IV The Purpose of the Church. [Notes from Willmington]
A. Its purpose considered from a negative view point.
1. The Purpose of the church is not to save the world.
The leaven of Matthew 13 :33 is certainly not a picture of the gospel permeating and purify society thus turning it into the golden age of the millenium. To the contrary, the World Events will sour and become much worse before they get better.
Mat 13:33 Another parable He spoke to them. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "is like yeast which a woman takes and buries in a bushel of flour, for it to work there till the whole mass has risen."
A Popular Commentary on the New Testament.
A Popular Commentary on the New Testament.
Leaven. (yeast) In those days a piece of the leavened loaf was put amongst the new dough to cause fermentation. This illustrates the power of pervading and assimilating foreign substances. The figure is generally applied to evil influences, but here probably to gracious ones, see below.
A woman. There may be no significance in this part of the figure, though some find in it a reference to the Church.
Took and hid. Two important points: ‘took, ’ from without; ‘and hid,’ i.e., put it where it seemed lost in the larger mass.
Three measures of meal, probably the usual amount taken for one baking, an ephah (comp. Gen_18:6; Jdg_6:19; 1Sa_1:24). A large mass is to be pervaded and assimilated by the small piece of leaven. ‘Three’ is not necessarily significant, though referred by some to ‘body, soul, and spirit,’ by others to the three sons of Noah; the first not applicable historically, the second far-fetched.
Till it was all leavened. The length of time not indicated; the transformation of the whole mass is the one fact stated. This influence triumphs. ‘Leaven. ‘therefore does not represent evil here, as is usually the case. The parables indeed affirm a development of evil side by side with that of the kingdom, but the kingdom itself ‘is like leaven.’ Leaven is used in a good sense (Lev_23:17); in household economy it has a wholesome influence. The parable indicates that the influence is internal and noiseless, not dependent upon external organization so much as upon quiet personal agency and example, since the leaven transforms the dough lying next, until it is ‘all leavened.’ The last clause is not to be interpreted absolutely, since an evil development is set forth in the second and seventh parables, and hinted at in the third.
Compare these Verses.
2Ti 3:1 But of this be assured: in the last days grievous times will set in.
2Ti 3:2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, profane. They will be disobedient to parents, thankless, irreligious,
2Ti 3:3 destitute of natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers. They will have no self-control, but will be brutal, opposed to goodness,
2Ti 3:4 treacherous, headstrong, self-important. They will love pleasure instead of loving God,
2Ti 3:5 and will keep up a make-believe of piety and yet live in defiance of its power. Turn away from people of this sort.
2Ti 3:6 Among them are included the men who make their way into private houses and carry off weak women as their prisoners--women who, weighed down by the burden of their sins, are led by ever-changing caprice,
2Ti 3:7 and are always learning something new, and yet are never able to arrive at real knowledge of the truth.
2Pe 3:1 This letter which I am now writing to you, dear friends, is my second letter. In both my letters I seek to revive in your honest minds the memory of certain things,
2Pe 3:2 so that you may recall the words spoken long ago by the holy Prophets, and the commandments of our Lord and Saviour given you through your Apostles.
2Pe 3:3 But, above all, remember that, in the last days, men will come who make a mock at everything--men governed only by their own passions,
2Pe 3:4 and, asking, "What has become of His promised Return? For from the time our forefathers fell asleep all things continue as they have been ever since the creation of the world."
2Pe 3:5 For they are wilfully blind to the fact that there were heavens which existed of old, and an earth, the latter arising out of water and extending continuously through water, by the command of God;
2. The Purpose of the Church is not to serve the world.
Nowhere in the New Testament is the church told to lobby for stronger Anti-pollution Laws, or march for civil rights, or have political parties. That is not to say that individual Christians cannot be involved in social action.
3. The Purpose of the Church is not to attempt to rule the world, as it did in Europe’s Dark Ages.
4. The Purpose of the Church is not to fight the World.
All too often Bible-Believing Christians fall into this error. There are times when the church is to stand up against immorality and sin. But the church is not to expend all its energies fighting governments or alcoholism.
5. The Purpose of the Church is not to imitate the world or its methods.
It has been sadly observed that today the church is so worldly that you can’t tell the difference between the world and the church.
6. The Purpose of the Church is not to isolate itself from the world.
The Opposite error from imitation is isolation. This reminds us of ‘monasticism’. They thought that they could escape the perversions of the world by removing themselves from the people of the world. But the job of the church is not to spend its life in silent contemplation. They forgot that they brought the ‘world’ into the monastery.
B. The Purpose of the Church from a Positive point of view.
1. To Glorify God.
“Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God and fully to enjoy Him forever.” Larger Catechism, Q.1. This is no more true for the individual than it is for the church as a whole. The Scriptures make this clear.
Rom 15:6 so that with oneness both of heart and voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:9 and that the Gentiles also have glorified God in acknowledgement of His mercy. So it is written, "FOR THIS REASON I WILL PRAISE THEE AMONG THE GENTILES, AND SING PSALMS IN HONOUR OF THY NAME."
Rom 15:10 And again the Psalmist says, "BE GLAD, YE GENTILES, IN COMPANY WITH HIS PEOPLE."
Eph 1:5 For He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ--such being His gracious will and pleasure--
Eph 1:6 to the praise of the splendour of His grace with which He has enriched us in the beloved One.
Eph 1:12 so that we should be devoted to the extolling of His glorious attributes--we who were the first to fix our hopes on Christ.
Eph 1:13 And in Him you Gentiles also, after listening to the Message of the truth, the Good News of your salvation--having believed in Him--were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit;
Eph 1:14 that Spirit being a pledge and foretaste of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption--the inheritance which He has purchased to be specially His for the extolling of His glory.
Eph 3:20 Now to Him who, in exercise of His power that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts--
Eph 3:21 to Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, world without end! Amen.
We glorify God by worshipping Him. Joh 4:23 But a time is coming--nay, has already come--when the true worshippers will worship the Father with true spiritual worship; for indeed the Father desires such worshippers.
Joh 4:24 God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must bring Him true spiritual worship."
Hebrew and Greek thought : to prostrate, to render homage, to venerate, to hold in awe is the meaning of to worship.
Psa 50:23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and he who sets a way, I will show him the salvation of God.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.
So living a godly and fruitful Christian Life GLORIFIES God.
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;
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| The Church worshipping |
2. To edify or build up the Body of Christ.
Paul tells us that God gave the church, “apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. “for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine. Eph 4:11-14
This clearly means the instruction and discipling of true believers, so that they may recognise and stand against the heresies around them.
Col 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
Col 2:7 rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
1Co 14:26 Then how is it, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be for building up.
What does Edification mean?
- The act of edifying, or the state of being edified; a building up, especially in a moral or spiritual sense; moral, intellectual, or spiritual improvement; instruction.
- (archaic) A building or edifice.
- See more at: http://www.wordbypicture.com/definition/edification/#sthash.UDa6Ox0a.dpuf
3. To Purify itself.
Christ gave Himself for the church, “Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,
Eph 5:27 that He might present it to Himself as the glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
There is a purging that the Father performs.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
He Chastens or disciplines every one of us.
Heb 12:8 But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
Heb 12:10 For truly they chastened us for a few days according to their own pleasure, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now chastening for the present does not seem to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.
Heb 12:12 Because of this, straighten up the hands which hang down and the enfeebled knees.
There is a Purging that the Believer should perform.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
2Co 7:1 Then having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilements of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
The Early Church Practised Church Discipline.
We are not excused from this duty. The Deception of Ananias and Sapphira uncovered.
Act 5: 1-11 And great fear came on all the church and on as many as heard these things.
Mat 18:15 "If your brother acts wrongly towards you, go and point out his fault to him when only you and he are there. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not listen to you, go again, and ask one or two to go with you, that every word spoken may be attested by two or three witnesses.
Mat 18:17 If he refuses to hear them, appeal to the Church; and if he refuses to hear even the Church, regard him just as you regard a Gentile or a tax-gatherer.
1Co 5:6 It is no good thing--this which you make the ground of your boasting. Do you not know that a little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough?
1Co 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast so that you may be dough of a new kind; for in fact you *are* free from corruption. For our Passover Lamb has already been offered in sacrifice--even Christ.
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep our festival not with old yeast nor with the yeast of what is evil and mischievous, but with bread free from yeast--the bread of transparent sincerity and of truth.
Rom 16:17 But I beseech you, brethren, to keep a watch on those who are causing the divisions among you, and are leading others into sin, in defiance of the instruction which you have received; and habitually to shun them.
2Jn 1:10 If any one who comes to you does not bring this teaching, do not receive him under your roof nor bid him Farewell.
Divisions, Heresies and immoralities etc., are mentioned as causes for Discipline.
4. It is to evangelise the World.
Matthew 28:19-20
New International Version (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Note these essential steps:
1.Go : to move location; a definite move out to the nations. Travel is a must in evangelism whether across the ocean or across the street.
2. Make disciples.G3100 Strongs μαθητεύω mathēteuō math-ayt-yoo'-o
From G3101; intransitively to become a pupil; transitively to disciple, that is, enrol as scholar: - be disciple, instruct, teach.
3. the Scope : to all nations [every tribe, people and nation]
4. Baptizing them G907 βαπτίζω baptizō Thayer Definition:
1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)
2) to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe
3) to overwhelm
5.Teaching them to observe Christ’s Instructions. v20
John Gill: All ordinances, not only baptism, but the Lord's supper; all positive institutions, and moral duties; all obligations, both to God and men; all relative duties that respect the world, or one another, those that are without, and those that are within; and these are to be taught them, and therefore to be insisted on in the ministry of the word; and not merely in order that they may know them, and have the theory of them, but that the may put them into practice:
whatsoever I have commanded you; every thing that Christ has commanded, be it what it will, and nothing else; for Christ's ministers are not to teach for doctrines the commandments of men;
6. The Promise of His abiding presence. v.20b And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:15
New International Version (NIV)
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Go and Preach.
Letter from an Unsaved Friend
My friend, I stand in judgment now, and feel that you are to blame somehow. On earth I walked with you by day, and never did you show the way.
You knew the Savior in truth and glory, But never did you tell the story. My knowledge then was very dim. You could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together, here on earth, you never told me of the second birth. And now I stand before eternal hell because of heaven's glory you did not tell.
http://www.mk16-15evangelismteam.com/
to Preach the Gospel.
To PROCLAIM: G2784 κηρύσσω kērussō Thayer Definition:
1) to be a herald, to officiate as a herald
1a) to proclaim after the manner of a herald
1b) always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed
2) to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done
3) used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles and other Christian teachers
The Gospel The Good News of Jesus Christ.
Barnes: The gospel - The good news. The tidings of salvation. The assurance that the Messiah has come, and that sin may be forgiven and the soul saved.
To every creature - That is, to every human being. Man has no right to limit this offer to any class of men. God commands his servants to offer the salvation to “all men.” If they reject, it is at their peril. God is not to blame if they do not choose to be saved. His mercy is manifest; his grace is boundless in offering life to a creature so guilty as man.
Outreach In West Africa from Adventures with God in Outback Africa.
After teaching at the Bible Institute in Conakry we asked for an African assistant who would come and work with us in planting the church in Pita and surrounding districts. Rogers Yanguba was recommended by Pastor George Fontaine, the leader of the French AOG Mission. His mother was a Fula and his father Liberian. He spoke English having gone to school in Sierra Leone, Pular from his mother and French from the Bible School. He also had relatives in Pita as his mother’s family had originally come from outside of Pita at Bantinghel.
We were unaware that he had been abandoned as a child and really had reared himself. He had many gifts in music and preaching but emotionally he was a wounded person. We tried to help him but these wounds were very deep. He was so used to manipulating his way through life he was not really trustworthy. Pastor George Fontaine seemed hesitant when it was finally time for Rogers to come with us to Pita. He never told me why he felt like this. Over the years many problems have arisen because of his deep hurts. He was always looking for a rich white girl to marry who would be able to pay all his bills and have endless resources. We were always bailing him out of problems. Now he is married and these problems still exist.
The First Muslim Market Outreach
I took Rogers on my first open-air market outreach to the sub prefecture of Donghol Touma about 80kms to the east of Pita. The road was rough and we finally arrived about 9:30am and set up our books and tracts on the back of the truck on a tarpaulin. We had been given thousands of Tracts in French from America called in English, “How to know God?” We started distributing these and soon the children and women were crowding around the back of the vehicle.
I said to Rogers,” You stand up on the back of the truck and translate me into Pular. I’ll preach in French. Let’s try it.” We had no amplification or sound system. We just shouted out the Gospel. Islam is such a religion of works. The Five Pillars of Islam are: Saying the Shahada or creed, five prayers a day, fasting for Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca once in a life time and giving alms. They are such a burden to the people as all religious rituals are.
I was proclaiming Salvation through faith in Christ alone. Justification before God by simply believing that Jesus died in our place. I did not mention Islam or attack their religion but preached the Good News to this gather crowd. I guess this was the first time that the Gospel had been proclaimed in this town, maybe ever.
While I was shouting out the Gospel two older Fulbhe women towards the back of the crowd started to shout out and jump up and down with excitement. The older Fulbhe women often have a plait of their hair on each side which protrudes from under their veils. These two were jumping up and down saying “Yes, this is what we need to hear, Yes! Yes!” in agreement to what I was shouting out. That day I saw the tremendous spiritual hunger there is in many Muslims. Their religion is such a bondage to them. I stopped the preaching and gave them a Gospel of Luke in Arabic-Script Pular and told them to get a younger person in the village to read it to them. I expect to see them in Glory. What a great encouragement this was to us. Roger started to write songs in Pular suitable to sing in the open-air outreaches with his guitar.
Preaching the Prodigal Son in a Jakanke Village
Over the next three and a half years we visited many markets far and wide selling Christian Literature, giving out tracts and preaching and singing the Gospel. God has marvellously arranged that up to forty Fulbhe villages come to a central market town to buy and sell and socialise once every week. Many of the sellers and taxis go from market to market. We attempted to go out to a different market every fortnight. Following the protocol of the country we always had an official letter stamped with the Prefet’s seal with a copy going to the Sous-Prefets in each district. We visited the Sous-Prefet’s office before heading for a market.
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| Open-Air Proclamation of the Gospel in Africa |
The YWAM teams come to Pita.
The Discipleship Training Schools [DTS] usually had two months instruction and Bible study, then they would go out for their practicum. The first team was a completely African team from the Conakry led by an Ivorian team leader, Clement. They would hold an outreach in the main street of Pita each evening where the national highway cuts through the town. With their African skits and public testimony they drew an immense crowd. They would even make a joke of their own African customs and mores with so called ‘witchcraft and potions’. They had the crowd enthralled. A happy laughing crowd was ready to hear the Gospel. They were short, clear and so well received.
The crowd grew to such a size that the huge trucks going through to Labe and beyond had to sound their horns and make the crowd part while they passed. God was truly at work in Pita. The Gospel is the Power of god unto salvation. The Message of the Cross is the power of God and the wisdom of God. There is no substitute for Gospel proclamation.
Latter we had outreach teams come from the YWAM Mercy Ship, the Anastasis, docked for five months in Conakry. These teams were great especially a young pastor’s daughter from Poland who walked around the busy Pita Market with her violin playing and flurescent paint on her face while collecting all the young people to come and hear her preach the Gospel with a puppet. She was amazingly gifted by God for outreach. Eventually she studied in South Africa. I trust the Lord uses her mightily.
The visit to Moto in the Prefecture of Gouahl.
We had never been to this district of Moto before. The market looked small and grotty. The stalls were in the bush alongside the main road. I looked for the Chief of the area and was directed to a huge tree with long overhanging branches. They gave me an African deck chair to sit on while I waited. A crowd soon gathered as it often did when we went to a completely new area. Then the chief and his councillors arrived and a large circle of chairs formed with many onlookers. They asked what we wanted. I explained our mission and desire to sell books and to publically sing and proclaim the Story of Isaa.
One of the onlookers was a bridge engineer who had been in Guinea Bissau and had heard the Good News there. He asked a leading question saying, “ Aren’t you the people who say that Jesus is the Son of God?” This is something that is vehemently denied in the Koran. Rogers said to me, “Baaba Kennet, you preach and I’ll interpret for you into Pular.” What an opportunity to present Jesus Christ to this ready-made crowd.
At the end of my preaching the Imam piped up and said. “That’s right. I agree with every word he has said.” I don’t know if he was just playing it safe or devious. Perhaps he did not know what Islam taught. Anyway the area chief said we could go and preach.
By this time we had a small PA system working off the truck battery which could reach about 500 people. So we went further up into the market and Rogers set up while I handed out some tracts. Then I said to my helpers, “Well.. I’ve done my stint, now it is your turn today.” They’d just started when the sound of an old Land Rover with huge BOSE loud speakers on the roof, came up the road completely drowning out our little PA set with wild rhythmic African Music. Santos Kofi, our Fula Christian brother from the local area, looked at me and said, “What will we do now?” I thought a bit and then ‘it popped into my heart, ‘ask them for a loan of their microphone’. They agreed that for a short while Rogers could preach the Gospel using their powerful BOSE speakers. He quickly presented the Gospel. We packed up and went on our way. As we were about to leave the Market the Lord gave me a clear Word for the Muslim bridge engineer who had asked the leading question when we were with the chief under the big tree. I told him,” If he allowed the Lord to take over his life then God would solve his problems and transform him”. I never visited Moto again.
The Purpose of the Church *****************************
7. To display God’s Grace.
Eph 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 3:6 that the nations should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partaker of His promise in Christ through the gospel.
Eph 3:9 and to bring to light what is the fellowship of the mystery which from eternity has been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ;
Eph 3:10 so that now to the rulers and powers in the heavenlies might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord;
8. To provide fellowship
Act 2:42 And they were continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship and in the breaking of the loaves, and in prayers.
fellowship G2842 κοινωνία koinōnia Thayer Definition:
1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse
1a) the share which one has in anything, participation
1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
1b1) the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
The word rendered “fellowship,” κοινωνία koinōnia, is often rendered “communion.” It properly denotes “having things in common, or participation, society, friendship.” It may apply to anything which may be possessed in common, or in which all may partake. Thus, all Christians have the same hope of heaven; the same joys; the same hatred of sin; the same enemies to contend with. Thus, they have the same subjects of conversation, of feeling, and of prayer; or they have communion in these things. And thus the early Christians had their property in common. The word here may apply to either or to all of these things to their conversation, their prayers, their dangers, or their property; and means that they were united to the apostles, and participated with them in whatever befell them. It may be added that the effect of a revival of religion is to unite Christians more and more, and to bring those who were before separated to union and love. Barnes Notes
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