“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” 1 Cor 5:6
It does not take much yeast to cause bread dough to raise 3-4
times its size. Given the right temperature and time, a large lump of dough can
raise fairly quickly with a fairly insignificant amount of yeast.
Depending on the recipe, normally 6 cups of flour will call
for about one tablespoon of yeast. The ration of 6 cups to one tablespoon is 192:1,
or one half of a percent. And yet that one spoon of yeast will cause those 6
cups of flour in a batter to rise over and over again.
While having yeast is helpful for making certain kinds of bread,
Paul used this allegory to teach a negative lesson. He was illustrating that
allowing unchecked sinful behavior among members of a local church impacts the
entire church membership. He likely used this illustration because of its
example of a very unbalanced ratio, 192:1. When church leaders allow one member
to live in obvious sin, the result impacts the remainder of the church just
like leaven!
So any given pastor or church leader needs to be aware of
the spiritual state of the members of his church.
In a perfect world all members of a church would be
regenerate and would remain so throughout their lives. But we do not live in a
perfect world. When a new pastor comes to a church, he inherits all the
membership decisions made in the past. Perhaps unregenerate people became
members in a church by mistake or even intentionally.
So it is beneficial that we have strategies in mind to
safeguard regenerate church membership. Let me recommend ten strategies, to
which others may be added:
(1) Baptism for Believers Only
We must guard against the desire to bolster baptismal
numbers by baptizing those who have not certain of their faith in Jesus Christ.
There is danger on both sides here. We can restrict baptism from “Whosoever
will” on one hand, sinning against the Holy Spirit. Or we can baptize those who
are not genuinely saved, and thereby sin against the Holy Spirit.
(2) Practicing Communion for Believers Only
Other than baptism, the other command of Christ, the Lord’s
Supper, is the place where we need to differentiate between the saved and the
lost. Here again there is danger on both sides. On one side, there is the
danger of becoming Pharisaical, and on the other becoming Sadducee-ical. For
example, it has been my practice to mention the warning of 1 Corinthians
9, stating that the communion table is restricted to baptized believers only,
and then allowing the congregants to decide for themselves.
(3) Practicing Church Discipline
Loving ministry necessitates loving church discipline. When
a member is found to be living in known sin or immorality, church leaders are
obligated to follow Matthew 18, Galatians 6, and similar passages to
reestablish this church member. If church discipline is not lovingly practiced,
then regenerate church membership is in jeopardy.
(4) Prioritizing Biblical Preaching
A constant diet of the Word of God can protect a church
from drifting away from its Master, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “You are already
clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). God’s Word
preached literally cleanses the consciences and souls of those who have a
hearing of faith in a congregation. Biblical preaching is a powerful key to
maintaining regenerate church membership.
(5) Maintaining the Bible’s Distinction Between the Saved
and the Lost
In a day of compromise, it is important for the pastor to
set the pace for his church by maintaining the Bible’s distinction between the
saved and the lost in his preaching. Blurring the lines between the saved and
the lost is detrimental to maintaining a regenerate membership. When these
lines are blurred doctrinally and or in practice the entire congregation
suffers from an influx of leaven into the church.
(6) Welcoming Practical Application of the Bible’s Truths
Along with biblical preaching is the importance of clear
application of God’s Word. Preaching is more than informing, it also includes
the responsibility to warn. The admonition of Ezekiel 3:18-21 comes to mind
here. That same admonition rang in the mind of Paul who stated that he was
under obligation to teach and warn all men. For example, Paul affirmed that his
ministry was one of “warning every man” (Col 1:28). Likewise our preaching
should be more than just informing—it should also include warning. And this
warning will go a lone way toward helping us maintain regenerate church
membership.
(7) Regularly Visiting Our Members
Maintaining regenerate church membership means that we know
our sheep. There is no better way of knowing our congregation than visiting
them in their homes. Their homes is where we learn how they live and with whom
they live. It does not take long to greet a person, read Scripture, and pray for
them—maybe 10-15 minutes. But in so doing the pastor shows love for his people
and is better able to empathize with them. His regular visitation allows the
pastor to understand his people as life issues come up. He can preach to where
they live, and build a relational foundation that he may later need in a first
level of confrontation (Matt 18).
(8) Fostering Intentional Loving Fellowship
Along with regularly visiting members, the pastor should be
sure that there are regular avenues for fellowship among the saints on the
church calendar. Isolated church members can drift. Members that are involved
in a healthy community with multiple levels of relationship will be discipled
and mentored.
(9) Training Our People in Evangelism
Another way to safeguard regenerate church membership is to
train our members in personal evangelism. As we voluntarily train our people in
personal evangelism, they will have the gospel set before them once again. They
can evaluate their own lives in light of the gospel. And they can recommit
themselves to a Great Commission priority in their lives.
(10) Giving Our People Opportunities to Share the Gospel
Once a person is trained to share the gospel, they can now
proceed to the next level—sharing the gospel! It is helpful and beneficial for
a pastor to create varied opportunities for his people to share the gospel—whether
in the local context or on overseas trips. They will already have a built in
desire to share the gospel from the Holy Spirit. So the pastor puts legs to the
work of the Spirit by providing his people concrete ways to share the gospel.
He emulates Jesus who sent out his disciples (e.g. Luke 9:2; 10:1). As they
share the gospel, they will be reminded of their ongoing need for Christ, and
you will safeguard the regenerate membership of your church in their lives!
Just like yeast changes the size of the lump of dough, so
unsaved members will transform a local church in a negative way. Maintaining
regenerate membership is a challenge. These ten strategies are offered to
safeguard the household of God and to help us keep unhealthy leaven from infecting our churches.
