Perhaps one of the most difficult matters we face in the Christian community is learning to accept others. This is particularly true when a person is considered to be an outsider, i.e., one who either comes from a strictly non-Christian background or from another community. The typical person develops his own small group of friends and has difficulty opening himself to others. Many people drop out of church because they never sensed acceptance.
Some of the darkest days of the church in America came in the middle part of this century when acceptance into the church was based on the color of one's skin or one's standing in society. I'm of the conviction that much of the strife of the 60's could have been avoided if churches had opened their arms wide to receive whosoever will.
I believe the Bible is very clear that one's race or culture or rung on the societal ladder are never criteria for exclusion from the local church! The church is not in the business of exclusion but of acceptance. The community of faith, the church, must rise above such an exclusive-type spirit.
But there is another issue regarding acceptance which we face in the church. It is not a problem of exclusion as much as it is a problem of acceptance. Let me explain. The church of Jesus Christ is to be a visible expression of the mystical body of Christ. If you are part of a New Testament church then you are supposed to be born again and wholly committed to walking with Christ. You are to be serious about the Christian life in every area of your life and you are to be committed to the local church and the support of its ministry in this world. In other words, if you are a church member then there should be, at the very minimum, clear evidence of your faith, evidence of your desire to grow in Christ, and evidence that you desire to serve the Lord faithfully through the ministry of your church.
While these minimum requirements should be the norm of the church, it is obvious that multitudes do not demonstrate them in the least. Millions of people on church rolls give no evidence of being born again nor do they give evidence of desiring to grow in the faith nor do they give evidence of desiring to serve the Lord faithfully through the church. Instead, they are simply members of the church, period. In light of the teaching of God's Word, can we accept such people as church members who do not give evidence of a true faith? Please understand, I am not at all referring to accepting people who desire to attend the church, as if the church stands guard at the doors to only let in those who have certain beliefs, etc. Rather, this is a matter of being part of the church or what we call church membership.
I had an interesting talk with a pastor brother who dropped by our office this week. In our discussion he brought up the fact that his conviction is that the most important area that needs attention in our churches is this matter of church membership and how we accept members. Church rolls are filled with unregenerate people who should never have been admitted to the membership of the church. So how do we address this critical matter.
I believe our text confronts us with just such a situation and offers some clear guidelines as our example of accepting others into the fellowship of the church. Can the church just accept without question anyone who seeks to be part of the church? What kind of evidence must we consider that gives credibility to a person's profession of faith? These are the questions addressed in our text and to which we must have answers in an era of careless church membership.
I. Discernment as a basis of acceptance
At first glance we may find ourselves rather disgusted with the church in Jerusalem for not accepting Saul of Tarsus when he sought to be part of their fellowship. "And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple." The word "associate" means to 'associate with someone on intimate terms or to unite or to join'. It is the closest word to the modern idea of 'joining a church' that I'm aware of in the New Testament. Saul was trying to be part of the Jerusalem church, but they would not accept him.
Now we may point our finger at them and question their integrity and love for their unwillingness to accept him. But before we do that let's consider what these believers were doing. They were living under the duress of persecution for their faith. All sorts of means were used to wreak havoc in the church. The man most responsible for this was a Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus. Now this same man wants to be part of the fellowship of the church! Was he legitimate or was he just infiltrating the church so that he might kill more believers? This same situation has gone on during our century in churches of the former eastern bloc countries. KGB officials used to join churches in the former Soviet Union, only to act as informers.
What they were doing in hesitating to accept Saul was not necessarily an evil thing. If they lowered the standards of the church so that being part of it was nothing more than joining an organization without responsibilities, then they would have defiled the church. If this man was still the same person, intent on destroying the church, they would be foolish to open their arms to him only to have him turn on them with vengeance. On the other hand, if he was indeed a true believer then they needed to open their arms wide, accepting him without reservation into the fellowship of the church.
Now, what would you do if you were in their shoes? In a sense you are in their shoes. The church is still the church, though we seem to have lost much of the purity that characterized the early believers. We still have the responsibility of maintaining high standards for church membership and accepting people into our fellowship according to the same Biblical standards. How do you do this without being too narrow or rigid on one end or too loose or careless on the other? It requires discernment by the body.
1. Reasons for discernment
Discernment must not be confused with a judgmental spirit or a hypercritical attitude. Instead, discernment is the ability to make clear distinctions between truth and error, good and evil, true faith and false faith. It is the capacity for recognizing the Spirit of the Lord at work, the sensitivity of your spirit bearing witness with the spirit of another being genuine in the faith.
Why is this important? All of us realize that the easiest organization to join in America is the typical church. You can join a church easier than you can join the PTA at your kid's school! In most churches there is very little required of those who desire to join.
The danger with this kind of low-standard church membership is that the devil can easily slip in deceivers. The deceivers can then begin to lay groundwork of destruction of the church or watering down of the doctrine or sowing seeds of dissension. Before long the church gets corrupted and the adversary succeeds in his plans. The door was opened wide for this to transpire because no discernment was exercised in accepting church members.
What happens to a local church when many of its members are not true believers? Those unbelievers eventually filter their way into the mainstream of the congregation so that the decisions they make, the desires they express, the direction they push for will not be in accord with the teaching of God's Word. The church then moves further away from its true purpose under the Headship of Jesus Christ.
2. Rationale of discernment
Because the church can become corrupted and infused with the spirit of unbelievers, it must exercise discernment. It must be able to distinguish between a true faith and a false faith. It must be able to recognize when someone truly knows the Lord and accept that person into its fellowship. By the same token, it must be able to recognize when a person's faith is not true and carefully, lovingly point this person to the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the challenge facing the Jerusalem church and the challenge facing us today.
I've had numerous occasions to talk with people who are interested in joining our church. I love to have folks join our church! I think it is a great church to be part of! But, I also recognize that there are certain basic standards to which we must hold for membership. As a pastor and congregation we must never be so interested in people joining our church that we fail to discern their spiritual lives.
There have been people who stated they wanted to join our church, but gave no evidence of knowing the Lord. Upon questioning them about their faith they either admitted their lost condition or could not give a clear testimony. Of course, those become priceless opportunities of presenting the gospel! The sad thing I've witnessed is people who simply want church membership without a genuine relationship to Christ. They are not really interested in the gospel. They only want to be members of the church. My brethren, the church of Jesus Christ does not exist to serve as a religious club membership for the unregenerate! The only sure way to maintain a regenerate membership is to exercise discernment. The goal of the church should be to exclude no one from membership who truly knows Christ and to admit no one to membership to fails to give evidence of the new birth.
As imperfect people we may not always succeed in doing this. But we must seek to be as fair as possible and as discerning as we are able in welcoming others into the fellowship of the church.
3. Developing discernment
The difference between the typical member of the Jerusalem church and Barnabas was that Barnabas had developed the ability to discern. He saw things in Saul that the others did not see. Perhaps it was simply because he was willing to take the time to check things out. Nonetheless, he exercised discernment and the church profited by his doing so. He saw that Saul's faith was genuine and he affirmed Saul before the church.
How do you develop discernment? There is no easy, one-two-three way of discerning. Thankfully, God gives some people in the body a gift of discernment (I Cor. 12:10) in order to assist the church in distinguishing truth and error, true faith and false faith. But all of us need to grow in discernment for both our personal walks and our church lives.
First, it is vital that you exercise your mind and heart in the truth of God's Word. Discernment involves both biblical understanding and spiritual sensitivity. So you are to give yourself to the study of God's Word and to the obedience of it. Discernment does not take place because we have an academic knowledge of Scripture. It must be a working knowledge, i.e., one that his honed by reading and study with the practical aspect of seeking to diligently obey the Word. It is interesting that Paul's word to Timothy concerning being a student of the Word and handling its interpretation accurately is in the context of recognizing shrewd errors and lowering of standards within the church (II Tim. 2:14-26). Timothy was to be a student of God's Word and then Paul gives a series of exhortations related to his obedience: "avoid..., abstain..., cleanse(s)..., flee..., pursue..., refuse" (vv. 16, 19, 21, 22, 23). In this process of grasping the truth of God and putting it into practice, the believer begins to develop a discerning mind.
Second, seek the Lord and ask for discernment, wisdom, and understanding. This should be a regular part of our praying about our personal lives. We must see that regardless of our intelligence and maturity, apart from God's gracious gift of wisdom and understanding, we really will not be able to see things from a divine perspective.
Finally, depend upon the Holy Spirit to enable you to discern. Be sensitive to those times that the "anointing" of God's Spirit puts a check in your spirit on one hand or gives you liberty on the other (I John 2:18-29). Consider the biblical truths He brings to your mind when you are weighing a situation.
Let me offer a warning at this point. Our job is not to judge a person and condemn them to Hell nor to confirm them as heading for Heaven. We are simply to exercise our spiritual minds and understanding to recognize credible evidence of true faith in a person's life. If there is not evidence of genuine faith, then see that as God's open door to begin to present the gospel to that person. If there is evidence of genuine faith, rejoice with that person and welcome them into the full fellowship of the church. That is precisely what Barnabas did in relationship to Saul and the Jerusalem church.
II. Credible evidence of true faith
While the members of the Jerusalem church were afraid to take a close look at Saul to see if he was genuine, that was not the case with Barnabas. He took the time to be involved with Saul, investing his life in this new believer, and discovered the reality of his faith. In a very simple fashion this text demonstrates what should be true of anyone who has a true faith in Christ.
1. Evidence of association with the church
"And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples...." As I pointed out earlier, the idea of "associate" means to associate with someone on intimate terms. In other words, Saul desired to be involved with these believers, to have fellowship with them, to love them, to be loved and encouraged by them. The Greek tense shows that he kept trying to associate with them, even after being rebuffed time and again. His natural desire as a believer was to be part of the fellowship of believers--the church. This is the natural response of one who has been born again.
For years I have heard of those folks who claim to be Christians but say they don't need the church nor even want the church. This kind of spirit is foreign to the New Testament. You never find spiritual lone rangers in the New Testament, i.e., those who want to disassociate themselves from the church and still remain firm in the faith. Quite often you find apostates who have left the fellowship of believers (I John 2:19) and have abandoned the faith. But you never find those who are true believers who have no desire for the church or no need for the church. We are saved in relationship to the church. Now understand, the church does not save you in the least! But you are saved and immediately added to the Body of Christ which has its only physical manifestation in the local church. It is the church that is known as the "household of God,...the pillar and support of the truth" (I Tim. 3:15). The church alone has that privilege of being called the household of God and the body of Christ.
I remember when I came to know the Lord that I had this insatiable desire to be with the body of believers. I loved going to church and being with God's people. I was not trying to see how little church I could get away with attending and still be called a Christian! I was attending every time I had the opportunity. The desire for being with God's people was part of my new nature as a Christian. I've found through the years that I was no different than any other believer. The desire to be part of the church is always present in the believer.
When Saul got saved he began to associate with the disciples in Damascus. When he went to Jerusalem he did the same thing. A love of the body of believers, their fellowship, the ministry of God's Word among them, the worship of the Lord are all part of this new nature and new desire given by the Holy Spirit. It is a good identifying mark in true believers. Those who have a 'take it or leave it' attitude toward the church have never known the saving work of Christ!
2. Evidence of experiential relationship to Christ
The Christian life is not a mere academic knowledge of some historical facts. It is a life-changing experience of a living relationship with Jesus Christ. It is an experience grounded in the Word of God and brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. When Barnabas brought Saul to the Jerusalem church he pointed to the experiential nature of Saul's relationship to Christ. He wanted them to know that Saul had not just learned the right jargon so that he could infiltrate the church. He had encountered the living Christ and was changed forever. "But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him...."
Barnabas built a convincing argument of the reality of Saul's faith based on his spiritual sight and spiritual hearing. He saw the Lord and he heard the Lord. Now, none of us could claim the same thing of physically seeing Christ or physically hearing Him speak. But in a sense, from the spiritual point of view, that is exactly what has happened to all who have come to Christ. You may recall the testimony of Charles Haddon Spurgeon who heard a layman preach with the essence of his message being, "Young man, look to Christ." Quite often Spurgeon called on his audience to do the same, to look to Christ.
It is the look of faith that embraces Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is a look that transforms. It is a look that will not leave you the same.
All believers also have Christ speaking to them through His Word. The word of Christ begins to "richly dwell" within you (Col. 3:16), so that His truth permeates you, changing every part of your life. A believer loves to hear Christ in the truths of God's Word. He loves the gospel and finds delight in hearing its rich truth expounded. Saul heard the Lord physically speaking to him. We have the privilege of being able to take in hand the Word of God every day and read it, feast upon it, and nourish ourselves in its riches. We can hear it taught and proclaimed week after week in our church. That Word begins to work in a believer's life so that he experiences more and more of the joy of the Christian life. It is truly a life that he has experienced (I John 5:12), not just a religion he practices.
3. Evidence of understanding and articulating the faith
Barnabas also pointed out that Saul was speaking out boldly in the name of Jesus, that is, in the authority of and on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. This took place immediately after he was saved. He was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16), but found great delight in speaking forth the truths of the gospel with boldness.
A true believer may not understand everything about the gospel but he certainly finds delight in discussing it with others. He will find himself wanting to tell someone else what Christ has done for him in the Lord's great saving power. He will point to Christ as the One who saves through His death on the cross. A believer loves the gospel enough to talk about it.
One of the common characteristics we find in those early believers is that everywhere they went they spoke of Christ. That is a pretty good clue to the reality of a person's faith, he is unashamed of the gospel and enjoys talking about it.
4. Evidence of a spiritual stand
In verses 28-30 we find that Saul continued verifying the reality of his faith by the evidence of taking a spiritual stand. He was not trying to see how close he could get to living like the world so that no one noticed his Christianity. He boldly crossed the line and stood firm in the Lord. In Saul's case it even meant facing the danger of death for the sake of Jesus Christ.
If a man has been redeemed by the blood of Christ he has a willingness in his heart to stand for his Redeemer! There is nothing that is more important to him than pleasing the Lord. He chooses the things of God over the pleasures of the world. The desire of his heart is to count for Christ in all areas of his life. His Christianity is a seven day per week relationship.
III. Practice to be exercised by the church
Now, let's pull all of this together into a simple and succinct practice that needs to be exercised by each of us in the church. Take a lesson from Barnabas, when you see the Lord bringing someone our way become personally involved with them and take the time to invest in their spiritual life.
1. Personal involvement
If Barnabas had not been involved in Saul's life, the whole complexion of Christianity would have been different. Saul became the most important figure in the early church. What if he had never been accepted by the Jerusalem church? That is inconceivable to us, yet the one who took the time to get involved with Saul when others were suspicious of him was Barnabas.
Take the challenge of getting involved in the lives of others. It may be a new believer or visitors to our church or even members of our church. Take the time to be spiritually involved in their lives. Go beyond exchanging pleasantries. Get close enough to discover the reality of that person's faith in Christ. If you cannot see the reality of true faith, then begin to take the time to explain the gospel to that person and challenge them with the claims of Jesus Christ.
2. Personal investment
This requires personal investment of your time, energy, and resources. Barnabas was willing to face loss for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel, if need be, by investing time in Saul of Tarsus. It was a wise investment that has reaped untold dividends in light of eternity.
If you practice some discernment in the next few years you will run across some wonderful believers who will need your encouragement. You will also encounter some people who have yet to meet Christ savingly. These people need the investment of your spiritual life. One group needs your encouragement to grow in Christ and deepen their roots in the fellowship of this church. The other group needs your patient and careful instruction in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will you invest your life in others for the sake of God's kingdom?
Conclusion
By exercising discernment we do not have to live with blinders on in the church. There are some who need our gospel witness though they may be church members, but you will not recognize this without discernment. Seek to develop in this area of the Christian discipline. Ask the Lord to give you discernment that you might wisely involve yourself in the lives of others.
Do these simple evidences of true faith show up in your life? Do you desire to be with the brethren in the fellowship of the church? Do you have an experiential relationship to Christ? Do you understand the gospel so that you enjoy hearing it and talking about it? Do you stand for Christ or for the world?
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