Category: Local Church

For many years my feet have stood planted on the same hardwood floors, hands firmly grasped on the wooden back of the pew in front of me. Some Sundays met with swaying and smiles, others with tears, heartache, and questions. In that same space, on the same row in the same small country church, my faith has flourished, my faith has been challenged, my faith has struggled, my faith has grown. 

The term “since before you were born” rings no truer than when talking about my upbringing in the church. It was where my parents brought me as an infant and dedicated me to the Lord, where I ran after children’s church to my dad’s lap, where I snuck naps and snacks hiding in the pew when I was too young to pay attention to the sermon. Those pews were the ones that held my family when my dad got sick, when his cancer worsened, and where we said our final goodbye to him. That same wooden floor is where I stood as a middle schooler questioning what it meant to be a Christian, as a high schooler trying to figure out how to live in the world but not of it, and even as a college student when I was maturing in my understanding of the beauty of Scripture and being a disciple of Christ. 

The foundations of my faith were shaped within those wooden walls. The trials, the heartache, the seasons of joy, the wrestling against the big questions of life were dealt with in those pews and at that altar. That same church pew has been a space that my life has existed for its entirety. 

I stood in that same place this past weekend. I don’t get to visit quite as often as I used to, but every time I do I leave incredibly grateful. As I stood in my normal spot next to my family, I looked down at my hands placed where they have fallen many times before. I noted the scratches and scuffs in the wood around them and wondered how many were put there by me. What stories I bet they could tell. 

There is no power in that church pew. Nothing miraculous about those wooden floors where my heels dig in. But in that place is where the Lord has met me time and time again. This weekend I couldn’t help but recall His faithfulness to me. From the little girl running to her father’s arms to the now-married woman learning daily to rely on the Heavenly Father. 

In our youth group at the church my husband and I attend in Montgomery we’ve been talking a lot about testimonies. Many of the students in our youth group have similar stories as mine. Most of them have also been raised in a local church from the time they were young. We talked with them about how several of them feel that do not have much of a story to tell. Standing in that church pew on Co Rd 44 this weekend reminded me of mine. 

If you’ve been around church your whole life it’s easy to go along with the motions of things. There are some dangerous places those motions will take you if you’re not careful:

1 – You can live your whole life assuming there is some kind of saving power in a church building. You can miss the Gospel and assume “salavation by relation”. Sister or brother – repent and believe. Going to church cannot save you anymore than going in the ocean makes you a fish! (Sounds silly – but it’s true!) No amount of church services you attend can take away your sins. In Christ alone can you know true hope. 

2 – You can be puffed up in pride and not even realize it. A sin I struggled with (read: STRUGGLE with) is pride. I’ve been taught the Bible since the time I was born. It’s easy to think that this earns you some kind of “christian merit” and walk around like you can do no wrong, casting judgement to all those who struggle outwardly with sin. Brother and sister – check your heart. Ask the Lord to humble you and show you your sin. You must rely on Him as your Savior no matter how many Bible verses you can quote. 

3 – You can become numb to the true message of the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that we were dead in our trespasses and sins – all fall short of the glory of God. Whether you’ve got a permanent spot in a church pew or not, you were wretched in sin without Christ. Your sin was serious. It completely alianted you from Christ. It’s easy to assume that because by the standards of the world you aren’t “that bad” that God sees you the same way. Hardly. Sin brings death and God cannot be associated with it. Even if you realized your need for a Saviour at a young age – you DO have a testimony! The Lord saved you from the miry pit, redeemed you, called you His own and gave you the promise of eternal life. Everyday since He has been sanctifying you through the Holy Spirit. That is an incredibly powerful story to tell. Brother and sister – don’t fall numb to the power of the Gospel. 

I praise God for that front left pew in Blackwood Church where the Lord saved me. What an incredible gift of grace that I get to know Him as my Father. Don’t forget to remember your story and rejoice in the gift of salvation – no matter where you stood before you knew Christ. 

It is the eve of November 3rd. I’ve thought many times about what life will look like once the next president has taken office. Whether it be your personal choice or not, one of the candidates will be the 46th president of the United States. 

The last year has been a tough one for most. COVID-19 has caused so many to face unexpected health and financial trials. Unrest runs rampant in our streets. Many fear what is to come. 

I’ve only ever voted in one election. Though I’ve been alive for several others, it seems that this one is different. You have heard it says, “this is the most important election ever” and while I don’t disagree that this one is important, it’s not the level of importance that feels so different to me. 

Disunity has taken root in the lives of many, and christians are not exempt from that. Sadly, I don’t think we have done that great of a job of preventing it much at all. 

So, as voting polls close and all ballots are cast and Biden or Trump take the office, what will happen? What will November 4th mean for us? 

As I have personally tried to weigh the decision I will make on November 3rd, my heart has really broken to see how many brothers and sisters have split over differing opinions. I understand that there are some pretty weighty things at stake this election – ones that should not be overlooked. But, as followers of Christ, how should we respond to differences of opinions? 

After the election is over and there is a president, will unity in the church return? Will brothers and sisters come together under their common faith no matter the president? I’m worried, instead, that satan will continue to stir disunity in our congregations. 

So, how should we combat this? Here are a few things that I think christians should be reminded of:  

Our Calling Has Not Changed: 

No matter the president, God is still sovereign. He has not stepped down off of the throne. There won’t be chaos in Heaven trying to decide what moves to take because they weren’t expecting the outcome. God has not changed. His promises have not changed. Our calling has not and will not change. 

As believers, our sole purpose on this earth is to bring glory to Christ in all that we do. Simply put, we are called to know Him and make Him known. That won’t be any different whether Biden or Trump holds the title of “president.”

Knowing this truth, that our calling as followers of Christ hasn’t shifted, should we not rally around the Gospel and seek to tell the lost about Christ even more? 

Now more than ever we have seen how futile this world that we live in is. The Gospel, not policies and laws, is the hope of this world. No matter the president and no matter the state of our country – THIS is our calling, to go into all the world and make disciples. (Matthew 28:20)

The government doesn’t have the same calling that we do as christians. We have to be willing to get a little dirty and love those around us. That’s been our purpose from the beginning and it still will be after this election, and for all the ones to come. He makes it pretty clear that we are to love Him and love others – so let’s do that. 

His Word is True: 

We know that there are absolutes in Scripture that tell us, as christians, very clearly how we are to walk out our faith. But there are also issues that aren’t clearly stated in Scripture. As brothers and sisters I am sure we have all come to ideas that we differ on. Predestination? Post or pre millennialism? The list could go on. 

So, in our politics, there are bound to be differences in how we view things. While I wholeheartedly believe there are issues that do very clearly have a structure in Scripture, some do not. I really appreciate the way it was explained by two pastors in a podcast I listened to recently with the idea of whole church issues vs not whole church issues. 

Basically, there are things that very much are stated in scripture that christians should agree on. Those are whole church issues. Other issues that are a little less clear are ones that christians can vary on. It’s important to know the difference between the two.

The point is this: as christians, we are to hold Scripture up against our lives, our beliefs, our political leanings and all else. As brothers and sisters in Christ we should be able to encourage each other to do this. If we fall on different sides of a few issues we can ask ourselves – is this something scripture clearly states or not? Can we be unified in Christ with these differences? 

The more important question is probably this – are we treasuring Christ’s Word as the supreme guide of all aspects of our lives? If we are believers we can’t draw lines around the parts of our lives we want the Word to impact and which ones it’s not allowed to touch. We must believe that above all else, His Word is true. 

He is Still on the Throne

I mentioned this earlier, but I think it’s a vital point to end on. 

I’ve heard some people say that they are so fearful of what’s to come if America goes one way or the other on this election. While I, too, have some concerns about what our lives will look like if this or that takes place, I must realize that no matter what happens God is still sovereign. 

I often consider the Old Testament times in the Bible and what the people of those days faced. Think of the Israelties in Egypt. We very clearly see their struggle to trust that God was going to do what He had promised. We have way more reason to trust God now than they did, and yet we still doubt. 

We can rest assured in this truth – God is King. The Psalms repeat it over and over that the world is His, and all that is in it is under His control. We can find so much comfort in this truth, while also walking out in boldness because we know that this world is not our home. We are only pilgrims passing through. 

So, when the election is over and the next president takes office, no matter who it is, let’s fight for unity among christians. We were never promised that life on this earth will be easy. American christians know very little about persecution. I’m not at all wishing for persecution to come, but Scripture is pretty clear that we will face it. If it comes to us through the means of a president and corrupt policies, why should we be surprised? 

No matter the outcome, our calling has not changed, His Word is still true, and He is still on the throne. So, go vote on November 3rd. It is extremely important. We should steward our citizenship well and honor Christ by exercising our right to vote. But come home and find peace in the fact that the outcome of the 2020 election does not determine your eternity – Christ does. 

Buckle down, brothers and sisters. Now is the time to dig in and know Christ more than ever. We are His ambassadors on this earth. During this season, how well will we represent Him in our calling to unity around the Gospel? 

I’ve never really known life outside of a local church. As the saying goes, I was there even before I was born! My parents were faithful members of our small, country church. My dad was an elder, my mom a member of the choir, and the head of several committees. Growing up I knew every VBS song, Bible memory verse, and had worn the angel halo every year for the children’s Christmas play. 

My church family was way more than just a church family – they were my family. When my dad passed away from colon cancer in 2002, they were the ones that carried us through. They walked beside my mom, sister, brother, and me during some of the toughest days in our lives. Not only that, but they stayed by our side. My mom, now a single mother of 3, never had to worry about having help. 

My church helped lay the foundations of my faith. They taught me Scripture, showed me what it meant to live as a Christian, and loved me selflessly, with their entire self. 

When I first moved to college I knew that I needed to find a church to be a part of. I had only ever known one church, and I had no idea how to look for a new one. The Lord graciously led me to First Baptist Church of Troy. It was there that I began to see that I didn’t have a very good grasp of what it meant to be a member of a local church. Though I had grown up in the church and had seen an incredible example of how the church should operate, I had never really put any thought into why it was operating that way. What was the purpose of the local church? Why was I supposed to go to church? Thankfully, I had some awesome teachers that helped me figure out the answer to those questions. 

Living in the south, many people view the church as a safety net. They mindlessly attend because it’s the thing you’re supposed to do. They listen to the pastor and maybe even serve in some ways. At some point, their church membership becomes their salvation – instead of the actual saving power of Christ. They begin to see their Christianity in the number of services attended, positions held, and Bible studies led. They have missed a huge piece to the Christian faith – the Gospel. 

What is the local church? 

“The local church is the authority on earth that Jesus has instituted to officially affirm and give shape to the Christian life and yours.”
Church Membership, Jonathan Leeman
Page 24 

“…the Bible establishes the local church as your highest authority on earth when it comes to your discipleship to Christ and your citizenship in Christ’s presence and promised nation.”
Church Membership, Jonathan Leeman
Page 25

The best way that I’ve ever heard it explained is that the local church is like an embassy for the Kingdom of God. Just as if you were to visit another country, you could find the embassy of the United States that represents that nation inside of another nation. An embassy protects the citizens of the home nation within the host nation. So, the church is the embassy of God’s Kingdom – a nation represented inside of another nation, a public face to our future nation. 

What is Church membership? 

“To be a Christian is to belong to a church.”
Church Membership, Jonathan Leeman
Page 46

“Church membership is a formal relationship between a church and a Christian characterized by the church’s affirmation and oversight of a Christian’s discipleship and the Christian’s submission to living out his or her discipleship in the care of the church… Church membership, in other words, is all about a church taking specific responsibility for you, and you for a church.”
Church Membership, Jonathan Leeman
Page 64 

Though there are many many details I could get into when discussing church membership, I want to point out one thing – church membership is for the Christian. 

Church membership is Biblical and the basis of it is laid out in Scripture. You can see that in the lives of the apostles in the New Testament. Check out the book of Acts for more on this! 

So why take the time to explain those two things? Because I believe many people have misconstrued the definition of the local church and church membership. More than ever, many Christians have been challenged in their view of the church in the midst of COVID-19 shutdowns. 

“The more pastors I talk to, the more concern there is for a spiritual falling away of members as a result of the last several months. Here’s my personal and very humble take on what is happening.

For years, we’ve held church attendance (even spotty) as the gold standard of being a Christian. I think this is especially true in the deep South Bible Belt. We’ve failed to disciple and train our people to feed themselves the word of God, spend time every day in communion with God through prayer, actively share the gospel through witnessing, and hunger after God through fasting.

For several months, COVID took away the one thing that many self-proclaimed Christians held, again, as the benchmark of good Christianity. All that remained was the foundation of the spiritual disciplines and when our house of Christianity isn’t built on a solid foundation it falls like stacked cards when even the smallest wind blows.

Our personal daily walk with Christ cannot be neglected because when everything else is stripped away it will determine how long we survive.”

Daniel Atkins
pastor of Taylor Road Baptist Church, Montgomery via Facebook

I believe this quote by pastor Daniel Atkins sums up what many are facing right now in their faith – what exists of it without church attendance? I think there are two ways to look at this: 

First – The truth of Salvation

As explained in Pastor Atkins’ post, salvation is far more than church attendance. Jesus is the solid foundation that our Christian life should be built upon – not church membership.

Salvation is the free gift of God that was purchased by Jesus on the cross. Because of the wretchedness of our sin, we were eternally separated from God – there was no way we could have mustered up the might, the talent, or the retribution for our sinfulness to present ourselves as worthy to God. So, he made a way. 

Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, lived on earth as fully man and fully God. He faced the same realities (though of course in a different culture and time) that we face each day. The emotions we feel, he felt. The struggles we face, he also struggled with. One massive difference between us and Jesus, however, is that He never sinned – not once. 

He was led to the cross and took upon himself the punishment that in our sin we deserved (Rom 6:23.) In those moments on the cross, Christ took on the sin of the world and faced death and separation from His father. 

Thankfully, that’s not the end of the story. Three days later Christ defeated death and rose again. Because of this glorious truth, we can know Him and be called His sons and daughters! Coming to Him with recognition of our sin and an understanding of our need for a savior, He calls us his own! 

With that explanation of the Gospel, be sure you notice this – there is no effort of our own selves that brings us to salvation. Even in the recognition of our sin, that’s His working in our hearts to open our eyes to even know that we are in need of Him. There’s not enough good deeds, church attendance, or service that we can do in our communities that place us in a position of rightness before God. 

Church attendance, even in its best efforts, affords us nothing in light of salvation. 

Second – The call to church membership 

Understanding that truth of salvation, we can now consider the other side of church attendance. 

As I said above, nothing we do can earn us salvation or a right relationship with Christ. Salvation is solely by grace through faith (Eph 2:8.) 

So, where does church membership fall? Church membership is not something you do to become a Christian, but it is what you do because you are a Christian. We are called, as faithful followers of Christ, to be members of a local church body. This is not to earn salvation, but instead because of it.

Just like reading your Bible, praying, evangelizing, and serving will not grant you favor with God, neither will church membership. However, all of these things are fruits of the life of a Christian. We should be reading our Bible, spending time in prayer, sharing the love of Christ, and serving those around us because of our salvation. 

Being a part of a local body is far more than just Sunday attendance. Local church membership is a gathering of believers close in a geographical location that submit to their church leadership, serve one another, use their individual talents for the betterment of the entire body, practice discipleship and evangelism, take part in Holy Communion, and seek to represent Christ to a lost world. As a member, you are called to bring about unity, not concerned only with your preferences and desires, but one that seeks to bring glory to the Lord through your submission and commitment to your local church. 

Church membership is a gift from God to be treasured, not something to just haphazardly go through the motions of. 

COVID-19 and the Church

I asked a series of questions on my Instagram story the other day in relation to this post. 

Here are some of the stats: 

93% of participants were members of a local church 

64% said their church held both online Sunday services + other small groups online during COVID shutdowns 

Out of roughly 200 participants, 103 of them said they struggled more in their walk with the Lord during time away from the church.

Almost 90% of participants said they believe that church membership for a Christian is very important. 

I was encouraged to hear from so many how the Lord had used this time to draw them closer to Himself. It seems as though with churches forced to transition to online-only, many had their faith stripped to the bare bones. In that place, many recognized that their salvation was not built on the foundation of Christ, but instead their “good deeds” as they tried to look like a Christian to earn favor with God. 

This one truth was echoed throughout the conversations I had from those Instagram questions – I think we’ve both recognized the importance of the local church during this time, while also gaining a greater understanding of the requirements of a life lived for Christ even outside the walls of the church. 

As church doors slowly begin to reopen, my prayer is that you would consider the basis of your church membership. I know for me personally, I have been able to grow in such a great appreciation for my local church and my calling to it as a Christian. I now want to attend church way more than I did before because I see how much it negatively impacted my life when I was not united with the church body regularly. I also have been challenged to practice more diligently the “quiet” and “behind the scenes” practices of my faith like spending daily time in Scripture and in prayer. Those things, alongside church membership, are not where we find our salvation, but instead should be the practices of our lives because of the incredible graciousness of Christ that we have been shown in being called sons and daughters. 

A few considerations for you on the way out: 

• Have you truly recognized the depths of your sin and your need for a Savior, leading you to salvation?
• Are you approaching church solely to have your needs met or to check off the box and attain “good Christian” status?
• Do you understand the Biblical basis of the local church and why, as Christians, it is a requirement of us?
• Are you submitting to your local church and seeking to serve as an active member, viewing your church as the embassy of God’s Kingdom here on earth? 

Resources: 

Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman 
I Am A Church Member by Thom S. Rainer