CHURCH CULTURE

“Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?”

-2 Corinthians 13:5 (Amplified Bible)

Where Have All the Disciples Gone? Let’s be real—church membership by and large in modern times has been hijacked. Somewhere along the way, we traded biblical discipleship for cozy consumerism, rigid religiosity, or apathetic “attendance”—none of which resemble the Church that Jesus died and rose to build.

It’s time for a heart check. Not just a “Do I go to church?” check, but a “Am I actually a maturing disciple of Christ?” check. Because here’s the deal: Jesus doesn’t call us to be religious hobbyists, theological spectators, or self-appointed Yelp reviewers of Sunday services. He calls us to be disciples—fully surrendered, fully devoted, fully engaged members of His Body & Bride.

And that means membership in the local church isn’t about rights and privileges; it’s about participation. It’s not about comfort; it’s about commitment. It’s not a gym membership to use when convenient, a country club where we pay to be pampered, or a couch where we sit back and critique the sermon like it’s Netflix.

So let’s talk about what it actually means to be a church member.

The Four Types of Church Cultures (And the Only One That Works)

Church culture can go off the rails in three ways:

❌ 1. The Cozy Consumer Church (High Invitation, Low Challenge)

This is the church where everybody’s welcome, but nobody’s changed. The sermons are positive, the seats are comfy, and nobody ever asks us to do anything hard—because that might offend people. Members attend if they feel like it. They give if they agree with the direction of things. They serve if it’s convenient. Their withholding is not an act of faith, but an act of control.

This isn’t discipleship. It’s spiritual daycare for adults. And the only thing it produces is lukewarm Christianity—which Jesus has a particular distaste for (Rev. 3:16).

❌ 2. The Legalistic Church (Low Invitation, High Challenge)

On the flip side, this church operates like a spiritual boot camp. It’s all about rules, expectations, and performance—without the grace, love, and invitation of the gospel. The culture is strict, but not Spirit-led. People give, serve, and attend—but out of guilt, fear, and obligation rather than a joyful heart.

This isn’t discipleship. It’s religious slavery. And Jesus rebuked the Pharisees hard for prioritizing traditions over actual biblical obedience (Matt. 15:3-9).

❌ 3. The Apathetic Church (Low Invitation, Low Challenge)

This one is the worst. Nobody invites. Nobody challenges. People just go through the motions. Nobody is growing, nobody is discipling, nobody is doing anything beyond checking the “I went to church” box. And eventually, even that fades away.

This isn’t discipleship. It’s spiritual autopilot—and it’s exactly why Jesus rebuked the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14-22).

✔ 4. The Discipleship Church (High Invitation, High Challenge)

This is Jesus’ model. The early church didn’t just gather (Acts 2:42)—they were devoted. They didn’t just grow—they were transformed. They didn’t just give—they surrendered everything. They didn’t just go—they became witnesses (Acts 1:8).

This is what Christ expects of His Church. Not spectators. Not passive donors. Disciples.

A discipleship church does three things:

✅ It invites people in with the full truth of the gospel.

✅ It challenges them to actually follow Jesus as LORD & King (not just fans who admire Him).

✅ It sends them out as bold, joy-filled, self-denying, Spirit-led ambassadors of Christ.

What This Means for Our Church (Yes, You!)

If you’re part of this church, understand this: Membership means something. It’s not just a name on a list. It’s a commitment to the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:16).

Here’s the biblical standard we uphold:

🔥 Gathering Faithfully – Because the Body of Christ must be together (Heb. 10:25).

🔥 Growing in Christ – Because disciples aren’t called to stay spiritual infants (Eph. 4:13-15).

🔥 Giving Joyfully – Not to “fund the church,” but because we belong wholly to Christ, and our financial giving is just one expression of total surrender (2 Cor. 9:7; Mark 12:41-44).

🔥 Going Boldly – Because Christ commands us to make disciples, not just attend services (Matt. 28:19-20).

Church membership is a covenant, not a casual commitment. If we truly belong to Christ, we belong to His mission, His people, and His work.

A Final Word (From Jesus, Not Me)

When Jesus told the parable of the wedding banquet (Matt. 22), one man showed up without the proper wedding attire. That wasn’t just a fashion mistake—it was a spiritual one. He tried to enter the Kingdom on his own terms, not Christ’s.

Christ’s standard for church membership isn’t negotiable. We don’t get to show up half-committed, half-surrendered, half-in. Either we are crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) and made new in Him (2 Cor. 5:17)—or we’re not.

So let’s be the Church Jesus actually calls us to be: A gathering of devoted, Spirit-led, fully-surrendered, joy-filled disciples of the risen King. No consumers. No legalists. No lukewarm indifference. Just a church that belongs fully to Christ—and lives like it.

Are you in?

Blessings & love, -Kevin M. Kelley

Senior Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com