When people hear the word “membership,” they think about being part of a gym or a wholesale club. Membership is often thought of to come with privileges, perks, and benefits. Members are served. Is this what it means to be a member of a Christian church? Paul explains the metaphor of the Church as being a body with many members with Christ as the head (1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12). At the heart of this is love (1 Corinthians 13). Forgiven by the love of God through the love Jesus has for us to win us forgiveness, we can love God and others. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” He has placed us all in the Church with different gifts. In this series we look to build a strong healthy Church by asking the question “What does it mean to be a church member?”

Week 1 – Many churches only have 1/3 of their membership active and functioning. Meaning if your membership is 300, only 100 are regularly in worship and serve in joy. This week we look at what it means to be a functioning member of the body of Christ led by His love.

When it comes to the uncomfortable topic of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, it is natural to want to avoid the issue. One way we do that is to direct our attention to more theoretical questions. “What is heaven like?” “How old will we be there?” Today someone asks, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?” Jesus brushes all such questions aside. Instead, he answers the question we should be asking. “How might I be saved?” Jesus explains there is only one way—entering through a very narrow door. Jesus’ words cut deep! For he teaches that it is very easy to develop a false sense of security about our standing before God based on some superficial familiarity we have with him. Jesus warns that many who think they are on the path to heaven will end up shut out. These wounding words of Jesus provide healing, pushing us toward that narrow door: faith in him.

We often divide humanity into groupings that are not really significant: this ethnic group versus that one, men versus women, wealthy versus poor. Yet, every ethnic group is under God’s law. That law equally convicts men and women of sin. Because of sin, both the wealthy and poor will die. Only through faith in Christ is sin forgiven and the sting of death removed. God’s Word creates that saving faith, but not in everyone who hears it. Fallen mankind retains the awful power to reject the Word and God’s gift of faith. Therefore, God’s Word produces the only people distinction that matters—believers and unbelievers. We desire to live in peace with other people. But Jesus teaches, this side of heaven, that desire is a pipe dream. Those who embrace the gospel in faith will inevitably face hostility. Following Jesus will come at a price. Yet he promises that our perseverance will be rewarded.

Money. Possessions. Perhaps more than anything else, those things have the power to turn our attention away from what is truly important. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus frequently teaches about wealth. Christ wants us to understand that it is our heavenly Father who provides us with those useful resources. But we need to know why our Father gives them: what they are useful for, and what they are not useful for. Those resources cannot give purpose or meaning to our lives on earth. They cannot give us security for life after this earth. However, the blessings God provides can bring some joy to our lives. More importantly, our wealth is extremely useful in our efforts to serve God and others. This week let us give our undivided attention to what Christ says about the useful resources our gracious Father provides to us.

In recent weeks we learned that everyone who has seen the grace of God will, whenever the opportunity arises, serve as a witness for Christ. However, Scripture teaches that there is also a need for individuals for whom gospel proclamation is their full-time focus. There are many different terms for these workers: shepherds, pastors, teachers, ministers, missionaries, etc. These workers are called by God himself through the Church to proclaim law and gospel in some public capacity. Called workers carry out their calling, not because of what they might gain from the flock, but because of what the flock might gain from Jesus through public ministry. Jesus taught there will always be a want for such workers. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2). So, this is a topic worthy of our undivided attention.

There is the type of fan who follows his team if they make the playoffs. Then there is the type of fan who, regardless of his team’s record, watches every game and knows the stats for every player. There are different types of followers: the half-hearted versus the committed. Jesus is uninterested in followers who pay attention to his Word and will only when their other pursuits provide the time. Jesus wants followers who are all in . . . who love him above all things . . . who would be willing to leave everything else behind if that were what it would take to be with him. We simply do not have it inside us to produce that level of commitment. But in the gospel, we see how Jesus went all in for our salvation. As we witness the way Jesus made our eternal happiness the focus of his undivided attention, the Spirit creates within us the very commitment that Christ seeks.

At the top of the list of things worthy of our undivided attention: God. That does not mean if we focus long and hard, we will understand all there is to know about God. That is impossible! For example, Scripture teaches that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our reason objects, “How can three be one?” So, God’s very existence is a mystery, far beyond our ability to comprehend, no matter how long we ponder it. Yet, while we cannot understand everything about our God, he is still worthy of our undivided attention. For there is plenty about God’s majesty that we can understand. We can understand that God provides for us as a loving Father. We can understand how much God loves us, for that was proven in the sacrifice of God the Son. We can understand that every time we gather in the name of our Triune God, the Holy Spirit grants us the greatest of blessings. These truths are worthy of our undivided attention!

Jesus ascended into heaven. That does not mean the gospel has ceased to spread around the world. For Jesus promised to send another advocate to represent God to the world: the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the constant companion of believers in these Last Days. We conclude this worship series with this glorious thought: because he lives, Christ sends us his Spirit.

That raises some questions. Where? How? If God now reveals himself by his Spirit, where is the Holy Spirit found? How does he come to us? God has not left the answer to those questions in doubt. When Jesus promised to send the Spirit, he indicated that the Spirit’s work would be connected to words, specifically to God’s Word. As a result, we need never wonder where we can find the Spirit or how he comes to us. Where the Word is proclaimed, there you will find the Holy Spirit’s presence and blessing.

Welcome to worship today at Morrison Zion Lutheran Church. We exist to glorify God. We… read more