Here is a great question: where is your commitment level to your local church? Okay, I know I just lost some people. But if you did click off of this post after that question, I actually did get an answer from you.
If you are still reading but not very committed, you may have started formulating your arguments for me about why commitment to a local church is not important or irrelevant today.
There is a chance that you are still reading because your commitment level is low but you know it needs to be better. If that is the mentality you identify with, this blog was written for you. I want to encourage you to raise your commitment level to your local church for several reasons.
First, the local church is still God’s plan!
Jesus didn’t start the Church for only a few generations of believers. Jesus started the Church for every generation until He returns. God’s plan for the Church is timeless. We need the Church in our lives as much today as yesterday. The Church is God’s idea, not ours. The Church is just as essential today as it was when Jesus started it.
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Second, people still want to belong!
Some people would want you to think that people in today’s world no longer want community. That’s not true. People are craving community as much today as they ever have. Our expressions of community may have changed, but the need for community has not. Deep inside all of us is a God-created desire for genuine biblical community. Church membership still matters because people still need to be committed to the mission and movement of Christ.
Third, we need accountability!
Being in a family means having accountability. In my family, I am accountable to my wife and kids, and they are accountable to me. This accountability is a good thing, not a bad thing. This accountability grows out of commitment. My commitment to my wife and kids is why I am accountable to them. I really don’t want to have a life without accountability. That would not be healthy. I have made some commitments that create accountability. My local church family is one of those commitments.
You can be a church member and not be a disciple, but if you are a disciple, you will be a member of some sort of expression of the Church locally. In the very first call to discipleship Jesus ever made in Matthew 4:19, He said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Christ’s invitation to follow is an invitation to belonging. Yes, Church commitment does still matter. Are you committed?
By Impact Discipleship Ministries
Impact Discipleship Ministries exists to help you be and build disciples. For resources or training for disciple making, check out their website or contact them through impactdisciples.com.