Chapter 5
V. What About Local Church Membership? A. It is the example of the Bible.
1. In Acts 2:38-41, Peter preaches a gospel message, and many respond and are then baptized. The same day there are __________ unto them about three thousand souls. (vs.41)
The example is that when people get saved andbaptized, they are then added to that church.
2. In I Corinthians 5:1-13, the Corinthian Church is rebuked for letting one of its members continue on in open sin.
a. Verse 2 says that the church should have been mourning over this man’s sin, “that he that hath done this deed might be taken ________ from among you” (removed from the church).
b. Verse 7 says, “__________ out (remove) therefore the old leaven.”
c. Verse 13 says again, “put ________ from among yourselves that wicked person.”
You cannot be put out of a group unless you are a memberof it. You cannot be “put away” from something of which
you are not a part. So this clearly shows that the early
church practiced church membership.
3. Matthew 18:15-17 describes how a person comes to the place of being removed from the membership of a local church.
a. Verse 15 says that if a Christian “brother shall trespass against thee (sin against you or do you wrong), go and tell him his fault between thee and him __________: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”
Note: It may be that the one who wronged you did not even realize it, or did not know it would offend you. That is why you are to go to him alone and give him a chance to make things right without embarrassing him in front of others.
b. If the person will not make things right, then you are to go to him again with one or ______ more, that there may be witnesses from the church as to what the problem is. (verse 16)
c. If the offender will not listen to the witnesses involved, then verse 17 says they are to tell it unto the ____________ (the church assembled together).
d. If the offender neglects to listen to the church, then verse 17 says “let him be unto thee as an ______________ man (unsaved person) and a publican.”
An unsaved person cannot be a member of the church.Even so, a Christian who falls into sin, and will not repent,
is put out of the local church membership. The purpose
of church discipline is NOT to drive a person away — it
is a step that will hopefully bring the person to
repentance and back to church again.
Note: II Corinthians 2:1-11 is a follow-up letter concerning the immoral man of I Corinthians 5:1-13. The immoral man has repented in II Corinthians 2, but the church members did not know what to do with him then.
a. II Corinthians 2:6 says, “____________________ to such a man is this punishment” (the punishment was enough to bring him to repentance).
b. Verse 7 says, “So that contrariwise ye ought rather to ______________ him” (do not hold a grudge against him after he repents - forgive him).
c. Verse 8 says to “______________ your love toward him” (encourage him now that he is your friend, and can be a part of the church again).
— What about local church membership?
B. It is evidence of your commitment and intention to live for Christ.1. Acts 5:1-11 tells the tragic story about a husband and wife who lied to the church.
a. According to verses 1-3, they had sold some ________.
b. The church was not forcing them to give any of their money from the sale, because verse 4 says, “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own __________?”
c. Verse 4 shows the seriousness of lying unto the church — it is not just lying unto men, but unto ______.
d. Verses 5-10 show the consequences of their sin, both Ananias and his wife Sapphira ________. (vss.5,10)
2. After the death of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:13 says that, “of the rest durst no man ________ himself to them” (joined the church).
Note: The problem of people suddenly not joining the church was not because two liars or hypocrites had been revealed in it casting doubt on the rest of the membership. Verse 13 says, “the people __________________ them” (the crowd of people thought very highly of the members of that church).
Neither was the cause a lack of people getting saved, because verse 14 says “____________________ both of men and women” were getting saved.
Then what was the problem why people would not join this church?
For a time, people were afraid to join this church
because of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira.
They were afraid that if they joined, and then lied or
committed some other sin, that they also would suddenly
die. So the people who were members of this church
were greatly respected among all the people.
REVIEW:Whoever was the first one to step out and join this church would have been showing evidence that he was serious about his commitment to Jesus Christ, and his intention to live for Him.
Question: How about you? Are you a member of a good Bible-preaching local church? If you are serious about living for Jesus Christ, then you need to step forward and join a good Bible-preaching local church! If you need help finding one, write to us.
1. After Peter preached a gospel message, 3,000 people were saved, baptized, and __________ to the church.
2. The immoral man of I Corinthians 5:2 was told to “be taken ________ from among you” (removed from the church).
3. You cannot be put out of a group unless you are a ____________ of it.
4. If a Christian wrongs you in some way, “go and tell him his fault between thee and him __________.”
5. If the offender will not listen to you, nor to the witnesses that you bring, then you are “to tell it unto the ____________.”
6. If the offender will not listen to the church, then “let him be unto thee as an ______________” (as an unsaved person; that is, no longer a member of the church).
7. If the offender repents of his sin after being put out of the church, then you are to “______________ your love toward him” (encourage him that he is your friend, and that you want him to be member of that local church again).
Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Final Test Liberty Bible Course Directory