do these have more meaning to people over being a member of a church?
__________________
Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
I don't have a real understanding of why some churches use a membership systym. I guess its mans way of affirming that folks will be in accord. I personally really have no hangups about folks that do that. I have been a member of a couple of churches.
The church I now attend don't do the membership thing. . . . .but if they did I feel that I would have to be more open up front concerning any areas that I may disagree with any beliefs that may be commonly held before joining.
These things don't bother or concern me in the least . .why worry about it?
I do know that no one can force you to be a member and I have attended a church that held membership for yrs and never joined , but only because I knew that in a matter of time I would be moving on to another denomination.
And just in case the subject spirals into it, . . .I for one feel that denominations/ sects are a good thing. I think this forum is an example that many sincere folks come away from the Scriptures with different takes and with more or less emphasis regarding particular passages. I feel that denominations allow folk of like understanding to worship together in peace and with order. I don't feel that denominations should bad mouth each other, but none the less it is more orderly when we worship with folk we are in accord with.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
I guess maybe someone could show me where it says you have to be a member of the church somewhere in the bible.
Acts 2:41-47
"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles"™ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
God addsthe savedto the church, there is NO "joining a church"in the Bible. The modern religous world has made the church of no importance and that's a serious problem. The church is where the saved people are.
Just a quick Bible study, every believer would agree that one must be reconciledto God in order to be saved. Correct?
O.k. then notice Ephesians 1:22-23, "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." The church is the "body of Christ". Notice again in Colossians 1:18, "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." The church is the body. Now notice where reconciliation to God occurs: Ephesians 2:11-16, "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh"”who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands"” 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to Godin one bodythrough the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."
We (Jews & Gentiles)are reconciled to God, where? In the ONE bodywhich isthe church. It is by the power of the cross that such a reconciliation is made possible.
Hope that wasn't too long for you! Have a great day in the Lord!
why are people members of the KKK, Masons, Rotary Club, Moose Lodge, Elks,Sertoma, Knights Of Columbus, Salvation Army, etc.,etc.,etc......they all have meeting halls of some sort?
So you believe all of these are OK, but you can't understand why people would want to be a member of a church?
__________________
Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
This is a sermon outline that I got from a great preacher on Sunday a few years back. Enjoy!
[/b] "śIs membership in the church essential to salvation"ť[/b]
In Matthew 16:13-19, Jesus promised to build His church.
-Verse 18, "ś I will build my church."ť
In Mark 9:1, Jesus said His church would come with power, and that some of
them would be alive when His "śkingdom"ť or "śchurch"ť came!
In Luke 24:45-49, right before His ascension into heaven, Jesus told His
disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received that power from on high.
In Acts 1:8, the Bible says the power would come when the Holy Spirit
of God came.
In Acts 2:1-4, the Holy Spirit of God came with power! Notice with me[/i]:
The apostles spoke in tongues they had never known
Those who heard were astonished, even accusing them
of being "śfull of new wine"ť in verse 13
Then Peter stood up and quoted the prophet Joel in verse 17
(if those people would have studied and known Joel"™s
words, they would have known what was happening)
After Peter handled the confusion, he preached the death[/b], burial[/b],
and resurrection[/b] of Jesus Christ!
In verse 29 Peter started to quote King David, how that David had foretold of the resurrection of Jesus, Read with me:[/i]
-Verse 29-36
7. Then in verse 37 something happened! Until then these people did not believe.
They thought Jesus was a fake, a fraud, a deceiver!
8. In the course of this sermon, Peter supplied the evidence in order to convince
them that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah of prophecy! Notice:[/i]
In verse 36, they got it! They understood!
In verse 37, they were ready to change and asked what to do!
Peter answered them in verse 38, with the same response the church must teach in this day and age.
And in verse 47, God added them to the church that Jesus said he would build.
9. You see, the church of Christ, the church that Jesus said He would build, is
a result of the gospel preached and obeyed!
Now, if you approached most people in Montgomery, most people who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and asked them if being a member of the church was essential to salvation, most of them would say "śNO"ť.
Most of the good people who believe in Jesus - believe that one must accept Christ, but not the church. Just take Christ, leave the church!
10. However if you presented that question in any other way you would probably
receive a "śYES!"ť
If you asked: "śMust one obey the gospel to be saved?"ť[/b]
Almost everyone would say yes!
11. Romans 1:16
12. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 "“ This is the gospel, God"™s remedy for our sin problem!
13. Matthew 7:21
That verse answers the question "śwho is going to heaven?"ť
Everyone who does the will of Christ.
So when we obey the gospel of Christ, we obey the will of Christ,
and we can live and die in the hope of heaven!
14. 1 Peter 4:17 "“ In regard to a suffering, not the final judgment.
But consider the great question!
What will be the end of those who don"™t obey the gospel?
15. Paul answers this one in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
He"™s not coming to make exceptions, or to give second chances,
Jesus will return to take vengeance on all who"¦
16. Someone is going to suffer the vengeance of God.
17. So then what exactly happens when one obeys the gospel?
What happened when those obeyed the gospel on the day of Pentecost?
God added them to the church, Verse 47.
You see, one cannot obey the gospel of Christ without being added to
the church of Christ.
18. So when you ask must one obey the gospel to be saved, you have really
asked, must one be a member of the church to be saved! It"™s the same thing,
if you"™ve done one then you"™ve done the other!
19. Because God takes the saved and adds them to the church! It"™s not up to
us, it is God"™s job to add to His church!
How about this one: "śMust a person contact the blood of Christ to be saved?[/b]"ť
Anyone who believes the Bible would answer yes to contacting the blood!
You must contact the blood of Christ to live and die in the hope of heaven!
20. Matthew 26:28 "“ Jesus said"¦
21. Ephesians 1:7
22. Hebrews 9:12
23. 1 Peter 1:18-19
24. Revelation 1:5
All the power of God to remit our sins is found in the blood of Christ!
25. Remember John 19:34? "śforthwith came blood and water"ť
It was in His death that His blood was shed
A person must get to the death of Christ to find the blood of Christ
But a person can"™t go back 2000 years to Calvary, so in some like
figurative manner mankind must get to the death of the Lord Jesus!
26. Romans 6:1-4, read with me "¦
So then it is by baptism that we get to the redeeming blood of Christ.
We must contact the blood of Christ shed in the death of Christ to
receive forgiveness. And that is accomplished in baptism!
Baptism is the culminating act of obedience to the gospel!
27. So then we contact the blood of Christ, by obeying the gospel of Christ, and thus
are added to the church of Christ!
Remember! Acts 2:47, says God adds the saved to the church.
Who are the saved? Those who obey the gospel of Christ.
Who are the saved? Those who contact the blood of Christ.
How does one contact the redeeming blood? By obeying the gospel.
And what does God do when one obeys the gospel of Christ, and contacts the blood of Christ? He adds them to the church of Christ!
28. All these questions mean the same thing!
Must one contact the blood?
Must one obey the gospel?
Must one be a member of the church?
These are all just different ways of asking the same thing!
And the answer to each of them is YES!
29. One might ask, "śMust one be reconciled to God in order to be saved?"ť[/b]
Every one who believes the Bible would say, yes!
A person must be reconciled to God in order to be saved!
30. Most everyone knows that sin has made a great gulf between God and man.
In Luke 16:6, Father Abraham tells that rich man "“ "śBesides all this, [/i]
there is a great gulf fixed between us and you[/i]!
31. Isaiah 59:1-2
32. 2 Corinthians 5:19, --- we must be reconciled, our sin has separated us!
Man can"™t build a bridge to God. God had to build the bridge for us to
be reconciled to Him! And He did!
From Genesis 3:15, through he rest of the Bible, God is building a bridge for us to cross, by faith in Him. And in the fullness of time, Christ comes into the world, He lives the perfect life, He dies the horrible death, He is buried, and then He is raised from the dead. At that point God"™s scheme of redemption is done! His bridge is built!
Now all that is left is for mankind to cross that bridge, and the conditions of the gospel are the steps we must take, we must believe (Romans 10:10),
repent (Acts 2:38), Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 10:32), be baptized for the remission of sins (Romans 6:1-4) and live faithfully (Hebrews 11:6). That is how we cross God"™s great bridge of reconciliation!
33. Consider with me the passage in Ephesians 2:11-16
Notice where mankind is reconciled to God - In the one body!
What is this one body? Ephesians 1:22-23 says the body is the church!
We are reconciled to God in the church, so if you want to be reconciled
to God, you must be in His church! It is the place of reconciliation!
34. So being reconciled to God is the same thing as being a member of the church!
35. The question of membership in the church has been answered this morning,
YES, membership in Christ"™s church is essential to salvation!
Do you need to obey the gospel this morning?
Do you need to contact the blood of Christ this morning?
Do you need to be reconciled to God this morning?
Then you need to become a member of the church this morning!
I would like to thank you for the responces and I do see your points but still to me having your name on the books as a member to me doesn't mean much to me. I have been a member of a church for 26 years and I consider it a church I go too but it isn't any better then the church down the road that teaches the word of God.
Am a member of the church in Heaven, the rest down here are social clubs.
Including paying dues.
__________________
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14
פרץ
Neb,
Here is the reason for most churches that I've been in.
1. They need toknow that you are goingto finantially support them.
Members get these perks
a. Use of building for weddings or funerals
b. can call on pastor for visits for hospital etc.
I know some will go to anyoneto help , but most take care of their members first.
2. They need to know that members won't just get up and leave.They can plan building projects etc.
3. They have to report to a higher bishop or overseer of how mant souls or members were added. If the church is not growing I've seen pastors removed. So membership is a form of data keeping.
In Summary...IMHO membership is to help the pastor plan his budget...and to let the overseerers assess how that certain church is doing.
Why membership
