I was working Thursday morning on a future sermon planned for this Fall on the church. My original idea of the 7 churches in Revelation didn’t sit with me well and while riding Wednesday it hit me: You don’t want to do that.
So…back to the drawing board.
I still want to do a series on the church since the church I pastor celebrates its 9th year in October. We also plan to begin two services the first Sunday of October and I feel a good prep will help the transition. As I studied I ran across a series of questions that piqued my interest. Since I will be gone this weekend (tell you later), I thought I would use this post to get your thoughts. Here is your question:
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH IS…..???????
And here are some suggestions:
- To present the gospel to the lost.
- To have an opportunity for regular worship and instruction.
- To bring hope to the hurting.
- To amass a large number of weekly attendees or participants.
- To build an impressive physical plant with a large campus and beautiful buildings and landscaping.
- To conform to the most popular style of worship.
- To make sure that at least 20% of the annual budget goes to missions.
- To engage in politics by endorsing candidates and/or marching in demonstrations.
- To picket controversial events.
- To pray and read the Bible.
- To talk about eschatology in order to scare people.
- None of the above.
YOUR ANSWER IS?
#12 to be exact. That being said, what is our purpose? Check out this verse. Simplest terms: the church’s primary purpose is to glorify the Lord. In all things. This verse in Psalms also tells us more. In this “keeping up with the church Jones’ ” age in which we live, we have got to never forget this. Part of OVCF’s vision is to Exalt Christ. Put another way we want to bring fame to the Name of Jesus.
Do you agree with this? Do you feel one of the list of 11 is a better description of the purpose of the church? I’d like to hear your thoughts. While your thinking of your answer (if you are), how about giving this a listen.
For Father’s Day, my daughter, son-in-law and grandson bought tickets to see the Pirates (Yeah!) play the Reds (Who?) in Cincinnati this Saturday afternoon. So I am taking the whole weekend off and will be back Monday afternoon. I’ll see you Tuesday (unless I get inspired and find time to write). I doubt that since our grandson will be with us from after game through Monday. Oxygen please! 🙂
Please say a prayer for Ryan as he preaches this week on Anger.
I have an important theology question at this time. Do you believe this is the weekend when the once promising start to the Pirates season will begin its annual nosedive so that they finish well under .500? As a follow-up, if not this weekend, will it be next?
O.K., while you ponder that. I was writing down my answer to your question about the purpose of the church before I saw your answer. I had written down #1, #2, #3, #10. These seem to be all part and parcel of glorifying the name of God/Jesus.
Despite my award for being a smart aleck, I will be praying for you tonight that your weekend is a great blessing for you (and your family).
You are pressing the bonds of our “friendship” Daniel with talk like that. 🙂 I am hoping, of course, that they don’t falter this year. Thanks for your input on the question. Thanks for your prayers this weekend also.
The purpose of the church?
FEED THE SHEEP. John 21:15 ff
I presently have no church I call home. Actually, I haven’t darkened the doorway of a church for a couple of years now, but that’s another story. “Church” does not make the “Christian”, faith does.
I believe the purpose of the church is to empower, educate and admonish the believers (feed the sheep) while welcoming and not judging seekers and visitors – which can be a tragic human fallacy.
The “sheep” should love God with all they have and love their neighbor as themselves, extending grace to all as a testament to the grace they’ve received.
The M.O. for the church should be feeding the poor, taking care of widows and orphans and sharing the gospel.
All this, I believe is the reason, purpose if you will, for the “church”.
While church does not make the Christian, I confess, sometimes I’m hungry …
As I remove my foot from my mouth, so to speak, I was assuming glorifying God was a given …
How does the saying go?
When you ASSUME you make an A** out of U and ME. Well, in this case, ME anyway …
🙂
Assumption can be bad. 🙂 Unfortunately, giving glory to God is not always on the docket for many churches.
Basically that verse is about glorifying God. I believe that is the purpose of the Church above everything else.
You got it.
I think a Church’s purpose is basically defined as a place for believers in a religious philosophy to congregate. It could be a home, a field or a building specifically constructed for that purpose. I think most of the listed items are actions and not purposes. They are common actions in a lot of churches. I am not sure how people bring fame to Jesus, as he seems pretty famous already.
I think most churches probably do more harm than good in the adding fame department, as I think most churches are trying to bring fame to their members and organization more so than to whatever it is they say they worship.
Unfortunately, you are right Jeff. many are bringing more fame to their members or organizations, even their buildings. One church I know of has tours of their facility. Say what? I have two basic fundamental differences with what you have said. 1) The church is not the building, and 2) He is “famous” but sometimes not for the right reasons. We want to make it for the right ones.
You got me…I was ticking off the ones that apply. I so often forget that getting to the root is the basic fist step to most things in life. When you Glorify God, all the rest just happens. James is a good one to remind us of this.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Glorifying God is where it starts. We did have a nice one.
Couldn’t agree more, Bill. It never is complicated until we add the fall of the flesh… Have a great weekend!
The flesh does mess things up.
I think glorifying God is probably the big idea that should define what the church does. Within that idea are things like #1, 2, 3 and 10. The church should basically be focused on Jesus’s answer of what is the greatest commandment – to love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul an love our neighbor as ourselves.
Have a great trip to OH!
You are right DJ. Glorifying God is the big idea and the others should be offshoots of that. Thanks.
My initial answer was “The purpose of the church is for the body to meet together regularly as scripture says it should.” Lives are so busy, and we too easily push out fellowship. Church at least gives us a base for fellowship to happen. Then, as I thought more, my answer turned into “The purpose of church is for opportunity to connect through unity in faith.” Yet, above all, “The purpose of church is for the assembling of the body of Christ for His glory.” Probably nothing wise or new, but there are my thoughts.
“for His glory” is key. Thanks Kari.
The purpose of the church is to worship God (Luke 4:8;
Study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15;
Love and pray for one another Learn how to live as godly people (Titus 2:11-12),
Be equipped to evangelize the world (Eph. 4:12;)
In doing all the above it will glorify God. His name will be spread all over the world.
Not much more to say Betty. You hit the nail on the head.
I nod at most of what everyone says above and really like how David put it. Most of our married lives we have worked with youth and we have always said that our main objective is to love God and to teach others to love God. As several already mentioned, once you get the basics down, the rest happens by way of doing what you can to accomplish the basics.
Welcome back MS. Always good to hear from you. You summed it up well.
Sometimes I’m here but I, being meek, say nothing. -grin-
🙂 I’m okay with that.
I often point people to Ephesians 3:10-11 concerning the purpose of the church.
“10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I think I Cor. 10:31 really has the same idea, to bring glory to God! The problem is that often people get confused between the activities of the church and the purpose of the church.
The activities of the church are things like fellowship, teaching, prayer, worship, evangelism. These activities are all for one purpose, to glorify God!
You are right Caleb. No matter the culture it is easy to see people get confused. Our purpose as leaders is to get it right within us then share it with others. Thanks.
I grew up (my first 12 years – so i still had some growing to go beyond that) in a Plymouth Brethren Assembly. Notice they called it assembly, because they were very big on the word Church which in the Bible means the believers.
I love what Betty Draper say – those 4 work well for me.
Our Church (gathering of believers) has as our stated mission:
Helping people Worship God, Love one another and Serve the World, and I can find room in that for most of what the Bible asks of us, ie – training in righteousness, equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, supporting the gospel at home and abroad, and working on all those “One Anothers” in Scripture.
Great question, and in the end – all must glorify God as Job 1 – so i am with you there Pastor Bill.
Thanks Ben. As you can see, i also agree with Betty. (Must mean great minds think alike). 😛 Thanks for your input. Like to hear more about their use of Assembly and church.
I was pretty young when we left the Plymouth Brethren, but much of one side of my family is still involved under that umbrella. This article does a pretty good job of describing what i understand and remember.
http://www.theopedia.com/Plymouth_Brethren
The precepts are pretty good, as with any group that sets out to worship God, but implementation varies.
We left because they got a bit to legalistic for my Dad, and i am not sure i could live in such a strong dispensational environment having turned out as the EvanChariPenteTerian that I am.
God bless you Pastor Bill
Ben
Thanks for the info Ben. Was interesting to read. Some I would agree and some disagree with…as can be expected.
Tp proclaim God’s Word. His law (to expose us and drive us to Christ)…and His gospel, to forgive us and make us new again (over and over and over).
And to administer the sacraments (what Jesus commanded that we do) of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper…in accordance with that pure, proclaimed gospel.
That is job #1.
I would question whether these are the outgrowth of glorifying God. Just asking. 🙂
A true church is where God is the center…the glory of God is the focus…and the Bible is the authoritative and sufficient manual.
Ultimately all that matters is the glory of God (Psalm 57:5). And God has ordained that He will receive most glory through His bride…the church (Ephesians 3:21).
You said it well Ike. No argument here.
There was a great book that came out a while ago on the mission of the church. It’s on my to-read list but I’m not there yet 🙂
Name of book?
Your post reminds me of mine last week about having a church that’s welcoming to those God loves- everyone!
Keep seeking God, that brings Him glory and He will do the rest.
I remember that post TC. The church will do what you suggest. True: keep seeking Him.