Introduction

Because some of you are joining the church today, it is fitting that I speak on the theme of local church membership. This suggests some introductory comments.

1) Membership is not stated explicitly in Scripture. The Bible does not spell out the notion of a membership role. Some people want chapter and verse for every point of doctrine and we do not have such here. But this is not really the problem it first appears to be because many solid and important teachings of the Bible are not taught in Scripture explicitly but implicitly. So for our consideration of local church membership the lack of explicit passages does not mean that there are no implicit passages. As we shall see, this doctrine is grounded in Scripture.

2) Membership brings with it an emphasis on responsibility that causes us to relate in specific ways with other people (shall I say, other sinners?). It is an important Christian duty.

3) Membership involves concrete, visible, and particular duties. Some may appeal to what has been called the invisibility and universality of the church and claim to be a member of Christ's unseen church made up of God's elect of all ages. Then the question becomes "why should I join a church when I am already a member of the church of the called out ones?"

My answer to this last question is that obedience to the Risen Lord Jesus is not invisible; it involves the duties of local church membership. I want to make the point that it is inconsistent to claim membership in Christ's universal church and deny membership in the local expressions of His church. It's a matter of following Him; His sheep follow His voice.

My title speaks directly to what I want to emphasize: "Membership under Christ in His Church." This title gives the answer to the question: Why should I join a local church? The answer in broad strokes is this: I should join a local church because the local church is Christ's Church and membership in it is a matter of submission to Him, to His authority.

I want to lay out the process of biblical thinking that leads to the conclusion that it is the duty of every Christian to join a local church. This is a very important and serious duty that we have as Christians to take up membership under Christ in His church.

1A. The case for membership stated in principle

What's the argument in broad outline? How can it be summarized neatly and concisely?

It is simply this: when the duty we have to do all things in the life of the church "in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Co. 14:40) as we "ought" (1 Tim. 3:15) is combined with other particular duties the net result is the duty of membership.

In other words, membership is inescapably implied in the duties given us by the Lord Jesus Christ for the organization and proper function of His church, a body of sinners saved by grace and living in various localities. That is it. It is that simple. The church cannot function in a fitting and orderly way in observing the sacraments, ministering by gifts, ordaining officers, and submitting to pastoral instruction without having a clearly defined membership structure.

These duties (sacraments, ordination, giving) are like dots on an artist's canvas. The principle of order fills in a line between each dot and the sketch that results is a sketch of local church membership as a Christian duty.

2A. The case unpacked in practice

Membership is based on at least four things: the ought of conduct, the pillar obligation, the responsibility of guarding the gospel, and the duty of baptism.

1B. Membership arises from the "ought" of conduct

Paul gave Timothy directions on how we ought to conduct ourselves in the church (1 Tim. 3:14-15). Note the down to earth nature of this passage. 1) Christians have specific duties in God's household; there is an "ought" of conduct. We have obligations. There are responsibilities there waiting for us to take them up (they are outlined in this book and the NT letters). 2) Nothing is ethereal or invisible regarding these obligations. They relate to conduct in the church of the living God. You may know that we are part of the heavenly Jerusalem, but this is not talking about duties we have in heaven; it is not talking about invisible duties of invisible saints to other invisible saints.

A local church is an expression of the church of Christ (universal, invisible, elect) in a particular geographical location where elders are appointed. To strengthen disciples and encourage believers, elders were appointed in each church at Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (cf. Acts 14:21-23). These elders are given to strengthen and encourage the saints in their walk of discipleship (learning) and faith.

The idea of membership is beginning to appear in our sketch of dots. You can already see the picture that will eventually emerge.

2B. Membership derives from the "pillar" principle

Membership derives from the duty of holding up the truth with a good confession.  The church, Paul says, is "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). This is a gospel duty of the utmost importance. So we need to fill this out by comparing it with Ephesians 2:20. In Ephesians the members of God's household are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The apostolic word of revelation from God is the foundation on which the church is built. But in First Timothy, the household is the foundation of the truth. The pictures stand in marked contrast. Different things are being emphasized in each passage by the building imagery. Our concern is to determine how the church can be the pillar and ground of the truth and then to relate that to church membership. So let's look a little closer.

The truth that the church holds up (pillars) reveals the meaning of the contrast. It holds up the mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16), which at its core refers to the shift of the gospel from Israel to the nations (cf. Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 3:6). This mystery is the truth that is pillared by the church. Therefore, the point is that the church exists to hold these truths up to the world!

On one hand, the church is founded on these truths in that they bring the church into existence and guide her steps. The church is built on the apostolic word (that's Ephesians 2:20). On the other hand, the church is the foundation for these truths in that the church holds them up to the nations in witness and confession (that's 1 Tim. 3:15)..

The church like Timothy is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus who confessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate (1 Tim. 6:13). To do this in the best way possible, the church in a given location must labor more and more to clarify and improve her confession. But this cannot be done in an orderly fashion if there is no definition regarding who makes up the church, if there is no membership role. As a body, as a group we have the duty to confess a good confession (not just as individual believers). To make confession as the Westminster Reformed Church we have to have some discussion and dialogue to work out details. Whose confession shall we confess? It is not the confession of any one of us. The church confession is a collective confession upon which we must agree. Such agreeing is the seedbed of our covenant relationship to one another. It has to be done in an orderly way and this necessitates a defined membership and some good and reasonable policies of procedure (it is a covenant relation).

Holding up/confessing the truth is simply answer giving on a corporate level regarding the hope we profess (1 Pet. 3:15; Heb. 10:23; Col. 4:6). This involves learning together in such a way that we graciously and wisely negotiate our way to a good confession. For example we confess the doctrines of grace defined by the Canons of Dort and we require that profession of faith from pastors and office holders. One may know very little to become a member. But to function as a member in confessing a good confession one has to grow in grace and knowledge.

Thus we confess the doctrines of grace as a matter of covenant. It is a matter of integrity for us as a church. If some attended with us who wanted an Arminian minister or a 4-point Calvinist minister, we could not allow that. Why could we not allow that? You might say we cannot allow error to be taught and it is correct that we should not allow such error to be taught. But on another level, we could not allow that because of our covenant with one another to confess a good confession. It is a matter of our word and of loyalty to each other in seeking to honor Christ (ultimately our covenant is with Him). For any change on what a pastor must profess we would have to negotiate our way there by study and due process in an effort to keep covenant with one another and with the Lord. This is the testimony we seek to hold up (pillar) to the nations. It is a serious matter and it demands conduct that is decent and orderly. Such order requires a membership role (defining who is making covenant and may vote on group decisions).

3B. Thus membership emerges from the duty of guarding the gospel

This darkens in the sketch even more clearly. To guard the gospel there must be a system of checking and balancing in place. To guard the gospel we must screen and guard the membership in order to screen and guard the eldership.

The major role of doctrinal instruction/gospel proclamation belongs to pastor/teachers. That they must be duly appointed by the people of the church is shown to us in the fact that the qualifications of ministers is put into the hands of the people (cf. the lists of qualifications for ministry, 1 Tim. 3:1-10; Tit. 1:5-9). There are no apostles to do this now as was done in the book of Acts (14:21-23). Christ must first call them to the ministry, but the local church where they would serve must also evaluate them. The church must evaluate and voice its approval or disapproval regarding the ordination of pastors and elders. Order requires a vote. But who has the right to vote? Anyone who drops in at the time of a business meeting? For good order there must be a defined membership that has the privilege and responsibility to evaluate and appoint ministers of the word. Having a membership that is responsibly defined and responsible regarding the duties of being members fulfills the principle of order and guards the gospel by wise appointments to gospel ministry.

But guarding the gospel in the appointment of elders demands that the membership itself be screened and guarded. We call for the confession of faith in the triune God (Matt. 28:19-20). We call for a credible living of that confession by the word of God found solely in the sixty-six books of Scripture. We have a simple and reasonable process of screening members by asking for their confession of faith and for a covenant with us in seeking to confess a good confession. Elders do this screening and make recommendation to the church for a vote of approval.

Members here in the WRC commit to give a careful and prayerful hearing to the preaching diet that is rooted in the historic reformed confessions. In our particular context, this is how Hebrews 13:7, 17-19 is applied. Obey and submit means submit to the instruction in the reformed faith provided by the pastor. This should be done in the spirit of this passage. It includes prayer for the pastor (v. 18) and a sober recognition of the consequences that pertain to both the minister (17a, they must give an account) and to you (17b, making the life of the minister a burden is of no benefit to you). Interestingly, your benefit and blessing comes by making the work of the pastor a joy. I like this point and I am sobered by it (there is a very real double edge here!).

You have the responsibility under the authority and command of Christ to submit yourself to pastoral instruction from a pastor you own as your pastor because this is how God has set things up. Christ has appointed the office of pastor teacher (Eph. 4:12, it is He who gave…pastor/teachers). His purpose in appointing pastor/teachers is for the up building of the people of God, the church. Hence, it is the duty of all Christians to submit themselves to pastoral instruction and by this each is brought to the duty of guarding the gospel (thus submission to pastors is not orderly without membership). This is what Jesus has ordained for our up building; we make ourselves wiser than God if we think we can do without it.

Therefore the lines are filled: your duty to guard the gospel cannot be fulfilled in an efficient and orderly way unless you are on a membership role in a local church pursing faithfulness.

4B. Membership flows from baptism.

Baptism leads to membership and membership is founded on baptism (to become a member one must be baptized). Baptism symbolizes our entry into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) and our commitment to live out our profession of faith in relation to the gathered (local) church (Heb. 10:19-25). We are to draw near to God based on the cleansing of our hearts symbolized in baptism (v. 22). Implied in the profession of our hope (v. 23) is the confession of sin and pledge of obedience made in baptism (Matt. 3:6; 1 Pet. 3:21). Implied in "let us not give up meeting together" (v. 25) is a commitment to the body of Christ, to meet for specific purposes. This is a commitment to promote love, good deeds, and mutual encouragement.

In other words, baptism involves a commitment to regular attendance with the people of God in order to fulfill the baptismal pledge in ourselves and in others. This cannot be done consistently (in faithful obedience) or effectively (in meaningful encouraging of others spurring on to good works) where regularity in attendance is lacking by bad habits. It cannot be fulfilled properly without a regular and healthy diet on the word under pastoral care (without a pastor that is "your" pastor, Heb. 13:7, 17). And it cannot be fulfilled in an orderly way without joining a local assembly to fulfill the ought of conduct in God's household, to fulfill the duty of holding up the gospel by a mutual and good confession, and to fulfill the task of guarding the gospel by having a guarded eldership and a guarded membership (these threads make a single fabric-membership).

Again, the elder or elders screen the members and recommend membership, the members appoint the pastors and vote on new members. Such "mundane" practice is supremely important for good order under Christ in His church.

Conclusion

Church membership is a matter of covenant keeping and integrity. It is a matter of truthfulness, of being honorable in our speech, of righteous promise keeping to one another and to Christ. You should not seek membership unless you intend to keep this covenant before God and the church. It is not an invisible commitment to invisible preaching and invisible keeping of ordinances.

Membership is concrete and down to earth. It means being present, being in contact and getting to know the saints. It means praying with the saints and for the saints. It involves praying for an open door, God's open door, for the message entrusted to us from the apostles.

Due obedience to the Lord Jesus will cause you to bring your life into harmony with the demands of church life, attendance, and membership for the sake of order and to guard the gospel. Obedience will cause you to make covenant with the people of God in a local assembly because of your reverence and love for Christ.

Making the Membership Covenant in this Local Church

Do you promise and covenant with us as we promise and covenant with you to learn of the Lord Jesus in order to live by the commands of the triune God given solely in the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture? Do you commit to the duty of discipleship (learning) with the goal of faithfulness and obedience to our risen Savior? Do you commit yourselves to the Lord to learn by means of the diet I provide as your pastor knowing that this diet is rooted in reformed theology, and demands thoughtfulness, reading, prayer, study? Do you make this covenant in devotion to the living head of the church, our Lord Jesus Christ, to learn from Him in order to live for Him? Do you seek membership under Christ in His local church in order to guard the gospel and to take up the practical duties of church life (attendance, mutuality, giving) in a faithful and orderly way?

Do you promise to serve the Lord in this local church and if in God's providence you leave this church do you promise to enter a covenant of membership in some other local expression of the body of Christ in order to honor the Lord in an orderly way there?

Making covenant renewal together

I do promise and covenant with my brothers and sisters here known as the Westminster Reformed Church to learn of the Lord Jesus in order to live by the commands of the triune God given solely in the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture. I promise to learn by means of the diet on the word that is rooted in reformed theology, to do so with open-minded humility. I covenant as a member of this local church to do my part to guard the gospel by taking up the practical duties of church life in a faithful and orderly way. I commit myself to Christ in His church to faithful attendance to promote love, good deeds, giving to gospel ministry, and mutual encouragement. Finally, if in God's providence I leave this church, I promise to enter a covenant of membership with some other local expression of the body of Christ in order to honor the Lord in an orderly way there.