Jonathan Grandt we are not to be brick and mortar members.. our Lord Jesus Christ said make disciples go out and tell them .. not go sit down ... why people do this .. we are his moving letters we move ... they always look for scriptures to answer other scriptures.. we are to follow Jesus Christ seek him ..
Formal church membership is a tradition of men. If you go to a church as such, then you’re either low-key pressured or feel left out if you don’t become a member. If there are believers who want to be leaders in the church then, examine them and train them to make sure they’re fit to serve in the role they desire. It’s his deduction that if there’s no membership then, things will not be in order. But the Holy Spirit is the one who leads believers to all truth and orders their ways according to the Scriptures. We’re human and it’s way too easy to be proud of church membership status and forget we’re ONE in Christ. If I’m wrong, I pray the Lord shows me.
Church membership is not biblical...Church membership is a man made doctrine...In the new testament, the saints were members of the body of Christ...If you are already a member of the body of Christ, you don't need a church membership card, from any church organization...In the new testament, the saints were called the churches of God...The apostles of Jesus, were not making members of the body of Christ, because they knew better not to...Church organization's have a zeal for their organization...Gangs have a zeal for their organization...If you join a church organization, or a gang organization, they both have membership...If God didn't command you to be a member of any church organization, why join a church organization ? True fellowship is with the Father and the Son... Jesus said where 2 or 3 gather in my name there I am in the midst...Church membership is for the Phareeses, the saduccesses, the Apostolics, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Mormons, the Jehovah witnesses, the Seventhday Adventist, the Nazarenes, the Catholics, the Baptist, etc.
After listening to every other video on this topic that RU-vid has to offer, yours is the best, clearest and most honest reasoning I've heard. Thank you.
Christ command is to be disciples. Not sign church membership cards. I left a church recently that emphasized this. I have gone to church for 40 years and been faithfully attending there. Thats a part of my discipleship.
I hear preaching at the church I've been attending some sermons are all about church membership even when the verse says nothing about membership of a church. I'm in limbo.. me Noland my husband can't even attend the same church...he's pentecostal...I'm not...so how can I join a church without my husband but then how can I join a church with my husband I don't even believe? I've been attending a fundamental Baptist church but I'm not a member so so much even though I am a Christian I feel inferior to everyone else cause I'm not a member...makes me depressed and I just feel like giving up..they also have closed communion so I can't even do that...its like I am not a part of his body. What can I do?? I feel stuck...
I don’t feel the biblical basis for church membership. Is membership required by God? I agree not to forsake the assembling of the brothers and sisters but is membership required?
@@davepage2466 you are partially wrong. Christians as members of the body of Christ ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO EACH OTHER. Who do you think judges, aids and bears witness to each other's progress in Christ? (1Corinthians 5:11-13, 1Timothy 4:15, Matthew 5:16, John 7:24). Just read 1Corinthians 12. One part of the body can't say to the others "l have no need of you." That's just an invitation to anything goes, the very thing Paul the apostle was admonishing the Corinthians about. There are over 50 "one another" verses in the New Testament. You can't truly practice them being an aloof, non-member. Zac Poonen, a highly regarded church elder in India, said that lonely, outsider believers destroy themselves. Jesus said if we don't fall into the earth and die we remain alone to our eternal destruction (John 12:24-25).
@@davepage2466 l don't follow Zac Poonen; l am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I certainly don't listen to just any random preachers or teachers on RU-vid. As it says in Job 12:11, "Does not the ear try words as the palate tastes food?" What brother Poonen said as an elder in Christ actually lines up with the authority of scripture (John 12:24-25, Hebrews 10:24-25, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 11:14, et al). There are over 50 "one another" verses in the New Testament (love, pray for, encourage, forgive, etc.). Whether l'm at work interacting with a small handful of fellow believers; with biological family members who are mostly unbelievers; in a church building with brothers and sisters in Christ of varying levels of faithfulness, etc. I am called to BE THE CHURCH, a living stone of God's temple. By the grace of God l choose to be like the Berean Jews who heard Paul the apostle gladly yet searched the scriptures themselves to confirm the validity of Paul's teaching (Acts 17:10-11). Just as a large organization can be impersonal, overwrought with structure and tradition, a small, insulated group can be cliquish, hypercritical and aloof. Neither extreme glorifies God and either format can be rife with pride and arrogance. Regardless of the size of an organization or informal gathering, those who are humbly devoted to Christ will glorify God. They will recognize and seek fellowship with one another (1John 1:6-7, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). The Holy Spirit within them will cause them to gravitate towards one another. Light attracts light.
“Do not forsake the assembly” is an interesting portion of scripture that men use for various proof texts. First of all this book of Hebrews is written to Jewish Believers in terms and things that they would understand. Pastors will use this portion of scripture to warn people not to stop going to church because doing so will expose them to wolves and the devil and whatever else... however a few verses later we read that if we go on sinning we can have a fearful expectation of punishment.. right? Ok but THIS section is supposedly referring to people who were never saved... but then this section is bookended by... “for God will judge HIS people” which clearly shows that this passage is indeed referring not to people who lost salvation or were never saved but rather believers who God will deal with for a specific sin... What sin? They forsake... or abandon.. or depart from... the faith. The profession. Not that they stop being Christians but because they publicly abandon the association with The Body for self preservation.... to return to practicing Judaism. God will deal with and discipline them! Not burn them in hell, but deal with them severely! His discipline proves that we have a loving Father God who means business!!! Has NOTHING to do with attending any church m, whether it be a 501c(3) organization or not.
I can't find a church that doesn't have some sort of error in their teaching or how they worship. Not sure if I should just look past that in order to still fellowship. One church preached the dietary laws, another that baptism is for salvation, another celebrated Halloween and Yoga, the last one has the leaders worshipping Sports, tithing, and is fine with scantily clad dressed women. The last one seems to be the best and I'm not sure if I should keep fellowshipping there.
@@davepage2466 get together with those fellow believers and have church. Bring your Bible's watch good teachers on RU-vid via the television. Sing hymns and study the Bible. Some good teachers: Zac Poonan, pastor Charles Lawson, David Wilkerson, and John Barnett, pray for one another and love one another. Dear Father, we praise your Holy,Holy,name. You are so good. We need you every hour, every moment. So many needs.strengthen us LORD to get through this difficult journey were on. Some of us need a Shepherd that follows you, fellowship. Some of us are homeless. We need your protection and provisions. Some of us need financial help. Some of us are in prison and nursing homes. We're very lonely. Some of us are in emotional pain from abuse. Some of us are in physical pain and it's unbearable. We need your love. Send your love and help please. Thank you Lord you have blessed us many times and taken care of us. You are a Faithful God. We ask all these things believing and trusting in You alone. In Jesus name. Amen.
I haven't been to my church because of issues I'm having with the preaching. I've been looking for other churches and my pastor from the church I'm a member told me that " You are an official member of Way of Grace Bible Church , in that you publicly vowed to being committed to and supporting the Church of Christ" He also said there's no salvation outside of being a member of a local church. IS THIS TRUE??
Membership question... Question about membership at church. I believe everything you mention on this video. I volunteer, always spreading good news on my own or with few people during my errands for 20 years, tithe to one church, support missions, involved in weekly church sermons & bible study, always helping out where needed, visit senior care home & greet people, volunteer children ministry, , etc....etc...I love doing all these. How can anybody not participate when we claim we are Christians? It is God’s Holy Spirit helping me and I can’t deny His presence always leading me to do His work. I give credited all these to God. He said in below verse to love Him first. When we do this first I see all things will take into its action. I can’t deny this. Before 20 years ago I had no desire to do any above as growing up as a Christian. I didn’t love God first back then...Wow! God woke me up! Matthew 22:37-40 "And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” So my question ...Why does church have to have paper sign as a member? I haven’t found anything about this in the Bible and I’m still looking. I feel many Christians are doing what I do without signing the document and that means we are part of body of temple to do His Ministries so I do understand all completely. Also does this mean if we don’t sign paper we aren’t part of body of temple? Pastors, please lmk if there is anywhere about sign a document to become a member of a church. With a word of mouth I can always be trusted to do His work....ty ahead...God bless you...🙏🏽🙏🏽🙂
Question: Why do you tithe....the tithe was and old covenant between Yahweh God and the Israelites. We as Christians today are under a new covenant, with Christ Yeshua. Besides, the old covenant tithe was never money. In fact, giving money in place of the holy tithe was prohibited by Moses.
There is no doubt that you are sincere in your service to both your church and to the LORD. Formal membership, (i.e. -signed paper), is merely a record of where you serve and shows your understanding of what that membership means, for instance, not only in ministerial service, but for churches which practice it - CHURCH DISCIPLINE, (Matt. 18 and Titus 3), should it be necessary. In today's legalistic society, (speaking of civil law), it does provide a record and protection for a church from those members who feel it necessary to bring lawsuits on matters that were clearly explained, but later, decide that they disagree with and the signage shows that they knew what they were joining. (This has happened). I am not saying these are the all encompassing reasons for church membership, however, they are reasons that can help a church operate in a more orderly fashion that maintains an accountability between the "flock" and the "shepherds".
thanks, I thought nobody was going to reply. Thank you for all your work. You are amazing ! do you have a website that you stream online when you preach here in USA?
We must remember we are not all perfect. So if we're finding a church that is perfect for us, we will never find one. Together as we accept who we are not of perfection but by love and acceptance, just as how God accepted us as who we are through Jesus Christ. This is when we complete the body of Church where Jesus Christ is the Head.
Not one verse he mentioned speaks to church membership as its practiced today. The "bible" speaks to the church as the body of Christ and we are made members of the body through the Holy Spirit, period. Everything else is man made. The Lord Jesus spent a lot of time rebuking the Jewish leaders for their man-made rules. And he actually instructed his disciples that they are not to lord over people but to "serve".
First. We recognize that the term MEMBER comes from the Bible and is referring to the FACT that we who BELIEVE are MEMBERS of HIS BODY. THEREFORE.. any use of this term should be with the understanding that we are talking about: 1. OF CHRISTS BODY 2. WHAT WE EACH ARE So then if we speak of MEMBERSHIP it cannot be a membership to an organization or a small group or a church group. But OF CHRISTS BODY. THEREFORE every believer IS A MEMBER OF CHRISTS BODY.
Brent Winter 5 minutes ago (edited) If there is no such thing as local church membership, then why did God have Paul start local New Testament Churches? How could Paul know who the church at Ephesus or Corinth was without a membership? Also speaking of the church in Matthew 18:17 written in the context of the erring brother. The Lord instructed the disciples to take the problem before the church, if the erring brother refuses to repent and settle the matter. How can they take a problem before the church if they did not know who made up the church ? They would not have been able to. Church membership can be found in Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. These people had the same things and common and met with one another on a daily basis and worked together to accomplish their goals. Membership allows us to know who the local church is. There is a difference between the "church of God" and the local church. The church of God is made up of every born again believer, and the local church is made up of born again believers in a certain place with the mission of getting the gospel to the world and serving the Lord. Every believer should belong to a local New Testament Church.
@@davepage2466 it is sadly true not everybody who is a member of a church is saved (This means they are not true members of the body or a local church). It also, is true that some do abuse power (even though the bible does teach pastoral authority.) However, this does not negate the fact that church membership is biblical. Yes the early church met in different places such as houses but the people who attended still had a place to go, identified with the others attending, and had spiritual leaders. Even the underground Christians have places of meeting and do not allow people they do not reconize to attend without first screening them. God operates through the local church and to be outside of it is to be outside his agency.
You are sooooo not getting it! The issue is membership, not fellowship! Membership is for the one like yourself who does not have a personal relationship with Christ Yeshua. Unfortunately, by joining a religious organization, somehow authenticate you as a member of the Bride of Christ! You must be BORN AGAIN, in order to receive revelation regarding the trues spoken here in!
But you fail to understand that the different churches were of the same doctrine represented in different name cities, not divided by denominations as in this case.
@@brentwinter6416 you have been well coerced. Unfortunately, not one scripture support your words. Membership is division and a way to control your p urse. No doats?oubt we as believers are instructed by scripture to come together in worship. But today's definition doesn't not reflect the biblical assembly of believers...they were all saved. Today if you have 10 percent of believers who are saved in a local assembly you are ahead of the national average. Having said that, exactly what body does a church represent who's assembly is ninety percent goats?
If you are already a member of the body of Christ, church membership is not biblical...Church membership is man made, and not biblical...God did not call you to be a member of the Baptist church, the Catholic church, the Methodists church, or of any church organization...The ministers are making members of the body of Christ, when it's not biblical...To have fellowship with members of the body of Christ is biblical.
