"Membership Matters"

We are continuing our series, "The Priority of Community" and in this teaching message we are talking about the importance of "church membership" and the role that plays in the priority of community. Primary Scripture Verse - 1 Corinthians 12:12 - 20, 25-28. Membership Means Community - the church of Jesus Christ is not an organization, but a living organism. The body of Christ - the church - is manifested in two ways (1) the universal church [everyone who has repented of their sin, believed in the Gospel, and followed Jesus.] (2) the local church [the local manifestation of the universal church] The point behind the importance of all this church talk is this - we were NEVER meant to do this alone. Membership Means Participation - there is a big difference between attending and belonging to a church - participation means active participation, not a passive spectator type role. God places everyone in His church for a purpose. We are appointed to participate in helping to advance His Kingdom. Membership Means Care - members care for one another. The church is a community that cares for each other - within the context of membership, people committed to one another and to our church. Membership Means Accountability - membership means that we devote ourselves to one another, we commit ourselves to hearing the truth from one another, and we encourage and challenge one another to become better disciples.