Why I Am A Member
Of The Church Of Christ
Introduction:
Why am I a member of the church of Christ? I think this is an appropriate question
to ask considering the overwhelming number of churches that have been started
over the past 2000 years. Why did I choose to be a part of Christ’s church
as opposed to one of the others? First, you need to understand what I mean when
I claim to be a member of the church of Christ. Then I will explain why I decided
to be a member of His church. I will end by showing how I became a member—hopefully
if you are not a member, you also will be convinced to come into fellowship
with Christ in His church today.
Discussion:
I. In what am I claiming membership?
A. Please understand, when I claim to be a member of the church of Christ, I
am not claiming to be a member of some human organization made up of all the
local churches who have the name “Church of Christ” on their sign.
I am not a member of any such super organization. Additionally, in this lesson,
I am not even talking about being a member of a local church of Christ. Today,
I am talking about a universal body of individuals.
B. The word “church” translates the Greek word “ekklessia.”
It is a compound word from “kaleo,” meaning “to call,”
and “ek” meaning “out.” Thus, the word “church”
literally means “the called out.” The term does not strictly apply
to a religious group, but simply denotes a group of people who have been called
together. However, I am not claiming to be a member of just any “called
out.” I am claiming to be a member of the “called out of Christ.”
When I claim to be a member of the church of Christ, I am claiming to be a member
of the universal body of individuals who have been called out and belong to
Jesus (cf. Galatians 3:28-29).
C. Note some passages that describe this church of Christ.
1. In Ephesians 1:22-23 and Colossians 1:18, 24, we learn that this church is
the body of Christ, over which Jesus is the head.
2. In I Timothy 3:15, Paul calls it the house or household of God, which is
the pillar and support of God’s truth. Paul had earlier spoken of the
house of God in Ephesians 2:19-22, in which he describes the church as a building
that was founded on the apostles and prophets (that is, their revelation from
the Holy Spirit) and was being fitted together to be a dwelling place of God
in the Holy Spirit.
D. As we consider all of this, we must recognize that this is the very body
which Jesus promised to establish in Matthew 16:18, as He spoke to Peter saying,
“… on this rock I will build My church…” Jesus came
into this world with the plan to establish and build a church. The New Testament
described that church. I wanted to be a member of it and I have become so. Yet,
you may still wonder, why I became a member of this church described in scripture.
II. Why did I become a member of the church of Christ?
A. Before I can tell you why, I must give you a little background information
about myself. I am a sinner. I have known that for several years now. If I were
to catalog the sins I have committed in my lifetime, I am certain that I would
become as loathsome to you as I have been to myself. But, please, let me suffice
it to say that I am a sinner and you can certainly believe that because you
can read for yourself Romans 3:23 and I John 1:8. As such, I have become separated
from God (Isaiah 59:1-3) and I have earned the sentence of death (Ezekiel 18:20).
I am not talking about a physical execution, but an eternal condemnation in
the everlasting fire (Matthew 25:41, 46). I have become a member of the church
of Christ, because I have learned that the answer to my greatest problem—sin—is
in Christ’s church.
B. Hebrews 12:22-24 speaks of Christ’s church. It says that when we come
to the general assembly and church, we are coming to Mount Zion (fulfillment
of Isaiah 2:2-4), the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. This church
is made up of the firstborn, which is not a reference to Jesus here, but rather
a reference to the status of all the members. That is, members of this church
are like a firstborn who has a claim on the inheritance (cf. I Peter 1:3-5).
These numerous firstborn are registered in heaven (cf. Philippians 3:20-21).
And this is a group of people who have been made perfect because they have come
to a Mediator of a new covenant whose sprinkled blood speaks better things than
that of Able and whose blood has the power to take away sins. This leads us
to our next passage.
C. In Acts 20:28, we learn that the church of God has been purchased with Christ’s
blood. Why is this purchasing or redeeming so important? Note what it says in
Romans 3:23-26. With redemption through the blood of Christ comes justification.
And again in Ephesians 1:7, when we are redeemed or purchased by His blood,
we have the forgiveness of sins.
D. Notice also what Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:23-30. Paul described Jesus as
the model of a loving husband. The church is His bride. Jesus sacrificed Himself
for His church, becoming its Savior, sanctifying it and cleansing it. He did
all this so that the church might be presented to Himself as glorious, without
spot or blemish.
E. Why am I a member of the church of Christ? Because these promises are only
for those who become a part of His church. Salvation is only in Christ Jesus
and in no other (Acts 4:12). Consider I Corinthians 1:12-13. No one but Jesus
shed His blood for me. Why would I follow after some man in a church of man’s
design? Men may make up churches and creeds, but I am not a member of a church
in order to please men. I am a member of the church because I desperately need
what only Jesus can give—redemption, justification, sanctification and
forgiveness. That is why I am a member of His church.
III. How did I become a member of this purchased and forgiven body?
A. I looked to the scripture to see how those in the New Testament became members
of Christ’s church. In Acts 2:47, I learned that I cannot place myself
into the assembly of the firstborn. I can only be added by God. He is in charge
of the membership roll of His great universal church. I also learned who God
adds to this called out body—those who are saved.
B. In Romans 10:9-10, I learned that I must believe and confess that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that He was raised from the dead. Both of those
are things I have done. But I also learned from II Corinthians 7:10 that I needed
to have the godly sorrow that produces repentance leading to salvation. That
is, I must turn from my sins and commit myself to doing right continually. I
have been committed for several years—though, regrettably, there have
been lapses in that commitment.
C. At that moment, I had to decide if I truly was committed to turning from
sin and submitting to Christ’s doctrine. I learned that in order to be
saved and therefore added to the church, I had to be baptized for the remission
of my sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12; I Peter 3:21).
And that is exactly what I did, because I wanted to be saved. I wanted to be
a part of Christ’s church and nothing else.
D. I was still in my sins and I chose to be baptized because I wanted to be
a saved Christian only and a member of Christ’s church only. I still do
not want to be anything other than a disciple of Christ and a member of any
church other than the church of Christ.
Conclusion:
Allow me to ask you—are you a member of Christ’s church? Are you
a member of the called out body that has been purchased by the blood of Christ,
sanctified and washed clean of sin in order to be presented to Jesus without
spot or blemish? Have you obeyed His gospel? Have you believed that Jesus is
the Christ, confessed that faith, repented of your sins and been baptized for
the remission of your sins? If you have, then continue steadfastly in the hope
of the gospel (Colossians 1:23). If not, why not be added to that body today?
Why not submit to Christ and have your sins forgiven as well.
By Unknown Author
Return to the Sermon Outlines page
Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /