1. The Mission of the Church Part 4
Ecclesiology
The Mission of the Church
Part 4

2. Propagation
The household of God (a family) is synonymous with the church which has an ongoing relationship with the living God, is called upon to __________ the truth. (1 Tim. 3:15)
The church does not __________ the truth. God has already done that by means of the Bible, the revelation of God. Everything we know about truth, we derive from Scripture. Truth stands alone, _____________ of human opinion.
The mission of the church is to support the truth. Scripture does not restrain the church from any legitimate methodology. The printed page along with various forms of the media can and ought to be utilized to communicate the Word of God both inside and outside the local church. _____________ is primary. (1 Cor. 1:18-21; 2 Tim. 4:2)
Consistent witness and testimony of the gospel to the _________ is an integral part of sustaining the truth in a godless age.

3. There is a fresh need in _________ generation articulate the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3) This includes answering the ______________ to the faith. (Phil. 1:12-17 ) The church must answer the critics, identify the heretics, and contend for _______ doctrine. (1 Tim. 4:1-16)
The fearless and faithful proclamation of truth by every means possible is the mission of the church!
Preservation
That our world is ripe for cataclysmic ___________ is apparent to any thinking person and particularly obvious to students of Bible prophecy. Two things prevent the full expression of God’s wrath upon the earth. The first is the _________ of God’s people. Jesus does not say that “ye will be the salt of the earth.” He announces that they already ______ the salt of the earth. Salt acts as a preservative. Since ancient times it has been recognized that the properties of salt hold back ____________ whether applied to meat or vegetable. The old expression, salt in a wound actually finds its source in the practice of applying salt to a fresh wound to ___________ infection.

4. Evil exists and continues to exist in spite of our presence
Evil exists and continues to exist in spite of our presence. What we do is hinder the ____________ of evil. We are the blocking action that prevents the evil from having full sway. Every time a believer exerts godly influence in this world, he hinders the progress of the ________.
Grammar indicates that we are presently light. Believers are not light because they ________. They shine because they are ________. What is darkness except the absence of light? Light is something. Light is a pattern of _________ proceeding from a source. Darkness is the absence of something or __________. The brighter the light, the greater the difference from the darkness; the darkness accentuates the presence of the light. Jesus does not say that our light should not be hidden. He plainly states that it _________ be hidden!
Light accomplishes two purposes. It accentuates ________ and exposes ________, both of which help to restrain evil in the world. There is coming a day when the restraint will be removed. (2 Th. 2:1-12) Ultimately the hinderer to the program of the devil is the Holy Spirit who dwells in the bodies of believers. Paul indicates that when the saints are gathered together to _________, the restraint will be removed from the earth concurrent with the Rapture of the church.

5. The church has a mission. It is _______________ and complex
The church has a mission. It is _______________ and complex. Local churches do not get to choose which aspects of the New Testament mission they want to engage. Every church is to be busy in ________ aspect of the mission. This requires tremendous focus as well as ___________ on the part of God’s people. Christ poses a somber question, Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8) The answer to that question is ______. Until Jesus comes there will be remnant of faithful believers congregated in local churches doing the work to which they have been called.