Christ First Forum

What is Church Membership?

1. What does Church membership mean to you?

2. What do you think are the requirements to be a Church member?

Romans 1:7

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved (a term of deep feeling, a true closness is pictured here) of God, called (to be invited or appointed, specifically a called out saint) to be saints: (to be physically pure and morally blameless or ceremonially consecrated, set apart for the Lords work) Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Do you Feel like a Saint?

B. Would you be embarrased if you were addressed as a Saint?

In this one verse we see half of the requirements to be a Church member.

3. How did God show his deep love to us and how much we mean to Him?

John 3:1420

14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Romans 6:1723

17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, (you were a slave to sin because of the old nature in an involuntary way, you were in shackles to sin) but ye have obeyed (you listened attenivley and took heed ) from the heart (in your mind) that form of doctrine (instruction or what you have been taught about entering a relationship with God) which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, (you were liberated and made exempt or pardoned from the penality of sin) ye became the servants (you become a voluntary slave, a bond servant to Jesus Christ as Paul called himself many times) of righteousness. 19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity (feebleness and moral fraility) of your flesh: for as ye have yielded (presented yourself to) your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield (present yourself to) your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21What fruit (fruit is the proof of what a plant was) had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit (the proof of what kind of plant you are) unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So in these verses we see what some of the things that are required in the first step of becoming a Church member.

1. We have to hear and understand the Gospel. Why is this so important?

2. To obey the call of God when the Holy Spirit convicts you of your lost condition.

3. To yield ourselves to become bond servants to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why is this so inportant?

4. To bear fruit of a real change in our life as a result in faith in Jesus Christ. Why is bearing fruit so important?

There is such a thing as head knowledge the devils believe in God and tremble but that isn’t saving faith. We have to have a heart change and give ourselves to Christ and yield our whole life to him as our Lord and then we bear fruit of righteousness.

Acts 2:3741

37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, (have a change of mind and direction of life) and be baptized (public identification with Jesus Christ by immersion) every one of you in the name (in the authority of) of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received (approved and welcomed) his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

IS baptism required for Church membership?

What saves you the blood of Christ or the water of baptism?

In what ways do some Churches restrict membership?

1. Some won’t allow people of other races become members. They either won’t vote them in or make them so uncomfortable they leave.

2. Some Churches don’t welcome a person in if they don’t meet their social status.

James 2:19

1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect (to have partiality or predjudice) of persons. 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not then partial (you are discriminating against that person) in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

So we shouldn’t be a social club at Church. It’s not a place of discrimination, or of belonging to a certian social standing or belonging to the right political party or be of certian famlies.

Whosoever means all who meet the 2 requirements.

What are the requirements to join the Church?

The requirements to join the Church ...should be....we have accepted Christ as our Personal Savior...

We have a 'testimony' of when and how we were saved...

For by grace are you saved through grace, not by works...