THE DESIGN AND FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH
- Matthew 16:13-20
In preparation for this message, I did a study and found that the first time the word “church” is used in the Bible is in the passage we just read. Matthew 16:18 is the first verse in the Bible where we find the word “church” used. In that verse, Jesus promises to build His church and He says, “The gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
Imagine that! Jesus said the gates of Hell could not stop His church, could not win against His church, could not win against His Bride. The gates of hell themselves could not stop the church’s progress.
Sadly, I am afraid today that it isn’t the gates of hell that are prevailing against many churches. I am afraid that many churches are failing, are having trouble today because we have forgotten our purpose, we have forgotten our mission. We have forgotten why we exist.
Win Arn, a leading church consultant conducted a survey:
He surveyed members of nearly a thousand churches asking the question, “Why does the church exit?? The results? Of the church members surveyed, 89 percent said, “The church’s purpose is to take care of my family’s and my needs.? For many, the role of the pastor is simply to keep the sheep who are already in the “pen happy and not lose too many of them. 89%. Can you believe it?
This morning, I would like to share with you the ingredients that go into, that are required of a true church.
Now, there are many buildings in our community and across our nation that have people meet in them every week. There are many buildings with “church” written on a sign in front of them, but that does not make them a church any more than writing “university” and placing it on a sign in front of a daycare center makes it a university. You can call a pig a horse, but that doesn’t make it run any faster. There are certain things that make a horse a horse and there are certain things that make a church a church. This morning I would like to share with you the requirements, the expectations Jesus has of His church.
First I would like you to see with me the commission of the church.
I. THE COMMISSION OF THE CHURCH
- Matthew 28:18-20
In these verses Jesus gives the purpose of the church and some of the steps to fulfilling that purpose. In verse 18 Jesus says:
Go and do what? Make disciples.
The Commission of the church is to make disciples.
I believe that we as a church are leading people to the Lord. I believe we are being salt and light in the world. I believe we are helping people to grow, but I fear that we are not producing many true disciples of Jesus Christ.
We may do many things as a church. We may sing together. We can reach out. We can visit. We can encourage one another and do all of those other things, but if we are not making disciples, we are not fulfilling the commission Jesus gave us.
Now, many of you would probably consider yourselves disciples. Let me give you 7 marks of a true disciple and as I do, let me ask you to put a check mark by the ones that accurately describe you. True disciples:
1. Embrace salvation by grace through Jesus Christ
2. Learn and understand the principles of Christian living
3. Obey God’s laws and commands
4. Represent God to the world
5. Serve other people
6. Reproduce themselves in Christ, become more like Christ.
7. Worship God with sincerity, intensity, and consistency. (Adapted from 2000-2001 Seminar notes by George Barna)
In order to make disciples, we must first, be disciples. The commission of the church is to make disciples.
As we think of the church and our commission, we must also look at the functions a church and its members must be involved in order to fulfill our commission. I believe there are 7 primary functions a church and its members must be involved in.
II. THE FUNCTIONS OF A CHURCH
1. Worship – The first function of the church and of Jesus’ disciples is worship.
> Matthew 4:10 …Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.
My friends, worship should be a priority in this church and in the life of every believer, in the life of every disciple of Jesus Christ. We are to worship regularly, faithfully, and with all of our heart.
> John 4:24 God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Let me ask you my friend, when you come for “worship services” on Sunday morning, are you worshipping Him in your spirit or are you just going through the motions? Have you prepared your heart? Have you gotten the rest you need so you won’t be so easily irritated and distracted by the people you encounter before the service begins? Have you asked God to let Him be pleased with you and your worship during the service?
When you leave here this morning, I pray you will be pleased with the service and with took place; but of much greater concern is whether God was pleased with you and your worship.
2. Giving – The second function of the church and of Jesus’ disciples is giving.
> 1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.
The Bible teaches that we should tithe, give a 10th of our income to God, and that’s before our offerings even kick in. In a recent survey of “born-again believers” it was discovered that only 8% of them tithe, and twice as many 16% give nothing.
> Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, “How do we rob You?” In tithes and offerings.
My friend, a follower of Jesus Christ, a disciple of His is a giver. At River of Life Church, we as a church believe so strongly in giving, in tithing that over 15% of all undesignated offerings we take in are sent to support missions and ministries outside the walls of this church. Disciples are givers.
3. Evangelism
> Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
Oh my friends, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world so that people could be saved. And the only way people are going to be able to hear that news is if you and I are diligently working, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Think again of Matthew 28:18. Jesus says, Go into all the world and make disciples. My friend, you and I must be going in order to share.
Less than 1 out of every 10 Born Again Believers have ever intentionally built a friendship with a non-Christian in order to share their faith.
We must be diligent in the assignment Jesus gave us.
4. Fellowship
The church and Christ’s disciples are to fellowship. Christians need to belong to a family. Christians need the fellowship of other believers.
> Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves … to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread.
> Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.
> Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens.
We are to fellowship together. We are to spend time together, getting to know one another, encouraging one another, and helping one another. It breaks my heart when the church holds fellowships that are scantily attended. I understand things come up. I understand you have other commitments, but a family must spend time together in order to remain a family.
I have heard folks talk about how little they know about other people in the church, or about how few people speak to them. Listen, if you want a friend, be a friend. If you people to shake your hand, you shake their hand. If you want people to know and care about you, then get to know other people and care about them. The church and Jesus’ disciples fellowship.
5. Teaching
- Matthew 28:18-20
Part of making and being a disciple is teaching and learning.
> Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.
My friends, we need to continue to learn, to continue to study. God’s Word is shallow enough that the newest Christian can wade in it without harm, but deep enough that the most mature Christian can never reach its depths.
Moving quickly, 6th, God’s church and His disciples are involved in prayer.
6. Prayer
> Matthew 21:13 My house will be called a house of prayer.
Jesus, quoting the Old Testament, said God’s house would be known as a house of prayer. My friends, when we work, we accomplish what we are able to do with our strength; but when we pray, we can accomplish what can be done through God’s strength.
The Bible records that Jesus often went off by Himself to pray. The Church God uses will recognize it’s dependence on Him and will make prayer a major part of its work and ministry.
7. Ministry
>John 13:35 By this may all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love, one for another.
We call this expression of love, ministry. At ROL we have a number of ministries. These include the hospital ministry, children’s ministry, youth ministry, Bus Boys & Waiters, and a number of other ministries.
All of these functions must be in place, they must all be fulfilled if we are to fulfill the commission God has given us as a church. They must be involved in all of them if we are going to consider ourselves true disciples of Jesus Christ.
*** Take a minute. Look over this list. Which of them would you say is the area you are weakest in? What are you going to do about it? Turn to someone near you, tell them where you are struggling, and pray for one another right now. In just a moment, I will close in prayer.
