I was visiting with a pastor friend the other night and we were talking about “members” in the body of Christ, and how you incorporate them into the local assembly . Is membership automatic if one is truly born again, they belong to Christ, so therefore they are a part of the church? Is it given by the “right hand of fellowship”, that is, shaking the preachers hand, being water baptized, taking a course for new members, and being on the ‘tithing’ roll? Should there be an official ceremony and recognition of those joining the local assembly?

Or, is the whole thing about membership really taking away from what the “local church (assembly) really is, and that is a “FAMILY!” IN A FAMILY, THERE ARE (SPIRITUAL) PARENTS AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS!! In a family there is relationship because the children have been born of God, and therefore, yes, they belong to Christ and His Church! However, in a family there is also Fellowship, and because of their fellowship in Christ, the sons and daughters will come into Sonship! There are the mature sons of God who are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

They are “functioning” members in the body of Christ, but it takes a “family” or a tribe if you will, for them to find their true identity in Christ and to know who they are in Him, and who Christ is in them! The church is not a building built with hands, but the building and body of Christ. The church is not an organization, but a living, breathing organism. The church is not a social club, but a “strategic” place where the sons and daughters are “set apart” unto the Lord, set under duly, appointed leaders, equipped, established and edified for service in the Lord!! Children are taught of the Lord and disciplined for their own good and growth under the mighty hand of God through fathers and mothers in the Spirit!!

So what truly constitutes a church (local, legislative legal entity) and how are these members set apart unto ministry and service to advance the kingdom of God? To be set apart is to be made ‘holy’ and therefore, confirmed and called to be SAINTS!

Three things will primarily establish the legal, governing body in a city/region:

Phil. 1:1- Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,…

1) To all the SAINTS in CHRIST JESUS who are in Phillippi (local city-church),
2) with the BISHOPS (overseers/elders) (governments/administrations) and
3) DEACONS (servants/ministry of helps) (men of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom) 1 Co. 12:28; Acts 6 :3)

1) THESE SAINTS WILL CONTINUE IN THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE (teaching) AND TO FELLOWSHIP, AND BREAKING OF BREAD AND PRAYERS… (Acts 2:42)

2) I. Co. 1:2- TO the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, CALLED TO BE SAINTS, with all who are in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

3) 1 Co.4:15- For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Gal. 4:19- My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ be formed in you…

4) Eph. 2:19-22- Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted togethero, grows up into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place (habitation) of God in the Spirit.

5) Col.1:27,28- TO them (saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles:: which is Christ in you (plural pronoun), the hope of glory. Him (Christ) we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect (complete) in Christ Jesus.

6) 1 Tim. 5:17- Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine (work hard at preaching and teaching).

7) Peter 5:1-4- The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock: and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

8) EPH. 4:11- And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting (equipping) of the saints for the work of the (their) ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, TILL WE ALL COME TO THE UNITY OF THE FAITH AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, TO TOP PERFECT (MATURE) MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST:

In contrast: The equipping ascension ministry gifts are NOT primarily offices but those made to be gifts (domas) those with a measure of rule (leading) and could be called “consulting” gifts, those given to “enhance, empower, and establish” the saints and generative leaders for generational blessing and release in the body of Christ.

Here’s a thought I’ve never encountered in the scripture as I am preparing to bring the opening word in the “Texas AEGA” conference at Christian Faith Church in Bellville this Friday night. We all know that King David was the son of Jesse, who obviously left out David when Samuel came to anoint one of the brothers the next king of Israel. It implies that Jesse didn’t even consider the value and special call on his youngest son.

This means that a lot of problems that David had was the lack of a ‘real’ father to nurture, identify, affirm and empower to be a “man after God’s own heart!” So, David also failed in His role as a father, even though He was a king, a prophet, and a man after God’s own heart! He was that man because of a sovereign rule and hunger to please God and contend with His enemies. He became known as a “Man of War!” His own son Absalom attempted to steal and take the kingdom away from him…

This week the theme in the conference is “Contending for the Heart of God!” The curse on the ministry in the church today is immaturity and lack of generational blessing and honor, which is a direct result of a lack of fathering! Since men don’t know who they are, they will ‘fight’ for position, use and manipulate people and saints, and contend and strive with other leaders for prestige and popularity! They feel so empowered every time someone calls them pastor that they believe they can “lord it over” those allotted to their charge.

Here’s the first part of that verse that I think we should consider:

Acts 13:36a- “For David ‘after he had served his own generation’ by the will of God, fell asleep,…There it is…He served his own generation….Did he just serve his own purposes and desires, even though it says, ‘by the will of God?’ And, even though He prepared Solomon for the throne and lavishly poured riches and wealth into His treasuty, did not Solomon resemble many traits of his father David and possibly even Jesse, that no real “generational heritage, legacy, and lineage” succeeded in the ensuing generations?

I guess my point is: If you only serve your own generation and you do it well by the will of God and have many accomplishments, even great fame and notoriety, does that mean you have really fulfilled the vision, purpose, and destiny of God in your life? Without ongoing generations that build upon one another and bring not only generation succession, but generational synergy, we will continue to fail in restoring the “hearts of the fathers to the children” and the “hearts of the children to ‘their’ fathers…

The corresponding verse should be and is the theme of the Father’s Heart:

Isa. 58:12- Those from among you Shall (re)build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets (lit. paths) to Dwell in.

Hebrews 10:35,36- Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, “so that after you have done the will of God”, you may receive the promise.