Archive for the ‘The Church’ Category
Called to preach the Kingdom
We looked last time at what the church actually is, a quick recap is given below:-
The local church or any church for that matter is a community of renewed believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching, teaching and worship, observe the Biblical sacraments of baptism and communion and are unified by the Spirit. The church is organised for holiness and to scatter in order to fulfil the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God’s glory and their joy.” Mark Driscoll
What is the purpose of the local church?
Ephesians chapter 3 verse 10 sums that question up; So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
The primary purpose of the local church is to display His glory in our community. All of God’s working through the ages has been to this end: To display His splendour in the church. God’s wisdom is displayed in the people whom He has called together. They demonstrate Him to the world by being mature sons and daughters in His likeness; Romans chapter 8 verse 19; For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God
The church is the demonstration of God’s wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This is the purpose of the people of God gathered together: To display His glory and wisdom to the heavenly places, the world and its powers, by demonstrating (as mature believers) and proclaiming not just in words but also in lifestyle and action the Kingdom of God: To show and give the world and its powers the opportunity to worship the Father.
The message of the church is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Matthew chapter 4 verse 23; And He (Jesus) went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the ‘gospel of the kingdom’ and healing every disease and every affliction among the people
Matthew chapter 9 verse 35; And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the ‘gospel of the kingdom’ and healing every disease and every affliction.
Matthew chapter 24 verse 14; And this ‘gospel of the kingdom’ will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Some churches proclaim the Gospel of Salvation but neglect the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Salvation proclaimed on its own produces spiritual infants but doesn’t facilitate their growth into mature sons and daughters. The Gospel of the Church proclaimed by some churches promotes their programmes and systems more than submission to God and His rule. The calling of the church is to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation in conjunction with the Gospel of the Kingdom of God: His reign and rule taught and encouraged to affect every aspect of life and all circumstances from the market place to the church. The Gospel of the Kingdom builds upon forgiveness, repentance and salvation with the message of submission and transformed lives.
The church is called to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom;
The church is not the Kingdom: but it is part of the Kingdom;
The Gospel of the Kingdom received into the hearts of people creates the church.
All Bible quotes taken from ESV