Loyalty To The Local Church
The local church is composed of individual Christians in a given locality, who by mutual consent have banded for work and worship. They have an oversight, when men have been selected as elders, according to the qualifications of the Holy Spirit, and they pool their resources in a common treasury out of which money is used to provide for the work that God has authorized the local church to do. When one "joins" himself to a local congregation, he becomes a part of a collectivity and works jointly with other Christians in that capacity. As some brethren express it, it is a cooperative and by such the work of God is accomplished as a supplement to the work that is done by each individual Christian.
It is God's plan that Christians be a part of a local congregation when possible, and in the New Testament, Christians identified themselves with one where it existed (Acts 9:26), and where one did not exist, an effort was made to establish one. Several congregations, local churches, were started as a result of the preaching done by Paul and his associates. Men and women were baptized and they banded together for work and worship. As Christians moved from place to place, they identified themselves with local churches. Phoebe was a member of the church at Cenchreae and Paul commended her to the church at Rome, Rom. 16:1.
When one becomes a member of a local church, what are his obligations to it? Since a local church is composed of fellow-Christians, they are working together to accomplish the Lord's work, there has to be some responsibilities with respect to that unit.
A member of the local church must respect the elders who exercise the oversight, recognizing them as the shepherds of the flock, and appreciating their tremendous responsibility, he will humbly place himself under their oversight as he worships and labors in relationship to the congregation. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, "But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them exceedingly highly in love for their work's sake." (I Thess. 5:12, 13). Too often there is not the line of communication between the flock and the shepherds that there should be. A rebellious spirit is too often evident. Elders may at some time or another make a decision in judgment which is not in favor with some of the members, but this is no reason to mark elders off the "list" as men who cannot be trusted and respected as overseers. When elders do err, they should be reproved and admonished as any other Christian. They are not infallible, but as long as there is nothing in their conduct or teaching that would disqualify them as bishops, and when they are willing to change when found to be in error, they should be esteemed. Members should feel free to talk with the elders and when the members and the elders make an effort to associate, as all Christians should, very often barriers are removed and communication is improved.
The local church can discipline unruly members (I Cor. 5:4, 5). When an erring member is withdrawn from by the congregation, after all other efforts have been exhausted to correct that member, it is the duty of every other member to respect that action and abide by it. This is essential to restoring the erring and it is an obligation to the local church.
A member of the local church has the responsibility of contributing his money upon the first day of the week (I Cor. 16:1,2). Where there is no pooling of money, there can be no collective work. The local church can provide for its work of preaching, benevolence, and edification, only as each member of the congregation gives as the Lord has prospered him II Cor.16:1,2; 2 Cor. 9:7). The work of the local church has been planned and when a member is to be absent from the Lord's day assembly, he should realize that the work must continue, and therefore he will make arrangements for his contribution to be made. He is a member of that local church and that is where his money should be contributed.
Loyalty to the local church demands that each member be faithful in attending the Lord's day assembly (Heb. 10:25) and all other assemblies that are possible to attend. When a member is absent, other members should inquire as to his whereabouts, manifest an interest in him, and render aid where it is necessary.
Members of a local church owe their time, their money, their talents, and their energy to the spiritual and numerical growth of that congregation. It should not be left up to a few members to do all of the work. Each member should fulfill his obligations by assembling, teaching, giving, supporting any scriptural program of work such as a gospel meeting, and doing it with zeal and fervor. Members of the local church should act as a "team" - a unit.
The local church can pay wages (2 Cor. 11:8), discipline (I Cor. 5:4,5), have servants (Rom. 16;1,2), messengers (Phil. 2:25), send (Phil. 4:15, 16), receive (Acts 11:30), and have shepherds (I Pet. 5:2). In view of this, it cannot be denied that the local church is an organized entity, and each member owes his loyalty to it. It can well be asked again: "If every member of this church were just like me, what kind of a church would this church be?" Are you a loyal and faithful member?