What Is The Purpose of the Church?

Eph 3:8–13 |Caleb Suko

Introduction:

I like cookies, cookies are good, but you didn’t come to Church to watch me eat a cookie!

Why do you come to Church? Why do you participate in the life of the Church? Why are you here this morning?

When you think of the Church, what kind of purpose comes into your mind?As people we often tend to naturally revert to things that are task related and thus temporal.

What do I mean by that?

“I come to church to hear a good sermon” -task

“I come to church to make my marriage better” -temporal

“I come to church to serve others” -task

“I come to church because I need the fellowship” -temporal

These are all good things, like cookies, and they are to some extent reasons why you should come to Church and why you should be part of the Church. Yet when we talk about purpose they are not foundational things, they are not ultimate things, they are not eternal things.

I want to talk with you today about the eternal God given purpose of the Church.

I’m not talking about what we do at church, or how we do Church, I’m talking about why we do Church. We can all come to church, we can all participate in the same activities, we can all listen to a sermon or serve in different ministries. We can all do the same thing and yet have different purposes for doing those things.

When it comes to the Gospel, our salvation, and the Church, purpose is vital. We must get the purpose right, because if we don’t then we have failed in accomplishing what God wants from us.

True purpose is the combination of two factors, direction and final destination. In order to correctly find purpose we must know our direction and know our final destination. If we can do these two things then we can stay the course.

It may seem like a little thing but those little things can make a big difference. Think of a ship that is just 1 degree off on it’s navigation. It doesn’t seem like a big difference. However, a 1 degree difference when crossing the Pacific from London to New York will put you about 550 km off course! So if our purpose is not aligned properly with God’s Word you can be sure that a lesser purpose or a slightly asque purpose will eventually theologically, spiritually, and morally astray!

Everyone will look in shock and say “How did that happen?” It happened with small almost imperceptible mistakes in navigation.

So let’s get this right!

The Church’s Purpose Found in Unfathomable Riches

Eph 3:8–13

8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

The book of Ephesians gives us an excellent understanding of who belongs in the church, how the church is formed with pastors and evangelists, as well as the purpose of the church and later how these purposes function amongst the people of the church.

Paul begins to reveal the purpose of the church by Paul’s explaining the task God had given him and has given us.

Notice the contrast of humility versus unfathomable riches “the very least of all saints” A true preacher of the Gospel is always humble because he has been humbled by the truth of the Gospel in his life.

You will never be able to perceive God’s leading and God’s purposes without gospel humility!

1 Tim 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.

To get this wrong is to be blind to the most basic aspect of the gospel. Too many have a prideful view of their own church. They shine the light on themselves instead of on God! A light shining in your eyes means you will not be able to see Jesus in front of you.

We need to see and understand the riches of Christ. Paul already spent 2.5 chapters on the riches of our inheritance in Christ. Read it, reread it, know it, understand it, marvel at it, never allow yourself to become apathetic, or ho hum about what Christ has done for you! Central to our purpose is a deep understanding of Christ’s riches.

Eph 1:3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies with Christ,

Eph 1:18 the eyes of your mind having been enlightened, for you to know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength

Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even we being dead in deviations, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are being saved), 6 and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,

Our problem is that we often don’t think of the church as the place where the unfathomable riches of Christ are mined. Instead of searching for Christ’s riches and showing Christ’s riches we just go for the cookies! God says “here’s a Kingdom” and we say, “where are the cookies?”

We want sweets instead of the Savior! We want temporary improvements on life instead of eternal promises. We need to get back to the true riches of Christ!

The Purpose Is to Show God’s Great Wisdom

10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

*Paul hints at our purpose in 3.1 when he says, “For this reason.” The reason can be found in 2.21–22 -We are being built into a “holy temple in the Lord” a dwelling of God in the Spirit”

“Manifold” Having many infinite facets

Psalm 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them. 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand — when I awake, I am still with you.

How does the Church show this?

By sharing our faith stories

By pointing to God in all good things

By teaching the true nature of God

By boasting in Christ instead of ourselves

By forgiving each other

By and loving and serving others

By standing up for the weak and defenseless

By crossing the boundaries of race and social status

By worshiping God with a pure hearts.

By purposely pointing out God’s goodness, kindness, holiness, and power.

Mat 5:16

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Don’t come to church for the cookies and don’t simply promise others cookies, although we do have cookies here!

Wrong purpose kills the life of the church! If our main purpose is related to some side benefit of the church then it will eventually lead us in the wrong direction.

Wrong purpose kills faithfulness

Wrong purpose puts out passion

Wrong purpose robs us of evangelistic zeal

God wants to give us more than cookies!

Eternal purposes don’t change!

Eph 3:11–12

11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

This is related to Solo Deo Gloria.

Why is it important to get this right? Because if we get this one wrong we get the Christian life wrong!

You can be sure that if your purposes don’t align with God’s purposes they will always fail.

If we get it right it gives us confidence knowing that our purpose is aligned with eternal purposes that have not, can not, and will not fail.

13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

When I understand that the purpose of the church is to show God’s glory, then I have the power to not lose heart in tribulations. I also then begin to experience some of God’s glory.

How does understanding our purpose change our approach to Church?

It changes the standard with which we measure church and the Christian life.

I do not measure Church by my own experience. My feelings and experience are inconsequential to God’s ultimate plan. How the music made me feel, how the preaching made me feel, how sanctuary was decorated. I can no longer in good conscience measure the quality of my Church by the comfort and thickness of the foam cushion on my chair!

I do not measure my church by the number of people it brings in.

Not by the amount of money it receives

Not by the size of buildings it builds

I measure by church by how accurately and effectively it makes known the riches and wisdom of God to all! It changes my inward perspective on the Church and life. I no longer constantly live with the question, “God what are you going to do for me now?”

I don’t go to church looking for my personal benefit.

I begin looking for God’s glory and I find it.

I find it in tragic circumstances

I find it in painful situations

I find it in my failures and limitations

I find it truth well spoken

I find it in heart that is broken

I find it true humility

I find it in sacrifice

I find God’s glory in the uncomfortable, the unusually, and in the unthinkable

And there were I find God’s glory I find unspeakable joy because I realize that this story is no long about me, but about a God that is so far beyond wonder that he can transform the the most unattractive, unworthy, and unable creature into a bride! And it is in that transformation that I most clearly see God’s manifold wisdom!

I begin asking God “how can I be used for your greatest glory here?”

Try this tomorrow when you go to work

Try it this week when your kids get cranky

Try it when your spouse gets cranky

Try it on Sunday morning,

Try it on Sunday night,

Try it every day in every circumstance and you’ll be amazed at how it will change your perspective on the church and on life!

It changes the way I share the Gospel. It’s not about simply trying to get people into heaven, it is about sharing the inexhaustible wonders of God’s grace. It is about sharing the glory of God’s goodness. It is about pointing others to the purest, cleanest, holiest being imaginable. It is about the riches of his mercy overflowing from our lives into the lives of others.

Yes, it is about heaven. It is about heaven because that’s where God’s unique presence resides! That’s where his glory is centered. That’s where we can fall down and worship unhindered by our corruption of our own sin. That is where we can fully experience (yes, I said experience,) the live giving, joy producing, goodness of his presence.

Evangelism ceases to be about simply getting someone to say a prayer, come to church, or get rid of some sinful habits.

It makes evangelism about spreading God’s glory rather than simply selling a ticket to heaven!

How guilty we are of limiting the gospel to nothing more than walking an aisle and repeating a few words in prayer. The gospel is more, it is infinitely more! We are just selling the cookies instead of bringing them into the Kingdom of King of Kings! No wonder people so often reject such a small gospel! They are rightfully looking for something more. Understanding God’s eternal purposes helps us to see the bigger picture, it helps us point people to the big Gospel. Forget the cookies, leave them behind and bring people into the household of God!

It turns us back to a gospel that is primarily about God and secondarily about how the nature of God affects man.

Conclusion:

Why do you come to church? Is it for God and his glory or for you and your glory?