How Valuable Is Being Part of the Church?
Luke 13:22-30
Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
Luke 13:22 And He was passing through one city and village after another,
teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to Him,
“Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive
to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will
not be able. 25 “Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you
begin standing outside and knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’
and He then will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26
“Then you will begin saying, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught
in our streets!’ 27 And yet He will say, ‘I do not know where you are from;
LEAVE ME, ALL YOU 2EVILDOERS.’ 28 “In that place there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets
in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29 “And they will come
from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the
kingdom of God. 30 “And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are
first who will be last.”
In Luke 13:22–30, Jesus speaks of the narrow door—a powerful image of what it means
to enter the Kingdom of God. This isn’t about exclusivity for its own sake; it’s about
commitment. The narrow door reminds us that following Christ requires more than
casual interest—it calls for wholehearted devotion.
Before we go further, let’s clarify something important: when we say church, we’re not
talking about buildings. The word comes from the Greek term for a gathering of
believers united in worship and faith. The church is a living community of people who
trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ.
Let me give you a personal story that I think illustrates where I'm going with this
message. When I graduated from college, one of the things that I was told I had to get
was an American Express credit card. That was in 1980, and to qualify for an American
Express card, one had to earn at least $25,000 per year. Back then that was a massive
sum of money. It took me three years from leaving college to earn that kind of money.
As soon as I did earn $25,000 a year, I applied for the American Express card, and my
application was accepted. For several years after that I was so thrilled that I was doing
that well because in 1983 $25,000 was an excellent salary. I was a computer programmer
in an area that desperately needed computer programmers, so I made out well.
A few years later I was with my family of origin for Thanksgiving when my older brother
of one year pulled out his American Express card and flaunted it at me. I knew that he
was not making $25,000 a year. What I did discover was that American Express had
lowered the standards for getting the green card. When I got home later that day, I cut
the green card in half and canceled my American Express card. Why did I do that? It’
was because I put value into having an American Express card because it made me feel
good to know that I was being successful after graduating from college.
What I am also saying is that American Express lowered the bar for who could have
the card and who could not. They did this to get more people to have an American
Express card so that they could make more money. The prestige of holding an
American Express card when it was available to practically anyone dropped the value
of the card to me. What once felt valuable became ordinary.
The early church understood this truth and had a high bar for admission. Becoming
part of the Christian community wasn’t a casual decision. It involved deep instruction,
confession of sins, and a clear understanding of what faith in Christ meant.
The famous Bishop Augustine wrote a book titled “Confessions,” in which he explained
every sin he did throughout his life. He then said in the book that he confessed all the
sins in front of the church, and it took 2 ½ days to do it. He had to explain why he
abandoned all sinful things that the Roman world accepted and wanted to turn his life
around and worship God through Jesus Christ.
I like to call Augustine the Playboy of the ancient world. He even went so far as to have
an illegitimate child. This was big stuff in the ancient world, especially in the latter parts
of the Roman Empire. So, the Playboy of the Roman Empire became a Christian and
confessed everything and did all the things that were required of the early church so
that he could be baptized and forgiven for his sins through Christ.
Contrast that with many modern churches. Membership often requires little more than
saying, “I want to join.” No classes, no profound understanding, no accountability. Is
it any wonder that so many churches struggle with commitment and growth? When the
bar is lowered, the value of belonging diminishes.
Imagine if we raised the standard again—not to exclude, but to inspire. What if joining
the church meant truly learning what it means to follow Jesus, embracing service, and
living generously? We might have fewer names on the membership roll, but we would
have more disciples—people who show up, serve, and share the gospel.
Jesus’ words about the narrow door challenge us: faith is not a checkbox; it’s a lifelong
journey. It calls for learning, confession, service, and sacrifice. It’s not about making
church harder—it’s about making disciples stronger.
Look inward. Do you truly understand what it means to follow Christ? If not, seek your
pastor, join a Bible study, and dig deeper. Don’t settle for surface-level faith. The early
church grew because its members were committed. Today, the church is shrinking
because commitment has faded.
If we want revival, we must raise the bar—not for prestige, but for purpose. The
Kingdom of God is worth everything. Let’s make being part of the church valuable
again—because Jesus gave His life for it.
