Membership
16 August 2026
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.
(Matthew 16:13-20)
Please turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew, to chapter 16. If you're using one of our church Bibles, that can be found on page 822. We're going to read Matthew 16: 13-20 as we continue this week our series on The Church. So, Matthew chapter 16 and beginning at verse 13. This is the Word of God.
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.” Amen. Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father, we pray for your guidance and direction in understanding these crucial formative subjects on the doctrine of The Church. And we pray that the preached word this morning would be profitable to our souls to this end and for the glory of your name. So, bless and be near to everyone here. Convict and save any who do not know Christ according to your sovereign electing purpose. Father, we pray that you would work and move mightily by your Spirit. ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
So, a fortnight ago we started this topical series on the subject of The Church and we began that series on the subject of The Gospel. To understand what the gospel is and to truly repent and believe the good news about of Jesus Christ is absolutely crucial for your salvation for eternal life and in order to understand but also to be part of and to be the church. So, that was an essential foundation by which then the next week, last week's sermon, we then looked at the subject of Baptism and why this is crucial as an act of obedience, one of the two ordinances that the Lord Jesus instituted and we also considered as well as dealing with many of the significant aspects of the meaning, the mode and significance of that, also the fact that this is the entry into the church.
And so, this week, we come to another crucial and in many ways central topic when we deal with the doctrine of the church and that is the subject of Membership, of being a member of the church. Now this is a subject which more than most in the history of our 7 and a bit years church you would have had probably the most teaching on whether it be preaching from the pulpit or having gone through a church membership course or in other settings and yet as we reflect and as our church grows and in the direction we move and all that we face this is still and in many ways more so a topic that needs to be preached. Because not only have we considered from afar, but we've seen close at hand that the church has become nothing more than an accessory to some or it's treated like a consumer's servant to others. And the main problem with the vast majority of such people is that they don't realize that that's how they look at and treat the church. Because the issue with a subject like the church and especially membership is not that you haven't been taught it, but it's that you truly understand, believe and apply this doctrine in your life. And this is what we're aiming to do as in many ways we're recovering old ground for those of you who are members of the church. But also, it is a subject where as you probably think of certain individuals in your mind, but may it be by the Lord's grace first and foremost your own individual life in relation to this subject, that we will see how profound this is. Because we're going to think of 2 key words. We're going to think first of the word Church itself, and then we'll deal with the word Membership. So, church membership, what it is to be a member of the church. And let's really take time to revel in the beauty of what Christ has decreed. Because that's at the heart of this subject. This is what Christ has brought about. This is what He has decreed and what we are as the Church is Christ's. That's going to be front and central of what we unpack, not simply today on membership, but as we go on through this series in the weeks to come.
The Church
So, we have this text in Matthew 16 which will deal with verses 18 and 19 in particular in some degree of detail and it will also be the springboard for considering this topic more widely. So, let's get to this text as a way of introducing the subject first of The Church. And it's a formative passage in the Gospels where we have the confession of the disciples that Jesus is the Christ. He is the Messiah, the Chosen One. So, that's something that they professed earlier in the text that we read. And then as we come to verse 18, we have the Lord Jesus speaking to Peter who voiced this, where He says - And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church. And that word church here in Matthew 16 is the first time that the word church appears in the scriptures. So that's quite striking. It would very much be striking in the time and context of Jesus saying it because this would very much be a new word, a new thing. Church, what is this church that is being mentioned? Well, the first thing on that, and this is something of a slight tangent, but it's also a way of leading into understanding how we answer this question. We notice before church is mentioned that it says in verse 18, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.
Now we need to very briefly consider a fundamental theological error which has rampaged through much of so-called professing Christianity and church over the past 2 thousand years because many have used that verse to argue that Peter was the first pope and the head of the church, namely the Roman Catholic Church. And we need to be very clear and emphatic to say that that is a fundamental doctrinal error and a heresy for there is only one who is the head of the church and that is Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:23 it says - For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ, Christ is the head of the church.
So, there's a couple of interpretations of this word rock. As to, well what does it mean then? Because Jesus is saying to Peter, you are this rock and on this rock I will build my church. And one interpretation would be to say, yes Jesus is saying Peter is the rock, but he is only the rock by which he is one of the apostles who will go forth to bring the message of the gospel. So, he is being described as rock, but not rock in the sense that he is head of the church. And we see this. because in Ephesians 2:19-20 it says - So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. So that's us, the church Christians. And note this - built on the foundation, so we could say the rock of the apostles and prophets. So, we have prophets that we see in the Old Testament. We have the apostles. This is the foundation that they are building, the rock that they're building. But note this, in Ephesians 2:20 - Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. Christ is the cornerstone. He is the message. The Gospel is the only saving hope. So that's one interpretation.
The other one, doesn't make too great a difference in terms of either way regarding that meaning, is to argue that Jesus isn't actually calling Peter the rock, but rather he is describing Christ as being the rock. So, in verse 16, we have Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. So, we have that being mentioned. So, the foundation, the petros, which is the word in Greek, is Jesus being the Christ. Now the reason that that's also a plausible interpretation is because Peter's name, Petros, means small stone. So, they were the small stones that built it. But when Jesus makes reference to rock in verse 18, he is speaking about the stone, the rock, which is Christ himself. So, either we interpret it that Jesus is saying, well, no, actually Christ is the rock, or more literally, it would be that he is saying Peter is this rock, this stone, but only as the means by which they will bring the message of the gospel.
So that's important to stress so that we're not going to be in danger of veering into a fundamental heretical territory. And then we come to the introduction of the word Church. because the Lord Jesus is saying – you are Peter; on this rock I will build my church, on the message of who Christ is, this gospel message that you Peter and the other apostles will proclaim, Jesus is going to build his church. And so, the big question as we read a verse like that when this word is introduced is, well, what is meant by church?
Now there's another verse where church is mentioned that can help to explain and unpack this further. In Ephesians 5, so there's quite a few Ephesians references, again in that picture of marriage between a husband and a wife. In verse 32, the apostle Paul writes - This mystery is profound, and I'm saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
So, there's a profound mystery, Christ and the church. Now brothers and sisters, this is where we actually come back to that gospel foundation of a fortnight ago, when we think of what it is that the Lord Jesus Christ is doing for people like us. Think what you once were? What were you in your state of rebellion, in your fallen nature? You were one who in your heart rejects God. You were one if you were to stand before the Almighty, glorious God would be deemed utterly unfit and unworthy of being in the presence of God and being in heaven. So, when we get to the picture of Jesus Christ and the church being likened to a husband and his bride, we have this picture of Jesus coming in the flesh, God becoming man for his bride. That's the gospel picture that we have. In Him coming to save you, an unworthy, undeserving sinner, this is Jesus coming for His bride.
Now 2 things about that. First of all, there is no bride for Him to come for unless He makes it possible. Dwell on this, brothers and sisters. If it's not for Christ and this Gospel, there's no covenant togetherness with Christ. There is no church. Period. The only way by which there can be a church is if there is one who is perfect who makes that way and Christ has done it by his life, his death and his resurrection.
Now, second of all, and crucially also - the bride that he comes for and who is made possible by Christ is utterly undeserving of it. When we talk of marriage and we're maybe giving counsel about who to look for in a godly husband, a godly wife, we're looking for certain characteristics, we're looking for certain things that would make us think, yes, that is someone who is suitable when Christ came to this world. And when it came to Him being nailed to that cross and He is laying down His life for His bride, is He looking to people like us and seeing, well, we're the suitable bride. This is why Jesus is doing this. No, it is not. None of us are suitable. If anyone here thinks we can sit here as the church because we of ourselves are deserving to be here, then this building should be empty. Because nobody is. And that's the power of the gospel. That Christ would come for a bride that is not worthy. And He would come to die for her. Because that's what was required. That Christ's life would be laid down and His blood would be shed, cleansing us, forgiving us that we could stand before the bridegroom. And He has made it possible because He saved us. He's cleaned us up. And we are now the ones, the bride made fit for purpose for the bridegroom, Jesus Christ. That's the picture we have of the gospel and that's the foundation we have of understanding the church. And it's why we establish Christ is at the centre, the absolute focus of the doctrine of the Church.
And that in no way is hyperbole because as we're noting this profound mystery, Christ and the church is because the church's existence is because of Christ and the church's worth is all because of Christ. His blood shed cleansing you of your sin. His righteousness credited to your account by which you could stand as one justified before God. Christ does it all. And so, when we think back to the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18, when he is saying that - you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church. The word church is profound. Because that's not a building you enter, that's the people who belong to Christ. An idolatrous, adulterous people that Christ came to claim as His own with His nail-pierced hands. He laid down His life for you. He rose victorious triumphant over the sin and death which condemns and eternally damns you. Jesus has overcome that. He has reversed death to life for His people, where now as His people, the church, what is the promise that awaits? What is the picture of fulfillment, the fruition of this glory that we the church will when we are called home to glory be seated with the bridegroom at the marriage supper of the Lamb. That's Christ's bride who Christ will delight in. That's us, the church.
Now when we get this into view and see this is at the heart of the gospel. Any so-called professing Christian who would say, well, I love Christ but not the church. I don't need church and organized religion or whatever other language people use. As long as I've got Jesus, me and Jesus - you have created a religious foundation framework that is contrary to scripture and literally attacks the gospel because the gospel is Jesus coming for His church.
You become the church, Christ's people, when you are saved by His blood. And that's why in Ephesians 5:25-27, it gives us this picture of Christ washing us with the water of the word that we may stand spotless without blemish before Christ. That's what He's doing in our life now as the church. And so, as we reflect on this, we think of the significance and the blessing of the church, which is the body of believers, a people born again by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, set apart that we may worship and live for Him. And we do so as the church, an assembly of believers. And we know that as an assembly of believers, because of Christ, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Look at the end of verse 18. Jesus is saying - He will build His church and the gates of hell, all that Satan can throw at her, shall not prevail. Now that's not the confidence that, well if we worship well enough and if we're a good enough church then yeah, we're going to overcome Satan. We can do this. No, it is that Christ has done this. He has defeated the enemy. He has crushed him. The enemies are a footstool at his feet. And so, we know that even today as the evil one is running rampant in this world and seeking to strike at, to seek to destroy the church. Our confidence in knowing that the church Christ's bride will not be destroyed, will not be overcome, overrun by the evil one is because we look to Christ. And that's the beauty.
And this is why, as a way of application, before we even get to membership, this, the church, should matter. When we have this doctrinal foundation, this premise, this teaching in view, this is why it should matter. And this is what makes it such a great pain and tragedy when we consider, when we've seen and heard all too many examples, even when we think of where we've maybe been in our hearts, to see people discard and literally at times show an outright disdain for Christ's church in the way they go about treating the church. Whether it's people's own personal pride, their petty squabbles, or issues with others within the church. What are we doing? We're attacking Christ's bride, the very doctrine of what Christ has done in coming to lay down His life for undeserving, unworthy sinners. Of course, that's what we are. We're unworthy, undeserving sinners who are forgiven. We are cleansed, and we now come together as His people. And it's a beautiful picture. It's a beautiful picture. This is the picture of redemption, of being bought back at the price of Christ's life. And we share in this. We share in what Christ has done for us, in who Christ is for us, together as this group of believers who gather in this way as the church.
Membership
And this is where we come to the subject of membership and where in the weeks to come, we will be looking at many of the different aspects about how this church comes together, how we meet, how we live and worship together as Christ's people. But these early topics that we look at, the gospel, and here especially now as we come to the church, that's what's crucial. That has to be in play. That has to be our building blocks to enable us to then understand and apply rightly. So, we come then to the question of membership. And this is where we turn to then verse 19 of our text. Jesus has declared He will build His church. We've looked at the gospel, this profound mystery where even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now we come to an authority which is being given to these disciples who will be His apostles in the early church forming. Verse 19 - I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Now, if we're reading this and thinking the keys of the kingdom of heaven sounds like quite a big responsibility. Well, that's because it absolutely is. If you get the keys to any building, if you get the keys to somebody's house and you're asked to open up, you know, well, I've got the responsibility for something that is important to that person or that group. But we're not just simply speaking about somebody's house or even a building like this. We're talking here in terms of keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Now, only Jesus has the authority to then give that authority to those whom he has decreed. And he decrees to give that authority to these men who he is commissioning and sending out for such a holy and sacred purpose. Now this is an authority where we have the keys of the kingdom of heaven explained further when we have this binding on earth and loosening on earth, likening to bind in heaven, loosen in heaven language. This binding and loosening language is something that would have been quite known and recognized at the time because it referred to the authority that rabbis had to administer the law, to bind what was binding of the law to loose what could be loosed in relation to the law. So, with regards to what God decrees, His laws, His purposes, He is saying to these men, I'm giving you this authority by giving you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Now this is important, to start to establish the picture of how practically, historically, the church came to be and where membership fits in. Because these disciples, they, after Jesus had died, risen, and ascended to be seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, they then went from the time of Pentecost to proclaim the gospel. They preached Christ crucified.
And think of the text we looked at last week when we were in the topic of baptism. In Acts chapter 2, we see that there are thousands who are cut to the heart. They're convicted of their sin. And what then do they do? Well, they ask, what do we do? What can we do? And they're told that they must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. And this is what they do. They repent, they are converted, they're saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see that they're baptized. And then in Acts 2:41, what happens after they've been saved and are baptized? We see that 3,000 souls are added to that number. Now what is this number? Well, it's the number of apostles who have been given that apostolic authority from Jesus himself. So, if we're thinking, well where does the authority that these men have to do all that they're doing? Where did the authority to build the church and for all these churches to be established and Acts come from? It came from Matthew 16 from Jesus himself declaring, are the keys of the kingdom of heaven. This is your authority. Now go forth and preach Christ. Make disciples, plant churches, and that is exactly what we see happening throughout the Acts of the apostles, because the grace of God is at work in convicting and saving thousand upon thousand upon thousand and as the thousands grow what do we then see? The number grows to such an extent to where then the apostles need to seek to recognize and set apart men who will have a leadership authority in individual local churches.
That's why In Titus chapter 1:5, Paul tells Titus to put what remains in order, which is by appointing elders in specific local churches, something we see in Acts 14:23 when it says - And when they'd appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Because this is what was practically and spiritually needed. There were groups of disciples forming in Lystra, in Iconium, in Antioch, people getting saved in these different areas. And so, this no longer would function as one big church throughout the world. No, it would start to function in these different settings. And we see the evidences of this by the fact that Paul himself writes to churches, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians. These are churches that he's writing to. Think too of the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation.
And so, with the authority that has been given by Jesus to the apostles, they are then using and giving that authority to men who are set apart to be elders of local churches. And this is where we then come to the importance and significance of membership. Because this is the means by which you are recognized as being part of one of these churches. Now if someone were to say, well, the word membership isn't explicitly used so we don't need to use it. Well, in our Confession of Faith right at the beginning, in Chapter 1 Paragraph 6 it says, everything we need to know about God's glory and our salvation, faith and life is either explicitly stated in or necessarily inferred by the Bible. So, certain words like membership, trinity, another one, is not explicitly mentioned but we have very much a doctrinal picture that is formed which helps us to understand what that thing is. So, when it comes to membership, this is with regards to being recognized as being part of a specific individual church.
If we can turn to an important text on this, to 1 Peter 2:5. So, 1 Peter 2:5 which says – you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Now look at this language. It's speaking of who we are, what we are, when we are part of the church. So, we've looked at the doctrine, the subject of the church in this first point. The church is those who are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is the church who Christ came to suffer and die for. So, that's us when we come in saving faith because of the gospel. We're then saved, by God's grace. Then what? Well, we see that we're to be baptized in profession of faith. So, who and what is to administer that? And who and what are we then part of in order to live as a Christian? And the answer is the church. And we see how profound this is that you're described, every one of you in your church, as living stones being built up as a spiritual house.
Now that does not come about with a non-committal, floating brand of Christianity, which has so often historically and very much today is what we see is the order of the day of many professing Christians. Now why is that? We want to define a Christianity in our own terms. And yet spiritually, this is not simply about the importance of being accountable and growing in our Christian faith as crucial as these points are. It's about understanding why the very existence and identity of who we are as Christians is wrapped up in how we function and live as the church because this is who Christ's bride is. And this language of being living stones and being built together gives us another picture of a building structure and every stone is important. So, with every church that the Lord Jesus Christ has made to come into being by his saving work, by his sovereign decree, that matters in the eyes of God. It is his blood-bought people. And so therefore, it's not in any way an exaggeration to say that you, in being part of an individual church, you matter this much in the eyes of the living God. You are a living stone being built with other living stones, and you're being built up as a spiritual house. The Lord God Almighty's spiritual house.
What a privilege this is to be those who belong to the Lord and king of all glory, Jesus Christ, and to be being built up in this way. And this is why all the pictures that we have in scripture are pictures which help to develop an understanding of how important this is. The church is used as a picture of being a family because we're brothers and sisters together. The church gives us the picture of being a body where we're each individually members of that body. So, family and body, very important. We've got the picture of temple. We have the picture of bride. We also can have the picture of being sheep in a sheep pen, which is one that I've used so often. Because we have a shepherd who is guiding, caring for, protecting, watching over us. And that is Jesus Christ, the good shepherd. And when we picture who we are as a church family, to be in membership in a church, is a blessing because this is the way by which you are formally recognized with one another, with those who are elders of the church and before the Lord as this is the church that I belong to.
And this means that as sheep, in this local church setting, you have shepherds who are watching over your soul. You have deacons who are standing, looking out for the sheep pen. There's a protection and a safety that the Lord Jesus has instituted from Matthew 16, and then sending out the apostles, and then appointing elders, and then in establishing these local churches. This is how the church is to function, and to be part of that is a blessing and security for your soul. Because there are wolves who are out to devour. This is how the enemy would seek to strike at the church to try to get those who are maybe on the edge of the sheepfold or maybe those who are deciding, well I'll pop in and out. I'll maybe go into this one for a while then another one. I'll keep it nice and easy. I certainly don't want to get too involved in any church. And what ends up happening? Well, whether you're getting tossed around with every wind or wave of doctrine or where the enemy is just simply dragging you towards the world, who then is looking out for your soul?
Now does this matter to you brothers and sisters? Because this is why in verses like Hebrews 13:17, it speaks of submitting to your elders, obeying your leaders. We have this picture in that chapter because when it comes to being part of a church, this isn't like a secular organization. Many professing Christians want to treat it that way, but it's not. To be part of the local church is to submit to that church because this is submitting to your King, your Lord, Jesus Christ. Any authority that exists in this world and any authority and jurisdiction within the church is that which is given by the one who has the absolute all-encompassing jurisdiction by which we stand to give an account and that is Christ. We are spiritual people. We are living stones. And this is something that is so beautiful to behold.
And we know that the flesh recoils against that. That's the problem. We only want to go so far with church, even as professing Christians. And we all feel like that at times. How many times have you thought, well, if others in the church, if my elders knew this about me, then I'm going to be in some rather sticky waters. So, best keep quiet about that. Or perhaps it's, well this is something that I really want to do and I don't need to answer myself to anyone, even my own church. And so, we hold off, we hold back. And often we see people will then project that, oh well this is the church's fault, we can't trust this church. We can't trust the church because it's governed by men. But no, brothers and sisters, see in the Scriptures, of course, the Lord has decreed it this way, that you have fallible people. We are surrounded by sinful people, including the church leaders, but Christ has instituted it this way. This does not stop with it being my church or anyone else's church, but Christ's church. That's why it matters. So, when the flesh begins to take grip of our minds and the enemy looks to run with that, who do we get into view? The Lord Jesus Christ. That's who. Because the enemy will do everything to get our eyes off Christ and onto these issues and these squabbles and these things that make me not like and want to trust the church. And we need to look to Christ, because the Lord has decreed it this way that we're part of the church and the church matters to us.
Is this it brothers and sisters? Does the church, being part of the church matter? Because we're not talking in the realm of membership, oh let's have a membership role and if we can get up to a certain number then we'll look great. A meaningful membership role is absolutely that, meaningless. When we talk of being part of the church, this means that you are part of the church body and you matter to the people around. And so, for example, if you're missing, if you're not able to come, if there's an issue in your life, the others in the church body, the church family, Christ's bride, we care about that and we care about you and we miss and we love you because you're part of this church. Because to be part of the church means that you are counted as part of the church body and you're counted on. So, to be counted in means that you are counted in this local church as one who we recognize is a true born-again believer. Now that matters that we see our fellow members as Christians saved by the blood of Christ. You're counted in as someone who submits to the Word of God as a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, we come together knowing, yes, the Bible is the authority, the standard by which I live, not the world. You're counted in as one who is part of this sheep pen. So, we go back to that picture where we know who our leaders are, we know who our fellow brothers and sisters are, and where we are committed to regularly gathering with one another and more and more eagerly to do so when we have any opportunity, spurring one another on to love and good works, Hebrews 10:24-25. Because we're committed to serving our local church, in praying for them, in carrying their burdens.
Now this is why, brothers and sisters, and this is crucial to stress, especially when we think of some of the issues we've faced this past year. This is why we have a church covenant, because we are declaring a commitment to Christ's church. This is first and foremost, we are publicly, formally declaring I am committed to Christ's church and how this functions to the glory of God and for His kingdom and for my growth is therefore my commitment to this church that I am covenanting with. Because I'm one who's counted in and therefore I'm counted on. Now that's not something you ditch when you please. Just, well, I'm not liking it anymore so I'm off. And this is the fundamental problem that we see in so much of church life today.
Brothers and sisters, there is a big difference between entering somebody's home as family and as a visitor. Which are you as you come into the house of God. Yes, when you come in as a visitor, you are, at least you hopefully would anticipate, being welcomed, being served, being cared for and being provided. Now that's a blessing to receive such hospitality as a visitor, but that is not how you are called to function as the church, week by week, month by month. No, we are called to be that of family. So, when you come in as a family member, what are you expected to do? You're expected to get stuck in. Right, well you know where things are, help to set up. Let's get things tidied up afterwards. Let's be there to care for if some visitor does come into this home, I'm part of the family, I'm ready to be hospitable to them. That's what being part of the church looks like. So, none of us as members of a church should be feeling like some outsider visitor and thinking, well, I don't really know and feel part of this. No, you are by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so therefore we don't come like a consumer waiting to be served. No, we come knowing that we have a responsibility to our King and therefore to our brothers and sisters.
And this is why, and we'll think of this more in the weeks to come, the church should be a priority in our lives. Even for example in subjects like you're maybe thinking about moving, relocating and where you're going to go for job and relating to family. Church should be first and central in that thought and consideration. How many times I've had conversations with people who've either moved to Aberdeen or they've moved somewhere else and then they start looking at, well what church will I go to? You didn't think about that before? That's where we're at, such a low bar consideration of church. And often people are not doing this deliberately as if to say, well, I really don't have any interest in church. No, there's such an immaturity of the significance and the weight of this. And this is why this subject needs to be taught. Not simply in terms of prioritizing it as a matter of, well, church is important from the outside, but also from the inside, in how we function with one another. Is it that priority, brothers and sisters?
Now this especially is challenging in the areas and realms of where maybe it's something or some area or some people that you're not so keen on, not so close to, or not so interested in. But there's something higher. This reminds me thinking of this one time a few weeks ago I'd come home from work and the girls had been playing tea sets and they asked after dinner daddy would you like to play tea sets? Now on a practical functional level I could say no thank you I have no interest in tea sets. Now practically speaking that's true I'm not interested in playing tea sets but there's something more important and significant in view. That's the relationship with my daughters and the love that I have for them and because of the love that I have for them and the time I enjoy spending with them, I can even enjoy doing an activity that practically speaking I don't have much interest in. I can enjoy and cherish that time. Now brothers and sisters, this is the picture of what we have in the fellowship with one another. Now that is something to be worked for and prayed for as the fruit and evidence of those who live as born-again believers. Because there could be maybe a preacher, we're not so keen on, a meeting we're not so bothered about, or a situation or a group of people in the church that we're not so keen to spend time with. And that's where there's an even greater need for us to be prayerfully considering in our hearts. Oh, Lord, may it be that there would be a maturing in first of all, my understanding, my love, my passion for my church, because this is Christ's bride. These people, this ministry, this meeting, this social gathering that they've got going on, these are things that are part of this church, which is Christ's bride that I have the privilege and the blessing to be part of. And so therefore, oh, Lord, may I seek to all the more maximise that time investing in this family, this body that I am part of and I don't deserve to be part of it.
How quick we can be, say, well, that person over there, that group of people, I, me, I do not deserve to be part of Christ's bride. And yet I look to the gospel and I see Christ has purchased the salvation of my soul. And now here I am, part of His bride. That matters, brothers and sisters. That matters far more than our pride and whatever earthly reasons, circumstances we have. And it's why in verses like 1 Corinthians 12:26, we have something that is not an unattainable standard, but the practical reality of church. If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honoured, all rejoice together. The church is a foretaste of what we will experience in heaven. And it happens locally and in heaven we will then experience this without any sin, sickness or death. And right now, here we are being built up by the ordinary means of grace, sitting under the preaching of God's word, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, where we can be blessed to pray corporately, where the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper can be administered biblically. This is therefore how we can be built up in our spiritual walk, where our gifts can be recognized and then used by which we can be sent out for the advance of the Lord's kingdom. All of these things are the blessings of being part of the local church which we are part of. And this is what membership means and this is what membership should look like. There needs to be a reforming of membership in the doctrine of the church and how she functions locally in our nation and in countless other nations. And praise be to God, we have Christ and the gospel in view. We have the Bible to give us the clarity of what this is and how we are to function. And as we look to Christ, we then can look to each other, all the issues warts and all. And no, we're Christ's bride. I'm part of it. They're part of it. He's part of it. She's part of it. And we're together for Christ and His glory. Satan, the gates of hell, they shall not prevail against this, Christ's bride. This is what I live for. This is what I fight for. Christ, His church. His kingdom, His glory. Let's pray together.
Oh Father, we pray that in our hearts we would cherish the church. Lord, help us, bless us, build us up, we pray, to understand more the doctrinal significance of this and the practical application of it in our lives. In these weeks to come, as we work through this topical series, we pray that this would enable us to flesh out more the applications of the doctrine of the church and what a blessing this is to know, as we've considered today, that this is not a secular institution. This is not something that warrants any flesh they perspective or reaction. Oh God, for we know we are born again and set apart by the blood of Christ. We no longer live according to the flesh. We live by your Spirit's work in us, and we live as the Church. Thank you, Father for the gospel and the hope that this brings in the existence of the church, the outworking and practical application of the church for which we as Grace Baptist Church Aberdeen live and function here. May we cherish this. May we cherish each other. May it enable us to be driven to our knees in prayer, in prioritizing our time, in deepening our affections, even in times and ways we sacrifice for the sake of your kingdom and people. For we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.