Church Belonging

Psalm 119:33-40 / Matthew 18:15-20

Psalm 119:33 “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.”

Inclusion / Exclusion (Right Boundaries)

An outsider status necessitates an insider

One cannot be “as a Gentile” to you, unless you are a Jew

One cannot begin to be treated as an outsider if they were not first recognized as an insider

This is NOT the only part of life this distinction is healthy: Marriage

There are terrible reasons for excluding

Church politics

Church building project

Pastoral selection

unholy tribalism and prejudices

personal grudges

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

There are good and right reasons for excluding

One member hurting another and being unrepentant

2 Corinthians 2:5-7 “Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”

1 Cor 5: public/known flagrant sexual sin and being unrepentant

2 Thessalonians 3: Open disobedience to scriptural teaching and unrepentant

All of this (and more) clearly establishes Jesus stance on what today is generally called church membership. That does NOT mean that Jesus endorses all the abuses of such, and there are many. It does mean that He designed and desires us to belong. That’s the term I actually prefer to maybe help cut through so much baggage and injury: Church Belonging

Belonging

Relationship

growing up in a congregation

coming to a congregation

Romans 16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.”

There must be an assurance of soundness and fit, and a forming of a familial bond

In the end, it is however formal or informal, depending on the practice of the local church, the embracing of the individual as “one of us now” that is the moment where one becomes a member, but the aspect of relationship and belonging is generally more organic.

Participation

Attendance - As the Lord allows, you attend

Work, Leisure, Family, Desire

Commandments 1, 2, & 3

Giving - As the Lord blesses you materially, give

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Doing - As the Lord gifts you, do

Ephesians 4:11-12 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,”

1 Corinthians 12:7 “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Mutual Submission

Ephesians 4:15-16 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

There is first ad foremost a submission to Christ, but then following along there is a mutual submission of all individual members to the body as a whole.

I serve at God’s calling, and the good will of the congregation

I have been corrected, and apologized

Sometimes we will have to as cheerfully as possible, abide by the majority decision

All of this and more is part of church belonging. This is the way The Lord taught us. This is good and right, even when it is counter-cultural or hard to understand.

Jesus said when we need something bigger than ourselves, go to the church. We cannot expect to have a church to go to for aid and support and connection if we are not willing to BE the church that gives that aid and support and connection.

Who is YOUR Church?

Are you saved?

The local church is an assembly of baptized believers. No one who denies faith in Christ, or does not show fruit of conversion is a proper candidate for church membership.

Where do you attend?

Family / age Is there a reason you do not formalize the relationship? You do need to be certain

Where do you belong?

Only you can know this. This should be a considered, prayerful choice You should be where you belong

Psalm 119:33 “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.”

If this is truly our desire, then we must look carefully at what the Lord Jesus said, as well as the rest of scripture. There needs to be a church where the gospel is declared, where there is support for the injured, where we can learn the ways and statutes of The Lord. If you have been saved by grace, it is where you belong. Come home. Be cared for. Commit, so that you can in turn be help for someone else as well.