"Churchgoers are not members of a country club, but rather members of the body of Christ. We should therefore stamp this image upon our hearts. If you feel called to leave a local church, here are seven things to do to ensure you leave it in the right way." - Facts & Trends
Reposted from It Is Written.
Should we allow minors into the membership of the church? Most evangelical churches would, without hesitation, answer this question affirmatively. Those that practice infant baptism believe the Bible warrants the inclusion of the children of believers into the membership of the church de jure. On the other hand, many Baptist churches today pressure young children to “make a decision for Christ” and accept such decisions or professions of faith without careful reflection on credibility.
"If we unpack all of what Scripture teaches about the local church, we’ll find that church membership is in fact in every nook and cranny of the New Testament. In that light, I want to focus on just one aspect of how Scripture talks about the church—the images of the church—and consider how these metaphors support and inform our understanding church membership." - 9 Marks
In my book, What’s it Mean to be a Baptist?, I chat a bit about church covenants for members. They’re important. They aren’t commanded in the Scriptures, of course, but I believe they’re a good tool to capture and convey the proper responsibilities members of a local church have towards each other.
Church members are in covenant with God because He’s saved them and made them members of the New and better covenant through His eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Being a Christian means a radical shift in priorities and self-identity. It means you want to live for the Lord, and not for yourself. The Apostle Peter has some good insight for us (1 Pet 4:1-3):1
So, because Christ suffered in the body, you also must arm yourselves [with] the same mindset, because the one who is suffering in the body is now through with sin, to no longer live the rest of his life according to men’s lusts, but instead according to God’s will. Because enough time has now passed [for you] to have accomplished the desire of unbelievers. You used to live a life of debauchery, wicked lusts, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties and disgusting idol worship.
"Sadly, one thing that many Christians fail to account for when moving from one area to another is church. The thought process is frequently that a new church can be found upon arrival. That is a mistake – possibly a tragic mistake." - A Day in His Court
This article is based on a sermon I preached on 23 September 2018, on the occasion of a new Christian joining our congregation.
Church membership is important. You’ve probably heard it before. But, why is it important? To frame the issue before I answer, I’d like to use an analogy.
The war in the European theater began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The Germans quickly overran the hapless Poles, some of whose army units even launched suicidal, mounted cavalry charges against tanks. Nearly nine months of uneasy calm followed, then, the Germans invaded France and the Low Countries in May 1940. In short order, they found themselves masters of Western Europe. Only Britain stood alone, but its army was forced to abandon most of its equipment on the beaches as it frantically evacuated the continent.
The US entered the war in December 1941 and began pouring men and material into Britain. The ground effort against Nazi Germany began with Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942, and then in Sicily in July 1943. However, while the ground forces attacked this “soft underbelly” of Europe, British and American flyers began a campaign to destroy German industry by means of round the clock bombings. The British flew at night, and the Americans by day.
