What is the purpose of the church? For a church to properly carry out its function it must understand what is needs to do and why. Before it was stated that the church carries the Mission and the world hears the Mission. If God's Mission stops at the church then the church is not fulfilling its role. How does a church cease to carry out God's Mission? When it stops viewing itself as a Missionary Church but rather a church with a missions program.
Mission at times have become a department of the church and not its driving force. If missions is thought of as a separate function of the church then it is no longer the backbone in other functions such as Sunday school, small groups, music ministry, etc. Each part of a church should have God's Mission in mind. It should be carrying the mission to the world.
Many Christians see the church in a feeding role. Some go to church to be fed. If that is the mentality, what happens to the world? How are we transforming it? How are we filling it? The church is where we go to learn how to be better carriers of God's Mission.
Churches in every single aspect or function should have God's Mission and the church's role in mind. The church should be doing three things to accomplish this, Teaching, Training, and Equipping. One cannot get something done unless they are empowered to do so. For a soldier to be effective, you must teach him how to use a gun, train him, and equip him. Its no use to have the most knowledgeable soldier out on the battlefield without a gun.
What is the purpose of the church? The church is to carry out God's Mission by Teaching, Training, and Equipping believers to glorify God through Worship and Service.
Interact with Scripture/QuestionsRead 2 Tim 3:16, 17, Eph 4:11-13. See that teaching, training and equipping are requirements for service. We can receive teaching, training, and equipping of Scripture through the church. How have you been seeing the church's role?
How do you see your individual role?
Do you have God's Mission in mind while listening to a sermon, conducting a Bible study, or during fellowship?
What is God teaching about himself in these passages?
Prayer: Ask God to help you grow in Knowledge, Belief and Action, so that you can be a better carrier of his mission to the world.
Scripture References2 Tim 3:[16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Eph 4:[11] It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
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