What Is The Church?
The term church comes from the Greek word, ekklesia. Ekklesia in a literal sense means, “A called-out assembly.” The Church is made up of a body of believers in Jesus Christ. Lewis Sperry Chafer writes, “The deeper spiritual use of the word church refers to a company of saved people who are by their salvation called out from the world into living, organic union with Christ to form His mystical body over which He is the Head (Chafer, p. 127).” The church has nothing to do with what kind of building people meet in, however; it has everything to do with the assembly of people and Christ in whom they have placed their Faith (Romans 16:5).
Why does the Church exist?
As believers, we want to be a part of a church that seeks the glory of God and follows after His Word. A good church must be faithful to God`s Word. A good church is focused on Christ as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2), teaches Scripture faithfully, confronts sin and error, and eagerly awaits His return. There are three major functions or purposes of the church. The church is to bring glory to God, to train believers in understanding God`s Word, and to fulfill the Great Commission.
The Purpose Of The Church: Glorifying God
God`s has a primary purpose in history and that is to bring glory to Himself. (Eph. 1:6;12;14). He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and His majesty transcends anything that our finite minds could ever imagine. He alone is worthy of ALL praise, honor, and glory. The Church exists to bring glory to God by staying true to His Word. What could this practically look like? It could look like worshipping Him in song and speech, serving one another by acts of kindness, or standing up for what is true, etc.
Ephesians 3:21: “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
The Purpose Of The Church: Faithful In Teaching Scripture
Believers, hear this, do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together (Hebrews 10:25). Do not let anyone tell you that church is unimportant or that it is “not essential.” A good church is vital to a believer’s walk and growth in their relationship with the Lord. God communicates with us through His Word. The world system is full of unbiblical ideologies and worldviews that go against what God says is true and right (Ephesians 6:12). We combat those satanic views by knowing and using God`s Word correctly in the face of evil (Matthew 4:1-11). We go to church to be equipped to go out into the world, live according to God`s word, and tell others about who God is along the way (Psalm 119:105; John 17:17; Isaiah 40:8; Col. 3:16; 1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 6:17). Church is where believers grow, it`s where they have accountability, and it`s where they have fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Christ.
“To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:11-16
The Purpose Of The Church: Fulfilling The Great Commission
Jesus gave His followers a commandment in Matthew 28 to go unto all nations and make disciples. God`s desire is for people to know Him (Luke 19:10; 2 Peter 3:9)! He is our supreme authority, and He gave us the responsibility of sharing the Gospel with those who do not know Him. Christ is the Son of God and the head of the church. He has paid a great price for us, and we belong to Him. We should be faithful to follow Him and His command as we watch and wait for His return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
The Purpose Of The Church: Reaching The Nations
Here at Ethnos360, we desire for people from all over the world to know Jesus as their Savior. We want to see a thriving church for every people! Take time to prayerfully consider coming to Ethnos360 Bible Institute where you learn about God`s plan and see His heartbeat for the Nations. Request your free information packet today!
Sources:
https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-the-church.html
https://youtu.be/HblDVFgkrsw?si=0ptTirkLdgg3hZBk
Systematic Theology: Vol. VII Doctrinal Summarization by Lewis Sperry Chafer. P. 127.
