Sermon Tone Analysis

*#1 THE ORIGIN AND THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH*

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CHURCH: Where did it come from and what for?

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Eph.

1:3 - 14

*Introduction:*

            Coming to church has its benefit.

A John Hopkins University medical

            researcher has discovered what the “Presbyterian Ministers’ Life

            Insurance Fund” has known for more than two centuries, that is,

            attending the church is good for your health.

[It’s a good news for you,

            who are here this morning.]

If you attend the church more than once a

week, the risk of fatal heart diseases is reduced to half for church attenders, compared with non-church attenders according to a study made by *Dr.

George W. Comstock* of the University’s Department of Epidemiology.

The doctors also observed that the “Clean Life” associated with regular

Church going appears to be *statistically* related to a lower incidence of other major diseases, adding that going to church is a very favorable input.

(Paul Lee, Tan, /Encyclopedia of 7,700 illustrations/, Garland, Texas: Bible Communications, Inc.

1996, CD version).

Aren’t you glad you are faithful church attenders?

About three years ago (Dec.

1999), the Lord gave me an opportunity to go to Los Angeles, CA.

I planned to visit Rick Warren’s “*Saddleback Valley Community Church*” and then visit Dr. John MacArthur’s “*Grace Community Church*.”

Two totally different churches in their philosophies and approaches to *doing the church*.

Both of them gather over 10,000 people for their worship services.

One is based their philosophy on *seeker sensitive service* and the other simply *preaching the Word* of God.

I was struck with *awe *for the great work of God in both churches.

It was a great experience for me actually to see how those mega churches run.

Danger is that we compare those churches to our church and feel sorry for ourselves.

*Does God bless small churches?*

Of course He does.

I am *not so sure* that I can say, “growing church is a healthy church”  *but I am sure I can say, “a healthy church will grow.”

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            Now before we talk about the growth of the church, we must *understand what the church is.*

I am sure we all have some kind of ideas about the Church.

If those ideas are different, it not only results in conflicts but hinders *what God intends* to do through the Church.

Some might think that the Church is to evangelize the world.

Some think that the Church is where *Bible is taught*.

Some might even think that the Church is where *sweet fellowship* is kept.

Some even think that the purpose of the Church is to get involved in *social issues* to be the salt and light of the world.

(By the way the Bible says, we are already salt and light, we don’t have to be the salt and the light).

Some think that the Church is *all of the above*.

Quite often, we tend to mix up all these views and confuse the understanding of the Church *with our preferences*.

*Our preferences become our ideas of the Church.*

What we would like to see in the Church becomes our idea of the Church.

*What is the Church?*

Where did it come from?

*Where will it go?*

What is the *purpose *of the Church?

What about the *mission* of the church?

Many teachings and workshops are available on the subject.

Especially the subject on the “*church growth*.”

Many seminars and conferences were conducted by so call “mega-church Gurus.”

Now, nothing wrong in themselves.

They give us valuable perspectives and insights and I wish everyone could attend, *but if we do not understand what the Church is,* we would have a hard time understanding the purpose of the Church and the direction we should be going.

*What is the Church?*  *What is the purpose of the Church?

Where did it come from?*

In order to find out such *Basic* yet very *Important* questions, we must search out the Bible to find the *Origin* of the church: *How did the church come into being,* how did it *establish* in the modern world to fulfill its purpose and how are we doing with the *original* purpose?

*To know the origin is very important.

*

            In *1859*, *Charles Darwin* published his most famous writing of the century,  “*On the Origin of the Species*,” which shook the world to this day.

Though it is a theory, this book revolutionized the thinking of modern *man that the man has a /resting-place/ for his soul without taking into account the God of creations*.

We have now a reason not to believe in God *without being fearful* of the destiny of our souls.

We (inoculate) *anesthetize *our conscience to the extent that we are *not accountable* to God who is the creator of our souls.

See when we *misunderstand* the origin of our souls we totally miss the purpose of it.

Though, this is a negative example, it is the most powerful example.

The* gravity of knowing the origin of existence whether it is a Christian or non-Christian will clarify the purpose of its existence*.

That is the identity.

It changes the course of our lives.

*To know the origin is to know the purpose of its existence*.

When we search out the origin of the Church, it brings the understanding on the purpose of its existence.

If the church discovered its identity which was given by God and empowered by God, we will be the most *powerful force* in the universe.

This morning I would like us to find out *the origin* of the Church which points to *why the Church.*

It will guide us to the *purpose* of its existence.

Then, we will come to find out the *mission *of the Church.

I would like to invite you to open your Bible to *Ehpesians*, chapter 1, verses *3 to 14*.

The book of the Ephesians is the *textbook* for the Church.

Anyone who wants to study about the Church *must study* this Epistle.

As we unfold the chapter 1 of Ephesians, we are confronted with one of the most difficult doctrines of the centuries and fall into a dilemma.

It is the doctrine of “*Predestination*” (vss.

4,5,11).

Over the centuries many *scholars* and *theologians* grappled with this theme but I do not think anyone can say one way or the other for sure.

One thing I can say is that we are so engrossed in this “Predestination” debate, we miss the *important theme* this passage is teaching.

I wish I have a lot of time to deal with this difficult teaching but I would like us to see the origin of the Church behind the doctrine of the “predestination” this morning.

*Once we see the origin of the Church* then we will see the *purpose* and the *mission* of the Church which are *inseparable* and they are *interdependent *on each other.

In chapter one, *in original*, there is *no period* from verse 3 to verse 14.

It is *one long sentence*.

It is, therefore, a very *difficult* passage to study out (exegete).

Again we do not have enough time to study in detail but this section can be summarized into three sections and *each section is represented by each member of the Trinity*.

Let’s look at verses *3 to 6*.

In verse *3*, Paul expresses *gratitude* and blesses the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

*Reason?*

Because God blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

It is the blessing from the Father.

It is the *spiritual one* and the *location* is in the *heavenly places*.

It is also *through* Jesus Christ.

This is the summary of the following verses which are connected by a conjunction, “*just as*” in NASB and NKJV or “*for*” (because) in NIV.

In another word, verses 4 to 14 are the *descriptions* of this marvelous blessing that God the Father gave us in His Son.

Now let’s look at verses *4 to 6*.

They express the works of the Father: Father has *chosen* us (vs.4),

Father has *predestined *us (vs.5).

Now, rather than hung up with this “Predestination,” let’s look at more important teaching of the passage.

*Why did God predestine us?

What is the purpose?*