Why does your church exist? (Part 1)

The Purpose of the Church Is the Advance of the Gospel

Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. Sorry, I'm a little stuffy today. I've had a little bronchial episode this week. Went to the doctor to make sure I don't have COVID. So if I did, it'd be all hands on deck after my last COVID experience.

And since I just had antibiotics a while ago, he said, just take these steroids instead. So I've got inhaler steroids that the pharmacy wanted $585 for. Then I gave him a coupon. It went down to 387, $387.

And then she tried saying that I didn't have this, that or the other for insurance or she was typing some stuff and she said, how's $15 sound? I thought, that sounds great. So anyway, I'm feeling pretty good.

Tired sometimes, worn down sometimes, emotional sometimes, but trying to count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials like even leukemia or other things. So thank you for your prayers.

Don't forget, Cancer Is Not Your Shepherd, a 31 day guide to suffering. That book is out now on Amazon. So far, getting some really positive feedback. Hopefully it helps a lot of folks. Sent out about 25 copies to influencers.

So we're hoping that's gonna work. I did send a copy to focus on the family as well. This book, while I live in the realm of reformed theology, this book I think will transcend that. Now that's a bad word, maybe.

That's an over top the word. It will permeate the Methodist, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic world. Hopefully, we'll see. I just wanted to help people. And it's got a lot of Bible. It's got a lot of gospel.

Be perfect for unbelievers as well. And probably everyone listening to the show knows someone who has cancer or who has had cancer or maybe the people listening have cancer, who knows. Anyway, Mike Abendroth, No Compromise Radio Ministry.

If you wanna order 10 or more for 40 off, you just have to email me, mikeatnocompromiseradio .com. I think Pat Abendroth's got it set up. When you wanna order his new book, Act of Obedience, you just go online and you don't even have to go to the horse's mouth.

You just can do it online. But then we don't get to email each other, talk back and forth. Well, today on the show, I've got a question for you. Why does your church exist? What's the purpose of your church?

If you're attending here, Bethlehem Bible Church, what's the purpose of Bethlehem Bible Church? Is it community? Is it fellowship, friendship, a sense of belonging, tax write-off, a place to teach your children good morals, kind of a nice civic duty?

By the way, those as byproducts, I don't have any problem with those.

They're good.

But is that really the main thing? What's the church all about? Why does the church exist? Is there something more important than those things? Why does your church exist? Now, before I answer the question, we probably could ask another question.

Who determines the answer to this question? The Gospel Coalition, Together for the Gospel, Big Eva, Evangelical Celebrities, Christianity Today, the government, the denomination, the elders, the congregation.

How do we know? Well, obviously, on No Compromise Radio, we believe that the scriptures are the final authority that we have. It is the one that tells us what is right and good, what I wanna say, and meet.

It is meet and right to do so. Today, we have a good reminder through Philippians chapter one, that the main thing about every single church and wanting to keep it the main thing is the advance of the gospel.

It's the gospel. And when I say gospel, of course, I could talk about the triune God and the Father sending the Son and the Son coming and the Spirit tending to the Son and applying the Son's victorious salvation, et cetera.

But it is the gospel, to advance the gospel, both in the hearts of unbelievers and believers, because both believers and unbelievers need to know about Jesus and deal with Jesus on a daily basis. Now, a lot of times we think the book of Philippians is about joy and unity.

And I would say it has a lot to do with joy and unity, but it's not really about that only. As you read some verses from Philippians, you kind of notice a theme. Philippians 1, 5, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Spencer, you can take that sound out. My chair was breaking. Philippians 1, 7, it is right for me to feel this way about you all because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Philippians 1, 12, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. Verse 16, same chapter, the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

Philippians 1, 27, only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

Philippians 2, verse 22, but you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. Philippians 4, 3, yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.

And then lastly, 4, 15, and you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only.

And you know, the recurrent word in every one of those verses is gospel. Even if you look at chapter two, talking about the Lord Jesus in verse seven, but he emptied himself by taking a form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

This is a book about Jesus, good news, the gospel. Philippians 3, 8 and following, indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I've suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

It should not be a surprise to us that this book written by Paul the apostle, remember what apostle means? The sent one, who sent Paul? Well, he was sent by the Lord Jesus to reveal things about who Jesus is.

And the response, of course, to the Lord Jesus and his work is joy and unity and so much more. But that's not really the main thing in the book of Philippians. The passage I want to draw your attention to is Philippians chapter one, verses 27 through 30.

And here we have really a good reminder and an answer to the question, what's your church all about? What's the main thing? And by the way, when you know the main thing, then it helps everything else because you'll know why you do things.

Why do you pick up a missionary? Why do you spend money on a building? Whatever it might be. Philippians 127, I'm following. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. So that whether I come and see you or I'm absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

I'm not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

As you know, dear listeners, the gospel is of first importance. First Corinthians chapter 15 verses one through six. And therefore it makes sense that Paul demands in this passage to the Philippians and to us as well, that we live in a manner worthy of the gospel as we stand firmly together for the progress of the gospel.

That's really what he's talking about here. And so it deals with enemies from without on the outside. What do we do in response to them? And it also should help us with family squabbles on the inside.

Remember the couple of the ladies in Philippians chapter four verse two that weren't getting along. What do I mean? Well, if the mission and purpose of your church, of this church, Bethlehem Bible Church, is found in the Bible, and it is found in Philippians as the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it's to be done as we're unified in this with joy and fellowship, wonderful fruits, then everything else, I mean, everything is subservient to that mission.

If the mission is go make disciples, if that's the great commission, if the mission of the church is to exalt Jesus and advance the gospel in the hearts of believers and unbelievers, then everything else is underneath that.

I think my brother was talking about the other day in Ohio. If you think of a football team, let's think of the New England Patriots. Today I'm recording this, it's the day after the draft. I think they drafted Drake May quarterback out of North Carolina.

Some players on the New England Patriots don't like each other, but when they were working together for, how many Super Bowls? Six, was it six Patriot Super Bowls?

Five?

They subordinated all their other differences, ideas, conflicts to the one main goal, let's win the Super Bowl, and we don't even have to be friends. We don't have to be best friends with everybody on the football team.

We have one goal.

And so for Paul,.

The idea was to walk in a manner worthy for the gospel, to strive together for the gospel, to stand firm for the gospel, to defend the gospel. And so every church needs to be defined by the gospel and its advance, the advance of the gospel.

That's why you exist. That's why the churches exist. Of course, this will have a lot to say about how sermons should not just be about morals and pietism and civic responsibilities and obligations. No, it should be about who Jesus is.

And then we walk in a manner worthy of who Jesus is. Whether it's Philippians or Colossians, Paul's consistent in his letters. Colossians one, him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

First Corinthians chapter two, whether you're in Philippi, whether you're at Colossae, whether you're at Corinth, Paul said, I did not come to you, brothers, proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

If Paul's writing to Rome, it's the same thing. Chapter one, concerning his son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith, to believe the gospel for the sake of his name among all the nations. Paul is very, very consistent.

He knows what the churches are to be all about. Galatian churches, who gave himself for our sins, talking about the Lord Jesus in chapter one, verse four, to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and father, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Paul’s Imprisonment and the Progress of the Gospel

And we could go on and on and on talking about this very Jesus, this very good news of the gospel incarnate. Now, when it comes to Philippians, when we think about that book a little bit more, Paul was in jail.

We don't know the exact location of the jail. I mean, I've been in Rome to the Mamertine prison and some people think it's that. It's probably not. I would hope, you know, for my own sake, for my own, you know, to say I've been there, it would be nice if the Mamertine prison were the place.

I remember sitting in that prison with my daughter, Haley, and I just got out Philippians and just read all of Philippians. Paul is writing to the Philippians from prison and there are lots of reasons he's writing, but, you know, he's got their gift, their love gift, and he wants to encourage them and he wants to let them know that even though he's in prison, the gospel's not in prison and that he can have joy and he's wanting to make sure that they're progressing.

Chapter one, verse 25, that they're pressing toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Chapter three, he wants to make sure they realize that the example of what he's after in their conduct is found in the Lord Jesus.

Chapter two, he wants to be clear that the motivation for living the Christian life is gratitude in the Lord Jesus' work. And so Paul is writing and he's just pouring out his heart and he starts off kind of autobiographical in chapter one, verse 12 and following, then he moves in chapter one, verse 27 to some precepts for the church.

So let's just look at the autobiographical context because what he's doing in his own life, what he wants through his own life done by the spirit of God, he wants done in other people's lives. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

Okay, he's in jail. How can that be advancing the gospel? So that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest of that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul's not in jail because he's a bad guy. Paul's not in jail because he's cheated on his taxes or said bad things about Nero or something like that. No, he's there because of the Lord Jesus and because he's proclaiming the Lord Jesus.

And he's got guards protecting him. And how did Paul respond? Well, Paul was still bold. And Paul still said in verse 15, some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is proclaimed.

And in that I rejoice. Who are these people? I don't think they're the Judaizers, the dogs of chapter three. These are people that, who knows, maybe they didn't think Paul looked good. He didn't speak well, and he's always suffering, and they're gonna go ahead and preach.

And Paul said, as long as they're preaching the real gospel, I'm happy. For I know that through your prayers, verse 19, and the help of the spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now, as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death, for me to live as Christ and to die his gain.

So Paul is trying to let them know that the most important thing, the critical thing in his life is the advance of the gospel, faithful witness to Jesus, the proclamation of who Jesus is. That's what he's really after.

And Paul says, convinced of this, I know, verse 25, and remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me, you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again.

Progress in the faith, advance of the gospel to unbelievers and believers. So we come to our passage now in Philippians chapter one, verse 27, which is kind of a major turning point. Instead of an autobiographical thing about Paul, he's talking about those that he's writing to, the Philippians, and of course, now, to us.

It's kind of an application. He's told us about his life and what he's doing. And now he comes to what some people call the thesis of Philippians. Others have called it the main appeal of the letter. And so in Bethlehem Bible Church's pulpit, I hope to preach this message.

And now today, in No Compromise radio world and land, we're gonna look at four questions every church and every church member must ask and then answer. Four questions that every church and every church member must ask and answer.

The Church Must Stand Firm Together for the Faith of the Gospel

Question number one, what should your church be all about? Or in other words, why does your church exist? I've already answered that, but I'll answer it again, for the proclamation of the gospel and its advance.

That's what your church should be about. Verse 27 of Philippians chapter one. The first word in the English standard version, only.

Only.

Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or an absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

Now he's just got done saying in verse 12, remember for the advance of the gospel. And remember what he's said in verse 25, the progress of the gospel. And we have to say to ourself the main reason why churches exist.

The one thing, to use a paraphrase of that word only, that's in the very front of the verse, is for the progress of the gospel. You say, well, what's the link to the last section? It's kind of a funny link.

Only, it just says. Some people think that means to take note or to pay attention, that's the idea of it. Here's the one thing. What I'm gonna tell you next, the imperatives that follow, my advice that follows, more than advice, exhortation from the spirit of God, is underneath the banner of the gospel of Jesus.

Monon, only, make this one thing your care. Nothing else. Vincent's word studies, this one thing I urge as the only thing needful. This one thing only. Writers will tell you, if this is the only thing, then you can't have all kinds of distractions and all kinds of deviations.

We don't wanna deviate from this. This is the one thing for the faith of the gospel, for the truth of the gospel. Obviously, faith in the gospel, but faith that is the doctrine about Jesus that is the gospel.

Of course, Jesus gives faith, but we're talking about faith in something. This is what focuses on the advance of the gospel. Faith, objective content, the object of our faith, Jesus Christ, what Paul has called the grand deposit of the Christian truth.

Remember 1 Timothy 6, guard the deposit entrusted to you. 2 Timothy 1, guard the good deposit trusted in you. Jude, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

This is the gospel, faith that's contained in the gospel about who Jesus is. The most important thing about any church is the advance of the gospel, monon, for believers and for unbelievers, so important.

And what are the implications? To stay on target, not to deviate. What are the implications? This should dominate our Sunday school curriculum, our VBS curriculum. This should help us decide what to do with resources that we have, missionaries to support, getting along with others.

Remember Philippians 4, 2, I entreat Jodea and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, somebody else who's getting in there to help them, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

These ladies have been working, serving on behalf of the gospel and it's advanced. And now there's a little spat between the two of them. And if the main goal is fellowship and community, well, then we better address that.

But if the main goal is the advance of the gospel, you two ladies, I mean, if I was just gonna counsel them, you don't even have to like each other, but you have to love each other and you have to love the main thing.

That's the Lord Jesus and the proclamation of his gospel. That's the mission statement of every church. Him we proclaim, Colossians 1, 28 is on our bulletins for a reason. The mission of your church is the advance of the gospel and everything else tucks itself underneath that as secondary tertiary priorities.

So I could ask you the question in line of Philippians 4, is there somebody at church that you don't like? Is there somebody at church that you don't even have to like?

Did you know that?

You don't even have to like people here. You have to love them though. And you have to love the main thing that is the proclamation of the gospel. We have bigger priorities here. We all rub each other the wrong way at times, but we need to squash that for the sake of Christ.

We need to make sure that what happened, I think, in my opinion, with Bill Belichick and Malcolm Butler, for one of the Super Bowls, the Wingham Patriots lost the Super Bowl because Belichick did not want to play Butler for personal reasons.

That's not what we're after here. We're after the Lord Jesus. It's a lot bigger than a Super Bowl. We wanna have the right priorities. And God sovereignly put us together with all our weaknesses and frailties, but a strong mission statement.

BBC exists to advance Jesus Christ in the hearts of believers and unbelievers. That is what we're all about. And that determines everything. If you wanna know the mission statement of the church, that is it.

Succinctly, surely, certainly, the gospel of the Lord Jesus. My name is Mike Abendroth. This is No Compromise Radio Ministry. Don't forget, Cancer Is Not Your Shepherd, 31-day guide on Amazon.

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