August 8, 2024
Dear Central Church,
This Sunday is Celebration Sunday! We are celebrating the spiritual milestones of baptism and church membership. I don’t think there is a better moment in the church than when someone comes up from Baptismal waters and the church erupts in celebration and joy!
We’re a little more subdued when people join the church, but this is a significant moment as well. I was recently asked to explain to someone why church membership is important. It really comes down to three things:
We become what we are committed to? Salvation isn’t over when you ask God to forgive you of your sins and you put your faith in Jesus. It’s only the beginning! Being committed to a group of people who are also on the journey helps you work out your salvation and understand different perspectives on who God is and how he is at work in the world.
My son is on a baseball team, and I often wonder how his coach would react if we treated participation on that baseball team the way some Christians treat church engagement: “Can’t make it today coach…we want to play but we don't want to practice…we’ll just watch the team online today.” That wouldn't go very well because we become what we are committed to!
Secondly, A Christian without a church is like a child without a family. We’re not orphans! Scripture says we’ve been adopted into God’s family. We need to see that family on a regular basis and spend time with that family. Yes, there’s family drama from time to time, but the good times - the times that you feel connected to something bigger than yourself - those make it all worth it!
Finally, We can do more together than we ever could alone. As a follower of Jesus, we all hope to hear him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We were not meant to go at this alone! When you add your gifts and your talents to the body of believers, we miraculously become greater than the sum of all our parts! I want to stand before Jesus some day and know that I was part of something bigger than myself.
Let’s have a party this Sunday as people are baptized into the Christian faith and join in this mission to “make Christ-like disciples IN our community, FOR our community.”
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark