2 Aug 2015
What does the Church exist for? What is the purpose of the Church? The word Church is commonly used today to denote a place or building where Christians gather for worship and meetings. However, the New Testament uses the word “Church” (Gk – ecclesia) to describe an assembly or gathering of the followers of Jesus the Messiah. So the thrust of the two questions is not to determine how to use Church premises or how to effectively utilise its space during the weekdays. It is to come to a better understanding of the purpose that God has for His assembled people while they are still alive and living in this world.
Genesis 1-3 record the Creation and the Fall. When Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden sinned in disobedience to God by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:6, 7), God had already put into motion His plan to save humankind from sin and eternal damnation (Genesis 3:15b). God’s great love for us forms the fabric of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. “The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9b) gives us an insight into God’s loving heart. It is His deepest desire that all mankind come to repentance of sin and receive the gift of eternal life from Him.
The purpose for the existence of the Church can be gleaned from the life of Jesus, the Founder. On the night before His arrest and resultant crucifixion, Jesus proclaimed that He had completed the work that God the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4). During His three years of ministry, Jesus brought glory to God the Father by revealing Him to the Twelve disciples. He faithfully trained and discipled them and entrusted these reliable men with the gospel of God’s salvation and God’s Truth. These disciples in turn would likewise become qualified to train and teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).
The Church is to carry on the work of the gospel that Jesus established – continue to worship and glorify God, proclaim the gospel, make disciples and build up the believers. Jesus is calling on ordinary people (like us) who believe in Him and follow him to carry on the extraordinary work of God. He calls each one of us to be workers of His Harvest – the harvest field is ripe. He does not need passengers, observers and advisors – he wants participants. “What do we get out of it for our involvement?” is not an attitude that we want to adopt. God the Father has given His beloved Son Jesus His authority (Matthew 28:18) and with this Jesus has commanded: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Let us, simple ordinary believers, respond to Jesus urgently as His disciples and as His Church with a clear “Send me Lord! Amen!”
