027. Church, Mission of the

027. Church, Mission of the

27 MISSION OF THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION Everything has a purpose--a mission. "Nothing walks with aimless feet."

Hence, the church has a mission, and all of its work is missionary work; it should do no other kind of work. It is a missionmy church. The church of God is in nature, spirit and position, necessarily and essentially a missionary institution . l. FALSE CONCEPTION CORRECTED 1. Not knowing "what the church is" can not know its mission.

2. A thing is defined by giving its purpose-mission.

3. Negative-what is not its mission :

(a) It is not its mission to give its members social prestige-The first Circle of Society.

(b) Not to give them financial standing.

(c) Not to furnish ENTERTAINMENT.

(1) For its members. (2) For the world with operatic music or delicate festivals.

(d) Not to raise money for defray ing expenses of human institutions.

(e) Not to build fine houses, gorgeous temples or imposing cathedrals.

(f) Not an agency for the given moment to spread its propaganda for war or anything else.

4. A fundamental law of human nature is that we grasp more easily the negative than the positive.

II. WHAT IS ITS MISSION?

1. Church is pillar and ground of truth . (1 Timothy 3:15; Php 2:16.) (a) No other institution is. (b) Church is in harmony with ALL truth--scientific, philosophical, moral and spiritual. (c) All truth harmonizes.

2. It is the only God-ordained support of the TRUTH of salvation.

3. Church is identified with Christ- It is his spiritual body. (Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:24; Ephesians 1:23.) (a) So identified that one cannot come to Christ without coming into the church.

4. Their mission identical also.

(a) Christ’s mission to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10; Romans 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:15.) (b) He was never idle. (John 4:34; John 5:17; John 9:4; John 17:4.) III. THE MISSION OF CHRISTIANS 1. The church is composed of members.

(a) Its mission becomes the mission of its members-each Christian to seek and save.

2. Christians are the LIGHT of the world and SALT of the earth . (Matthew 5:13-14.) 3. The church with its principles, its spirit, its precepts and its spiritual life is God’s highest conception of human society.

4. The highest stage of civilization is for people to be brought to Christ’s conception of God and man, sin and righteousness, time and eternity in the church.

5. Put every Christian to work at soul-saving and the mission of the church will be fulfilled.