The Cost To Commit!
"And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits . . . to the priests,
to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes
of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the
tithes in all our farming communities."
Nehemiah 10: 35, 37
Churches define membership differently. Some have no membership
standards at all; attendees who are committed over time simply rise to
the level of leadership and responsibility. Other churches have formal
membership protocols: interviews and then assessments of a potential
member’s commitment to being an active and accountable member.
However, when churches define formal (or informal) membership, one
thing is true of all: Members are expected to participate and support
“the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). This involves financial support
and the investment of spiritual gifts in the building up of the Church.
Something similar happened when the Levites led the
community of returned Jews to commit themselves to
walking anew in covenant with God.
They signed a document that outlined their
responsibilities to support the household of
God in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 10:30-39).
Commitment and accountability have various prices,
but they are never free. Followers of Jesus are advised
to count the costs of being His disciple (Luke 14: 28-33).
"Scars are the price which every
believer pays for his loyalty to
Christ."
William Hendriksen
