Membership has it privileges…and responsibilities

Do you ever read the obituaries in the newspaper? It seems like everyone who dies was a member of a church. When life comes to an end, more than ever people want to be associated with the things of God. Southside is no exception to this. Recently there was an obituary in the Lufkin Daily News that contained the following line at the end of the obituary: Mr. Jones (not the real name) was a member of Southside Baptist Church.� Was he? Yes, at one point in his life he walked down the aisle of the worship center, filled out a form, and was voted on in a church conference to be accepted as a member. However, I had not seen the man for several years and then I saw him only because I went to his house. He had not been in the buildings of Southside for over ten years. Does this constitute membership in a church? For many it does. This is the extent of membership for about 44% of the people on our church rolls. Sad to say, 44% inactive membership is a better percentage than many, if not most, churches across the country.

Church membership is much more than signing up. When we commit ourselves to Christ, we become part of the family of God. That is a great privilege that carries with it eternal life, provision of the Holy Spirit and many other blessings. Also included in this commitment is responsibility. While Jesus was walking the earth He lived His entire life to make the church better. Every word He spoke, every action, every step all were done to edify the church. There were no buildings with church on them, just a few synagogues. There were no denominations to choose from. The church is not made up of acreage with buildings on it. The church is the people who meet in those buildings. We are the church. According to Philippians 2:5 we are to make our own attitude that of Christ Jesus. Therefore, as a part of the family of God, we have responsibility to help make the church better. That’s what a member is, someone who helps make the church better.

So what does a member look like if it is not simply someone who filled out a form? A member is someone who makes the church better by praying for it. Lifting the family of faith to the Lord on a regular basis is something all members do. It is their privilege, it is their responsibility.

A member also attends services regularly. A member sees this not simply as a responsibility, but a privilege. Meeting together with the saints is something a member longs to do. They want to worship, study, sing and pray with other believers. There are people who are members of the church who are unable to attend services due to health issues and other factors. We actually have several who fall into this category. They remain faithful as members in every other area, they just cannot get out and attend services.

In addition to coming, a member is one who uses God given gifts and talents to strengthen the church. Some teach, some sing, some serve, some lead and some administrate, but all do so in order for the church to be strengthened. Members recognize the privilege of service and fulfill their responsibility in that area.

Finally, a member is a person who supports the finances of the church. It has been said, Salvation is free, but evangelism is very expensive. The Bible says that the member will give as God purposes in the believers heart. This is what sets the church apart from social clubs and civic clubs. They all have mandatory dues that are given by the members. The church operates on faith. We have no compulsory dues. Members simply pray to the Lord, look to the scriptures and God instructs them on how to give.

Looking at the idea of membership, how is yours? Are you a member in good standing? When your obituary is written and is says He was a member of Southside Baptist Church will that be a piece of paper filed in a drawer or a commitment written on your heart? I pray for the latter in your life.