Responsible Church Membership (Matthew 16:13–19)

Many years ago, I read Jonathan Leeman’s helpful book on church governance titled, Don’t Fire Your Church Members. It underscored for me the conviction that each church member plays a vital role in the health of the congregation. I was strengthened in my understanding that the congregation is responsible for the what and for the who of the gospel. Related to this, the congregation is also responsible to assist the elders in establishing and promoting the how of the gospel. A key word in these sentences is responsible. If the local church will be healthy, then member must exercise responsible church membership.

Without the reality of church membership there can be no acceptance of responsibility for church membership.

Jesus’ instruction of his disciples in Matthew 18 is grounded in his earlier injunction found in Matthew 16:13–20.

The scene is set in vv. 13–16.

By God’s sovereign grace, Peter confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus’ affirmation, in conjunction with 1 Corinthians 12:1–3, indicate that Peter was a Christian. His heart of stone had been replaced with a heart of flesh. According to 1 Corinthians 12:13, Peter had been brought into union with Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. And, by this work, he had been made a member of the body of Christ.

Jesus responded to Peter’s confession with a wonderful affirmation: “And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’” (vv. 17–18).

The Body of Christ is here (v. 18) referred to as the “church” for the first time in recorded history. “Church” means “a called out assembly.” Those who are united to Christ are so because the triune God has called them out of an unbelieving, godless world system to be members of his body. This calling out is with connection to a particular conviction and confession. Jesus Christ is Lord.

Peter is not the foundation—Jesus is—but Peter will be a primary person in laying down this foundation (see Ephesians 2:19–20; see also Acts 1, 2, 3, 10). The confession and the confessor are the foundation upon which Jesus would build his church—the what and the who of the gospel.

Since Jesus is building the church, it must be important. Since Jesus is building the church it is a privilege to be a part of it. Since Jesus is building his church and it will overcome our greatest enemy—death itself—we are expected to prioritise it. Since Jesus is building his church by his sovereign use of living stones (1 Peter 2:5), we can conclude that each Christian is a connected and not a rolling stone.

Jesus concluded with an authoritative assignment: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (v. 19).

Peter was not the first Pope; he was the first church member. And he was given a responsibility: to steward the keys of the kingdom (and to steward the kingdom of the keys).

Peter was responsible for the what and the who of the kingdom. That is, just as he had the right confession and thus entered the kingdom, so must anyone else who will enter the kingdom.

The keys are the content of and confession of the gospel. By extension, this is the responsibility of every church member. Similar language is used in Matthew 18:18, but there the word “you” is plural. Each member is responsible for the keys of the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is God’s rule on earth via his church—represented by local churches. It is where the rule of Christ is revealed and honoured.

The wellbeing of the kingdom, humanly speaking, is dependent on how well the church—by its members!—steward the keys (i.e. the gospel—the what and the how of the gospel).

Each member shares in the church’s stewardship of the what of the gospel.

Each member is responsible to know the gospel. Without being a heresy hunter, each member needs to be a discerning hearer of the gospel. This is Paul’s point in Galatians.

We apply the what of the gospel to affirm the who of the gospel. That is, we receive members of the church on the basis of their belief in and affirmation of the gospel. This places upon members the responsibility to know member applicants—to hear from them their gospel testimony and understand what they believe about Jesus Christ.

Matthew 18:15–20 explains how the gospel is practically applied in the life of the local church—including the ministries of the church. Every member has a part in this, yet the majority of the responsibility for this lies with the elders, the shepherds of the flock.

Jesus’ point is that individual members assume individual responsibility to right a wrong, to help an erring or wayward member. It then moves to a corporate-congregational responsibility.

The question confronts us: Who is leading the way when the matter needs to be addressed corporately? This text does not say, but the pastoral epistles indicate that this is a major responsibility of the eldership—to maintain gospel order.

We can conclude that elders are given responsibility, by Christ through the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28), to lead the church to faithfully steward the keys of the kingdom including the what, the who, and the how of the gospel. The elders and congregation work together in this kingdom work. The elders must not fire church members and church members must not fire its elders!

Let me suggest several areas in which this applies.

First, the church budget requires mutual responsibility of elders and congregation. God supplies the finances through the congregation. The elders direct the collection and distribution. The congregation assist and approve the budget of the church. The fiscal buck of ultimate responsibility lies with the elders.

Each member must commit him- or herself to supply the income for the budgeted needs. Each member must commit to the wider agenda of the church’s gospel ministry.

Second, church members bear the responsibility to be well-informed church members. The elders are responsible to keep the congregation well-informed concerning the life of the church, its gospel ministry. The congregation is responsible to stay informed. Elders can do the former, they have little control over the latter.

Members must read or listen to communication sent by the elders and engage with the leadership. They must gather regularly to ensure they are well-informed. This is one major reason it is essential that members attend members’ meetings.

In an age of information overload leaders must be careful to not inundate and drown the membership with messages so that members can be sure that communication sent is important.

Third, a major area in which each member needs to be responsible is with reference to “the who of the how.” That is, the congregation is responsible for who are appointed as elders. Each member has an important role in this: to evaluate candidates in line with 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1; to interact with the individual as well as with the elders. But this does not cease when the man is appointed. This engagement must be ongoing. Consider the words of Paul to the Thessalonian church: “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

The word “respect” literally means “to know.” Church members must get to know their leaders. While elders must not be unapproachable, church members must not keep themselves at arm’s length. Elders are not mind readers. So engage. Elders don’t bite!

As often as we have opportunity, let us function properly as church members. Let us gather together responsibly, using the keys of the kingdom for the good of God’s kingdom to his honour and glory.

AMEN