What is the mission of the church?

So, we're starting a short series looking at the mission of the church and the values of our church.

And I'm going to do some of them, David's going to do some of them as well.

And we're thinking tonight about what the church is for, right?

So, what does the church exist for?

And then in coming weeks we're sort of thinking about what should the church be like, okay?

So, what is the church for?

And then what should it be like?

So, that's the kind of vision and these are the kind of values, yeah?

So, what are we doing and how are we doing it?

In what kind of manner are we doing it?

So, to get your mind going, I want you, perhaps with the person next to you,

or you can do it on your own if you would like to, I want you to fill in the blank.

The church exists to...

Fill in the blank.

You can write whatever you like, except make me rich.

You're not allowed to write that.

Okay, anything you like.

Okay, does anyone want to fire back their answers?

The church exists to...

All I heard was...

Mike's got his hand up.

Yeah, that's the...

What is it, too, with both the people,

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

So it's a demonstration of what God can do.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yes.

Displaying his presence.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Anybody else?

Yes.

Yeah.

To glorify God.

Yeah.

Yeah.

How in particular does the church glorify God?

What is it about the church that glorifies God?

Spreads the word of God?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

By building a community?

Yeah.

Yeah.

And it's like전

yeah

yes

yeah

yes

yes

so glorifying is if you like

going public on the greatness

of isn't it

so if I'm glorifying God

I am declaring

his greatness

I am

yeah

going public on what God is like

yeah

yeah

anybody else

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

discipling

baptizing

reaching unbelievers

with the gospel

yeah

um

I don't

I don't think I've heard

a wrong answer yet

right

so I'm

I think that's all great

I think I

to try and

bring some clarity

to our thinking

I want to talk about

a primary goal

a primary means

and two twin aims

okay

and

your handout really

is the Bible verses

so that you don't have to spend

ages flicking through the Bible

and there are some questions

that we're going to discuss together as well

so let me try and head through this

a primary goal

I think

that it might sound a bit obvious

and Mike said it

and Ray also picked it up

that the church exists

for the glory of God

in the way that everything

exists for the glory of God

everything points to the glory of God

but

the church exists

to worship God

right

to ascribe worth

to God

to declare his

greatness

and his glory

and we need to start there

I think

because

this if you like

is the goal

to which all other things

become subordinate

glorifying God

making God look great

ascribing worth to him

is the reason

for the existence

of the church

that the Westminster Confession says

what is the chief end of man

man exists

to glorify God

and enjoy him forever

and that's

essentially trying to

summarize passages

like Romans 11

which is there

in front of you

Romans 11

is that

great hymn

that Paul comes to

at the end of his

kind of overview

of the gospel

and then he

he summarizes it

by saying this

oh the depth

of the riches

of the wisdom

and knowledge of God

how unsearchable

his judgments

and his paths

beyond tracing out

who has known

the mind of the Lord

or who has been

his counselor

who has ever given

to God

that God should repay him

for from him

and through him

and for him

are all things

to him be the glory

forever

everything comes

from him

is existing

through him

and for him

and the church

is part of that

isn't it

there to bring

glory to God

but if that's true

of all things

in general

it is true

even more

specifically

for the church

not just the church

in general

but for a local church

Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3:7

verse 7

down to verse 11

says this

Paul writes

I became a servant

of this gospel

by the gift

of God's grace

given me

through the working

of his power

although I am less

than the least

of all the Lord's people

this grace was given

to me

to preach to the Gentiles

the boundless riches

of Christ

and to make plain

to everyone

the administration

of this mystery

which for ages past

was kept hidden

in God

who created all things

this is his

mission

to declare the gospel

around the nations

to reveal

what had been

kept hidden

which has now

been made plain

in the Lord Jesus Christ

his intent

verse 10

was that now

through the church

the manifold wisdom

of God

should be made

known to the rulers

and authorities

in the heavenly realms

!

According to his

eternal purpose

that he accomplished

in Christ Jesus

our Lord

this is the purpose

of God in the church

yeah

that his intent

was that through

the church

the manifold wisdom

of God

should be made known

to the rulers

and authorities

in the heavenly realms

there is a kind of

declaration

of the glory

and majesty

and worthiness

of God

in the existence

of the church

specifically it seems

the existence

of the church

made up of people

from all nations

which declares

God's greatness

his manifold wisdom

in other words

if you were to

go for a walk

in the countryside

and to see a kind

of view

of a great mountain

you would like

think wow

I wonder

who made that

God made that

he must be

amazing

and glorious

look what a great

painter he is

what a great

craftsman he is

in making that

you are also then

in a more profound

way to look

at a community

of believers

and say

what kind of God

has pulled

them together

and rescued them

that God

is a worthy

God

a God of glory

a God we should

praise

I think there's

another way

to prove this

too

it's because

the eternal

purpose of the church

long after we have

finished discipling

and evangelizing

people

the eternal

purpose of the church

is that we would

go on

worshipping

and declaring

God's glory

and greatness

Revelation 5

that picture

of John's

vision of heaven

he says

worthy is the

lamb who was

slain

this is the song

of heaven

worthy is the

lamb who was

slain to receive

power and wealth

and wisdom

and strength

and honour

and glory

and praise

then I heard

every creature

in heaven

and on earth

and under the

earth

and on the

sea

and all that

is in them

saying to him

who sits on the

throne

and to the

lamb be praise

and honour

and glory

and power

forever and

ever

and the four

living creatures

said amen

and the elders

fell down

and worshipped

the song

will

sorry the church

will be eternally

singing of the

glory

and greatness

and majesty

of God

we will be

singing of his

great worth

come and sit over

here Anthony

so I want you to

with the person

next to you

now have a think

what difference

does it make

starting with the

glory of God

and not the aims

of evangelism

and discipleship

how would you

expect church

to feel different

if it was aiming

at worship

first

and not just

at evangelism

and discipleship

okay

have a think about

that with the

person next to

you for a moment

okay what

difference do we

think it would

make starting

with worship

and glory

and not evangelism

and discipleship

what difference

do you think

that might make

what were you

all talking

about then

okay

mm-hmm

yeah

yeah

so

yep

yeah

so

I am not

just talking

about singing

no

so we're

talking about

yeah

glorifying God

in general

worship

yeah

so I

we're going to

talk about

the gatherings

of the church

in a moment

but yes

yeah

it's

it

Yeah, yeah.

yeah yeah yeah I think I think that's really helpful so I think if we starting with worship

in God's glory so saying that the church exists to worship God to bring God glory to ascribe worth

honor to him means that it's not primarily starting with us it means that church is about

the Lord and not about us it's about what he's doing and not about what we're doing the danger

is that if if church is about firstly about evangelism there are things that you might be

tempted to do to cut corners to make church feel slightly more effective and and that would

obviously be a wrong thing to do yeah go on yeah okay

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah yeah so faithfulness just becomes much higher up the agenda doesn't it yeah yeah

okay so that's our primary goal our primary means then um there are obviously many ways to glorify

God many things that we could do and should do and will do that will make God look great but there is

one thing which a church does which is the primary means of bringing God glory a primary tool I think

also for these twin aims of evangelism and discipleship and that is the church gathers right the church

gathers together for worship now I'm sure you don't need me to prove this to you but I'm going to do it

anyway so let's try and work through this together and there should be some scriptures on your handout as

well the point is that you could be an adequate church without lots of things right so you could be

a healthy church that doesn't have a youth work or a toddler group or doesn't have a load of musicians

who are able to play on a on a sunday or doesn't serve really nice coffee after the service or whatever

you could be an adequate church with any of those things those things might be good things to do

but they're not essential things if you don't gather you're not a church right so church by definition

is a gathering right it's a gathering together of God's people if we don't do that then we're not a

church we can be even more specific can't we if we don't gather to worship to celebrate the Lord's

Supper and to practice baptism we're not a church because those things have been given to the church by

the Lord Jesus for the means of his glory in a way it's just sort of assumed this in the New

Testament word ecclesia which is translated church just literally means gathering I think it's used

even of the rioters in Ephesus in the book of Acts who are a gathering of rioters so church essentially

means meeting together gathering together for the purpose of worship it's what's happening all the way

through the book of Acts and it probably the simplest place to show it is there in Hebrews 10 which is

there on your handout in verse 19 therefore brothers and sisters since we have confidence to enter the

most holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way open for us through the curtain that is his

body and since we have a great high priest over the house of God let us draw near to God with a sincere

heart and with full assurance that faith brings having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty

conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water let us hold unswervingly to the hope we

profess for he who promised is faithful and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love

and good deeds not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but encouraging one

another and all the more as you see the day approaching you get the sense don't you that the the church has

experienced salvation for the purpose of gathering for worship is why it's full of old testament language

and verse 25 is pretty clear that this meeting together is good for us as well as glorifying for

God so the church has a primary means of bringing God's glory which is gathering together for corporate

worship worship which involves singing praise it involves reading God's word it involves the preaching of

God's word it involves praying it involves practicing baptism and lord supper together

why do you think then and this is the next question just to discuss with the person next

you why do you think the new testament places such a high value on the church meeting together

for the purpose of corporate worship why do you think that's so important in the new testament

because it's probably fair to say that most christians don't think that gathering together is

quite as important as hebrews 10 25 might suggest that it is certainly the people who are the first

readers of hebrews are not thinking that it's as important as it really is which is why

verse 25 is written to them don't give it up as some as in the habit of doing so why do you think it does

have a talk with the person next to you and we'll come back together

okay what are our thoughts why do you think the new testament places such a high value on the church

meeting together for corporate worship

okay

yes yeah yeah thank you but encouraging one other and all the more as you see the day approaching yeah

yeah it anticipates it's going to be hard to keep going and you will need encouragement of meeting with other believers

yes

that's really helpful did you hear that so the the church meeting together with

a a diverse group of people enables us to be way more balanced as christians because we're hearing from one

another

yes yes yeah that's really helpful thanks mike yeah anything else

yes

yes yes so it enables you to benefit from the gifts of others doesn't it yeah that you don't

have yourself yeah that's really helpful i think i'd want to add that there's there's a movement

in the bible isn't there that we are in one sense genesis one and two the garden of eden is like a

kind of mini temple in the in the presence of god and they are they are living and enjoying the

presence of god and they are excluded from it so they've they've entered into god's rest on the

seventh day and are with him in his place yeah worshiping him living their lives in front of him

for his glory enjoying the benefits of his provision for them and then they are excluded from it and then

if you like in in the old testament temple worship they get a they get a sort of window back into what

it might be like to live in the presence of god in temple worship and now in the new testament in the

gathering of the local church here in hebrews using all this old testament language for for

being sprinkled with the with the blood of the lord jesus and being brought near to him and gathering

in his presence there's a sense in which that the the high value on the church meeting together is

because this is where it's going right this now is a taste of where we will be

you know this idea that we're going to be gathered together in the presence of god hearing from his word

delighting in what he has done reveling at the lord jesus christ meeting with one another that that's

that's our destiny and so on each kind of lord's day we gather at the beginning of the week to enjoy

the rest of being with the lord and with his people worshiping and ascribing worth to him as a

as a foretaste a glimpse of where we will be for all eternity and so that's why you know that's why

you can't you know you become a christian and you by definition become a member of a local church it

you know it it brings you into the people of god doesn't it because you're part of this gathering

that god is is is gathering people from the nations uh for that great and glorious day okay so

if it's if the goal of the local church is to bring god glory if if its primary means is this kind of

corporate gathering then there are two twin aims which um i know many of us started with

the the church uh is meant to disciple and uh evangelize so turn to matthew 28 it's there on

your sheet matthew 28 verse 18 and this is what we're to be doing to bring god glory

Matthew 28:18

then jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me

therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of

the son and of the holy spirit and teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you

and surely i am with you always to the very end of the age so the church is to go about making

disciples isn't it specifically it seems going and making them and then baptizing them into the church

and teaching them obedience we put those two labels on it don't we evangelism and discipleship

now notice that's not a entirely separate activity to the gathering of the church it's not that the

church is meant to gather to worship god and also to evangelize and disciple it seems to me that the

gathering of the local church is the means that the lord gives us to evangelize and to build us up in

discipleship new testament is clear isn't it that the church should expect unbelievers to be present

with them when they gather and they should explain what they're doing accordingly new testament church

is told more than that it's the display of the love and unity of the church which is one of the most

powerful evidences for the work of god amongst them it's our most powerful apologetic if you like

is god real does he really save people yeah come and see come and see what the local church is like

the new testament is also very clear that you can't disciple believers without the gathering of the local church

but still these activities of evangelism and discipleship are so central to our mission that we're doing them in lots

of other ways too so look at these verses with me at the central command in the section is to make disciples

it's not to go the go is passive but the the emphasis is on making and not going but of course the going is

important you have to leave your house and leave the gatherings of the church to meet people

and reach out to them with the gospel making disciples includes fishing for men as jesus talked about

interestingly in the new testament this going seems to consist of going and starting other churches in

other localities that don't have one so that they may own the mission to that local area and carry on

fishing for disciples at the mass of people in each place then that the making of disciples involves the

teaching obedience notice it's obedience in everything i have commanded so the church is to teach believers

how to obey jesus how to live for him in each and every area of their life and notice two key things

here firstly notice that the content of the teaching is the commands of jesus you know that this is similar

to what we're thinking about this morning that jesus word accomplishes his purpose this means it's not

the job of the church to run seminars or sermons on every single ethical question every church member might face

right you know that that's impossible it's it's an impossible task for any church leader to try and address

every single question that every individual is going to face instead we know that teaching the word of jesus

the commands of jesus is sufficient for all of us as following him that's 2 timothy 3 16 and 17 isn't it

which is on your at the back of your handout all scripture is god breathed and is useful for teaching

and we need teaching rebuking and we need rebuking correcting training in righteousness so that the

servant of god may be thoroughly equipped for every good work just read the verse backwards with me

there it there is no good work that you need to be thoroughly equipped for but the scriptures will not

equip you for so if your church is teaching you the scriptures they are discipling you for every

and any situation that you may face even if they don't address it directly the second thing to notice

is that teaching the commands of jesus is done in the strength of the spirit so he is with us always to

the end of the age jesus's ongoing presence with his church by the spirit makes the teaching of the word

jesus effective in the lives of the people who come so let me just try and put this together just as we

finish right the church exists to worship god to bring god glory and it does that as it gathers

and as it gathers it gathers to reach unbelievers with the gospel and teach and disciple believers

so with that in mind i've got you can pick one of these right talk about with the person next to you

a church in the neighborhood has stopped meeting together centrally because it thinks small groups

are more effective for evangelism and discipleship is that a good idea why why not a church decides

that it's more friendly to outsiders if they're going to stop praying together in their services

instead they have moments of silence for the believers in the room to pray in their hearts is

that a good idea why or why not knowing that people are reluctant to change a local church has not

really asked the question should we still do it like this about their corporate gatherings what are

the dangers for them maybe there are none maybe there are some you can pick one and go for it and

we'll just have a brief look at those and then we'll sing to close okay

i'm sorry to interrupt your conversations we're going to try and make sure that we finish by half past

say does anyone want to who did the first one did anyone do the first one mike and sammy you did the

first one what do you think

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah so really either i think what you're saying i don't want to oversimplify it mike but i think

basically what you're saying is either these small groups should become churches themselves

and do all the things that local churches should do or they should keep gathering as a church as one

church yeah i did anyone else do the first one so anyone else want to chip in on that yes yes so

the group should be in addition to the group should be in addition to yeah

right

that shouldn't happen

yeah yeah yeah yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

yes

that's a really good point the small group it might be a really difficult way for

people to find the church yeah

yeah

i think that the it's unlikely in a small group that you're going to be able to do all the functions of a church

net and say actually that means that you're essentially saying that something less than a gathering of

god's people is what we're going to do and i think that's unhelpful as no yeah

yeah okay go on

so what is the practical minimum

uh

to make for a natural church

yeah

what is the practical minimum

to make for a natural church

okay

yeah that's right 10 men for a synagogue

yeah

so i don't think it's that i think um

see i think it needs to be more than one person right so i i i think there's that i i think there needs to be something about leadership in the church so i think there's a um we're given the role of elders and deacons it seems in the new testament that unless a church has elders it's disordered and not really functioning properly you need to practice lord's supper you need to practice baptism there needs to be regular gatherings under the word of god um

um yeah

um yeah

so i i think there might be there might be instances where lots of very small churches meeting together might be the most sensible way to do it particularly in situations of persecution um rather than one central gathering yeah

yes

yes

yes

yes

yeah

yeah

yeah

yeah

you think of the house church movement in china and how that's been used by the lord yeah

okay okay what about number two

should we stop praying together to make ourselves more friendly to the outsiders

joe what did you say because i was in your group what did you say

what did you say do you think church should stop praying together to be more friendly

yes

you disagree with it i think

great

i think you're right joe yes church shouldn't stop praying

yeah

it's um

it is possible for churches to sacrifice

too much to try and be friendly to outsiders it seems in the new testament that actually as long as we're explaining what we're doing

in fact the sense that it's kind of mysterious to outsiders is part of

part of what it should be what about the third one

did anyone get that far or anyone start there

yeah it sounds pretty desperate yes

yeah

yeah

yeah

it seems like churches are specifically located in a time and a place doesn't it

and so we've got to think about the time and the place that we're located in

um obviously there are boundaries about what we are and aren't to do

but in inside of those boundaries we are to ask the question of where am i

and what time is it in order to decide what we do

great

thank you let me pray for us and our church and then we'll

stand and sing oh church arise as we close

father in heaven we thank you so much for your great and glorious plan of salvation

that gathers people like us together in local churches where you display your glory

in our diversity

how we thank you

that we see that here in our church and we praise you for it

and ask lord that you would help us to bring you great glory to worship you truly and faithfully

and that in doing that we would reach many more with the good news of the lord jesus and disciple

and train one another to live to your praise and glory in jesus name amen