Join us to dig into this past Sunday’s sermon.

With almost every couple I see, “thinking and speaking” on one another’s behalf nearly always arises. You know what that’s like, just when you’re ready to answer a question someone, usually your spouse, answers for you. Or, worse yet, someone tells you directly what “you think.” You know this is happening when someone begins saying to you, “You think…” How does that person know what you think if you haven’t told them? This behavior is not only disrespectful, but it’s a serious detriment to good communication in any relationship.

The Bible encourages us to prioritize listening while noting the dangers of our unbridled tongues. Yet, we are so bent on speaking we often miss out on hearing the beauty within the hearts of those we love.

It’s strangely simple, yet maddeningly difficult, this principle of listening first and speaking later. But if we learn to “die” to our own desire to be heard in order to serve others through listening, I guarantee relationships will improve and less time will be spent in counseling offices.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard this. It’s an error that, unfortunately, seems prevalent in our society whenever discussions of church membership arise. In his book, The Church, Edmund Clowney writes, “Christians are not just born-again individuals, they are a family, ‘spiritual ethnics’, the new people of God in Christ. To forget this is to undercut the practice of brotherhood in all the dimensions of daily life.”

Clowney touches on one major reason for joining the church, that of brotherhood, or family. Christ does not save individuals “in a vacuum.” He saves people into a family of like-minded believers, a chosen people called to worship the one triune God.  A family called and continuously equipped to bless one another and the surrounding world. Along with the benefits of this calling, the church can expect to be misunderstood, maligned, hated and often violently persecuted. Weathering the storms of persecution, however severe, is one reason family is important. Christians need one another for encouragement, help, correction and even sometimes rebuke. But enduring persecution is not the only reason the church family is important.

God has equipped every believer with spiritual gifts vital to the health of the church. You have gifts; I have gifts. The church needs us present in it to exercise these gifts. When we eschew membership in a local church body, we not only forfeit the blessings of others’ spiritual gifts, we also deny the church the blessing of our own gifts. In many ways this stunts the growth of the church.

In a culture such as ours, rife with mega-churches, it is easy to forget that church growth is not about numbers, but rather holiness. And holiness is understood, nurtured and matured through relationships with Christ and his followers in the church. Christians are not only “iron” in need of sharpening, they are also fellow sharpeners. Pastor David Stewart reiterated this idea of church as family in a sermon he delivered at Free Grace. Saying it as simply as possible: “Worship is to be experienced among the saints.” The matter-of-fact delivery of Pastor Stewart’s statement is akin to saying that as breathing is necessary for life, so individual participation in the family of God, the church, is vital to carrying out true biblical worship.

Another important reason to join the church is to help address the needs of the secular world around us. “Only God’s truth can set people free; for the church to concede the secular assumption of a chance universe is to deny both Christ’s lordship and its own meaning. The church is the community of the Word, the Word that reveals the plan and purpose of God. In the church the gospel is preached, believed, obeyed. It is the pillar and ground of the truth because it holds fast the Scriptures,” writes Clowney.

We were never meant as Christians to hide our faith under a basket, but rather to display it so that God might be glorified. As Clowney stated above, the gospel is found in the church, and it is the church’s call to shine it forth into the world (Mt. 5:14-16). The world desperately needs the gospel message, and although we can as individuals present the message, the church is God’s primary means of grace in reaching the world with the good news of salvation.

Additionally, Christians have a clear call to care for “widows and orphans.” It is not unreasonable to infer that our call extends even further than just widows and orphans, however, to all people who may be suffering. The church is not only called to love others in need, it is also uniquely equipped for the task.

Christians have been given spiritual understanding, transformed hearts, minds and wills, direct access to God’s very throne room and release from the tyranny of fear. We display this uniqueness chiefly by serving others through the vehicle of the church; as we carry out God’s call to love the world around us, it is through the church that we are able to show the world that our God is alive, beautiful, holy, gracious, loving and sovereign.  And what is the primary way the world judges our religion? Our faith? Even our God? It scrutinizes the church, searching for either hypocrisy or genuineness. Becoming a church member is the first step in proving to the world that it can “know we are Christians by our love.”

These are only a few brief arguments for joining the church–food for thought, if you will. Prayerfully consider these, and other reasons you have heard, then answer God’s call on your life to commit, via membership, to a local church body. Without a church family, your spiritual life is sorely missing something. Conversely, there’s a church somewhere that’s missing something you have been called to provide.

~Ken Morris

originally published in The Missouri Ruralist, November 20, 1916

     As Thanksgiving day draws near again, I am reminded of an occurrence of my childhood. To tell the truth, it is a yearly habit of mine to think of it about this time and to smile at once more.

     We were living on the frontier in South Dakota then. There’s no more frontier within the boundaries of the United States, more’s the pity, but then we were ahead of the railroad in a new unsettled country. Our nearest and only neighbor was 12 miles away and the store was 40 miles distant.

     Father had laid in a supply of provisions for the winter and among them were salt meats, but for fresh meat we depended on father’s gun and the antelope which fed in herds, across the prairie. So we were quite excited, one day near Thanksgiving, when father hurried into the house for his gun and then away again to try for a shot at a belated flock of wild geese hurrying south.

     We would have roast goose for Thanksgiving dinner! “Roast goose and dressing seasoned with sage,” said sister Mary. “No, not sage! I don’t like sage and we won’t have it in the dressing,” I exclaimed. Then we quarreled, sister Mary and I, she insisting that there should be sage in the dressing and I declaring there should not be sage in the dressing, until father returned, —without the goose! I remember saying in a meek voice to sister Mary, “I wish I had let you have the sage,” and to this day when I think of it I feel again just as I felt then and realize how thankful I would have been for roast goose and dressing with sage seasoning—with or without any seasoning—I could even have gotten along without the dressing. Just plain goose roasted would have been plenty good enough.

     This little happening has helped me to be properly thankful even tho at times the seasoning of my blessings has not been just such as I would have chosen.

     “I suppose I should be thankful for what we have, but I can’t feel very thankful when I have to pay $2.60 for a little flour and the price still going up,” writes a friend, and in the same letter she says, “We are in our usual health.” The family are so used to good health that it is not even taken into consideration as a cause of thanksgiving. We are so inclined to take for granted the blessings we possess and to look for something peculiar, some special good luck for which to be thankful.

     I read a Thanksgiving story, the other day, in which a woman sent her little boy out to walk around the block and look for something for which to be thankful.

     One would think that the fact of his being able to walk around the block and that he had a mother to send him would have been sufficient cause for thankfulness. We are nearly all afflicted with mental farsightedness and so easily overlook the think which is obvious and near. There are our hands and feet,—whoever thinks of giving thanks for them, until indeed they, or the use of them, are lost. We usually accept them as a matter of course, without a thought, but a year of being crippled has taught me the value of my feet and two perfectly good feet are now among my dearest possessions. Why! There is greater occasion for thankfulness just in the unimpaired possession of one of the five senses than there would be if someone left us a fortune. Indeed, how could the value of one be reckoned? When we have all five in good working condition we surely need not make a search for anything else in order to feel that we should give thanks to Whom thanks are due.

     I once remarked upon how happy and cheerful a new acquaintance seemed always to be and the young man to whom I spoke replied, “Oh he’s just glad that he is alive.” Upon inquiry, I learned that several years before this man had been seriously ill, that there had been no hope of his living, but to everyone’s surprise he had made a complete recovery and since then he had always been remarkably happy and cheerful.

     So if for nothing else, let’s “just be glad that we are alive” and be doubly thankful if, like the Scotch poet, we have a good appetite and the means to gratify it.

Some hae meat that canna eat
And some want meat that lack it.
But I hae meat and I can eat,
And sae the Lord be thanked.

But why teach how to listen to a sermon? Usually advice is restricted to those preaching the sermon. After all, if I’m in the service and the preacher is preaching, as long as I manage to stay awake, aren’t I listening to the sermon? It’s not as if I have a choice in the matter.

The reality is that we’re not very good listeners. Even though bodily present, we tune out and think of other things, like what I’m doing later, the work/homework I need to get done, the cute girl over there, the noisy child sitting behind me, or the string hanging out of the preacher’s pocket. We might listen for this week’s joke or story, or how the preacher is going to mess up this week. Simply put, we do not often approach the sermon as the focal point of the service, as the very Word of God proclaimed to us.

How then should we listen? Below are seven ingredients for healthy sermon listening. These come from Listen Up! A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons by Christopher Ash. Members can receive a copy by contacting the church office, or copies can be purchased online at http://www.thegoodbook.com/.

1. Expect God to speak

The old BBC comedy ‘Allo ‘Allo about the French Resistance during World War II captured how we should approach the sermon. Every time the local Resistance leader appeared and was about to reveal her plans, she would say, “Listen very carefully, I will say this only once.” It is with this same sense of urgency, expectation, and import that we should listen to the sermon, for as the preacher preaches Scripture, he proclaims the very Word of God with all its authority and power.

2. Admit God knows better than you

Often we listen to the sermon for knowledge, or to hear the story the preacher is going to tell. But Scripture calls us to come to the Word and find a way to live. If the preacher is faithful to Scripture, he will challenge and even offend us because he will point out how I should be living — and how the way I’m living is not it. The Word of God confronts us with God’s holiness and glory — and our lack. As we listen to the sermon, we must submit ourselves to his reign of grace.

3. Check the preacher says what the passage says

The only authority that a preacher has is the authority of Scripture. The only power he has is the power of the Word of God. And so we only ought to pay attention if his message matches Scripture. As we listen we must constantly ask ourselves, “where in the text did the preacher get that?”

4. Hear the sermon in church

For many years Francis Schaeffer, a minister, apologist, and philosopher, would not allow himself to be taped when speaking. His reason was that he was speaking to a specific audience, specific people, and anyone listening to a recording was not a part of that. This may be a bit extreme, but there is a reality to it.

The wonder of today is that you can find sermons from many preachers and churches online. This is a wonderful resource for our growth in Christ. Yet, there is a difference when gathering with others to listen to my pastor, the one who knows me, prays for me, is responsible for shepherding me. Those sermons are written with us in mind.

5. Be there week by week

The Bible is not a box of band aids to be pulled out and slapped on when we have taken a spiritual or emotional fall and need comfort. Yet, when we do not sit under the regular preaching of the Word, that is what we are doing. We are picking and choosing the times we are going to listen, and the passages we will hear. Only as we are present week after week as the pastor preaches his way through Scripture will we hear the whole counsel of God, and not just select parts.

6. Do what the Bible says

The sermon is a call to action. As James says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22, NIV). We listen to sermons not to be entertained or instructed but so that we can be changed and made more and more into the image of Christ. This transformation is part of God’s grace as the Holy Spirit works in us. And yet it also requires our obedience. We have to be active participants and not passive recipients.

7. Do what the Bible says today — and rejoice!

Every time we hear Scripture proclaimed, we must respond. No part of the Bible is there simply to inform us, or interest us. It always calls us to turn to God in Jesus Christ. There is no allowance for a weekly quota, or any other reason to think that we can not respond to the Word of God when we hear it proclaimed.

GO, bitter Christ, grim Christ! haul if Thou wilt
Thy bloody cross to Thine own bleak Calvary!
When did I bind Thee suffer for my guilt
To bind intolerable claims on me?
I loathe Thy sacrifice; I am sick of Thee.

They say Thou reignest from the Cross. Thou dost,
And like a tyrant. Thou dost rule by tears,
Thou womanish Son of woman. Cease to thrust
Thy sordid tale of sorrows in my ears,
Jarring the music of my few, short years.

Silence! I say it is a sordid tale,
And Thou with glamour hast bewitched us all;
We straggle forth to gape upon a Graal,
Sink into a stinking mire, are lost and fall…
The cup is wormwood and the drink is gall.

I am battered and broken and weary and out of heart,
I will not listen to talk of heroic things,
But be content to play some simple part,
Freed from preposterous, wild imaginings . . .
Men were not made to walk as priests and kings.

Thou liest, Christ, Thou liest; take it hence,
That mirror of strange glories; I am I;
What wouldst Thou make of me? O cruel pretence,
Drive me not mad with the mockery
Of that most lovely, unattainable lie!

I hear Thy trumpets in the breaking morn,
I hear them restless in the resonant night,
Or sounding down the long winds over the corn
Before Thee riding in the world’s despite,
Insolent with adventure, laughter-light.

They blow aloud between love’s lips and mine,
Sing to my feasting in the minstrel’s stead,
Ring from the cup where I would pour the wine,
Rouse the uneasy echoes about my bed . . .
They will blow through my grave when I am dead.

O King, O Captain, wasted, wan with scourging,
Strong beyond speech and wonderful with woe,
Whither, relentless, wilt Thou still be urging
Thy maimed and halt that have not strength to go?
Peace, peace, I follow. Why must we love Thee so?

Like my marriage proposal, church membership is an act that carries significance. It is public profession of our faith. It is a formal commitment to the church. In it we submit to the authority that God has ordained, and with it we identify ourselves with the vision of the local church we are joining.

Public Profession
Church membership at its most basic is a public profession of faith. It declares to the world that we belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). With it we confess our sinfulness and our trust in God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ for salvation. In joining the church we, like Paul, are proclaiming to the world that we are not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Throughout history God has visibly separated his people from the world. He gives to Abraham the sign of circumcision to be a very visible sign of being a part of his covenant community (Genesis 17). Christ’s disciples were publicly associated with him (see what prompts Peter’s denials during Christ’s trial in Matthew 26). Christ commands us to baptize all who follow him (Matthew 28), setting them apart, adding to the church all who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47; 5:12-16; 6:7; etc.).

Commitment
God’s relationship with his people is not an empty promise. Rather, he makes a commitment to his people. Scripture calls this commitment a covenant. In his covenants with his people God commits himself completely. At the core of the covenants is his promise, “I will be your God” (see for example Genesis 17, Exodus 6, and Jeremiah 30).

Just as God makes a commitment to his people, he calls them to commit to each other. This is a commitment of love. It is a promise to be a part of each others’ lives during joys and struggles. It is a statement that we are prepared to take the time and the energy to see each other grow. It is a commitment of love, acknowledging the bond with each other we have in Jesus Christ. (see Hebrews 10:24-25)

Submission to biblical authority
To be Christian is to follow Christ. As followers of Christ we submit to our Lord in all of life. This same Lord Jesus Christ instituted the church as the gathering of his people. Christ made his church to be his instrument to care for his people (see John 21 and 1 Peter 5 for calls to church leaders to shepherd the people of God). Our membership in a local church acknowledges Christ’s lordship and his reign over our lives. When we join the church we submit ourselves to Christ’s authority, for his glory and our good.

Identification with the vision
Each congregation is called by God to a particular community at a particular time for a particular purpose. As we join the local church we are identifying with them. We own their vision as our own and promise to work towards it.

Conclusion
We become members of many things: a family, a profession, a team or club. Sometimes we have no choice. Other times we join willingly and eagerly. Each membership carries a different meaning. But none carry the deep meaning of church membership. It is truly a unique action of great meaning for every Christian.

With these words, C.S. Lewis opens his address on church membership. As we explore the nature of being bound together as a church, we will look at the meaning, the basis, the benefits (and responsibilities), and the process of church membership.

Additional Resources
“Membership” by C.S. Lewis. Published in The Weight of Glory and other Addresses. Available in many editions but originally published: New York: Macmillan, 1949.

“Re-Membering the Body” by Walter Henegar. byFaith Magazine, Issue 19, March 2008 available at http://byfaithonline.com/page/in-the-church/re-membering-the-body

“Church Membership” http://www.gty.org/media/pdf/Church_Membership.pdf

“Mark 6: Biblical Understanding of Membership” http://marks.9marks.org/Mark6

Tiger cheated on his wife, multiple times. His exposure began with a single-car accident on his own property. The incident made headlines and the para-marital revelations began pouring forth. After the initial dust had settled, Tiger’s wife had moved to Europe and Tiger had committed himself to inpatient therapy for sex addiction. Partway through his program, Tiger stepped up and delivered nearly fourteen minutes of personally agonizing apology.

With humility and candor Tiger set out to elucidate his remorse for all to see. It was the best apology I have seen from a public figure. Yet some received each word the way starving sharks receive a bucket of chum. The fury of analyses began before Tiger could descend from the dais. It wasn’t pretty.

Some declared Tiger’s apology insincere, unequivocally proven by the precision of the apology’s delivery. If truly sorrowful, it was said, his elocution would contain “ers” and “uhs”; Tiger offered not a one. One commentator cynically considered his apology mere drama, deftly orchestrated to court his former sponsors.

The truth is, only Tiger and God know if he was truly sincere. The general public is neither able nor righteous enough to judge the veracity of his regret. Instead, we should focus on our responsibility as the receiver of an apology.

Because we lack omniscience, an attribute owned by God alone, we are unable to decipher a person’s sincerity. When faced with a repentant person, then, we have two choices: Either offer our forgiveness, or else claim omniscience and demand something greater than God himself requires.

For those of us who lack God’s ability to search the heart, forgiveness should reside comfortably on our tongues and eagerly await an opportunity to sooth words of repentance. To offer less is to damage relationships and prove we also need forgiveness.

The church does not have a product to sell, but we do have good news to share – the gospel. And like the marketers selling a product, the church has always known that the best way to share the gospel is through relationships.

While some people come into contact with the church through our web site, signs, or various events, most come because of us. They come because they have been invited. This invitation is not usually a one-time invitation tossed randomly into a conversation. As one word of mouth expert puts it, “Word of mouth takes on a whole different meaning when a person goes out of their way to share their appreciation for a brand by talking about it over happy hour drinks with co-workers, during a dinner get-together with neighbors, and on the phone with a good friend. That’s the true selling power of friendship!”☨

Am I the only one who finds it easier to talk with friends about the mess in my garage than saying anything about the church, God, or faith? I can recommend restaurants for them to eat at, stores for them to shop at, and things they should buy to make their lives better. But I struggle to do more than hint at the one thing that I believe really makes any difference in life – God and his people, the church.

And yet, it is precisely at these times: dinner with friends, talking on the phone, and while watching the game that we have our greatest opportunity to truly engage them. It is here that they have the opportunity to not just hear about God, but to see him in our lives.

An invitation to church is not some isolated statement you need to make to move on and enjoy a friend. Rather it is the heartfelt endorsement of the one who gives you life. It is the spoken culmination of the way you live your life. It is us being willing to tie our reputation and our identity to the God of the universe and his Son, Jesus Christ.

And even more than that, it is God using us to call others to himself. We are not responsible for making people come to church. The Spirit does that. We are called to be faithful. We are called to invite and to create a place where people can be confronted by Jesus Christ.

This is part of what we seek to do as a church – create a place where people can be confronted by Christ not us. For some this is the worship service. For others this will be in home group or one of the Bible studies. Still others may come initially through video games or bowling. Are there other ways that we, the church, can help remove the barriers keeping you from making use of the true selling power of friendship? If you have ideas for the church, let Per know.

☩ “Facebook touts selling power of Friendship”, Emily Steele and Geoffrey Fowler, The Wall Street Journal, July 7, 2010.

☨ posted on the All Things WOM blog, http://allthings.womma.org/2010/07/09/the-selling-power-of-friendship/