What Does a Church Do?

FOUNDATIONS – SERMON 2

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH DO?

INTRODUCTION:

LAST WEEK, WE LEARNED THAT THE CHURCH:

- IS NOT BRICK AND MORTAR, BUT FLESH AND BONE.

- IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION, BUT A FAMILY.

- AND THAT IT’S CENTRAL FOCUS IS TO BE THE PRIMARY FIGURE IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE, JESUS.

IT IS A GATHERING OF BELIEVERS.

BUT WHAT IS THIS GATHERING SUPPOSED TO DO?

YETI CUP…

SO THIS MORNING, I WANT US TO USE OUR TIME TOGETHER THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE CHURCH DOES.

LET ME SHARE WHAT I SEE AS THE THREE MAIN TASKS OF THE CHURCH.

IF WE WERE TO DO NOTHING ELSE, THE BIBLE IS CLEAR THAT WE MUST DO THESE THREE THINGS.

HERE’S THE FIRST…

1. THE CHURCH GATHERS TO WORSHIP.

a. ONE OF THE MOST FOUNDATIONAL ACTIONS OF THE CHURCH IS WORSHIP.

b. THE THEME OF WORSHIP IS WOVEN THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE.

c. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE READ ENCOURAGEMENTS LIKE THE ONES FOUND IN , VERSES 1 THROUGH 7.

i. 95:1-7 - 1 OH COME, LET US SING TO THE LORD; LET US MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO THE ROCK OF OUR SALVATION! 2 LET US COME INTO HIS PRESENCE WITH THANKSGIVING; LET US MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO HIM WITH SONGS OF PRAISE! 3 FOR THE LORD IS A GREAT GOD, AND A GREAT KING ABOVE ALL GODS. 4 IN HIS HAND ARE THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH; THE HEIGHTS OF THE MOUNTAINS ARE HIS ALSO. 5 THE SEA IS HIS, FOR HE MADE IT, AND HIS HANDS FORMED THE DRY LAND. 6 OH COME, LET US WORSHIP AND BOW DOWN; LET US KNEEL BEFORE THE LORD, OUR MAKER! 7 FOR HE IS OUR GOD, AND WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF HIS PASTURE, AND THE SHEEP OF HIS HAND.

d. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO WORSHIP IS FOUND IN .

i. – 19 THEREFORE, BROTHERS, SINCE WE HAVE CONFIDENCE TO ENTER THE HOLY PLACES BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, 20 BY THE NEW AND LIVING WAY THAT HE OPENED FOR US THROUGH THE CURTAIN, THAT IS, THROUGH HIS FLESH, 21 AND SINCE WE HAVE A GREAT PRIEST OVER THE HOUSE OF GOD, 22 LET US DRAW NEAR WITH A TRUE HEART IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, WITH OUR HEARTS SPRINKLED CLEAN FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE AND OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER. 23 LET US HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION OF OUR HOPE WITHOUT WAVERING, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL. 24 AND LET US CONSIDER HOW TO STIR UP ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS, 25 NOT NEGLECTING TO MEET TOGETHER, AS IS THE HABIT OF SOME, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER, AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY DRAWING NEAR.

e. THE POINT HERE IS THAT WORSHIP IS NOT AN OPTIONAL ACTIVITY.

i. GOD’S PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO GATHER FOR WORSHIP TODAY, JUST LIKE GOD’S PEOPLE WERE EXPECTED TO GATHER FOR WORSHIP IN THE TEMPLE UNDER OLD TESTAMENT REGULATIONS.

ii. BUT INSTEAD OF A FEW TIMES A YEAR, WE ARE NOW COMMANDED TO GATHER WEEKLY TO CELEBRATE GOD’S GOODNESS AND TO GIVE HIM THE WORSHIP HE DESERVES.

f. WORSHIP IS THE ACT OF THE CREATURE WORSHIPPING THE CREATOR.

i. IT IS THE ACT OF ASCRIBING WORTH TO ONE WHO’S WORTH IS INCALCULABLE.

g. THE CHURCH GATHERS TO WORSHIP.

2. THE CHURCH GATHERS TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

a. – 19 GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, 20 TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND BEHOLD, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE.”

b. THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT SCRIPTURE ENCOURAGES US TO DO AS WE MAKE DISCIPLES.

i. FIRST, WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

1. THE FIRST PART OF THE COMMAND IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

a. THE LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THAT VERSE WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

i. AS YOU TRAVEL TO ALL NATIONS, DISCIPLE.

ii. IT IS AN IMPERATIVE, NOT A REQUEST.

iii. AND IT IS STATED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT COMMUNICATES A CONTINUED ACTION.

2. SO WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES, WHO MAKE DISCIPLES, WHO MAKE DISCIPLES, ETC., ETC.

3. I LOVE THE APOSTLE PAUL’S ENCOURAGEMENT TO TIMOTHY, THE YOUNG PASTOR IN WHOM PAUL HAD INVESTED A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND ENERGY.

4. HE SAID THIS TO TIMOTHY IN HIS SECOND LETTER TO HIM.

5. – 1 YOU THEN, MY CHILD, BE STRENGTHENED BY THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS, 2 AND WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MANY WITNESSES ENTRUST TO FAITHFUL MEN, WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO.

ii. SECOND, WE ARE TO MODEL OBEDIENCE, AND ENCOURAGE OBEDIENCE IN OTHERS.

1. HERE, JESUS COMMANDS THE CHURCH TO BAPTIZE BELIEVERS IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

2. BAPTISM IS INTENDED TO BE AN EXPRESSION OF ONE’S REDEMPTION, AND OF ONE’S INTENDED OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST.

3. BAPTISM DOES NOT SAVE A PERSON, BUT IT COMMUNICATES THE FACT THAT A PERSON HAS BEEN SAVED.

4. WE, AS SOUTHERN BAPTISTS, REQUIRE BAPTISM BY IMMERSION, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE WAY IN WHICH CHRIST WAS BAPTIZED, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO OTHERS IN SCRIPTURE BEING BAPTIZED IN THE SAME MANNER.

iii. SO WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES, MODEL AND ENCOURAGE OBEDIENCE IN THEM, AND THEN.

iv. WE ARE TO TEACH THEM.

1. WHAT ARE WE TO TEACH THEM?

2. THE COMMANDS OF JESUS.

3. WHERE CAN WE FIND THE COMMANDS OF JESUS?

4. ALL THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT.

v. SO WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES, MODEL AND ENCOURAGE OBEDIENCE IN THEM, AND TEACH THEM THE COMMANDS OF JESUS.

c. AND I LOVE THE BOOKENDS JESUS PUT ON THE GREAT COMMISSION.

i. LOOK AT . IT SAYS, “AND JESUS CAME AND SAID TO THEM, ‘ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME.’”

ii. AND THEN IN THE LAST PART OF , HE SAYS THIS, “AND BEHOLD, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE.”

iii. JESUS SAYS, YOU GO WITH MY AUTHORITY, AND YOU GO WITH MY PRESENCE.

1. YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO MAKE DISCIPLES, AND YOU ARE NEVER DOING THE WORK ALONE.

2. I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU.

d. SO THE CHURCH GATHERS TO WORSHIP, THE CHURCH GATHERS TO MAKE DISCIPLES, AND FINALLY…

3. THE CHURCH GATHERS TO SEND.

a. WE GATHER TO REACH INTO THE WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL.

b. - 8 BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON YOU, AND YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND TO THE END OF THE EARTH.”

c. PART OF OUR PURPOSE IN GATHERING AS A LOCAL BODY OF BELIEVERS IS TO DEPLOY PEOPLE FOR CHRISTIAN SERVICE.

d. WHERE ARE WE TO SEND PEOPLE?

e. WE ARE TO SEND THEM EVERYWHERE.

f. HERE, WE SEE THAT JESUS SPEAKS OF FOUR REGIONS THAT ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE WORLD, BECAUSE HIS INTENT IS THAT HIS CHRUCH REACH THE ENTIRE WORLD WITH THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL.

g. IN JERUSALEM, WE LABOR IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, WITH THE DESTITUTE AND THE MARGINALIZED.

i. WE RAISE UP PASTORS AND TEACHERS, AND THOSE WHO WILL ONE DAY LEAD IN THE CHURCH.

ii. RIGHT NOW, ONE OF YOU MAY BE SENSING A CALL TO VOCATIONAL MINISTRY.

1. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO IGNORE THE CALL OF GOD ON YOUR LIFE.

h. IN JUDEA, WE EXPAND OUR MISSIONAL FOOTPRINT BY REACHING INTO COMMUNITIES BEYOND OUR OWN WITH THE GOSPEL.

i. IN SAMARIA, WE REACH INTO REGIONS A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY, MAYBE INTO A FOREIGN COUNTRY THAT BORDERS OUR OWN.

j. AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, WE SEND AND SUPPORT THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL IN REGIONS OF THE WORLD THAT ARE EVEN FURTHER AWAY.

i. TAKING THE GOSPEL TO UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS AND EQUIPPING AND ENCOURAGING INDIGENOUS PASTORS AND LEADERS TO REACH THEIR JERUSALEM, THEIR JUDEA, THEIR SAMARIA, AND THEIR ENDS OF THE EARTH.

k. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN GUATEMALA, AND WITH YOUR PARTICIPATION, EITHER THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS, OR YOUR MONETARY SUPPORT, OR BY YOU JOINING US ON THE TEAM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THIS VERY IMPORTANT WORK.

l. WE GATHER TO SEND OTHERS INTO THE MINISTRY FIELDS.

m. AND JESUS SAID IN “LOOK, I TELL YOU, LIFT UP YOUR EYES, AND SEE THAT THE FIELDS ARE WHITE FOR HARVEST.”

n. WE DESPERATELY NEED MORE WORKERS IN GOD’S HARVEST.

o. MAYBE TODAY, YOU WILL MAKE A DECISION THAT YOU WILL BEGIN TO SERVE HIM, OR YOU WILL SERVE HIM WITH MORE ENERGY.

p. MAYBE TODAY YOU WILL DRIVE DOWN A STAKE, AND SAY, THIS IS THE DAY WHEN I WILL SAY YES TO WHAT GOD IS CALLING ME TO.

CONCLUSION: