WHY BECOME A MEMBER IN A LOCAL CHURCH? PART- 1
by Pastor Joey Zorina
Since we are all part of the universal body of Christ, why should we join a local church? Below are reasons for why believers are to belong and commit to a local church.
TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Jesus said to His disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13: 34). Jesus showed perfect love for unlovable sinners on the cross. Therefore, all believers are to “love another” just as Christ loved us. This has rich implications. For instance: In Hebrews 10: 24, the writer says, “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.”
The purpose of meeting together is “to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” It was “the habit of some” not to meet together. This is why the writer says “not neglecting to meet together” but “encouraging one another.” And this should happen “all the more (not less) as you see the Day (of the Lord) drawing near.” Therefore, without committing to a body of believers, we cut ourselves off from love and encouragement. But there’s another reason why we should join a local church.
TO IMITATE IMPERFECT LEADERS.
Later in ch. 13, the writer says: “7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Notice the church is to remember their leaders who speak the word of God. If believers are to imitate perfect leaders, there are none except Jesus Himself. But there are leaders who by calling and qualification serve as pastors/elders (1 Tim. 3: 1-7). These are imperfect godly leaders who follow the perfect Christ and speak His word. Christians are to “consider the outcome of the way of life, and imitate their faith.” Therefore, if there is no belonging in a local church which leaders are believers called to imitate? How are we to imitate those on social media whom we don’t see personally? How are we to “consider the outcome of their way of life” if we are not meeting together? How can we imitate their faith if we neglect meeting together? The way Jesus, the great shepherd, leads His church is through leaders who serve under Him. Verse 8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The same Jesus who led the early disciples “yesterday” is the same Jesus leading His church “today.”
TO BE STRENGTHENED BY GRACE.
Christians are not to imitate just any leaders, but those who speak God’s word faithfully (v. 7). The Word of God is a means of grace in the gathering of believers. In the writer’s mind, believers are not to “be led away by diverse and strange teachings.” He says, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them” (v. 9). Being led away has the idea of a wolf in sheep’s clothing leading us astray (Matt. 7: 15, Acts 20: 29).
Earlier the writer had said to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (ch. 3: 13). Therefore, if there is no belonging in the local church who are we to “exhort one another” with? How are we to practise “one another” commands if there’s no belonging in a local church? Deceitfulness of sin can harden the heart and lead us away. A boat that is not anchored slowly drifts away into the vast ocean. In fact the writer said, “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (ch. 2: 1). Drifting is often slow and unnoticed because sin is deceitful. An individualistic spirituality that is unaccountable is not found in scripture. It is a modern mind-set shaped by individualism in an age of globalisation. One another is life in community, not a solo life. Therefore, an isolated Christian is easily “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” and falls prey to many temptations of the devil (1 Peter 5: 8).
Like in the early church, when legalistic teachings infiltrated the church, there are many “diverse and strange teachings” today. And these teachings “have not benefited those devoted to them.” Today, modern people have an inflated view of self, with a low functional view of biblical authority. In many ways, these “diverse and strange teachings” are in contrast to sound teaching rooted in the Gospel of grace. Therefore, when we regularly meet with other believers, and devote ourselves to sound teaching, our hearts become strengthened by grace. It says “for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.” The other reason to belong in a local church is:
TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH JESUS.
The Hebrew writer goes on:
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
If we go to church for anything less than Jesus, we will be dissapointed. Jesus suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem city to sanctify us through His own blood. He suffered outside the gate so that we can enter the lasting city that is to come. Therefore, we need the church for our sanctification until that Day comes. It says: “Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured.” To bear the reproach of Jesus is to die to self-centeredness and die to individualistic spirituality. Meeting together in a local church habitually is the way the world knows who represents Jesus. As a gathered church, we offer up sacrifices of praise to God together. When we gather, we seek to do good and share what we have with others, “for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (v. 16). Lastly, the reason to belong in a local church is to submit to under-shepherds for our advantage.
TO SUBMIT FOR OUR ADVANTAGE.
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.
This verse is rarely addressed because leaders are embarrassed to talk about themselves. Christians often come to the scriptures with a democratic lens and assume that all authority is inherently bad. Yet, even in the workplace everyone enjoys working under a good boss. Others see this verse and are reminded of misrepresentations because our past experience colours our perceptions of the present. Therefore, we must not avoid this verse simply because others may have misused it. Rather, we must approach it afresh because it is the inspired Word of God. Our lack of trust in authority should cause us to question our own assumptions about biblical authority. Modern people dislike any mention of giving ourselves under authority. But it all started in Eden, when Adam decided to be his own master instead of flourishing under God’s authority. Since then, fallen people have had a difficult time submitting to any kind of authority figures in the home, workplace and even in the church. But this is what Jesus came to restore.
All authority is from God and they are for our good. Jesus obeyed fully where we have failed to obey the Father. He went outside the gate to suffer the reproach we deserved. We should have been cast outside the gate, never having access to come back in. But Jesus was cast outside to bring us inside (vv. 12, 13). Therefore, the writer says: “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.”
It says: “Obey your leaders” because they speak God’s authoritative word to us—not their words. And “submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” Therefore, if there’s no belonging in a local church, which leaders are Christians called to obey and submit? If there’s no belonging in a local church which Christians will leaders give an account? It says: “Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Leaders derive their joy primarily from Jesus Christ. They are called to go to Christ and bear the reproach He endured. They are called to suffer insults, betrayal, hardships and forgive and love their enemies like Christ. These are leaders church members are called to obey and submit. When churches make their leaders groan by lack of obedience and submission it works to the church’s disadvantage. Because groaning leaders cannot serve their congregation well. A congregation flourishes under joyful leaders. Christians display what they think of Christ by the way they treat their church. Therefore, every church member has a part in a local expression of the body just as a human body has many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).