The Blessing of Communicant Membership

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a British pastor regarded by many as one of the finest preachers of the 20th century, concluded that church membership is “the biggest honor which can come someone’s way in this world.” Having heard the six-part sermon series on the church that Pastor Bob just completed in which he set forth the church as the premiere institution in all the world, we must agree with Lloyd-Jones and praise God that He would receive us as members into the body of Christ by His grace.

In considering membership in the church, our denomination (PCA) distinguishes two kinds of membership: non-communicant and communicant. Non-communicant members are children who, by virtue of being born into the covenant community through one or both believing parents, are baptized as a sign of the promises of God in Christ Jesus. Thus, our baptized children are non-communicant members privileged to receive the instruction and the nurture of the church as they grow up in the faith but not permitted to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper requires the instruction provided through the church and the promises signified in baptism to be embraced by personal faith and repentance on the part of covenant children. The Reformed practice of infant baptism has never regarded baptized infants as saved regardless of faith and repentance. In order to become a communicant member of the church, one must make profession of faith before the elders of the church so that the session might determine its soundness. A credible profession of faith includes a testimony of conversion marked by repentance and personal faith in Christ, an understanding of the person and work of Christ as it is set forth in the gospel, a commitment to obey the commands of God, and a proper understanding of the sacraments.

Having been examined by the elders of the church, the believer then makes public profession of faith before the congregation by taking vows of communicant church membership. It is worthy of note that many have criticized the practice of infant baptism because it allegedly robs the believer of giving a personal testimony of faith in Jesus before the congregation at the time of his or her conversion. This argument clearly fails to consider the steps involved in becoming a communicant member in a Reformed church where covenantal infant baptism is practiced.

In communicant membership, one can enter into the full privileges of the church, which include sharing in the Lord’s Supper through which believers are spiritually fed and nourished in faith, and (in accordance with church by-laws) receiving a voice in the government of the church by voting for officers. Of course, with privileges come duties. The communicant member, whether young or old, commits to keep the Lord’s Day, to take an active part in spreading the gospel, to support the work of the church financially, to submit to church leaders in an effort to keep the peace and purity of the church, and to seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through personal Bible reading and prayer.

In concluding, there is no set age at which one must move from non-communicant status to communicant status. But the parents of covenant children and the church as a whole should be diligent and faithful in nurturing children in the truth of the gospel with the aim that our children would embrace the promises signified in baptism by faith. In the end, we are together, as members of Christ’s church by grace, being increasingly fitted for lives that honor and glorify God not only in this life, but in the life to come.

In His Abounding Grace,

Pastor Brian

Sermon Series: the Book of Philippians

When I first arrived at New Life back in 2004, I began to preach through the book of Genesis. After reaching chapter 21, we decided to switch gears and move to a New Testament book. By God’s grace, we were then able to begin and complete a study of all 28 chapters of the book of Acts. From there, we moved to the book of John, and spent many months going through the 21 chapters of that Gospel.

Since the completion of the series on John in February of this year, we have been spending time in a number of topical sermon series, including apologetics, the fruit of the Spirit, our annual Q&A series, and the church. So, I think it’s high time we get back into a study of a book of the Bible. Since we have not given any extended attention to any of Paul’s epistles, the elders have given approval for me to begin a series on the book of Philippians. We will start in verse 1 and work our way, one passage at a time, through the entire book.

By the way, let me comment briefly on both kinds of sermons (book studies and topical studies). Book studies are good because they allow us to chew on certain passages within the context of the broader flow of an entire book; they force us to tackle passages we might not otherwise consider; and because we know that all of God’s

Word is inspired by the Spirit and therefore useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

But topical studies are valuable too, because they allow us to get a more thorough understanding of a specific Biblical or theological topic by moving our focus beyond one Bible book to consider the teaching of the whole counsel of God on the topic in question.

Thank you for your attention to the topical series on the church. If this has sparked any interest in you for further study, I would highly recommend that you visit our Book Table in the foyer and pick up a copy of Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion.

I encourage you to be reading through this book on your own so that together we can sit at the feet of Jesus and be encouraged by His Word.

My love to you
In Christ,
Bob

Youth Update: A Call to Prayer

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”  This verse from Isaiah 29 is aclear depiction of a danger that many people fall victim to, the danger of a false assurance of salvation. It is possible to attend church, understand the Gospel, and read the Bible but still fail to have a heart truly regenerated by Christ. This danger can be especially acute for youth growing up in the church.

At New Life we are committed to providing a strong Christian education for our children. We have Sunday School classes, Children’s Worship, AWANA, and Youth Group.

However, as important as all of these programs are it is still possible for our children to grow up in our church and develop a false assurance of salvation. One of the ways we are trying to combat this is by teaching our youth to ask questions and not just memorize answers. It is true of both youth and adults if we are asking the questions we are 75% more likely to pay attention to the answer. The Youth Group is currently working through three books that encourage the kids to take ownership of their relationship with God.

The Girls’ Bible Study is discussing a book called Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free. This book discusses the nature of lies and various lies propagated by our culture about God, Satan, relationships, and faith. The purpose of the book is to attack the lies young women are confronted with but also cause them to ask questions about their faith and identity as a follower of God.

The Guys’ Bible Study is discussing a book called Growing up Christian. This book is designed to help youth recognize the many blessings and dangers of growing up in the church. It encourages the youth to produce godly fruit as a result of their salvation rather than the source of it.

Sunday nights at Youth Group meetings we are discussing a third book called Awesome on the Inside. This book teaches the importance of having a heart consumed by Christ. It encourages spiritualdisciplines like prayer, devotions, and witnessing but stresses the importance of these things coming from your heart rather than your background.

Charles Spurgeon asked the youth of his congregation this question “Is your soul resting on the Gospel or have years of tears, prayers, and sermons been wasted on your barren heart?” That may sound a bit harsh, but he was making a charge not only to the youth of his church but also his congregation. Our youth have the responsibility of responding to the “years of tears, prayers, and sermons” afforded them by their Christian upbringing, but this also assumes that tears, prayers, and sermons are being offered up for our youth.

On behalf of the youth at New Life I urgently seek that you would be daily lifting up our children to God in prayer. Pray for our Sunday School and Children’s Worship, pray for AWANA, and pray for our Youth Ministry. Pray that God would be working in the hearts of our children and drawing them to Himself. Pray that our youth would be filled with questions about God and how to truly take ownership of their faith. Pray that they would be drawn into the Word for answers and direction.

It is only through God’s grace and effectual calling that these children will develop a true assurance of salvation; please partner with us in this by offering up your prayers on their behalf.

In Him,

Adam