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Church

United in Membership

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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…

  • The value of commitment in a local church
  • Ways we can promote church unity
  • How church life is like team sports
  • Encouragement to invite more visitors to church  

(8/8/25 Update: Here’s an audio link to part two of this discussion on church membership.)

Here’s the full transcript to part one…

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…

Journal

Israel Museum

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On Tuesday, April 11, 2000, IBEX took an afternoon field trip to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. This museum includes some priceless treasures including the ossuary of the High Priest Caiaphas and the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are housed in a special exhibit called the “Shrine of the Book.” The large water fountain resembles the lid of a jar like those where the scrolls were found. We already had opportunity to visit the caves at Qumran where the scrolls were found. Now, we got to see the scrolls themselves, preserved and on permanent display.

Why are the Dead Sea Scrolls significant? Until 1947, our oldest surviving manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures dated to around 1000 AD. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, we suddenly had manuscripts that pre-dated our oldest scrolls by a thousand years! Compared side-by-side, they confirmed the Masoretic Text (MT) was incredibly accurate and well preserved.

One of the most significant finds was a massive scroll of Isaiah that contains all 66 chapters. Robinson and Harrison explain, “From Cave 1 came a complete copy of the book of Isaiah, known to scholars as &1QIsaa;. Surprisingly well preserved, it comprised fifty-four columns of clearly written Hebrew script inscribed on seventeen sheets of leather that had been stitched end to end. When unrolled it measured about 7.3 m (24 ft) in length, and was approximately 30 cm. (1 ft) in width… Aside from differences in orthography and the use of certain consonants as vowel letters, the text of Isaiah in &1QIsaa; was identical with that in the much later editions of the MT.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

There are some minor differences in various scrolls, even in the two copies of Isaiah found. This might be because the text of Isaiah was preserved and passed down in different parts of the world, like an ancient game of telephone. “Isaiah A” includes vowel points and may have been for a less fluent Hebrew reader. “Isaiah B” seems to be a more pure form of Hebrew. But they are still very close overall and the differences are negligible in English.

As we explored the museum, I began to better grasp the flow of history and periods of archaeology:

Neolithic Period (Shortly after Noah’s flood) – Early pottery. Oldest known building is a tower in Jericho.
Chalcolithic Period (before 3000 BC) – Chaeleo (copper) + lithic (stone). Surprising sophistication and craftsmanship. Basalt bowls and ivory fertility objects found in Beersheba.
Early Bronze Period (3000-2200 BC) – Copper implements. Large urban settlements. Fortified cities. Writing develops in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Intermediate Bronze (2200-1550 BC) – Fewer cities. Mostly nomadic. Some jars and spear heads found. Beginning of alphabetic script in Phoenicia and Canaan. The time of Abraham and the patriarchs.
Middle/Late Bronze (1550-1200 BC) – Period of the exodus under Moses and conquest under Joshua. Classic Canaanite culture (as far as craftsmanship) was far superior to Israelite culture. Advanced weaponry like ax heads and sickle swords. Anthropoid sarcophagus found in Beit Shan.
Iron Age (1200-586 BC) – Iron technology. A loose tribal confederation gave way to wider rule under Saul, David, and Solomon, then division of Northern and Southern tribes. Many items have been found during this time such as a a bronze bull in Manasseh, proto-aeolic capitals on top of pillars, the Tel Dan inscription, and ivory pomegranates from Solomon’s temple.

One special exhibit are two silver amulets found by Gabi Barkay at the tombs of Ketef Hinnom in 1979. These small amulets contain the priestly blessing from Numbers 24-26 and predate the Dead Sea Scrolls by several hundred years, making them the oldest known surviving biblical text in the world.

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Later periods of archaeology include the Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean, and so forth, but much of Old Testament biblical archaeology took place during these earlier times.

A final highlight was seeing the actual Seat of Moses from the synagogue of Chorazin. We had seen a replica in the Galilean town, but here they had the original on display.

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

Journal

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

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March 12, 2000. The IBEX “Friends & Family” tour began yesterday. Several IBEX students have family visiting this week from the United States. Oh how I wish my parents and Natalie could be here during this time, but I know God has a different plan. As my dad has long said, someday we will all see Jerusalem, when Jesus the Messiah reigns upon the throne.

Believe me, Israel is a beautiful place right now, and a wonderful learning ground, but it pales in comparison to the glory it will someday possess! Most of the children of Israel are still far from God.

Though none of my own family or friends could come visit, I have enjoyed getting to know others. Today I tagged along with the Friends & Family Group through Jerusalem, getting my second whirlwind tour of the city, this time led by Dr. Greg Behle. While all the information was new and undoubtedly overwhelming for the parents, most of it was review at this point for me.

I was especially grateful for the chance to go through Hezekiah’s Tunnel! Most of the IBEX students walked through the tunnel back in January during our chilly visit to Jerusalem, but I was under the weather that day, so had to wait until now.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel is mentioned a couple times in the Bible. As the Israelites braced for the Assyrian siege on Jerusalem, King Hezekiah undertook an engineering project to protect the water supply. “When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him…he closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works” (2 Chronicles 32:2-4, 30; cf. 2 Kings 20:20).

The tunnel is 1750 feet long and tall enough that you can walk through. It has about 2 feet of water flowing north to south, which spills into the Pool of Siloam — the same pool where Jesus instructed the blind man to wash after he’d been healed (John 9:7).

Todd Bolen says Hezekiah’s Tunnel, and the 6th century B.C. tunnel of Euphalios in Greece, are considered the greatest works of water engineering technology in the pre-classical period. The tunnel was dug out of limestone by two teams starting on each side and meeting in the middle. When they finally connected the tunnels, they carved an inscription called the Siloam Inscription which was discovered in the late 19th century.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains, “Many years ago (1880) a youth, while wading up the conduit by which the water enters the pool, accidentally discovered an inscription cut in the rock, on the eastern side, about 19 feet from the pool. This is the oldest extant Hebrew record of the kind. It has with great care been deciphered by scholars, and has been found to be an account of the manner in which the tunnel was constructed. Its whole length is said to be “twelve hundred cubits;” and the inscription further notes that the workmen, like the excavators of the Mont Cenis Tunnel, excavated from both ends, meeting in the middle.”

The inscription itself reads: “[…when] (the tunnel) was driven through.  And this was the way in which it was cut through:  While […] (were) still […] axe(s), each man toward his fellow, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through, [there was heard] the voice of a man calling to his fellows, for there was an overlap in the rock on the right [and on the left].  And when the tunnel was driven through, the quarrymen hewed (the rock), each man toward his fellow, axe against axe; and the water flowed from the spring toward the reservoir for 1200 cubits, and the height of the rock above the head(s) of the quarrymen was 100 cubits.”

Once again, archaeological evidence supports the Bible text perfectly!

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

Sermons

Go for the Gold

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Last summer, our family enjoyed watching the Paris Olympics. Apart from the utterly bizarre drag queen Lord’s Supper reenactment, there was another moment I found noteworthy. During his opening address, the President of the Olympic Committee said to all the athletes, “This is the pinnacle of your Olympic journey. You’ve come to Paris as athletes. Now you are Olympians. Stepping into the Olympic Village, you realize, like generations of Olympians before, ‘Now, I am part of something bigger than myself. Now we’re part of an event that unites the world in peace.’ ”

Wow. What a privilege to graduate from “athlete” to “Olympian.” The Olympics have a way of bringing the entire world together, foreshadowing the ultimate peace we will experience when Jesus returns and sets up his earthly, millennial kingdom. But that’s a post for another day.

There’s so much we can learn from the world of athletics. Jesus was the master teacher, and much of his teaching was done through word pictures. He talked about farming and fishing and markets and wars and weddings. But I can’t think of a single time he spoke about sports. Maybe he did. Certainly there were many things not recorded in the Gospels that he taught (John 20:30-31).

While Jesus didn’t focus much on sports, Paul loved the analogy. There are a number of times in the New Testament that he draws a parallel between the spiritual world and athletic competition.

In Philippians 3, Paul says, “one thing I do, I forget what lies behind, and I strain forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.” You can almost smell the sweat as Paul pushes forward to follow Christ and not look back.

In Ephesians 6:12, a passage usually associated with spiritual warfare, Paul references a wrestling match. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, over this present darkness.” Our real battle is against Satan, fallen angels, and false prophets.

In 2 Timothy 2:5, Paul says “an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

Many such lessons were inspired by ancient games such as the Olympics in Greece and the Isthmian Games in Corinth.

Last summer at Calvary Church, we looked at another passage that refers to sports in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. It’s now posted on my podcast…

In this passage, we learn…

  • The prize that awaits those who finish the race of life
  • Paul’s love for athletic images in Scripture
  • Why we should invest in heaven
  • The danger of being disqualified from ministry
  • Practical ways to grow in self-control

Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please visit the Sermon Page on my blog.

Other links:
Calvary Church Youtube channel
Calvary Church sermon podcast
Calvary Church website
Feed My Sheep podcast

Politics

President Trump’s First Week

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It’s been an eventful first week for President Trump. A lot of people have strong opinions how he’s doing at the start of his second term. I for one was overjoyed when he said in his inaugural speech that the federal government will only recognize two genders – male and female. I was also amused that a president had to make such a declaration. It would be like saying, “moving forward, the government shall recognize gravity to exist.” Alas, that’s where we are as a culture.

This common sense principle reflects the created order and honors God’s biblical design as outlined in Genesis 1&2. Whenever God’s plan is rejected, people inevitably get hurt. The Morning Wire interviewed Alliance Defending Freedom CEO Kristen Waggoner this morning. It’s ten minutes well worth a listen. She rightly states that “When the law doesn’t recognize biological differences between men and women, families get hurt, and most importantly, women and girls suffer. Not only from equal opportunities, but they will lose their rights.”

So what do we say to those who identify as something other than male or female, and view gender identity as something different than biological sex? These people still need our love and our patience, but one thing we cannot give is our affirmation or approval. Romans 1 warns against rejecting God’s law by doing or celebrating what is unnatural. “They not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).

This is not a time to be mean-spirited and triumphalist, but gracious, patient, and sympathetic toward a whole generation that has been taught to question everything. It’s no wonder so many are confused. May they see in Christians an unapologetic stance on the truth, but at the same time, the sort of tenderness that Jesus showed prostitutes and tax collectors as they learned how Jesus offered a new and better way when they surrendered to his lordship over every aspect of their lives.