Bible Question: What, if anything, does God say about church membership? My family has been going to a church for two years, but have not become members. We attend every service, are extremely active in several ministries there, tithe faithfully, and are always willing to help out in ANY way we can. Our pastor asked my husband yesterday when we planned on joining the church. My husband said, as nicely as he could, that he did not feel led of the Lord to join just now. Our pastor got angry and said that everything that we do for God meant nothing without being a member of a church, and that we would not receive any eternal blessings for any of it? WHAT? We just want to see lost people find Jesus, that would be our greatest reward. Does anyone know where he is getting that from? |
Bible Answer: Greetings, This is really a great question... Is church membership a requirement? a requirement for what? to receive eternal blessings? How about to gain entrance into heaven, or even gain entrance into the church that is so closely guarded by this well-meaning pastor? Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to go to any certain building. What is a church? a building or (cf. Eph 5:23) the Body of which Christ is the head? True, we are told often enough to gather ourselves together, but we are not told to bring others to church, we are commissioned to bring the gospel message message to them. |