The Mission Of The Church

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Fred Somebody, Thomas Everybody, Peter Anybody, and Joe Nobody were neighbors, but they were not like you and me. They were odd people and most difficult to understand. The way they lived was a shame.

All four belonged to the same church, but you would not have enjoyed worshipping with them.

Everybody went fishing on Sunday or stayed home to visit with friends.

Anybody wanted to worship but was afraid Somebody wouldn’t speak to him. So guess who went to church - uh, huh - Nobody.

Really, Nobody was the only decent one of the four.

Nobody did the visitation. Nobody worked on the church building.

Once they needed a Sunday school teacher. Everybody thought Anybody would do it, and Anybody thought Somebody would do it.

And you know who did it? That’s exactly right...Nobody!

It happened that a fifth neighbor (an unbeliever) moved into the area. Everybody thought Somebody should try to win him for Christ. Anybody could have made an effort. You probably know who finally won him: Nobody!

We as the Church and body of Jesus Christ have a tremendous work to do in this last day...

Text:

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So often we say that we have a great work to do, but yet are unsure of what we as the church are supposed to be doing...

Jesus would never send us forth before giving us a job description to center our efforts around...

Have you ever gotten a new job with no job description, or at least an indication of what was expected of you?

So often we fail to realize that Jesus promised that He would build the church...

It’s up to us to just be instruments of obedience as we show the love of Christ to a lost and dying world...

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

It is so true that we are the only bible that many people will ever read - 2 Cor 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Do people have to squint to read your epistle, or are you living your life before the world in large print?

We have a 3-fold purpose as a part of the worldwide church of Jesus Christ, and as a local Assembly we have the same 3-fold purpose as well...

First of all today we are here to:

I. TO EXALT THE SAVIOR

We are here to establish and maintain a place for the worship of Almighty God according to our distinctive testimony...

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. - John 4:23

Jesus said here that the Father seeketh such to worship Him...

Can you think of any greater reason to worship God than the fact that the Father who created you and I is seeking for such a thing to happen?

When we walk into church, the first thought on our mind ought to be worship...

Why? Because the Father is here seeking those who will worship him in Spirit and in Truth! My Bible also tells me that He inhabits or dwells in the praises of His people.

If there is anything that the enemy wants to stop today in our churches, it is the Worship of Almighty God.

Why?

a. Because we know that the Worship of God sensitizes us to the Presence of God.

We are living in a real world with real problems and seemingly impossible situations that arise from time to time, and when we begin to cast our gaze upon the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we soon begin to realize that God is greater than any problem or circumstance we may be facing.

How are we ever going to fulfill our purpose of winning those without Christ if we are constantly captivated with our needs and problems...

b. Worship opens the lines of communication between God and man...

Isn’t that why Jesus Christ came to earth? To restore fellowship with the Father, and bridge the gap between God and Man...

God is raising up people who will worship Him no matter what the cost today...

A.W. Tozer said the following: God wants worshipers before workers; indeed the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the lost art of worship