CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Acts 2: 41-42

Andres C. Guevara Jr. November 25, 2007 SUN p.m.

As we look back to t e be!"nn"n! o# t e New $estament C urc we #"nd t at a#ter %eter&s sermon at %entecost about ',000 were added to t e d"sc"ples, o# w om t ere were about (20. "They that gladly received his word were baptized." $ ese converts proved t e !enu"ne nature o# t e"r repentance and #a"t #"rst b) obed"ence to t e *ord&s command o# bapt"sm, and t en b) stead#ast cont"nuat"on "n #our bas"c areas o# t e C r"st"an l"#e+ (, doctr"ne 2, #ellows "p ', break"n! o# bread -, pra)ers $ ese #eatures m"! t be re!arded as t e ord"nar) act"v"t"es b) w "c c urc member.s "p "s susta"ned. Stead#ast cont"nuat"on "n r"! t doctr"ne, sp"r"tual #ellows "p, attend"n! t e *ord&s table, and t e pra)er meet"n!s s ould be re!arded as normal and b"nd"n! upon ever) c urc member. $ "s "s not onl) supported b) t e e/ample o# t e earl) C r"st"ans but b) t e e/ ortat"ons o# t e apostles 01eb. (0+ 2-, 25, and elsew ere "n t e New $estament 0Acts 20+ (2.'23 4ev. 2 and '3 5p . -+ (.(2,.

I- CONCEPT OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

$ e concept o# c urc members "p "s "mportant and scr"ptural. $ e *ord was con#err"n! aut or"t) upon 1"s apostles, "nd"cat"n! t at d"sc"pl"ne "n t e c urc would ave to be ma"nta"ned w en 1e rendered "n 6att ew (2+(7 t e words the keys of the kingdom. 8e)s are used to s ut out and to close "n. $ e apostles and t e"r evan!el"sts suc as $"mot ) and $"tus used God. !"ven aut or"t) to appo"nt b"s ops 0or pastors, "n t e c urc es. 9nstruct"ons as to t e :ual"#"cat"ons o# b"s ops are prov"ded. $ e"r aut or"t) "s clearl) !"ven;$"tus '3 $"tus 2. <el"evers or c urc members are e/ orted to obe) and subm"t t emselves to t e"r %astor=1ebrews ('+(7. Now "t "s obv"ous t at we cannot obe) pastors unless t e) are "dent"#"ed, nor can pastors rule unless t ere are spec"#"c people #or w om t e) are respons"ble. %eople w o were added to t e c urc were "dent"#"able "nd"v"duals;Acts 2+-7. $ e pastors are respons"ble #or t ose w o are clearl) >o"ned to t e c urc . ?n t e ot er and, all t e members o# a c urc are "nvolved "n t e call"n! o# a pastor and "n t e appo"ntment o# deacons. %aul addresses t e bel"evers "n % "l"pp". $ "s passa!e p"ctures t e val"d"t) o# c urc members "p w ere "t "ncludes all t at are "n t e local c urc namel)+ t e %astor and deacons w"t t e c urc members;% "l"pp"ans (+(

II. CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENT CHURCH MEMBERS

$ ose c urc members w o cut t emselves o## #rom "nvolvement and #ellows "p are sp"r"tuall) s"ck or stunted "n t e"r sp"r"tual !rowt . God prov"de a #ormula #or t e bel"ever&s !rowt .;5p es"ans -+((.(2 @"t out c urc members "p t e bel"ever #a"ls to pro!ress "n !race and knowled!e. 9t "s t rou! t e local c urc t at t e "nd"v"dual members develop "n understand"n!, e/erc"se t e"r !"#ts, !"ve, rece"ve, and s are sp"r"tual l"#e. $ ere w"ll be a bel"ever&s stunted sp"r"tual !rowt w"t out c urc members "p. An)one can attend c urc but attendance "s not members "p. An)one can t"t es and !"ve #or #a"t prom"se m"ss"ons but members "p "s more t an !"v"n!. Not all c urc members do all w at t e) s ould but t at "s no e/cuse #or not becom"n! a c urc member.

III. CONSISTENCY OF AN ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

1ow can we ma"nta"n our members "p to be act"veA

A. Cont n!" st"#$%#st&' n t(" A)ost&"s* Doct+ n".;Acts 2+-2 5cumen"cal movements ave attempted to destro) t e order;Acts 2+ -2. Not"ce t at doctr"ne "s muc "mportant and placed be#ore #ellows "p. $ e) err "n t at #ellows "p "s placed be#ore doctr"ne. *et all t "n!s be done "n order. Boctr"ne "s "mportant but not to t ose w o declared t at we s ould love one anot er and un"te desp"te o# d"##erences "n bel"e#s. @e become a C r"st"an b) bel"ev"n! t e $4U$1. 6an) seek to un"te a lar!e assortment o# denom"nat"on3 w o den) #undamental doctr"nes o# salvat"on b) !race t rou! #a"t and re>ect t e supreme aut or"t) o# 1ol) Scr"ptures. 5ssent"al and doctr"nes suc as t e wrat and >ust"ce o# God and t e subst"tut"onar) blood.atonement o# C r"st, t e v"r!"n b"rt o# C r"st, t e "nsp"rat"on o# t e Scr"ptures are om"tted. B. Cont n!" st"#$%#st&' n F"&&o,s( );Acts 2+-2. $ e word C#ellows "pD "n Greek ere means commun"on, or av"n! t "n!s "n common. Eou do not ave to be a C r"st"an to ave #ellows "p w"t ot ers. Unbel"evers !at er and >o"ned eac ot er w et er b) assoc"at"on or or!an"Fat"on. ?n t e ot er and, C r"st"an&s #ellows "p "s an ent"rel) d"##erent k"nd. 9t "ncludes s ar"n! sp"r"tual l"#e, we rece"ve t e >o) "mparted b) t e 1ol) G ost, we wors "p w"t pra"s"n! and ed"#)"n! act"v"t"es, we s are God e/alt"n! test"mon"es t at stren!t en t e #a"t o# ot ers. Above all, C r"st"an #ellows "p "s a bless"n! because o# t e presence o# Jesus C r"st w o sa"d, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" C. Cont n!" st"#$%#st&' n t(" B+"#- n. o% B+"#$;Acts 2+-2. All c urc members must be present at t e *ord&s Supper. 1ere, attendance "s des"red. $ ere "s t e v"s"ble act o# commun"on and un"on to!et er o# t e bel"evers. $ e purpose w ) t e d"sc"ples are commanded b) C r"st to celebrate t "s ord"nance "s"to show forth the Lord s death" =9 Cor"nt "ans ((+ 22. 5ver) t"me t e commun"on supper "s eld we are rem"nded o# 1"s bod) and blood #or our redempt"on. C urc members must remember t e *ord&s v"car"ous su##er"n!s t at br"n! salvat"on. C r"st su##ers #or t e s"ns o# man) once and #or all t at we are sanct"#"ed. Aut or"t) #or t e ma"ntenance o# t e ord"nance o# t e *ord&s Supper belon!s to t e sp ere o# t e local c urc alone. $ ere can be no ade:uate subst"tute #or a local c urc . 9t "s t e dut) o# ever) C r"st"an w"t out e/cept"on to do all t at "s umanl) poss"ble to contr"bute to t e well.be"n! o# t e local c urc . D. Cont n!" st"#$%#st&' n P+#'"+ M""t n.;Acts 2+-2 5ver) member o# t e c urc s ould attend pra)er meet"n! eac week because "t "s a v"tal part o# t e l"#e o# t e c urc . Somet "n! appens w en c urc es pra)s. $ e c urc members e/press t e"r total dependence upon t e *ord to susta"n t e c urc t rou! pra)er. @e are not prepared and cannot even be!"n t e sp"r"tual war#are w"t out part"c"pat"on "n pra)er.; 5p es"ans 2+(G $ rou! pra)er we s ow our love to t e bret ren and bear"n! one&s anot er&s burdens;Jo n ('+'-3 Galat"ans 2+2 $ ere "s no suc t "n! as a per#ect c urc , #or t ere are no suc t "n!s as per#ect C r"st"ans. Jo"n"n! a c urc "s not to t "nk "n terms o# w at m"! t rece"ve, but rat er o# w at t e) m"! t contr"bute. 9t "s t e dut) o# ever) C r"st"an w"t out e/cept"on to do all t at "s umanl) poss"ble to contr"bute to t e well.be"n! o# t e local c urc .