Are We Missing the Churchs Purpose?

[Chad]

Are We Missing the Churchs Purpose?
A.W.Tozer

It would be too easy to dismiss this dislike for church as only another symptom of original sin and love of moral darkness, but I believe that explanation is too pat to be wholly true. It doesnt explain enough. Some persons, for instance, find church intolerable because there is no objective toward which pastor and people are moving, aside possibly from the limited one of trying to enlist eight more women and 10 more men to chaperon the annual youth cookout or reaching the building fund quota for the month. And believe me, that can get mighty wearisome after a while, so wearisome indeed that alert, forward-looking persons often forsake the churches in droves and leave the spiritless, the dull and those afflicted with permanent insouciance to carry on, if a phrase so active dare be used to describe what they do.

To Paul there was nothing dull or tiresome in the religion of Christ. God had a plan which was being carried forward to completion, and Paul and all the faithful in Christ Jesus were part of that plan. It included predestination, redemption, adoption and the obtaining of an eternal inheritance in the heavenly places. Gods purpose has now been openly revealed (Ephesians 3:10,11). It was the knowledge that they were part of an eternal plan that imparted unquenchable enthusiasm to the early Christians. They burned with holy zeal for Christ and felt that they were part of an army which the Lord was leading to ultimate conquest over all the powers of darkness. That was enough to fill them with perpetual enthusiasm.

 

[Gracealone]

Hello Chad, Sorry if I do things amiss right now, just learning.
Isn't the churches purpose to go into ALL the world and preach the gospel?
The gospel as found in 1 Corinthians 15:3 ?
Starting first at home, then the outer reaches then to the whole world?
I'm still seeking ways to reach those at home, but give to those who are in the outer reaches, and pray soon the last one who will believe, will, so we can go home.....(smiling) In Christ, Gracealone

 

[jiggyfly]

Hello Chad, Sorry if I do things amiss right now, just learning.
Isn't the churches purpose to go into ALL the world and preach the gospel?
The gospel as found in 1 Corinthians 15:3 ?
Starting first at home, then the outer reaches then to the whole world?
I'm still seeking ways to reach those at home, but give to those who are in the outer reaches, and pray soon the last one who will believe, will, so we can go home.....(smiling) In Christ, Gracealone

While preaching the gospel to all the earth is important, it is only one small part of God's purpose for the church. The goal that God has set for the church of Christ is maturity.

Ephesians 4:11-16
11*He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12*Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13*until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
14*Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. 15*Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16*Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

It becomes difficult when many mistake religion and preaching doctrines with Jesus building His ekklesia and preaching the gospel.

God's purpose for the church is rather simple.
Ephesians 3;21
May he [God] be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.

 

[amadeus2]

I read recently a criticism of most larger denominational organizations stating that they spend too much of their money (tithes, offerings, etc.) on big buildings and comfortable furnishings and in providing for their own immediate members. The ministers too often are provided with expensive vehicles and homes, etc.

Have we steeped ourselves in so much of high-priced traditions and fleshly notions that we have forgotten the message that Jesus brought which included His own lifestyle during the three and one half years of His earthly ministry?

How many hundreds of miles did He walk I order to accomplish His purpose? How large was the earthly mansion where He went to sleep every night? How many changes of clothing did He have?

Can we accomplish what Jesus accomplished? Perhaps no one person can, but then what did He mean when He said...

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." John 14:12

When are we going to do these "greater works"? After the new bigger building is built? When we have paid for all the Christmas presents we bought on credit this year? When we can find time to pray more than 5 minutes a day?

 

[Enow]

It would be too easy to dismiss this dislike for church as only another symptom of original sin and love of moral darkness, but I believe that explanation is too pat to be wholly true. It doesnt explain enough.

It is written to not have fellowship with works of darkness but rather repove them. If the falling away of the faith is to occur in such a way that even chjrist questioned,"Will I find faith in all the earth?" and Matthew &:13-24 & Luke 13:24-30 has the false prophets as responsible for only a few finding that faith in Christ... maybe the wolves are not scattering the flock from church, but from Him. Maybe those that left would rather keep their faith in Christ than jump through hoops and get lost in a religious routine... or be frightened away from the supernatural that the church just follows after without discerning the spirit in the worship place as not of God.

So maybe we should exmaine ourselves in the faith more and pay close attention to His sayings with His help so that we can apply this to our church of works that deny Him so as to put away those dead works in keeping the faith in Jesus Christ.