Introduction
This has been an interesting election season. We each had to vote for our next leaders, often based on insufficient or conflicting information.
But we try our best to evaluate:
* What is the candidate’s platform?
* What are they promising?
* What is their character?
* What sources do you believe about their character?
* Can you believe what their opponents say?
* What have they done in the past?
* If they have been in office, what is their track record?
* If they have not been in office, should you give them a chance to show what they can do?
For me, the most compelling evidence is what they accomplished in office. Did they keep their promises? Did their principles result in good or evil? Did they demonstrate a righteous character?
But you have to pick a candidate.
Approach
The angels also had to pick a side in a political war. They had to choose between God, the ruler from all eternity, and Satan, who had never held office.
Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The angels on both sides were committed to their choice, but I’m sure some still had a question in their minds, “did I make the right choice?”
To answer that question takes time. It takes a track record.
Adam yielded dominion to Satan, so Satan is now the ruler of this world. This is his time and place to develop a track record, to keep his promises, develop his principles, and demonstrate his character.
The war continues, and we each have to pick a side.
But God is not idle, not willing that any should choose Satan’s side and perish. God is also continuing his track record, keeping His promises, developing His principles, and demonstrating His character. And we are a key part of that.
This morning we will examine God’s purpose for His church.
Purpose #1 Make disciples and teach
The most obvious purpose of the church is to make disciples and teach.
Matthew 28:19,20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
T6 (Testimonies for the Church, volume 6), p.11 A great work is be accomplished in setting before men the saving truths of the gospel. This is the means ordained by God to stem the tide of moral corruption. This is His means of restoring His moral image in man. It is His remedy for universal disorganization. It is the power that draws men together in unity. To present these truths is the third angel’s message. The Lord designs that the presentation of this message shall be the highest, greatest work carried on in the world at this time.
And yet God’s purpose for the church is deeper than preaching and teaching
Purpose #2 Represent the character of God to the world
Act 1: By the nation of Israel
Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is mine. And you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Deuteronomy 4:5-8 Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, “surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” For what great nation is there that has God so near it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?”
* God’s plan was for Israel to be a great nation, a wise and understanding people.
* As they were obedient to the statutes and righteous judgements that God gave them, they would reveal the character of God to the nations around them.
Deuteronomy 7:6 “Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are on the face of the earth.”
What does it mean to be holy?
* Separate. Set apart. Dedicated to a single purpose.
* Clearly identified, with known properties.
* Holy people unto the Lord thy God.
* Dedicated to God. God can say, “these are My people”
But why be holy?
6T 10 Satan is constantly urging men to accept his principles. Thus he seeks to counteract the work of God. He is constantly representing the chosen people of God as a deluded people. He is the accuser of the brethren, and his accusing power he is constantly using against those who work righteousness. The Lord desires through His people to answer Satan’s charges by showing the result of obedience to right principles.
* The nation of Israel was part of a demonstration.
* The Canaanite nations showed the results of following Satan’s principles. That was part of Satan’s track record.
* But what would happen if a whole nation obeyed God? For clear results, it is necessary to isolate the factor being testing. We don’t want to know the results of occasionally obeying God, or obeying just some of God’s commandments, or just some of the people obeying, or obeying half-heartedly while following the customs of the world. What would happen if a whole nation was dedicated to God? That would produce clear results.
6T p.9 It is God’s purpose to manifest through His people the principles of His kingdom. That in life and character they may reveal these principles, He desires to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world. He seeks to bring them near to Himself, that He may make known to them His will
Israel had a few shining moments, but mostly failed to fulfill God’s purpose.
Act 2: By the church (spiritual Israel)
But God has not given up on having His own special people
1 Peter 2:9 (Peter, writing to the scattered believers), You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
* A holy nation. Being holy does not mean being physically separate from unbelievers, living on mountaintops or in monasteries. It means we don’t get our principles from them.
John 17:14-16 I have given them (disciples) Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
We need to be in contact with unbelievers.
Jesus taught His disciples: Matt 5:14 you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put in under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another
6T 12 The purpose which God seeks to accomplish through His people today is the same that He desired to accomplish through Israel when He brought them forth out of Egypt. By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in the church, the world is to have a representation of His character. And when the law of God is thus exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people of the earth. The Lord has His eye on every one of His people; He has plans concerning each. It is His purpose that those who practice His holy precepts shall be a distinguished people.
Purpose #3 be a spectacle for angels
But God’s purpose for the church is deeper than just representing His character to the world.
1 Corinthians 4:9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
* Spectacle – greek ‘the-a-tron’ , theatre “a place for public show”, by implication the show itself.
* The apostles were a spectacle to angels
Ephesians 3:8-12 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:10 (epmhasis) now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose
* God has an eternal purpose. God’s purpose for the church is part of that.
Church makes known the manifold wisdom of God
* Manifold - Having many facets and parts
* For example, Why does God have a law?
* Character - We know God is love. But what is love without justice? What is justice without mercy? And patience.
Exodus 34:6 “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.
* Plan of salvation
* Why didn’t God kill Satan immediately after he sinned?
* Why did Jesus have to die?
* Why does God work through humans?
We are focused on our personal salvation. God is interested in the peace and happiness of everyone in the entire universe.
Remember the angels. They had to pick a side. Did I make the right choice? We help answer that question.
Think about the beings on other worlds. Even worlds that have not yet been created. They may have questions about the character of God, and what happened in the Great Controversy. Our history as God’s special people will help answer their questions. And we can sit down with them and say, “Let me tell you my story, what Jesus did for me and in me.”
Conclusion
Acts of the Apostles, p. 9 The church is God’s appointed agency of the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places”, the final and full display of the love of God.
5T p. 730 Our Lord designed that His church should reflect to the world the fullness and sufficiency that we find in Him. We are constantly receiving of God’s bounty, and by imparting of the same we are to represent to the world the love and beneficence of Christ. .. Christ expects that men will become partakers of His divine nature while in this world, thus not only reflecting His glory to the praise of God, but illumining the darkness of the world with the radiance of heaven. Thus will be fulfilled the words of Christ: “Ye are the light of the world”.
Appeal
Acts of the Apostles, p. 600 Christ has given the church as sacred charge. Every member should be a channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is nothing that this world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour’s love. All heaven is waiting for men and women through whom God can reveal the power of Christianity.
