What Is Church For?

John-not saying that relationships are "the" purpose of the church. Saying they're "a" purpose of the church, that it's something that should be encouraged and taught, especially for new members of the body/family--but not to the exclusion of the primary purpose of the church, which is to see souls saved.

 

your making some good points here:thumbsup:

 

So your saying the primary goal of church is to see souls saved? Than most would have to count themselves void!

 

I dont know where your going with this Preach but I would not be one to go banging on doors to spread the word & also Im not a great supporter of people going to foreign countries because I believe we have a mission field right here in our own back yards.Rather I would want to speak to someone already burdened by a life of sin who the HS is working on to help the person to Christ. I think, for me anyway, its more a question of priorities or maybe its spiritual triage.

 

I'm not certain where you came up with door-banging off of anything I've said, but perhaps the mere thought of sharing the Gospel is somewhat fearful for you? Can you tell me where you got door-banging out of my Scriptural response?

So you're not a supporter of those who go abroad? Certainly that is contrary to the attitude of the Apostles in Acts towards one another. Are you aware they were "missionaries?" I wonder how your mindset would have worked then? Perhaps they would have rebuked you as a hindrance and as obstinate to the Spirits leadership envisioning and emboldening these men to go abroad? By the way, He's doing the same things to this day.

Your demeanor discounts a lot of people that are doing great things for the kingdom of God. Not certain where you're getting your perspective and attitude on this, but I know it's not from the Scriptures, sounds more akin to indoctrination to me.

I can believe your sharing with someone burdened by their own sin, but sometimes and often God uses us, through stating His Gospel, and then He begins that work in their hearts to burden them of their need to be saved. Looks like you would like to be there to reap when it's easy, but you stray away from preaching the Gospel otherwise? I know some people are apprehensive to speak to others, but I don't think we're only to speak if we see signs of one burdened only.

- Peace

 

Well open your eyes & look around.....is everyone in you sights Christian? If not then both you & I have some work to do right here. I dont extend my reach beyond my own scope.

 

All true, but are those the exceptions and not the norm?

As for using some Scriptures not commonly applied to the church, are not all Scriptures applied toward the church, or does your dichotomy between the local congregation and the kingdom of God in the universal church halt you from seeing it that way?

Also, note that relationships are not "all about" church. They are integral to church, but there are other purposes, which I covered in my earlier post.

Commonly seen as: Missions, evangelism, ministry, fellowship, discipleship, and prayer (though most leave prayer off the list for some reason) -- and all of the above for the glory of God.

I am starting to see the church in a different light, however, seeing as how "the church" is not a "thing" but rather people in relationships, and thus we have "identities" rather than "purposes" as we exist in Christ

Those identities are: family, learner, leader, missionary, servant, and worshiper. The identities commingle, in that a learner is also be a leader, a missionary is also a worshiper, all are family, etc., all members of the church are all identities. One primary identity may exemplify a particular task in the operation of the church, but considering that ministry in and to the church is not our only gospel identity, we are also fully engaged in our families at home, and with the world around us. That takes the onus off of "doing" and places it where the Scripture does -- "being" -- as an active tense verb, not an object that can be chosen or not.

Much of church life has become myopic in the past 100 years, and that is an adoption to the ways of the world. We are short-sighted, tend to focus with a "microscope" on every jot and tittle of Scripture, while at the same time utterly failing at the "telescope" view of the big picture of God -- the reason that we exist, and our position and purpose before Him.

Unless, or until, the church recovers this big picture, it will continue to decline, for the church is not a "noun." It is intended by God to be an active "verb" with virtually every descriptive word or adjective pertaining to the church in Scripture demonstrating just that. "And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it..." Gates are anchored in bedrock, which presumes that it is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ that is moving. Instead, we have, in our myopic view, adopted a stance whereby WE are the ones anchored in bedrock; and this is true to the extent that we are anchored on "THE Rock, that is the Chief Cornerstone that the builders rejected," Jesus Christ, but He too is actively "doing" the work of His Father.

I expect that you will reject most all of what i just wrote, and that is okay with me, but I believe that i will continue to see a church that adopts this view grow to the glory of God and I also expect that I will see churches that continue worrying about traditional "religious" expressions of church to fall by the wayside in the days ahead. The problems already exist and are rampant in the greater church world.

 

Millions upon millions of people are eternally grateful that some have...

 

And how bout the millions that go lost cause nobody pays attention? They make assumptions that Outer Jibib is in need while neglecting the guy right next to them.

 

EW&F,
I think the point about international missions is that in the US, we have an amazing number of places where an unsaved person can hear about Jesus: radio, churches and individual believers. Even as few and far between as churches in NJ are, imagine how few ops the billion plus people in China have. What about the 1.5 billion locked into Islam?

I am glad you're concerned about the people around you. But God has a world wide vision for people of every nation, kindred, tribe and language who don't have the opportunities that we have had to hear about Jesus.

 

When you going to Afghanistan:laugh: Tom?

 

Not Afghanistan, but going Gent, Belgium again in the fall. Gent has 300,000 people but less than 1/2% even nominal believers.

 

I dont say this to be snide, but you could have saved both time & money & gone to New Jersey.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyEDrwLIzC4