Who Can Belong To A Church?

Was there excitement, anxiety, a sense of peace or nervousness? Maybe doubts, fears, or comfort and homeliness. Regardless, when a new person enters a church for the first time, it can be an intimidating thing. We don’t know the people, don’t know how service normally goes, we are afraid of doing something “wrong”, or maybe a feeling of judgment. The author mentions some of these feelings he had when he would go to church. Now, granted, they did not attend regularly and he said if felt as though every time they went to church “everyone else was judging us, wondering why we hadn;’t been there the prior week(s)”. Why? As a church, do we put off a judgmental aura or as a human do we instinctively know we are out of place?

To some extent I think it can be a guilty conscience.

Titus 1:15 ESV

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

A guilty conscience, in my opinion, is the conviction of the Holy Spirit on our spirit when we are out of the will of God. Paul set the matter straight by reminding his readers of the Lord’s teaching that purification is largely a matter of the internal rather than the external. Too often we worry about the external. The author states he was surprised when he started to see other teenagers excited about Jesus and the church. He assumed you had to be strange, a kind of outcast, to enjoy church. Other teens were happy, but he was not.

We can do all the outside “stuff”, and still not be changed “inside”. That is what makes things foreign to us!

Do you think this might be why some adults have little joy when they are in the church?

So on the lines of inside change...

What is your testimony about coming to faith in Jesus Christ?

On page 32, what does the author say “fills us with joy”?

Through faith in Jesus Christ as a result of our repentance and forgiveness for our sins.

At the point of the author’s salvation, he then knew what it was like to finally be free from the bondage of sin and he had JOY, FREEDOM, and PEACE with God. We are assured of salvation upon confession in 1 John 1:9:

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It was then when he recognized why he had a negative view of the church growing up - he had not been “converted”. He then realized that his family ONLY expected dutiful attendance BUT NOT wholehearted participation.

This is when we realize where we truly belong. BUT…the reaction we have when entering a new church can be daunting. Many of us have attended the same church for years. We have grown accustomed to the “routine” of our church, and think nothing of it.

What would it feel like to a complete stranger when they enter our sanctuary for the first time?

Where do you sit?

What do you say?

Who do you talk to?

Are you wanted there?

Are you supposed to wear a mask?

All these things can enter a persons mind rapidly as they enter a sanctuary for the first time - EVEN IF they are a Christian. Then, for someone who may have never attended church, they hear words like prelude, offertory, benediction, pew, doxology, even the music is 100 years old and we call it “modern”. How many people listen or sing to a piano anymore? Then the other senses - the hardness of the seat. The feel of the carpet or wood flooring. The sounds that permeate the sanctuary. The smells. The author makes this comment “Someone could bottle the smell of musty carpet, cheap coffee, hair spray, and snuffed candles, and sell it as nostalgia”.

Things are just different for a new comer - either saved or unsaved - and what can we do to keep them from running out the door and never coming back? The analogy is used that attending a new church feels like crashing another family’s holiday. You are a stranger. It’s not what you are used to. That’s how visiting a church can feel, even when that church is open, welcoming, and are excited for you to visit and join their fellowship. You see, even though we may be from a different “branch” off the tree, we are still all family as a body of Christ. We should not feel uncomfortable when we enter another sanctuary as long as Christ and the free offer of salvation is being taught and preached.

But to be part of the family, we can either be born or adopted into it.

1 Peter 2:10 ESV

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

What does this verse teach us about the corporate nature of salvation?

Born of Water and Spirit

We are taught about a spiritual birth. But how many of us understand that fully? Even Nicodemus struggled to get his mind around that in John 3:1-7:

John 3:1–7 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Nicodemus was a learned man, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, who came asking a question of the man he knew had come from God. Christ uses the analogy of being “born again”. And, as with most, it was confusing - what does it mean to be “born again” as we know we cannot physically go through the birthing process again. Christ goes on to explain it is not a PHYSICAL re-birth that must take place buy a SPIRITUAL re-birth that must occur.

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary III. Early Ministry and Signs (2:1–4:54)

Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand that entering into the kingdom required an individual to be spiritually reborn. As the apostle Paul explains it, all people are dead in their trespasses and sins, and only God can give us spiritual life (Eph 2:1–5).

Ephesians 2:1–5 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Could Christ have also been using an example from the Old Testament to describe the need for “cleansing” when he speaks of being born of water?

Ezekiel 36:24–27 ESV

24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Regardless, Christ reminds Nicodemus the same as he reminds us today, that there must be a change in our family status. There must be a change in our spiritual identity. And when that occurs, we are adopted into the family of God.

What do adopted children receive from their adoptive parents? In what ways is conversion similar to adoption?

Ephesians 1:5 ESV

5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

New Living Translation (Chapter 1)

5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

The Good News Translation (Chapter 1)

5 God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his sons and daughters—this was his pleasure and purpose.

Praise God, we have already been CHOSEN by our Heavenly Father, He already has the adoption papers ready when we are willing to agree to them.

For those that do not: John 3:36

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Maybe that’s where things get weird. As pointed out on page 35: Who can visit a church building for a worship service? The answer is, anyone! But who can belong to the spiritual family called the church? Only those who have entered the kingdom of God. Only those who have been born of water and the Spirit, according to Jesus—that is, only those who have been born again and been baptized.

Many church buildings display a sign that reads, “All Are Welcome.” In what way is this statement true? In what way could it be misleading?

To understand what truly happens “in” a church, you must be a part “of” the church.

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Saved from what? The consequences of sin, which are eternal death and separation from God. This is truly a gift from above…if we ask.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Look at the following verses in which Paul writes to the members of the churches of Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, and Colossae.

What word does Paul use to describe believers?

Romans 1:7 ESV

7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Ephesians 1:1 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Colossians 1:2 ESV

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

If Paul were writing to your local church, how might he describe the members?

I can take a stab at it… To the church of 2022, I don’t even know where to start.

Gathered to Worship

When we gather, we gather to worship. Too often we forget the purpose of the gathering of believers. We have flaws within the church. We grow frustrated by those flaws. Then we allow the flaws to become our focus…instead of worship. Why? Because we are sinful humans within the church, there will always be sinful flaws to be found in a church. That is part of living in a sinful world! When we accept that, regardless of where we attend, there will always be sinful people there, then we can gather and worship together as a corporate body of forgiven sinners…not sinless saints.

We grow to love the church and members, and we learn to love it for what it is and for what God intends for His people. When we realize that, we acknowledge the flaws, thank God for His guidance, and become a truly integrated part of God’s people.

What is the essential activity of the gathered church? What is the essential content of that activity? What is the essential hope the church professes?

On page 37, we find this thought:

“To rediscover church is to realize or remember why we gather in the first place. We gather to worship God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who has saved us from sin and death. That’s what we sing. That’s what we teach. That’s what we observe in baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Without conversion, without being born again, there is no church to rediscover. If Jesus has not died for our sins and been raised on the third day, there is no more hope to be found inside the church than outside.”

What do the authors mean when they say “Without conversion, without being born again, there is no church to rediscover”

The author sums it up with this “There is no intrinsic value to attending church if you don’t bother to believe what you’re singing, hearing, or saying”.

When a child is adopted, they get new parents, but they also get new siblings. We have to learn to get along. Yes, there are differences of opinions, differences in styles of worship, differences in the way we think things should be done, and we could go on and on and on… BUT, it is only family spats. Anyone who proclaims “I’ll just go somewhere else”…doesn’t realize they’re just going to enter a different door with the same sinful people, with the same sinful problems, and the same sinful reactions. We should learn to get over the things that have no heavenly consequences, and get over ourselves.

1 John 4:20 ESV

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Why do we need to get over ourselves? Because we are all just forgiven sinners, saved by the grace of God.

Ephesians 2:1–7 ESV

It’s not pleasant to consider our lives before conversion, but Paul doesn’t look away. Why do you think it’s important for believers to acknowledge what we once were? Why do you think it’s important to affirm that all of us in the church were once “children of wrath”?

How did conversion change you?

You see, we need each other. We need corporate worship with each other. Don’t forget, there were problems within the early church - among the Jews and Gentiles. If God can work through those issues, the problems in church today are pretty mild in comparison.

Ephesians 2:19–22 (ESV)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

In all honesty, if we can’t get along amongst each other as Christians, then WHY would a non-believer want anything to do with us OR Christianity? We have been called to be unique and different, but we don’t have to do so in such a disagreeable manner that even the unbelievers shake their heads at us.

Set Apart

We have been called to be set apart. Because we are set apart, we are different, and should want to join together with other like-minded believers.

Joining together with like-minded believers is a part of that journey. For the most part, when someone wants to join the fellowship of the church we accept them either by profession of faith and baptism, transfer of letter, or affirmation of their salvation.

As we asked previously, what is your testimony? Is it easy for you to tell OR do you struggle?

Asking someone who wants to be a part of the local church to describe their salvation experience can give you many indicators as to the spiritual condition of the person. Some will share with enthusiasm, some in meekness, some with a pretty clean record, others as hardened sinners. But there are some, when asked to share their testimony will look at you with a blank stare, and struggle to tell you anything - because they’ve never experienced true salvation.

What is necessary in order to join the church? What things do people sometimes think are necessary but aren’t?

While morality, decency, and dedication are all wonderful traits, without forgiveness of sin and the saving grace of God, it doesn’t matter HOW many churches you join.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

These verses don’t describe someone who just had an “emotional experience”, but instead was changed to the core. Salvation causes us to turn from our sin, and turn toward God.

The book goes on to say that “Inside the church, we can’t know everyone’s true spiritual state, what they believe in their heart of hearts. But that doesn’t change the Bible’s architectural design for our churches - what it intends and what our practices should be. If you’ve been born again, if you have repented of your sins and believe in Jesus, you belong to the church. When you are converted, you can’t help but worship”.