The New Testament knows of no believer who is not connected to a local body. In fact, when you read through it, you can see the clear presupposition that every believer was connected to a church!
In fact, the Apostle Paul goes so far as to compare our connectedness with the body to parts of the human body… Each of us is an important part, right? You are an eye, or an ear, etc. Think about that for just a minute… That means His blood runs through us. His Spirit gives us life. His will moves us. He feels our pain, cleanses us when we get dirty, nurses our wounds, and cherishes us with pride.
When you “leave the church,” you are not simply leaving a club. When you walk away, you dismember yourself from the body. Jesus and the rest of the body sorely miss you, and bleed after your departure. You cut yourself off from your only source of life and nourishment. Like an amputated hand, you will slowly bleed out, wither, and die.
Ephesians 5:29-30
No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.
It Only Makes Sense
When you become a believer, you are part of the church at large… The Invisible Church. But, to imply you can be part of the greater community without first being part of the smaller is not logical. Just like you can’t be part of Rotary International without also being part of a local chapter. You can’t be part of the universal human family without first being part of a small immediate family.
It Is Biblical
Every letter in the New Testament assumes Christians are members of local churches. The letters themselves are addressed to local churches. They teach us how to get along with other members, how to encourage the weak within the church, how to conduct ourselves at church, and what to do with unrepentant sinners in the church. They command us to submit to our elders, and encourage us to go to our elders to pray. All these things are impossible if you aren’t a member of a local church. (See 1 and 2 Corinthians, James, Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and 1 Peter for references.)
Asking where the Bible commands you to be a church member is like asking where the USGA rulebook for golf insists you be a human. The whole book is addressed to the church.
It is Spiritually Healthy
Independence—the desire to choose for myself what’s right and wrong—is at the heart of sin. Each of us needs the humility lesson of submitting to flawed elders. Each of us needs the encouragement of sharing victories with our church. We all need the fellowship of sharing sufferings with our church.
Look… All of us are “in this struggle together,” (Phil 1:30) and we won’t walk away from you just because you let us down or we disagree. Together we build each other up into the image of Christ; no one can make it alone.
Investigate further
This Sunday, we are holding our next “Orchard Orientation” at The Orchard Church, where you can discover what our body is all about. You can come, make new friends, and see if our body is where God is calling you to be connected. More information is on our website. I hope you will join us.