The Doctrine of the Church VII

Review : Church Membership

• We commonly see people associated with local churches
• Most NT Epistles were sent to a church
• The Church kept lists as seen in 1 Tim 5:9
• The instructions for pastoral oversight and spiritual leadership make sense only in the context of membership
• Church Disciple only makes sense in the context of Church Membership

Church Membership : Should I Join

• Joining a Church follows the general pattern of the NT
• When someone joins a church they prove that they're not ashamed to identify with Christ or His people here
• Joining a local Church stops you from being an independent Christian and places you under the discipline and protection of other Christians (Matthew 18:15-17)
• When you join a Church you participate in a stronger, more unified effort of God's people to obey Christ's command to reach others
• Spiritual Gifts. Why do I say this one? Thoughts?
• Are you a… Spiritual Hitch-Hiker/ Consumer or a Seeker. What do I mean by these?
• Notice the command to "consider one another" that is associated here with church involvement
• On the other hand, joining a church is one way of "exhorting one another" as this passage puts it, "to love and good works."

Reasons to Leave a Church

• If heresy on some fundamental truth
• If seriously errant doctrine is tolerated * If a wanton disregard for Scripture
• If unholy living is tolerated
• If seriously out of step with the biblical pattern
• If the church refusing to acknowledge its true power (Truth)

What Constitutes a “Real” Church

• How can we tell if a church is True Church and not a counterfeit?