This shift is easy to talk about, but hard to implement. Christians are not to witness in arrogance and rudeness, not in holier-than-thou smugness, not in sanctimonious presumption, and certainly not against the continual background of ugly church fights and harshness and sharpness between Christian and Christian. Christian maturity is found in continually making more and more use of these means for our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. But before we consider this more closely, we must see how the apostle describes himself in presenting this whole matter: He calls himself "a prisoner for the Lord," or a prisoner of the Lord. The passage clearly states “one another” [plural]. This has a direct bearing upon the issue Paul is discussing in this passage, the purpose of the church. Cities are like people. Why can’t they meet at a hip coffee shop, learn about Jesus together, and call it a day? Making disciples. When you put these three tasks together, the reason why the church exists is simple: To preach the gospel, bring people into the family, and grow them to maturity in Christ. For some, they are lost and searching for answers. Lewis says “The church exists for nothing else but to draw men to Christ, to make them little Christs. Paul says his ministry is, to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things: that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. How to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! But that is because we are so superficial. 2. That is the calling of the church. Behind Caesar is Christ. If a retail store has a bottom line (selling their merchandise) and they don’t hit their goals, they will go out of business. That is where you see the glory of God, in the face of Christ, in his character, in his being. Church members frequently understand themselves to be the raison d'êtrefor which their congregations exist: “Our church is here to meet our needs.” But, as they move toward a missional stance, many congregational leaders today seek a shift from providing for members to empowering members. Remember that this letter to the Ephesians was written from the city of Rome where Paul was awaiting trial before the emperor on charges of inciting riots, with the implication even of treason against the emperor himself. Our Father, we pray that these words may ring in our ears these days when so much is being said to the contrary. This confusion leads to frustration for leaders, it causes people to wonder if the church is worth the time and effort, and ultimately, it keeps the church from being all she could be. What is this gift that God has given us, and how does it impact our lives? Part 1 of 5. Follow the divine strategy, not the obvious shallow counsel of men. Take your direction from the head of the church. Greg Laurie also mentions that the church exists to glorify God, edify the saints, and evangelize. We may not be entirely correct. by Church Fuel Admin | Jul 3, 2017 | Church Growth | 0 comments. All authority in heaven and Earth has been given to me, go therefore and make disciples of all Nations and baptize them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to … That’s why it’s important for people to be a part of a local church body. (2 Corinthians 4:4 RSV). This is a revolutionary age. Pastor Greg VanderMeer (Lead Pastor, Fair Haven Church) wrote about the answer to why the church exists in a weekly email to the church he leads back in March 2014… C.S. Lord, we pray that we may keep life in perspective and hold truth in focus and be faithful to thee who has called us to be thy representatives, the manifestation of thy life in this world. (Acts 1:8 RSV). The expression of the church's witness may sometimes be corporate, but the responsibility to do so is always individual. Here are a few reasons: Some exist as social clubs. So, what does that mean? We who first hoped in Christ, we Christians, have been destined and appointed (here is our calling) to live for the praise of his glory. Evaluate the friendliness of your church. What are Christians to do in this hour? We often presume it is for us, the worshippers. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. We are now primarily concerned with the first verse, which constitutes a highly significant exhortation to Christians. Another thing we often see is when churches unnecessarily compete with the community. “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. Now this polarity of view as to what the church should be, and how it should work, is a perfect example of the ability of the devil to drive people to extremes and thus weaken the faith of many and cast a cloud of obscurity over the truth. The word of the Lord is, "Bless those that persecute you, do good to those who hate you, overcome evil with good." 1:11-12. We are not left in doubt as to what that calling is. Why should I tell someone to get off their butt, pick up their caramel-flavored latte, and get inside of a church building? We are told that the church should be speaking to all the issues of life today and should be concerned about problems of metropolitan government, mass transportation, suburban segregation, equal representation in legislatures, and other problems that confront our modern world. We know you care deeply about leading a healthy growing church because it means leading more people to Jesus. He does this so that it will produce even more fruit. Where we will spur each other on toward love and good deeds? But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon… It does not say “let us consider how we may spur our [singular] friend on toward love and good deeds”. Injustice prevails and misery exists everywhere you turn. There he lived in a home, chained to a Roman guard day and night. And the first American turned to the other and said, "The bet's off! Look at Ephesians 6, Verses 5-7: Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ; not in the way of eyeservice, and men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to men, (Ephesians 6:5-7 RSV). If anything the opposite is given to us. Let me quickly run through these first three chapters and point out some of these statements. Why does it exist in the world? 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