I was challenged a while back as to what advantage there is
to being a member of the church. Immediately the thought of “Amex, membership
has it’s privileges”. This ad was from years ago and I am not even sure if it
still exists but thoughts came flooding back to the days of the credit card for
the elite. The platinum card was reserved for those who were set apart. You
could buy a house or fancy car on the card. That was privilege. There was a
price to pay for this luxury but that was overshadowed by the dreams of what
you could do with this sacred membership. I, of course, never measured up
because I could not afford the price of membership.
So let’s get back to church membership. It used to be that
people sought out membership with a local church because it really meant
something. The churches were full and Sunday mornings were devoted to the
gathering of the faithful. Members took their responsibilities very seriously
and claimed the fellowship as their own. Prospective members attended classes
so they could understand the history and polity of the denomination, learned of
opportunities to serve the faith family and were informed of their responsibility
to the church. Membership also granted the individual a vote on matters
concerning the gathering and truly participate in guiding the church’s mission
in the community. Membership also meant that we were accountable to each other
so as not to lose our way in this crazy world. Some still seek membership but I
fear this is not always the case these days. In one case, the person seeking
membership said they did not want to be tied down to any one church as they
felt it would limit their ministry opportunities. I was very new to ministry at
the time and I had no answer but today I would like to respond; sort of.
Membership has it’s privilege. It is not membership in a
particular church. There is not a special reserved section for any denomination
in Heaven. I will not go to Heaven to have Jesus say to me “your denomination
has saved you” but rather He will say, “I know you, your faith has set you
free, welcome to your new forever home”. Membership in His way is a glorious
membership and it comes with all sorts of privileges. You will live anew with
not a care or worry. There will be no more pain or suffering, we will sing
praises and live in perfection for all eternity. There is nothing in this world
that can describe the perfection we will be a part of but it will be open for
us all. There is a cost for this membership though but here is the awesome
news, Jesus paid the price when He went to the cross and took our sins upon
Him. It is for us to proclaim in our hearts, ask Jesus for forgiveness and
trust that we are forgiven for He sits in Glory interceding for us. Our
membership has been paid in full.
What is the perfect church? The perfect church is the one
that claims the Gospel Truth, preaches the Truth and endeavors to live the
Truth. Claim membership in the Kingdom, declare Jesus as Saviour and seek out a
gathering to be a part of so you can share in the joy of worshiping together.
Claim membership as a follower of Christ, this is primary, then seek membership
in a faith gathering and add your voice to the choir of the body.
We invite you to join us online at 10:30 AM (Mountain Time).
Click on one of the following links:
Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31
YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA
See you all Sunday, online.
Blessings
Pastor Todd
Pastor Todd
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