BIBLICAL CHURCH GOALS

INTRODUCTION

Introduce Elder Mike Yates and his wife Cindy.

The NT is full of instructions and how-to’s when it comes to church. The structure, order and even how to settle disputes can be found in the pages of the NT.

There is also at least 2 places that scripture describes goals that a church can strive for and I believe, can reach!

Do you believe that the Bible is the word of God? Say it to your neighbor.

Do you believe that it is perfect and without error? Say it to your neighbor?

Do you believe the Bible would say that something is possible but is actually not? Say it to your neighbor.

I believe that when the word of God says that something it possible that it is an achievable goal! There are 2 places that I have found in God’s Word that do just that.

The first one, you are probably familiar with. The second one, I read last week and I don’t feel like I was able to get into enough. What is interesting is that one set seems to point towards outward goals and the other towards inward goals. You’ll see what I mean So, let’s take a look at two achievable, biblical goals that we can strive for!

Let’s start with the Inward goals. These are goals of depth in our lives.

INWARD CHURCH GOALS

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 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, 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. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 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.

There is so much in this passage! Its one of my favorites because it my job description in the Bible. As a Pastor, I am called to build up the saints for the work of ministry. To build up the body of Christ.

But check out these achievable, biblical goals for the body of Christ, which is the church. We talked about them briefly last week.

UNITY OF THE FAITH

These points that we should be unified around are described in Ephesians 4:4-7

Ephesians 4:4–7 ESV

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

That was can be unified around these core beliefs. These essentials. This is achievable!

UNITY IN KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

That we can grow together in knowledge about who God is! To know the heart of Christ. To know the depths of His love. To know the depths of His grace and mercy. That we can not just grow in head knowledge but is experiential knowledge. That we can have first hand knowledge of who He is because we experienced it together.

Do you think this is achievable if we are sharing life together?

TO MATURITY, THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST

I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t fully grasp the phrase fulness of Christ. I started down that path some yesterday and honestly, I should have devoted more time to it. Twice in the book of Ephesians, Paul writes that we can be filled with the fullness of God.

Can I be honest with you? Though I may not be able to fully understand it, (lean in) I really, really want it.

I may not be able to full grasp the phrase but I can grasp the fact that it has to do with maturity is Christ. Can we just say it, there are ways that mature Christians act, and there are ways that immature Christians act? I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings but the word describes the difference right here.

An immature Christian, is like a child that is tossed back and forth by this doctrine or that scheme. An immature Christian is one that is deceived by those that would rather change doctrine to culture as opposed to change culture to doctrine. There are any number of false teachers out there talking about different gospels or adding things to gospel. Many are being deceived and led astray from the truth in God’s word right now.

But a mature Christian is built up and attains unity in the faith and in true knowledge of who God is. A mature Christian can stand firm on the principle found in the Word of God.

A mature Christian speaks truth in love. Don’t we normally leave one of those things out? We speak truth without love or we love without speaking truth? Maturity can give your self-control to speak truth in love.

A mature Christian is growing up continuously to conform into the image of the head, Christ. We pursue Christ-likeness with all that we have.

When we strive for these goals, we can become a body that comes together Ephesians 4:16

Ephesians 4:16 ESV

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.

This is also, an achievable, biblical set of inward goals. Internally, but also in unity with the body, we CAN accomplish these goals! Look at somebody and say, “we can do this!”

But thank the Lord, once again there is a “how-to”.

Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

First of all, remember,

WE ARE ALL PRISONERS FOR THE LORD.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

We do not belong to ourselves anymore. We do not belong to this world anymore.

To be in Christ, is to be purchased and to die to self.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Therefore, we must

WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THAT CALLING.

You and I should walk through life remembering and honoring that agreement that we are not our own anymore! When we surrender to Christ as our Lord and Savior, we surrendered our lives to live for Him and die to self.

We are way to self-centered! We think that our walk with Christ should revolve around us and our needs, our desires.

But news-flash, IT DOESN’T! I’m sorry if the Bible is asking you and me to do things that doesn’t fit into our normal routines and schedules. But honestly, I’m not sorry!

Have you not heard the rewards promised today? Have you not heard that you have been called into a life dying to self? Have you not heard that you are not your own?

Its not about you! And its not about me.

We are prisoners to Christ, we willingly surrendered to Him.

Now, we should be walking in a manner that reflects that.

And how does that look?

Ephesians 4:2–3 ESV

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Haven’t we just been talking about these things?

Humility. I am a prisoner.

Gentleness. Speaking the truth in love.

Patience. Maturity doesn’t happen overnight. It is a life pursuing Christlikeness.

Unity of the Spirit will provide a bond of peace.

How do we do it? We walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

We can not do it by our own strength. In fact, we must die to our supposed strength. We must be in unity about being Spirit-fill and Spirit-led.

Look at your neighbor and say, I believe these things are achievable for you and for me.

OUTWARD CHURCH GOALS

Acts 2:42–47 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Look at the list of goals in this passage from the example of the original church.

AWE IN EVERY

Everything that was happening and everything that they felt and saw the Lord doing had them awe-struck down to their very souls

SIGNS AND WONDERS

The Lord through His people were doing amazing miracles and people were being healeR

TOGETHER AND ALL THINGS IN COMMON

They were unified and together. All things in common is not just talking about material things. It is talking about sharing burdens and trials.

THEY SHARED ALL THAT THEY HAD

Needs were fulfilled. Help was given.

THEY HAD FAVOR WITH ALL PEOPLE

All people, even those who weren’t apart of their group found them favorable. They were liked. They saw the fruit of the Spirit, they saw their love for each other, they saw how to took care of each other and people liked them. They found favor with them.

THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAILY

We are not called to be a group or church that strives on or pursues high numbers. The Lord added people to them daily and they were joining them in what they were already doing. They bought into the mission and the how-to. They jumped into way the Lord was moving in their mist.

These are desirable and I believe achievable goals for us as a church! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be apart of a group that fills them full of awe! Where the Lord is doing miraculous things! Where people are unified, together and having all things in common. Where people do not go in need because their needs are met. Where the Lord was giving them favor in the community and people where drawn to it like a moth to flame.

I would absolutely LOVE if the Lord permitted us to have that.

Once, again though, the Word of God gives instructions, how-to’s of how to do this.

So, how do we have this? How do WE accomplish these goals?

DEVOTE OURSELVES TO GOD’S WORD.

Devote means give all or a large part of one's time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause).

It means to be devoted to reading, studying, mediating and applying God’s Word to our lives, individually and together.

It means to give all or large parts of your time or resources to it. Can any of us say that we do this?

I am honestly guilty of spending more time reading books about the Bible than I spend time actually reading the Bible and trusting the Holy Spirit to guide and speak to me through it.

These goals can be accomplished if we had a re-ignition for the love of the Word of God. If you and I were to put God’s Word higher on our priority list.

THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO FELLOWSHIP.

The devoted themselves to spending time with each other. To eating together. To doing life together. To building deeper and meaningful relationships.

Again, they gave a large portion of the time to it! They had an open door policy. They were welcoming. They shared food and all that they had. They were willing to be put out for the good of others.

This goes directly against how culture is leading. There is a saying, fences are getting taller, while dining room tables are getting smaller. We are becoming closed off individuals.

I’m guilty of it! I think I’m more devoted to the fellowship of the rings than I am to the fellowship of the brethren! Can I get an amen?? Just me??

Some people are gifted in this but we should all be striving to be more like this. I literally last week talked about multiple different ways to do this. But remember, its an activity of connection. We can provide places to do this, but you are going to have to show up to feel connected.

THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO PRAYER.

They spent a large portion or all of their time in prayer. This echos the passages that talk about praying without ceasing.

Pray is essential to growing a community, its essential to reading God’s Word, its essential in knowing how far to go, its essential to the life of a church, its essential to the health of a church, its essential for the Lord to add to their numbers daily.

What would it be like if we were a people devoted to prayer?

I know that this is an area that I need to greatly grow in. I feel like every time I talk about prayer, or I hear someone talk about prayer, I am convicted to do it more. Not in a shameful, guilty way.

But in a way that I feel the Lord sweetly calling my name to spend more time talking with Him. Gently pulling my heart to the place were His peace rules. A place were grace and mercy abound. Calling me to my Savior, the lover of my soul.

O, that we could be a church devoted to prayer.

THEY WENT TO CHURCH TOGETHER AND PRAISED GOD.

It says it right there. You want these goals accomplished? Go to church and praise God with others. There is something powerful and unifying about standing next to your brothers and sister in Christ and honoring and praising God. There is power in the praising of His people. There is conviction in the praises of His people.

Brokenness can be healed in praise.

Burdens can be lifted in praise.

Selfishness can be sacrificed in praise.

The Lord can show up in the praise of His people.

Can we admit, that it is good for all of us to worship together?

So, in this message we find achievable, biblically goals, right?

I need us to understand that 3 people can’t do these things and these goals be accomplished!

If you have heard this entire message and have been thinking about how other people that need to heard it, then you have missed the point.

This is for all of us. This is what unity is about!

Look at you neighbor and say, I believe the these are achievable goals for MY life.

Say, I believe these are achievable goals for YOUR life.

So, let’s not just be hearer of the Word, Let’s be doers.

Amen means “let it be so” Will you say amen to that and mean it?

Let’s pray.