CHURCH MEMBERSHIP (4)

To answer the question What does it mean to be a member of the church? We must answer a prior question:

What is the Church?

The New Testament has absolutely nothing to say about the design or facilities of church buildings. There is no mention of altars, candlesticks, robes or even styles of music. It is all about people and how people can be transformed into new Spirit-filled persons and be added to the church. The only church ‘building’ mentioned in the New Testament is one of living stones – people. Sure, people met together in homes and hired halls, but it was what was going on in their lives that gave evidence that they were the church. 1 Peter 2.4,5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The church is not a building but a household. A household is a family. Hang onto that truth.

Here is a text to help us get the idea of what the church is:

1 Timothy 3.14,15. I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

Paul was writing to a young Christian leader, Timothy, who was working hard to build up the church in the city of Ephesus. He gives him advice about the different roles people should have in the church and especially about the need to get strong Bible teaching going amongst the people in order to fight off the false ideas floating around and make them very strong in Christ. He hoped to visit Timothy there soon but realised that he might be delayed. In this sentence he sums up the main purpose of his letter. He says in a nutshell what the church is, because all his advice is directed to helping the Christians in that town to know how to behave as the church. Paul defines the church as a household – God’s household. He describes it as a pillar that holds the truth up high and firm in the midst of a shaky and confused world.