This morning, I want us to think about our purpose. The word “purpose” is defined as, “the reason for which something exists or is done,” and “an intended or desired result.”(1) Based on the definition of the word “purpose,” we can see how we need to consider the reason why we do certain things, in order to plan for a more productive outcome. Proverbs 19:21, in the New International Version, says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” If we don’t know the Lord’s purpose as a church, then we can’t plan for success; and thus, we’ll see no desired results in reaching the world for Jesus Christ.
In Acts 2:40-47, we see the five purposes designed for every church, and we’re going to look at them in great detail. We’re going to read through our entire passage of Scripture as a whole, and then I’m going to go back and re-read each particular set of verses from which I intend to show you the five purposes of the church. The five purposes will be communicated through five “E’s,” meaning we’ll learn five “E-words” that summarize each purpose of the church. If you’ve ever wondered why the church exists, then let’s open our Bibles and get started!
Example of the New Testament Church (Acts 2:40-47)
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
What we see happening here is the founding of the New Testament church, as many people were saved as a result of the signs and wonders of Pentecost and the preaching of the gospel by Peter. We see here a picture of what Christ intended the church to be, functioning as it should with love and unity. As I’ve already mentioned, there are five important things that take place in this passage, and we’re going to start looking at the five purposes of the church, beginning in verses 40-41, which I’ll re-read in just a moment.
Purpose # 1: “Evangelize” through Outreach (vv. 40-41)
What is the church’s first purpose? Our first purpose is “outreach.” In Matthew 28:19, Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “The word ‘Go’ in the Great Commission is [what’s termed] a present participle in the Greek text. It should be read ‘as you are going’.”(2) The Great Commission doesn’t say, “If you choose to go.”
And notice that the Scripture emphatically says, “Go.” It doesn’t say for the lost to “come,” or rather, come to church. We must take the initiative and go after the lost. We must take the message of Jesus Christ out into the world, wherever we find ourselves on a daily basis. It’s called “outreach,” not “inreach.”
Making disciples and teaching them about Jesus Christ is done through outreach, which is accomplished through “Evangelism.” This is our very first “E” word. Acts chapter 2, verses 40-41, tells us, “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” We’re shown here that Peter was involved in evangelism.
Peter was preaching the gospel based on Old Testament prophecies about Jesus Christ. He was sharing the “good news” of salvation through Jesus, and the “good news” is where we obtain our word gospel, for that’s what the word gospel means in the Greek. And the Greek word for our English word gospel is “evangelion,” which is where we get the word “evangelize.” Therefore, we see here that one aspect of the church’s purpose is “Evangelism,” or telling people about Christ.
Rick Warren says, “Evangelism is more than our responsibility; it is our great privilege. We are invited to be a part of bringing people into God’s eternal family. I don’t know of a more significant cause to give one’s life to. If you knew the cure for cancer, I’m sure you’d do everything you could to get the news out. It would save millions of lives. But you already know something better: You’ve been given the gospel of eternal life to share, which is the greatest news of all!” (pp. 104-105, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
Purpose # 2: “Exalt” through Worship (v. 42)
The second purpose of the church is “worship.” Let’s take another look at Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” We see here the mention of prayer. So, what exactly is prayer? Bill Bright explains that “prayer is communicating with God,” and it’s the channel of devotion with the Lord.(3) He further explains, “Real prayer is expressing our devotion to our heavenly Father, inviting Him to talk to us as we talk to Him.”(4) Prayer is an act of devotion; therefore, prayer is an act of worship.
The English word worship comes from the Anglo-Saxon word weorthscipe, which is a combination of the two words “worth” and “ship.” You may have heard the word kingship, which means “to sit in the position of king;” or sonship, which means “to sit in the position of son.” Well, worship means “to sit in the position of worth.” When we worship the Lord we ascribe worth to Him, because He sits in the main position of worth in our lives.
Whenever we worship the Lord we lift Him high as a banner. We “Exalt” Him, which is our second “E” word. If we exalt the Lord, then the church will grow. If we lift high His holy name, then all people will be drawn to Him. So, another aspect of the church’s purpose is “Exaltation” through worship.
Rick Warren says, “Throughout Scripture we’re commanded to celebrate God’s presence by magnifying the Lord and exalting His name. Psalm 34:3 (New American Standard Bible) says, ‘O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.’ We shouldn’t worship out of duty; we should worship because we want to. We should enjoy expressing our love to God” (p. 103, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
Purpose # 3: “Encourage” through Fellowship (vv. 42, 44)
The third purpose of the church is “fellowship.” We see this purpose mentioned in Acts 2:42 and 44. Verse 42 says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship.” Verse 44 tells us, “Now all who believed were together.” The people were gathered together; or gathered in fellowship.
The Moody Handbook of Theology states, “The word fellowship (koinonia) means ‘sharing’ and emphasizes the unity and oneness of the church.”(5) The “Moody Handbook” also says that “fellowship . . . emphasizes the fact that believers belong together.”(6) One of the reasons why the church exists is to fellowship, or to help one another through the sharing of material goods, and by being there to support each other morally and spiritually.
Whenever we fellowship with other believers we “Encourage” one another, which is our third “E” word. Paul said in Romans 1:11-12, “For I long to see you . . . that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.” Paul said that fellowship is for “encouragement.” He also admonished in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” So, another aspect of the church’s purpose is “Encouraging” other believers through fellowship.
Rick Warren says, “As Christians we’re called to belong, not just to believe. We are not meant to live lone-ranger lives; instead, we are to belong to Christ’s family and be members of His body . . . We have each other for support. I love the way Ephesians 2:19 is phrased in the Living Bible: ‘You are members of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.’ The church exists to provide fellowship for believers” (pp. 105-106, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
Purpose # 4: “Edify” through Discipleship (v. 42)
The fourth purpose of the church is “discipleship.” Looking again at the Great Commission, it says, “Go therefore and make disciples.” Making disciples is “discipleship,” and the word “disciple” means, “the pupil of a teacher.”(7) So, discipleship has something to do with teaching. Take another look at Acts 2:42. We read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” This word “continued” means they “studied” the apostle’s doctrine; and the word “doctrine” here refers to “the content of teaching.”(8)
We arrive at our fourth “E” word when we consider what discipleship does for the believer. Discipleship serves to “Edify” believers. Now, edify means, “to build up.” Edification through discipleship serves to build up believers in the knowledge of God and His Son, Jesus Christ; and edifying believers in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ is accomplished through Bible study. 2 Timothy 2:15 commands us, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (KJV); and proverbs 15:28 tells us, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer.”
Studying the Word, or the Scripture, strengthens the faith of believers, and it gives them a foundation on which to stand and principles to live by. Colossians 2:6-7 says, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established [or grounded] in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Discipleship builds people up in the Christian faith; therefore, another aspect of the church’s purpose is “Edification” of believers – especially new or young believers – through discipleship.
Rick Warren says, “As the church we are called not only to reach people, but also to teach them. After someone has made a decision for Christ, he or she must be discipled. It is the church’s responsibility to develop people to spiritual maturity. This is God’s will for every believer, Paul writes, ‘so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:12b-13, NIV)” (p. 106, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
Purpose # 5: “Equip” through Service (v. 45)
The fifth and final purpose of the church is “service” or “ministry.” Verse 45, in the New International Version states that “they gave to anyone as he had need.” We see here that they “gave,” and giving is an act of service. It is looking beyond ourselves and our own desires in order to provide for the needs of others. Service, or servanthood, is actually commanded in the Bible. For example, 1 Corinthians 10:24 says, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”
The Bible says that pastors are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12, ESV). Our fifth and final “E” word is “Equip.” The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more.” Remember, “ministry” is “service.” Paul’s servanthood made it possible for him to win more people to Christ. We know that Jesus was a servant too. 2 Corinthians 8:9 reveals this fact, for we read this: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor [or a servant], that you through His poverty might become rich.”
As believers, we’re supposed to follow Christ’s example of servanthood, so that we can make people spiritually rich just as Jesus did. Paul did this exact thing. He stated in 2 Corinthians 6:10 of how he was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich.” So, the final aspect of the church’s purpose is “Equipping” believers to participate in serving others. Keep in mind that “service” is “ministry.”
Rick Warren says, “The church exists to minister to people. Ministry is demonstrating God’s love to others by meeting their needs and healing their hurts in the name of Jesus. Each time you reach out in love to others you are ministering to them. The church is to minister to all kinds of needs: spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical” (p. 104, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
Time of Reflection
This morning, in looking at an example of the thriving New Testament church, we’ve seen the vision to which every congregation should aspire. We were able to identify five major purposes of the church’s ministry; and based on these purposes, our mission is to “evangelize” by sharing the message of salvation; to “exalt” the name of Jesus through worship; to “encourage” one another through fellowship; to “edify” the church through discipleship; and to “equip” the church to serve others. Acts 2:47 tells us that if we enact these five purposes then people will be added to the church, for we read, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
And if you’re someone here this morning who wants to become one of those who are being saved, then I invite you to walk the aisle and pray to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life.
This message is part of a series on being a "purpose driven church." Many in-text citations are from Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Zondervan, 1995).
NOTES
(1) “Purpose,” Dictionary.com: dictionary.reference.com/browse/purpose?s=t (Accessed March 26, 2014.
(2) Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), p. 104.
(3) Bill Bright, Unlocking the Secrets of a Successful Prayer Life (Orlando: New Life Publications, 1994), p. 13.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) taken from Logos 2.1E on CD-ROM.
(6) Ibid.
(7) “Disciple,” The New Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1962), taken from Logos 2.1E on CD-ROM.
(8) “Doctrine,” Ibid.
