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Ask FGBC #37: Why Join a Church?

Jim Butler · 2025-02-19 · 845 words · 6 min

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Summary

Qa

Christians are commanded by Scripture to formally join a local church because pastoral ministry, the means of grace, mutual accountability, and church discipline all presuppose definable local membership rather than mere attendance.

Church membership is not optional for the Christian: Scripture commands gathering together, pastoral ministry presupposes a definable flock, and the means of grace — preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, mutual accountability, and church discipline — are administered within the bounds of a local, covenanted congregation. The question of why one should formally join a church is answered first by the authority of God's command, and then by the necessarily local character of the duties owed between members and their pastors. Those who have been hurt by church abuse are exhorted not to abandon the institution but to find a congregation where they can commit themselves as members.

Key quotes

A pastor at one local church isn't the pastor at every local church. He's not the FBI with universal jurisdiction or the CIA.
Discipline assumes local church membership. When Jesus says, tell it to the church, He doesn't mean every single church out there. He means the local church to which that particular person is accountable.
The argument can never be because something is abused, therefore there's no proper use. People that have been burned or they have had a bad experience, find a church where you can throw in your lot.

Applications

  1. Obey the biblical command to join a local church rather than treating attendance or informal participation as sufficient.
  2. Do not excuse yourself from membership on the grounds that churches sometimes abuse their members; instead, seek out a faithful congregation and commit to it.
  3. Recognize your obligations to your own pastors under Hebrews 13 and fulfill them within the specific church where you hold membership.
  4. Understand that church is not only a place to receive preaching but a community in which you owe edification, accountability, and mutual encouragement to fellow members.

Questions this sermon answers

Does the Bible actually command Christians to join a local church?

The speaker argues that Scripture does command it: Hebrews 10 explicitly forbids forsaking the assembly, the book of Acts shows a church that could be joined, and Matthew 18 church discipline presupposes identifiable local membership.

Why isn't attending church services enough without formally joining?

Because the duties of pastoral ministry, mutual accountability under Hebrews 13, church discipline, and the administration of the sacraments all require a definable membership — a pastor cannot shepherd people who have made no commitment to his specific congregation.

What should someone do if they have been hurt or burned by a church?

The speaker acknowledges the reality of church abuse but insists that abuse never eliminates the proper use of an institution; the exhortation is to find a faithful congregation and commit to membership there.

What are the benefits of local church membership beyond hearing sermons?

Church is not merely a preaching station: it is the context for baptism, the Lord's Supper, corporate singing, mutual edification, accountability, and church discipline — none of which function properly outside committed local membership.

Okay,

Why Join a Church

so why join a church, like officially join a church? It's one thing to attend and visit and be faithful, but why join a church? Well, I think the first answer to that question, not the only answer, but the first answer to that question is because God commands it. And so that's an excellent reason.

And as Christians, we are to joyfully receive the commands of God and obey with a joy-filled compliance, because it's our delight to please the One who has created us, who upholds us, and who has redeemed us through the precious work of His only begotten Son. And you know, one of the passages I think that should always come up in a discussion like this is in Hebrews chapter 10, where we see the Apostle Paul writing explicitly that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. And in the context, it's in the context of the blessed high priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. who has gone before us with the perfection of His salvation, who appears before the Lord God Almighty as our eternal intercessor. And so the blessing of going into church is in that first step of obedience to God, because He calls His people to gather together, because it's therein that He communes, it's therein that the Lord Jesus Christ walks amongst His lampstands, as we read in the book of Revelation.

And so getting back to the quick and simple answer,

God Commands Church Membership

because the Bible commands it, and as Christians we joyfully comply. not to be contrary, but

Biblical Evidence for Membership

a lot of people don't believe that the Bible commands church membership at the local level. But I would suggest that the Scripture, specifically the book of Acts, indicates that the church could be joined. It indicates that the church was unified. I think the duties of pastoral ministry necessitate church membership.

A pastor at one local church isn't the pastor at every local church. He's not the FBI with universal jurisdiction or the CIA. And then the responsibilities of persons to their pastors. You know, Person A in Church A is not to carry out the Hebrews 13 admonitions to Pastor B in Church B, and then the discipline.

Discipline assumes local church membership. When Jesus says, tell it to the church, He doesn't mean every single church out there. He doesn't mean the universal church. He means the local church to which that particular person is accountable.

So, the Great Commission, make the disciples, baptize the disciples, teach the disciples. The teaching of the disciples takes place in the gathered church. So, yes, people should join churches.

Corporate Means of Grace

Church is also not just a preaching station. People look at church only insofar as the preaching. Well, it's not that. There's, I mean, it is that, but in addition to that, there's the corporate means of grace.

There's the celebration of baptism. There's the supper. There's the accountability one to another. There is the discipline of the church.

So, all these things take place in specific contexts, in specific memberships, and I would just say it's a good and commendable thing to be a part of a local church. Yeah, you know,

The Community Obligation

we're not maverick Christians who just go about our life of Christianity as individuals. Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some. And part of the rest of that verse speaks about exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching, and as Jim mentioned, we have this others' obligation within the Christian life, and that obtains, that takes place within the context of church. One of the benefits and the privileges of being a member in a church is a veiling of the community of believers.

You know, we read in the New Testament as well, in Colossians and Ephesians, that one of those acts or elements of worship is singing to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Our first direction and obligation is, of course, vertical. It's Godward. We're worshiping the triune God, but there's also that horizontal aspect. to gathering together in church for worship, and that's to encourage one another, to edify one another, to sing God's Word to one another, to sing blessed theology to one another, and encourage each other in that act of worship.

I mean, yeah. I think

Addressing Reluctance and Abuse

a lot of people are just gun-shy or even hurt or burned in the past or abused. I think that's maybe some of the reluctance around it, right? Yeah. Oh, yeah.

It's the analogy of, it's a flock, they're gonna be shepherded. Like many other things though, the argument can never be because something is abused, therefore there's no proper use. People abuse alcohol, people abuse gun ownership, but that does not argue against the proper use of the thing. So I would say people that have been burned or they have had a bad experience, find a church where you can throw in your lot.

Yeah, yeah definitely. Right there.

Scripture References

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Church Discipline×3
  • Corporate Worship
  • Great Commission
  • High Priesthood
  • Local Church Membership×6
  • Means of Grace×2