I give all appropriate credit to Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Church" for material that made this message possible.
What Earthly Use is the Church, Anyway?
June 3, 2001
In this Pentecost season, when we celebrate the church, it’s logical to ask the question: What earthly use is the church, anyway? What value is there in the church? And to be more personal, what does the church give me/you, anyway?
These are very important questions- not to be pushed aside, and this is a good time of year for us to consider these questions.
Let’s begin in the book of Nehemiah, for a story, that says a great deal to us. This is the story of the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, and we learn that halfway through the project the people got discouraged and wanted to give up.
Neh. 4. 6-15- they lost their sense of purpose and became overwhelmed with fatigue, frustration, and fear. This is what happens to us when we don’t understand what earthly use the church is to us. Nehemiah rallied the people back to work by reorganizing the project and recasting the vision for the people. He reminded them of the importance of their work and reassured them that God would help them fulfill his purpose. And the wall was completed in 52 days (6.15).
Although the wall took only 52 days to complete, the people became discouraged at the halfway point- just twenty-six days into the project! Nehemiah had to renew their vision, and this gives us a very important principle for our lives in our church. It is what we can call the “Nehemiah Principle” which tells us that we need to restate and revisit our purpose and vision on a regular basis in order for our church to keep moving forward in the right direction. We’re human, and it’s amazing how quickly we can lose our sense of purpose, as the people of Judah did while building the wall.
Back in November, 1999, and January 2000, I gave a number of messages about the purpose of the church. I’ve spoken, generally, about it on occasion, since, but not necessarily as directly as is really helpful for us in order to keep clearly in mind what it is that we’re doing around here. What is it that the church is contributing to us around here? What earthly good is the church to us around here, anyway?
In Montreal, we have formalized a purpose statement for our congregation. I want to speak from the perspective of that, because it embodies what scripture tells us the church is for. Even though we may not have such a statement, yet, in Cornwall or Rock Forest, it is a scriptural statement from which we can discuss the church and ourselves today. It embodies what we see as the purpose or mission for our congregation.
I want you, today, to understand more clearly how the church provides you with value you cannot find anywhere else in the world! I repeat: the church provides you with value you cannot find anywhere else in the world! That is important to understand and to remember. That is something you have known, but may have wandered from or may have forgotten over the years. But it’s vital for you to know that the church- your church congregation, as part of Jesus’ great church- provides you with things you cannot find anywhere else in the world!
I want you to understand what you have available to you, that you can get nowhere else! It’s rather incredible, and we’ll see what God wants for you.
Col. 3.15- Living Bible- “This is your responsibility and privilege as members of his body.” There is both a responsibility and a privilege attached to each of the 5 purposes of a Christian church congregation. There are both responsibilities and privileges of being a member of a church family. There are both responsibilities to fulfill and privileges to enjoy! Sometimes we want to revel in the privileges and forget the responsibilities- it is important to recognize both!
In fact, I believe that the purposes of the church can be personalized as God’s five goals for every Christian believer and these goals express what God wants each of us to do with our lives while on earth! What are the 5 goals God has for YOU in your personal walk with Him?
1. God wants you to be a member of his family. This is the purpose of relationship and membership in God’s family. The Bible is very clear that following Christ is not just a matter of believing- it also includes belonging. The Christian life is not a solo act. We are meant to live in relationship with each other.
1 Pet. 1.3- Living bible- “He has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God’s own family.” God has given us the church as a spiritual family for our own benefit.
Eph. 2.19- Living Bible- “You are members of God’s very own family…and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”
2. God wants you to be a model of his character. This is the goal of maturity (discipleship). God wants every believer to grow up to become like Christ in character. Becoming like Christ is the biblical definition of “spiritual maturity.” Jesus has established a pattern for us to follow.
1 Pet. 2.21- Christ’s example.
1 Ti. 4.12- Paul gives us several specific areas in which we are to model the character of Christ. Notice that maturity is not measured by one’s learning but by one’s lifestyle! It is possible to be well versed in the Bible and still be very immature. Just having knowledge means nothing if it isn’t lived. Knowledge is simply the foundation for action!
3. God wants you to be a minister of his grace. A third responsibility of every Christian is the purpose of service, or ministry. God expects us to use the gifts, talents, and opportunities he gives us to benefit others. Each of us is to be a channel through which God’s greatest grace and likeness can flow to the people we touch in our lives!
1 Pet. 4.10 is very clear about this!
God intends for every believer to have a ministry. We have to be clear about this and intentional about this. It is time for us to stop thinking or acting like the only ones with a ministry or the only ones who do ministry around here are the ordained ministers! That is not true! That is not biblical! We have to tell each new person who walks through the ‘doors’ of our church- in other words, into the active life of the church, whether here or in another area of the city. “When you give your life to Christ, you are signing up to minister in his name for the rest of your life. It’s what God made you for.” Do you know this? Do you understand this right now?
One of the intentional actions we will pursue over the next year is to help all that want to know their spiritual giftedness to come to a fuller understanding of that. The purpose of this is not just for the sake of the knowledge, but to help you understand where you are God-intended or designed to direct your primary efforts in service toward others!
Eph. 2.10 tells us that it is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus, and long ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others (Living Bible).
You and I are not here to warm a seat. We’re not here to sit and soak, but to act- to sit and then go out with renewed energy and desire to serve others! We’re here to serve! We’re not here to be nominal Christians but to be disciples!
4. God wants you to be a messenger of his love. This is the church’s purpose of evangelism. Part of the job description for each believer is that once we have been born again, we become messengers of the Good News to others. Each of us, Christians, has this as part of our Job Description- part of our vocation. Paul says it well in:
Acts 20.24- Living Bible- “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus- the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.”
In Eph. 4.1, Paul tells us what our vocation is. It’s not to be a farmer, or hairdresser, or student, or mechanic, or sales person, etc. Those are ways of supporting your vocation which is your calling to serve and to be a messenger of God’s message to those around you!
This is an important responsibility of every Christian.
2 Cor. 5. 19- 20 speaks to us about being ambassadors for Christ! We are to plead with unbelievers to receive the love he offers- to be reconciled to God.
Have you ever wondered why God leaves us here on earth with all its pain, sorrow, and sin, after we accept Christ? Why doesn’t he just zap us immediately to the Kingdom or heaven and spare us from all this? After all, we can worship, fellowship, pray, sing, hear God’s Word, and even have fun in the Kingdom! We see pictures of that in scripture!
Well, the reality is that there are only two things you can’t do in the kingdom or heaven that you can do on earth: sin, and witness to unbelievers. Which of these two do you think Christ has left us here to do? You’re right! We each have a mission on earth and part of it includes telling others about Christ!
5. God wants you to be a glorifier and magnifier of Him and His Name!
Ps. 34.3 tells us, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” We each have a personal responsibility to worship God. The very first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20.3), and Jesus drew attention to the need to worship God first and foremost in Matthew 22.37. There is an inborn urge in each person to worship. If we don’t worship God we will find something else to worship, whether it be a job, a family, money, a sport, or even ourselves. This kind of worship doesn’t do what worship is supposed to do in us! But worship of God does!
These are the five purposes of our church- the five purposes of THE church- and when we fulfill these, which are the responsibility of every Christian, we also are given tremendous spiritual, emotional, and relational benefits. The truth is that the church provides people with values and activities they cannot find anywhere else in the world: Worship helps people focus on God; fellowship helps them face life’s problems; discipleship helps fortify their faith; ministry helps them find their talents; and evangelism helps them fulfill their mission.
So, let’s put it this way, for you- PERSONAL-
My Church Family Gives Me
- God’s purpose to live for (mission)
- God’s people to live with (membership)
- God’s principles to live by (maturity)
- God’s profession to live out (ministry)
- God’s power to live on (magnify)
No one can say that the church is irrelevant who understands the scriptural message about the church. No one can say that the church is irrelevant who understands God’s purposes. No one can say that the church is irrelevant who understands and accepts personal privileges and responsibilities designed and given by Almighty God!
What earthly good is the church, anyway! Much in every way! Only within the church can each of us attain to the greatest potential that God has in mind for us. Only within the church can each of us attain the eternal usefulness that God has designed. Only within the church can each of us fulfill the personal and universal mission that God has prepared us to fulfill. Only within the church can each of us be all God intends for us to be.
The Church, full of imperfect people, is God’s perfect instrument to build His family into a unit that contributes in an incredibly useful way both now and for eternity!
