So, we're starting a short series looking at the mission of the church and the values of our church.
And I'm going to do some of them, David's going to do some of them as well.
And we're thinking tonight about what the church is for, right?
So, what does the church exist for?
And then in coming weeks we're sort of thinking about what should the church be like, okay?
So, what is the church for?
And then what should it be like?
So, that's the kind of vision and these are the kind of values, yeah?
So, what are we doing and how are we doing it?
In what kind of manner are we doing it?
So, to get your mind going, I want you, perhaps with the person next to you,
or you can do it on your own if you would like to, I want you to fill in the blank.
The church exists to...
Fill in the blank.
You can write whatever you like, except make me rich.
You're not allowed to write that.
Okay, anything you like.
Okay, does anyone want to fire back their answers?
The church exists to...
All I heard was...
Mike's got his hand up.
Yeah, that's the...
What is it, too, with both the people,
Yeah.
Okay.
So it's a demonstration of what God can do.
Yeah.
Yes.
Displaying his presence.
Yeah.
Anybody else?
Yes.
Yeah.
To glorify God.
Yeah.
How in particular does the church glorify God?
What is it about the church that glorifies God?
Spreads the word of God?
Yeah.
By building a community?
Yeah.
And it's like전
yeah
yes
yeah
yes
so glorifying is if you like
going public on the greatness
of isn't it
so if I'm glorifying God
I am declaring
his greatness
I am
yeah
going public on what God is like
yeah
anybody else
yeah
discipling
baptizing
reaching unbelievers
with the gospel
yeah
um
I don't
I don't think I've heard
a wrong answer yet
right
so I'm
I think that's all great
I think I
to try and
bring some clarity
to our thinking
I want to talk about
a primary goal
a primary means
and two twin aims
okay
and
your handout really
is the Bible verses
so that you don't have to spend
ages flicking through the Bible
and there are some questions
that we're going to discuss together as well
so let me try and head through this
a primary goal
I think
that it might sound a bit obvious
and Mike said it
and Ray also picked it up
that the church exists
for the glory of God
in the way that everything
exists for the glory of God
everything points to the glory of God
but
the church exists
to worship God
right
to ascribe worth
to God
to declare his
greatness
and his glory
and we need to start there
I think
because
this if you like
is the goal
to which all other things
become subordinate
glorifying God
making God look great
ascribing worth to him
is the reason
for the existence
of the church
that the Westminster Confession says
what is the chief end of man
man exists
to glorify God
and enjoy him forever
and that's
essentially trying to
summarize passages
like Romans 11
which is there
in front of you
Romans 11
is that
great hymn
that Paul comes to
at the end of his
kind of overview
of the gospel
and then he
he summarizes it
by saying this
oh the depth
of the riches
of the wisdom
and knowledge of God
how unsearchable
his judgments
and his paths
beyond tracing out
who has known
the mind of the Lord
or who has been
his counselor
who has ever given
to God
that God should repay him
for from him
and through him
and for him
are all things
to him be the glory
forever
everything comes
from him
is existing
through him
and for him
and the church
is part of that
isn't it
there to bring
glory to God
but if that's true
of all things
in general
it is true
even more
specifically
for the church
not just the church
in general
but for a local church
Ephesians 3
verse 7
down to verse 11
says this
Paul writes
I became a servant
of this gospel
by the gift
of God's grace
given me
through the working
of his power
although I am less
than the least
of all the Lord's people
this grace was given
to me
to preach to the Gentiles
the boundless riches
of Christ
and to make plain
to everyone
the administration
of this mystery
which for ages past
was kept hidden
in God
who created all things
this is his
mission
to declare the gospel
around the nations
to reveal
what had been
kept hidden
which has now
been made plain
in the Lord Jesus Christ
his intent
verse 10
was that now
through the church
the manifold wisdom
of God
should be made
known to the rulers
and authorities
in the heavenly realms
!
According to his
eternal purpose
that he accomplished
in Christ Jesus
our Lord
this is the purpose
of God in the church
yeah
that his intent
was that through
the church
the manifold wisdom
of God
should be made known
to the rulers
and authorities
in the heavenly realms
there is a kind of
declaration
of the glory
and majesty
and worthiness
of God
in the existence
of the church
specifically it seems
the existence
of the church
made up of people
from all nations
which declares
God's greatness
his manifold wisdom
in other words
if you were to
go for a walk
in the countryside
and to see a kind
of view
of a great mountain
you would like
think wow
I wonder
who made that
God made that
he must be
amazing
and glorious
look what a great
painter he is
what a great
craftsman he is
in making that
you are also then
in a more profound
way to look
at a community
of believers
and say
what kind of God
has pulled
them together
and rescued them
that God
is a worthy
God
a God of glory
a God we should
praise
I think there's
another way
to prove this
too
it's because
the eternal
purpose of the church
long after we have
finished discipling
and evangelizing
people
the eternal
purpose of the church
is that we would
go on
worshipping
and declaring
God's glory
and greatness
Revelation 5
that picture
of John's
vision of heaven
he says
worthy is the
lamb who was
slain
this is the song
of heaven
worthy is the
lamb who was
slain to receive
power and wealth
and wisdom
and strength
and honour
and glory
and praise
then I heard
every creature
in heaven
and on earth
and under the
earth
and on the
sea
and all that
is in them
saying to him
who sits on the
throne
and to the
lamb be praise
and honour
and glory
and power
forever and
ever
and the four
living creatures
said amen
and the elders
fell down
and worshipped
the song
will
sorry the church
will be eternally
singing of the
glory
and greatness
and majesty
of God
we will be
singing of his
great worth
come and sit over
here Anthony
so I want you to
with the person
next to you
now have a think
what difference
does it make
starting with the
glory of God
and not the aims
of evangelism
and discipleship
how would you
expect church
to feel different
if it was aiming
at worship
first
and not just
at evangelism
and discipleship
okay
have a think about
that with the
person next to
you for a moment
okay what
difference do we
think it would
make starting
with worship
and glory
and not evangelism
and discipleship
what difference
do you think
that might make
what were you
all talking
about then
okay
mm-hmm
yeah
so
yep
yeah
so
I am not
just talking
about singing
no
so we're
talking about
yeah
glorifying God
in general
worship
yeah
so I
we're going to
talk about
the gatherings
of the church
in a moment
but yes
yeah
it's
it
Yeah, yeah.
yeah yeah yeah I think I think that's really helpful so I think if we starting with worship
in God's glory so saying that the church exists to worship God to bring God glory to ascribe worth
honor to him means that it's not primarily starting with us it means that church is about
the Lord and not about us it's about what he's doing and not about what we're doing the danger
is that if if church is about firstly about evangelism there are things that you might be
tempted to do to cut corners to make church feel slightly more effective and and that would
obviously be a wrong thing to do yeah go on yeah okay
yeah
yeah yeah so faithfulness just becomes much higher up the agenda doesn't it yeah yeah
okay so that's our primary goal our primary means then um there are obviously many ways to glorify
God many things that we could do and should do and will do that will make God look great but there is
one thing which a church does which is the primary means of bringing God glory a primary tool I think
also for these twin aims of evangelism and discipleship and that is the church gathers right the church
gathers together for worship now I'm sure you don't need me to prove this to you but I'm going to do it
anyway so let's try and work through this together and there should be some scriptures on your handout as
well the point is that you could be an adequate church without lots of things right so you could be
a healthy church that doesn't have a youth work or a toddler group or doesn't have a load of musicians
who are able to play on a on a sunday or doesn't serve really nice coffee after the service or whatever
you could be an adequate church with any of those things those things might be good things to do
but they're not essential things if you don't gather you're not a church right so church by definition
is a gathering right it's a gathering together of God's people if we don't do that then we're not a
church we can be even more specific can't we if we don't gather to worship to celebrate the Lord's
Supper and to practice baptism we're not a church because those things have been given to the church by
the Lord Jesus for the means of his glory in a way it's just sort of assumed this in the New
Testament word ecclesia which is translated church just literally means gathering I think it's used
even of the rioters in Ephesus in the book of Acts who are a gathering of rioters so church essentially
means meeting together gathering together for the purpose of worship it's what's happening all the way
through the book of Acts and it probably the simplest place to show it is there in Hebrews 10 which is
there on your handout in verse 19 therefore brothers and sisters since we have confidence to enter the
most holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way open for us through the curtain that is his
body and since we have a great high priest over the house of God let us draw near to God with a sincere
heart and with full assurance that faith brings having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty
conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water let us hold unswervingly to the hope we
profess for he who promised is faithful and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but encouraging one
another and all the more as you see the day approaching you get the sense don't you that the the church has
experienced salvation for the purpose of gathering for worship is why it's full of old testament language
and verse 25 is pretty clear that this meeting together is good for us as well as glorifying for
God so the church has a primary means of bringing God's glory which is gathering together for corporate
worship worship which involves singing praise it involves reading God's word it involves the preaching of
God's word it involves praying it involves practicing baptism and lord supper together
why do you think then and this is the next question just to discuss with the person next
you why do you think the new testament places such a high value on the church meeting together
for the purpose of corporate worship why do you think that's so important in the new testament
because it's probably fair to say that most christians don't think that gathering together is
quite as important as hebrews 10 25 might suggest that it is certainly the people who are the first
readers of hebrews are not thinking that it's as important as it really is which is why
verse 25 is written to them don't give it up as some as in the habit of doing so why do you think it does
have a talk with the person next to you and we'll come back together
okay what are our thoughts why do you think the new testament places such a high value on the church
meeting together for corporate worship
okay
yes yeah yeah thank you but encouraging one other and all the more as you see the day approaching yeah
yeah it anticipates it's going to be hard to keep going and you will need encouragement of meeting with other believers
yes
that's really helpful did you hear that so the the church meeting together with
a a diverse group of people enables us to be way more balanced as christians because we're hearing from one
another
yes yes yeah that's really helpful thanks mike yeah anything else
yes
yes yes so it enables you to benefit from the gifts of others doesn't it yeah that you don't
have yourself yeah that's really helpful i think i'd want to add that there's there's a movement
in the bible isn't there that we are in one sense genesis one and two the garden of eden is like a
kind of mini temple in the in the presence of god and they are they are living and enjoying the
presence of god and they are excluded from it so they've they've entered into god's rest on the
seventh day and are with him in his place yeah worshiping him living their lives in front of him
for his glory enjoying the benefits of his provision for them and then they are excluded from it and then
if you like in in the old testament temple worship they get a they get a sort of window back into what
it might be like to live in the presence of god in temple worship and now in the new testament in the
gathering of the local church here in hebrews using all this old testament language for for
being sprinkled with the with the blood of the lord jesus and being brought near to him and gathering
in his presence there's a sense in which that the the high value on the church meeting together is
because this is where it's going right this now is a taste of where we will be
you know this idea that we're going to be gathered together in the presence of god hearing from his word
delighting in what he has done reveling at the lord jesus christ meeting with one another that that's
that's our destiny and so on each kind of lord's day we gather at the beginning of the week to enjoy
the rest of being with the lord and with his people worshiping and ascribing worth to him as a
as a foretaste a glimpse of where we will be for all eternity and so that's why you know that's why
you can't you know you become a christian and you by definition become a member of a local church it
you know it it brings you into the people of god doesn't it because you're part of this gathering
that god is is is gathering people from the nations uh for that great and glorious day okay so
if it's if the goal of the local church is to bring god glory if if its primary means is this kind of
corporate gathering then there are two twin aims which um i know many of us started with
the the church uh is meant to disciple and uh evangelize so turn to matthew 28 it's there on
your sheet matthew 28 verse 18 and this is what we're to be doing to bring god glory
then jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me
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 and teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you
and surely i am with you always to the very end of the age so the church is to go about making
disciples isn't it specifically it seems going and making them and then baptizing them into the church
and teaching them obedience we put those two labels on it don't we evangelism and discipleship
now notice that's not a entirely separate activity to the gathering of the church it's not that the
church is meant to gather to worship god and also to evangelize and disciple it seems to me that the
gathering of the local church is the means that the lord gives us to evangelize and to build us up in
discipleship new testament is clear isn't it that the church should expect unbelievers to be present
with them when they gather and they should explain what they're doing accordingly new testament church
is told more than that it's the display of the love and unity of the church which is one of the most
powerful evidences for the work of god amongst them it's our most powerful apologetic if you like
is god real does he really save people yeah come and see come and see what the local church is like
the new testament is also very clear that you can't disciple believers without the gathering of the local church
but still these activities of evangelism and discipleship are so central to our mission that we're doing them in lots
of other ways too so look at these verses with me at the central command in the section is to make disciples
it's not to go the go is passive but the the emphasis is on making and not going but of course the going is
important you have to leave your house and leave the gatherings of the church to meet people
and reach out to them with the gospel making disciples includes fishing for men as jesus talked about
interestingly in the new testament this going seems to consist of going and starting other churches in
other localities that don't have one so that they may own the mission to that local area and carry on
fishing for disciples at the mass of people in each place then that the making of disciples involves the
teaching obedience notice it's obedience in everything i have commanded so the church is to teach believers
how to obey jesus how to live for him in each and every area of their life and notice two key things
here firstly notice that the content of the teaching is the commands of jesus you know that this is similar
to what we're thinking about this morning that jesus word accomplishes his purpose this means it's not
the job of the church to run seminars or sermons on every single ethical question every church member might face
right you know that that's impossible it's it's an impossible task for any church leader to try and address
every single question that every individual is going to face instead we know that teaching the word of jesus
the commands of jesus is sufficient for all of us as following him that's 2 timothy 3 16 and 17 isn't it
which is on your at the back of your handout all scripture is god breathed and is useful for teaching
and we need teaching rebuking and we need rebuking correcting training in righteousness so that the
servant of god may be thoroughly equipped for every good work just read the verse backwards with me
there it there is no good work that you need to be thoroughly equipped for but the scriptures will not
equip you for so if your church is teaching you the scriptures they are discipling you for every
and any situation that you may face even if they don't address it directly the second thing to notice
is that teaching the commands of jesus is done in the strength of the spirit so he is with us always to
the end of the age jesus's ongoing presence with his church by the spirit makes the teaching of the word
jesus effective in the lives of the people who come so let me just try and put this together just as we
finish right the church exists to worship god to bring god glory and it does that as it gathers
and as it gathers it gathers to reach unbelievers with the gospel and teach and disciple believers
so with that in mind i've got you can pick one of these right talk about with the person next to you
a church in the neighborhood has stopped meeting together centrally because it thinks small groups
are more effective for evangelism and discipleship is that a good idea why why not a church decides
that it's more friendly to outsiders if they're going to stop praying together in their services
instead they have moments of silence for the believers in the room to pray in their hearts is
that a good idea why or why not knowing that people are reluctant to change a local church has not
really asked the question should we still do it like this about their corporate gatherings what are
the dangers for them maybe there are none maybe there are some you can pick one and go for it and
we'll just have a brief look at those and then we'll sing to close okay
i'm sorry to interrupt your conversations we're going to try and make sure that we finish by half past
say does anyone want to who did the first one did anyone do the first one mike and sammy you did the
first one what do you think
yeah
yeah so really either i think what you're saying i don't want to oversimplify it mike but i think
basically what you're saying is either these small groups should become churches themselves
and do all the things that local churches should do or they should keep gathering as a church as one
church yeah i did anyone else do the first one so anyone else want to chip in on that yes yes so
the group should be in addition to the group should be in addition to yeah
right
that shouldn't happen
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah
yes
that's a really good point the small group it might be a really difficult way for
people to find the church yeah
yeah
i think that the it's unlikely in a small group that you're going to be able to do all the functions of a church
net and say actually that means that you're essentially saying that something less than a gathering of
god's people is what we're going to do and i think that's unhelpful as no yeah
yeah okay go on
so what is the practical minimum
uh
to make for a natural church
yeah
what is the practical minimum
to make for a natural church
okay
yeah that's right 10 men for a synagogue
yeah
so i don't think it's that i think um
see i think it needs to be more than one person right so i i i think there's that i i think there needs to be something about leadership in the church so i think there's a um we're given the role of elders and deacons it seems in the new testament that unless a church has elders it's disordered and not really functioning properly you need to practice lord's supper you need to practice baptism there needs to be regular gatherings under the word of god um
um yeah
so i i think there might be there might be instances where lots of very small churches meeting together might be the most sensible way to do it particularly in situations of persecution um rather than one central gathering yeah
yes
yeah
you think of the house church movement in china and how that's been used by the lord yeah
okay okay what about number two
should we stop praying together to make ourselves more friendly to the outsiders
joe what did you say because i was in your group what did you say
what did you say do you think church should stop praying together to be more friendly
yes
you disagree with it i think
great
i think you're right joe yes church shouldn't stop praying
yeah
it's um
it is possible for churches to sacrifice
too much to try and be friendly to outsiders it seems in the new testament that actually as long as we're explaining what we're doing
in fact the sense that it's kind of mysterious to outsiders is part of
part of what it should be what about the third one
did anyone get that far or anyone start there
yeah it sounds pretty desperate yes
yeah
it seems like churches are specifically located in a time and a place doesn't it
and so we've got to think about the time and the place that we're located in
um obviously there are boundaries about what we are and aren't to do
but in inside of those boundaries we are to ask the question of where am i
and what time is it in order to decide what we do
great
thank you let me pray for us and our church and then we'll
stand and sing oh church arise as we close
father in heaven we thank you so much for your great and glorious plan of salvation
that gathers people like us together in local churches where you display your glory
in our diversity
how we thank you
that we see that here in our church and we praise you for it
and ask lord that you would help us to bring you great glory to worship you truly and faithfully
and that in doing that we would reach many more with the good news of the lord jesus and disciple
and train one another to live to your praise and glory in jesus name amen