Does church membership really matter? In Acts 2 we see the early church making strong distinctions between those who were “added” to the church and those other people who were on the outside.
- TEXT: Acts 2:41-47
- SERIES: Single message
- SPEAKER: Jason Dollar
- DATE: November 13, 2011
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Acts 2:41-47 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awecame upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
INTRODUCTION: We need boundaries. They help us immensely.
- Roads, Sports, Property, Skin
But we are afraid of them because they seem hurtful or intolerant.
- But is it intolerant to have boundaries on roadways, out-of-bounds in sports, property lines, or our personal space?
- Is it intolerant for a band (let’s say the Beetles) to say we have 4 members of our band and nobody else is allowed to join?
- Is it intolerant for a sports team to limit the number of players on the roster?
- Is it intolerant for a company (let’s say Regions Bank) to say only certain people can be employees and others are “on the outside” of that boundary.
None of these things are mean or intolerant. We just understand the need for boundaries in these areas and how they work. The same is true for church membership. It is a NEEDED and HELPFUL boundary. It is not mean-spirited or intolerant.
Church Membership marks the difference between…
Believers and unbelievers
- v41 “So those that received this word…were added that day.” v47 “The Lord added to their number…those who were being saved.”
- The number 1 prerequisite to church membership is that the person trusts Jesus Christ as their Savior.
- How do we know? Two ways – (1) Profession of faith and (2) fruit of the Spirit.
Baptized and unbaptized
- v41 “…were baptized…”
- Baptism is the initiating ordinance of the church and is the outward picture of Christ’s salvation.
- A person CAN be a believer and NOT BE baptized (or a church member), but a person CANNOT be a church member if they have not been baptized (and they should not be baptized if they are not a believer).
- Church membership has to do with living in the community of Christ NOW as an organized body of inter-working parts (and baptism is the mark of that membership).
1 Corinthians 12:18; 26-27 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose…If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
The sharing fellowship and “all the people”
- v42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” v45 “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” v46-47 “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.”
- As a church we have limited resources for helping others (the need is much greater than our budget), so we are going to help our MEMBERS FIRST.
1 Timothy 5:3; 9-12 Honor widows who are truly widows…Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.
APPLICATIONS
- Take your church membership very seriously – it is a covenant with fellow believers.
- Take the approval of church members very seriously. You are seeking to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
