Why Church Membership Matters

Acts 2:42-47 January 27, 2019 Pastor Chris Oswald

Audio coming soon

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Thesis The New Testament assumes some form of committed, accountable belonging to a local church for every follower of Jesus as a way of practically and functionally living out the gospel.

Series

Acts

Type

Topical

Tone

pastoraldidactic

Method

grammatical-historicalcanonicalapplicatory

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

14 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #7

"The preacher applies the opening story to the congregation, naming the temptation to leave a church when expectations are not met or conflicts arise. The question is rhetorical but pointed: what do we do when church gets hard?"

Bible citations· 1

Acts 2:42-47

Illustrations· 8

First Impressions at Providence Church personal story · unit #3 — The preacher recounts his first visit to Providence Church in 2010, describing the unconventional setting and peculiar style of the founding pastor, Matthew Hoffman. The story establishes that first impressions were not polished or professional.
Finding What Had Been Missing personal story · unit #4 — Despite the unconventional setting, the preacher was captivated by the gospel-centered preaching and the authentic Christian community he witnessed. This experience revealed what had been missing in his previous church experience.
Meeting at Panera personal story · unit #5 — The preacher and his wife decided Providence was the church for them and pursued a meeting with the founding pastor to understand what church membership entailed.
Reality Check on Church Family personal story · unit #6 — Matthew Hoffman responded to the preacher's enthusiasm with a humorous but sobering warning: after spending time with the church family, his feelings might change. This comment set up the tension the sermon will address.
The Overlooked Means of Grace personal story · unit #10 — The preacher continues his personal story, revealing that despite extensive church experience—including being a youth pastor and pastor's kid—he had never encountered teaching on church membership as a means of grace.
The "Show Me the Text" Objection personal story · unit #11 — The preacher explains the objection he had previously held and heard from others: that church membership is legalistic unless explicitly commanded in Scripture.
A Change of Heart on Church Membership personal story · unit #12 — The preacher describes his conversion on the issue: through conversation and prayer, he came to see church membership not as legalism but as a gift and means of grace he had been missing.
Generational Discipleship and Church Membership cultural reference · unit #13 — The preacher introduces a recent Gospel Coalition article arguing that church membership is the most effective means of discipling Generation Z. The timing of receiving the article while preparing this sermon reinforced his conviction.

Theological claims· 1

Our approach to the local church often reflects a casual, noncommittal posture characteristic of how we treat other relationships. unit #9

Read it

Full transcript

8,867 characters 14 units ~10 min reading time

0 · Opening affirmation or congregational Amen

Amen.

1 · The preacher orients the congregation to the text and topic, explaining that the sermon will address church membership from Acts 2:42—a topic he has never preached on before

Well, you can go ahead and be seated. If all the kiddos want to head on down to children's ministry, they can do that as well. And as they're heading on down, if you want to go ahead and open your Bibles to Acts chapter 2. About 1 or 2 months ago, I don't know what it was specifically, we'll say 2 months ago, Chris asked me to preach this this morning from the book of Acts. We're going to continue our series in the book of Acts, specifically from Acts, the last part of Acts, Acts 2:42. And he asked me to talk about the topic of, like we'll see here in Acts 2, of church membership, which is an interesting topic to talk about. I've never preached about as well, so I'm really excited to dig in here with you all this morning.

2 · The preacher reads the primary text, Acts 2:42-47, aloud to the congregation, establishing the biblical foundation for the sermon

So let's read this together. Acts 2:42. It says, and they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

3 · The preacher recounts his first visit to Providence Church in 2010, describing the unconventional setting and peculiar style of the founding pastor, Matthew Hoffman

Well, it was Valentine's Day of 2010. I had to think back, and man, 9 years goes by so fast. It's hard to believe too. 9 years ago, it's when my family and I, we walked up the church parking lot and into the sanctuary for the first time. Camille was just a little, little baby. And we walked in here, and the funny thing is that morning The production of the worship was very not what we expected. It was very not on par. I'll say that the preaching of Matthew Hoffman's voice, he had a very peculiar voice. Of those of you who know Matthew Hoffman, he would do this thing before he'd start his sermons. You guys know he was the guy who helped start this church, but he would hold his Bible up and he'd go— this is kind of my impression of him. Or how I interpreted it, he'd say, he'd go like, 'We sit under the word of God.' And I don't know if you guys, you remember that? And it was just kind of like this weird thing, you know, walking in and the building has changed a lot. Like what we've done in here has changed. We had the awesome chandeliers and this used to be a funeral home. So like when we walked in that Sunday, you could actually see like where the casket used to go. There were two pillars and we're stuffed in a corner. It's just like this interesting kind of surreal experience.

4 · Despite the unconventional setting, the preacher was captivated by the gospel-centered preaching and the authentic Christian community he witnessed

But, but I will say that morning we sang songs about the gospel and Matthew Hoffman preached the gospel like I'd never heard before from the Old Testament, from the book of Genesis. I still specifically remember that sermon because I remember turning to Noel and saying, like, this is what we've been missing. Like, here's a guy who's preaching like, I see Jesus from Genesis. And I'd been a youth pastor for 7 years, like on staff full-time and like done sermons and stuff like that before. But I was like, Noel, this is what we're missing. It was like drinking from a fire hose. It's like all the other expectations of like production and all those things. It's like that wasn't there. But what I did see that morning is the gospel sang, the gospel preached, and more than anything, I saw my wife and I saw family that were sincerely trying to walk out their faith and the way they lived the gospel and loved one another according to the gospel.

5 · The preacher and his wife decided Providence was the church for them and pursued a meeting with the founding pastor to understand what church membership entailed

So Noel and I, we quickly knew that this was the church body that God was calling us to. So a few months later, I still remember, you know, typing an email out to Matthew Hoffman and saying, hey, let's meet at Panera. I want to find out more. About Providence. So we met at Panera and I'm excitedly explaining to him like, man, we want to be part of this church. What does that look like? What does that mean?

6 · Matthew Hoffman responded to the preacher's enthusiasm with a humorous but sobering warning: after spending time with the church family, his feelings might change

It was funny because his first reaction to me, he says this, he goes, Seth, and I'm like pretty excited about this. And he says, Seth, he kind of said this offhandedly, jokingly. He goes, Seth, you know what? You just haven't had much time around us, have you? He says, just give us a few months and we'll see how you feel about this church family then. Literally, that's exactly what he said. And it kind of took me off, you know, like it took me off guard.

7 · The preacher applies the opening story to the congregation, naming the temptation to leave a church when expectations are not met or conflicts arise

But all joking aside, like, he was on to something there, wasn't he? Because the reality is when things do get hard, when things don't meet our expectations, when somebody does tick us off, when maybe the worship or a ministry isn't on par with our expectations, when a pastor lets you down, especially the bi-vocational guy, right? He's probably gonna let you down more than anything. What's our inclination in those moments? Like, where does our heart turn to in those moments? And we're easily tempted, I know I'm easily tempted in those moments to just say, you know what, like, there's a lot of churches down the street. Why do I have to put up with that here, right? Like, I could just run down the street. There's lots of decent churches around, right?

8 · The preacher clarifies that the temptation to leave church when it gets hard is not a generational issue but a universal heart issue

Especially in my generation, especially the younger generation. And I'll just say this, like, I was born in 1980. Noelle was born in 1982. So I always give her a hard time because the millennial cutoff is in 1982. So sometimes when Noelle gets sensitive about things, I'm just like, you're just a millennial. Like, so I'm not picking on millennials at all, but And we do that jokingly, of course. But it really, this isn't a generational thing, right? This is a heart thing, right? And I shouldn't even pin it on a generation. This is a heart thing.

9 · The preacher asserts that our approach to the local church often mirrors our casual, noncommittal approach to other relationships in contemporary culture

But our inclination to treat community, to treat the way we're devoted to one another, to treat the local church can be so much like our approach to any other relationship, right? Just kind of casually, noncommittal, just kind of just nonchalant.

10 · The preacher continues his personal story, revealing that despite extensive church experience—including being a youth pastor and pastor's kid—he had never encountered teaching on church membership as a means of grace

So back to my story about Panera with Matthew Hoffman. He proceeded to walk me through a topic, church membership, that I'd really kind of just skirted around, tried to skirt around my whole life. And remember, I'd been on staff at a church for 7 years prior to that. I'd grown up in church. My dad was a pastor. He's a pastor in both a non-denominational and a denominational church. So I'd seen both sides of things. Never heard about church membership. I've been a part of churches that were like as big as 5,000+ members or people. I shouldn't say members. There wasn't church membership. And then as small as like just 100 people as well. And never once during that time did I ever seriously consider or hear a sermon for that matter, like this morning, on the means of grace that committed, intentional devotion, as seen in church membership, can provide.

11 · The preacher explains the objection he had previously held and heard from others: that church membership is legalistic unless explicitly commanded in Scripture

And the reason being is I'd always just kind of heard the reason of just like, well, show me the scripture reference to church membership, right? Like, show me the text, show me the biblical mandate for church membership, and then we can go there. Like, just like you don't have to be all rulesy about it. Right? You don't have to be just like, you know, all hardcore about this. Like, show me where this is in the text. Don't be so legalistic about it.

12 · The preacher describes his conversion on the issue: through conversation and prayer, he came to see church membership not as legalism but as a gift and means of grace he had been missing

But the more I heard Matthew Hoffman talk, the more I prayed about it and considered church membership, the more I thought, like, really, I came to the realization, my eyes were open. The more I thought like, man, what a gift, some form of an intentional and expressed commitment and accountability to other people in a local church and their pastors. What a gift this is. Like, I've been missing out. I've been missing out on this gift. What a means of grace this is. What a means of grace this is.

13 · The preacher introduces a recent Gospel Coalition article arguing that church membership is the most effective means of discipling Generation Z

You know, it's interesting, just about 2 weeks ago, somebody forwarded me an article, a Gospel Coalition article, and the premise of the article was how to disciple the Z generation. How do you best disciple the Z generation? And so the Z generation is like after the millennials. It's kind of like the generation where the teens and the college students are right now. They're called like the iGeneration or the plugged-in generation. But the whole premise of the article was how to disciple, how best to disciple the Z generation. So I'm reading this article and This person doesn't know I'm preparing for this sermon and I'm just reading along. But I was struck because at the end of the article he said, you know what, it all— like in everything I'm doing, I'm finding the best way to disciple the Z generation is to get them involved in church membership. And that kind of struck me at that moment. I was like, whoa, like, that's not coincidence, right?

Where this fits

Recent preaching context

The three sermons immediately preceding this one in the preaching schedule.

Dec 16, 2018

From Worry to the Word

The mind is a magnificent gift to be used fully, but it must be subordinated to the mind of God revealed in Scripture, moving from cognition to conversation with God, from worry to the Word, from pondering to the promises.

Matthew 1:18-25

Jan 13, 2019

Rest Without Complacency

When God grants us rest and prosperity, we must rise to godly ambition rather than settle into comfortable complacency, trusting that even when God says no to our plans, He is always redirecting us toward a Christ-centered yes that far exceeds what we originally desired.

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Jan 20, 2019

Gratitude as the Soul's Anchor

Gratitude is essential to human happiness, but only God-centered gratitude—gratitude directed to the Creator and grounded in His character—can sustain joy, heal the heart, and anchor the soul in hope for the future.

2 Samuel 7:18-29

January 27 · This sermon

Why Church Membership Matters

The New Testament assumes some form of committed, accountable belonging to a local church for every follower of Jesus as a way of practically and functionally living out the gospel.

Acts 2:42-47

Earlier in the corpus · September 22, 2019

A prior sermon on Acts 2:46-47

You preached this same passage. Worth re-reading before the next time this text comes around.

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

In Acts 2:42-47, Luke describes the early church as devoted to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. What does…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we examine why committed church membership matters—moving from our casual approach to relationships, through the transformative power of corporate belonging, to the call to remain steadfast when difficulties arise.

Prayer

A Prayer for Covenant Commitment

Father, we stand in awe of Your grace that has bound us together in Christ as members of one body. You have called us not merely to believe…

Family table

Staying When It Gets Hard

This prompt invites kids to think about commitment—what it means to stick with something (or someone) when it stops feeling easy or exciting…

Couples

Belonging Together in the Body

What did you hear in the sermon about what church membership is meant to be—and did anything challenge how you've thought about your commitm…

Memorize

Acts 2:42

This verse captures the essential posture of committed church membership that the sermon argues is normative for all believers—a devoted, intentional belonging expressed through shared practices and corporate worship. It anchors the sermon's central claim that church membership is not optional but a biblical means of grace for living out the gospel together.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

In Acts 2:42-47, Luke describes the early church as devoted to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. What does the word 'devoted' suggest about the nature of their commitment, and how does that differ from the casual approach to church many of us bring today?

Acts 2:42

→ Can you think of other areas of life where 'devotion' means something different than casual participation?
The passage shows that the early believers were together constantly, shared possessions, met daily, and had glad and generous hearts. What do these practices reveal about what they believed church membership actually accomplished in their lives?

Acts 2:44-47
How does understanding the church as the 'body of Christ'—where each member has a specific function and role—change the way you think about your own membership in a local church?

→ What happens to a body when one part decides to disconnect from the whole, or treats its connection as optional?
The sermon identifies a pattern in our culture where, when church becomes difficult or disappointing, our instinct is to leave rather than work through it. What are the spiritual dangers of treating church membership as something we can walk away from whenever we're dissatisfied?

→ What would it look like to stay committed to a church body during seasons of difficulty, and how might that itself be a means of grace?
The gospel tells us that Christ purchased the church with His own blood and remains its head. How does grasping that reality reshape our motivation for committing to and serving a local church—moving us from obligation to gratitude?
The sermon argues that church membership serves as a powerful evangelistic witness. In what specific ways does a community of believers who are genuinely devoted to one another and accountable to each other display the gospel to an watching world?

→ Who in your life needs to see that kind of genuine, committed community?

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday Hebrews 10:24-25

The writer of Hebrews addresses our tendency toward spiritual isolation by commanding us to consider one another and not forsake gathering together. This counter-cultural exhortation reveals that casualness toward church commitment is not a modern invention—it is a perennial temptation that requires deliberate, gospel-fueled resistance. We are called to a radically different posture: one of intention, accountability, and devoted presence with our brothers and sisters.

Tuesday 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Paul's extended metaphor of the body shows that membership is not merely organizational but essential to how we function spiritually. When we commit to a local church, we acknowledge that we cannot flourish in isolation—our gifts are meant for others, and we depend on theirs for our own growth. This vision transforms membership from a bureaucratic act into a declaration that we belong to Christ and to one another in irreplaceable ways.

Wednesday Hebrews 13:17

This verse shows that pastoral care is not generic exhortation from a distance but intentional oversight of known people. When we commit to a local church, we place ourselves willingly under the care and counsel of our elders—a posture that makes genuine shepherding possible. We acknowledge that we need their wisdom, their correction, and their intercession on our behalf before God's throne.

Thursday 1 Peter 4:10-11

Peter reminds us that every believer has been given a gift to serve others, and this service thrives within the accountability and encouragement of a committed community. When we flee from difficulty rather than remain steadfast, we rob ourselves of the very context where our gifts are refined and our faith is proven genuine. The call to stay—even when church gets hard—is the call to maturity, as our perseverance in community becomes both our growth and our witness.

Friday Matthew 16:18

Jesus' promise that the gates of Hades will not overcome His church speaks to an unshakeable foundation and eternal purpose. When we choose to remain committed to a local church body through disappointment and conflict, we display a faith that transcends the consumerism and autonomy of our age—we demonstrate that the gospel creates a love that lasts. This faithfulness becomes our most credible witness: that Jesus Christ is worth more than comfort, and His church is worth our devoted, submitted belonging.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

A Prayer for Covenant Commitment

Father, we stand in awe of Your grace that has bound us together in Christ as members of one body. You have called us not merely to believe the gospel in isolation, but to embody it together in the local church, where our commitment to one another reflects our commitment to Him. We confess that our culture has made us casual about belonging—we treat the church as we treat other relationships, ready to move on when difficulty arises or disappointment comes. We admit that when church life becomes hard, our hearts incline toward departure rather than perseverance, and we mistake this restlessness for spiritual sensitivity rather than recognizing it as a failure of faith.

Yet the gospel humbles and redirects us. In Christ, You have purchased a people for Yourself and bound us together as His body, the instrument through which His redemptive purpose continues in the world (Acts 2:42-47). The same grace that reconciled us to You also reconciles us to one another, making our committed belonging not a burden of law but a privilege of grace. We are not left alone to navigate faith; we are knit together for mutual encouragement, accountability, and the glad pursuit of Christlikeness.

Grant us, we ask, the courage to recommit ourselves to the local church as a means of grace, not as a concession to obligation but as a joyful response to what Christ has done for us. Give us stability in our affections—that when disappointment or difficulty comes, we would remain, seeking reconciliation and growth rather than escape. Enable our pastors and leaders to shepherd us with clarity and love, knowing that we are truly submitted to their care. And let our devoted belonging become such a testimony to the watching world that they see in us the transforming power of the gospel made visible (Acts 2:47).

We commit ourselves afresh to one another and to You, grateful that You have numbered us among Your church and made us partners in Your eternal purpose.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

Staying When It Gets Hard

For the parent

This prompt invites kids to think about commitment—what it means to stick with something (or someone) when it stops feeling easy or exciting. Listen for how they understand loyalty and why people sometimes leave.

In the sermon, Chris talked about how when church gets disappointing or boring or the people disappoint us, our first instinct is often to leave and find a different church. Think about something you're committed to—a sports team, an instrument you're learning, a friend. What makes you want to stay with it even when it gets hard? What would make you want to quit?

works for ages 7+; younger kids may need help thinking of their own example

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Belonging Together in the Body

What did you hear in the sermon about what church membership is meant to be—and did anything challenge how you've thought about your commitment to Providence?
Where do we tend to treat our church involvement casually, as if it were optional or easily exchangeable, rather than as a covenanted belonging that shapes our spiritual formation together?
How can we pray for each other this week to grow in gladness about our commitment here—that we'd see membership not as burden but as the grace-filled context where Christ forms us together?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Why this verse: This verse captures the essential posture of committed church membership that the sermon argues is normative for all believers—a devoted, intentional belonging expressed through shared practices and corporate worship. It anchors the sermon's central claim that church membership is not optional but a biblical means of grace for living out the gospel together.

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Providence Community Church

Lenexa, KS
Sundays · 10:00 AM
About us · What we believe

Plan a visit →

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# Providence Community Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [From Worry to the Word (Matthew 1:18-25, 2018-12-16)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2018/12/12-16-18)
- [Rest Without Complacency (2 Samuel 7:1-17, 2019-01-13)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2019/01/1-13-19)
- [Gratitude as the Soul's Anchor (2 Samuel 7:18-29, 2019-01-20)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2019/01/jan-20th-19-sermon-1)
- [Why Church Membership Matters (Acts 2:42-47, 2019-01-27)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2019/01/why-church-membership-matters)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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