What is The Purpose of the Church?

Speaker: Rich Gartman

Series: 5W’s

Scripture: Matthew 22:34-40

Main Idea: Purpose of Man

Intro

A young woman brought her fiancee to meet her parents. After dinner, her father asked the young man into his study for a chat. “So, what are your plans?” he began. “I’m a theology scholar,” the young man replied. “Admirable!” the father said, “But what will you do to provide a nice home for my daughter?” “I will study and God will provide,” he explained. “And how will you afford to raise children?” “God will provide.” The men left the study and the mother asked her husband, “How did it go?” “He has no money or employment plans,” the father said. “But on the other hand, he thinks I’m God.”

Bible Verse

Matthew 22:34-40 English Standard Version

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Too Much

Explanation – Point 1

The Westminister Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?” Many of us know the answer. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” While this is not a phrase drawn directly from Scripture, the wisdom behind it surely is. The Bible tells us with great clarity that man was created in order to bring glory to God. Thus the chief end of Christians and of the church is to bring glory to God. There is no higher calling. And as John Piper has told us repeatedly in his books and teaching ministry, we do so by enjoying Him forever. “The great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying him forever.”

Illustration – Point 1

F. E. Smith was a capable lawyer with a quick wit who served as the British attorney general from 1915 until 1919. On one occasion he cross-examined a young man claiming damages for an arm injury caused by the negligence of a bus driver. “Will you please show us how high you can lift your arm now?” asked Smith. The young man gingerly raised his arm to shoulder level, his face distorted with pain. “Thank you,” said Smith. “And now, could you show us how high you could lift it before the accident?” The young man eagerly shot his arm up above his head. He lost the case. (Today in the Word, July 1995, p. 27).

Application – Point 1

A pastor several years ago wrote a book. This book became a best seller and everybody started to ready it. It became the model of the church and it was “all the buzz.” In this book the pastor formulated the 5 purposes of the church. Now I am not here to comment on weather or not I like or agree with this book or to do a commercial for this book. I am just here to refute this book a little. The five purposes the pastor came up with are

Fellowship

Discipleship

Worship

Ministry

Evangelism

So what’s the problem with this? This sounds like the stuff the church is supposed to do? This sounds like the stuff you planned bro Rich. How could you refute these points?

A few years ago I was sitting under another pastor and he started talking about the five points. I remember that he was listing them off the top of his head. He said fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and fellowship.

So what’s the big deal? It was just a mistake! The problem is this. When we try to focus on to many things we often gravitate to one or two of them. This pastor was the same. He focused on everything but worship. It was ironic that he left that particular purpose out but also characteristic of himself.

Bible Verse – Point 2

James 1

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Not Enough

Explanation – Point 2

It’s not enought to say you love the lord but it has to show. When we are saved the works and friuts of the spirit should naturally flow in our lives. The olny problem with them not flowing is simple. Its us!

Illustration – Point 2

One of golf’s immortal moments came when a Scotchman demonstrated the new game to President Ulysses Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President’s beard and surrounding vicinity, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again the Scotchman swung, and again he missed. Our President waited patiently through six tries and then quietly stated, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball. (Campus Life).

Application – Point 2

Bible Verse – Point 3

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Just Right

Explanation – Point 3

Illustration – Point 3

In the spring of 1871, a young man picked up a book and read twenty-one words that had a profound effect on his future. The twenty-one words this medical student read helped him to become the most famous physician of his generation. He organized the world famous John Hopkins School of Medicine. He was knighted by the King of England. His name was Sir William Osler. Here are the twenty-one words that he read from Thomas Carlyle that helped him lead a life free from worry: “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” (Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living).

Application – Point 3

The greatest commandment – something they all knew, as it was custom to recite the Shema twice a day and Deut. six opens it.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

It is the beginning of the commandments and first because it is the most important.

The second is like it – love you neighbor

Everything hands on these two.

And you could even say one.

See them problem with having to many purposes is that you focus on certain ones. Jesus here made it clear. Love God.

Of the 5 purposes you only have one that deals directly with God. Worship.

This is the only one you need I am a one purpose man. But Rich the other things are good. We should do them.

Yes but watch how mine works out. Missions are worship, discipleship is worship, fellowship is worship, and ministry is worship if you are doing it because you love God.

This lawyer wasn’t a good man. He like many was trying to show Christ as a fraud.

He knows the law but focuses on the wrong thing.

Much like the pastor I was under. He focused on everything but worship. All other purposes deal with relationship to man (thy neighbor)

This is important but those who focus on neighbor instead of God only wants to focus on those they like or those like them. Jesus corrected this thought.

See its all about our relationship with God not man. That book opens with a powerful statement “its not about me”

The problem is the rest of the book focuses more on thy neighbor then God. Trickle Up but we are Trickle Down people

Conclusion

Where is your focus?

Thy neighbor? Well at least the ones I like

Thy Self? I really spend most of my days concentrating on how I can make my life better

God?