CHBC Connect for September 27, 2024
Three Purposes of CHBC:
3 Purposes of Ministry to Fulfill the Mission of the Church:
My articles in the last two newsletters have been to define the Piers and Pillars of CHBC. Sitting atop the foundations of the church, and the convictions of our local church, is the mission for which we exist. The ultimate purpose of all people, all churches, and all of creation is the glory of God. To fulfill the ultimate purpose, the church must function according to God’s design.
God has established the church in His wisdom. Ephesians 3:8-11 tells us,
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,”
For His wisdom to be seen, the church must do what it does according to His word. Many churches choose their ministries, plan their worship service, and craft their strategies to display how creative the pastor is, how innovative the leadership team can be, or how relevant the church is to the community’s felt needs.
These techniques might draw crowds, but they do not build churches. The argument is usually made that once we have drawn a crowd then we can begin doing the real work of evangelizing those in the crowd, discipling those who decide follow Jesus, and then getting them involved in helping us do more ministry to the crowd. The problem is that we do not see that pattern in Scripture.
The people of God in the Old Testament were called out from the other nations and were to be a blessing to the nations by their single-hearted devotion to God, His laws, and His ways. Jesus came to the world, but His distinctive nature was one of holiness in the world in which He ministered. The apostles were sent out to establish churches, outposts of God’s Kingdom, among the world, not centers of entertainment to the culture.
Christian, we are not called to avoid the culture, but we are also not called to attempt the entertain the culture into thinking Jesus is cool. We are called to employ the method of God and the strategy of Jesus. We are called to be holy as He is holy, and to bless our friends, family, and community by being committed to God, His Word, His will, and His commands. We know, Biblically, that the world is best when it is influenced by godliness, not when godliness gives way to cultural norms.
God established the means of worship, disciple-making, and evangelism as the strategy of the church. The people of God gathered to worship, connected in community for making disciples, and sent into the world to share the good news of Christ, are the three purposes of ministry to fulfill the mission of God. CHBC states those purposes as existing to Equip Believers, Exalt Christ, and Extend the Gospel.
This is why we make this our mission. We are attempting to be obedient to Christ’s commands, to work within the framework of God’s wisdom, and to love our neighbor as ourselves by following God’s design for the church, rather than a method of marketing strategy. We are joining God in building a church, not drawing a crowd.
By His Grace and For His Glory,
Pastor Mark
