2. The New Testament Church

3.  The purpose of “the church” is, sadly, misunder- stood by the vast majority of “Christendom.”  Man has perverted “the church” to an extent that what is called “the church” in today’s society isn’t even a 42 nd cousin to “the church” in the New Testament.  The majority view of the purpose of “the church” is heavily influenced by the teachings of denomina- tionalism and liberal churches of Christ. 3

4.  God planned it “before the foundation of the world”: Eph. 1:4; 3:3-5, 9  Mystery because not fully revealed; not because its an unsolvable puzzle.  Recall the ekklesia: 2 Thess. 1:14; 1 Pet. 2:9; Acts 20:28  The church is at the center of the scarlet thread of redemption from Genesis to Revelation: Gen. 3:15; 12:2-3; Gal. 3:19; 3:23; 4:4-5; Eph. 3:1-11 4 Purpose of the Church

5.  Recall universal church vs. local church: Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 1:2  When talking about the purpose of the church it is critical to maintain this proper distinction.  Recall being in “the church” and being “in Christ” are synonymous: Eph. 1:22-23 5 Purpose of the Church

6.  Salvation: 2 Tim. 2:10; Acts 2:38, 41, 47; 2:21; 1 Thess. 5:9; 1 Pet. 2:10  Reconciliation: Col. 1:21-22; Eph. 2:16; 2 Cor. 5:19  Redemption: Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 1:30; Matt. 20:28  Spiritual Life: Eph. 2:1, 5; Rom. 6:3-4  Sanctification: Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1 6 Purpose of the Church

7.  Holiness: Col. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:4  Adoption: Eph. 1:5-6  Inheritance: Eph. 1:11; Acts 26:18; Rom. 8:17; 1 Pet. 1:4-5  Citizen of Heaven: Phil. 3:20; Heb. 12:22-23; Eph. 2:6-7; Rev. 21:27  God’s Wisdom and Glory: Eph. 3:10, 21  All Spiritual Blessings: Eph. 1:3 7 Purpose of the Church

8.  One common theme: all of these purposes are spiritual and not physical: Eph. 1:3  Church not designed to solve social, economic, or political problems.  Church not designed to serve the carnal needs of man (e.g., food, clothing, shelter, compan- ionship, social interaction, secular education, recreation, entertainment, etc.). 8 Purpose of the Church Next week: Purpose of the local church.

9. 9 “The local church is an independent functional entity. An ‘entity’ is a single person or thing, or a collected group of persons or things, considered as having distinctness in itself. ‘Functional’ suggests the capability of action, operations, or work. The church of Christ when viewed in the universal sense as comprising all saved persons is an entity but it is not a functional entity because the persons who compose it are not commissioned to come together to act or work collectively. It, therefore, has no capacity for collective action.

10. 10 A church in a particular locality is both an ‘entity’ and ‘functional.’ Each local church has both the commission and capacity to function collectively. Each local church is ‘independent’ of all others; i.e., it is autonomous and thus not subject to any other for the authorization, support, oversight, or performance of its function(s).” (Caldwell, pp. 63-64)

11. 11 “The Lord provided local churches for the purpose of accomplishing the collective activities of worship, teaching, edifying, and caring for one another. The ekklesia at Corinth gathered together to exercise discipline (1 Cor. 5:4-5), take the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:17-23), and edify one another in worship (1 Cor. 14:23-40). The ekklesia at Philippi ‘had fellowship’ with Paul and ‘sent once and again’ to his need (Phil. 4:15-16). Other churches sent wages to Paul (2 Cor. 11:8). The Lord provided local churches for the purpose of bringing Christians together to be edified so that they can accomplish God’s work (Eph. 4:12).” (Caldwell, p. 64)

12.  Evangelism: 1 Thessalonians 1:8  Begins with understanding man’s nature and needs: Jas. 2:26; Gen. 1:26; Matt. 10:28; 4:4; Rom. 3:23; 6:23; 3:10; Matt. 1:21; Lk. 19:10; 1 Tim. 1:15  Church is but an extension of the Lord’s own mission: Mk. 16:15-16; Matt. 28:19-20; 28:18; Jn. 16:13  The essences of the gospel: 1 Cor. 15:1-4  Note nothing about social, political, economic, entertainment, or recreational issues. 12 Purpose of the Church

13.  Evangelism: 1 st century church fully grasped this aspect of the church’s purpose/mission.  In the “beginning”: Acts 2 (esp. v. 38 and v. 21)  Behavior of the apostles: Acts 6:1-4  Behavior of the scattered disciples: Acts 8:1-4  Missionaries to Antioch: Acts 8:11; 11:20  Antioch sent out preachers: Acts 13  Churches supported Paul: Phil. 4:15-16; 2 Cor. 11:8  “the pillar and ground of the truth”: 1 Tim. 3:15 13 Purpose of the Church

14.  Edification: Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Pet. 3:17-18  To build up: Eph. 4:15-16; 4:11-12  Apostles laid foundation of truth: Jn. 16:13; Eph. 2:20-22; 3:1-5; Matt. 4:21  Saints do the “work of service”: Matt. 20:26-28;  Church builds itself “up…in love”: Eph. 4:12, 16  Local church must have a teaching program! Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 10:5  Edification is why we assemble: Heb. 10:24, 25  “the pillar and ground of the truth”: 1 Tim. 3:15 14 Purpose of the Church Teaching program: 1) Devoted to the Scriptures (1 Pet. 4:11; Jn. 6:68; 12:48), 2) Teach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), 3) Jealously guards against false teaching (1 Jn. 4:1), 4) Equip saints to battle Satan (1 Pet. 5:8), 5) Help saints become a “perfect man” (Eph. 4:13).

15.  Benelovence: from the “beginning” the church took care of the physical needs of fellow saints.  Just after Pentecost: Acts 4:34-35  Famine about a decade after Pentecost: Acts 11:27-30  Later the needy saints in Jerusalem: 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Rom. 15:25-26  No “general” benevolence by the church; but true for individual Christians: Jas. 1:27; Matt. 25:31-46  Big difference between individual Christians and the local church: 1 Tim. 5:8, 16 15 Purpose of the Church

16.  The New Testament is the only source for the purpose and mission of “the church”: Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11  Did not sponsor social events, banquets, entertain- ment, recreation, secular education, attempt to alleviate world poverty, advocate politics, run a business, etc.  Gave themselves fully and completely to evangelism, edification and benevolence to “needy saints.”  This divine strategy took the gospel to “all the world” (Col. 1:6) in ~30 years and forever changed the world! 16