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Why Belong To A Local Church? - Part 3

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42

Whenever a child is born, it must become a member of a specific family in order to receive nurture and care, and grow up healthy and strong. The same is true of you! The difference between being a church attender and a church member is - commitment. Attenders are consumers; members are contributors. Attenders want the benefits without any responsibility or accountability. They’re like couples who want to live together without committing themselves to a lifetime of marriage. Joining a local church family proves you’re committed! You see, God wants you to love real people, not ideal people. You could spend a lifetime searching for the perfect church but you’d never find it. Furthermore, if you joined it, it wouldn’t be perfect anymore. You are called to love imperfect people, just as God loves you! The Christians in Jerusalem "'committed themselves to' life together..." and God expects that same commitment of you. The Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ; it involves commitment to other believers as well. The believers in Macedonia understood this. Listen: "First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will they gave themselves to us as well" (2 Corinthians 8:5). Joining a local church is a natural next step, once you’ve become a child of God through the waters of Baptism. You become a Christian by committing yourself to Christ. You become a ‘member’ by committing yourself to a specific group of believers. The first brings salvation, the second brings fellowship and fulfillment - and you need both!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, if I am not part of a community of believers – a church, help me find one that teaches your Word. If I am a member, Lord help me be more committed to the Body. In Jesus’ Name, Amen