4/8/25

Yesterday our devotional was about the importance of being a member of God's kingdom. Because being a member of the local church without belonging to God and His universal church will get you nowhere.

Today, however, we will look at the importance of being a Member of the Local church.

There is a movement by Satan to attempt to keep people from joining the local church. It has been growing for many years.

The reason?

My thought is, although not realized, it is a way of keeping control. Our text says, Hebrews 13:17 NASB95 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Obey your leaders and submit to them. We can see this speaks of the leaders of the local church as it continues. For they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. The one who keeps watch over you individually is your local church and its leaders. Acts 20:28 NASB95 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Of course, this is speaking of the local church.

For all the flock which the Holy Spirit has made you overseer. Not the entire flock (the universal church) but all the flock among which you have been made overseer (local church) by the Holy Spirit.

By not joining the church you refuse to come into the local flock and have no overseer.

I met a woman one time who was mad at "her church" because they had not done enough for her. After checking out the situation, I found out she had never been a member of "her church." She had never been assigned to a Deacon, and "her new Pastor" had no record of her. After explaining this to her, she joined the church and was therefore shepherded as she desired and was in love with "her church" when she died. Plus the local church was able to give her the care she needed in the end. Church membership did not save her. Her relationship with Christ did this. However, her Pastor had the joy of loving her, and with joy stood with her, as did "her church" while God called her home. The text says, Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

In the end, because she realized the importance of membership in the local church, there was Joy in the sadness of her loss, and the church was profitable to her in the last weeks of her life on earth.

Scripture makes it clear in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 that church discipline is speaking of the local church. Listen to these verses. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NASB95 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

Do we remove people from the universal church? Absolutely not. No one can pluck you from the father's hand. We are to remove the wicked man (unrepentant sinner) from the local church. They are still saved but suffer the consequences of straying purposely from God.

All of this, plus the fact many of the Epistles are written to local churches, and much more, shows us that membership in the local church, while not required for salvation, is required to be in obedience to God.

Please, if you have followed this tactic of Satan, stop and run to a Bible-preaching, God-honoring, Christ-purchased local church. Then join them after your salvation. That is if you are lost. Then do as our text says. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Follow God and let "your local church" be a profit to you. It is yours, his, hers, as in you are a part of it. Yet remember, it always belongs to its bridegroom, Jesus!

Love Bro. Scott