(This study is formatted for small group discussion with exercises that promote interaction) There are many“disenchanted with the idea of belonging to a local church”.Many aren’t sure that church membership is biblical. Many have a strong understanding of the universal church but aren’t well versed—and somewhat skeptical—about the local church. How do we as a church answer the oftentimes disenchanted who come into our building with no church background, or bad church backgrounds. Even when I did street ministry, I’d often engage in conversations with men and women where I’d hear things like “The church is corrupt; it’s just about money and a pastor’s ego,” or “I love Christ, it’s the church I have a problem with.” My favorite one was, “When you organize the church it loses its power.” As I grew older I’ve found especially concerning the younger generations, after me have serious problems with authority and commitment issues. Many aren’t sure why membership is necessary. In a day when commitment is a rare commodity, it should come as no surprise that church membership is such a low priority to so many believers. Sadly, it is not uncommon for Christians to move from church to church, never submitting themselves to the care of elders and never committing themselves to a group of fellow believers. To neglect—or to refuse—to join a church as a formal member, however, reflects a misunderstanding of the believer’s responsibility to the body of Messiah. And it also cuts one off from the many blessings and opportunities that flow from this commitment. It is essential for every believer in Yahshua to understand what church membership is and why it matters. In this study we are going to uncover Biblical evidence in support of Elohim’s design for local church membership. Evidence that reveals something vital to our faith as believers in Messiah; which would be minimized or denied if there were no definable local church membership.
Church Membership in the Book of Acts You can see the reality of church membership casting its shadow in the story written in the Book of Acts about the beginnings of the New Covenant church.
(Pick a reader…)
Acts 1:15,”At this time Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a group of about 120 people was there together), and said, “
(If you’ve read Acts, you should already know, on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel and told people to be baptized. Then, in…)
Acts 2:41, “three thousand souls were added to their number.” (It seems that someone was keeping a numerical record of those who were saved and thus joining the church.) Acts 2:47“And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved” _____________________________________________________________________ This verse indicates that salvation was a prerequisite for being “added” to the church.Churches today that require salvation before membership are simply following the biblical model. See also… ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of Elohim with idols? For you are the temple of the living Elohim. As Elohim has said:“I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their Elohim, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore“Come out from among them And be separate, says Yahweh. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says Yahweh Almighty.” _____________________________________________________________________________________ Even at the beginning, then, the first Christians knew who they were. The life of the church wasn’t just a matter of “come when you can.” There was a defined, recognized group of people who believed, were baptized, and were part of the number.
It’s not just that they knew each other, though. Along with the original 12 and the 120, those newly converted, early believers in Messiah Yahshua lived life together. They attended the temple together as more and more were “added to their number”(2:44-47)
______________(slide)__________________________________ They did this until in Acts 4:4 (reader). The number had risen to five thousand (and that’s just counting the men)! To be a part of “the number” wasn’t just a lifeless bureaucratic reality, either. Acts 4:32 reports that they were “of one heart and soul.”(reader)
Amazingly, even with upwards of five thousand people in “the number,” that earliest church in Jerusalem continued to meet together. (reader)
Acts 5:12 says that they were “all together” in a large place called Solomon’s Portico;
(Picture model of Solomon's Portico)
(reader) for Acts 6:2.So it even says the “full number” all 5000 of them came together in a business meeting to discuss how to care better for widows. And through all of this, those early Christians called themselves a church— that is a local assembly, or gathering in Jerusalem (Yahshua MT 16:18, & Acts 11:26). ______________________________________________________________
So, in the very first church in Jerusalem, even as large as it was, the first believers in Messiah Yahshua knew who they were. There were those who were part of the number, and there were those who were not, and the dividing line between the two was the outward sign of the covenant faith commitment of water baptism…
It is a covenant commitment to become a part of King Yahshua’s church worldwide which is primarily expressed through the local church. A person would become a believer, the elders of the local church would exercise the keys...
…and say, “Yes, you seem to be a genuine believer,” then he or she would be baptized and thereby via the local church, join the life of the church—its joys and pains and problems and solutions. _________________________________________________________ The Example of the Early Church Again, in the early church, coming to Messiah was coming to the church. The idea of experiencing salvation without belonging to a local church is foreign to the New Testament. When individuals repented and believed in the Messiah Yahshua, they were baptized and added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5). More than simply living out a private commitment to Messiah Yahshua, this meant joining together formally with other believers in a local assembly and devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42). The epistles of the New Testament were written to churches. In the case of the few written to individuals—such as Philemon, Timothy and Titus—these individuals were leaders in churches. The New Testament epistles themselves demonstrate that the Lord Yahshua assumed that believers would be committed to a local assembly. Think deeply with me about your answer to this question: Note well, the question is what you and I “should” want in our local church, not necessarily what “do” we want. I’m asking you, “What should we want in our local church?” What you and I prefer or like or what makes us feel comfortable isn’t of preeminent importance. What’s truly important is what Yahweh Elohim’s Word tells us we should want. Now, having said that, I sincerely believe that what you and I should want we probably do want. In other words, once we have worked hard to put aside our personal likes and dislikes and the influence of man made traditions in which we were raised, I’m confident that most everyone here will want to have a local church that is consistent with what we read in the New Testament scriptures. I don’t know many Christians in our local church who would dare to say: “I don’t care that the Bible says we should have A, B, and C. By golly, I want X, Y, and Z!” I’m going to continue on the assumption that such does not describe you! Of course, there is any number of answers to the question I’ve asked, such as: “I should want my local church to worship Yahweh Elohim in spirit and truth,” or “I should want my church to be committed to teaching Yahweh’s Word,” or “I should want my church to commit itself to the spiritual nurture and protection of my children.” But that’s not primarily the direction I want us to go today. Here’s what I have in mind when I ask the question, “What should you want in your local church?” I assume, first of all, that you want a local church where you can be known and loved and cared for by other believers. There is, after all, no such thing as an “anonymous-lone-ranger-Christian” in the NT. You can certainly remain anonymous if you want to. It’s easier to do in a church of several thousand where you can slip in on a service and sit along the wall and never engage anyone in fellowship or conversation or accountability. So, yes, you can do that if you want. But why would you want to? And I trust you would at least agree with me that, even if you still want to, it’s simply not biblically permissible. Second, I assume you want a local church where you can know others and experience the joy of pouring into their lives and loving and encouraging and helping them and ministering to their needs. In other words, you want a local church, I assume, where you can be useful and be a blessing to others who are struggling and need your input. Third, I assume you want a local church where you can be spiritually led and biblically fed and lovingly protected by gifted leaders. I assume you want leaders who not only know who you are but are joyfully committed to keeping watch over your souls, leaders who take seriously their responsibility to teach you the truth and help you grow in your knowledge of Yahweh Elohim and your intimacy with him. I honestly can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with those three points. After all, they are each one very, very biblical. In this study I want to show that the best and most biblical way to build a local church that does these things well is by implementing what I call covenant membership.
Before I go any further, let me be clear about what I do not mean by covenant membership. Again, I realize that many have bad and even painful memories of how membership was done poorly in the past. So let me explain what covenant membership is not. The aim is to avoid thinking of the local church in “religious” terms, such that “membership” is the card you carry that entitles you to show up when you please, consume only what you desire, and live however you wish on any day other than Yahweh Elohim’s holy seventh day Sabbath. The concept of “membership” has too often been associated with power, privilege, and an approach to the Christian life that grants a person all the “perks” of being thought of as a “believer” but with few or no responsibilities. The last thing in the world that we should envision when we think of covenant membership is the idea of a Christian congratulating himself/herself, and taking pride in membership in such a way that others are left feeling judged or excluded or second-rate. Covenant membership is not a badge that one flashes to make known their spiritual maturity. On the other hand, our desire is to call believing men and women to a more genuine, authentic, heartfelt, and holistic relationship with other believers that entails commitment and discipleship and provides us with a more effective means to display the glory of the Messiah. The church is not a club we join in order to reap certain benefits at our leisure, or whenever we please. It is rather a complex of relationships of mutual encouragement and spiritual accountability in which we partner with one another for the advance of the gospel in the earth. What, then, is meant by the words “covenant membership” when it comes to the local church? To be a covenant member simply means that an individual is identified with, is accountable to, and is a contributing participant of this local expression of the world wide body of Messiah. With covenant membership there are certain commitments that are made, responsibilities that are embraced, and relationships that are acknowledged. "Covenant Membership" in a local church, therefore, is the way in which the individual is known to be intentionally committed to every other member of the congregation, and the congregation is known to be committed to the individual. Covenant membership means, "I now as my Elohim ordains, put myself under the care of the Elders and I invite them to hold me accountable as a constituent member of this local body." That is the primary expression of His Body world wide. This is the meaning of covenant membership. Covenant membership is simply the way in which an individual is known to be committed to all others in a local body of believers and how all others are known to be committed to that individual. Covenant membership is simply the way in which an individual makes known his/her covenant commitment to the Elders as spiritual leaders and how the Elders make known and fulfill their responsibility to shepherd and lead and protect the flock. One argument I would hear from those against putting themselves as members of a local church under the responsibility of the elders, is that Church membership is not Biblical because the Bible doesn’t even mention it. Obviously this study disagrees with this assertion; but we can’t just say that. We must study to show whether or not this perspective is approved or supported scripturally. Does the scriptures show that after coming to salvation, becoming a member of a local church congregation is a given responsibility of our covenant faith walk of obedience in Messiah. When it comes to application to the local church, let’s with open minds look more into the idea of Biblical support for… Covenant membership
The Bible uses numerous metaphors such as "body," "flock," "building," "house," "bride," and "temple" to describe not only the world wide people of Yahweh Elohim’s Kingdom, but specifically the local church. When we look at these metaphors or images used to describe the local church, each of these in its own way seems to require an organic spiritual unity and visible commitment on the part of those who comprise it.
My Answer:
The local church is here portrayed as a family, spiritual “brothers” and “sisters” whose presence in the house and identity as members of that family are obvious. There had to have been some means by which the household of faith was differentiated from “everyone” else. This is what is meant by “covenant membership” in the family of Elohim’s children. (REVIEW: ENDED HERE WITHOUT GETTING INTO MY ANSWER) The recent development of online churches was brought up in our last sabbath school. How people from all around the world can attend these online churches. Still it’s a church whose core members are locally headquartered somewhere and it needs an online steady number of membership to sustain its ministries. I’d like to return where we left off focusing on the 1 Corinthians 12, Exercise. Last sabbath school, many hands were raised for comments; but I asked that you save them for this week because of time constraints. Does anyone still wish to share? __________________(May skip and share a little when conveinent_______________________ 3 Profound Pros and Cons Of The Future Church Online The author and lead Pastor of Sound of Heaven Church Johnny Ova
Watching Church Online | Quick Hits
It's the way of the future
Connect With People All Over The World
You can make it personal
Not the same connection when you are there in person
You can't replace the in person atmosphere
Where is everyone?
Is Church online the way of the future? The simple answer is an outstanding YES, but the thing is that Church online was always going to be the way of the future whether the Coronavirus pandemic hit or it didn’t, it just came a bit faster. We as people are always hesitant to any type of change. We enjoy things the way we like them and seldom to we like to be pushed past our comfort zones. When it comes to church this is especially true! The thought of Church going online makes some people nervous because the first thing that always comes up is that the Church online is not the same as Church in person. Me personally, I agree but that “preference” really depends on who you are asking. I have met many people that enjoy Church online way better than Church in person. There are also many great platforms to experience church online. Pros of watching Church Online 1. Convenience With every pro there is a possible con. One of the best things about Church online is that you can Worship God and watch the Word in your underwear on your couch on your timeframe. You can pause it to use the bathroom and jump right back in. The con with this could be laziness, easily distracted…etc. We have to understand that in this day and age we are living in, people consume content in different ways. We live in an “on-demand” society and we can fight it or get creative in how we deliver the Word of God. This is what Church online platforms can deliver. Can’t get the kids up? No worries! Sick? Not a problem! You can get Church anytime you want! 2. Connect With The World... If You Want Imagine a day where you can be comfortable at your home, worshipping Jesus with hundreds and even thousands of people across the world. Interacting with people who love Jesus while worshipping during live online church services. Watching online church services can introduce you to people that you would’ve never met by just attending your physical location. The pioneer in this is Life Church Online. They have a service every 120 minutes or so and every time you go on, there is about 500 people online no matter what the time is. How amazing!? 3. Make It Personal The other MAJOR plus of watching Church online is how personal you can make it. Much like how Life Church Online does it, we do something very similar. At any time during our services, you can request prayer and speak to a Core Member at Sound of Heaven. Imagine a place where you can request 1 on 1 prayer any time you want. Now that is something you can’t do during most Church services. You can’t just walk up and interrupt the Pastor are get 1 on 1 counsel during most Church services, but online you can! A quick shameless plug, be sure to check out our online church services platform. Cons of watching Church Online 1. Not The Same Connection It’s just not the same. That is a fact but that doesn’t mean it’s worse, attending Church online can actually be better. With that being said I do understand the power of walking inside of a building and seeing the greeters smiling and waving being able to hug someone and say hello. It’s like seeing extended family, that you actually like, and you get to do life together. Being in your house can sometimes make you feel isolated and you have to be able to “self start”, which most of us aren’t good it. 2. What About The Atmosphere One of my favorite parts about going to Church in person is being able to feel the electricity during worship surrounded by people pouring everything they have out in worship. I LOVE that! I love being able to feel the passion come from the Pastor’s heart when he empties himself out in his teaching. When watching church services online, you have to be able to set that tone, create that atmosphere yourself. 3. Where Is Everyone? The fellowship! The other hard part is not being able to hang out after Church, talking with your friends, having a cup of coffee. Maybe you are used to getting a bite to eat after Church with your friends. Online Church doesn’t supply that togetherness… but maybe you can do a quick Zoom lunch !? The Verdict... So what to do!? The answer is both! There is an importance with being in fellowship with people who can hold you accountable and attending your local Church services. On the other hand, you can learn so much more and meet so many people who will become lifelong friends by watching Church online. _________________________________________________________________
My Answer: If you look at the context of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is addressing isims and scisims specific to the membership of the local church in the city of Corinth. He is explaining to them that instead of being divided and jealous of each other, they should be united. In the course of that argument he says in 12:27, “Now you are the body of Messiah and individually members of it.”
There it is. Biblical proof in the context of the local church of Corinth whose membership is the visible expression of the body of Messiah. The passage is dealing with the issues specific to the individual members of the local church of Corinth! The scripture even uses the word members. All those shadows in the New Testament—of using the keys in making someone part of the number, of putting someone out of the number, of life lived together in mutual commitment of the local church start to be realized as connected and achieved within the visible membership number of the local church (reader)...
Again, those shadows point to this biblically visible image of the local church membership, as the body of Messiah of which both corporately and individually is the primary expression of the world wide Body of Messiah. This is one of the reasons why it is said that though Elohim has a church world wide, it is primarily expressed through the local church.
Evidence that Covenant Membership In The Local Church is Biblical? Again, there are numerous truths and responsibilities in the NT which would be minimized or denied if there were no definable local church membership. In other words, those things which are explicitly mentioned necessarily assume that covenant membership existed. Therefore, if we conclude that covenant membership is necessarily entailed by the Bible’s commands for the church and the description of its life, we are morally obligated to pursue it in our local churches today. If we conclude that it is not, we are free to regard local church membership as a matter of prudence which we may disregard if we think it not to be helpful in fulfilling our calling as the body of Messiah. As we read the scriptures, we will see several more truths or responsibilities that, is evidence that, necessarily implies the existence of a definable covenant membership in the local church. What we’ve already shown is just the tip of the iceberg, of what the Bible contains as far as evidence for local church membership. Each piece of evidence reveals something vital to our faith which would be minimized or denied if there were no definable local church membership. We cannot overstate the strong evidence of… 1. Elohim’s command of Accountability to the Leaders (Elders)/The Existence of Church Government The early church had but one church in each city or town. Hence, Paul's instruction to Titus in Titus 1:5 is to _______________(slide)___________________________ Titus 1:5,“appoint multiple elders in every church” The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that a plurality of elders is to oversee each local body of believers ____________________________________________________________________
The specific duties given to these elders (plural) appointed within each local church, presuppose a clearly defined group of church members who are specifically under their care. My Answer: Two Questions from Hebrews 13:17 First, if there is no biblical requirement to belong to a local church, then which leaders should an individual Christian obey and submit to? Second, and more personally, who will Beth, Denise, Leonardo, and I as elders, give an account for? These two questions concerning a biblical understanding of the local church, are centered around the idea of those ordained ministry servants with whom Elohim has given authority and submission. Regarding the first question, as we’ve already read, the Scriptures clearly command Christians to submit to and honor an elder body (Heb. 13:17, 1 Tim. 5:17). If there is no understanding of local church membership, then who are we to submit to and obey? Is it anyone with the title “elder” from any church? Regarding the second question, the Scriptures clearly command an elder body to care for specific people (1 Pet. 5:1–5; also, Acts 20:29–30).
Will I as a pastor be held accountable for all the Christians in the Greater Pittsburgh Area? In Allegheny County alone, there are many churches that I and the other elders of the Congregation of Yahshua have strong theological and philosophical differences with. Will we give account for what they teach in their small group, how they spend their money, and what they do concerning local or international missions? The point here is that without covenant membership, who is it that the New Testament scriptures are referring to who must submit to a specific group of leaders? And who are those leaders? No one would argue that a believer is required to submit to the authority of just anyone who chooses to designate himself an Elder or Pastor, whether in this city or another. Some kind of expressed willingness of covenant, agreement or commitment (that is, membership) has to precede a person’s submission to a specified group of leaders who themselves are committed to providing spiritual direction to those who have acknowledged their authority. _______________________________________ Consider the way the New Testament talks about the relationship of the church to her leaders.As we read earlier in Heb. 13:17, scripture teaches that the elders will give an account to Elohim for the individuals allotted to their charge.
Read the next two slides containing a verse along with its Strong’s Lexicon definitions and usage.(You can take pictures with your cell phone if want) See that it supports a logical argument for covenant membership in the local church. (You can ask me to flip back and forth between the slides if needed.) My Answer: The Requirement that Shepherd's Care for their Flock Again we see here some basic concept of covenant membership is implied in the way the New Testament scriptures require Elders to care for the flock in their charge. Of course Elders can extend their love to anyone and everyone, and should, within the limits of their ability. But the question is whether the Bible tells Elders that they are to have a special responsibility and care for a certain group, a group of members. Again, this verse does not say Elders cannot visit unbelievers or those who are not yet members. But it does make clear that their first responsibility is to a particular flock. How are they to know who their flock is? Who are we as Elders and Pastors responsible for? For whom will we give an account to Elohim?
My Answer: “Those in your charge” (your portion, your lot) implies that the Elders knew those for whom they were responsible. This is just another way of talking about membership. If a person does not want to be held accountable by a group of Elders or be the special focus of the care of a group of Elders, they will resist the idea of membership. And they will resist Elohim’s appointed way for them to live and be sustained in their faith. Those responsibilities require that there be a distinguishable, mutually understood membership in the local church. Elders can shepherd the people and give an account to Elohim for their spiritual well-being only if they know who they are; they can provide oversight only if they know those for whom they are responsible; and they can fulfill their duty to shepherd the flock only if they know who is part of the flock and who is not. The elders of a church are not primarily responsible for the spiritual well-being of every individual who visits the church or who attends sporadically. Rather, it does make clear that their primary responsibility is to a particular flock. To shepherd those who have submitted themselves to the care and the authority of the elders of their specific local church, and this is done through membership.How do elders know who their flock is if not through membership? _______________________________________________ We’ve briefly mentioned these next scriptures before; but we want to look a little deeper look along these same lines… My Answer: How are this leadership and this submission going to work if there is no covenant among believers defining who has made the commitment to be led and who has been chosen as leaders? Membership in a local church is a way of voluntarily placing oneself under the Elohim given spiritual authority of the elders such as a pastor, teacher, prophet. If we downplay the importance of covenant membership, it is difficult to see how we could take these commands to submit and to lead seriously and practically. __________________________________________________________________ Besides elders, there are other places in the New Testament that Acts 6:3, the government of the local church has a well-defined group of members called Deacons… My Answer: In Acts 6:3, the church in Jerusalem is told to hold elections of some kind: “Choose seven men from among you.” The phrase among you suggests a group of people distinct from others who were not “among” them. Simply put, the deacons were to be church members. _________(maybe just discuss the point of this section with them)_____________________ What About Church Discipline? After considering questions of authority and submission, perhaps the strongest evidence promoting Elohim ordained Covenant membership within the local church was the biblical teaching on church discipline. You see it in several places in the Bible, but none so clearly as 1 Corinthians 5:1–12. ___(slide)_____________________ 1 Cor. 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4In the name of our Lord Yahshua Messiah, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Yahshua Messiah, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yahshua.6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to [f]keep company with sexually immoral people. 10Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
2 Cor. 2: 5Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it. 6The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. _____________________________________________________________________ My Answer: In this text Paul confronts the church in Corinth for approving of a man walking in blatant, unrepentant sexual immorality. Probably with the intention of being loving and gracious, the Corinthians are tolerating this stubbornly unrepentant man’s company, but Paul warns them that tolerating this wicked brother’s company is nothing they should be boasting about! Rather they should be mourn over this grievous situation. He calls them arrogant and tells them to remove this man for the destruction of his flesh and the hopeful salvation of his soul. In verses 11–12, he pulls no punches: “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” It has been my sad experience that very few churches still practice church discipline, but that’s another article for another day. My question out of this text is simple: How can you kick someone “out” if there isn’t an “in”? If there is no local commitment to a local covenant community of faith, then how do you remove someone from that community of faith? Church discipline won’t work if local church membership doesn’t exist. (Left off here:Review let class participate, point that elders of the local church are not primarily responsible ) My Answer: In Romans 16:1–16, we see what appears to be an awareness of who is a church member. Sister Phoebe Commended 1I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. Greeting Roman Saints 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. 6Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11Greet Herodion, my [b]countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. [c]The churches of Christ greet you.
My Answer:In 1 Timothy 5:3–16, we see a clear teaching on how to handle widows in the church and in verses 9–13 we read this: “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. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. In this text we see criteria for who would or would not qualify for Ephesus’s widow care program. The local church in Ephesus is organized, and they are working out a plan. _____________________________________ Lots of Other Evidence for Membership There are other evidences to support local church membership in the Scriptures. We could go on and on here, unpacking all the possible texts that would require longer than I planned for this study. CONCLUSION: Yahweh Elohim’s Plan Is That We Would Belong to Local Churches When you begin to look at these texts it becomes clear that Elohim’s plan for his church is that we would belong to a local covenant community of faith. This is for our own protection and maturation, and for the good of others. If you view church as some sort of ecclesiological buffet, then you severely limit the likelihood of your growing into maturity. Growth into godliness can hurt. For instance, as I interact with others in my own local body, my own slothfulness in zeal is exposed, as is my lack of patience, my prayerlessness, and my hesitancy to associate with those who might be considered the lowly _________(slide)______________________________ (Rom. 12:11–16). 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 1 Corinthians 12:22No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But Elohim composed the body, (My comments: Father Yahweh is the architect behind the establishment of the local church which is the primary expression of His world wide body) having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.(My comments: This is activity is primarily and practically carried out through the visible grass roots membership of the local churches. Our Brother Monty here in Congregation of Yahshua Pittsburgh passed away. The whole body of Yahshua around the world can’t mourn with us, many don’t even know us, or brother monty. It's us the local church, and maybe a few other local churches that were familiar with brother Monty that can mourn together with us.) ___________________________________________________________________ Yet this interaction as a covenant member of a local church also gives me the opportunity to be lovingly confronted by brothers and sisters who are in the trenches with me, as well as a safe place to confess and repent. But when church is just a place you attend without ever joining, like an ecclesiological buffet, you just might consider whether or not you’re always ready to leave whenever your heart begins to be exposed by the Spirit, and you get uncomfortable because the real work is beginning to happen. What’s the bottom line? Local church membership is a question of biblical obedience, not personal preference. May Yahweh Bless you. (If have more time can leave space for amy remaining question on the subject not just for me to answer but others can interject.
