LIES TRUTH & SPIN - NYOBS 68.02

LIES TRUTH & SPIN

The wrath of God is against those who SUPPRESS & SPIN the truth. – It’s in the Book –

First Word

·         I can remember cleaning up drink containers left on the water fountains at work. - I would slip open the ladies rest room door and chunk them into the large trash can just inside the door.  When I was asked did I throw drinks into the trash can in the ladies room, I calmly stated, “I promised you, I have never even set foot in the ladies rest room”. – Well that was true, but I had actually side stepped the original question; I had given the question a SPIN.

·         They were selling some old records on TV that they had dubbed onto the modern CD; they used the words “re-mastered” which sounded a lot better than “duplicated” and they said with excitement that it contained the NOSTALGIC sounds of the era, meaning the static and scratches that the records contained; but re-mastered and nostalgic sounded a lot better than duplicated and noisy.

·         Abraham’s wife Sarah also happened to be his half-sister.  She was beautiful to behold and when King Abimelect saw her; Abraham thought that the king would kill him to get Sarah.  Abraham omitted telling the King that she was his WIFE and only told him that she was his SISTER.  What he said was not a lie, but by omitting some facts; he had injected SPIN.

·         King Herod spoke with some Wise Men about the birth of a new king.  He was TROUBLED that this new king would take his place and wanted to kill him, but with a little SPIN, he told the Wise Men to find this new king and tell him where he was so he too could come and worship him.

·         An Old Prophet was given an assignment by God and was told not to eat or drink anything in that place, but another man claiming to also be a prophet gave him some FAKE NEWS; that God said it was OK to eat and drink.  – This was about obedience. - The old prophet did eat and it cost him his life. – In the mouth of AT LEAST two witnesses is a thing established.

·         There are many bold lies recorded in scripture and because we don’t take the time to get a SECOND WITNESS and more information, we act on the SPIN to our own determent.

·         Spin is the opposite of Truth, spin is not a direction itself; it just points you in a direction and in the absence of information, the SPIN WINS because folks will not take the time to analyze what the spin actually means. – Spin is an Art to select and omit facts; it is what we call, lying by omission.

·         Spin Doctors are those who live by poles and are paid to sample the direction of public opinion and come up with ideas on how to bend the facts to make ANYTHING sound appealing.  Truth and principal would just be a coincidence; like instead of saying “abortion” they call it Pro-Choice which certainly sounds a lot better than saying PRO-MURDER.

·         When we think of Spin, we think of Politicians GUTTING the truth out of government  and the Fake News Media SUPPRESSING truth, but scripture says none of us are righteous, not even one, and goes on further to say that our tongues have the venom of snakes.

·         By our very own nature we are “coiled up” and ready to spring on other’s failings in order to draw attention away from our own.  - Then we spin and stretch our own short comings in order to put them in the very best possible light. – We are all spin doctors; we deflect, dodge, evade, distort, mislead, manipulate, and suppress, in order to reduce the full impact of the Truth. – We are embracing and putting forth something that is not actually a lie, it’s just “ALTERNATE FACTS”; a different opinion and version of the truth.

Genesis 20:2-5 – Abraham’s wife was also his half-sister
² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people?
⁵ Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ (ESV)

Matthew 2:7-8 – A little SPIN… I too may worship Him
⁷ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” (ESV)

Matthew 2:3 – King Herod was troubled
³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; (ESV)

Matthew 2:13 – Herod wanted to destroy the baby Jesus
¹³  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, TO DESTROY HIM.” (ESV)

1 Kings 13:18-24 – Obedience – Don’t eat or Drink
¹⁸ And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.
¹⁹ So he went back and ate bread in his house and drank water.
²⁰ And as they sat at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back.
²¹ And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have DISOBEYED the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you,
²² but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “EAT NO BREAD AND DRINK NO WATER,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’”
²³ And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.
²⁴ And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 19:15 – Verify information with a second opinion
¹⁵ A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. (ESV)

Truth

·         Information from the news media is for the common good of everyone, based on freedom, justice and TRUTH. – Journalist have an obligation to serve up the TRUTH and nothing can justify systematically falsifying the TRUTH to exercise a political position through disinformation for the purpose of manipulating public opinion.

·         Making public statements that are not true that injure a person’s reputation, is called being a “FALSE WITNESS”; in a court of law it would be called “PERJUIRY”. – It’s even one of the Ten Commandments; “You shall not be a False Witness”.

·         Truth is a matter of the Heart long before it becomes a matter of the mind, so what we need is, to be re-born with a new heart that contains a new way of thinking. – Since God is Truth, then we as Christian are called to live in Truth.  - If we say we have fellowship with God while we walk in darkness, WE LIE and do not practice the truth.

·         From God’s point of view, suppressing the truth is ungodliness and unrighteousness and will bring on His wrath from heaven. – Therefore the FLIP SIDE of holding up truth is reckoned as Godliness and Righteousness.  - Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. - It’s in the Book –                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Romans 3:10 - None are righteous, no, not one
¹⁰ as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; (ESV)

Romans 3:13 - Their tongue is like snake venom
¹³ Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” (ESV)

Romans 1:18 – The wrath of God is against the SPIN
¹⁸ For the WRATH OF GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness SUPPRESS THE TRUTH.

(ESV)

1 John 1:6 – If we walk in darkness, we do not practice Truth
⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, WE LIE and do not practice the truth. (ESV)

Exodus 20:16 – You must not be a False Witness
¹⁶ You shall not bear FALSE WITNESS against your neighbor.

(ESV)

Proverbs 19:9 - A False Witness will not go unpunished
⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. (ESV)

Matthew 5:37 – Either Yes or No, anything more is EVIL
³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (ESV)

John 3:18-20 – Those who spin the Truth hate the Light

¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people LOVED THE DARKNESS rather than the light because their works were evil.
²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things HATES THE LIGHT and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (ESV)

How did we get here?

·         We have put God’s word on the back seat, if not in the trunk.  Slowly but surely we have come to look to “The Herd” if not to ourselves for truth. - Cancer kills people, Doctors kill cancer; a bug sees a spider web as death, but the spider sees it as life; so we have come to see TRUTH only as a matter of perspective. – Truth is in the eye of the beholder.

·         Everyone who twists, distorts, spins, manipulates, suppresses and evades truth, hates the light and will not come to the light, because what he is doing will be exposed, thus pushing him further into the darkness.- They are not only mentally deficient, but morally deficient.

·         God has made Himself clearly perceived to us since the beginning of creation, but we have become futile in our thinking and have chosen to not honor Him nor even give thanks to Him and now our foolish hearts have become darkened. – We don’t see fit to acknowledge God and thus have exchanged, modified, distorted and suppressed His truth for a lie.  For this reason God gave us up to a debased mind.

·         Lying is the work of Satan. - Our father is Satan, and our will is to do the desires of our father. - He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies and that’s why it is SO EASY for us to lie.  We are to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness, bearing the very stamp of His nature. - WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN. – It’s in the Book -

Romans 1:19-21 – God has made Himself clearly perceived
¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes,
²⁰ namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.
²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

(ESV)

Romans 1:25-28 - We have exchanged Truth for a Lie
²⁵ because they EXCHANGED THE TRUTH about God FOR A LIE and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

(ESV)

John 8:44 - Our father is Satan who is the father of lies
⁴⁴ You are of YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:24 – We must put on a new self in righteousness
²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (ESV)

Side Bar

·         We are not bound to reveal truth to someone who does not have the right to know it. – Confidential information given under the seal of secrecy must be kept confidential unless it would cause very grave harm to come to the one who has confided it or where by divulging it; grave harm can be avoided to a third party.

Proverbs 25:9-10 - Do not reveal another’s secret
⁹ Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, lest he who hears you
¹⁰ bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         Interestingly, we have a law that prohibits you from lying under oath; does that mean it’s OK to lie the rest of the time? – In real life, we have come to expect people to spin, exaggerate, stretch and bend the truth especially in self-preservation.

·         Scripture records that leaders who looked to themselves for truth, instructed the seers to “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of WHAT IS RIGHT!  Tell us pleasant things, prophesy ILLUSIONS - TRUTH HAS FALLEN IN THE STREETS –The psalmist asked the question; who will dwell with God on His Holy Mountain? -  God says “THE ONE WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH”.

·         We live in a culture of half-truths, spins and misinformation where truth has little value.  We can pick the flavor of truth we want to hear forgetting that God’s Truth is supreme.

·         We are to choose a good reputation; being held in high esteem over becoming wealthy. – Today, honesty, humility and patience are just not the characteristics of someone climbing the ladder of success in the business world or in the political arena.   

·         God sets the bar for us to follow, TRUTH is His “sign post” – He cannot Lie. -

·         From a little child to the leaders of our nation, we are born to walk in the darkness of LIES and WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN. -   It’s in the Book -  LIES, SPIN OR TRUTH -

Isaiah 59:14 - TRUTH HAS FALLEN IN THE STREET
¹⁴ Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. (NKJV)

Isaiah 30:10 – Give us NO MORE visions of what is RIGHT
¹⁰ They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of WHAT IS RIGHT! Tell us pleasant things, PROPHESY ILLUSIONS. (NIV2011)

John 3:7 – You must be born again
⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Psalm 15:1-2 – The one who speaks truth will dwell with God
¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent, on your holy mountain?
² The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who SPEAKS THE TRUTH from their heart; (NIV2011)

Proverbs 22:1 – Choose a good reputation over being rich
¹ A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank. (MSG)

Titus 1:2 – God cannot lie
² in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. (HCSB)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP - NYOBS 67.30

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Can’t you be a Christian without having to be a member of a local church?

First Word

·         The Bible does not directly address the Church with its formal membership, but there are many verses in New Testament times that imply its existence. – You also cannot find the word Trinity nor Rapture in the Bible either, but scripture pretty much spells it out for you.

·         Many professing Christian who are already in the Invisible Church, Opt out of the Visible Church feeling membership seems antiquated, unnecessary and perhaps somewhat legalistic with narrow doctrines, liturgical customs and exclusive traditions. – Besides that, the visible church has a lot of imperfections, conflicting doctrines and full of hypocrites.

·         Then there is Christian TV and the internet where you pick and choose as the spirit moves you.  - We live in a fast paced culture of technology and SOME Churches are updating and tapping into that, with not much substance, but they are tapping in.

·         I feel a need to lay a little background before we tackle the complex thoughts that have formed 2,000 years later in our modern society on whether or not formal church membership has become an unnecessary formality.

Romans 12:5 – The Church is one body with individual members
⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (ESV)

Church Defined

·         The Word CHURCH comes from the Greek word kurikon which means “Belonging to the Lord”.  The New Testament word ekklesia means, “Called Out”. – Those that were called out belonged to the lord and were known in the New Testament as an Assembly or Congregation.

·         When one professes Christ as their Savior, their sins are forgiven and they are automatically added to the body of Christ; they become a member of the Invisible Church.

·         The Church is the “body of believers” wherever they choose to meet, which could be in someone’s home as well as a formal building constructed specifically for that purpose. – The Church is not just one member, but many. – Scripture admonishes us to stir up one another, to love and to do good works, and to NOT NEGLECT TO MEET TOGETHER, as some are in the habit of doing, but to meet and encourage one another.

·         The whole body, joined and held together makes the body grow and builds itself up with encouragement and spurs one another on toward love; this is something you just cannot do alone by yourself.

Acts 19:39 – Congregation of believers known as an assembly
³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. (NIV2011)

1 Corinthians 12:14 – The Church is not one member but many
¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (ESV)

Acts 19:32 – The church was called an Assembly of God
³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. (NIV2011)

1 Corinthians 12:13 – All baptized into one body of Believers
¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (ESV)

Acts 2:47 – God added to their number day by day
⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(ESV)

Ephesians 1:22-23 – God called His body of Believers the Church
²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

(ESV)

Ephesians 4:16 – The Whole body joined together encouraging
¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

(ESV)

Hebrews 10:24-25 – Don’t skip Church and the encouragement
²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV2011)

The Church Structured

·         The New Testament reports of many churches all structured with overseers known as Pastors, Elders and Deacons and there were qualifications to aspire to this office, so the structured Church is not a modern invention of man.  NYOBS 08.12 - GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

·         The Body was to highly esteem, respect, obey and submit in joy to their overseers. – Christ organized Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Teachers, and Evangelist into a closely bonded Christian family and that’s the way it is today. – It’s in the Book -

Colossians 1:18 – Jesus is head of the body, the Church
¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (ESV)

Acts 20:28-29 – Overseers to take care of the Church Body
²⁸ Pay careful attention to yourselves and to ALL THE FLOCK, in which the Holy Spirit has made you OVERSEERS, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
²⁹ I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; (ESV)

Eph 4:11-12 – God gave gifts of leadership – Pastor - Evangelist

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up NIV

1 Cor 12:28 – Gift of administration

28 And in the church God has appointed first of all APOSTLES, second PROPHETS, third TEACHERS, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with GIFTS OF ADMINISTRATION, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Acts 6:3 – Elect Deacons good reputation, wisdom, Spirit filled
³ Therefore, brothers, PICK OUT (Elect) from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (ESV)

Acts 14:23 – Elders were appointed in every Church
²³ And when they had appointed ELDERS for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (ESV)

1 Timothy 3:1-7 – Qualifications to be a Pastor or Elder

¹ The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
² Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
³  not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

(ESV)
1 Timothy 3:8-12 – Qualifications to be a Deacon

⁸ Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
⁹ They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
¹⁰ And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.
¹¹ Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
¹² Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. (ESV)

1 Peter 5:1-4 – Elders should not be domineering, but examples
¹ So I exhort the ELDERS among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
² shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
³ not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. (ESV)

1 Peter 1:22 – Be obedient and love one another
²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, (ESV)

Hebrews 13:17 – Obey and submit to the leadership
¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

(ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – Highly esteem & respect overseers
¹²  We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,
¹³  and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (ESV)

Membership

·         The model for Membership in the body of Christ; the Church, requires salvation first.

·         Jesus laid down His life for the Church – We are commanded to come out from the un-believing world and be separate. – The Methodist would teach a Method of living a Godly life by being an example to the world.  You are still IN the World, but no longer OF it.

·         The Method is being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord doing nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility counting others more significant than ourselves not looking only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. – We are salt and light to the un-believer and an example within the church body.

·         We are admonished to be in one accord and to be of the same mindset and of the same love.  God does not want us to be divided over issues concerning His word and the best way to be in one accord is to study the same book; THE BIBLE. 

·         When we spend time coming together, to share the things that have been revealed to us through the studying of His word, we allow the fullness of the spirit of God to come into our lives and we began to see Jesus for who He is; this knowledge strengthens the whole Church.  

·         Membership means some kind of COMMITMENT; learning, growing, participating, worship, praise, giving, serving, visitation, prayer, teaching, parking cars, nursery worker, run audio, take up offering, kitchen worker, building and grounds, mercy ministry, small groups, and the list goes on and on; JUST DO SOMETHING.

·         Membership means RELATIONSHIP - We are commanded to have fellowship and relationships with others; to bear one another burdens and speak things to others that lift them up in the name of Jesus.  - NYOBS 50.24 - RELATIONSHIP - FELLOWSHIP

·         The body of the Church is inhabited by God through the Holy Spirit.  Although there are many member of this family of God, we are still just one body or one Church; each member has a special place of service and a special gift to the body.  - So we are to be involved with each other utilizing our gift whether it be in hope or in pain. 

·         Doing the will of God makes us members of the same family.  It is our faith that binds us together.  We only need to believe and receive Jesus Christ into our hearts to become part of this AWESOME family of believers.   

·         Perhaps you are a Christian and just skip church altogether; you cannot have Fellowship and Relationship with others by being THE LONE RANGER. – It’s in the Book –

John 10:10-11 – Jesus laid down his life for the body of Believers
¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 – Come out from the un-believers

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial (Satan)? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
¹⁸  and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (ESV)

Philippians 2:2-4 – Be humble and of same mind, love
² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 1:10 – No divisions – Same mind – Same judgment
¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

(ESV)

Romans 12:4-5 – We have different functions from each other
⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (ESV)

Ephesians 1:10 – We are all united in all things in Him
¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (ESV)

Acts 2:45-47 – We fellowship at Church and in our own homes.
⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their HOMES, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(ESV)

Acts 2:1 – We gather together to fellowship in one place
¹ When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. (ESV)

1 John 1:7 – We have fellowship with one another
⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (ESV)

Romans 15:5-7 – Welcome others – Live in Harmony – Glorify God
⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
⁶ that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (ESV)

Matthew 12:50 – Doing the Will of the father
⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (ESV)

Acts 2:42 – Devoting yourself to the teachings and the fellowship
⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

(ESV)

Philippians 1:27 – Being of one spirit and one mind
²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in ONE spirit, with ONE mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, (ESV)

Philippians 1:3 – Remembering the body in prayer
³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, (ESV)

Colossians 3:16 - Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)

Galatians 6:10 – Doing good to everyone
¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (ESV)

Galatians 6:2 – Bearing one another’s burdens
² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (ESV)

Philippians 2:1-2 – Encouraging with the same Love, same Mind
¹  So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
²  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (ESV)

Hebrews 10:24-25 – Stirring up love and good works
²⁴  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
²⁵  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)

Church Discipline

·         Membership includes methods of discipline for someone who bears the name Christian.  If someone is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler you are not to associate with them, NOT EVEN TO EAT WITH SUCH A PERSON, purge this person out of the Church – The Church judges those INSIDE the Church and God judges those OUTSIDE the Church. – It’s in the Book -

·         The NT Church knew who was IN and a part of the Church and who was OUT and had no part; they had the authority to create membership through baptism and authority to dissolve the membership through the vote.

·         The Rabbinic notion of binding and loosing was in the “Order of Church Discipline” dealing with a brother or sister in Christ who had sinned. – It did TWO things;

1)   It provided Church Rules on the methods and actions of a Spirit filled Godly life.

2)   It provides the authority of Church Discipline; to excommunicate disobedient members.

·         If he repents; welcome him back into the Church. – Forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow; reaffirm your love for him.  NOTE: You can’t put someone out of the church who has never opted to be in it. -  WHAT A CONUNDRUM -  

·         The Church has been given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to bind and loose what has already been declared in heaven. –  NYOBS 65.22 – KINGDOM KEYS; BIND & LOOSE

The Binding or Loosing is based solely on a person’s acceptance or rejection

of the Gospel as it reflects Heavens perspective on the matter.

·         Man cannot bind or loose something on earth and cause it to be bound or loosed in heaven.  In other words, man cannot forgive sins on earth and cause heaven to forgiven the sins.  Scripture bears out that the Key to opening and closing these doors is held only by Jesus Christ and we can only STATE, based on scripture, what has already been bound or loosed in heaven. – God is not obligated to bind or loose what men decree.

·         IF MAN CAN FORGIVE SINS, THEN WE DO NOT NEED A SAVIOR.  – It’s in the Book -

1 Corinthians 5:1-13 – Church Discipline
¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.
² And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
³ … I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing

⁴When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler — NOT EVEN TO EAT WITH SUCH A ONE.
¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom YOU ARE TO JUDGE?
¹³ GOD JUDGES those outside. “PURGE THE EVIL PERSON FROM AMONG YOU.” (ESV)

Matthew 18:16-17 – Will not listen to Church - excommunicate
¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Not part of the Church anymore)

(ESV)

Matthew 16:19- Keys of the Kingdom – Bind and Loose
¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (ESV)

Matthew 18:18 – Bind and Loose on Earth – Same in Heaven
¹⁸ Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Resisting Membership

·         Structured Churches today may seem too regimented, holding you accountable for faithful attendance, your giving, your conduct and want you involved with further responsibilities and commitments to other facets of the Church.

·         Folks seem to be OK with Membership in Sam’s Club or Costco, and American Express says membership has its privileges, but Church Membership makes some folks squirm and resist for various reasons; some with very good reasons and others not so much.

·         Maybe there is just not a church in a reasonable driving distance to your home.

·         Some folks are Burned Out with so much involvement which has kept them out of Sunday school or Church; working in the Kitchen, keeping the nursery or part of a prayer group that prays during the service. -  They just want to go worship, sing praises and study God’s Word.

·         When Paul hit town, the first thing he did was seek out the Believers in the new city.

·         Perhaps you are a Presbyterian and relocate and find an excellent Baptist Church, but they will not recognize your Baptism because you were not completely submersed in water, seemingly making your first commitment to God seem invalid, so you attend, but do not join.

·         Some have deep inflexible opinions and cannot tolerate those who do not yield to their way of thinking and they feel that it’s better for them to just stay home and avoid the conflict.

·         Maybe there is some SIN in your life or something in your lifestyle that causes you to reject coming under the authority of the Church body where you would be held accountable?

·         Some want to be CALLED Christian, but don’t want the commitment of BEING a Christian.

·         We are accountable for our giving and service to others, and will be judged according to our deeds. – Our works do not affect our salvation, only our rewards in Heaven. – You don’t do good works to be saved, you do good works because you are saved. – NYOBS 07.053  CROWNS

Acts 9:26 – Paul hit town and sought out other Believers
²⁶ And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. (ESV)

Revelation 20:12 – We are judged by what we do for others
¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is THE BOOK OF LIFE. And the dead were JUDGED by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. (ESV)

Member vs: Non-Member

·         What is the difference between a member and a non-member who both attend Church and perhaps Sunday school, but neither are further involved? – Obviously only a member can vote; and to partake of the Lord’s Supper both must be in good standing at a church somewhere; other than that, I can’t see any difference.

·         Oddly enough the non-member is invited to join with members in the relationship and fellowship of Church functions and Bible Studies groups, plus they get to park in the Guest parking near the front door and are taken to the front of the line to eat, plus they spend more time at home with their family and they don’t have to stay late for business meetings. – WHERE IS THE DOWN SIDE?

·         Then there is the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that God has commanded us. – How do you do that and not be connected to a local body?

·         The Church is not a non-profit store where loyal customers come to visit, but a place where they go to meet with Christ and with others who want to be a part of something bigger than their own personal experiences. – This is where we learn what the true Gospel looks like in order to differentiate between one that has been distorted and perverted. – Together we are sharpened by each other with encouragement, insight and correction.

Matthew 28:19-20 - The Great Commission
¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         There is not any one verse in scripture that stipulates that you must be a member of a local church, but there are numerous passages that speak of it. – Local Church membership certainly does not determine your salvation.

·         There is not any one verse that says that local Church membership is a prerequisite for partaking of the sacrament of the “Lord’s Supper”, but scripture sure seems to suggest that this is the case.

·         There are 110 occurrences of the Word “Church” in the New Testament; 90 of them refer to the local Church. – So it would seem that the Local Church plays a very important role.

·         Local Membership in the Church is essential for three reasons;

1)   Submission to Christ; obeying the teachings of the leadership.

2)   Accountability and Discipline; protecting the reputation of the Church in the eyes of the unbelieving world.

3)   Spiritual Nurture through the Sacraments; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

·         When we are first saved, baptized or not, we immediately become part of the Invisible body of Christ; the Church. 

·         When we have membership in a local Church we become part of the Visible body of Christ; the Church. - The invisible body together with the visible body give us 

1)   Identification with Jesus Christ,

2)   Purification from our Sins and

3)   Incorporation into the Covenant Community; the Church.

·         We express our faith through our

1)   Statement of Faith; uniting around the message of the Gospel we believe.  

2)   Baptism expressing death to our old life and the Resurrection to a new life in Christ.

3)   Church Covenant; living the lifestyle, principals and priorities of the Church Covenant.

·         Church Membership is SIGN LANGUAGE to the body of;

1)   The church’s endorsement of your salvation.

2)   Your regular responsibility that involves other people’s lives for the purpose of the Gospel.

3)   Your individual commitment of love and to provide discipleship for others.

·         As sheep we are not free to roam as perpetual visitors. -  Church Hopping between sheep folds is an un-biblical and irregular Christian lifestyle as sheep fall into pits and holes. – We are charged with;

1)   Increasing the “application” of Bible concepts,

2)   Increasing the “principals” of spiritual growth and

3)   Increasing our “character” that reflects the Holiness of God. – You can only do that inside the “ARK” of the Church; nothing survived outside of Noah’s Ark. – You cannot contribute to the growth of the body if you have no proper function in it.

·         God said you will know the Believer by their fruit; their Godly character and actions.   - Take a look around you.  Your fruits should be making a difference in someone else’s life. NYOBS 08.12 - GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

·         The Spiritual Drifter who refuses to join a visible local congregation and submit to God’s authority, disqualifies himself from participating in the sacraments. - Participation in the signs and seals of the sacraments requires Biblical Church membership.

·         We are to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not SKIPPING Church as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another. - It’s in the Book –

Matthew 7:16-20 - You will recognize them by their fruits
¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

(ESV)

Acts 2:42 – Devoted to teachings, fellowship, prayer and meals
⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, (common meal) and to the prayers.

(HCSB)  

Hebrews 10:24-25 – DON’T SKIP CHURCH
²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
²⁵ NOT GIVING UP MEETING TOGETHER, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV2011)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney