The Challenge of Grace

Q: What does the Bible say about baptism?

Baptism is the believer's public confession of faith in Jesus Christ, symbolizing their identification with Him and His church. Baptism is fundamentally a public confession of faith in Jesus Christ, serving as a powerful symbol of what has occurred in the believer's life. In Romans 6:3-4, the Apostle Paul clearly teaches that through baptism, believers demonstrate they have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is not merely a ritual but a declaration that their old life of sin has been buried, and they are now alive to walk in newness of life in Him. This significant ordinance is a command from Christ and an essential act of obedience for all who truly believe. It serves as an outward manifestation of the inner transformation worked by God's grace in the believer's heart.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of the universal church is true?

The doctrine of the universal church is supported by Scripture, emphasizing that all true believers, regardless of local assembly, form one body in Christ. The doctrine of the universal church emphasizes that all true believers, regardless of their local assemblies, comprise one spiritual body united under Christ as the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 states, 'And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.' Furthermore, Hebrews 12:22-23 assures us that believers have come to the heavenly assembly of God's people. This concept complements the teaching found in Matthew 16:18, affirming that hell will not prevail against the church that Christ builds. By understanding these scriptures, we see a clear picture of the universal church as a collective entity comprised of all God's elect, whose salvation and unity in Christ are separated from mere local church affiliation.

Q: Why is church membership important for Christians?

Church membership is vital as it fosters community, accountability, and mutual edification among believers. Church membership is crucial for Christians as it embodies their commitment to a community of faith, fostering spiritual growth, accountability, and support. In Acts 2:41-42, we see that new believers were not only baptized but also added to the church, indicating their involvement in the fellowship of believers. This connection serves to fulfill Christ's command in Matthew 28:19 to make disciples and promotes an environment where believers can help one another grow in faith. The church acts as a family where members can encourage and strengthen each other, fulfilling the Biblical mandate to care for one another as articulated in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26. Therefore, being a part of a local church is more than mere attendance; it is an expression of commitment to the body of Christ and an avenue for believers to live out their faith actively.

I want you to turn with me please to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. And we will read together verses 41 through 47 of Acts the second chapter. The apostle Peter had preached on the day of Pentecost and the power of God's spirit He had not preached an exceptional message in the sense that he said anything strange or unusual.

He had simply declared the gospel of God's free, sovereign, redeeming grace in Jesus Christ the Lord. He declared how the Christ had accomplished redemption by the sacrifice of himself and was now seated upon the right hand of the majesty on high. But he spoke in the power of God.

That's the difference. He spoke in the power of God the Holy Spirit and God the Holy Spirit took the word of grace and drove it home to 3,000 men and women. 3,000 on one day heard the word and believed and were baptized and added to the church. in one day because God so ordained it.

Now recently I read a book in which a pedo-baptist, that's somebody who baptized babies, he was trying to demonstrate the impossibility of baptizing 3,000 people in one day. One man couldn't possibly do that. Well, one man could, but it's not likely that one man did. Remember there were 11 apostles there were numerous other disciples.

And it was common in those days for our Lord, as he preached, you remember, to baptize none, but his disciples baptized folks. And the Apostle Paul seldom baptized anybody. He said, I didn't baptize any of you, writing to the Corinthians, though there were many baptized as he preached the gospel, those who served with him in the ministry did the baptizing, because it was determined in the New Testament that no man, no man perform any kind of priestly function as though somehow baptism is only proper if it's administered by we, or if it's administered by some other preacher, or some other specific office in the church. Baptism was not to be looked upon as a sacrament by which grace is conferred, but rather an ordinance by which Christ is confessed.

Now with those things in mind, let's read together, beginning at verse 41. Then they that gladly received the word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need, And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and with singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be said.

Now there are many, many things in those verses that need careful attention. We ought to heed that which is here demonstrated as the characteristic of the early church. Oh God give us such a spirit of self-denying unity and self-denying service that none of us may count that which he possesses to be his own but that we may with generosity charity and kindness use what God puts in our hands for the general benefit of his church and kingdom. Oh that's the spirit of New Testament. But this morning I want to pick out three distinct things that characterized these early disciples.

Baptism, church membership, and the Lord's Supper. We're told in this passage of scripture that those which gladly received the word were baptized. And then we're told concerning these folks who received the word, that the Lord added unto them about 3,000 souls. The Lord added to the church 3,000 people. That is, they were united as believers in one body in Christ, members of a local assembly. And then they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, that is, they heard the word, they were taught, just like I'm teaching you this morning, they were instructed in the word of God and they had fellowship in that doctrine and in the breaking of bread.

That's the Lord's Supper. Now those three ordinances I want to talk to you about this morning. We recognize the fact that the Church of God is made up of all true believers in every age, in every part of society, both those which are in heaven and those which are upon the earth. Men and women are born into the Church and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. in that sense the church of God is a spiritual universal church a mystical body it is not in that sense a local assembly now the scriptures are explicitly clear in this regard and i'm stressing this because i want you to understand that i know we live right here in the heart of landmark theology, that is the doctrine that the local church is the only true church, and you got to be a member of the right local church, you got to be of traditional history, back to John the Baptist and all that hell brush.

And I call it hell brush because I can speak with some authority, I've been there, I know what the doctrine is. But the New Testament does not teach that doctrine. Looking at in Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18. Matthew 16 and verse 18. Our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking, and is speaking with regard to the confession Peter had just made of himself. It says in verse 18, I say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock the rock of the confession you just made. He didn't say upon you, Peter.

He said upon this rock, the rock of the confession that I am the Christ, the son of the living God, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Now that can't be said concerning any local assembly. There's never been a local assembly in the history of time. There's never been a local church anywhere in history that in time was not overcome by the gates of hell. There's never been one. And this one will not be the exception. There's never been a local church in history that was not ultimately brought to nothing. But concerning the church of God universally, concerning the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we march against the gates of hell with the gospel of Christ, the gates of hell fall before us, and they shall never prevail against us.

Turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. Now I want you to see that what I'm talking about here is the doctrine of the New Testament. Ephesians 1 and verse 22. The scripture speaking of our Lord's exaltation says that God hath put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body. Now be sure you read the next line.

The fullness of him that filleth all in all. Again, that's not talking about a local church. We as a local church are not the fullness of the mystical body of Christ. but the church of God universally. All of God's elect, the whole body of God's elect, they are the fullness of him who is the mediator who fills all in all. In other words, Christ cannot be complete in his mediatorial character and glory except every one of his elect, every one of his chosen church, his bride, be saved by his grace.

Look at Ephesians chapter three, verse 15. Paul speaking of Paul, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant to you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. Now that family he's talking about is the church of God. It's his bride. Look in Ephesians 5, verse 25. Husbands, love your wives. Even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.

Now that's not talking about Grace Baptist Church of Danville. That's not talking about the Baptist church as a denomination. That's not talking about any local church or any denomination because being a member of a local church doesn't mean that you're redeemed. Being a member of any local church doesn't mean you're accepted of God.

What he's talking about here is the church of Christ universal. You see that? It's talking about the whole kingdom of God. Our Lord loved the church and gave himself for the church that we might sanctify the entire thing and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might at last present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. So the Church of God then is clearly universal. Let me show you one more text of scripture in this regard. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews the 12th chapter. Verse 22. But ye are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, None to an innumerable company of angels. Look at it now. He doesn't say you're going to come, does he? He doesn't say one of these days in a generic sense we might come. He says you are come. Quite literally translated, you have come.

All of you who believe, you have come to the General Assembly and the Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. to God, the judge of all, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. So he's talking then about the church in its universal aspect. In this sense in which I'm speaking, all God's elect, every chosen, redeemed, called, regenerate, sanctified sinner in this world who has been, is now, or shall be hereafter, born of God's Spirit, makes up the Church of Jesus Christ. We are the Church of the Living God. But please understand, That does not in any way imply negligence with regard to the local church.

We also recognize that the New Testament places tremendous emphasis upon the importance of local churches. I want you to see that also in the scriptures. Turn to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew 18 and verse 20. Here our Lord's talking about a local church. He's talking about an assembly. Like this one. Not big, not impressive, just an assembly. He says in verse 20, where two or three are gathered together in my name. Now you know what that means, don't you? Come to hear him. We've come to worship him. We've come trusting him. We come seeking the glory of his name. We come to God by faith in his name.

Are there two or three sitting here this morning who come here in his name? Just two or three. He didn't say everybody came in. He said just two or three. Well, two or three have gathered together in my name. I have two more. I come in his name. Have you? Listen to what he says. There am I. in the midst of them.

This is the only place on God's earth where the Son of God says, I'll be there. This is the only place. This is the only place on God's earth. It doesn't matter if we're meeting in a bar, or we're meeting in a cave, or we're meeting in a palace, or meeting in a temple at Jerusalem. He says, where two or three have come together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. What a promise.

Look in Matthew 18 and verse 28. Again, our Lord is speaking, or Matthew chapter 28, rather, and verse 18. Again, our Lord is speaking to a local church. He says to this local body of believers, to these assembled saints gathered in his name, after the resurrection, just before he ascended up into heaven, Jesus came and spake unto them, And this is what he's saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Lord, I'm with you all the way, even unto the end of the world. Amen. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in first Timothy chapter three in verse 15, and he's writing to him about a local church. He's saying to Timothy, if I tell you all, I've written these things that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Now he's talking about a local church. Every now and then, I'll get a telephone call or somebody will drop me a note or stop by the office and they'll say, well, I understand you don't believe in a local church. And I say, whoever told you that's a liar or he's ignorant, one of the two. He's either a liar or he's ignorant. There's nobody on this earth, nobody around here who understands and believes with more commitment what the scriptures teach about a local church than your pastor. You better be ready.

We recognize that the Great Commission was given to and is carried out by local churches. We support our missionaries independently. I don't mean to suggest that that's the only way to do it, but I do recognize that the function of the local church is the preaching of the gospel. and that any kind of exercise in preaching the gospel ought to be done through a local assembly so that local churches have control on and exercise the right to send out whom they see fit in preaching the gospel. Local churches support, maintain, and send out pastors, missionaries, and evangelists to preach the gospel around the world. This local assembly gives a good proportion of everything that comes in here for the preaching of the gospel. We simply take what God puts in our hands and put it out for the preaching of the gospel, sowing the seed of the word.

Local churches administer the ordinances of Christ. Baptism, the Lord's Supper, these are things that are administered by a local church, just like this one. Today, we will have the blessed privilege of observing these two ordinances that our Savior has given. One of our own will be baptized to confess Christ in believer's baptism. Tonight, we will come back and gather around the Lord's table, if the Lord's pleased to bring us here. And we will observe the Lord's supper together. Oh, what a privilege is ours.

And every local church is a family, a brotherhood, a body of believers united together in Christ. And as such is and should be a miniature of the church universal. Listen to what the apostle says about the church. Turn to Ephesians chapter two for a second. Ephesians two.

Paul speaks of the church and he speaks of us in Christ Jesus, all believers. And he says, you're built upon the foundation, verse 20, of the apostles and prophets. Now that doesn't mean the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church. That means we're built on the same foundation on which they were built, the foundation which they laid in their preaching and ministry, the foundation laid in holy scripture, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord. in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. That's what a local church ought to be. That's what the church universal is, and that's what we ought to be.

In the temple of God, when they bought the stones out of the quarries and placed them in the temple, Those stones were not taken into the temple and they take a chisel or a hammer and start hewing the stones and making them fit in place. The stones were rough hewed. And they were brought into the temple and here's the wall being brought. Here's a stone, here's a stone, here's a stone. Here's a place for a stone. There's a stone over here. And they bring the rock in, they set it in there, and work it in. and work it in. Work it in. And when we got done, that rock fit perfectly together with other rocks. You see the picture?

That's how we're built together in the kingdom of God. Rex and Don had to rub against each other. And rubbing against each other in the exercise of day-by-day conduct and behavior as brethren were made to fit together. Look what it says in chapter 4 of Ephesians. With all loneliness and meekness, with all suffering forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. We're one in Christ Jesus. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. so that we're given ideas. Our Lord chose us and he placed us in his kingdom and we're given ideas to fit properly and usefully in the kingdom of God. Now our relationship to Christ, our obedience to him is the basis of our relationship to one another. Our relationship to one another in the Church of Christ is a matter of obedience to Christ, and it is a matter of a revelation or manifestation of our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, whatever my relationship is with Salad Ponsor, whatever it is, is a pretty good picture of my relationship with Jesus Christ.

That's the teaching in the New Testament. Our Lord said he did it to you, he did it to me. If you offer a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, it's just as if you'd offered it to me. If you cuss him, it's just as if you'd cussed me. Whatever my relationship is to you, that's a pretty good picture of what my relationship is to the Son of God.

It is a great privilege and a blessing to be a part of a local assembly. And with this great privilege we assume great responsibilities. Now obviously I can't begin to give a detailed exposition of these three blessed gospel ordinances in the next few minutes, but I want to touch on the highlights and I want to give you a Just a survey, but a crystal clear understanding of what baptism, church membership, and the Lord's Supper involve.

Follow with me to three passages of scripture. We will look first at Romans chapter six. And I want to talk to you about baptism. Romans six. Now let me one more time give you that which is a basic principle of biblical interpretation. I wish folks would learn it. Lord, I wish they'd learn it.

If you want to know what the Bible teaches about any subject, deal with it honestly. And the way you deal with it, honestly, is you go to the place in the New Testament or in the Word of God where that subject is dealt with and explained. It may be dealt with and explained in many places, but you don't pick out a verse here and pick out a verse there and say, hey, that's what it means. Rather, you go to the place where the subject is dealt with and understand what the Scriptures teach.

Let me illustrate what I'm saying before we look at Romans 6. If you want to understand what the Bible teaches about divorce and remarriage, that's a subject folks talk about a lot in our day. Jim, you don't go to Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7 is talking about law and grace. And divorce and remarriage is just used as an illustration of law and grace. You don't even go to Matthew chapter 5, 6, where our Lord deals with the questions concerning the Pharisees, and concerning the law.

But rather, you go to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. That's where the subject starts with. If you want to honestly deal with it, you deal with it on the basis of 1 Corinthians 7, and interpret all relevant passages in the light of 1 Corinthians 7. Now if you want to deal with baptism, let's understand what the Bible teaches about baptism.

You don't go back to Genesis 18 where Abraham circumcised Isaac. That's got nothing to do with baptism. Nothing to do with it. You don't go back to the Old Testament and bring in all the laws and regulations of Old Testament worship because baptism wasn't instituted in the Old Testament. Rather you go to Romans chapter 6, where the Apostle Paul, writing by divine inspiration, gives us a clear understanding of what baptism is.

You don't go to Acts 2.38, where the Apostle Peter says, be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins. You don't go to Acts 22, 16, where the apostle Paul is commanded to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins. Oh, there now, that teaches that baptism puts away sin. Oh no, it doesn't. You interpret those texts in the light of Romans chapter six. All right, let's read Romans six, verse one. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are, look at the word now, buried, buried, buried with him in baptism, into death. That, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that is, this is the basis of our baptism. This is the reason we do it.

That our old man is crucified with Christ. That the body of sin might be destroyed. That henceforth we should not sow sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we should believe that we should also live with him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What is baptism? Baptism is the believer's confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Just that simple, just that profound. Here, we tell folks the gospel in picture four. We demonstrate what we believe. We demonstrate our confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Now, let me try to answer five or six questions very briefly concerning baptism. What is it? As I said, it is a public confession of faith in a symbolic picture.

The apostle Peter said to those folks in Acts 2.36, Arise and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins now Folks jump on that and I said now there you see you get baptized so that you could have the remission of sins Terrible terrible terrible understanding of English grammar The word for does not mean in order to it means because of let me illustrate it for you notice that Soon Mr. Brandon, back there, is going to be getting his first report card, first nine weeks this semester.

Going to be getting it. You've been working hard, haven't you? Been working hard until he gets an A on that report card. Somewhere down the way. Then he can bring it home, and he will have gotten an A in order to have good, good study habits. That's nonsense. He gets the A because he has exercised good study habits. He got an aid for his work, an aid for his study habits. You understand that?

And we are baptized not in order to have our sins remitted, but because our sins have been remitted by the blood of Christ. By baptism, we show you how it was done. We were crucified with him. The apostle Paul was commanded by Ananias to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins. That means that you get in the water of baptism. And as one picture said, it means that the waters of baptism do the same thing the blood of Christ did. It washes away sin. Blasphemy. Oh, no. Oh, no. The waters of baptism picture the washing away of sin.

The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3.21 says, the life they give birth to baptism doth now save us. You mean baptism saves? No, he said it's a figure. It's a picture, that's all. No more and no less a picture of God's redeeming grace in Christ. Baptism is a public identification with Christ and his people. And it is a publicly avowed commitment to Christ.

When I was 16 years old, I got into a tank just like this, and an old man buried me symbolically. And I rose in that watery grave. And in doing so, I lifted my hand to God before a whole congregation of many women just like you. Friends, believers, and unbelievers. Family, schoolmates, workmates. And I said, from this day forward, I'm yours to walk in the newness of life. That's what it is. It's an avowed public commitment to Jesus Christ. I'm dead with Christ, dead to God's love, dead to this world, and alive to walk in the newness of life. One of these days, I will be raised up from the dead just like my master was.

Well, who should be baptized? Most all the confessions in Protestant churches say believers and their children. But we're not Protestants. We didn't have anything to protest from. We didn't come from the Catholic Church. The scriptures don't teach that believers and their children should be baptized. The scriptures teach that believers ought to be baptized. Only believers. It's called believers baptism because that's the only ones who participate in it.

The apostle, the evangelist Philip, and preached the gospel to the eunuch, Acts 8, 37. And Philip and the eunuch were riding along, and the eunuch, apparently, in preaching the gospel, taught him something about baptism, because that eunuch said to him, said, here's why I should not be baptized. And Philip said to him, if you believe with all your heart, you may. The eunuch said, well, I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He said, we'll hold up the chariot, then we'll get in the water. And he baptized him. But the condition of baptism was faith in Jesus Christ.

And never one time in this book is it ever illustrated that anybody other than a believer was baptized. Not one time. But what about baptizing babies? It's just a piece of Romanism. That's all. It's a leftover remnant of Roman Catholicism in which we hope that by sprinkling a little water on a baby's face and saying we're going to raise it as its godparents, we're going to raise that child to be a Christian, then we have done something for that child. It is nothing but a vestige of works religion and it ought to be identified as such and put away from us forever. How is baptism to be performed? Did you read the word B-U-R-I-E-B-U in text? Buried. Buried. Baptism means to immerse.

Why make such a big deal about it? Because that's the word we're sending you. Somebody will die for us. And you're going to die to get the glory. You can't live unless you die. You've got to die for the flesh. You've got to be crucified with Christ. Can you rise up in the nearness of life? What do you do when somebody's dead? You bury them. That's what baptism is all about. But why should all true believers be baptized?

I'll give you two reasons. Our Lord commanded it. He commanded it. He said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. More than that, It's the answer of a good conscience toward God. Baptism is the believer's first public act of obedience to Christ. My master says, go to the grave. I'm going to the grave. Just that simple. He commands it. Now, in order for my conscience to be more of a fence to withdraw, I'm going to obey him. Can a person be saved without baptism? That question is redundant, really, but it must be asked and answered. All of God's people are saved without baptism.

Baptism doesn't have a thing on us to do with saving you. Not a thing on this earth. You're saved by free grace without any works performed by you, me, or anybody else. Baptism does not confer grace. But anyone who refuses to be baptized is not saved. I don't have any questions saying that. A man or woman who refuses to be baptized is not born of God's Spirit because God's people are rebels. They're submissive to it. A fellow went to me a while back and Said, would you answer this question for me?

Do you find any place in the New Testament where unbaptized believers were allowed to sit at the Lord's Supper? And I wrote him back and said, I don't find any place in the New Testament where anybody who's unbaptized was called a believer. Fix the word. Believers confess Christ in baptism. Or should a believer ever be rebaptized? That is a good question. No. Never. If I have been baptized since I believe the gospel, there is no reason for me ever to be baptized again.

Well, what if the preacher turns out to be a scoundrel? Does that make your baptism null and void? No. He didn't do anything to me. He was just the instrument putting me in the water. Well, what if the church where you were baptized turns out to dissolve and just prove to be nothing? Well, that's got nothing to do with my baptism. The baptism between me and God. You understand that? It's between me and God. But what if you were baptized and later on, God taught you the gospel?

You've been baptized in false religion. Lisa Hart back here, I hope she don't mind me using you for an illustration. Let's suppose that as a Catholic, you had been immersed. And she comes in, she says, I want to join up church. And I said, well, have you been baptized? Oh, yes, I have. I was baptized as a baby. I was immersed in the Catholic Church.

And I'd say, honey, that's not baptism. That's a religious ritual in false religion. No, baptism comes after faith. Now if you have not been baptized since you believed, if you were baptized in a false profession of religion, then you need to confess Christ and believe his baptism, and deny the religion which you have left.

That's what you experience. By the rest it's experience. Just confess Christ and believe his baptism. So baptism, in the New Testament, is the believer's public confession of faith. in and allegiance to the Lord Jesus. Secondly, I want to talk to you about church membership. Church membership is the believer's fellowship and communion with Christ in his body. Now many today think little of church membership. Many who profess to be believers are not identified with or committed to any local church. Whatever their reason is, listen to me, whatever their reason is, they're dead wrong. Dead wrong. In the New Testament, by one means or another, men and women who were converted sought to unite with and found a place of membership in a local church. I don't pretend to understand Whether or not they kept the role, I don't know. It's insignificant. I don't pretend to understand what the details of how the early church went about practicing this thing. I just don't know. But I do know this.

In Acts chapter 9 and verse 26, we read that the apostle Paul assayed to join himself to the disciples. That means he applied for church membership. And the disciples said, no, we know this fella, he's a scoundrel. And then one took him by the hand and introduced him to him and said, no, he's been converted by God's grace. They said, well, come on in, brother, come on in.

When Phoebe went to Rome, the apostle Paul sent a letter recommending her to the church at Rome. You can read about it, Romans 16, verse one. So that this woman who was known to Paul was recommended to the church at Rome whom he did not know, but of whom he had only heard. And he said, now you receive her, because she's a faithful sister. You receive her.

So church membership is much like baptism in the spirit, believers only. A local church is a body of believers. Believers voluntarily united together in the name of Christ, for the glory of Christ, the fullness of the gospel, and the salvation of God's elect. And united together for their mutual ratification.

I was baptized. As I said a moment ago, a long time before I came to Danville. But when I joined Grace Baptist Church, 15 years ago, I publicly identified myself with this congregation and its doctrine. I publicly committed myself to this church. And I said, thy people shall be my people. Thy God, my God. And much as I failed, I've been faithful to it, committed to you, committed to this congregation, committed to the cause of Christ in this place.

Now the fellowship of believers in a local church is vital to our spiritual welfare. It's vital. Our spiritual growth and the grace and knowledge of Christ is in many ways dependent upon our relationship to and fellowship with the body of Christ. Believers need one another. We need each other.

I look so forward to coming here on Sunday morning and seeing your faces. First one here will be Lindsey Campbell. He'll walk through the door. Unless he's got car trouble, he'll be the first one through the door. I look forward to seeing him every Sunday. Sunday night, I look forward to seeing you. It's hard to tell who'll be your first Sunday night, just depends on who happens to get to town earliest, but I look forward to seeing you.

I need the encouragement. I need the strength of my brethren. I need the fellowship. I need to hear from you. I need to walk with you. I need the fellowship and strength and encouragement of God's saints. Don't you? Don't you? I need songs of praise. Sometimes I sit here and then you pick out a hymn and Suddenly we'll get to a verse. That's what I need. That's what I need.

I recall once, several years ago, I was preaching at a meeting and a friend, a man whom I had never met, a friend brought him up. This old man drove from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. He'd been there almost a week, and we were just sitting together one day. Sometimes what you need comes not just through the preaching of the word or through the songs we sing or through the special music, sometimes just through the proper word, a word spoken in season.

Me and this other man were talking. We were just chatting. And their wives were sitting around. We were just chatting. And this old man sitting over there had been quiet for about 30 minutes. I guess he must have been 65 years old or so. Tears started running down his cheeks. And you know, I don't have any idea what I said. I don't have any idea what I said. He said, that's what I drove up here to hear. That's what I drove up here to hear.

We need one another. We need each other. Church membership basically involves three things. It's commitment. commitment. These days, women foolishly go to shacking up with a fellow and say we don't need this paper. We love each other. Or I like commitment, don't you? I like commitment. Shelby and I, 25 years ago, stood in front of a preacher and a congregation of witnesses, made some commitments. Some commitments. I took her to be my wife. And I took her to be a husband to her. Commitment. I'll tell you something about commitment.

Commitments in a sense destroys freedom. It does. A married man just doesn't behave like he wasn't married. He just doesn't do it. It's a free bondage, but it's bondage. It's a voluntary giving up of certain freedoms, but it's giving up certain freedoms. A married woman doesn't behave like a woman who's not married. She just doesn't.

You commit yourselves to one another. And the Church of Christ is an assembly of men and women committed to one another for the glory of Christ, just to me. That means sometimes I may do things, delightfully do them, not because that's what I need or want or am pleased with. Because that's what you need, and want, and are pleased with. That's what commitment is. Commitment is dependability, faithfulness, loyalty. It always requires a measure of self denial, and self sacrifice. It always requires some effort. But most people don't know much about it. That's the reason marriages wind up in divorce and church folks get mad, run off, get upset, or get mad and stay, just stay mad.

I travel a lot, as you know. I see folks from all kinds of circumstances. I've been to conferences like we have. I appreciate so much you ladies, this year particularly, just so delightful in your service. I've been places where We may come in and just grumble and gripe and grumble and gripe and why do we have to do this? Why do we have to do that? Me and grumble and gripe. This is so much work. This is so... My soul. My wife works hard at setting my table to please me. She just, she works hard at it. Works hard at it.

But I tell you what, if she grumbled about me sitting down, I want you to know this was not fun. This is I've been, I've been doing something else today. I'd say, well, you just been doing something else today. You can forget it. I don't want it. Oh, no. Commitment. Why am I a slave like that? There's a man she loves. He's coming home to eat. That's why. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why do we give ourselves in commitment to one another in this assembly? Because I love you. And that man loves me. Demonstrates it continually. It's called commitment. God give us commitment. Let me give you a question. I want you to write it down somewhere, and I want you to study it. I want you to mull it over.

What kind of church would this church be if every member were just like me? What kind of church would this church be if every member were just like me? If everybody gave just as much as I give, I wonder how long the door would be open. If everybody spoke to and greeted folks just like me, I wonder how many folks would come and feel warm and welcome. If everybody attended services just like me, I wonder how long we'd be having services. that I need a little time to myself. I'm glad everybody had a little time to themselves this morning. I don't need to be somewhere else.

Oh, my soul. Commitment. Commitment. That's what's required in church membership. The Church of God is my family. And I'm going to tell you something. I'm a family man. I'm a family man. I pray for my family. I pray for them. I don't talk about praying for them. But I pray for them every day continually. Every day. I support my family. I serve my family. I speak well of my family. I speak well of my family. You You don't have a tough time getting anything bad from me about that girl over there. It just ain't gonna happen. It ain't. Don't you hear anything bad about her? I ain't gonna tell you. I already told you that. I ain't gonna tell you.

Speak well of my family. I promote my family. You do, don't you? Promote them. Let me tell you about my grandchildren. Let me tell you about my daughter. Let me tell you how my sons do it. And I enjoy the company of my family. All I do. Faith picks up the phone, calls, and she says, uh, thought I'd come over tonight and visit a while. I'll just drop whatever I'm doing. Come on, visit. That'd be all right. You got anything to do? Nothing. I don't want to do more than this. You come visit me. That's fine. I enjoy the company of my family. Do you?

Church membership is commitment to the family of God. And it gives me the privilege of communion and fellowship with the body of Christ. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. My Savior still walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He still makes himself known to his churches.

What is this unity, this commitment? It's a unity of doctrine. Around here we believe in free grace. And there's not any room for any disagreement. There's just not. Somebody may think that's bigoted. They may think that's divisive. Think what you will. This is what we believe. There's not room for anything else. The message of God's free grace, salvation, and Jesus Christ the Lord. It's an agreement of heart. It's being one with, one with and one for one another. It's unity. is dedication to the pursuit of one thing, the glory of God in Christ. It is a willing submission to one another for Christ's sake.

Turn over to Ephesians 5. I'll wrap this up here and we'll talk about the Lord's Supper maybe next Sunday afternoon. But turn to Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5. We're living in a day where everybody talks about being filled with the Spirit. Let me tell you what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you what it is. You want to live the Spirit-filled life?

It doesn't have a thing on this earth for getting your tongue dragging loose in your jaws. It doesn't have a thing on this earth for your eyes rolling back in your head and you falling out and laying in the floor and running like a mad dog. It doesn't have a thing to do with a religious fit.

No, it's very practical. To walk in the Spirit, Paul describes in Ephesians 5, 18, He said, be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. There it is. That is.

It's amazing to me how gloomy some folks are all the time, all the time. I know folks, I declare, I believe if they were to win, what's the big lottery? The big jackpot, whatever it is, if they were to win $50 million today, you walk in and ask them, and I say, how you doing, folks? I don't know whether this will last or not. You're scared to death all the time something horrible is going to happen or something bad is happening. Believers ought to be joyful.

We've got reason to sing and give praise to God. Reason to? Giving thanks always for all things to God. Why does it walk in the spirit ways to give him praise and it's to give thanks to him, recognizing he does everything well and whatever comes to pass he did it. So I give him praise. Look at verse 21. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. What is it to walk in the spirit? Why it's to submit my rights and my ambitions, my pleasure to somebody else.

Vicki Raleigh's downstairs this morning. I think she's the one keeping the nursery. You know what? She'd probably hear me if I make that speaker on. I'd just bet anything she'd rather be sitting out there beside you. Bet anything she would. She raised her sons, you raise yours. Now she's keeping the nursery so mamas can sit up here, hear the gospel, worship God.

I ain't going to do that. I know. But if you ever walk in the spirit, you will. I'm not going to sit down and cook and feed folks my ass. I know. I know. But if you ever walk in the spirit, you will. I'm not going to spend my time and effort and earn my money and give it to missionaries and give it to this group. I know. I know. But if you ever walk in the spirit, You will. I'm not gonna do this, do that. I know, I know you will. I won't either. But if you ever walk in the spirit, you submit to one another for the glory of God. Just do it. Just do it. Take it along. Take it along in your family and take it along in the church.

It's fellowship. Real, sincere fellowship in love. You see, church membership is more than having your name on the same church roster. It's commitment to the body of Christ and communion with Christ. It's care for the body of Christ. Listen to this passage here in 1 Corinthians 12. That there be no schism, the word is divisions, in the body. Oh, don't cut your finger off. That's foolish. No schisms.

But that the member should have the same care, one for another. That means that Don Fortner ought to care for Buddy Darty just like Don Fortner cares for Don Fortner. That's what it means. Care for you and yours just like I care for me and mine. Same care, one for another.

And whether one member suffer, well, when his heart's broken, your heart's broken, all members suffer with it. One member is honored. See Buddy's picture in the paper yesterday? All the members are honored. That's my brother. That's my brother. All the members are honored with it. And all rejoice with Now you're the body of Christ. And members, distinctly, you, member. You, member. You, member. One of another. Christ is the head. That's the way it ought to be. That's the way it ought to be.

It didn't come near getting done, but Lord willing, I'll talk to you next week about the Lord's Supper when we come together at the Lord's table next Sunday afternoon. You just kindly plan on that. May God add his blessings now to his word and make us live according to our profession as believers, united to Christ, united to one another, to live in this world for the glory of God. You know, it's just hard to tell what God might do with such a people. It's hard to tell. Amen.

The Challenge of Grace

What does the Bible say about baptism?

How do we know the doctrine of the universal church is true?

Why is church membership important for Christians?

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The Challenge of Grace

What does the Bible say about baptism?

How do we know the doctrine of the universal church is true?

Why is church membership important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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