|
We are
automatically members of the Body of Messiah by
the work of God. We are joined to God the Father
and God the Son by the Holy Spirit. We are also
members of one another. All of the sons and daughters
of God are members of the same universal community
that belongs to the Lord.
But, in
our situation, we need that reality formalized
by membership. Just as faith alone will save you,
but baptism is a kind of public declaration of
your faith and identification with Messiah, so
membership in the Body of Messiah is essential,
but we need public declaration of membership in
Congregation Shema Yisrael.
We are
not in the same situation as were first century
congregations. Then, there was one community in
a city. Everyone believed the same things. The
leadership was unified. Now, the Body of Messiah
has been divided in fragments with different beliefs.
We need to know who belongs to us, and if they
agree with us, and are committed to us, and are
part of us, and are submitted to us.
Membership
in our congregation is like a covenant. There
are many examples of individuals and groups making
agreements with each other to achieve various
purposes. We are a covenant community who has
come together around the Holy Scriptures, and
the salvation and lordship of Messiah Yeshua,
working together to fulfill God’s will.
It is permissible to ask people to formally enter
into our covenant.
We want
people to make formal commitments to become part
of our covenant community. There is a difference
between attenders and members. It's like the difference
between couples who just “live together”
and those who get married. Those who get married
are committed to each other and a common agenda,
and publically formalize that commitment. They
make a covenant with each other.
Membership
defines who can be counted on. Pastor
Germando Jordan noted: Every team has a roster.
Every school has an enrollment. Every business
has a payroll. Every army has an enlistment. Even
our country takes a census and requires voter
registration. Membership identifies our synagogue
family. People who come to Shema should know what
we believe and why we believe it. They should
share our goals. Then they should openly declare
their allegiance to the congregation so we know
they can be counted on. This is done through membership.
Membership
helps with accountability. The leaders
of our congregation need to know who are committed
to our leadership. We know who we are responsible
for; who have submitted themselves to our care.
“Obey your leaders and submit to them;
for they keep watch over your souls, as those
who will give an account. Let them do this with
joy, and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable
for you” (Hebrews 13:17). Membership
helps with your accountability to your leaders,
and the accountability of your leaders to God.
The New
Testament places a major emphasis on the need
for the Lord’s children to be accountable
to each other and to submit to one another. Ephesians
5:21 - be subject to one another in the fear
of Messiah. We are commanded to love each
other, pray for each other, encourage each other,
admonish each other, greet each other, serve each
other, teach each other, accept each other, honor
each other, bear each other's burdens, forgive
each other, sing to each other, submit to each
other and be devoted to each other. All of these
commands are what membership in a local body of
believers is all about. These are the responsibilities
of membership. You can’t be accountable
when you’re not committed to any specific
congregation.
It’s
good that you come because you like or respect
me or Rabbi Glenn. It’s good that you come
because you like the teaching because it is sound.
But those reasons are not enough! There
may be times when you don’t like me or Rabbi
Glenn. You also need to come because God is
calling you to be here, and asking you to be part
of our community, and accountable to our leadership,
as God’s authority figures in your life.
Membership
creates commitment which is an antidote to our
uncommitted society. We live in an age
where very few want to be committed to anything
- a job, a marriage, our country, a congregation.
This attitude has produced a kind of “consumer
religion.” People go from congregation to
congregation, shopping for what suits their tastes.
If one group feels a little old or stale, it’s
time to move on to the next. Membership combats
that lack of commitment.
Membership
creates commitment which creates interest. It
is like ownership of a home. You take more of
an interest when you have a commitment to it.
Commitment
builds character. Being an attender and not a
member requires no commitment. When things are
going it is easy to be an attender who comes and
shares in the blessings. But when things are going
badly, it is also easy to leave. Membership helps
with commitment.
Membership
creates commitment which produces endurance. If
I say or do something non members don’t
like, there is no commitment to stay. It’s
easy for those who are not members to stand on
the sidelines, point fingers and throw rocks,
and say things like: “he’s not my
pastor/rabbi. I am not accountable to him. I don’t
have to agree with him or listen to him.”
If you are a member, you stay and work through
the problems - which builds character. You stick
it out. You endure. You see it through.
Membership
helps with congregational discipline.
Congregations are communities. They are extended
families. They need to order themselves. When
someone is out of order, he needs to be corrected.
When correction is needed, members are more committed
to go through the disciplinary process. Those
who are not members leave us in a position that
makes it difficult to bring correction.
Membership
protects us. We are a distinct community,
with out own history, vision, bylaws, finances
and goals. Let’s say we had our annual business
meeting, and 400 members from a church turned
up, and voted to disband us and give our assets
to their church?
Membership
fulfills our legal requirements. Our
bylaws specify that we need members.
Benefits
of membership to you. Members have a
higher priority in our time and resources than
non-members. We listen to members more than non-members
when they offer advice. Those who are not members
have little or no voice in the decision-making.
It’s like a visitor coming into your home
and telling you how you should run it.
For all
of these reasons, the elders feel strongly about
the need for those who are regularly coming to
this congregation and consider us to be their
congregation, but have not become members,
to become members.
Clarification:
not everyone is called to be a member of Congregation
Shema Yisrael. There are those who are part of
a church but like to visit us, and help out, and
that’s fine. We welcome them! This appeal
to become a member at Shema is directed toward
those who come to Shema and consider us to be
their congregation, but have not become members.
|
