Ecclesiology III: What Must a Church Do?

Mission – Commission to the World

“Make disciples of all nations”

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples (Ps. 96:3)!

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14).

Mission Objectives

• A church ought to partner with local and global mission partners.
• All members ought to invest their lives so that others may come to know Jesus.
• All ages are encouraged to pray, give, and go for the sake of the gospel.
• We have numerous opportunities to engage in the mission of Jesus:
  • Church Multiplication
  • Community Outreaches
  • Unreached People Groups

Ministry – Commitment to the Church

“Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”

To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12).

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Pet. 4:10).

Ministry Objectives

• Baptism communicates that you belong to Jesus and a local church.
• Being a part of a family means you do your part for the benefit of others.
• Each member ought to find an intentional place of service based on his or her spiritual gifts and passions.
• To ensure maximum fruitfulness, all should prioritize a progression of leadership development.
• A church ought to ensure they can minister through age-based and need-based ministries.
• If all did their part, all needs would be met.

Discipleship – Commandment for Discipleship

“Teaching them to observe everything I commanded you”

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2).

A disciple is not about his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40).

Discipleship Objectives

• Salvation is the starting line – not the finishing line.
• If there is a true profession of faith, there should be a true progression of faith.
• We need to be a people who prize more than isolated, introductory faith.
• A personal plan for discipleship helps you have an intentional path to see progress in the areas that matter most.
• A smaller group helps connect you to people you can encourage and by whom you can be encouraged.

Worship – Communion with Jesus

“I will be with you always”

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Rom. 12:1).

Worship Objectives

• Preaching is God’s revelation to us; worship is our response to Him.
• The Bible is central to our preaching because it is God’s revealed Word to encourage an obedient response from us.
• A gathered time of worship is when the church comes together to collectively say what we should have been portraying all week long.
• If the goal of worship is to reflect heaven, we must ensure that our differences don’t keep us from uniting together.
• The best chance that the next generation will learn to worship God is by witnessing parents and mentors who do that passionately.
• God’s favorite style of worship is a lifestyle.