The Fourfold Purpose Of The Church
“THE FOURFOLD PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH”
MATTHEW 28:16-20
This passage is the last will and testament of Jesus. He gives His four fold purpose for the church.
Each day we are awakened to a day of choices. It begins with the choice to get up or to continue sleeping. What clothes to wear, if we are going to have breakfast or not, to pray or not to pray, all types of choices at work, where to eat and what to eat for lunch etc.
The same is true for the church. We have to decide daily that we will follow the fourfold purpose Christ gave His church. If we are going to follow His will, then we must know the desire of His heart. What is his fourfold purpose for the church
I. EXALT THE LORD 28:17-18 “They worshiped him”, “all authority is given unto me”
This is the starting point and purpose of Christianity. Why? Because before salvation we failed in this purpose of God. Romans 3:23
A. He Deserves worship “All Power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and earth”
1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psalms 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
B. He Demands worship
Exodus 20:1-5 And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
C. He desires worship
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Matthew 2:11 (At His Birth) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 14:33 (During His life) Then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Matthew 28:9 (After His resurrection) And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (During the church age) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
II. EVANGELIZE THE LOST 28:19 “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations,”
Why? Because the of the unsaved people in this world are:
A. Condition
II Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
They are blind and bound
B. Condemnation
John 3:18-19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
III. ESTABLISH THE SAVED 28:19-20 “And teach”
Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
A. Educating
1. Students how to learn
2. Leaders how to lead
3. Teachers how to teach
4. Worshipers how to worship
5. Christians how to be Christlike - prayer, Bible Study, giving, singing,
B. Equipping
2 Timothy 2:2-3 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
C. Edifying
Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
IV. EXEMPLIFY THE GOSPEL 28:20 “Teaching them to observe”
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Ephesians 5:15-17 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is].
1 Peter 2:21-22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: