The Church: Her Purpose and Commission
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and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
The church age is considered a mystery- musterion - a secret that was hidden in the OT.
But in the fullness of time God decided to reveal these things to humanity.
The fact that non- Jewish people would be partakers of Christ, and have an inheritance. Was a mystery.
This mystery was hidden in God.
The reason why God has hidden these things is because the incapacity of the receiver to understand.
God does hide things from His children. and from the world.
Even Jesus He spoke in parables because the lack of capacity of the hearer. He buried the message.
to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
manifold- meaning many sided/ abounding in variety. wisdom of God.
“manifold” (polypoikilos) referred to the beauty of an embroidered pattern or the variety of colors in flowers
This mystery reveals the manifold wisdom of God.
The church reveals the many sided wisdom of God
And who is His many sided wisdom being revealed to. The angels.
. These “rulers and authorities” refer to both good and evil angels.
We learned in 1:3 that we are blessed in the heavenly realms and in 1:21 that Christ ascended “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given.” We are “seated” in the heavenly realms (2:6).
Ephesians The Role of the Church (3:10–13)
Now, like a million laser beams illuminating the heavens, the church penetrates the realms beyond with the display of God’s wisdom.
So the purpose of the church is to put you on display, to reveal the manifold wisdom of God.
But you allow God to put you on display you are giving Him glory and indeed worshipping Him.
The church mission is to point people to Christ.
Throughout eternally the church will be a illustration of Gods grace.
When it comes to Gods grace we can be so preoccupied with our benefits (salvation, new nature, relationship, access) but overlook what God’s grace means to Him.
“We are saved by grace because that is appropriate to God’s nature and purposes, bringing him glory as it brings us salvation. We are alerted to that at the very beginning of the epistle by the words “to the praise of his glorious grace”
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Gods grace brings Him glory.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?”
“Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?”
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The fact that Jew and Gentile can become one body reveals the riches of Gods wisdom.
What is the church purpose.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
This is Gods intent for His church.
The Commissioned church
The Bible is clear about the churches commission to win the lost.
But we think about the great commission with merely preaching or sharing your faith. Though that is apart of it. But Lewis Sperry Chafer brings out great points on how one can participate in the great commission.
The Gospel can be presented to the unsaved through sacrificial gifts.
giving gifts weather financial, weather housing missionaries.
Giving towards tracts or books to help mobilize the gospel. Can help advance the gospel and indeed your apart of the great commission.
He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
There are variety kinds of service towards God.
And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
Even a cup of water in the name of a disciple. Is the equivalent of serving Christ.
2. The Gospel may be presented to the unsaved in answer to prayer.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
To ask anything in His name mean to ask according to His will.
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
The goal of answered prayers is to bring glory to the Father. Also bearing fruit glorifies the Father. John 15:8
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
3. The Gospel may be presented to the unsaved by word of mouth.
All are commissioned to share the gospel with the lost. Thats not exclusive to the Pastor of evangelist but all.
But there are curtain imperative conditions to be observed.
a. The messenger must be willing to be placed where the Spirit wills. The messenger isn’t self appointed, isn’t selective in whom he tells
b. The messenger should be instructed in the precise truth which constitute the gospel of grace which one is appointed to declare.
c. The messenger must be Spirit filled,
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
After the Holy Spirit has come upon followers of Jesus then they became witnesses.
With The Filling of the Holy Spirit theres a passion and fearlessness involved.
When one is filled with The Spirit it isn’t forced.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
4. The Gospel may be also presented by various mechanical means such as literature, the radio, online, television, and sacred music.