Pastor’s Message

WHY IT MATTERS….

“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:15)

The household of God is the place where God dwells with and in His people. The members of this household (as a “member” of St. John in Townsend) are brothers and sisters in Christ and children of the heavenly Father. This is the “church” of which Jesus Christ is the living Head. “Membership” in this church is a privilege. It is something our Lord gives us…not the other way around! A true church preaches and teaches the Gospel-the Good News of salvation freely given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the “pillar and buttress” that upholds the church. The gates of hell itself cannot prevail against this church. (see Matt. 16:18 and John 14:6)

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, one of several documents as part of our confession of how and why the church exists, states clearly in article 7 and 8: “We do say that this church exists: truly believing and righteous people scattered throughout the whole world. We add the marks: the pure teaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments. This Church is properly the pillar of truth…for it keeps the pure Gospel as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:11.”

Why does this matter to me as a “member” of St. John Lutheran Church in Townsend? As a member of St. John article 6 of our Constitution states that the privilege and responsibility of a member include: attendance at divine services; partaking of the Lord’s Supper; Bible Study; and taking opportunity of the educational “moments” provided by St. John.

In a forthcoming book from Jonathan Leeman entitled Why Church Membership (Crossway, 2012), the author states: “Membership is the church’s affirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom and therefore a card-carrying Jesus Representative before the nations.” This means as a “member” of Christ we are ambassadors or representatives of our Savior. (Read 1 Cor. 5) Other excerpts from the book include the reasons why membership matters:

1.) It’s biblical. Jesus established the local church and all the apostles did their ministry through it. The Christian life in the New Testament is church life. Christians today should expect and desire the same.

2.) The church is its members. To be “a church” in the New Testament is to be one of its members (Read through the Book of Acts). And you want to be part of the church because that’s who Jesus came to rescue and reconcile to himself.

3.) It’s a pre-requisite for the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a meal for the gathered church, that is, for members (see 1 Cor. 11:20, 33). And you want to take the Lord’s Supper. It’s the team “jersey” which makes the church team visible to the nations.

4.) It’s how to officially represent Jesus. Membership is the church’s affirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom and therefore a card-carrying Jesus Representative before the nations. And you want to be an official Jesus Representative. Closely related to this…

5.) It’s how to declare one’s highest allegiance. Your membership on the team, which becomes visible when you wear the “jersey,” is a public testimony that your highest allegiance belongs to Jesus. Trials and persecution may come, but your only words are, “I am with Jesus.”

6.) It’s how to embody and experience biblical images. It’s within the accountability structures of the local church that Christians live out or embody what it means to be the “body of Christ,” the “temple of the Spirit,” the “family of God,” and so on for all the biblical metaphors (see 1 Cor. 12). And you want to experience the interconnectivity of his body, the spiritual fullness of his temple, and the safety and intimacy and shared identity of his family.

7.) It’s how to serve other Christians. Membership helps you to know which Christians on Planet Earth you are specifically responsible to love, serve, warn, and encourage. It enables you to fulfill your biblical responsibilities to Christ’s body (for example, see Eph. 4:11-16; 25-32).

8.) It’s how to follow Christian leaders. Membership helps you to know which Christian leaders on Planet Earth you are called to obey and follow. Again, it allows you to fulfill your biblical responsibility to them (see Heb. 13:7; 17).

9.) It helps Christian leaders lead. Membership lets Christian leaders know which Christians on Planet Earth they will “give an account” for (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2).

10.) It enables church discipline. It gives you the biblically prescribed place to participate in the work of church discipline responsibly, wisely, and lovingly (1 Cor. 5)

11.) It gives structure to the Christian life. It places an individual Christian’s claim to “obey” and “follow” Jesus into a real-life setting where authority is actually exercised over us (see John 14:15; 1 John 2:19; 4:20-21).

12.) It builds a witness and invites the nations. Membership puts the alternative rule of Christ on display for the watching universe (see Matt. 5:13; John 13:34-35; Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9-12). The very boundaries which are drawn around the membership of a church yield a society of people which invites the nations to something better.

While I agree in principle with most of the above, nothing beats faithfulness to Christ and His Word! The upcoming “Night with the Pastor” gatherings are one way for me as Pastor of St. John to try and get to know the “members” of the flock. The 90 minutes together will be based on PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. If you want to know more sign up on those pink sheets posted on two tables at the church. We have been blessed with 26 volunteer hosts for these gatherings-whether in their own home or at church this will be a time of blessing and sharing. Since we are all “members” of the body of Christ IT MATTERS!

In HIS service, Pastor Mueller

“For I resolved to know nothing while with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2)