Eld Chew Chong Kiat

Introduction

We recently had a baptism, reaffirmation, and transfer of membership during morning worship service. I rejoiced to see new souls and families added to the family of God here in Pandan. We also had our Dedication Sunday to renew our vows to serve God based on Romans chapter 12.

I reflected on what membership in the church means, and thought to share this pertinent truth of God’s will for us who believe that we also must belong and be committed to the local church, which is God’s witness in this world of darkness. A Christian who does not understand and apply this teaching will be stunted in his spiritual growth and will sin by his neglect of the privilege to belong and contribute to her growth, even as he grows in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to His glory (2Pet 3:18).

Believers’ Relationship to the Church

The church is not a place. COVID 19 has made this biblical truth very clear; it is a body or gathering of God’s redeemed, to edify one another and be accountable to one another. The imagery that Paul gave to the church located at Corinth in 1Corinthians 12, of a body that is made up of many members, each unique and necessary, having different roles, serving one another, building one another up in the faith, is what we need to hold in our mind. The body is not an eye; the eye is part of the body. The eye cannot function without the body, neither the body without the eye. In like manner, every one of us who believe must see himself in relation to the local church, vitally connected, contributing to the body of Christ by serving its members with the gifts that God has severally distributed according to His will (1Cor 12:11).   

God gave us pastors and teachers in the local church so that the believers will mature and be strong and united in the faith as the Word of God is faithfully taught (Eph 4:11-14). The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1Tim 3:15) and where the faith once for all delivered unto the saints is taught and believers are grounded in sound doctrines.

It is in the church that we learn how to pray, worship and praise God. We learn more about God through public worship: the way and manner of gathering, the dressing, the appropriate hymns and music used and the preaching of the Word of God, teach us the fear of God and to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Contemporary worship or a spiritless orthodoxy or pharisaical form of worship portrays not the God of the Bible.   

The church is where we learn how to live a life pleasing unto the Lord, where we love and serve one another as Christ loved and served us who are most underserving. In this family of God, we raise our families and grow up together in the faith and serve together as a household, together with other households. Parents take the lead and serve actively in the church and the children follow in their footsteps. Our family lives should revolve around the church family, for this is the prelude of the great gathering of the bride of Christ, His redeemed in glory in the heavens.  We should give our lives for the church, imitating Christ who first gave His life for the church.

Are you committed to the church? Do you love her? As the hymn writer exclaimed, “I love Thy kingdom, Lord! The house of Thine abode - The Church our blessed Redeemer saved With His own precious blood. For her my tears shall fall, For her my prayers ascend - To her my cares and toils be giv'n till toils and cares shall end.” (Stanzas 1,3)

It is the will of God that we burn out our lives to serve Him by serving the church, which is the body of Christ, the gathering of God’s redeemed. It is sad that some are nonchalant about worship, fellowship and service. We ought to delight to be in the house of God day and night and to be among God’s people whenever and wherever there is an opportunity. One who has come to Christ also loves the people of Christ and would want to be with the visible gathering of the body of Christ in fellowship.

But this understanding is being redefined today. Many do not take membership in the church seriously. They profess to believe in Christ, but they do not belong to His witness on earth and neglect the two sacraments of baptism and Lord’s Supper. They church hop and attend several churches to get the ‘spiritual feeding’ that scratches their itching ears and do not see any obligation to the body of Christ to get involved. Many busy themselves outside the church and are disinterested in the activities of the church; many are active in socializing and have no appetite for fellowshipping; many are studying and upgrading themselves and have no or little appetite for the study of God’s Word and prayer. This apathetic commitment betrays their love for Christ, the Lord of the church.  

Believers Need to Belong

All Christians in the NT belonged to a congregation. Paul wrote epistles to the body of believers at places like Corinth, Philippi, Galatia, etc. who gathered for worship, service, baptism and communion. He did not write to those Christians who did not belong. After they believed, they were baptised (Acts 2:41) and they came under the care of a Pastor and elders whom God appointed in the church (Tit 1:5). This was the pattern in Acts. Those who believed were in fellowship with one another (Acts 2:42-47) and they were added to the church (v41,47), meaning that they belonged to the list of members in the church at Jerusalem (5:41). When any relocated from a church, the pastor would write a letter of commendation to the church to receive them (Acts 18:27, Rom 16:1-2, Col 4:10, etc.).

Every believer needs to fellowship with others in the body of Christ, to share, give, pray, admonish, encourage, and carry each other’s burdens as he carries his own (Gal 6:2,5), and to assemble regularly to provoke one another unto love and to good works (Heb 10:24). He uses the gifts that God gave to him to serve others and preserve the unity of the church (Eph 4:3). Failure to do any of these is a sin. It is not enough just to attend church, he must belong also.

Believers need to be accountable to the church. God has ordained Pastors and elders in the church to rule and have oversight of the church (1The 5:12). Those who are unruly or sinning need to be disciplined to restore them back to the fellowship. A believer who does not belong is not accountable to anyone and he remains in sin without realizing it.

A believer who does not belong cannot be a good witness to an unbeliever because of his lack of commitment. It is also unlikely that he will bring someone to church and disciple him to become a committed member.       

A believer who calls himself a Christian and does not join himself to the church of Christ is a walking contradiction. A Christian bears the name of Christ and if he is not interested in the only institution that Christ has built on earth, certainly no unbeliever would. Being a Christian means that you belong to Christ and are part of the body of Christ, the invisible church. Being part of the visible church is evidence that you belong to the invisible church.

Therefore understand the importance of the church and get involved, for the love of Christ!