Page 26 - Demo
P. 26
vocabulary that looks at the church as an organization. The church Christ established is an organism; it is the living and active Body of Christ.Parts of the Body of Christ not Church MembershipAgain, if New Testament Christianity is to be restored, the original concept of what body membership really means must be restored. I'm convinced that their proper understanding is based on an understanding of what it means to be as Paul said, \That's exactly what Romans 12:5 says, \Now what does that word, \with church. Have you placed your membership, yet? Are you a member of that church? We grow up hearing that term repeatedly. But let me suggest to you that we have often used it poorly. Most often \context.Let me illustrate the difference. What does it take to be a good member of an organization, %u201csay the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club, or the local garden club?%u201d It usually takes three things:a) attend some of the meetings, not all, but most, b) keep whatever rules and bylaws the club might have and c) pay your dues. That's essential, that's how you become a member of good standing in a local club or organization.How is one considered a member of good standing in the church? The criteria most often used are:a) how often does one attend? b) does he live by the standards (keep the rules) c) does he contribute (give a check) just about every Sunday. If the answer is yes then they're a good member at the So and So church.I believe Scripture challenges that idea. See, you can be a good member of the Rotary Club; you can be a good member of the Kiwanis Club or the garden club without being closely and integrally bound to everybody else in the club. You don't have to be dependent upon those folks in order to be a good Kiwanian or Rotarian. Paul says that's not what body membership is. In the Body of Christ each member belongs to the other. Let me suggest that far too many churches around the land practice club membership in their congregations. They don't consider themselves \It's like the difference between a pile of bricks and bricks that are cemented together in a wall. The pile of bricks isn't connected. Which one is useful for the purpose for which the bricks were

