The Mission of the Church Part 3 Ecclesiology The Mission of the Church Part 3

Edification An edifice is a building; hence, edification is a building process. Churches can exist without building. They did for centuries. Churches cannot exist without functioning believers. The need to build the body by building individuals within the body is apparent.

Destruction is much easier than construction!

It is much easier to be a critic than to be an edifier It is much easier to be a critic than to be an edifier. The church was never commanded to destroy its members; it is commanded to build the believers.

Edifying the Body in Ephesians Four Verses 1-7 base edification upon the unity of the body. Verses 8-11 describe the process whereby God endowed the body with the leadership necessary for the edification of the body. Verses 9-16 define the goal to be achieved in the edification of the body. Verses 17-32 describe the behavior needed required to prosper the edification of the body.

What then is the process of edification What then is the process of edification? It is the perfecting of the saints (verse 12). Perfecting does not so much means making perfect as it means bringing to maturity. Mature believers are equipped to do the work of the ministry and thereby build up the body (church) as a whole (verse 12). The church as a whole is made mature (a perfect man) becoming increasingly like Christ in all His fullness (verse 13). This necessitates the understanding and application of doctrine (verse 14), development of our relationship with Christ as the head of the church (verse 15), and cohesion within the body which results in the increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (verse 16).

Purification A critical issue for every church is the matter of consistency in testimony. Many have misunderstood the Biblical concept of separation. Some believe that the church must relevant to the culture and are willing to accommodate the demands of contemporary culture in order to achieve the perceived relevance. Others think that separation is the proof of spirituality. Frankly, both are in error. While in the world we are not “of” the world.

Separation is indeed a biblical mandate for the church Separation is indeed a biblical mandate for the church. Compromise with the world is unacceptable to God! Our Lord emphasized the fact that believers are saved out from the world. (John 17:11-16) We have just as much responsibility to be different from the world as was our Lord. Further compromise militates against being relevant because the message becomes obscured by the accouterments of the world.

Christ did not die to leave believers to be perpetually tainted from the world. He did not establish the church to be compromised with the world. (Eph. 5:25-27) The effective functionality of the church is absolutely dependent upon it purity. (John 15:1-3) Believers are admonished to recognize and act upon a personal separation from all that would compromise the testimony of the church. (1 Cor. 11:28-31; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 3:1-3; 2 Cor. 6:14-18)

Perhaps of greater consequence is the failure of modern churches, even conservatives one, in exercising church discipline. When churches tolerate open and flagrant sin, they discredit the message of the gospel. The classic example is the church at Corinth. (1 Cor. 5:1-13) The Bible requires church discipline (Mat. 18:17; Rom. 16:7; 2 Th. 3:6, 14; Tit. 3:10, 11, 2 John 10). Maintaining the purity of the church is critical to the mission of the church!

Purpose of Church Discipline To remove the defilement and leavening influence that sin brings (1 Cor. 5:6-8). To protect other believers form sinning and challenge them to godliness (Gal. 6:1; 1 Tim. 5:20). To produce soundness in faith (Titus 1:13). To reclaim and restore the erring brother (2 Cor. 2:5-11) - Ryrie, 502