On Membership
Notes
Transcript
SERMON TITLE: On Membership
SCRIPTURE: multiple (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 10-26-25
TURN MIC ON / WELCOME
As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
SERIES INTRO
For two weeks — we’re going to take a break from our series in Romans. And — we’re doing so to prepare for our evening worship service next week. During our evening worship service we’re going to be receiving new members into our faith family. We’re also going to celebrate baptisms. And we’re going to take the Lord’s Supper together. Three ancient and biblical practices that have been part of the life of the church since it’s beginning. Yet these are three ancient and biblical practices for which there is much confusion and misunderstanding.
So — to prepare ourselves for our evening together next week — we’re going to look at each of these practices of the church. Today we’re going to look at church membership. Next Sunday morning we’ll look at baptism. And then — on Sunday evening — before we take the Lord’s Supper together — we’ll see what God’s Word has to say about it.
Now — if you’re not a Christian — and maybe even if you are a Christian — sermons on church membership, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper may seem absolutely irrelevant to whatever’s going on in your life right now. I can understand having that view. Yet I’d like to offer that ancient biblical practices — like membership, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper — help us to see how the church of today is connected to — and has a history with — the church of the past — going as far back as what we read on the pages of the Bible. So — though these topics may seem irrelevant to your specific situation — when we step outside of our individual worlds and into this corporate world known as the church — we find three topics that have much relevance for us. Again — even if you’re not currently a follower of Jesus — for these sermons will give you a better understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
So baptism and the Lord’s Supper are next week. And — today — we start this short series by looking at church membership.
INTRODUCTION
Quite possibly the most infamous sermon that I’ve preached — while here at Gateway — is a sermon from 2018 titled Looking Ahead where I touched on this topic — the topic of church membership. Since then — every few years we return to this important topic for every follower of Jesus. And — every year — I go into this topic with some hesitation because it — more than just about any other topic — is the one that offends folks the most.
Yet — at the same time — I go into this topic hopeful because it seems that the number of folks who sign up for our membership class increases when I preach on this topic because — for many folks — it’s the first time they’ve heard about the importance of membership in a local church.
In 2023 we broke a modern day Gateway Church membership class record when — after the last time I preached on church membership — we had around sixty folks sign up for the next membership class. Total shock. Who would’ve thought? Not me — that’s who.
Today we’re going to look at three aspects of church membership. I’ve covered each of these in previous sermons — both indirectly and directly — so think of this as a reminder for those of us who’ve been around at Gateway for some time. Remembering — after all — is one of the most popular commands in the Bible — so — for many of us — today will be a day of remembering — while — for others of us — today may be a day for action — by responding to what you hear by signing up for the next membership class.
Today we’re going to explore the Bible to see if membership in a local church is a biblical expectation for individual Christians. Then we’ll look at the benefits of being a member in a local church. And — finally — we’ll look at the responsibilities that come with being a member here at Gateway.
Is membership a biblical expectation? What are the benefits of being a member? And what are the responsibilities of being a member?
IS CHURCH MEMBERSHIP A BIBLICAL EXPECTATION?
Is church membership a biblical expectation? Probably — to know one’s surprise — my answer is yes. But I will concede that there’s no clear command in Scripture — like — “thou must become a member of a local church.” Yet there’s no negative command either — “thou must not become a member of a local church” also isn’t in the Bible. In fact, your view of church membership — if it’s a biblical expectation or not — is based not on a clear command — but on what theologians have called “good and necessary consequences” of what we find in the Bible.
If that makes anyone uncomfortable — know that there are many church practices that also fit the category of — “there’s no clear command in Scripture, but doing this practice is based on good and necessary consequences of what we do find in the Bible.”
For example, in the Bible we find no clear command that women are to take the Lord’s Supper. Neither is there an example of a woman taken the Lord’s Supper in the Bible. So — no command and no example in the Bible. Yet we know that the church in Corinth — which received Paul’s instructions on the Lord’s Supper — was a church that had both men and women. So though there’s no clear command in Scripture — nor an explicit example of women taking the Lord’s Supper — by good and necessary consequence of women being part of the church in Corinth — we believe it’s biblical for women to take the Lord’s Supper.
So what do we find in the Bible that leads us to a similar conclusion about church membership?
First, there’s the amount of the New Testament that’s written to local churches. Nine of Paul's letters were written to local churches. His other four letters were written to leaders of local churches. It's believed that Hebrews was written to several local churches in Rome. Peter's two letters were written to local churches. John's three letters were as well. And the book of Revelation was written to seven local churches. That's twenty books of the New Testament — all were written to local churches.
Which leads us to a good and necessary consequence that I’ll put in the form of a question: If you're not formally committed to a local church through membership, it's going to be hard for you to put into practice the majority of what you read in the New Testament, because it was written to people in the context of a local church!
But I know that this point — by itself — doesn’t justify church membership. But it at least highlights the importance of being part of a local church.
Which leads us to another defense of church membership. And that is the many biblical metaphors used to describe the church. Such as…
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.
Here individuals — who come to faith in Christ — are compared to individual stones that God has joined together to build his spiritual temple. Certainly, there’s a universal aspect to what Peter is saying. But — when we remember that he’s writing to local churches — we see that there’s also a local church application as well. Being joined to God’s spiritual temple as it’s seen in a local context.
We’re also called members of the body of Christ. As Paul writes to the Christians who were part of the local church in Rome…
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Just because these words are true about our membership in God’s universal — or global church — doesn’t mean that these words aren’t also to be applied in a local church setting. Especially when these words were written to a local church.
Similarly — to the Christians in Corinth — Paul writes…
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Nearly identical words to what he told the Christians in Rome. Both local churches — and the individual Christians in them — are part of the body of Christ. Yet — the local churches — and the individual Christians in them — are also local expressions of the body of Christ.
Whether the church is described as a flock of sheep, or a vine, or a city — these biblical metaphors describe something more than just the universal church made up of Christians from all times and places. These metaphors also describe something local. And — often — the Christians are described as members of the local church.
Finally, there’s an expectation of leadership and submission found in Scripture about the local church.
Peter writes…
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder (implication — an elder who is not among you) and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
And as the author of Hebrews writes…
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
And…
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
And Paul writes…
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
And — again — when we remember that all we just read were words originally written to local churches — we see that the original audience would have heard “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” to mean the “local church that you are responsible for.” And the command “be subject to the elders” to be specific elders in a local church. The same elders whose lives we’re to imitate. The same elders who keep watch over our souls, and who will give an account to God. Specific elders who we’re responsible to obey and submit to. Specific elders who we’re to respect because they’ve been called to a labor of love in leading us.
All words written to Christians who were part of a local church.
Though no clear command to be a member in a local church — the good and necessary consequence of such biblical evidence leads to questions such as:
Who are the elders among you?
Who are the elders responsible to shepherd?
Which elders are you to be subject to?
Who are the leaders who way of life and faith are to be imitated?
Which elders are you to obey and submit to?
Which elders are keeping watch over your soul?
Which elders will give an account to God for their care of you?
Which elders are you to esteem highly in love because of their work?
These are questions no Christian gets out of answering. There’s no not being subject to the authority of elders — at least not while being obedient to God’s Word. There’s no “not being in submission to spiritual authority” — at least now while being obedient to God’s Word.
And this is why I think church membership ends up ruffling some feathers. For it’s not the Christians who are new to the faith who get all out of sorts over the topic — it’s usually those who’ve been following Jesus for years — even decades — and have — for some reason — maybe even some good, but not biblical reason — not submitted themselves to spiritual authority as God’s Word tells them to do.
And — I said good, but not biblical — because I know authority in the church can be abused. Maybe that’s part of your story — someone in church leadership abused their authority. But their sin of abusing authority doesn’t dismiss your sin of not obeying God’s Word. The messiness of sin makes all of this — well — messy. And my hope is that through the preaching of God’s Word — and your desire to submit to God’s Word in all areas of your life — that you’ll at least be willing to have a conversation with us and what ways we can build trust with you so that you’re able to submit to God’s Word in this area of your life.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP?
Now let’s turn to the benefits of church membership. Often — when I hear from someone who disagrees with the idea of church membership — one of the questions I’ll get is, “What are the benefits to becoming a member?” Sometimes it’s asked in the opposite way — wondering if I and the elders will care for people who get sick and aren’t members — will we show up to the hospital to visit them — and so on. And the answer — in case you’re wondering — is yes. Yes we do all of those things for non-members as well as members.
But — when it comes to the benefits of church membership — I want to orient our focus in a different direction. Away from the individual who is or isn’t a member — and put our attention on the rest of the church — everyone else. The adults, the youth, the kids, and so on. What are the benefits for everyone else if you become a member of Gateway? How about that for an unexpected twist? What benefits are you keeping others from experiencing by not becoming a member of Gateway?
One benefit of becoming a member is that it spiritually protects everyone else at Gateway. What do I mean? When an individual becomes a member of Gateway — they agree to a set of beliefs that are called the Essentials of our Faith. Recently I read our essentials during a sermon and had all of Gateway’s members stand up while I did so. I’m going to read them again — but this time everyone gets to stay in their seat. Here are the Essentials of Our Faith.
All Scripture is self-attesting, and being Truth requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God — the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments — is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation, we affirm these additional essentials of our faith.
1. We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To him be all honor, glory, and praise forever!
2. Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through his miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and his virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day he arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, he now is our High Priest and Mediator.
3. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior, indwelling our hearts. He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
4. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits his righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justifies them in his sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
5. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible yet imperfect expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity, where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting she awaits the return of her Lord.
6. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth personally, visibly, and bodily—to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
7. The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “him who loved us and gave himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Again — every member of Gateway says, “I agree to these essentials.” And — if anything in your beliefs about the essentials changes — you agree to let us know. Now — let me say — because someone may be thinking this — yes, this isn’t a sure fire way to know for certain that someone actually believes and agrees with our essentials. The Bible warns of false teachers who will try to infiltrate the church to lead people astray. Yet I think it’s still good practice to have a theological barrier of entry that we know members of our church have agreed to.
Especially when we read passages such as…
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
A warning not just to pastors who preach — but to all who teach or help others understand what God’s Word means and how it applies to life. This would include our Life Group leaders, teachers of our Equip classes, those who serve in our youth ministry, those who serve as large group teachers in our Kidway ministry, those who are small group leaders in our kid’s ministry, and so on.
And the benefit to all who receive such teaching — again from me and from anyone else who leads a Life Group, serves in our next gen ministry, and so on — one benefit to all who receive such teaching is that you know that the person teaching you has agreed to the Essentials of our Faith. Meaning — you don’t have to wonder about what they believe about God’s Word, or God, or specifics about Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, or salvation, or the church, or the second coming of Christ, or our mission until he returns. That’s all clear in the Essentials of our Faith that every member of Gateway has agreed to.
What a reassuring benefit — I hope — to all of you who are in a Life Group.
What a reassuring benefit — for all of our parents with kids in our next gen ministry.
What a reassuring benefit — for all who sit under my preaching.
You don’t have to worry, wonder, be concerned about where I — or others — stand on doctrines that are so essential that we’ve called them the Essentials of our Faith.
Yet — we do have some loopholes right now. Though we currently require all of our adult Life Group leaders to be members of Gateway — and thus — have formally agreed to the Essentials of our Faith — we’ve yet to make membership a requirement for those who teach in our next gen ministry. Meaning the youngest among us — the most malleable in their beliefs — currently have some who teach them who haven’t formally agreed to the essentials. And I’m sure that many of you do agree with our essentials — and that’s great — but it’d be more beneficial and reassuring to the families you serve if you made your agreement formal — which is what happens when you become a church member.
I’m not wanting to start an uprising in our next gen ministry — I’m just asking those of us who serve in this ministry to consider what benefit you may be holding back from others in this faith family by not reassuring them with your beliefs by becoming a member who agrees on the Essentials of our Faith.
Here’s another benefit the church receives when you become a member. You become an equal participant in the vows we take when you get baptized — or when your child is baptized or dedicated.
According to our church constitution — a legally binding document — when an individual is baptized — the members of the church are to be asked…
Do you, the members of this congregation, take responsibility for the continued Christian nurture of those being baptized today and do you promise to set a godly example by your own life?
And hen parents bring their children to be baptized or dedicated — the members of the church are to be asked…
Do you, the members of this congregation, acting for yourselves and on behalf of the whole Body of Christ, as far as you are able, assume responsibility with these parents for the spiritual nurture of these children?
And…
Do you commit yourself to set a godly example before these children, to provide as far as you are able, all that is necessary to the end that these children may one day confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
I bring this up because — first — look at the benefits the individual and parents receive by being baptized in this church.
The members commit to the continued nurture and growth of the person being baptized.
The members commit to setting a godly example to the person being baptized.
The members commit to sharing in the responsibility — with the parents — of the spiritual nurture of the children being presented for baptism and dedication.
The members commit to setting a godly examples to the children being presented for baptism or dedication.
What benefits to those being baptized and to the parents of the children presented for baptism or dedication — a church of individual members who are committed to you.
But — and maybe this will be a rather strange sounding question — but what’s the benefit for the church members?
The person being baptized — what benefit are you offering to the members? The parents of the children — what benefit are you offering to the members? After all — the members are making quite the commitment to you — for your — and possibly — your children’s benefit — so what are you bringing to the table?
To ease anyone’s concerns — here are the benefits that are on my mind:
What if the person being baptized commits to becoming a member — so that — the congregation’s commitment to their spiritual growth is directly linked to the one being baptized’s commitment to their spiritual growth?
And what if the person being baptized commits to becoming a member — so that — the congregation’s commitment of setting a godly example for them becomes a commitment they agree to — as a member of the congregation — to set for others who will one day be baptized in our church?
What if the parents presenting their children to be baptized or dedicated commit to becoming members — so that — the congregation’s commitment to the spiritual nurture of their children — which is a blessing — is directly linked to the parent’s commitment to their children’s spiritual nurture through the ministry of this church?
And what if the parents presenting their children to be baptized or dedicated commit to becoming members — so that — the congregation’s commitment of being a godly example to their children is a commitment the parent’s make to us — and their children’s — as members of this church?
What benefits — not only to those being baptized and to the parents of children being presented for baptism or dedication — and to the children themselves — but also to the members of this local church. Benefits that can be ours — abundantly so — when — instead of making our decisions based on the benefit we’ll receive — and instead — see the benefit that others may be missing out on by our not being a member.
WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING A CHURCH MEMBER?
Finally — and briefly — what are the responsibilities when one becomes a member of Gateway Church? Two passages from Ephesians will do.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.
And in the next chapter we read…
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
The discipleship pathway towards the spiritual maturity that Paul describes — in chapter four — are summed up in our disciples process of Worship, Connect, Serve, and Go. Because of our submission to one another — not just the leaders — who we’re to submit to — but in our mutual submission to one another’s spiritual growth and maturing — every member of Gateway commits to pursuing spiritual growth through our discipleship process of Worship, Connect, Serve, and Go.
Where we recognize the responsibility as a member of this faith family to prioritize weekly worship with our local church. Now immediately you may be wondering about “this and that and all of the reasons why you may not make it to church.” So let me tell you what I mean.
We believe that a follower of Jesus will prioritize worshipping with God’s people. So that means part of the weekend is already booked on your calendar. You have a reoccurring event that you plan on being at and you schedule the rest of your weekend accordingly.
Now sickness happens — and we’re not against vacations — we know that college students may go home for the summer and snow birds may be gone in the winter — but what we’re saying is that all too often worshiping God in a local church can become more of an “option we’ll do if our calendar is open” instead of a “priority we plan all of our other weekend activities around.”
And we believe that anyone who’s a member of Gateway will make it a priority to worship with us weekly.
The author of Hebrews writes…
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
The next step in our discipleship process is Connect. And the primary way we connect to one another is in our Life Groups. And we want you in a Life Group so you’re meeting regularly with a group of people to discuss how the Bible applies to life and to care for one another. Our Life Groups are our first line of defense for your care.
Third step is Serve. And — by serve — we mean serve each other in the church. One of the questions you were asked — in becoming a member of Gateway — was…
Do you promise to serve Christ in his Church by supporting and participating with this congregation in its service of God and its ministry to others to the best of your ability?
A commitment to everyone else to use the gifts God has given you for our benefit.
And — finally — we Go. For as Jesus said…
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Every Christian has been called and commanded to go and make disciples. And — the members of Gateway — have accepted the responsibility to make disciples here in Findlay, in our nation, and to the ends of the earth.
Again — the responsibilities every member of Gateway has freely accepted: To make worship a priority, to being an active member in a Life Group, to serving the people in this congregation, and to going to the world to proclaim the gospel. If you’re a member — let me ask — how are you doing with these responsibilities?
CONCLUSION
I’ve preached enough sermons on church membership to know that I haven’t convinced everyone that it’s a biblical expectation, nor were the benefits I presented persuading enough, and I’m sure that — for some current members — there’s reason why you’re dismissing the responsibilities we just covered.
Yet — I hope — that for some listening today — you will have been convinced of the biblically good and necessary consequence of church membership. And that you will have seen the benefits you’ve received from others and will now desire to be a benefit to others. And that — for some — you’ll reengage in some of your responsibilities that you’ve allowed to be lacking in your life.
Every time — thus far — the Lord has been faithful in maturing us just a bit more — after we’ve been reminded of the importance of church membership. May he do so once again — for all of our good — and more importantly — so that we make him look glorious to the world. Let’s pray.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, use your Word — to increase in all of our hearts and minds — the love you have for your church. Yes — whenever and wherever she’s found — but — yes — also your church locally.
Holy Spirit, you are the Spirit of unity. United our hearts together so that we commit to being an even greater spiritual benefit to those around us.
And — Jesus — any benefit we receive from each other is because of the benefit we’ve first received from you and all that you’ve done — in love — for us as individuals — and as your church.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — draw us closer to you and to one another. For your name’s sake we pray. Amen.
BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)
May God use his Word to you today to grow us into the church he desires us to be. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
