We continue from last week our discussion of church membership. I received several emails in reply to last week’s message. I very much appreciate your thoughts and encourage you to keep sending them. But one thing additional thing I would encourage you to do is submit your reply by hitting the comments link in this message. By doing so you will be able to share your thoughts with more than just me, but will be able to share your insights with anyone who might happen upon my blog.

When we think of church membership from a worldly viewpoint, there are really only two benefits. In our church constitution, membership gives you the right to vote at one of our voters’ meetings and qualifies you to hold elective office. Other than that, there is not much that church membership affords you from the world’s perspective. On the surface, it would not hold much interest for me to join a church. Voters’ meetings are not the most exciting events to attend and holding elected office in the church is not a position many aspire to.

But that is the world’s perspective. When a person seeks to join a church, the question of how it benefits me becomes a mute point. The point in of becoming a member is not about how it will benefit me, but is about fulfilling my purpose and my calling. If there is is a benefit, the benefit is being in the position God wants me to be.

This is what I was created for. I was created to be a part of something that is bigger than myself. I was created to do kingdom of God work. We were not created to live out our faith in isolation of others, but to join together. There are many commands in the Scripture that are impossible fulfill without a commitment to a local Christian community of faith.

Here are just a few examples:

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:26

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:2-6

So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12

Another important part of being a church member is being afforded spiritual protection. What we miss in our English Bible translations is many of God’s promises to his people are spoken with “you” in the plural sense. In other words these promises are not given to individual Christians, but to the church.

Think about Romans 8. It says here that in all things “we” are more than conquerors. It does not say I am more than a conquerer. It does not say you are more than a conqueror. It was “we” are more than conquerors. In other words I am not more than a conqueror when I stand alone. It is only when we stand together that nothing that will separate “us” from the love of God.

Do you see where I am going? While God’s does give promises to us as individuals, his fuller promises are found within the community. This is why membership is important. So in the end, maybe there are more benefits than just being able to vote and hold office, but they are not worldly benefits. They are kingdom benefits.