Church Membership 2013
Welcome
Thank you so much for attending this
very concise course on church membership. There are three goals that I hope
will be achieved over the next few weeks:
Firstly, that you, as a member of
the church of Jesus Christ will have a fresh understanding of what it means to
be a member of His church on earth in the year 2013, and that you will have a
better understanding of what it means to a be a part of that part of our Lord’s
church which calls itself Methodist.
Secondly, that you will have a
fresh understanding of what it means to be baptized, in other words, the
implications of your baptism (whenever it occurred) in your life now.
Thirdly, that as a baptized
member of the church of Jesus Christ, you will have a Biblically informed and
Holy Spirit guided response to some of the social issues facing us as we live
in Alberton, Gauteng and in South Africa in the year 2013.
Throughout the course and in your
preparation, please remember that we serve a God who speaks to us, and so be sensitive to what He might be speaking into
your life at this time and pray for the will to go where He leads or calls you
to.
I hope you enjoy this course. Visit
the following Web pages for more information:
1.
Alberton Methodist Church homepage – www.amc.org.za
2.
Methodist Church of Southern Africa homepage – http://www.methodist.org.za/
Subjects looked at over this
3 week course include:
A Short History of the
Christian Faith
The spread of the early church
Persecution
The Emperor Constantine becomes a Christian in 313AD
East-west split
The rise of Islam
The Reformation, The Counter-Reformation, The English
Reformation
The Evangelical Revival
The spread of Methodism
The rise of Pentecostalism
Duties and Privileges of Church Membership
What Methodists Believe
What does my Baptism mean?
A Short History of the Christian Faith
·
The spread of the early
church.
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the church in Jerusalem
began to organize itself to take care of the new converts (Acts 2:42-47). They
used the Temple for worship and met for fellowship and prayer in private homes.
Jewish persecution broke out and Christians were forced to flee to other cities
(Acts 9:1-2). They wasted no time in starting new congregations in these
places, and so the Church began to spread. A loose form of church organization
developed which we can trace quite clearly in the New Testament.
Then in obedience to Jesus the apostles and others also began
to travel to new centre’s to preach the gospel (Mt 28:18-20), and soon new
churches were started in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Greece, Italy, and as
far as Spain. It also spread to Ethiopia (Acts 8:27), to Egypt, and across the
whole of North Africa. Obviously only a small part of this work is recorded for
us in Acts. Many others, whose names we do not know, also went out to spread
the Good News. The Roman Empire had an excellent system of roads and shipping
so that travel was relatively easy. There was also a commonly understood
language and these factors greatly assisted the expansion of the Church.
·
Persecution. In about 90AD the
Emperor Domitian declared himself to be “divine” and ordered all subjects of
the Roman Empire to worship him as a god. Christians of course refused to do
this and were persecuted most cruelly. Many thousands were imprisoned, killed
in the arena, burnt or tortured. It became dangerous to be a Christian. They
had to meet secretly. Yes the Church grew strong because people had to make
very definite and courageous decisions about their faith. There were no
half-hearted Christians. It called for total commitment.
·
The Emperor Constantine
became a Christian in 313AD. He made Christianity an official religion in the Roman
Empire and it came out into the open at last. However this actually had a
negative effect on the Church. As it became more fashionable to be a Christian,
people sometimes did so for the wrong reasons. The Church grew larger but it
was no longer lean and strong. Constantine also moved the capital of the Roman
Empire from Rome to Constantinople (Istanbul), the centre of the Eastern
portion of the Empire. Tension developed between these two centres and
eventually the Roman Empire in the West collapsed. The barbarian invaders from
the north later accepted the Christian faith and the Pope, the bishop of Rome,
later became the ruler of the Empire. The Holy Roman Empire in the West was for
a time therefore governed by the Church.
·
East-west split. In the first few centuries
there were several schisms and divisions in the Church, mainly over doctrinal
disputes. Arguments arose over such things as, exactly what nature Jesus had,
whether He was human or divine, whether He was equal with the Father or less
than the Father, etc.
Between the 6th
and 9th centuries there was a growing division between the Eastern
Churches, governed by Constantinople, and the Western Churches, governed by
Rome. This led to the first major split in 1054AD, when the Eastern Orthodox
Church, finally broke its ties with Rome.
·
The rise of Islam. Another major event which
affected the Church was the birth of Mohammed (570-623AD) in Mecca, in present
day Saudi Arabia. He founded the Islamic religion, and it began to sweep
through the Arab world. Armed with the doctrine of “holy war” their advancing
armies wiped out the Christian Church in Palestine, the Middle East and Egypt.
They swept across North Africa (approx 650AD) and Spain (approx 711AD). In the
North they conquered Turkey (Asia Minor), Constantinople (717AD) and advanced
into Europe as far as Hungary. These wars destroyed seven centuries of Christian
work in a vast area, and what was left of the Church was concentrated mainly in
Europe, Italy and Greece. In the 12th century some of the nations in
Christian Europe sent armies of “Crusaders” to try and drive the Mohammedans
out of Palestine. They never totally succeeded.
·
The Reformation. By the early 16th
century the Roman Catholic Church and the Sate were heavily intertwined. Money
raised in the Church was being used to support kings and fight wars. A system
of ‘indulgences’ was introduced whereby people could pay to have their sins
forgiven, and have prayers said for the dead. Corruption and ignorance was
rife. In Germany Martin Luther (148-1546) and many other religious leaders
rebelled against the malpractices of the Catholic Church. They called for a return
to the basic truths of the Christian faith. They taught that salvation is by
faith alone, and that the Bible is the supreme guide in all matters related to
the Church and theology. They also stressed the ‘priesthood of all believers’
and wanted the Bible to be made available to the common people in their own
language. At that time it was written only in Latin and could only be read by a
priest.
The Protestant Reformation
led to the formation of at least three major Church groups, each with slightly different
emphases in their teaching: a) The Lutherans under Martin Luther b) The
Calvinists under John Calvin in Geneva who stressed the doctrine of election
(predestination) c) The Anabaptists, who refused to allow their children to be
baptized and revived the practice of adult, or Believers Baptism.
·
The Counter-Reformation. Later in the 16th
century the Catholic Church made a sincere attempt to reform itself. Under the
leadership of primarily the Jesuits they set about renewing the clergy in order
to renew the Church. Many important changes were made.
·
The English Reformation was slightly different in
character. In 1534 Henry V111 broke all ties with Rome and declared itself to
be head of the Church of England. This was partly because the Catholic Church
had refused to allow him to divorce Catherine of Aragon. The Reformation of
England accepted most of the theology of the European reformers but retained
many of the outward forms of worship and organization of the Catholic Church.
It therefore took a middle road between Luther and Rome.
·
The Evangelical Revival, in which the Methodist
Church was born, took place in the 1700’s. England was at the time going
through the ‘Industrial Revolution’. Many country and small-town people were
flocking to the cities and had to live in very inadequate slum conditions. The
vast majority were poor and social problems were rife. The Church of England
was by and large fast asleep, and had lost touch with the common people. In the
midst of this ‘dead’ Church some began to rediscover the Reformation teaching
of salvation by faith alone, and experienced the power of the risen Christ in
their lives. John Wesley (1703-1791), an Anglican priest, had a deep conversion
experience in 1738 and began to preach ‘salvation by faith.’ Many responded and
found real life-changing faith.
The Anglican Church
however rejected this movement, and preachers of the ‘new doctrine’ were soon
banned from preaching in most Anglican churches. Wesley and his workers
therefore turned to preaching in the open-air, to miners and to the common
people.
Many thousands came to
know Jesus Christ as Saviour. These new Christians were organized in
‘Societies’ and class-meetings to build them up in their faith. Wesley himself,
however, always saw Methodism as a renewal movement within the Anglican Church
and tried to avoid a split. But after he died the inevitable happened and
Methodism became a separate Church.
·
The spread of Methodism. It soon spread to the new
colonies in America where it grew dramatically under the leadership of Rev.
Francis Asbury. It became the Church of the frontier, with Methodist preachers
moving in the interior alongside the pioneers. As a result the numbers grew
phenomenally; to 43 00 in 1791, 9 million in 1927, and over 14 million today,
the largest denomination in America. It also spread to other lands. Sometimes
missionaries were deliberately sent out, but more often than not it took root
with the Protestant denomination in the world with over 50 million Methodists
in more than 90 countries.
·
The rise of
Pentecostalism. Early this century a number of Christians and Christian groups began to
stress the importance of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and to experience in
their personal lives the power and the gifts of the Spirit. This led to a great
deal of ferment in the main-line denominations in the Church, and eventually to
the establishment of several break-away Pentecostal Churches. At first there
was much antagonism, but today there is a growing understanding of the
importance of the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the Christian Church. This
new emphasis on the Spirit has been the source of great renewal in all the
Churches.
Duties and Privileges of
Church Membership
Aim of the lesson:
To look at what is
involved in being full and responsible members of the Church.
Study passages:
2 Corinthians 9:6-12,
Colossians 3:5-17, Hebrews 10:19-25, 13:1-7, 1 Peter 4:7-11
Notes:
·
Conditions of membership. Any club or organization
has conditions of membership and duties which it lays down for its members. The
Methodist Church is no different. It lays down three simple requirements for
membership:
Faith in Jesus Christ as
Saviour
A sincere desire to be
saved from sin
Involvement in the
fellowship of the Church
·
These three conditions are stated in our ‘Laws
and Disciplines’ as follows:
‘Membership is based upon
a personal experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought about by His Spirit…
and upon a sharing of such personal gifts of grace with others seeking or
enjoying a similar experience.
All persons are welcomed
into membership who sincerely desire to be saved from their sins through faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ, and show the same in life and conduct, and who seek
to have fellowship with Christ himself and His people by taking up the duties
and privileges of the Methodist Church.
As membership in the
Church involves fellowship it is the duty of all members in the Church to seek
to cultivate this in every possible way.’
·
Duties of Church
membership. The following eight things should be regarded as minimum goals for
members of the Church:
1.
To follow the example of Christ in home and daily life.
2.
To bear personal witness to Jesus Christ.
3.
To be regular in private prayer each day.
4.
To read the Bible each day and seek to be obedient to God’s Word.
5.
To attend worship every Sunday.
6.
To receive Holy Communion regularly.
7.
To give meaningful financial support to the work of the
Church, locally and for the wider mission field.
8.
To be involved in serving others in the Church and community.
As we grow in our faith and walk with the Lord we will
understand these duties at a deeper and clearer level. We may add others to the
list, but these will always remain a basic minimum for us.
Questions for discussion
1.
Read through all the study passages carefully. What do they
teach us about the conditions of membership in the early Church? Make a list.
2.
What do you think of the three basic conditions of membership
in the Methodist Church? Are they reasonable? Should there be others?
3.
Go through the eight suggested duties one by one. What does
each one mean? Are they too strict, not strict enough, or about right?
4.
What should the Church do about people who want to be
members, but don’t want to accept any of the responsibilities of membership?
5.
As a group, make a list of some ways in which you could
become more involved in the activities of your local church.
What Methodists Believe
Aim of the lesson:
To understand the
essential teaching of the Methodist Church
Study passages:
Ephesians 2:1-10; Matthew
5:43-48
Notes:
·
The Methodist Church does
not have a special creed which is different from other major Christian Churches. Like
them we accept the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed as a basic expression of faith.
We do however lay special stress on four important aspects of Christian
teaching.
·
Salvation is by faith
alone. We
are not saved by our ‘good works’ but by the free, underserved grace of God. We
cannot earn it, we can only receive it by accepting Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
Once we have truly experienced the gift of salvation, ‘good works’ will be seen
in our lives as evidence of the new life we have received.
·
Everyone needs it and no one is excluded. In
contrast to some Churches which teach that only some people, those who have
been pre-destined, will be saved (eg. Calvanism), Methodism has steadfastly
taught that all may turn to God and find full salvation. All have sinned, and
all need to be reconciled with God through Christ (Romans 3:22-23). It is not
just ‘bad’ people, but even those who seem to live good lives need the
‘rebirth’ experience of a living faith in Jesus and an acknowledgement of their
sinfulness and separation from God.
·
Assurance. Christians can know they
are saved. God does not leave us in a state of doubt or fear regarding the
reality of our salvation. The deep inner witness of the Holy Spirit, who has
interior access to our lives ‘bears witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God’ (Romans 8:16). We can say with assurance, ‘I know I am saved’
(2 Tim 1:12).
·
Christian Perfection. God wants us to be
perfect in our spiritual life and our moral life and to rid ourselves of all
sinfulness (Mt 5:48). John Wesley once described Christian Perfection as
‘perfect love’ toward God and our fellow person. This must be the aim of every
disciple of Christ. This teaching, more than any other, distinguishes the
Methodist Church and gives it a special message and mission among the other
Christian denominations. Not only forgiveness but goodness, good moral
behavior, if the gift and goal of God through Jesus Christ.
·
The four all’s. Our teaching is often
summarized in the ‘four all’s’:
1. All people need to be
saved – because we all have sinned.
2. All people can be saved –
no one is excluded.
3. All people can know that
they are saved - the doctrine of assurance.
4. All people can be saved to
the uttermost – our goal is perfection.
·
Balance. In true Methodist
tradition, theory and practice have always gone together. ‘There is no holiness
but social holiness’ declared Wesley. Holiness exists not in a vacuum but in
right relationships. Methodism has always upheld the need for a balance between
deep spirituality on one hand and involvement in the real issues of society and
the needs of people on the other. One without the other is a denial of the
truth.
Questions for discussion:
1.
Can a person be saved by their own good works? (Eph 2:8-9)
2.
What is the meaning of Ephesians 2:10?
3.
Is it arrogant to claim that we know we are saved? On what
can we base that claim?
4.
What does Christian Perfection mean for us in practical terms
in our own personal lives and in our relationships with others?
For personal reflection:
1.
What is the state of my faith right now?
2.
Do I have assurance of my salvation?
3.
What needs to change in my life right now on my journey
towards Christian Perfection?
Write down some prayer thoughts that flow from your
reflections.
What does my Baptism mean?
Aim of the lesson:
To understand the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism
Study Passages:
Romans 6:1-14; Acts 19:1-6
Notes:
·
The Sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion
are ‘outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace’. God’s grace of
course not limited to the moment of administration of the sacrament. It is at
work throughout our lives, before we come to faith (pre-venient grace), in our
conversation (justifying grace) and as we go on to live out the Christian life
(sanctifying grace).
·
Baptism marks our point of
entry into
the Christian community. It is administered in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit by immersing the person fully or partially in water, or by
sprinkling. It signifies at least four things for us:
1.
Forgiveness and washing away of our sin (1 Pet 3:21; 1 Cor
6:11)
2.
The death of our old self and our commitment to our new way
of life in Christ (Rom 6:3-4; Gal 3:27)
3.
Our incorporation into the Church, the Body of Christ, the
Covenant of community of God (1 Cor 12:13)
4.
That the Holy Spirit has been given and has begun His work of
renewal and sanctification in us (Acts 19:5-6; Rom 8:2,9-11)
·
Infant Baptism. The Methodist Church
baptizes the children of Christian parents because we believe it is in harmony
with scripture that children should have a place in the Christian community
(Acts 2:39; 16:33; Mk 10:14; 1 Cor 7:14). This practice goes back to the
earliest days of the Church. Here the sign of God’s grace is given before the
person has come to personal faith, and the parents make a solemn undertaking to
do everything in their power to see that their child will one day come to know
Jesus as Saviour and Lord. When this happens, the individual concerned confirms
what was done those years ago and accepts responsibility for his/her own
ongoing Christian life. This is signified in the Confirmation service.
·
Believer’s Baptism is for those who have
found faith and have not been baptized before. They enter at once into the
fellowship and responsibilities of membership of the Church.
·
Believer’s versus Infant
Baptism? There
should be no conflict here. Our Church practices both. In the main we have a
strong infant baptism tradition, but we also freely baptize adults who have
come to faith and have not been baptized before. We do not allow re-baptism
because we believe baptism is an unrepeatable act (Eph 4:5). To re-baptize
would also imply that the first baptism was invalid. We can be baptized only
once. We do not get re-baptized every time we sin or backslide and return to
faith. In both Believer’s and Infant Baptism the stress is on what God has done
for the believer rather than on our response and our faith.
Questions for discussion:
1.
What do our study passages teach us about the meaning of
Baptism, either directly or indirectly? Examine them carefully. Share your
thoughts as a group.
2.
In the Acts passage, why do you think the Baptism of John the
Baptist was not enough? What more does Christian Baptism offer?
3.
Some parents want their children baptized for the wrong
reasons. What are some of these wrong reasons? What are the right reasons?
4.
What responsibilities and obligations do Christian parents
undertake when they have children baptized?
