MEMBERSHIP IS NOT AN OPTION
Why do some people who have grown up in the church or having started out so well after being saved as adults run aground or drift away from the Lord? What lures them away? What compels them to leave the church? And why is it the Church in America is having difficulty keeping new converts?
Overall, I think it’s because the Church is no longer relevant to current and new generations. It has diminished the importance of interpersonal relationships and at the same time failed to capitalize on the practical benefits of membership in the local body of believers.
These “lost people” have done a cost-benefits analysis and have determined that they do not get enough positive benefits from church participation to merit their continued involvement.
85% of all non-churched adults in America consistently attended church at some point in their lives. In interviewing these people, it was discovered that if the church where they attended had understood them and ministered to them effectively, they would have stayed.
The Baby Boomer generation started a massive exit from our churches in 1991. Exit interviews indicate that most of them left because their churches promised more than they delivered. They did not truly find the relationships, the wisdom and worldview, or the personal benefits they had expected. They now view the church as irrelevant and disappointing. This is significant because the Baby Boomer generation represents about 42% of the adults who are not aligned with any church.
Listen, the old saying that the things that got you to where you are today are not the things that will get you to where you need to be tomorrow is true. As a Church we’ve got to change our structure significantly if we are going to remain both alive and influential to a lost and dying world. Jesus never told us how to do church – His attention was devoted to beliefs, values, relationships and behavior- what we call discipleship – He was not overly concerned about organizational structure.
Our Lord instituted the church, but he didn’t tell us how we were supposed to do church, and I’m glad he didn’t.
The world around us is changing at an unprecedented pace. What worked ten years ago is already obsolete; cultural analysts estimate that our culture essentially reinvents itself every three to five years. In other words, the core attributes of our society – language, customs, dress styles, dominant leisure pursuits, relational emphases, values, and the like are being substantially reshaped and reconfigured every few years.
Most American churches, however, are holding fast to programs and goals established by their charter members years ago.
Most American churches haven’t seen a new conversion in years. They are loosing members and closing churches so fast it’s making denominational leader’s heads spin.
We are in trouble church!
The spirituality of the average American Christian is in name only. We desire experience more than knowledge. We prefer choices to absolutes. We embrace preferences rather than truths. We seek comfort rather than growth. Faith must come on our terms or we reject it. We have enthroned ourselves as the final arbiters of righteousness, the ultimate rulers of our own experience and destiny. We are the Pharisees of the new millennium.
(Benefits of Membership)
My goal in today’s sermon is to help you see the benefits of membership in the local body of Christ.
Those of you who are not members need to ask yourselves, “So why should I become a member? What are the benefits to me?”
That’s a good question and I’m glad you asked. J
The greatest benefit is that it helps keep you committed to God. Commitment is a tough concept for Americans. We have trouble being committed to just about everything. We have difficulty committing to diets, exercise programs, systematic savings, paying our bills on time – we just have a hard time with commitment. As a whole, we can’t even stay committed in our marriages. Commitment requires an intentional investment of our time, talent and being.
Most Americans view church as a source of strength you draw from, not a reservoir of positive impact that you must also invest in. They come to take and rarely give. Oh, they give their money – but invest themselves? Now that’s a horse of a different color.
In Thursday’s Bible reading in Exodus 31:12-13 God established the Sabbath day. The Jewish Sabbath day starts Friday night at sundown and goes to Saturday night at sundown. During that time you were not to do any work, but to take time to rest, be with your family and pray and worship God. The Sabbath day was a holy day set apart for this purpose.
As Christians we are not required to observe the Sabbath day like the Jews, but we do take time and set it aside to rest, be with our family, our church family and to worship God. Most Christians, though not all, set aside Sunday as their special day of worship because it is the first day of the week when Christ rose from the dead.
We can apply the same principle found in Exodus 31 if we commit ourselves to keeping a Christian Sabbath day each week. But why is that a good thing? Well, to quote God, “Because it helps you to remember that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” And listen, if you’re not holy, you’re something else – something else that you don’t want to be – especially on judgement day.
Being a member of this church or any other Bible preaching church helps you to discipline yourself to set aside time each week to worship God.
Another benefit of church membership is that you will be prayed for and cared for on a regular basis. God will be reminded of you and mindful of you because you have people praying for you.
In Tuesday’s reading in Exodus 28:15-30 We are told about the garments that Aaron the High Priest was to wear. Part of his gear was a chestpiece that had 12 stones engraved with the name of each tribe of Israel. Every time Aaron ministered before the Lord, God looked at the chestpiece and was reminded of his chosen people. As a member of this church you fall under the watchful care of the Pastor who like the priest Aaron prays for his people when he enters the presence of the Lord.
Another benefit of membership is that it helps you find God’s will for your life. In Aaron’s chestpiece was a pocket that held the Urim and the Thummim. These were stones with writing on them and were used to determine God’s will. When they needed to know something that required a simple yes or no answer the High Priest would tumble the Urim and Thummim to get the answer.
As Christians, we don’t need a Urim and Thummim, rather we rely on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, preaching, teaching and exhortation and prayer to find God’s will. You can’t experience these benefits outside the church. You’ve got to be joined to a local body of believers to experience these benefits.
Another benefit you receive by being a member of the church is the principle of a “covering.” In Friday’s reading you saw the Jews running amuck when Moses was gone on Mt. Sinai. They talked Aaron into making a golden calf and making sacrifices to it. Then they feasted and engaged in all manner of detestable hedonistic practices. Moses came back and boy was he mad! He stood at the entrance of the camp and called out “Whoever is on the Lord’s side, let him come to me.” The Levites came to Moses and Moses ordered them to strap on their swords and randomly kill anyone they came in contact with in the camp regardless of their relationship to them. That day about 3,000 people were killed in the camp.
Listen, you may think that’s bad, but compared to what God wanted to do to them, it is mild. God wanted to kill them all, but Moses interceded for them and God relented. Moses stood in the gap to protect them.
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin; so now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” The word “atonement” means “to cover.” We use the term today when we go out to eat with each other. If your friend is feeling generous, when the check comes, he or she might pick it up and say “Your covered.” It means that your debt is paid.
Like Moses, pastors act as a “covering” for the people God has entrusted to his or her care. I frequently pray prayers of atonement over you and your families. I pray that God will save the lost souls of your loved ones. I make intercession for them and seek God’s face asking Him to call those lost souls back to Himself and to forgive them of their sins and restore them to His Kingdom. I pray prayers of atonement over out nation asking God to forgive us our sins and bring us back to the Living God.
As a member of the church you have the benefit of a pastor who will watch over you in prayer, keep you out of the pitfalls of sin, visit you in the hospital, come after you when you are absent too long.
Another benefit of membership is that it keeps you holy.
In Saturday’s reading in Exodus 34:12 we read the instructions of the Lord to the children of Israel not to make treaties with the people around them. God said, “Be very careful not to make treaties with the people in the land where you are going. If you do, you soon will be following their evil ways.”
So how does that apply to us?
Have you made treaties with people around you???
Treaties like – I can be just like you in the movies I see, the music I listen to , the jokes I tell, the language I use, the internet sites I visit?
Treaties like – I will go along and pretend I don’t see the lying, cheating, adultery, stealing and general corruption going on around me?
Treaties like – I won’t talk about Jesus in front of you, because it’s considered socially unacceptable?
Listen, being a member of the Church keeps you accountable. Since you are accountable to other Christians, you are more likely to develop integrity of character and be able to be holy while you are at work, holy in front of your neighbors, holy in front of your unsaved family members, holy in front of your own family, holy in front of your church family and holy in front of God.
Holiness is what you need, and membership in the Church promotes holiness of character. Membership motivates you to participate in things like reading through the Bible in a year, praying every day, and attending Church regularly.
With holiness comes anointing, and with anointing comes service which gives you purpose for your life.
When you belong to the church, you belong to something bigger than yourself. You belong to a holy organization, founded by Jesus, established through the Apostles and it continues today as the Body of Christ bearing testimony of His love and saving power to a lost and dying world.
Membership in the local Church helps you to keep learning about the Bible and Christian principles for living:
Colossians 3:15-16 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Most American Christians believe that they know the fundamental truths of the Bible, however only 10 percent actually possess a biblical worldview. (George Barna’s The Second Coming of the Church).
For example, 44% of Americans believe that all people will experience the same outcome after death, regardless of their religious beliefs. But the Bible declares that only those who believe in Christ will be saved. Romans 3:21-26
Only 34% believe that the Bible is accurate in all it teaches. But the Bible declares that all Scripture is inspired and therefore true and reliable 2 Tim 3:16.
60% of people believe that Satan is not a living being but just a symbol of evil. But the Bible declares that Satan is real, powerful and evil 1 Peter 5:8.
40% believe that after Jesus died, he was not resurrected. But the Bible says He indeed resurrected, spent time with His disciples and then returned to heaven (Acts 1:1-9; 1 Cor 2:10-16)
So if you want to be grounded in the Word of God and know the truth, then you need to be a member of the local church.
There are many more benefits of being an official member of a local church. They include being included in the decision making process. Membership allows you to combine your gifts and talents together with other Christians to make a much greater impact for the gospel in the world. The joy of fellowship, developing lasting friendships, sharing in the lives of other Christians are all things that make your membership in the local Church more rewarding.
What are the requirements for membership at Klamath Assembly of God.
(Ushers – Pass out Membership Covenants)
1. You must be born again
2. You must be baptized in water
3. You must be in agreement with our statements of faith
4. You must agree with our strategy for discipleship, evangelism, church structure and government
5. Be led by the Holy Spirit to unite with us
6. Read and Sign our Membership Covenant
7. Have your name posted in the lobby for 2 weeks
8. Be approved by the Board of Deacons
9. Attend the new members class
10. Be present at the “Receiving of New Members” ceremony
Let me review what the Klamath Assembly of God Membership Covenant says:
1. I will protect the unity of my church
...by acting in love toward other members.
Rom 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
1 Pet 1: 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
...by refusing to gossip.
Eph 4: 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
...by following the spiritual leadership.
Heb 13: 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
2. I will share the responsibility of my church
...by praying for its growth.
1 Th 1:1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
...by inviting the unchurched to attend.
Luke 14: 23 "Then the master told his servant, ’Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.
...by warmly welcoming those who visit.
Rom 15: 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
3. I will serve the ministry of my church
...by discovering my gifts and talents.
1 Pet 4: 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
...by being equipped to serve by my pastors.
Eph 4: 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
...by developing a servant’s heart.
Phil 2: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
If an attitude of servanthood is conspicuously absent from your life, the best way to change it is to start serving. Begin serving with your body, and your heart will eventually catch up. Sign up to serve others for six months here at church. If your attitude still isn’t good at the end of your term, do it again. Keep at it until your heart changes.
Albert Schweitzer wisely stated, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know; The ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. If you want to soar to the highest level, be willing to serve on the lowest.
4. I will support the testimony of my church
...by attending faithfully.
Heb 10: 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
...by living a godly life.
Phil 1: 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel
...by tithing regularly.
1 Cor 16: 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Leviticus 27: 30 "’A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
Listen, I want you to be passionate about Jesus, and I want you to be passionate about your church – Klamath Assembly of God!
Human beings are so made that whenever anything fires the soul, impossibilities vanish. A fire in the heart lifts everything in your life. I have a vision for this church that I am passionate about. I see a church on fire for God. I see a church that can stand in the face of trials an tribulations but more than that I see a church that can walk into the fire, a church that can run into the wind, a church that can fly into the storm clouds of the enemy and emerge triumphant.
I see a church that is taking back a city for Jesus. I see a church that is taking back a state for Christ, I see a church that is sweeping the nation for the glory of God and reaching out to a lost and dying world with real answers and real solutions to the most difficult problems.
Oh, I can get fired up about that church. Won’t you join me? Make a decision to join this church today.
I’m going to pray – then as the Holy Spirit directs you, sign your Membership Covenant and bring it to the altar. By placing your signed covenant on the altar you signify that you are applying for membership in this church.
