Mt 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

3. Becoming a Memeber of the
New Testament Church!
Act 2:41, 47 Then those who gladly
received his word were baptized;
and that day about three thousand
souls were added to them. praising
God and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to the
church daily those who were being
saved.

4. How one becomes a member of
the church?
▪ There is story that is told of a preacher that
went to buy a horse. He found one he really
like and inquired about it and the owner said,
this is a fine horse, he is gentle and quiet
and will do anything you ask of him, he
doesn’t kick or bite and stands calm and still
without needing constant watching and only
requires basic care. The preacher replies, if
only we could find some members like this!

5. In the world today there are many
different ideas about membership!
▪ When it comes to church membership, the
idea of most is far different than God’s idea!
The fact is we never even read of “official
membership” in the NT church.
▪ From the biblical point of view, being a
member is simply being a part of the body!
▸Rom: 12:5 So we, though many, are one body
in Christ, and individually members one of
another.

6. Those that are “in” the body of Christ
make up the membership of the NT
church!
▪ Keeping in mind when we speak of the
“church” the ekklesia = called out, we must
do so in three general ways!
▸The church universal = all Christians
▸The church local = in one location
▸The church individual = each one of us
▪ In our lesson today we hope to clear up
some of the misconceptions on membership!

7. I. Member of a Man-made
Church!
▪ In the World Christian Encyclopedia (Oxford
University Press, 2nd edition, 2001) they state
that there are 33,000 distinct denominations in
238 countries all professing to be Christians!
▪ How one becomes a member of anyone of
these can very greatly from one another!
▸Some accept any and everyone!
▸Some have statements of faith!
▸Some require a vote!

8. The church of your choice!
▪ In the last 10 to 15 years it seems that many
have come to believe that it doesn't really matter
“where” you go to church only “that” you go to
church!
▸Yet as we have seen, we do not “go” to
church, we “are” the church and we come
together to worship God!
▪ We must choose the church of God’s choice,
the NT church and find a place to come together
to worship!

9. II. Member of the Universal
Church!
▪ The most important membership roll is the “book
of life!”
▸Rev 3:5 “He who overcomes shall be clothed in
white garments, and I will not blot out his name
from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name
before My Father and before His angels.”
▸Rev 21:27 “But there shall by no means enter it
anything that defiles, or causes an abomination
or a lie, but only those who are written in the
Lamb's Book of Life.”

10. Membership = the body!
▪ Being a member of Christ, His body!
▸Rom 12:4-5 For as we have many members
in one body, but all the members do not have
the same function, so we, being many, are one
body in Christ, and individually members of
one another.
▸Eph 1:22-23 And He put all things under His
feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to
the church, which is His body, the fullness of
Him who fills all in all.

11. The “Keys” of the Kingdom!
Mt 16:18-19 "And I also say to you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it. "And I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
▪ When did they receive these keys, and how did
they use them?
▸Act. 1:4-8; 2:1-4 cf. 2:14ff
▸The Gospel! (Rom. 1:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:1-4)

12. The Only Mathematician is the
Lord!
When one comes to believe and obey the
gospel, the Lord adds them to the church!
▪ Act 2:41 Then those who gladly received
his word were baptized; and that day about
three thousand souls were added to them.
▪ Act 2:47 praising God and having favor
with all the people. And the Lord added to
the church daily those who were being
saved. (Cf. 4:4 “5,000" 5:14; 6:1, 7)

13. III. Member of the Local
Church!
▪ This point will become clearer in a future lesson on
“the organization of the church!”
▪ Church leadership and oversight implies
membership! Those “numbered” among us!
▸1 Pet 5:1-2 The elders who are among you I
exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of
the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the
glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of
God which is among you, serving as overseers,
not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest
gain but eagerly;

14. The church at/of ...
(1 Cor. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Rev. 2:1)
▪ This clearly shows that there was recognition
of particular congregations!
▪ The need for local membership is also seen
in the need for church discipline!
▸1 Cor. 5:1-13
▪ When we place membership we are allowing
the congregation to know that we desire to be
“among them” and work with them!

15. The Need to Assemble with the
Saints!
▪ Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider one
another in order to stir up love and good
works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of
some, but exhorting one another, and so
much the more as you see the Day
approaching. (Cf. Act. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1)
▸I need you, you need me and we all need
Jesus!

16. Conclusion:
▪ It is good to be a Christian, to be a member
of the New Testament Church!
▪ If you are here today and you are not yet a
member of the New Testament Church, then
today is the day to trust Jesus with your life
and accept His sacrifice for your salvation!
▪ Come to have faith in Him, submit to His
plan and be added to His church!

19. We do not go to
church because of
guilt, we are the
church because of
grace!