Three Basic Reason why church membership is important 1)command for commitment to local church 2)obligation of obedience to the leaders of a local church 3)privileges of partnership with a local church

1) The Command for commitment Heb 10: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Witnessing Fellowship Prayer Word

What does that mean? It doesn’t mean just going to church every Sunday. If we are not planning or considering how to stimulate others to love and good deeds… If we are not involved whole heartedly in encouraging others within the church… then we are disobeying the Lord. “forsake the assembling” 1) The Command for commitment

Who is this message aimed at? It is aimed at the church and all that are within it. If you look at all the one another's within the Bible, almost all of them are given to the church. The New Testament does not mention anyone in detail that wasn’t a part of a local church. Acts 2:47 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 1) The Command for commitment

Membership = Salvation 1) The Command for commitment

UNIVERSAL # References to Church in Scripture 1) The Command for commitment

“But I have committed my time my energy, my attention to my church, I just haven’t gone through the legal process of interview, taking a class, and signing a piece of paper.” 1) The Command for commitment

1 Thes 5: We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. Heb 13:17 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Membership is just one tool that your leadership uses for administration and personal evaluation. 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Membership clarifies the difference between believers and unbelievers. Or more correctly stated, It helps us to know who should be treated as believers and who should be treated as unbelievers, Because we can’t truly know, but membership can help us clarify the line. We will always have believers that are not members and unbelievers that are members, but membership is an administrative tool that can help facilitate believers in ministry. 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Membership clarifies the difference between believers and unbelievers. Matt 7:21-23 Not everyone who calls Lord Lord. Matt 13:36-43 Pulling up weeds from the harvest Matt 18:15-17 Church discipline 1 Cor 5 Expel the Immoral Brother! 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Legal considerations What actions are defendable in a court of law? 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Membership causes the visible church to better reflect the invisible. John 17:22-23 Perfect unity 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Eph 5:22 Wholehearted submission 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Mat 16:18 Stability 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Membership is essential for orderly administration Why should we be more orderly and organized for our finances and our work, but leave our church in a chaotic and unorganized manner. 1 Cor 14:40 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. The church is like the human body, a closely knit structure who needs to know exactly who belongs to it and who doesn’t. Eph 4:16 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Membership promotes involvement from those on the fringes of the church. This is especially true when they realize that they need to make a choice to commit or not commit. 2) The Obligation of Obedience

Membership gives an opportunity to educate people about the nature and distinction of the church. Col 1:28 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 2) The Obligation of Obedience

3) The Privileges of Partnership Ministry Opportunities. Leadership, teaching, evangelism. Again, membership allows us to remove someone who is teaching a false doctrine, or is leading a blatant public life of disobedience and then evangelizing in the name of Bethany Community Church.

Loving Accountability Psalm 141:5 5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. Prov 9:8-9 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. Prov 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. 3) The Privileges of Partnership