27. Church Membership

SERMON 27

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP (Ephesians 5:30.)

Apostles—(Acts 1:15-26) .

Prophets—(1 Corinthians 13:8-13) .

Evangelists—(1 Timothy 4:6-16) .

Elders—(Acts 14:23; Acts 20:13-28).

Deacons—1 Timothy 3:8-13).

Teachers—(Acts 13:1; Php 3:17).

Members—(1 Corinthians 12:27).

Our present lesson is concerning the membership of the church of Christ, the church we read about in the Bible, and has no reference to the many human churches. When I speak of the membership of the church I have no reference to the ownership, or head, for it is understood and accepted that Jesus is the head of the church, and just as certain as there is one Lord taught in the Bible, there is one and only one church of Christ.

Often, in my preaching, when I locate the corner stone, and run the survey of the church of Christ, many admit they are on the outside, and condemn me for not locating them inside. But as I am following the divine lines as marked out by the Spirit, with a heavenly compass to guide me in the survey, when the line is run, if a man finds himself outside the divine survey, his only hope is to move his tent, and locate it on the other side of the line. To be true to him who has called me, I must begin at the right corner and run according to original survey.

In studying the membership we observe there are two classes of officers in the church. One was for special purposes in the church during the formative age and still hold their original positions, just like Christ is still the head of the church. As such they have no successors. This class includes apostles and prophets, and their qualifications are stated in Acts 1:15-26, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. They form the foundation stones of the church of Christ. Any other church who claims to have other apostles, or other prophets must move out theold stones, or ancient apostles and prophets; or else they must extend the church further in order to get their apostles and prophets under. But the church of Christ is built on the rock, and the ancient foundation stones cover all the space on the rock upon which the church of Christ is built. Then any human stones of modern apostles and prophets must be laid on the sand, and to say the least, this part of the building will fall. Christ is the chief corner-stone, and if we have a succession of apostles and prophets as some claim, why not also have a succession of the corner-stone as well as other stones?

During the formative, or creative age of the church we had no Hew Testament written to tell us how, what, or where to build, only in the lives of the living apostles, and for fear they might make a mistake, God sent them the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth, and to cause them to remember all things Christ had taught them.

But as the apostles could not be in so many places as was necessary at the same time, there were prophets left among the different churches—both men and women—who had the Holy Ghost poured out on them, and who could prophesy and confirm the word of God which had been spoken by the apostles. It may be well -to state that these apostles were the first members of the church—were the very foundation stones, yet they were not set in the church according to Paul (Ephesians 4 th chapter) until after the ascension of Christ. So any church, having its organization before that time can not, by divine authority, claim to be the church of Christ.

These early preachers, prophets, and apostles were not only law teachers, but also lawgivers, and were able to confirm their teaching by miraculous power, which had been foretold by the Son of God (Mark 16:10) find confirmed by Paul (Hebrews 3:4). -

We notice that these prophets in teaching the people taught them what was revealed. In teaching the things revealed they were commanded to speak one at a time, as found In 1 Corinthians 14. Many good people stumble here, not knowing the difference in a lawgiver and a law teacher. When a lawgiver gives us something that has been revealed to him by theHoly Spirit, as found in 1 Corinthians 14 th chapter, it does no more violence to God's word for 1000 to teach this law at the same time, provided there is no confusion in their teaching than it does for the millions of people to teach the one commission given by the Son of God at the same time.

As soon as all truth that was necessary to convert and save the world had been revealed and given by the apostles and prophets, then their work as lawgiver ceased, and they still stand in the same church, connected with the same divine Head as they were in the establishment of the church in the beginning. We come next to the work of the evangelist, who was not a lawgiver but a law teacher. His work was to set in order things needed among the churches, to go to all the nations and proclaim this law—neither adding to nor taking from the law—and solicit men and women to come out of the world and build on this foundation. Then his work with that congregation was at an end, but the volunteers who had accepted his teaching were sent back to the training camp and there put under the control of the elders, whose work it was to feed and educate the church of God. Paul, in his letters to Timothy and Titus, tells the qualifications and work of an elder. The church has failed at this point by inefficient elders. Elders have violated God's law in not trying to qualify themselves, nor seeking the office of an elder. If elders were paid $5.00 a day for their services, I doubt not that four out of every five who come into the church would begin at once to qualify for an elder. Preachers help to encourage the slothfulness of elders by making them believe the evangelist must have charge of the church, else the sects will get ahead of us. Instead of the evangelist going to all the world as God-ordained he should do, many have located with churches, set the elders aside, and have become so much like the religious churches around them that there is hardly a step between the two. God's plan was for the evangelist to "go" and the elders to "stay". The evangelist had to teach and baptize and the elders teach the baptized to "observe all things." If the time ever comes when Christians cease to pattern after the sects instead of after God, then we will all begin to move back toward Jerusalem. To assist the elders in their work God left in His church another class of members that we call deacons whose duty is more especially to look after the poor and widows and to take care of the financial interest of the church. Added to this class of helpers we have the teachers in the church. As God calls attention to the things that must be taught to old men and old women, to young men and young women, we give to these teachers the ones they are most capacitated, to teach, and in so doing each class becomes a cooperative part of the entire divine system, working in peace, love, and harmony for the upbuilding of the Master's cause.

Underlying this great system of teachers and teaching we come to all as members, forming the complete membership of the church of Christ. As each member of our natural body is located in a different place in the body, and has a certain work to perform that no other member can perform, yet all working in harmony to perfect our body, so should it be in the church of the living God. When education and religious training bring us to that period in life that we can know that God never made any two leaves alike, any two flakes of snow alike, any two men and women alike; that no two members in the human body fill the same position, then we may learn that the same is true in the church of God; that each member can do a work that no other member can do, that when one member gets sick, or drops out it throws more work on the other members. Then there will be no room for jealousy evil-speaking, envying, and back-biting in the church of God, but all will work, sing, teach, and live together as it becometh children of God. Then will we not only grow into a holy temple, but a loveable family, having all the blessings God intends for us in this life, and a promise of a home in the city of our God.

Who is it that would not want to be a member of such a family? Remember that faith in Jesus as the Son of God, repentance of all your sins, the confession of your faith in Christ as God's Son, and baptism for the remission of sins, are the commands of the Lord you must obey to become a member of this family.

Why not accept Him now?