More Than Attendance: Why Church Membership Really Matters

Announcements

Ed Anderson's voting result (2nd service)

Bilingual Thanksgiving Service (Scripture reading | singing | testimonies | baptisms | food)

Church Membership Class (3 Sessions | Sun/Jan 11th)

Today’s morning message is titled More Than Attendance: Why Church Membership Really Matters.

Over the last couple of decades, I’ve witnessed a drastic over-simplification of what church attendance and church membership are supposed to be. And the result is quite concerning. What was once called “church hopping” in a negative sense, is what many now do on the average weekend. The 2022 State of Theology study found most Americans (56%) don’t believe every Christian has an obligation to join a local church. Only relatively small majorities of evangelicals (51%) and churchgoers themselves (62%) believe all Christians have that responsibility. Brian Boyles, LifeWay Research

My goal is to convince you to become a church member at MEFC.

*Disclaimer: No cash bonus nor “pastor of the year” nomination

What comes to your mind when you hear the word church membership?

A list of names on a church document

A set of offering envelopes with your name printed on them

A church business meeting where someone says, “On those in favor say, “aye”, and the audience responds “aye.”

Benefits - like Costco or the golf course, which come with perks and privileges.

In addition to these misconceptions, also add the objections such as:

Church membership is not mentioned in the Bible

I don’t need to be an official church member in order to love Jesus and people.

Church hurt (a painful reality).

I think the reason why we have misconceptions and objections to church membership is because we use the terms interchangeably.

We are talking about two memberships: membership in the invisible church and membership in the visible church.

(1)Membership in the Invisible Church

The invisible church is also known as the universal church (vs. the visible church AKA the local church)

Members? EFCA SOF, “We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone.” When you come to saving faith, you become a member of God’s church.

Why make a distinction between the invisible church and the visible church? Because in the visible, local church, you can have people who can claim to be Christians but they are not. Only God can truly know who is a genuine believer and who is not (Yes, you can have assurance of salvation).

The invisible church is the church as God sees it.

2 Timothy 2:15–19 “15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

In Hebrews 12, the author says that under the new covenant, through the blood of Jesus, we experience the following: “22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly (ekklesia) of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” (Heb 12:22-23). The author of Hebrews speaks of an invisible church who are enrolled in heaven and that those who are Christians here on earth join with that assembly in worship.

Those who are born of the Spirit of God, EFCA SOF: “They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head.”

When we are united to Christ by faith, we become part of the family of God, the universal church (every country from around the world). God becomes our Father, we become brothers and sisters.

Analogy: We become the body of Christ (Eph and Cor passages)

“But our “vertical” union with Christ also has important “horizontal” implications. We each come alone to God, but in coming to God we do not remain alone - we are simultaneously constituted into the corporate body of believers.” (Evangelical Convictions)

“Personal relationship with Christ!” Amen. BUT, we have to be careful that this doesn’t create a lone wolf mentality. As a follower of Jesus, you are part of the church, the invisible church

While the in-visible church includes all true believers throughout time and across the world, God calls us to express that in-visible reality in a visible way—by belonging to a local church. That’s where the body of Christ becomes visible and tangible. That’s where the gospel is lived out together in community.

(2) Membership in the Visible Church

It pleased the Lord Jesus to establish local churches in order to make his invisible church, visible.

The invisible church is the church as God sees it.

The visible church is the church as Christians see it.

In this sense, the visible church (i.e. the local church) includes all who profess a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, EFCA SOF, “The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers.” (i.e. born again)

Duh? “The hockey team should be made up of people who can skate.”

Why the emphasis that church membership in a local church should be composed only of believers?

A little history of the EFCA

The Evangelical Free Church movement in North America began in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

16th century the Lutheran reformation reached Scandinavia, which had been Roman Catholic. New gospel life was injected into these Scandinavian churches (Scripture, Faith, Grace, Christ, to God alone be the glory)

Over time, however, the church drifted into “dead orthodoxy” where sermons, liturgy, and sacraments were administered, but without an emphasis on heart transformation or active discipleship.

In response to dead orthodoxy, Johann Arndt (1555–1621), a German Lutheran theologian, wrote True Christianity. Arndt’s response and approach became known as Pietism, which emphasized regeneration, the need to be born again. 

Think about this fact: In 1975, ninety-six percent of all Norwegians were members of the church, a membership obtained [primarily] through [infant] baptism. By 2000, about ninety percent of the population are members of the church.

“This element of our Statement reflects a strong feature of our Free Church heritage. Coming out of state churches in Scandinavia that incorporated into their membership all who had been baptized irrespective of their personal commitment to Christ, the early Free Church believers formed congregations of those who explicitly gave testimony to and showed evidence of personal conversion.” EFCA. Evangelical Convictions

Summary: Membership in the Norwegian Lutheran State Church historically required birth in Norway and baptism, not personal faith, which contributed significantly to the rise of free church movements emphasizing voluntary, professing church membership

Thus: Thus, EFCA SOF, “The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers.” (i.e. born again)

Objection: The phrase “church membership” is not found in the Bible. That’s correct. And so it’s the word Trinity. Yet we affirm this doctrine without reservation.

In the same way, “church membership” though not found by that exact phrase in Scripture, church membership in a local church is implied, assumed, and promoted throughout the New Testament.

3 blessings of local church membership.

(1) It provides structure and order in the NT churches, a formal church membership structure would be needed.

1 Corinthians 5 is a strong argument for formal membership in a local church:

Paul writes to the church in Corinth assuming there is a defined church membership.

1 Corinthians 5:12–13 “12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

This passage tells us that there is an inside group and an outside group? How can this distinction be made if not defined through a formal church membership?

Paul follows up with this situation in 2 Corinthians 2:6 “For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough.”

How can you define “majority” if there is no defined church membership?

1 Timothy 5 offers a strong case for a formal local church membership. Paul instructs Timothy to put certain widows on a list for ongoing care and support from the church:

There was an official list

You cannot enroll widows without knowing who belongs to the church

Again, Paul and that particular local church church knew who was “in” and who was “out.”

(2) Personally, one of the strongest biblical arguments and benefits of church membership is the way church leaders are selected and affirmed in the New Testament. You cannot choose leaders unless you know who belongs to the church (Acts 6:3; 14:23)

(3) Church membership in a local church provides spiritual oversight and accountability:

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.” (Good Shepherd? Hosanna?)

1 Peter 5:1–2 “So I exhort the elders among you, …shepherd the flock of God that is among you.”

Pastors and elders need to know “who are we responsible for?” “Who is part of the flock”? We can’t assume. A formal church membership must be in place.

*I can present all the arguments in favor for church membership, but you already know that.

Church membership in a local church is counter cultural:

Americans highly value their privacy

Americans highly value their freedom (vs. commit and submit)

Church Membership at Morris Evangelical Free Church

Definition: Church membership is a mutual, formal covenant between a follower of Jesus and a local church, in which they commit to following Jesus together by investing in one another through mutual care, mission, and accountability.

Profession of faith

Take membership class

Interview with Pastor and Elder

Sign the Church Membership Covenant

Why use the word covenant?

Because of Jesus by Charity Gayle. Verse 1: “You made a covenant with me. Signed by the blood that still speaks. Now I'm forgiven, I'm called righteous, I'm made clean.

The reason why we are covenant communities is because Christ, through his blood, made a covenant with each one of us. At the same time we are united into the body of Christ, thus becoming a covenant community.

Read the church covenant.

*Required for new members. Current members will be asked to renew their church commitment by signing the new form. We will recite it together at our annual church business meeting.