The Mission of the Church

The Mission of the Church

July 13, 2008

Introduction

This morning, we want to begin our study of the Word of God with a question, What is the Mission of the church?

There are many assignments which the church needs to be serious about accomplishing. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

· To preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations

· To help those who are less blessed than we are.

· To be informed as to what the church is doing in other places.

Body

I. To preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations.

(Mat 28:18-20 NKJV) "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. {19} "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."

A. In preaching around the world, some go, and others send.

(Phil 4:14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

B. We have been a contributing congregation

1. We help Jim Corner on a regular basis.

2. We assist in buying Bibles and literature through.

· Eastern European Missions

· Spanish Literature

· Others with special appeals.

· Even drilling water wells in mission fields to help the people of those areas.

C. We need to also be preaching the word of God in our community.

1. We recently saw Terry Rush’s short series on 100% Natural Evangelism.

2. We have been viewing Dan Cooper’s Friendship Evangelism.

3. Each of us can have a part in being part of the “House to House” ministry.

(Acts 20:20-21 NKJV) [Paul said] "How I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, {21} "testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

II. There are special needs of people who are in distress.

A. Jesus gave a list of special needs in Matthew 25.

(Mat 25:34-40 NKJV) ""Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: {35} 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; {36} 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' {37} "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? {38} 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? {39} 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' {40} "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"

1. Sometimes there are natural disasters which leave thousands in need of a great deal of assistance.

Church of Christ Disaster Relief

2. In New Testament times, there was a famine which reminds me of such a crisis of need.

Acts 11:27-30 NKJV) "And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. {28} Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. {29} Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. {30} This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul."

B. I believe that it falls upon each of us to do what we can in helping relieve the need of others.

(James 1:27 NKJV) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

1. Sometimes there are needs which we need to meet on an individual basis.

2 At other times, there are need that are too great to be met by individuals, and we need to pool our resources and act a a congregation, or as the church of collective congregations to meet these needs.

4. We assist with funds to orphans homes and care for the elderly.

III. The church is us.

(Eph 4:11-16 NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, {12} for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, {13} till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; {14} that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, {15} but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; {16} from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Conclusion

I. What is the mission of the church?

· To preach the gospel here and abroad

· To teach and preach individually, and by supporting others

· To help those with special needs.

II. All that we do should be done to the glory of God.

Bible Study with Harley Sermons I have Preached

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