The Purpose Of The Church

The Purpose of the Church

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: - Last week I spoke on how the Spirit of the Nicolaitans is operating in the church today. In that message I dealt with what I called superfluous fluff when I spoke on so-called Ecclesiastical Attire, Clerical Vestments, Robes, Staffs, Clerical Hats, and any other unnecessary stuff that separates people in the church in a hierarchical manner. Now I know, because it has been said that the Bible says, “Do all things decently and in order”. In my many years in the church I have heard that scripture used more times than I can count. What I find amazing is how we can take a scripture and use it and twist it to fit a certain situation or prove a certain point; however, in doing so we take out of context the scripture and minimalize the meaning and purpose it is truly intended to be.

When Paul wrote to the church of Corinth, which is where that scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 14:40, there was confusion in the church, the people of the church had made ineffective what God intended to be effective and Paul was letting them know what was truly important; therefore, when you speak in tongues make sure it is done decently and in order. When we take scripture out of context and use it to support an agenda, to convince of a personal desire, to propagate a vision it loses its effectiveness and becomes words that are cisterns without water.

Today I am going to talk about the Purpose of the Church. Now we could make a list with a multitude of items on stating what the purpose of the church is. However, my wife has always said just preach the Word and as one pastor told me only preach what’s in the book, if its not in the book don’t preach it. The Bible says in Revelation 22:18 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”.

PRAYER: -

SCRIPTURE: - 1 Corinthians 14:1 – 40.

Now I am not going to read all of those scriptures, but I do want to highlight a few. Vs 40 says, “Let all things be done decently and in order”. As I said this scripture is used for many different purposes specially to prove a certain point or agenda, but let’s look at the verse before it and see it in context. Vs 39 says, “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues”. The all things done decently and in order of verse 40 refers to the gifts of the spirit especially prophecy and speaking in tongues.

The unity of the church is one of the most striking and transformative characteristics she has to offer the world. Unity is demonstrated most tangibly in love. Jesus said it this way in John 13:34–35 as he washed the feet of his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Corinthians was written because of a crisis of unity in the church of Corinth. There were issues of discipleship, belief, and ethics that Paul addressed in this letter, but it all boiled down to the chaos of disunity among the believers.

Paul deals with this unity the church must have and how the church must operate in Love. We must realize that God has purposed the church to be clear, powerful, effective in the world and operate in loving kindness and unity.

Then we get to the 14th chapter, and he begins to deal with the worship. Even today the church is divided over worship. Do we sing the new songs or the old songs, do we use a band and a praise team, or sing hymns or use the big screen. Understand worship has nothing to do with what you like but has everything to do with God and must be done in spirit and in truth, which satisfies Him, and the Joy of the Lord is your strength. Worship is done because of who God is and what He has done. Well here in the 14th chapter the people of the church all wanted to do their thing. In other words, they were taking the worship service and turning it into a talent show who could preach the best, who could sing the best, who could speak in tongues the most and Paul is letting them know in the 14th chapter because they have seemed to forgot What is the Purpose of the Church.