Mission of the Church: Why is Church Important?

Why did you come to church today? Routine Ritual Rut Repetition All of the Above None of the Above Some may say, like the mountaineer, “Because it’s there”.

“The church is not a building, it is a body of true believers. It’s not a business, it’s the bride of Christ, chosen by the Father. It’s not a corporation, it’s a congregation of Christ-followers. It’s not a financial institution, it’s a family, it’s a flock. It’s not led by CEOs, it’s led by shepherds. It’s not built by corporate executives, it’s built by Christ alone.” (Phil Layton)

As in Matthew 16, the church is built on Christ (who He really is: Lord and Savior), built from Christ, and built by Christ. I like going to church, too

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12)

A Whisper If you find yourself at church, looking for God in the big elements of the service and not finding Him, consider that God may be there whispering. The problem with whispering is that it requires effort to hear. It involves an expectant perceptivity where you and I believe God will speak to us in any circumstance — even if it’s not in the schedule.  Whether you feel your church is the best in the world or that it needs improvement, as long as it’s biblical, God is in that service. Remember Matthew 18:20: “When two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” 

A Whisper One of the main reasons church is important is simply this — we go because God is there. Why should we love the church? If we truly love Christ, shouldn’t we want to be committed to what He is committed to? If His major commitment until He comes again is to be building His church, we should want to be used by Him in His work that will never fail. If we deeply love Christ, we cannot be indifferent to His body, which is inseparably joined to Him. If we say we love Christ, how can we not love what He loves? Ephesians 5 says it was the church in particular that Christ loved and gave Himself up for her, He even nourishes and cherishes the church, His highest affection and attention is poured into the church. (Shaun Smith)

Purpose Rick Warren, in his book “Purpose-driven Church”, stated for a church to grow… Warmer through … fellowship Deeper through … discipleship Stronger through … worship Broader through … ministry, and Larger through ... evangelism.

Purpose This church exists by the grace of God, for the glory of God, which shall be the ultimate purpose in all its activities.

We were all hopelessly and helplessly lost without God (v. 12) Purpose The fact that we only exist by God’s grace is so clearly expressed in Ephesians 2: We were all hopelessly and helplessly lost without God (v. 12) we were all spiritually dead in our sins (v. 1) deceived by the world and Satan and disobedient in our wilful rebellion (v. 2) depraved by nature, desiring fleshly sins and acting on them, and deserving God’s wrath (v. 3)

But God’s amazing grace and mercy Purpose But God’s amazing grace and mercy rescues His elect, resurrecting, raising from the dead, regenerating, replacing sinful unbelief with the gift of God, a gift that includes faith and is not from ourselves.

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Can we even identify one purpose, or is it accurate to speak of multiple purposes, combining many together? “… The mission or purposes of the church may be considered to be evangelism (Rom. 10:14–15), discipleship (Matt. 28:19–20), and social concern (James 1:27).” Emmaus Bible College, Emmaus Journal Volume 13 

Church exists for only one reason – Glorify God In understanding our ultimate purpose, I think we have to look at God’s ultimate purpose in calling out a people for Himself and in everything He does, according to Scripture. A single unifying ultimate purpose of God in the church? It is the same chief aim of man that historic Christianity has affirmed that is also the chief aim and purpose of the church: THE GLORY OF GOD. (Pastor Phil Layton)

Ephesians 1:17-18 (NASB95) 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, I believe the best biblical understanding is that all of those biblical activities (that people point to as the so-called purposes of the church) are described in scripture as being ultimately and primarily FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.