Church membership is an interesting subject. There’s not necessarily one passage in the Bible that paints the full picture. If I wanted to preach on church leadership, I might take you to Acts 20, or 1 Timothy 3. If I wanted to preach on believer’s baptism, I might go to Matthew 28 or Acts 2. But where do you go to learn about church membership?
Membership is not explicitly taught in any one passage, but the descriptions of the church imply there must be some type of organization and standard of who belongs to the local church.
We don’t know exactly how church membership was done in NT times, but it is important to piece together how the NT describes church life and then determine how best church membership should be practiced today. One of many places we can go is the book of 1 Peter. I recently preached a two-part message on church membership, and shared the first half yesterday. You can find the second part below.
In this study of 1 Peter 4, we learn…
What is church membership?
How Jesus’ return will take many people by surprise
How is a spiritual gift different than a natural talent?
The church attendance crisis in America
How church membership encourages faithfulness
Being “equally yoked” for the gospel
Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please visit my sermon page.
Question: What do you think about church membership? Does your church practice it? Do you find it to be helpful, and if so, how? Leave a comment below!
Membership and loyalty clubs are an everyday part of life. We have gym memberships, wholesale shopping clubs, hotel and frequent flyer clubs, app subscriptions, and so much more. I noticed the other day that our local carwash even has a separate “members only” entrance from the “guest” entrance. In some cases, membership comes with special perks and incentives like extended hours, VIP lanes, discounts, referral bonuses, and cashback rewards.
That’s not what we mean when we talk about church membership. Church membership doesn’t give you a priority entrance or premier seating. There’s no secret handshake. No backstage pass. And sorry, you don’t get cashback rewards on your tithe. (In fact, the Bible warns against partiality or bribes).
What then is church membership? Church membership is a group of believers uniting together (we might even say covenanting) as a local church to honor God, care for one another, and obey the great commission.
There are a lot of modern misconceptions about church membership, so we recently spent a couple weeks digging into the subject. In part one, I explain the purpose of church membership and walk through the first two commitments of our church member covenant. We learn…
UNITED IN MEMBERSHIP (PART 1 OF 2) PASTOR STEPHEN JONES CALVARY CHURCH WEST HILLS JULY 6, 2025
Introduction • Membership and loyalty clubs are an everyday part of life. There are gym memberships, hotel and frequent flyer club membership, movie theaters, timeshares, HOAs, etc. E.g. (see photo) Carwash – members only vs. guests. Separate entrances. In some cases, membership comes with certain perks like extended hours, VIP lanes, special discounts, referral bonuses, and cashback rewards. • But that’s not what we mean when we talk about church membership. Church membership doesn’t give you a priority entrance, or premier seating, or secret handshake, no VIP lounge with better donuts, or backstage pass to hang out with the worship band. You don’t get cashback rewards on your tithe. In fact, the Bible warns against partiality and bribery. • Church membership a group of believers uniting together (or we might even say “covenanting”) as a local church to honor God, care for one another, and obey the great commission. Our Church Covenant • From Article V of our Church Constitution & Bylaws. Member Covenant – “Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and been baptized, and being in agreement with Calvary Church’s statements, strategy, and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Calvary Church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following: I will protect the unity of my church by acting in love toward other members, by refusing to gossip, and by following the leaders. I will share the responsibility of my church by praying for its growth, by inviting the “unchurched” to attend, and by warmly welcoming those who visit. I will serve the ministry of my church by discovering and using my gifts and talents, by seeking to be equipped by my pastor to serve, and by developing a servant’s heart. I will support the testimony of my church by attending faithfully, living a godly life, and by giving regularly.” • Each of these statements are then backed up by scripture. I think you will be hard pressed to find anything unbiblical in that list. If you can assent to this statement, I would encourage you to join Calvary Church West Hills. It is my prayer that if you haven’t already joined the church, that you will do so as a result of these next two messages. • There’s a scary word in that covenant I read for you. It’s the word “commit.” Many of us are hesitant to make that kind of commitment. • Four commitments. We will focus on just the first two today.
Protecting Unity • Romans 14:19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. • Context of Christian liberty. (see 14:2). Don’t quarrel! (14:1) Don’t despise (14:3). Don’t pass judgment! (14:3, 4, 13). Rather, know what you believe (14:5, 22-23), honor God in all you do (14:6, 8, 18), avoid stumbling blocks (14:13), pursue peace (14:19), and welcome others (14:1), knowing you will one day give an account before God and want to hear the words “well done” (14:10-12). • Out of five chapters on practical theology at the end of Paul’s letter, two of them are dedicated to the subject of church unity. • So what Paul is saying is use your newfound liberty in Christ, your spiritual strength, and any authority God has granted you, to serve others. Authority and submission. Biblical authority does not mean domineering. In fact, just the opposite. Leadership is the God-given privilege of providing vision, influence, guidance, and example for the benefit of others. Spiritual leadership is servant leadership. • …By acting in love toward other members. Romans 15:5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus. Cf. 1 Pet. 1:22; Jn. 15:12. • Think about the concept of right of way in traffic. In some countries, the biggest vehicle on the road gets the right of way. A pedestrian yields to a bicycle, a bicycle to a car, and a car to a van, and a van to a bus. But Jesus says in Matthew 23:11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. • …By refusing to gossip. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. • …By following the leaders. Hebrews 13:17 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. • Harmony. Cf. Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. • Personal Example: Dr. Plew in the Master’s Chorale. 60 person choir. But there’s a sense in which we had one-voice. Had to blend – in dynamics, in timbre, to listen and match the pitch of others, all while following the conductor. • >>A church member agrees first of all to protect unity, and expects others to do these same. Neither our members nor our leaders will be perfect, but these will mark a healthy, godly church. They would be good for a family as well. Sharing Responsibility • Rom. 14:19 “So then let us pursue what makes for peace.” Who is the us? Cf. 1:7 “to all those in Rome who are loved…” ch. 16 giving personal greetings – 16:1, 5, 6, 6-7… • Love this expression – “share the responsibility.” If you’ve ever played a team sport, you understand this all too well. Take basketball for example, five players on the court at time, all different positions. One might be a captain. One might be taller, a better, scorer, ball-handler, or rebounder, or defender, but all of them are important. • One of the most ridiculous aspects of COVID was the invention of the term “non-essential” worker. In the church, there are no non-essential members. Now, that’s not to say that the church ceases to function. But it will not be as healthy, as fruitful, or as bright a witness if some members fail to do their part and exercise their spiritual gifts. • That would be like saying one of the body parts are non-essential. Sure, you can survive without an eye, or an ear, a thumb, or a second kidney. But do you really want to? Every had your foot fall asleep? The blood circulation gets cut off and suddenly your foot is numb, and you walk with a heavy limp. The same thing happens with a church has members who have “fallen asleep.” • By praying for its growth. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, • By inviting the unchurched to attend. Luke 14:23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. • By warmly welcoming those who visit. Romans 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. • Compare a consumer driven church versus a service oriented driven church. Conclusion • John MacArthur says it well in Biblical Doctrine: “To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes. These purposes include receiving instruction from God’s Word (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2), serving and edifying one another through the proper use of spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:3–8; 1 Cor. 12:4–31; 1 Pet. 4:10–11), participating in the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38–42), and proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost (Matt. 28:18–20). In addition, when one becomes a member of a church, he submits himself to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders whom God has placed in that assembly.” • How does membership help in practical, down-to earth terms? – Classes are easy to schedule, provide regularly. Some larger churches even offer on a continuous cycle – Gives us an opportunity to hear people’s testimonies and profession of faith – Gives leaders a chance to get to know, shepherd, assimilate, disciple members – Provides spiritual protection. Helps protect against false teachers – (remember Pastor Walter’s teaching from Jude last week) – Provides legal protection, an opportunity for “informed consent” regarding church beliefs and practices, and special teaching such as Jesus’ words on church discipline – Greater Transparency. We can provide a copy of our statement of faith and bylaws to members. People stay more informed. It gives us a chance to go over governing documents, resulting in more educated voting members. Along these same lines, it allows… – Congregationalism, where regenerate church members have the opportunity to prayerfully vote over some issues in the church such as approving the annual budget, calling a new pastor, or church discipline cases. You definitely want born-again, like-minded Christians to be making these important decisions! Next week, we will continue this study…
One of my favorite Bible verses is Zechariah 4:6. “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
God said it’s not by might that the Jews would rebuild their temple. That word “might” (חַיִל) was sometimes used of a soldier marching off bravely into battle. In the military, there are several keys to success. You need leadership. You need strategy. You need training and discipline, skill and supplies. It helps to have the high ground, and if possible, to keep the element of surprise. But none of those things automatically determine the outcome. God is still sovereign.
Stronger is usually better — but remember David and Goliath. Bigger is usually better — but remember Gideon and the Midianites.
If we’re not careful, we can transfer these same values to church life. Bigger budgets, programs, and campus sizes become our measurement of success. But that’s not how God’s economy works.
Some people might look across town and think, “That church is so big, they must be doing something right!” In some cases, God has richly blessed a ministry and grown its influence. At the same time, there are some huge mega churches that aren’t even preaching the gospel. Size alone is no indication of success.
Bigger does not automatically mean better. Smaller does not necessarily mean worse. We can be tempted to rely on all sorts of things instead of the Lord. Zechariah 4:6 reminds us to trust the Lord at all times. Whether we want growth in our churches, victory over temptation, or success in our plans, let’s remember it is not by our own strength or ingenuity, but God’s Spirit alone.
I preached this passage several months ago at Calvary Church, and have uploaded the sermon to my podcast. You can listen now using the link below…
Thanks for listening. For a complete list of sermons organized by topic or book of the Bible, please visit the Sermon Hub page on this blog.
As a kid, I rode my bike a lot. I loved the independence it gave me and how it could get me to the beach, to the store, or a friend’s house. When our kids were old enough, we got them bikes too. First I took them out to the driveway and showed them how to balance, steer, and brake. As they got comfortable, we moved out to the street and the nearby cul de sac.
My kids also needed to learn to wear a helmet. Why is a helmet so important? Because it protects the head, which is very important – particularly the brain. The brain is essential to survival, sending billions of signals to your body every minute of the day. What a marvel of creation!
Dr. Joseph Pituri writes, “The brain is the centre of a complex computer system more wonderful than the greatest one ever built by man. The body’s computer system computes and sends throughout the body billions of bits of information, information that controls every action, right down to the flicker of an eyelid. In most computer systems, the information is carried by wires and electronic parts. In the body, nerves are the wires that carry the information back and forth from the central nervous system. And in just one human brain there is probably more wiring, more electrical circuitry, than in all the computer systems of the world put together.”
In a similar way, Jesus is head of the body. He’s the control center and central nervous system that guides us. As it says in Colossians 1:17–18, He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
We may be tempted to elevate certain people to that head position. Maybe a mega church pastor, a favorite Bible teacher, or a gifted conference speaker. Certainly it’s appropriate to learn from spiritual leaders who have been filled with the Holy Spirit and used by God. I too want to be the kind of leader who can say with the Apostle Paul, “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1). But I don’t want anyone idolizing me or any other human being.
Only one person gets to be head, and that’s Jesus, who had revealed himself in the Bible. When the Word of God speaks, Christ speaks. When we read the Word of God, we’re submitting ourselves to his headship over our lives and over our church. We’re not free to do church our own way, however we want to. Our responsibility is to say, “Jesus, you are the head. How do you want us to live? What do you want your church to look like?”
Several months ago, I preached at Calvary Church on Colossians 1:15-20. We looked together at this subject. You can listen to the message here:
Or you can watch online using this link:
For a complete list of my sermons and Bible studies, please visit the Sermon Page on my blog.
Several years ago, Natalie and I attended a teacher training conference in Pasadena, and one of the breakout sessions was by a ministry specialist named Steve Alley. Alley gave an illustration that has always stuck with us about Cinnabon.
The teacher explained how Cinnabon shops are strategically located just inside the shopping mall entrance to draw you in. As the doors whoosh open and closed, the draft carries the smell down through the food court and outside. He described their fresh bakery smell, the warm fluffy dough, the fresh cinnamon sprinkles, and that thick layer of cream cheese frosting. You probably went to the mall to buy a pair of shoes, and yet now all of a sudden, with that amazing smell, you’re craving cinnamon rolls!
Cinnabon bakes delicious cinnamon rolls. Not only that, they are brilliant at creating an atmosphere that draws you in. And Alley challenged us to do the same in our children’s ministries. You don’t want visitors as they enter to hear screaming children, observe snappy ministry workers, and smell dirty diapers. You want to make a good first impression with a joyful atmosphere, friendly workers, and fresh smells. This all sets a positive tone for parents and for the children themselves.
We can call this the “Cinnabon Effect.” In a similar way, the whole church should aim for this goal. From the moment a new person sets foot on our campus or visits our website, we want there to be an “aroma” that draws them in. I’m not talking about the free coffee bar and Sugarbox donuts we serve on the patio every Sunday, though that helps! I’m talking about a spirit of love that makes people glad to be here, and then makes them want to stay. The church should be permeated with a spirit of love and a culture of grace that makes people glad they came, then makes them want to stay. In this lesson, we learn…
The attractive nature of love
The importance of preaching the gospel to ourselves daily
Some nasty behaviors we need to “put off”
What’s the difference between patience and kindness?
Signs of a loving church
Thanks for listening. This sermon was preached at Calvary Church West Hills on Sunday, April 21, 2024 as part of my introductory series on the five foundations of ministry. For more info on our church, please visit our website. For a complete list of my sermons and Bible studies organized by category, please visit the sermon page on my blog.
Audio – visit the Sermon Page on our church website or listen here:
Pinch Of Clay 