What is the church's purpose? (Part 1)

Thanks for tuning in to No Compromise Radio with pastor and author, Dr. Mike Ebendrock.

Today on No Compromise Radio, we'll be hearing Pastor Mike open the Word of God in a recent message he preached at Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Now let's join Pastor Mike in progress as he preaches through the Scriptures verse by verse with No Compromise.

When you're out of town, you go to different churches. And I'm a simple man and I just like to go to a church that preaches the

Word, that preaches Christ Jesus. I don't really care about the music, I don't really care about the atmosphere,

I don't really care about the building, I don't really care about much but give me Jesus. Remember one time in California we took the kids to an emergent church.

We went to the worship service on Sunday morning to a good church and then Sunday night we went to an emergent church and people were painting on the walls during the service.

You could walk up and take communion any time the Spirit of God led you. There were some ladies over to the side making a crucifix out of broken beer bottles.

And I remember my kids looked at me and they said, Dad, is this a church? I said, no, now be quiet.

I listened to a sermon preached locally, not here, but locally about a week ago and the pastor said, you know what, we're all on a journey, we don't want to stop believing about things, here's a psalm of ascent, but before we do that, the number one song of all time is a journey song,

Don't Stop Believin' or something like that. Played part of the song, exegeted the song, played a little bit more of the song, exegeted some of the psalm and I just thought, what is going on with people?

What would you do if I said, all right, I'm back from vacation, we're going to try a new style, Natalie, cue it up, a little

Bachman Turner overdrive and let's go. What are people thinking? What's the purpose of the church?

Why do we exist? And if you answer that question, everything falls in line. So I ask you this morning, why do we exist?

What is the purpose of Bethlehem Bible Church? What's the vision statement of the church?

Do we have a vision statement? What do local churches do? Why did Jesus ordain local churches?

And if you'll turn your Bibles to Colossians chapter one, let's ask the question and then answer it with the words of scripture.

How does a church honor her King Christ Jesus? It's not rocket science, it's just sheer stewardship.

In a day and age where people are trying to manipulate our minds and congregations and wallets, what does the

Bible say about a church that honors Christ Jesus? There is a reason why in your bulletin on the front page or on your bulletin, there's one verse.

Every single week, there's one verse on top of this bulletin. There's a reason because that is our flagship verse, as it were, that is our mission statement, that is why we exist.

And again, I didn't get much sleep and I've been out of town, so I think maybe I have a little license. Over my dead body, are we going to do anything else but that?

By the power that God gives us, we are a local church designed to honor Christ Jesus and you'll learn today why we exist, what do we do, who tells us what to do.

And so this morning, we'll look at Colossians chapter 1, this great book, Colossians, that talks about Christ Jesus, the preeminent, wonderful, sufficient

Savior. I'll read Colossians chapter 1 verses 28 and 29 and then we'll have a little background and then we'll see how our church should honor

Christ Jesus. Colossians 128, Him we proclaim, Jesus Christ we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

Paul said, for this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

What was happening in Colossians? Of course, you don't want to just dive into a book, so what was going on here at the city?

Here's what was going on. Jesus is good, the false teachers would say, but he's not everything.

Jesus is okay, but he's not the best. Jesus is, he's not a false teacher, but he's just not everything you need.

That's what the false teachers were spouting. And they essentially said this, that your

Christian life is Jesus plus. Jesus plus angels,

Jesus plus mysticism, Jesus plus experience, Jesus plus, Jesus plus,

Jesus plus, and when you add Jesus, you're really, add something to Jesus, you're really taking away from Christ sufficient atonement.

And now this church that Paul loves is dealing with the crisis, and where's Paul providentially?

Where's Paul? Where would you think God would place Paul to help nip this issue in the bud? If you were running the universe, where would you have

Paul strategically placed? On Main Street in Colossae, wouldn't you? And where's

Paul instead? He's in jail, far away. And so Paul writes this letter at a crucial time to correct this church and to lead them into the right thinking in this desperate time.

And he basically says, Christ is all you need. He alone is preeminent. So this morning, let me give you three essentials for a

Christ -honoring church. Whatever church you go to, if you're Dave Jeffries, disobeying the will of God, moving to Texas, looking for a new church, this is what you look for.

I go out of town for six weeks and Jeffries leaves, how does that work? Whether you're out of town, whether you're thinking about moving, whatever it is, what do you look for in a church?

Three essentials for a Christ -honoring church. For you, for me,

I think it would be good to kind of just readjust our thinking as well, even if we're the ones staying here.

Number one, the first essential for a Christ -honoring church is you need to remember the church's purpose.

Let's call this the right purpose. What is the purpose of the church? If you want to honor the Lord, you need to have the right purpose.

If you are aiming at the wrong thing, you're sure to miss the right thing. What is the goal?

What's the goal here? I'll tell you what the goal of this church is not. The goal of this church is not a new building.

Are you kidding me? The goal is new building? Is the goal more money? Is the goal to sell this building?

Is the goal to have more pastors and have more missionaries? What is the goal? More people?

We just need more people. If the goal is a new building, then let's bring in the professional fundraisers.

Let's call them what they really are, professional money extractors, and then I'll just let them extract money out of you.

If that's the goal, we need a new building, then we need money. Isn't it nice to know, by the way, that we are the church?

And whether we meet in the compact center, people who meet there now, it's not a church, but if we were to meet there in the compact center, or we meet in the catacombs, we are the church.

It's not the building. What is the goal? Friendship?

My kids like it. I like the music. What's our goal? Look at chapter 1, verse 28. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may.

Here's what Paul and his entourage thought about when it comes to the church of Colossae, and it easily implies for us as well, implies to us, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

What is the goal of the ministry at Bethlehem Bible Church? And I'll tell you in one word, maturity.

Maturity. If you have children, this should be an easy one, because what's the goal for you as you raise your children?

Fun? Oh, it's good to have fun, amusement, oh, it's nice, entertainment, yes, education. Here we say,

I'd like to have my kids grow up. The goal of the ministry at our church is maturity.

And it sounds normal to us, because we hear the Bible every week, but in a world filled full of consumer entertainment, this is kind of like a shock to the system.

This is when you go to California, northern California, and you're thinking, you know, there's sharks in these waters right here, sharky, sharky, bitey, bitey, but so let's just get in carefully, but then you forget how cold it is.

This is like plunging into a swimming pool full of crushed ice. The mission statement of the local church is that we might mature in Christ Jesus.

I get asked all the time, where's our mission statement? You might want to just underline this. I have some church vision statements online that I found this morning, and why we need to have church vision statements according to this group.

This group says, remember, this is your vision. It's the way God sees you. If your vision is small, your church will be small.

If you think God's view of your purpose is small, you've been deceived. That's why you need to dream big. Here's this church's vision statement, quote, we see the

Life Church as dynamic, spirit -filled, multicultural church, numbering in the thousands, impacting our city, our nation, and our world through leadership development and church planting.

I guess those are good things, but the goal of this church, the goal of Paul, Paul's goal for Colossae was that you would be mature.

That's what we're after is maturity. We're not after big churches. Somebody said to me the other day, they were doing some business plan, and a so -called

Christian said to this other person, you don't think it's God's will for you to be poor now, do you? I said, it just might be

God's will for you to be poor. It might be God's will for our church to be small, large, that's up to the

Lord, but our goal is each one of you, maturity. I dare you to sit here week after week without feeling the pressure of, in light of the grace of God, in light of what

Christ has done, I feel the pressure to grow, and to quote John DeBrine, you either grow in grace or you grow in disgrace.

There are some senior citizens here, I know it, I knew it. We want to mature to look more like Christ, don't we?

As the Spirit of God energizes us, we look more and more like Christ Jesus. Maturity is the goal.

And who comes up with the goal? The vocal minority, the democratic majority, Barna, pragmatists, church history, creeds?

Well God told me this is what we're supposed to do, I've heard it many times and I've heard friends tell me that the pastor said,

God has told me we need to move to this new land. God has told me we need a big building. God has told me we need to do this.

God has told me we need to do that. I don't know who tells that person, maybe some free holies told the person,

I'm not sure, but it wasn't God because here's what God tells the person. If you're going to be in leadership, the goal of the church is maturity.

Cambridge Declaration said, the Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation and is the standard by which all

Christian behavior must be measured. My goal is in a new building. Frankly, if we get the new building, great.

If not, what changes in my life? If we sell the building, great.

We could be here for 10 more years. So here the Lord has for 14 years helped guide us, helped guide me to say, you know what, the goal of the church at Bethlehem Bible Church is maturation.

Now all of a sudden we have an opportunity to expand and grow. By the way, I think this is all the Lord's problem because I didn't try to recruit all you people.

I didn't try to get you all. I can't satisfy you all. There's nothing I can do about it, but God has given me a bunch of people, so I think he'd probably give us a building, don't you think?

Because my goal is maturation. My goal is not financial, not for applause, not having a big church.

I want you to mature, and I want to look at each one of you, or I can't do it, take too long, but every one of you,

I want you to learn and grow that we may present every man in Christ.

People say, well, I'm going to leave if that's the goal. We'll miss you, but I don't think you're going to leave because I think you know deep down when there's a crisis in life, how do immature people handle crises?

One of the reasons why I love Pastor Dave, and there's many, but here's one of the reasons. Dave is mature, so when a crisis comes, it's not this apoplectic anxiety attack.

There can be stress, and there can be, we're going to have to rely on the Lord, and we're going to have to rely on the

Lord. The Lord's been through the ringer, and they're mature. How does a mature person respond to trial? Paul says, take a look, that we may present you.

There's a future evaluation where Paul and Epaphras and others, along with Paul's entourage, has to present the church that he was responsible to God on the bema seat judgment.

This is what we did. To present, this is the same language when

Jesus might present to himself the church in all her glory. same language in Romans 12,

I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice.

Just as Hannah presents Samuel to God, pastors, apostles, prophets,

Bible teachers say you know what on Judgment Day I've got to present you to the church, I mean to the to the

Lord of the church and I want you to be immature. No, I want you to be mature and look at this, how many times do you see every man in verse 28, in verse 29?

Every creature, every person, not just the elite, not just the special Gnostic group, well there's the in club and there's the, no if you're a man, woman, or child

I don't care how old you are I want you to mature. It's not just a select group, not just the discipleship people, every person, every man, every man, every man and what are we supposed to do?

We're supposed to present every man complete, or mature. If you studied the word complete or mature in the

Old Testament, here's the driving force, and I think there's a good spillover in the New Testament. A mature or perfect person in the

Old Testament was wholeheartedly devoted to God. Wholeheartedly devoted.

They had grown up, they had matured, I remember when I was a kid I always had that growing bean thing that you'd stand underneath and your mom would measure you.

I tried to always get up on my toes a little bit and cheat, but men were born good so I knew it was just my inner goodness rising and so I would mark myself and I want to grow.

Well, we're to grow but how do you see growth? You see growth by yourself, by seeing yourself get out of yourself and be more wholly devoted to the

Lord Christ Jesus and His work. As Luther said we're curved in on ourselves as unbelievers and as new

Christians, as immature Christians, and now as God works in our heart and matures us it begins to work out this wholehearted devotion to God.

I could ask you the question, are you more devoted to God now than you were five years ago?

One year ago? And if you can look, I mean if I compare myself to yesterday

I'm thinking, well maybe not because I lost my sanctification, I'm back in Massachusetts.

But five years ago I am different. I do have, of course, peaks and valleys but I can see

I'm getting turned away from myself with this devotion to God that He's working in me. First Kings 8 says, let your heart be wholly true to the

Lord our God. And here's the thing, if I wanted to fleece you I would not let you grow in Christ.

I would prevent it. I wouldn't want to preach to you doctrine in Christ. I want a bunch of how -to sermons and I'd give you a bunch of journey songs because then

I could manipulate any way I wanted to. I could fleece you. You show me people go to Benny Hinn on Saturday and it was canceled.

That was sad wasn't it? Couldn't happen to a nicer false prophet.

We're broke. Hallelujah. You keep people immature and then you can manipulate them.

If you have people grow, it's hard to manipulate them. If I got up today and I said we're changing everything and I'm gonna start telling you a lot about psychology because God has really moved in my heart a lot of psychological things.

I don't think you'd put up with it. Lou's already shaking his head. Lou's the only guy that said amen when

I said I'm glad to be back. He's already shaking his head. We're not gonna let that happen. It's hard to take advantage of mature people.

And how does maturity look like in your life? Well now when you're gonna evangelize you you can by the grace of God.

You don't have to call the pastor. You can disciple. You can train. You can give counsel to people.

You know how to pray. It doesn't mean everyone here has to be a pastor, pastor's wife, missionary, or evangelist but I think there should be a bunch.

We need good plumbers. We need godly business people. We need godly mothers right here. But the way

Paul has heard from God directly as an apostle was the growth of the church, the people, is the goal.

Do I want church growth? Yes. I want you to grow. I don't care how big this thing gets.

We've had a holy huddle with how many do we have here 70 or 80 and we've had a lot of people. There's one person said

Mike knowing your personality this will never be a mega church. So and then of course when

Christians mature they evangelize more. They give more. They do all this other stuff more.

Other stuff meaning I don't mean it sacrilegiously the biblical disciplines more.

Sing better. The list goes on. They do the one another's better. The responsibility of the elders of Bethlehem Bible Church and my responsibility is that you grow.

Now let's not get all caught up in everything else that's going on. We're glad to buy the land. We're glad to have building plans.

We're glad to try to sell this place. We're glad to do all the other stuff. But I don't really have to have any of it.

I don't have to say you know what I want that so bad I'm gonna change course. I don't want to change course.

I want you to grow. And by the way if you think you're mature now then please be mature even in your analysis of what do we do.

I don't want to go to two services but we'll eventually probably have to go to two services unless God removes a bunch of you.

If God brings more people we have to go to two services. Then maturity is going to say well I don't really like it but I guess

God is sovereign. You say well you know what that's gonna make two churches. Yeah I guess God can't do anything with two groups of people coming in.

I guess he could just never bless that. Maturity says you know what in light of what God has given us we are to be faithful.

Stewards are found faithful. It's all we need. Does this sound familiar?

And he gave some as apostles and some as prophets some as evangelists some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the

Saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the

Son of God to a mature man to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Does that sound familiar? That is like a mirror to what Colossians 1 says. Ephesians 4 and Colossians 1 it's the same.

We want you to be mature. We want you to grow. That's my goal.

It's not trying to make relevant. How could I let me ask you a question. Is anything more relevant in the universe than God?

Because if there is I don't know it. Well you've got to be relevant. I have only God to give.

I'm not sure if the creator of the universe the one who can forgive sins is very relevant to you but he is relevant.

My goal is not to entertain you. Whether you're a sheep or whether you're a goat my job is not to entertain.

It's a great little article by Spurgeon calling called feeding sheep are amusing goats. You ought to read sometime.

I'll just give you a snippet. If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak of it?

Amusement. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. That's clear enough. So it would have been if he had added and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.

I did not hear Jesus say run after these people Peter and tell them we'll have a different style of service tomorrow something short and attractive with little preaching.

We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they'll be sure to enjoy it. I read that and I thought tonight

I was gonna say this morning come tonight we're gonna have a sermon we're gonna have some ice cream we're gonna have some song singing and I think you'll really enjoy it but I'm not gonna say that now.

You're gonna hate it. Be quick Peter Spurgeon said we must get the people somehow.

The goal isn't consumer isn't how many people we can get here. The goal is maturity and with maturity we will be helped with temptation help with trials your trust in the

Lord will be increased. But I have a question how do we get there? If the goal is maturation then how do we get there?

And the verse goes on to tell us which gives me the second essential for a Christ honoring church. The goal is to get unbelievers then we water down the gospel.

If the goal is to make you have an experience with warm fuzzies then we clip the gospel. If the goal is numbers then we do self -help.

But if the goal is maturity then what do we do? Verse 28. The second essential for a

Christ honoring church is the right preaching. Preaching about the right person Christ Jesus.

Look at verse 28. Him we proclaim. There you go. Christ we proclaim.

How do you get people mature? 10 promises, 12 steps, 40 days.

No. Him we proclaim. You talk about Christ Jesus say well

I already know about Christ Jesus I got saved a long time ago now I need to know how to have a better marriage. Him we proclaim.

It's an ongoing tense over and over and over and over and over and over.

Luther said we always preach him the true God and man. This may seem a limited and monotonous subject likely to soon be exhausted but we are never at the end of it.

And don't mature congregations love to hear about Jesus? I pretty much had enough of me all week.

I was gonna say haven't you? But I just got here. Haven't you had enough of yourself all week? Like when

Anita was singing. He's my best thought by day or by night. I need to be reminded who this

God is. And so Paul and Timothy and Epaphras they proclaim

Christ. The false teachers at Colossae they proclaim themselves. They proclaim other things.

Paul said that's not what we do. They don't want you to be mature. We do. How do you get maturity? You hear about Christ Jesus over and over and over.

Barnhouse said if Satan were really to take over a city this is what would happen. The bars would close.

No alcohol would be sold. There'd be happy marriages, well -behaved children, no crime and everyone would be in churches on Sunday where Jesus Christ is not preached.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Ebendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life -transforming power of God's Word through verse -by -verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 830 and 11 a .m. and Sunday evenings at 6 p .m.

We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston, Massachusetts. You can check us out online at bbcchurch .org

or by phone at 508 -835 -3400. The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.