Purpose of the Church
Can we talk? What is the purpose of the church?
Contrary to what many Christians think, the church doesn’t exist to meet all of our personal needs, preferences, and desires. At times, the church can and does do that, but that is a benefit of being in the church, not the reason the church exists.
The church exists to be the hands and feet of God on earth, to serve together for His glory. In fact, that’s the chief purpose of humanity. According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
For this morning, though, we’ll stick to the church.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 1:12-27 ESV
Within that body, “the church,” we are to proclaim the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 1 Peter 3:15). It is where we are to observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:22-23).
It is where we are to love, serve, minister, and be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10, 15:14, Ephesians 4:32, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 John 3:11).
It is where we teach and learn sound doctrine (Ephesians 4:14, Acts 2:42).
I could continue listing things like prayer, learning stewardship and generosity, encouraging each other, being disciplined, and more. There could be further categories like singing, corporate worship, and prayer.
The church fulfills a multitude of tasks in its job of fulfilling the Great Commission. If it meets our preferences, that’s a bonus.
As the church, we are to glorify God in all that we do. How are you doing at keeping up your end of things?
Hallelu Yah
Be blessed,
Kevin