"SHOULD ONE JOIN A CHURCH?" (Acts 5:13)

May 31st, 2009

Int. Jesus said `Upon this rock I will build my church' and the foundation to which He referred was expressed in the glorious testimony of Peter 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Mt. 16:18)

1. (Acts 2:41) "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."

2. Our text teaches that those converted from sin unto God should seek to serve the Lord in daily living individually and together.

I. CONSIDER A DESCRIPTION OF A LOCAL CHURCH

A. A CHURCH IS A LIVING ORGANISM.

1. (Acts 2:47) "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

2. These first believers were in such a condition that their homes were holy places.

3. They did not think that religion was meant only for Sundays, and for what men now-a-days call the 'House of God'.

4. (Gen 24:31) "And he said, Come in thou blest of the Lord.

Come in, thou blessed of the Lord,

Enter in Jesus' precious name.

We welcome thee with one accord,

And trust the Saviour does the same.

Thy name, 'tis hoped, already stands

Marked in the book of life above,

And now to thine we join our hands,

In tokens of fraternal love.

Those joys which earth cannot afford,

We'll seek in fellowship to prove,

Joined in one spirit to our Lord,

Together bound by mutual love.

And while we pass this vale of tears,

We'll make our joys and sorrows known,

We'll share each other's hopes and fears,

And count our brother's case our own.

Once more our welcome we repeat,

Receive assurance of our love,

And may we all together meet,

Around the throne of God above.

In early days, it was the custom of some churches to sing this hymn when a new member was received into church membership. Often it was pasted in at the back of the Gadsby's hymnbook. We do not know the author.

B. THE CHURCH IS ALWAYS A LOCAL ASSEMBLY OF BAPTIZED BELIEVERS.

1. Thus we read of a church in Antioch, a church in Ephesus, a church in Corinth, etc.

II. CONSIDER THE DOCTRINES OF A LOCAL CHURCH?

A. CONSIDER THE REASON FOR DOCTRINE IN A LOCAL CHURCH.

1. The teaching of doctrine gives a local church identification and exposes those teaching heresy.

2. N. T. Churches believed the Bible was the Very Word of God

A. (2 Tim 3:16) "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

B. (1 Pet 1:23) "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

3. James P. Boyce: (1827–1888) 'The most superficial observer must perceive that in our day the sound doctrine of our churches is much imperiled. Campbellism, though checked in every direction in which it attempted to develop itself, has left no little of its leaven among us and exerts no inconsiderable influence. The distinctive principles of Arminianism have also been engrafted upon many of our churches; and even some of our ministry have not hesitated publicly to avow them......"

4. John A. Broadus: "Brethren, we must preach doctrines; we must emphasize the doctrines; we must go back to the doctrines. I fear that the new generation does not know the doctrines as our fathers knew them."

5. There are two things missing in modern preaching:

A. . Doctrine, which is found 51 times in Scripture.

B. Authority of the Scriptures. (Isa 8:20)

6. (Mark 12:38) "And he (Jesus) said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,"(Mark 12:38) "And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,"

a. If Jesus warned his disciples while here on earth; shall not his preachers warn them in His absence.

7. (Acts 2:42) "And they (early church members) continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

C. CONSIDER SOME DOCTRINAL WARNINGS IN THE N. T.

1. (Rom 16:17) "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

2. Biblical Illustrator: "False doctrines, like winds, are blustering and unsteady. They blow from no certain point, but in all directions; and they frequently, and sometimes suddenly, shift their course...."

3. (1 Tim 1:3) "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,"

4. In (1 Tim 1:10) Paul calls for "sound doctrine"

5. Elijah, when he stood before Ahab, said: "I stand before the Lord God of Israel." (And so does every pastor today)

6. Watching and Waiting..Nov/Dec 95 Warning: "Do not attend a church which prefers science to Scripture, reason to Revelation, Theories to Truth, Culture to conversion, Benevolence to Blood, Goodness to Grace, Sociability to Spirituality, play to praise, Profession to possession, programs to power, reformation to Regeneration, good to God, speculation to salvation, jubilation to justification, feeling to faith, paralysis to peace, politics to Precepts."

D. CONSIDER THE WARNINGS OF SOME PASTORS:

1. Lawrence Dodson: "People are not interested in Doctrine today; but then Preachers four hundred years ago were saying the same thing; that people were not interested in doctrine" Every pastor has to face the fact that people are not, nor have ever been interested in doctrine, but we as pastors have to be interested in doctrine. It will permeiate our preaching, and there will be a few that will listen and learn....."

2. Greg Barkman: "Sound doctrine divides, it confronts, it separates, it judges, it convicts, it reproves, it rebukes, it exhorts, it refutes error. None of these things is very highly esteemed today. But the health of the church depends on our holding firmly to the truth."

3. (J.N. Hall {1849-1905} "Don't be afraid to give your people sound, square, Baptist doctrine. They need it, and even if they don't like it, the best thing for them is plenty of it. They will learn to love the taste of it by and by, and cry for it."

4. Baptist Banner, April 2002 states: "Doctrineless people will soon be directionless people. They have no anchorage and no sense of direction. They are without guidance. A doctrineless people are spiritually spineless people. They have no great convictions to put strength into their characters. They have no principles for which to fight. They do not know what controversy means. They have no criteria nor canons for evaluation. They do not sense the dangers or the issues involved. Therefore they are supine and soft and easily succumb."

E. CONSIDER THE WARNINGS OF THE APOSTLE JOHN

1. (2 John 1:9) "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."

2. (2 John 1:10) "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:"

F. Dick Halverson, the Chaplain of the Senate, wrote::

1. In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ.

2. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy.

3. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution.

4. Next, it moved to Europe where it became a culture.

5. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise."

III. CONSIDER ONE'S DUTY TO JOIN A LOCAL CHURCH?

A. CONSIDER THAT IN THE N. T. EVERY BELIEVER BELONGED TO A LOCAL CHURCH.

1. Those who came to know Christ were united at once to a local church .

2. (Eph 4:11-12) "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; {12} For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

3. During a revival in the central part of New York, a little boy was converted, who desired to join the Church. His father told him he had better wait six months, and see if he could live his religion first. Shortly after, he was in the field with his father, and found a lamb, separated from its mother, bleating piteously.

The father directed the son to put the lamb with its mother. The boy replied, "I think we might as well leave it for six months, and see whether it will live or not; and then, if it lived, we could put it with its mother."

Feeling the force of the application, the father said, "put the lamb with its mother, and join the Church if you wish to."

IV. CONSIDER THE DISCIPLINE OF A LOCAL CHURCH

A. CONSIDER THE USUAL LEADER IN DISCIPLINE.

1. Pastors and deacons are called by God to lead and can only do this effectively if the folk respect that calling.

2. (Heb 13:7) "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation-- (behavior) "

3. It is useless to complain that the work is not progressing if you are absent half the time or if your giving is less than reasonable.

4. Some pastors forget that Christ Himself is the head of the church.

B. CONSIDER SOME EXAMPLES OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

1. Some have been disciplined for lying.

a. (Acts 5:3) "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?"

b. JOHN TRAPP: "Better be pruned to grow, than cut up to burn!"

2. Some have been disciplined for fornication.

a. (1 Cor 5:1) "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife."

b. (1 Cor 5:5) ".... deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

c. (1 Cor 5:11) "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."

Ill. A church in N. C. voted their pastor and Secretary out this past week because they ran off together to Arizona, leaving his wife and four children behind.

V. CONSIDER ONE’S DUTIES TO THEIR LOCAL CHURCH.

A. CONSIDER THE DUTY OF AN ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP.

1. Perhaps this is why some people are content with the unscriptural position of attending services week by week without joining.

B. CONSIDER THE DUTY OF REGULAR ATTENDANCE.

1. The church meets on Sunday and ought to be a complete family gathering.

2. If you are there the church is enriched, if you are absent the church is the poorer; every absentee is missed every time!

3. One day the telephone rang in the pastor's office of the Washington church attended by the President. An eager voice said, "Tell me, do you expect the President to be there Sunday?" "That I cannot promise," the preacher said patiently. "But we do expect God, and we fancy it will be incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance.

4. The following true story is from the life of Louis XIV of France: One Sunday when he and his royal party arrived at church, no one was there except Archbishop Fenelon, the court preacher. Surprised to see all the vacant seats, the King inquired, "Where is everybody?" Why isn't anyone else present this morning?" The minister answered "I announced that Your Majesty would not be here today, because I wanted you to see who came to the service just to flatter you and who came to worship God."

5. The late J. Edgar Hoover said that children that are raised up in Sunday School and Church are seldom brought up before the Judge.

6. Near a church in Kansas, there can be seen in a cement sidewalk the prints of two baby feet with the toes pointing toward the Church. It was said that 20 years ago, when the sidewalk was being laid, a mother secured permission to stand her baby boy on the wet cement. The tracks are seen today plainly. The Mother had wanted her little boy to start aright.

C. CONSIDER THE DUTY OF BEING ON TIME FOR WORSHIP.

1. A pastor’s wife was slow getting ready to go to church and finally she asked her husband, "How do I look?" He responded, "You look fine, but you would look a lot better in the car."

CONCLUSION: "Once upon a time there were four men named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody . There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody and Nobody did the job that Anybody could have done in the first place. "