Our Purpose-1

OUR PURPOSE-I—Mark 12:28-31 & Matthew 28:18-20

We must ask ourselves, “What is my/the church’s Purpose anyway?”

Our devotion to the Lord is sometimes not what it should be.

Need:

Every church including Needmore BC has the same overall Purpose...

God’s love compels us

To love, reach & nurture others for Christ.

We may have various means of fulfilling this Purpose, but the actual Purpose is the same.

The Church has a specific purpose.

We know the purpose of the Church.

What is the purpose of this Church?

3 Purposes for the Church.

Needmore BC will fulfill her Purpose when...

1—Our Purpose is to...

LOVE GOD in Christ(Mk. 12:29-31)

Explanation:(Mk. 12:29-31)

Background/Setting:

Mk. 12:28—“Then one of the scribes came, & having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?””

“Commandment”—Divine Directive

“The foremost”—That which takes Precedence, holds Priority & is most Important.

‘God’s Love compels us...’

a)*OUR LOVE FOR GOD:

Mk. 12:29—“Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.”—From Deut. 6:4

“Oh Israel”—God’s people—Raised/Wrought them

“The LORD”—YHWH(Ex. 3:14-15)

“Our God”—Personal

my god my people

“One LORD”—Exclusivity/Uniqueness as our God &/or 2)Unity/Wholeness.

Js. 1:17—“Every good thing bestowed & every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.”

Mk. 12:30—“‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, & with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”—From Deut. 6:5

An Intimate/Loving Relationship with God requires the fullest expression of the desire of my “Heart.”

An Intimate/Loving Relationship with God requires the fullest expression of the desire of my “Soul.”

An Intimate/Loving Relationship with God requires the fullest expression of the desire of my “Mind.”

An Intimate/Loving Relationship with God requires the fullest expression of the desire of my “Strength.”

Love & Intimacy is Impossible to do from a distance!

“Love”—We can’t truly love someone we don’t know.

a)Argumentation:

1Jn. 4:15-19—“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, & he in God. And we have known & believed the love that God has for us. God is love, & he who abides in love abides in God, & God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”

Rom. 5:8-11—“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Jn. 5:39-44—““You[Jews seeking to destroy Jesus] search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; & these are they which testify of Me. “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, & you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, & do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”

Mt. 6:24—““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one & love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one & despise the other. You cannot serve God & mammon.”

The One you serve is the One you love.

Your daily decision are based on your loves.

(CONT...)1—Our Purpose is to...

LOVE GOD in Christ(Mk. 12:29-31)

‘God’s Love compels us...’

b)*GOD’S LOVE FOR US:

?Why should we Love this God?...

...Behind :29-30 is God’s Love Toward Us!

*Creator—Sustainer—Revealer—Provider—Wisdom—Light—Caring—Compassionate—Patient—Forgiving—True—Faithful—Justifier...

b)Argumentation:

1Jn. 4:9-10—“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Gen. 1:1, 27-28—“In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth”....“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male & female He created them. And God blessed them; & God said to them, “Be fruitful & multiply, & fill the earth, & subdue it; & rule over the fish of the sea & over the birds of the sky, & over every living thing that moves on the earth.”