The Local Church Body

One of the great benefits of being a member of a local church is that God makes you a part of a body of believers with whom you can grow and function together.  The purpose is Eph 2:12-13.  In local churches, God gives the members pastors and teachers, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ”.  God wants saints perfecting, working in the ministry, and edifying the body of Christ.  He accomplishes this by:

Joining. 1 Cor 12:18 refers to the corporate body of Christ.  However, as God sets the members in his body, he should also be the one who sets the members in a local church.  This way they become members in the local church “as it hath pleased him”.  Thus we have, Eph 4:13, “unity” of the faith.  You can’t do this if you’re alone.  Eph 4:16 we are “joined”.  Pastor Hoots tells new church members, “You’re joining us; we’re not joining you”.

Your association with church members and with other Christians in church gives you a new crowd to be part of… a new community.  And whereas you looked, talked, walked, and thought like your old crowd, you now start becoming more like your new crowd through membership and faithful attendance in a local church body.  You receive discipleship and instruction from faithful teachers.

Growing.  That we henceforth be no more children…”, Eph 4:14-15.  You really grow in sound doctrine which protects you from being “carried about with every wind of doctrine”.  There are plenty of winds of doctrine deceiving men today.  God grows you through the teaching, preaching, and application of the Bible.

Working. “Fitly joined together and compacted”, Eph 4:16, is not an every once in a while attendance.  Heb 10:25 says, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”.

“The effectual working in the measure of every part”.  Every part, every joint has a function in the body.  And you aren’t truly fulfilled in the body until you are a functioning member in a local church body.

In special forces, soldiers become part of a team.  They form a tight knit bond.  It’s like this in a good local church.

Increasing.  “maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”, Eph 4:16.  Bodies grow when they are healthy.  We grow spiritually (edifying) and, thus, we grow numerically through reproduction (increasing).

Conclusion: so the thing to do and to tell people to do is:

Join the local church body God sets you in.

Grow along with the other saints who are there.

Work in the part God has given you to do.

Increase through telling others about Jesus and inviting them to join you.