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The Duty and Privileges of Church Plembership
Tabernacle Sermon by Reb, Len G, Rroughton, D, D.
Stenogriphically reported for The Golden Age. —Copyright applied for
“And the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls.” Acts. 2:42.
¥ REASON for addressing you on this
this subject is towofold:
First, because there are so many who
profess Christ and remain out of the
church.
Os course, I am to be understood as
referring to the church as a local body.
The spiritual church —the kingdom, is
one thing and the local church
IS
upon a confession of sins and an acceptance of the
Savior from sins, then the next thing to do is to
join the local church.
I find so many converts who are indifferent about
church membership that I have tried to solve the
problem as to why they fail to connect themselves
with the church of Christ. Not half of those who
profess Christ in meetings ever consider seriously
the question of joining the church. They will attend
its services, receive its benefits and sometimes sup
port it, but never contemplate seriously vital con
nection with it. Surely something is wrong when a
convert refuses church membership. Whose is the
fault, the church or the convert?
Again there are many who are connected with
the church who seemingly have little regard for the
sacredness of its obligations. Perhaps this is one
reason why the young convert is so indifferent about
the church. A child convert said to her teacher not
long ago, “Why should I join the church? Papa
says he is a Christian and he has his church letter
and won’t put it in the church.” Such slack
twisted indifference on the part of those who have
gone into the church very naturally has a chilling
effect upon the young convert, whether he is con
scious of it or not. If only those who are now in
the church could be made to realize the sacredness
of church obligations it would not be necessary that
I speak to you on this line. Jesus said: “But whoso
shall offend one of these little ones which believe in
me, it were better for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned
in the depth of the sea.” Matt. 18:6. Finding
so many of this kind, may it not be necessary that
we face a few important questions concerning the
church ?
THE DIVINE ORIGIN.
1. The Divine Origin of the Church. The church
is in no sense a human institution. Its principles
were formed by Christ and its organization per
fected by His apostles.
The ascension of Christ left His followers with
no bond of external union. To be sure they had the
recollection of His commands to unity and love.
They continued to meet and worship and wait for
“the promise of the Father” —the outpouring of
the power of the Holy Spirit upon them. But there
was no regular organization of the church until the
day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit who came that
day rested upon them and cemented them into a
compact organization. The church was brought forth
by the Holy Spirit of God. This being true, it is
enough to challenge the highest respect and closest
affiliation of every believer in Christ.
DIVINE CONDITIONS.
2. The Divine Conditions of Membership. The
church being a Divine organization, we may natur
ally conclude that it has Divine conditions for
membership. Let us see what these are: We need
go no further than the account given of its organiza
tion to get an answer to this question. “Then they
that gladly received His word were baptized; and
the same day there were added unto them about
three thousand souls. And they continued steadfast
ly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in
the breaking of bread and in prayers.” Acts
2:41-42.
From this we see that the first condition of mem
bership in the church is reception of the Word.
Pete? had preached to them salvation through Christ.
Tbis they had heard and received. No church has
The Golden Age for April 15, 1909.
a right to receive for membership any except such
as receive the salvation of Jesus, and no such have
a right to remain out of the church. Do you accept
the salvation of Jesus? If so, the church is your
place at once.
The next step in the Divine condition is baptism.
This baptism is believers’ maptism. “Then they that
gladly received His word were baptized.” The
Divine order everywhere laid down is, “Repent,
believe and be baptized.” Baptism, like faith, is
to be a conscious act. Aside from a positive com
mand it naturally follows faith. Its significance is
two fold. (1) It is our open declaration of faith
in the salvation of Jesus Christ. (2) It is a symbol
of our having passed from the old into the new life.
Baptism is in no sense salvation. We are saved
alone by receiving Jesus Christ. Baptism is a posi
tive command to those who are saved. It is one of
Heaben Here and Nolv.
We think of a place
On a far-off shore,
Where there is no pain
And sin is no more, —
And we name this land
In the distance heaven,
And claim that all good
Will there be given.
And yet sometimes
In my heart I know
We miss much joy
In the world below.
Because we are blind
To the beauties near,
And read not the truth
That Heaven is Here.
We think of a time
That is far away,
When done are the tasks
Os earth’s little day,
And we murmur: “Then
Shall my sorrows cease,
And my spirit shall know
Sweet joy and peace.”
And yet sometimes
In_my heart I know
Today and tomorrow
Do not part so;
And if to the Master
We lowly should bow,
We would learn the glad truth
That Heaven is Now.
—MARGARET A. RICHARD.
the conditions for membership in the church mili
tant; and no soul has a right to refuse it.
DIVINE OBLIGATIONS.
It follows that if the church has a Divine origin
and Divine conditions for membership, it also has
Divine obligations. So again we need go no further
than the holy record of this first church to see what
they are:
(1) Continuance in the Apostles’ Teaching. The
primary purpose of the church is to set forth the
Divine teaching. The mere enunciation of truth
is not sufficient. To be most effective truth must be
incarnate; it must live in men. The soul having
accepted the Divine teaching and come into the
church is expected to continue to set it forth by
every means of proclamation.
(2) Continuance in “Fellowship” —literally Com
panionship. ’They came into the church agreeing
every one to carry his part of the work. It was
Christian communism—a communism of needs. They
agreed not only in caring for the church and the
spread of the teaching, but also to look after one
another’s needs.
(3) Continuance in “Breaking of Bread.” This
is a direct reference to the Lord’s Supper. Like
baptism it was instituted by our Lord Himself, and
is His positive command. It looks back to His
broken body and shed blood; and forward to His
second coming. “As oft as ye eat this bread and
drink this wine ye do shew forth the Lord’s death
till He come.”
(4) Continuance “in Prayers.” The first church
was a perpetual prayer meeting. They lived the
prayer life. They had been taught by Jesus to pray
for everything and everywhere. There is no more
important service for the church. If prayer is worth
anything it must be the most important part of
everything.
DIVINE BLESSING.
We want now to consider the blessing that will
come to every loyal church member as a child of
God.
(1) There is the blessing that comes through
obedience. The church was made not for some be
lievers; it was made for all. For a soul to ac
knowledge the Lordship of Jesus and then refuse
the fellowship of Elis church and the practice of
His ordinances, is an inconsistency without parallel.
Surely one may not expect His full share of the
blessing who wilfully ignores this requirement.
(2) There is the blessing that comes from com
panionship with God’s people. A converted man
will be miserable outside of the church, for he will
find no congeniality anywhere else. Can there be
any collusion between light and darkness?
(3) There is the blessing of a church home. Every
man needs a church home, where he may be nurtured
spiritually, just as he needs a home where he may be
nurtured physically. . He needs it for himself. He
needs it for his family. He needs his regular place
of worship. How I have seen this in mixing with
strange congregations. We need the instruction of
the church. We need its sympathy and help. Our
condition may not call for it now, but the time will
come when it will be keeply felt. We ought to have
our church home.
CONCLUSIONS.
There are two conclusions that naturally follow:
1. If you are in the church, let it mean more to
you from this hour. Attend it, support it, and pray
for it.
2. If you are a believer in Christ don’t stay out
one day longer; God requires it; your interest de
mands it and the world expects it.
Life Gibing Lobe,
Love is life, and lovelessness is death. As the
grace of God changes a man’s heart and cleanses and
sanctifies him, this is the great evidence of the
change, this is the great difference which it makes:
that he begins to grow in love, to lay aside self
seeking, and to live for others —and so he may know
that he has passed from death unto life. He may
know it even here and now —yes, that great discov
ery of love, that learning to live for others and find
ing the grace and gentleness that God is keeping up
all over 'the world —even now it is the way from
death to life. Even now it changes homes, it light
ens every burden, it brings peace and gladness into
the hardest days; it alters even the tone of a man’s
voice and the very look of his face. But all this,
blessed and surpassing as it is, far above all else
in the world, still is but the beginning. For that
life Into which we pass, as God’s dear grace of love
comes in us and about us, is the very life of heaven.
—Francis Paget.
*
There is no victory over Satan without yielding
* »■ _ o
to the Saviour.
It is easier to lead a hundred children than to
drive one.
8? f
The Lord never invented watching as an escape
from working.
Pain is never too great a price to pay to be
purged of pride.
