Scriptures: Romans 12:5, Hebrews 10:24-25, Luke 9:23, Ephesians 2:19, Acts 2:41-42, 26

The church is not a place, but a people. Not a building, but a body. In fact, the New Testament clearly refers to the church not as an organization, but as an organism, where each part--person--has a vital role to play. When we go "all in" for Christ and surrender our lives to Him to be His disciples, we also become a vital part of the body called the church. In this message, Dr. Merritt explains why involvement in the church is so important for us, and how God uses each member of the church body to accomplish His plan and purpose in the world.

"Almost every time the word 'church' is used in the Bible, it refers to a local, visible, single, congregation that meets in a certain location. The New Testament always assumes membership in a local church. The Christian who is not a member of a church is compared in the Bible to an organ without a body, a sheep without a flock and a child without a family. I want you to understand that the Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ. It is a commitment to other Christians. You become a Christian by committing yourself to Christ, but you become a church member by committing yourself to the church and to other members of the church." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: all in, follower, disciple, committed, Jesus, Christian, surrender, discipleship, church, body, membership, benefits, physical, emotional, spiritual, belong, community, organization, human, Word, worship, work, witness, somebody, anybody, nobody