Church Membership

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2023

ACTS 2 VERSES 37 – 47

Church membership – what does it mean?  Let’s turn to the manual we have for it – the word of God.  I want us to think carefully and grasp what we are talking about.  We are not just talking of an establishment.  People will automatically say “I have my own church.”  We are not talking about that kind of a church today.  The Greek word is Ecclesia and means a called out people.  That is what we see in Acts 2.  They formed the church of Christ, not an establishment or building, it is a people.  It is encumbent on every believer to be a member of the local assembly, to be a fully functioning member.  Let us look at the first church of Jesus Christ.  What does the local church provide? 

 

The foundation of the local church.  We are not talking about the foundation of the building but the foundation of the group of people who gather together.  The early church was founded on the preaching of the word of God.  There is no other foundation that can be laid – Jesus is the head of the body and we must build upon that.  Jesus laid the foundation but we are called to build upon that foundation.  In Acts 2 we see the birth of the church.  The instructions to the disciples was to tarry in Jerusalem until they received power (Acts 1 verse 8).  We find them gathered in the Upper Room in Acts 2 when there came a sound of a mighty rushing wind and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire.  Those tongues rested on them.  This was the birth place of the church of Jesus Christ.  Peter stands to preach and as he concludes his sermon we see the people cry out “what shall we do” (verse 37) and Peter tells them to “repent and be baptized”.  On that day 3000 people were added to the church (verse 41).  Then we read in verse 47 “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”  The qualification for church membership is so clear – to be saved by the grace of God.  Peter made it very clear when the Spirit came on them and began to convict them of their lives and the sin in their lives they cried out “what shall we do”.  That is the first place God brings us to – conviction of sin and then follows the crying out “what must we do to be saved.”  The word tells us “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”  Was there a point when you believed, were saved?  Were you taught that Christ came into the world, lived a sinless life, died on Calvary and rose from the grave on the third day.  We can believe that with the head of history but never with the heart.  That he is the only one who can save me, that he is preparing a home in heaven for us.  The apostle Paul in Galatians saw in that church a group of people saved but had moved away from their stance – chapter 1 verse 6 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.”  They had heard about the preaching of Christ, they had been convinced but then something happened.  False teachers came in.  Paul preached on the foundation of Christ, saw people coming to trust Christ as Saviour.  1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 “when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”  In Acts 17 we read that for 3 Sabbath days he opened up the word of God and “reasoned with them out of the scriptures.”  Paul didn’t miss the opportunity every Sunday.  He preached the same message.  Membership is more than coming along and paying into the church.  It means belonging to a fellowship.  That means in a day to come you will have made a decision to keep an apostate out of the pulpit.  In Galatians Paul said “I laid a good foundation but others came and took it away.”  Not just build on activities or facilities.

 

The focus of the church.  The church you and I need to join and be associated with is focused on the word of God.  That was the problem in Galatia, they moved away from it onto another gospel.  It became a perverted gospel.  In verse 42 we read “they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers.”  The church we belong to should be focused on the word of God.  It is very difficult to get people into a building were the only attraction is God.  We can put on a show, bring the very best of singers, attract people in with good testimonies but unless our focus is on Jesus it is all for nothing.  “For Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” (1 Corinthians 1 verse 17)  Paul told Timothy “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”  (2 Timothy 4 verse 2)  Those who lead and direct the work should at every opportunity preach the word of God.  That is not just the Pastor, or the elders but with the congregation members too.  It is so important for you and your family to be in a church were the word of God is preached and proclaimed.

 

The fellowship of the church.  “And all that believed were together and had all things common.” (Acts 2 verse 44)  The people on that day heard the wonderful message, what Christ had done on earth, that he was the Messiah, the Son of God.  He came into this world, suffered at the hands of Pilate and other men who hung him on the cross.  They listened and believed with all their hearts.  They were cleansed, baptised into the body.  They had all things in common.  Notice in chapter 2 verses 9 to 11 where they all came from.  They were filtered back into their own communities and set up assemblies of believers themselves.  What a wonderful message we have to proclaim.  In Corinthians Paul talked about eyes, hands and other parts of the body that worked together.  Each one is important in the body of Christ.  You have a gift only God can use in this particular assembly.  He has placed you in the body for a function.  Paul says if one part of that body suffers all the body suffers.  1 Corinthians 12 verse 13.  In 2 Corinthians 6 verses 14 – 16 Paul talks about apostates who came into the fellowship.  Paul said in Ephesians 5 verse 8 “For ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of light.”  He goes on in verse 11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them.” When you and I were saved and changed we needed to be somewhere other believers are.  Yes there are differences in the body of Christ. 

 

The fervency of the church.  This is the fellowship we need to belong to – verse 45 “And sold their possession and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need.”  They were looking out for one another.  They saw the need of others, sold what they had and gave it to the apostles to give as they saw the need for it.  Paul talked about receiving gifts from the believers on more than one occasion even though he didn’t need it.