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Join The Table Membership Has Its Benefits: 4 Reasons to Join a Church
FOUR REASONS TO JOIN A CHURCH
1. For non-Christians
- Membership makes clear who is a Christian and who is not.
- The church is God’s best evangelism “program.” A healthy, regenerate church membership provides a clear, compeling Gospel witness to non-Christians.
2. For Christians
- Accountability (Heb. 12:13) – Christians need other Christians to keep a loving watch over them hold them accountable through formative and corrective church discipline. Christians also need other Christians also learn how to give and receive godly encouragement and godly, constructive criticism.
- Love, Encouragement, Discipleship (Heb. 10:24) – Christians are called to sacrificially out-do one another in love and help each other grow in godliness. The Christian life, therefore, is not merely about individual sanctification. It is about a community of believers in the church loving each other and growing together in Christ-likeness.
- Shared responsibility (1 Pt. 4:10) – The spiritual gifts of individual Christians are meant to serve the church. The church only serves its purpose when individual members commit to investing their time, energy, and gifts to meeting the needs of the church and supporting the ministry of the church.
3. For Church Leaders (Heb. 13:17)
- Leaders will be held accountable by God for how well they know and care for the flock. A leader cannot care for the sheep well unless he knows who the sheep are.
- Clear membership rolls give leaders a tangible understading of the Christians for whom they are responsible and for whom they will give an account.
4. For God
- Acts 9: Jesus identifies clearly and closely with the church. This seems to explain why Paul later refers to the church as Christ’s body (Acts 20).
These are wise words from Ryan Townsend, and they help us recognize the practical value of membership in the local church. For a similar discussion of the benefits of church membership, check out Jonathan Leeman’s article ‘Twelve Reasons Why Membership Matters.’
- posted from 9Marks Blog
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Additional Resources:
eJournal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together
Book: The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love
On Being Promoted
I was recently asked by a man who was a member of an employee union what I thought he should do about an invitation to leave the union and join the management where he worked.
My responses included the following:
1.) Competence is in demand.
A diligent man will stand before kings (Proverbs 22:29). Keep up the good work.
2.) Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then he will produce fruit wherever you go. Plead with him for wisdom.
3.) Know that leadership is about service, not perks.
It is a yoke of responsibility, not privileged prerogatives. There is no clocking out.
4.) Be prepared to be misunderstood.
Former colleagues in the union may feel betrayed, even if they are not. They may feel anger and resentment. Serve them well.
5.) Whatever you do, do it humbly and unto the Lord.
He uses ordinary jars of clay. There is no room for delusions of grandeur.
- from Pastor Sam Crabtree’s blog, of Bethlehem Baptist Church
5 Differences Between the ESV Study Bible & the ESV Student Study Bible
5 Differences Between the ESV Study Bible & the ESV Student Study Bible
Crossway has recently been telling you about the new ESV Student Study Bible, coming this July.Some of you may be wondering how it’s different than the ESV Study Bible, and which resource would best fit your needs. Although the ESV Student Study Bible is adapted from the ESV Study Bible, here are 5 ways in which it’s different:
2.) Page layout – While the original Study Bible has a single-column layout, the new Student Study Bible has double-column text, leading to a considerably shorter page count and slimmer profile.
4.) Different articles – 15 brand new articles have been written for the Student Study Bible, covering topics such as doctrine, ethics, and how to apply the Bible. None of the originalStudy Bible‘s 50 articles are included.
5.) Three new unique features – The Student Study Bible includes three features that have no counterpart to the original Study Bible: “Did You Know” facts, Character profiles, and a glossary. All three of these are tailored to help students understand the Bible better and distill important information at a glance.
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You can download a pdf comparing a full list of features between the two study Bibles.
Overall, the Student Study Bible is slimmer and lighter than the original Study Bible. If you’re looking for a portable study Bible that still has great, theologically rich content, or a study Bible that might be a less daunting resource for a student or new Christian, you should consider theStudent Study Bible. If you’re consistently doing concentrated Bible study and regularly need content that goes more in-depth, the original Study Bible could be a one-stop resource for you.
You have 2 options to pre-order the ESV Student Study Bible:
• Through CBD
You can order it through the church bookstore and pre-order it for only $24.99.
• Through Crossway
Crossway is offering a special on our Student Study Bible for the next 10 days. Pre-order it for $37.99 and receive a free copy of John Piper’s Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (paperback)!
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Did Christ Finish His Work?
How dangerous it is to join anything of our own to the righteousness of Christ, in pursuit of justification before God! Jesus Christ will never endure this; it reflects upon His work dishonorably. cnaclassesnow.net He will be all, or none, in our justification. If He has finished the work, what need is there of our additions? And if not, to what purpose are they? Can we finish cnasalarynow.net that which Christ Himself could not complete? Did He finish the work, and will He ever divide the glory and praise of it with us? No, no; Christ is no half-Savior.
It is a fibromyalgianow.net hard thing to bring proud hearts to rest upon Christ for righteousness. God humbles the proud by calling sinners wholly from their own righteousness to Christ for their justification.
- John Flavel
“It is finished”
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