Why Not Join? 7/22/2015

Good Morning,

I can hear the coffee pot brewing a hot pot of Door County Jingle Bell Java in the kitchen. I forgot to set the automatic brew last night. Argh!!! I am still celebrating Christmas in July and am looking forward to December with a long pause in October and November for a little duck hunting.

 

1 Corinthians 12:19-20King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body?
²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body.

I haven't spoken much about church membership, but today is the day. Many people call themselves Christian by name but won't join a good Bible believing church. They love to quote Scripture but won't practice it. They come up with all kinds of excuses, and I have heard them all as to why they won't officially join a church and get involved. They attend, but won't join. They attempt to serve but their witness is weak because, well basically they are not in line with Scripture.

The church of Jesus Christ is a body of believers working together for the good of the Kingdom of God and other believers.  Note again, it is a body of believers. Like the human body they need to be joined together. Can you imagine having your hands in your pocket, pulling them out to grip a pencil or a shovel and your fingers decided to stay in your pockets? How would you ever scratch your ear?

The eyes don't decide to work alone, they need the brain to transmit vision.  As dysfunctional as a human body would be if each part did their own thing without supporting the other parts of the body, the non church member becomes dysfunctional in their ability to join together for the good of others.

Pastors were called to shepherd a flock. A shepherd keeps the flock together, so they can be fed, safe, corrected, taught or helped. 
A pastor is someone who has spiritual care over a congregation.  The English word occurs only once in the Bible in Ephesians. 4:11, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.”  The word in Greek is poimen and literally means shepherd.  Poimen occurs 18 times in the New Testament.  For example,

• Matt. 9:36, “And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.”
• Mark 14:27, "And Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’
• Luke 2:8, “And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.
• John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
• Hebrews. 13:20 “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord.”

Therefore, a pastor is a shepherd of God’s flock who is to instruct, teach, and protect the people under his charge.  Pastors are elders and you are the flock.
Now for the hard statement. Choosing not to be a functional member of a Bible believing church is not Scriptural. So what are you waiting for? Prior to receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior you probably weren't a member of a church then. You now have received Jesus Christ and haven't joined a church. Makes me wonder. "If you is where you was, then maybe you ain't".

So take the plunge and do what is right.

God bless,

Marty