The Purpose Of The Church

Question

What Is God's Mission & Purpose For His Church ?

There are many churches today that have abandoned God's mission for their own mission. Most churches today have a mission to attract as many people as possible to the church, so they can have as large of a church as possible.

What is God's mission for His church ? We need to look into God's Word the Bible to find out what God's mission is. God clearly reveals in His Word what His mission and passion is, and that He wants His followers and the church to obey and participate in His mission.

1 Timothy 2:4 says that God wants (desires) all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Missions is not about a mission trip, or a special outreach event the church has a few times a year. Or a special ministry for a small group of people with a special gift. Missions is all about God's heart, and His desire & passion for all to be saved. God wants all people to have a restored relationship with Him and eternal life with Him in heaven.

Jesus Clearly Defines The First Part of God's Mission

When Jesus was here on earth he stated the first part of God's mission very clearly in Luke 19:10 - "I came to seek and save the lost".

He said he came to seek the lost because He knows lost people's hearts very well. He knows that most lost people will not step foot into a church. Jesus' loved them so much, that if they were not going to come to Him then He was going to go out to them and try to help them to have a restored relationship with God.

We need to follow Jesus' example, and love all people like He does. We need to go out to them and try to help them to have a restored relationship with God... no matter what It costs.

Who Would Continue God's Mission After Jesus ?

Jesus knew that He was going to die on the cross and then go back up to heaven. Who was going to continue to go and do God's mission ? God had a plan: Matthew 4:19 - Jesus said "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men".

At the time Jesus was talking to His disciples or His followers in this verse. These were the people who would later become the apostles - the leaders and pastors of the new church in the book of Acts.

In most churches today, if anyone at all is doing God's mission of seeking and saving the lost, it is usually only a very small group of people. Maybe the pastor(s) and the leaders and a few others. Is this what God wants, only a few participating in His mission ?

Is God's Mission For All Christians ?

In Matthew 4:19 when Jesus says "Follow me and I will make you "fishers of men" is He talking only to pastors, full time missionaries, and church leaders ? Or is He talking to all of His people, every person in the church ?

Acts 8:1,4 - "On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Christian Samaria... verse 4 - "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."

The apostles (pastors & leaders of the church) all stayed in Jerusalem, and the rest of the church, the regular people, were scattered to other places. Acts 8:4 tells us that all those who were scattered preached the Gospel wherever they went.

All of the people in the early church understood that Jesus was talking to everyone in the church when He told them to be fishers of men." And they all obeyed Him, even though there was a lot of persecution and they could even die. That is devotion and commitment to Jesus.

The 2nd Part of God's Mission

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, microcrystal.co.kr baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." - Matthew 28:19-20

Once we reach people for Jesus and they are saved, God wants us to help them to grow spiritually.



God Wants Devoted Followers, Not Just Religious Converts

God does not just want converts. God wants faithful and fruitful and Spirit-filled disciples (learners & followers). All of us in the church are to participate in this part of God's mission also, to make disciples. We are all to invest our time, efforts, resources,... into the lives of other believers. This is not just the job of the pastor(s) or Sunday School teachers, or small group leaders. It is the job of all of us in the church.

You can find more about how to have a restored relationship with God, the church, missions,... at Pursuing Intimacy With God








Kevin Bart Missionary And Speaker Pursuing Intimacy With God Bible studies and articles on a restored relationship with God, close fellowship with Jesus, missions, purpose in life, church life, how to study the Bible, true salvation, prayer & worship in the Bible...