“Clubship” or Membership?

Membership in a country club and membership in a church are different. At the club you pay your dues and people are available to serve you. But what about being a biblical member of a church? In many churches you can stay on the “roll” and never show up or give. Maybe “active membership” to some is Christmas and Easter only, a “CEO” Christian. Perhaps just giving a good $um annually and never connecting or serving keeps some people in good stead at their church. But is that really functioning as a biblical member?

By analogy to the human body, the Bible makes it clear in 1 Cor.12 that if one part doesn’t do its job the whole body doesn’t function well. The same is true with the “church,” the local assembly of believers. We need to be unified in our understanding of mission, our purposes and our ministries. Why does the “church” exist, anyway? If we were to apply what traditionally are called the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20) and the Great Commandment (Mk. 12:30-31), we would gain a perspective that the “church” exists largely for the benefit of those who don’t belong to it and that we, as the “church,” collectively cooperate to serve needs, love others as God does, and provide avenues for people to receive hope from us giving away the gospel.

In today’s “church,” just as in society, we can easily gravitate individually and corporately into a mindset of being served. Remember JFK’s famous quote “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country?” We, as Christians, must ask ourselves the same question as it applies to our serving the church and others. Have you asked yourself that question lately? That said, being a biblical member of a “church” implies one is a functioning member.

With football season approaching, you could look at a “church” as a team with players, coaches and ready reserves, but don’t miss the beauty of Paul’s analogy of the “church” and the human body. Every part and everyone has a designed function. (Eph. 2:10) Not all are as prominent as the voice or a preacher. Not all may seem as essential as a heart or a teacher. We are most impactful and on target when each of us are working /serving together. That is spiritual maturity. That is biblical membership. Think About It.