Saturday, May 8, 2021

The Cost of Membership

 

Why is the marks of present day churches casual, frivolous, and lack a spiritual commitment? I came across this response: The answer is discipline. Are the members spiritual people? Then they will want to come to prayer meeting.
Their lack of desire to come is symptomatic of something very seriously wrong with them. It is this which must be dealt with. Those who wish to join church membership must be spiritualy-minded people.

Prospective members must know from the outset that a full participation in all spiritual life of the church is expected of them, whatever the cost. And that is how it is; that is how it is going to be. If they do no like it, they should not be allowed to join. They should not even want to join. Spiritual people have spiritual appetites, and they take steps to satisfy them.

The Psalmist said, 'How lovely is your tabernacle O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out of the living God'. (Ps 84:1-2. David stressed God, saying, Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house, and the place where your glory dwells. (Ps 26:8) He could declare: 'I was glad when they said to me: 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.' (Ps 122:1)

Bearing in mind that 'house' in the new covenant speaks of the body of believers, not a building, do professing believers mean it when they sing the very words of that Psalm? (David Gay, The Battle for the Church, p. 159)

1 comment:

nashvillecats2 said...

HHi Gregg lovely to see you again, hope all is well with you and family.
It's sad that not many people these days are not going to church but perhaps it's the world situation.
I notice you have a great grandchild in the way, hope all goes well something wonderful to look forward to.

Yvonne.