Why Should People Belong?

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

April 6, 2008, Third Sunday of Easter

When I read this passage from Acts I’m always amazed at the numbers. Peter preaches a sermon and 3000 people join the church! But the story begs the question, what are these 3000 joining? There is no church per se – it is just 12 disciples plus a few other men and women who were a part of the fringes of the activities of Jesus and his apostles. This is the beginning of the church in Jerusalem – what we are hearing is a new church development. But the people really had no idea what they were joining.

The people promised to devote themselves to the apostles’ teachings, to fellowship, to breaking of the bread, to praying, to helping and serving others. In return they wanted to be filled with the Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus evident in the disciples. Perhaps for some of them the old religions were not working and they wanted to try the new one. There were a lot of promises, but there was not much that was tangible for them to join.

But this begs the question; why do people join the church today? There are a lot of people who seem to get along well without the church. Lord knows there seem to be a lot of excuses out there for people who call themselves Christians to not belong to or attend a church. But what the story from Acts makes perfectly clear to us is that we really cannot be Christian if we are not part of the church. Peter in essence says; Repent, believe, be baptized, and join our community. You need to do this. While Acts is not explicit about them, there are four reasons I can see for needing to belong to a church.

The first one is the basic fact that the church is the body of Christ. Unless we are a part of the church we cannot be a part of the body of Christ. It is through the communal acts of caring, sharing, serving, worshiping, and learning that Jesus becomes present in our midst. Jesus said, “Where two or more are gathered in my name there I am also.” The church becomes the place where we are touched and strengthened by God’s grace and love. This really cannot happen outside of the church.

The second reason why people should belong to the church is that they need to belong to a family of faith in their own community. People need to be known in the community where they are. It holds them accountable to their faith. One minister tells of a woman in his church in Florida who attended for 11 years, but still considered her old church in Kansas to be her church. The pastor finally welcomed the woman into church membership when he found out that her old church had burned down years earlier and had not been rebuilt. There was no church by that name in that town anymore. It was important for her to belong to a living, believing family and not one that was just a memory.

The third point I want to make today is that belonging to a church requires a commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ as it is carried out in that church. When we join the church we promise to be faithful members of the congregation and to work together to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through doing this that we come to know of God’s love and grace for us.

The final reason we must belong to a church is because belonging provides us with fellowship, support, challenge, and comfort for our lives. When I counsel couples for marriage I tell them that a church is important for their marriage because in the context of the church they see husbands and wives relating and modeling ways to be married – not that all of them are perfect, but they can see other models and they are supported as they begin their new journey as husband and wife. We all need this kind of welcoming safe-haven in our lives where we can learn and observe how we should live our lives. When a crisis comes we all need a community who will love us, support us and remind us that God’s presence is with us. We need people who will hold us and remind us that God is holding us through them. What a powerful message that is in a time of need.

Now I am aware that I am preaching to the choir on this in most cases. I am also well aware that each of us meets people in our daily journeys who do not belong to a church and we have a hard time telling them why they should belong. We know why we belong, but that may be too personal to share, or we may feel that it is not enough of a reason for someone else to decide to belong.

The truth of the matter is that no one can truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ unless they are an active part of the Church of Jesus Christ. And the reason Peter was able to convince 3000 is because he was able to say that in so many words. This man you killed is the one who can offer you everything you ever wanted or could want, and you can still experience that if you will believe, be baptized and become a part of his church here in Jerusalem.

Peter did not have a master of divinity or doctorate of ministry; he was not ordained by a big denomination. He was simply a man who had listened to Jesus and seen his actions. Just like all of you. The difference was that he knew why those 3000 should belong to the church. We need to let others know that. There are many people who are hungry in the community around us – and I’m not talking about hungry for food, and you and I can offer them what they are hungering for and need.

May God help us to do just that.

Amen

© 2008 Rev. Dr. Thomas T. Peters