Six Truths of Church Membership
Do we take our membership for granted?
(1) I WILL BE A FUNCTIONING CHURCH MEMBER (1)
Country Club Mentality vs. Congregational Mentality:
To be a member in good standing at your local country club, you need only pay your dues. It’s quite different with a congregation. We are called to be members of a body (1 Corinthians 12). Some of us are hands, some are feet, eyes, ears, etc. Working together, our central attitude is to be one of unconditional love for our fellow members and for those outside the church (1 Corinthians 13). That means we ask how we can give of our time, talents, and treasures, not if we should.
Truth #1: I am a church member. Not a member of a civic organization or a country club, but of a congregation. It’s the kind of membership given in 1 Corinthians 12: “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27). Because I am a member of the body of Christ, I must be a functioning member, whether I am an “eye,” and “ear,” or a “hand.” As a functioning member, I will give. I will serve. I will minister. I will evangelize. I will study. I will seek to be a blessing to others. I will remember that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 2:26).
(2) I WILL BE A UNIFYING CHURCH MEMBER (2)
Forgiveness and Unity:
Church membership is about sacrificing, giving, and forgiving. We forgive others as God has forgiven us through Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:14-15; Colossians 3:12-13). Being unified means loving one another – even when our fellow church members are not so lovable (John 13:35; Ephesians 1:15-16). Even though we may be tempted to start or even pass along gossip, God’s word commands that we do not (Romans 1:29-31; James 3:6). Gossip is divisive; it destroys unity. Unity is among the most important qualities for a congregation (Ephesians 4:1-3; Colossians 3:14). It requires hard work and sacrifice, but the end result is a group of loving and supportive individuals – a community of forgiveness.
Truth #2: I am a church member. I will seek to be a source of unity in my church. I know there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other church members. But neither am I. I will not be a source of gossip or dissention. One of the greatest contributions I can make is to do all I can, by God’s grace, to help keep the church in unity for the sake of the gospel.
(3) I WILL NOT LET MY CHURCH BE ALL ABOUT ME (3)
My Way or the Highway:
It’s about you/it’s not about you. This is our reality. Christ’s work on the cross is about you. You are saved. He washes you clean in Baptism (Romans 6:3-4; Titus 3:5-7) and feeds you with His very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The life of the church is not about you. It’s about your neighbor. Christians are servants (Mark 9:35). The ideas of “servant” and “service” are conveyed over 100 times in the New Testament. Ours is a life of service. Paul preached about this and modeled it in his own life (Ephesians 3:7). Christ modeled this (Philippians 2:5-11) in ways we could never duplicate (His perfect obedience to God, even unto death on the cross) and ways we can (His service to others). When we make our own preferences secondary and our neighbor’s needs primary, the church flourishes. And you will experience this joy as well!
Truth #3: I am a church member. I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires. That is self-serving. I am a member in this church to receive God’s Word and Sacraments, as well as to serve others in the stead of Christ. My Savior went to a cross for me. I can deal with inconveniences and matters that just aren’t my preference or style.
(4) I WILL PRAY FOR MY CHURCH LEADERS (4)
Praying for our Overseers:
Can you spend five minutes each day praying for your pastors? How about the other leaders of your congregation? It makes a difference! As with so many other occupations, being a church leader means working hard, for long hours, to ensure that a quality job is done. In contrast to many other occupations, being a church leader thrusts an individual (and often his/her family) under the magnifying glass of scrutiny. Qualifications for pastors are listed in 1 Timothy 3, and the list is daunting. Satan, that prowling lion (1 Peter 5:8), would love for your pastor to slip. He wants your church to fail, for you to become disappointed with God and Christ, and so he targets your church leaders. Please always keep them in prayer. Don’t know how to start? Pray for their physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Pray for the clear proclamation of the Gospel. Pray for their families. Pray for discernment and wisdom. And know that they are doing the same for you.
Truth #4: I am a church member. I will pray for my pastors and other church leaders every day. I understand that their work is never ending. Their days are filled with numerous demands that bring emotional highs and lows. They must deal with critics. They must be good spouses and parents. Because they cannot do all things in their own power, I will pray for their strength and wisdom daily.
(5) I WILL LEAD MY FAMILY TO BE HEALTHY CHURCH MEMBERS (5)
Church and Family:
You are part of a family of faith at St. Peter’s. You are also part of your own family, and that brings with it a number of responsibilities. Living with other people is never easy. Paul informs us in Ephesians 5:22-6:4 that we are to treat our parents, spouses, and children in a way commensurate with Christ and His bride, the church. This involves recognizing our own failings before judging others (Matthew 7:3-5). There is always room for improvement, and we are always both sinners and saints this side of heaven. Be a family at prayer: regularly. Be a family at worship: weekly. You may not have the benefit of a believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7:12-14), but you are a witness of Christ’s love to them. Likewise, your life is a witness to all in your family of faith, as well as those outside of the church. Let that family be a blessing to you as well.
Truth #5: I am a church member. I will lead my family to be good members of this church as well. We will pray together regularly for our church, as often as possible. We will worship together weekly in our church, as often as possible. We will serve together in our church, as often as possible. And we will ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church, because He gave His life for her.
(6) I WILL TREASURE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT (6)
The Gift of Belonging:
Church membership is a gift from God. It is a gift like Baptism, or the Lord’s Supper, or God’s Holy Word. We could never earn or deserve it. He gives it all to us by grace. What should be our reaction to receiving such amazing gifts? We give thanks to our Lord, manifested in prayers and songs of praise, and also in our service to others. And our fellow church members are living the exact same reality. We look not to our own needs (Matthew 20:26-28), but to the needs of others. All have sinned (Romans 3:23), and all Christians are redeemed by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9). We are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27-28). What a gift! And part of the blessing of being a Christian in the local congregation is realized in being a blessing for others (Ephesians 2:10). May God bless you in your service to His body as His very own redeemed child!
Truth #6: I am a church member. This membership is a gift. When I received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I became a part of the body of Christ. And now I am humbled and honored to serve and to love others in our church. I pray that I will never take my membership for granted, but see it as a gift and an opportunity to serve others and to be a part of something so much greater than any one person or member.
*Adapted by Rev. Dr. Heath Trampe, from I Am A Church Member, by Thom S. Rainer (B&H Publishing, 2013).
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