“The Divine Mission of the Church”

 

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “Upon this rock (Jesus was speaking of himself) I will build my church.” Again this morning we come to the doctrine of the church. In theological terms we call the doctrine of the church ECCLESIOLOGY.

 

Now, before we examine what the DIVINE MISSION of the church is, I want to point out to you what the mission of the church is not.

 

FIRST: The mission of the church is not POLITICAL. It is true that the Bible says in Romans 13, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers." I believe the Bible teaches that the Christian is to obey the government. We cannot deny that Jesus paid taxes, or that Paul subjected himself to the government.

 

However the purpose of the church is not POLITICAL. There has never been, nor will there ever be, such as thing as a Christian government until the prince of peace comes and sits on His throne and rules and reigns for 1000 years.

 

We need to vote. Personally, if I have a clear choice to vote for a man who is a Christian or one who is not, I will vote for the Christian every time.

We need to hold our elected officials responsible for doing that which we know to be consistent with the Word of God.

We need to pay our taxes.

We need to pray for those in authority as instructed in I Timothy 2:1-3

 

But it is not necessary to spend time running from one political rally to another or to make the church a political action institution.

 

SECOND: The mission of the church is not EDUCATIONAL. I don't think the sole mission of the church is to have an institution of education. Now, I do believe in the value of Christian schools since I have been involved in them for 25 of my 43 years in the ministry. But that is not the mission of the church. Some believe it is a desirable component of the church.

 

However, no church has ever been built by a Christian school. Instead, there have been a lot of churches hurt by the addition of a Christian school.

 

Now the Apostle Paul was an educated man. In II Timothy 2:2 he said, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to TEACH others also.” But education was not the mission of the Apostle Paul nor was it the mission of the early church.

 

I believe the church ought to have a Christian Education Ministry.  Sunday School ought to be encouraged and promoted and every member ought to be in Sunday School each and every Sunday.

 

I have no problem with a church operating a Christian Bible College or Bible Institute. Nor do I find fault with a church operating a Christian Day School.

 

But again, education was not the primary mission of the early church.

 

THIRD: The mission of the church is not to FEED the SHEEP. Again I exhort you to believe in the teaching of the Word of God. The church ought to be a place where the whole counsel of God's Word is taught. It is appropriate for the pastor to feed you the Word of God. Even Jesus said "feed my lambs, and feed my sheep." But as important as this is, it is not the main mission of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

FOURTH: The mission of the church is not to PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE. There are a lot of churches turning into social ministries. They believe their mission is to take care of the poor, the homeless, and the various outcasts of society. To be sure, we are to care for the needs of the poor, because that is scriptural. But this is not the main mission of the church.

 

Nor is the church a place to start a crusade to clean up everything. Believe me, if I had the power:

 

I would close every movie house in Luzerne County.

I would burn down every bar.

I would ban all pornographic material and put out of business all adult-themed stores.

I would also like to clean up every hog pen, so that the prodigal would have no place to go.

 

You and I are called by God to tell the prodigal, "Get out of that hog pen, and go home to the Father's house, and get forgiveness from God Almighty, and put your feet under thy Father's table to enjoy all the blessings God has for you." But again the primary mission of the church is not to promote social justice.

 

FIFTH: The mission of the church is not to CHANGE the LIFESTYLE of other PEOPLE. You know, there are some folks who seen to have the idea that being a Christian just requires fitting Christianity into your lifestyle.  That is not true conversion to Christianity.

 

When you become a Christian, you will develop a life style you never had before. You will become a new creature in Christ. Let the Holy Spirit change you and leave the lives of other people alone. You can teach and live by example of what you think a Christian should be, but only the Holy Spirit will change the hearts of other people.

 

SIXTH: The mission of the church is not to PROVIDE A FORUM for the joining together of ALL DENOMINATIONS, or the joining together of ALL RELIGIOUS GROUPS no matter what their DOCTRINAL CONVICTIONS are. During my 43 years in the ministry, I have witnessed a lot of changes. Organizations that once stood firm for the Faith, are now slipping into a movement of compromise that has done untold damage to the cause of Christ.

 

I have watched the birth and development of what is now named the pseudo-fundamentalist movement. The men in this movement, who once stood firm on old-fashioned Fundamental Separation, are now encouraging churches to build bridges back into the main-stream denominational camps where there are serious matters of religious compromise. If you ask what keeps the church pure, gives sound Biblical convictions, and builds Christian character it is the wall of Bible doctrine. That doctrine separates God's people from compromise and false teaching.

 

God's message to believers is not to AMALGAMATE or ACCOMMODATE false doctrine, but to SEPARATE from it. To surrender one's doctrinal convictions and set aside the precious teachings of the Word of God for the sake of what is false unity and brotherly love is to be guilty of very serious compromise.      

 

Romans 16:17, "Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE which you have LEARNED AND AVOID THEM."

         

II John 1, "The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I LOVE IN THE TRUTH, and not I only, but also all they that have the truth.”

 

True love for the brethren is based on the truth found in the word of God. The church is called upon to separate from religious apostasy. Our cry ought to be Lord, help me to be true to thee and Thy precious word.

 

So what is the DIVINE MISSION of the church? The mission of the church is to win souls. The divine mission of the church is the “Great Commission.” This commission is found five times in the first five books of the New Testament. In each of these five places found in Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-47; Jon 20:19-21; and Acts 1:8 the Lord makes a separate and distinct promise to the Christian who will win souls.

 

First: Those who win souls have the PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE found in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Notice in the last part of verse 20 we are told, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." There are three parts to the Great Commission.

               

First, there is the soul wining, which means going into the world and reaching souls.

 

Second, there is the matter of identifying with Christ through Baptism. Believer’s baptism is a  church ordnance that requires our absolute OBEDIENCE after salvation. This is not an option to consider, ‘should I do it or should I not do it?’ It is part of the Great Commission, a COMMAND or ORDER from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Third: Those won to Christ are to be trained in the Word of God.

 

And while we are doing this there is the promise of His presence in a special way.

 

Second: Those who win souls have the PROMISE OF HIS PROTECTION, found in Mark 16:15-18, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; (18) They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Notice the five things that Jesus promises His disciples.

 

Now it is not my intention in this message to preach on the difficulties of this passage. These were signs Jesus used at the beginning of the new age of grace. The Apostles had these signs in their ministry. For example, on the island of Malta, Paul was bitten by a venomous serpent, which did no harm because God was with him to protect him.

 

There is no doubt the passage is designed to teach God's special protection as the angels of the Lord encamp around about those who seek to do His will and send His Word to the ends of the earth. Listen, I HAVE THE ASSURANCE IN MY HEART THAT NO EVIL COULD POSSIBLY BEFALL ME AS I SEEK TO WIN THE LOST, EXCEPT IT COME FROM THE HAND OF GOD AS A PART OF HIS DIRECTIVE WILL FOR MY LIFE AND MINISTRY.

 

Oh, believe me, I know that many of God's chosen saints

 

have laid down their lives for the Gospel's sake,

have been torn asunder, thrown to the wild beasts and burned.

Even in our life time missionaries have been martyred for the faith.

 

But I believe that by the cruel persecution and death of these saints of God THEY HAVE WON MORE PEOPLE AND SENT THE GOSPEL FURTHER INTO THE REGIONS OF THE WORLD THAN THEY EVER COULD HAVE BY LIVING.

 

God does protect His soul winners. Thank God for this. Yes, I have been in places myself, where I do believe He was protecting me.

 

Third: Those who win souls have the PROMISE OF HIS PROGRAM, outlined by Jesus in Luke 24:46-47, “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. The Gospel must go to the ends of the earth. But where is it to begin? It is to begin at Jerusalem.

 

Jesus is teaching that before you send the Gospel to Africa, to India, to Asia, to South America, to the island of the Sea, you must evangelize at home. That is the program for this church, for any New Testament Church. “It is wrong to send a DOLLAR to the foreign field and not KNOCK ON THE DOORS IN OUR JERUSALEM.”

 

Don't get me wrong, I support foreign missions. But the scripture means:

 

Start with yourself; be sure you know Christ as your own personal Saviour.

Start in our Jerusalem in Edwardsville, in Luzerne County and our surrounding area. That is where you are to start winning souls.

 

In Acts 5:42 we read, "Daily and in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." The program of our church is to make Christ known by PREACHING, by HOUSE TO HOUSE VISITATION, by WORD OF MOUTH in EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.

 

I believe that every member of any ministry of the church ought to be an active soul winner.

 

If there is no interest in soul winning I DO NOT QUESTION YOUR SALVATION. But I do question your genuine love of Christ and your love for lost men and women on their way to a Christ-less eternity.

 

Isn't it strange that the Cults and false “isms” openly promote false religions, and Islamic people sound off their false religion, and even choose to die for it? Yet, that which was the closest to the heart of Jesus, is often the furthest from the heart of the average Christian?

 

Let me ask what is being done with our faith today? A man was heard on the radio to say, “Islamic people see America as a failed Christian nation, citing the high rates of crime, immorality and failed marriages. They would have more respect for America if we did not separate our government from our God.” I guess that comment might be classified as a rebuke on our nation!

 

Fourth: Those who win souls have the PROMISE OF HIS PEACE, given in John 20:21 where we read, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” The greatest peace that can ever come into the heart of a human being is the peace of knowing you HAVE DONE YOUR BEST, AS A CHRISTIAN, TO SEE PEOPLE SAVED.

 

Death and disaster strikes everywhere; it could happen in your family today. If it did, could you lift your voice to heaven and say, "God I did my best; I put you first in my life, my heart, my home, my business. I tried to make YOU known to my family and friends.”

 

Fifth: Those who win souls have the PROMISE OF HIS POWER found in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” You may say that you are not strong enough to win souls to Jesus. Well, welcome to the crowd! Neither am I. But Jesus guarantees His power. The Captain of our Salvation has given His orders to the church. Here are the orders for each and every one of us. OUR MISSION IS TO BE A SOUL WINNER.

 

On September 11 2001, some unthinkable things took place. Over 3,000 people were thrust out into eternity by a violent act of hatred. Life is uncertain! I believe we’ve received a wakeup call in this country. Let me ask you this morning, “Who’s to blame for the 9-11 tragedy and disaster?”

 

Did the sins of our nation bring the judging hand of God?

Can we lay the blame on the wickedness of America?

 

We do know that God does not delight in judgment, or in the death of the wicked. God delights in blessing. In Ezekiel 33:11 we read, “ Say unto them, As I live, said the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways…”

 

I make no compromise with the wickedness of our nation. Yet, I do not place the blame   of God removing his protective hand from America for a few minutes on the unsaved and the wicked. I place that blame on the PREACHERS, CHURCHES and CHRISTIANS:

 

Who have compromised their stand against sin.

Who have changed their sacred music to the wicked styles of rock and rap found in the world.

Who have played with the versions of the Bible until the average man on the street doesn’t know “which is the Word of God.”

Who have dropped standards of separation from the world.

Who in our churches have made an issue over a lot of nothing as we bite and devour one another with our squabbles.

Who just like America has been lax in who it allows to cross our borders and compromise our freedoms, the church has been lax by allowing the worldliness of this nation to come into the church and weaken it! The church has become ineffective through worldliness and compromise.

 

The honest truth is that America has become a weak nation because the LIGHT has dimmed and the SALT has lost its savour. God’s people are to be the Light and the Salt of the earth. Rather than reach our cities for Christ, we have become involved in everything else but the work God has called us to do.

 

America needs revival. If America sees revival it will come through old fashioned Bible preaching and the work of winning souls to Christ! If God saves America, it will be because of the revival of God’s people!

 

When the prophets of old came to proclaim judgment on a land, because of its present evil sins, these prophets always addressed the righteous. THE HOPE OF ANY NATION RESTS NOT THE ABSENCE OF SIN IN THAT NATION, BUT ON A RETURN OF GOD’S PEOPLE TO DOING RIGHT!

 

This generation has had more of an opportunity than any other to reach the world for Christ. We have knowledge, ability, travel opportunities, and technology. Yet, we have become a watered down and weak generation of Christianity more concerned with the economy of America than its spiritual condition. It is not the wickedness of the ungodly, it’s the apathy and the prayerlessness of Christians. We are to blame.

 

Today, I have brought all of this to mind in order to remind us of our commitment to the DIVINE MISSION OF THE CHURCH which is to win souls! What then are we to do next?

 

First of all, on our part we need to HAVE A PROPER ATTITUDE. We must decide to view our church as a body of believers ordained by God for a purpose – to win souls to Christ.

 

The next step is to BE INVOLVED AS A CHURCH MEMBER. Church membership allows a commitment to an area of ministry. Don’t be a bystander or content to sit on the sidelines. Official membership is Biblical.

 

Third, we need to DEVELOP LOYALTY to the ministry. Please do not sow seeds of discontent, nor above all, don't run when trouble and difficulties develop. They always do, so determine now to be a part of the solution.

 

Finally, we need to PROJECT MAGNETISM. I believe God wants to draw people to Himself through us, and the Holy Spirit wants to use us as living magnets to attract people through the open doors of our churches.

 

In the heart of historic Edinburgh, Scotland, sits Charlotte Baptist Chapel, which has a history going back 200 years. It was established in 1808 by a contemporary of missionary William Carey; but after several decades, the church fell on hard times. Attendance dwindled to about 30 people. An offer was made for the property by a commercial developer, and some in the church were ready to accept it.

 

But the church secretary, Andrew Urquhart, had no hesitation in rejecting the offer. He said: "I, for one, am not going to believe that the light which has burned so long in this place is going to be put out; that the people who so long labored for the advancement of the Redeemer's cause are to retire from the work in despair; that the door of this dear old Chapel, hallowed by many blessed and holy memories, is to be closed, and the building itself turned into a music hall or a grocery store. No, brethren, I don't believe it, and in your hearts neither do you. I believe the crisis is of God, and He will bring us through it."

 

Andrew was a man of unusual faith. As he walked to church, he would sometimes turn and say to his young son, "Look at the crowds waiting to get in!" The street would be empty, and the church nearly so. But in his mind's eye, he could see the people and he believed God still had a work for His church to do.

 

In October, 1901, the church called a new pastor named Joseph Kemp. On his first Sunday in the pulpit, only 35 people came. But prayer meetings sprang up, open-air meetings were conducted, the building was renovated, the Gospel was proclaimed, and revival fell on the church and on the city, the effects of which endure to this day.

 

This week, when you drive up to your church, say to yourself: "Look at the crowds waiting to get in!" Believe that God can send a revival of mission, of mercy, and of magnetism. Open the doors and see all the people!

 

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “The Divine Mission of the Church” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

 

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

 

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior would you let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.