The Emperor's New Clothes

Those individuals eligible for membership who shall desire to become members of this church shall make written applications to the pastor or church board. The church board shall have the right and authority to determine the eligibility and acceptability of all applicants for membership by majority vote. Those approved for membership by the church board shall be received into the church publicly at any of its regular services, and their names thereupon added to the church membership roll. No applicant for membership shall be accepted as a member within 30 days before an annual business meeting or within 10 days before a special business meeting.

Matthew and Paul applied for membership back in September of last year.

Rick & Teresa applied 4 days before the deadline.

All of their applications were accepted by the Board that same month.

The problem has been trying to get them into a membership class which we started doing for all members a few years ago.

Such a class is helpful to new members to know what membership at New Life Family Church is all about.

I have given all of them pieces of the class:

A copy of the Constitution.

A copy of the book: Bait of Satan

A copy of the brochure I created on resolving conflict in the church — since conflict is inevitable.

I hope to get all of these new members together in the next couple of weeks to discuss these and other things about our church.

C.Because, what is church membership all about?

Is it just about voting at Business Meetings?

Not at all.

Church membership is so much more.

At its heart is Family and how we relate to each other — how we build one another up in Jesus.

D. A couple of weeks ago I we discussed current trends in the American church.

One trend is to de-emphasize membership.

A lot of that has to do with most churches now being “nondenominational.”

Unfortunately, a lack of formal membership leads to a lack of church governance.

Such “non-governance” causes pastors to become untethered from accountability.

I’ve talked to people who recently joined this church who said that at their former church they:

Never had a business meeting.

They never knew anything about finances.

They didn’t know who made the decisions — big or small.

As we are constantly seeing, most churches decisions are being made by CEO-type pastors.

And too many are making not just bad decisions, but illegal decisions.

Folks, this is a congregational church. The membership, through a majority vote, has the final word in all decisions.

But, I can tell you right now, that I, as the pastor, do not like to have 51/49% votes.

If we have that, I feel we need to go back to the drawing board — that’s why we didn’t change the service times when daylight savings kicked in — we didn’t have a consensus.

But, on the other hand, I feel good about the vote on the Digital sign

We had a good showing of members.

We had a good question/answer and discussion time.

We ended up with 26 for and 5 against a digital sign.

I read every one of the opinions expressed on the “Against” votes because EVERY vote is important.

E. And church membership is important.

1. Taking this formal step emphasizes that a light has come on in your thinking.

2. That you understand and want to obey God’s design for the Christian life.

i. BIBLICAL Christianity ALWAYS involves individual Christians being a part of a local Body of believers.

ii. The Bible does NOT teach the concept of “Lone Ranger” Christians.

Yesterday, I was reading an email I get from Pastor Charlie.

He talked about the barrage of requests over the Christmas season. People “asking” for money and other things. He said: The posts typically offered a story of hardships, followed by a request for favors, gifts and/or money, and in one case there was a link to an Amazon wish list from which you could choose a gift to send the asker.

While I do not doubt that people have real needs, nor am I assuming these people were simply digital con artists trying to run a scam, there is a greater truth to be uncovered.

He goes on to talk about how his small church “partnered” with another small church to help meet the needs of families.

He says: We were determined that all the needs made known to that … church would be met. So, what is the difference? In a word “Community”! While we did not know the children [and families] personally, we were working in the context of community or a fellowship. Their church ministered to them and their families, their church leaders reached out to us and asked our church leaders to help. Our church leaders led our church members to give. One part of the body of Christ served another. Our congregation’s giving was a force multiplier for our sister congregation’s ministry.

Too many people today have NO community.

3. BUT, Biblical Christians understand that God has placed them in “Community” in the Body of Christ.

i. Whether or not you make a formal commitment you recognize:

ii. 1 Corinthians 12:18, 27 (NASB95) But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

D. Ephesians 3:10 reminds us that: His [God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

E. I like what Jeff Harris in his: Warrior Poet Daily Devotional . Jeff Harris says about the church revealing the wisdom of God to all. He says:

1. … The mystery of Jesus is revealed in the Church! A Christianity devoid of community is an anomaly that is incongruent with Jesus’ vision and the reality of a unified body. If you are to progress in your faith, the progress always includes the local body of believers, not just a select affinity group, but the messiness of the book of Acts. To serve God divorced from the Body is to deny a local body its vitality. No greater wounded-ness is revealed than by those who live their faith in Jesus alienated from a local body. No amount of hyper-hermeneutics will slither through Jesus' intent through the local body.

F. Words to ponder and pray about!

G. We need the local church to fulfill Jesus’ command in:

1. John 13:34–35 (NASB95) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

All people will know you are the disciples of Christ if you can love one another through the messiness church family relations.

Bring Members Forward

A. So, this morning New Life Family Church has the privilege of welcoming, loving and COVENENTING WITH 4 new ADULT members and 0 new junior members.

1. 4 more people who have elected to put down roots not only in Christ, but also in this church.

2. Matthew Huber, Paul Elliott and Rick & Teresa Wilcox, would come forward?

3. Please face the congregation.

B. Would the Board, Madeline, Jay, George, Michelle, and our newest Board Memeber (as of today) Cecelia Funderburk who is serving as Corporate Secretary. Will all of you come and join these new members?

C.These newest members have…

1. … made proper application and have been approved by the Official Board of the church and are now ready to receive the right hand of fellowship by this congregation.

G. Our new members, and we as a church are going to remind each other of our responsibilities and privileges.

1. Our FAMILY COVENANT together.

H. I will begin with our newest members:

1. I am going to read a statement and ask that if you agree with it that you say, “I do.”

I. Here goes:

J. Having been led by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, and desiring fellowship with people of like precious faith, and now in the presence of God and this assembly you are entering into a covenant relationship with these members of the Body of Christ.

K. So, do you promise that with the help of the Holy Spirit you will:

1. walk together with the other members of this church in Christian love?

2. work for the advancement of this church?

3. help it pursue holiness and a deeper knowledge of Jesus?

4. promote its prosperity and spirituality?

5. sustain its worship, doctrines and disciplines?

6. contribute regularly and cheerfully to the support of its ministries and activities?

7. If so answer: I do.

L. Do you promise to:

1. maintain your personal devotions?

2. seek the salvation of the lost?

3. avoid sin by avoiding the very appearance of evil?

4. seek that love which thinks no evil?

5. If so answer: I do.

M. Do you further promise to:

1. watch over the other members of this church in Christian love?

2. to remember each other in prayer?

3. to aid each other in distress and sickness

4. to be courteous and forgiving to one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you?

5. If so answer: I do.

N. Church, please stand. Do you promise to:

1. watch over Paul AND Matthew in Christian love?

2. to remember them in prayer?

3. to aid them in distress and sickness?

4. to be courteous and forgiving to them even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you?

5. If so answer: I do.

O. We therefore, as the Church of Jesus Christ and members of His Body, now receive you, into our fellowship and communion, recognizing that God has already added you to His Church. And we pray that the blessing of the Lord be upon you always.

P. Prayer with the Board.

Q. ALL come and welcome!

The Emperor’s New Clothes

There is a children’s morality tale written by Hans Christian Andersen called the The Emperor's New Clothes.

I read the story again as I prepared for this message.

If you are unfamiliar with it or would like to have a good book of stories that teach lessons to go along with Bible accounts, then I recommend a book written by former Secretary of Education, William Bennett, entitled: The Book of Virtues.

To summarize, the story tells about…

Two swindlers who arrive at the capital city of an emperor who spends lavishly on clothing at the expense of state matters.

Posing as weavers, they offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are stupid or incompetent.

The emperor hires them, and they set up looms and go to work.

A succession of officials, and then the emperor himself, visit them to check their progress.

Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought a fool.

Finally, the weavers report that the emperor's suit is finished.

They mime dressing him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city.

The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all.

The people then realize that everyone has been fooled.

Although startled, the emperor continues the procession, walking more proudly than ever.

Bill Bennett tells us:

In this classic [story], we see that it is often harder to be honest than it is to be silent, especially when honesty requires going against popular opinion.

Folks, let’s NOT be afraid to go against public opinion.

Let’s admit that we live in a day when this story is our current reality.

The devil, who is a liar and a swindler has come to town and sold people a bill of goods.

He has convinced so many who lead this country to declare how wise and competent they are — who claimed to be clothed in glorious robes of the finest material.

But they are really naked.

Or, if not naked, they are clothed as Isaiah 64:6 says:

Isaiah 64:6 (NASB95) … all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

They are like the Laodicieans in:

Revelation 3:17–18 (LSB) [Jesus said] ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked. 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be manifested; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

God is calling us to a different standard.

Not to be clothed in the filthy rags of our own wisdom, our own intellect, our own righteousness (which is not righteousness at all!).

Jesus is calling us to come out from among the world and be separate.

He is calling on us to consecrate ourselves to Him.

He is calling us to be “clothed with the righteousness of Christ.”

Romans 13:14 (NASB95) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, … Romans 13:14 (NLT) … clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

That is supposed to be our current state:

Galatians 3:27 (NASB95) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Colossians 3:10 (NLT) Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

As says: Leviticus 20:7–8 (NASB95) ‘You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 8 ‘You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

AMG Concise Bible Dictionary says that consecration is:

The cleansing of someone or something from sin and ritual impurity, and then dedicating the person or thing for a specific purpose.

Consecration means setting apart people or things from the common affairs of life and dedicating them to God.

In the religion of Old Testament Israel, these ‘set apart’ people or things were called ‘holy’, and the act of declaring, acknowledging or making them holy was called sanctification, consecration, or dedication.

God desires to consecrate us to a holy task.

In 1 Chronicles 13 we read about how King David decided to move the Ark of the Covenant without reading the Instruction Book — BAD idea!

Uzza died because of that mistake.

So, we read about the redo in 1 Chronicles 15:11-15

1 Chronicles 15:11–15 (NASB95) Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 “Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15 The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

After consecrating themselves, the Levites were successful in bringing the Ark to the place prepared for it.

And all Israel rejoiced with great joy.

Let Us Surrender to God’s Consecrating Power

So, on this first day of 2023, let us:

Yield ourselves to God — asking the Holy Spirit to make us holy.

Knowing that holiness is just as much a NT standard as an OT one.

1 Peter 1:14–16 (LSB) As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

Hebrews 12:14 (NLT) Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:17–7:1 (NLT) Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” 1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

This nation needs a consecrated people:

A people who pursue holiness.

So that we can not only experience the Presence of God, but so that we can accomplish the task of taking His Presence into a world that longs for such an encounter.

Would everyone who is willing to be consecrated with the task of taking Jesus’ Presence to the nations come forward this morning?

Will you say like Isaiah said in Isaiah 6:5–8 (NLT) … “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” 8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”