Purpose and mission of church

God’s purposes for the church

To praise God

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

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To share God’s glory

Romans 8:29–30 NKJV

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

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God will build his church

Matthew 16:18–19 NKJV

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

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To challenge Satan’s dominion

“rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” refers to the powers of evil.

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To go into the world in mission

2 Corinthians 5:18 NKJV

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

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The church’s mission

To preach the gospel to the world

Mark 13:10 NKJV

And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

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To do good to all

Galatians 6:10 NKJV

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

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Images of the church’s mission

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A fruitful plant in a fruitless world:

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Salt in an insipid world:

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Light in a dark world:

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The growth of the church

Numerical growth among the first Christians

Acts 11:21 NKJV

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

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The church is to grow to maturity

Ephesians 4:12–13 NKJV

for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

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Aspects of growth

Growth in character:

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Growth into Christ:

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growth in understanding

Prayers for the growth of the church

Ephesians 3:14–19 NKJV

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

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Visions of the church’s final destiny

John’s vision of the church in glory.

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