MISSION OF THE CHURCH
INTRODUCTION
Everything has a purpose-a mission. "Nothing walks with aim-
less feet." Hence, the church has a mission, and all of its work
is missionary work; it should do no other kind of work. It is
a missionary church. The church of God is in nature spirit
and Position, necessarily and essentially a missionary institution.
1. FALSE CONCEPTION CORRECTED
1. Not knowing "what the church is" can not know its
mission.
2. A thing, is defined by giving its purpose-mission.
3. Negative-what is not its mission:
(a) It is not its mission to give its members social
prestige-The first Circle of Society.
(b) Not to give them financial standing.
(c) Not to furnish ENTERTAINMENT.
(1) For its members.
(2) For the world with operatic music or
delicate festivals.
(d) Not to raise money for defraying expenses of
human institutions.
(e) Not to build fine houses, gorgeous temples or
imposing cathedrals.
(f) Not an agency for the government to spread
its propaganda for war or anything else.
4. A fundamental law of human nature is that we grasp
more easily the negative than the positive.
II. WHAT IS ITS MISSION?
1. Church is pillar and ground of truth. (I 'I'im. 3:15;
Phil. 2:16.)
(a) No other institution is.
(b) Church is in harmony with ALL trutli-scien-
'fic, philosophical, moral and spiritual.
(c) All truth harmonizes.
2. It is the only God-ordained support of the TRUTH
of salvation.
3. Church is identified with Christ-It is his spiritual body.
(Col. 1:18, 24; Eph. 1:23.)
So identified that one cannot come to Christ
without coming into the church.
4. Their mission identical also.
(a) Christ's mission to seek and save the lost. (Luke
19:10; Rom. 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:15.)
(b) He was never idle. (John 4:34; 5:17; 9:4; 17:4.)
III. THE MISSION OF CHRISTIANS
1. The church is composed of members.
(a) Its mission becomes the mission of its members
-each Christian to seek and save.
2. Christians are the LIGHT of the world and SALT of
the earth. (Matt. 5:13, 14.)
3. The church with its principles, its spirit, its precepts
and its spiritual life is God's highest conception of
human society.
4. The highest stage of civilization is for people to be
brought to Christ's conception of God and man, sin
and righteousness time and eternity in the cliurch.
5. Put every Christian to work at soul-saving and the mis-
sion of the church will be fulfilled.
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