WHY DO WE COME TO CHURCH?
WHAT
DID JESUS COME TO EARTH TO DO?
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Some would say to die for mankind’s sins,
and that is true in part. Jesus’ death was a means to an end.
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Jesus did many signs, wonders, and
miracles, but
these were only a means to an end.
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Jesus cast devils out, still only a means
to an end.
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Jesus raised the dead, a means to an end.
What
did Jesus come to do?
Luke 19:10- For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost.
We see that Jesus’ mission was to seek and to save the lost. While Jesus was on earth, His mission was to seek and to save the lost.
What do we, the Church,
come to do?
We
come to the Church’s building each service to sing emotional, moving songs;
Then we go back to our normal daily life.
We have our Sunday dinner and sit and rest, on the day of rest. We come to the Church’s building to hear a
thought provoking sermon. Many times we
leave the church building to go back to our old ways, not changed by the
message. We are moved by the music. We
are inspired by the sermon.
Is this the reason for coming to the Church’s
building?
What is the reason for coming to the Church’s
building?
Mark 16:15- And he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
The commission of the
Church, the born-again believers, is the same as Jesus, that is to seek and to
save the lost. We tend to think that
this is the call of the Church, but what or who is the Church? The Church is not a building we come to worship
in, but where the “Church” comes together to worship and be equipped for
ministry. The building is not the Church
until the “Church” is in the building. The Church is made up of individual born
again believers. The commission to go into all the world, was given to the born
again believers, who comprise the Church.
What is the message of the
Church to the world?
2 Corinthians 5:19-20- To wit,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. Now then we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
We are ambassadors for
Christ in the world. We are to bring the
message that Jesus Christ came into the world; to reconcile the lost back to
God. We are to seek and to save the lost for Christ! We are to tell the world that God has made a
way of salvation for them! This is the
mission of the born again church believer.
Why do we come to Church?
Ephesians 4:11-12 And he
(Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ: This is the five fold
ministry Jesus provided for the Church, the born again believers.
I am called to be the
pastor/teacher of the Church, the gathering of born again believers. Dawn and
my ministry is to equip you for ministry. When you are joined to a Church, you
are joined in covenant with them in your ministry. It is like the marriage
covenant. We have become one body, flesh of Jesus’ flesh and bone of His bones.
Ephesians 5:23- For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
The mission of the
pastor is to equip you for ministry! You
are the ministers of this Church! I am
the pastor, you are the ministers. Each
one supplies their part in the body of the universal and local Church. Each of
us has the ministry of seeking and saving the lost. Pastors equip you to seek and to save the
lost.
Ephesians 4:16- From whom the whole body (you, the believers)
fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
How does this work?
Let’s
see what the early Church of born-again believers did.
Acts 8:1-4 And
Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great
persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem; and they were all
scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the
apostles. And devout men carried Stephen
to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church,
entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to
prison. Therefore, they that were
scattered abroad, and went everywhere preaching the word.
The gathering place of
the Church of born-again believers was in Jerusalem. The Apostles remained in
the city. Their ministry was to equip the saints for their ministry. What did
the Church of born-again believers do? They were scattered abroad and preached
the word. How many lost people did you lead to Jesus this year? How many lost
did you bring to the gathering place of the born-again believers? How well did
you do this year? You are a minister sent out of this body of believers to seek
the lost and bring them to salvation. Do not be condemned, but convicted by the
Spirit if you are not fulfilling your ministry. You are a minister sent out by
this group of believers, to seek and to save the lost!
Let us determine to minister to the lost!
May God bless you in your ministry!
May many be saved under your ministry!
You are the Church of Jesus Christ on earth!
You are Jesus’ ambassadors on earth!
What are you doing for Jesus?
Be fruitful and multiply!
Philippians 3:14- I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Have a GOD-day!
Pastor Ron,
Longview Foursquare
Church
