What Is The Mission Of The Church? Series

What is the “Church”?

It is not…

…a building.

…a denomination.

Matthew 16:13-20 NASB Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" (14) And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." (15) He *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (17) And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (18) "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (19) "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (20) Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Verse 18: Jesus is the rock and Peter was given the charge. Peter professed that Jesus was the Christ.

1 Peter 2:4-6 NASB And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, (5) you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

We are living stones and He is the Chief Corner Stone.

Ephesians 2:19-22 NASB So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, (20) having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, (21) in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

We are no longer strangers or aliens to God if Christ is the cornerstone!

The church is the body of Christ.

To become a member of the body, you must make Christ the head! Romans 10:9-10

What is the mission of the church?

What the mission is NOT:

It’s not to save the world! 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and 2 Peter 3:1-5

It gets worse!

2 Timothy 3:1-7 NASB But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. (2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, (4) treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (6) For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, (7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

It’s not to serve the world! It’s not about lobbying for agendas.

It’s not to fight the world! We are not to be the morality marshals!

It’s not to imitate the world! We are to be different…

1 Peter 2:11-12 NASB Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. (12) Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them; glorify God in the day of visitation.

It’s not to isolate the world!

We are to engage and infiltrate the culture… Muslims do it…

The more time we spend “in” church, the more people are going to hell. Pastors are good about disengaging the culture. Muslims become teachers, coaches, and politicians. They are about family and not financial status. It is no wonder they are exploding with converts everyday. They engage their culture and don’t retreat from it.

We ALL have individual and corporate missions!

Our Individual Mission as a Believer:

Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 2:37-42

1. GO -Acts 1:8

2. Make Disciples

3. Baptize

4. Teach with our walk and talk. Just as Jesus did.

Our Corporate Mission as a Church:

Acts 2:37-47

The word “Church” (ekklesia) means a gathering of people in an assembly

1. Build relationships.

2. Conduct worship.

3. Incorporate fellowship.

4. Continue discipleship.