What is the PURPOSE of The Church

[bowhuntertex]

this is a very good discussion. I am learning a lot.

[tex4k]

This is a question I ponder almost daily, to often I catch "the church" involved in way to many things that I consider against faith. People have so intertwined faith with politics, business, and so many other things that they have corrupted themselves and can't see the dividing line anymore. Many when they read this will commence to squalling about how pure they are and how I'm placing blame to divert the focus from myself. Which only proves my point, they can't see the division. I haven't found a church that fills my need yet, but I am searching until then my church will be meditation and prayer. My prayer today is for everyone that sees this message to ask for guidance to seek Gods guidance and to be shown the light.

[Death from Above]

and if you are around East Texas tonight hit us up...just a bunch sinners spending time with Jesus

[yaqui]

I think the purpose of the church, depends upon the person asking the question. For some it might be to feel closer and hope to understand God. For others, who already have a spiritual relationship with God, it might be for more to serve others. And some are looking for Him.

And there are some that go, just to go, it is just what they always have done. I'll admit that I was in this group for many years, and recently have a renewed faith. If you are not happy with your church, shop around. I don't thing God really cares what the building looks like. He is more concerned with what YOU look like inside.

I will say that most of our closest friends came from meeting them at our church. Being religious, and centered around a faith based marriage, while also having a chance to bond through kids sports and have some good old fashioned fun helps.

I didn't realize this till recently, but almost none of our friends have divorced. We really strive to help each other out, and are there to as the bible says, Love On Another. We had struggled in the past and maybe would not have made it, were it not for the advice and guidance of our priest, who suggested out side help. Come to find out, many of our friends say the same thing.

Hope this helps.

Playa, if you are ever in Dallas, you are welcome to come to church with our family on Sunday, but before that, you must meet some of our other friends on Friday or Saturday night. We always have an extra seat a the bar with a cold beer waiting. Some of the guys don't drink, but we don't judge them. I call this the soft sell.

[trhunter]

There's no simple answer to that question. There are many purposes of the church: sharing the Gospel, encouraging believers, comforting those that mourn, helping the needy, worshipping the Lord, and on and on....

The church is the body of Christ. There are many parts of any body, and each part has a different job or purpose. All work together to give life to the body, and the overall purpose(s) of the body are accomplished only when all the parts work together as they are designed and intended to do.

1 Corinthians 12 & 13

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.



So if the church is Jesus' body, then the church's purpose is to be Jesus' hands, feet, and voice in the world. Jesus does many things, but He does everything for a purpose. He wants us all to find salvation through Him and spend eternity in Heaven with the Father. He does all of that because He loves us. So, we could sum it up and say that the church's purpose is to love God and love other people.

Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I couldn't agree more, to add you should go to church to worship the father and to glorify him and only him.

[woodsman]

Great thread!

To glorify His name.

The church does not exist primarily to serve itself (us) but rather to create disciples within its community and in all nations.

[SaltwaterSlick]

This is a question I ponder almost daily, to often I catch "the church" involved in way to many things that I consider against faith. People have so intertwined faith with politics, business, and so many other things that they have corrupted themselves and can't see the dividing line anymore. Many when they read this will commence to squalling about how pure they are and how I'm placing blame to divert the focus from myself. Which only proves my point, they can't see the division. I haven't found a church that fills my need yet, but I am searching until then my church will be meditation and prayer. My prayer today is for everyone that sees this message to ask for guidance to seek Gods guidance and to be shown the light.

You see, the trouble with the world today for a disciple of Christ, there IS NO difference. For the believer, EVERYTHING we are involved in includes the church and Christ's teaching... I "personally" have NO SEPARATION in Church and State. My acceptance of Christ as my Savior and Lord of my life means He influences EVERYTHING I am and do. Because of this, Christ told us we would be persecuted, and rejected specifically because we are HIS and we are known by His Name. I am not saying this is what you are experiencing at all, but this is the way it is for a believer. There is no separation.

[XBowHunter]

This is a question I ponder almost daily, to often I catch "the church" involved in way to many things that I consider against faith. People have so intertwined faith with politics, business, and so many other things that they have corrupted themselves and can't see the dividing line anymore. Many when they read this will commence to squalling about how pure they are and how I'm placing blame to divert the focus from myself. Which only proves my point, they can't see the division. I haven't found a church that fills my need yet, but I am searching until then my church will be meditation and prayer. My prayer today is for everyone that sees this message to ask for guidance to seek Gods guidance and to be shown the light.

I agree with your perception

[mikemorvan]

What makes you think the church is failing?
Where two or more, are gathered in his name. There, shall my church be...
Kinda like here.....

I think it is all too easy to have a skewed perspective. Precisely because we spend so much time with people that have the same views, beliefs, perspectives, etc. as we do. I am a sinner, saved by Christ, but still very much a sinner. I try to surround myself with good, decent, God-fearing, Christian folks. I totally accept that folks can and do worship where and how they see fit. But, there are fewer and fewer butts in seats on Sunday morning. I read too many stories in the daily paper about women, in OUR state and cities, being sold into sex slavery for the whopping sum of $35/head. I read about people being shot to death in a grocery store parking lot over a ding in a car door. On and on. If Christ were being made known i believe such instances would be way down. I could go on, and probably make less and less sense. I do think "the church" is failing. Which means, as a member of "the church", I AM FAILING. I must improve my walk, i must be more bold, i must be more knowledgeable, etc. I have control over my part in this world. I must do more.

That's about all i have to say about that...

[kerrbow]

The Church was created to bring us into divine fellowship with Jesus Christ. Everyone who believes upon Him is part of it. You may not go to a sanctuary and worship with a group of people that are part of a particular discipline(Baptist,Methodist, etc. etc.) but you are His. We were put here on this earth during our life to do one main thing and that is to glorify our Heavenly Father. The Church has struggled throughout history and today is no different. In the book of Revelation it talks about the book of Life being opened and if anyone's name is not found there they will be cast into the lake of fire. It mentions other books being opened that I believe are the books that contain the thoughts, deeds and words of those found lacking. The thought that the Church is failing is totally incorrect. It is a creation of the Father and cannot fail. Our puny human minds think because of all the terrible things in the world that we are not doing enough to correct these. The Gospel can stand alone and with the Holy Spirit will draw unto Him those that choose Life. Denominations do not matter in the big picture but God's Church is very important.

[Mudslinger]

My church is the great outdoors. Don't get no holier than that.

My thoughts and sentiments also. Turned off by church members and the "church" as a senior in HS in 1970. Have not seen a need to go since. I visit God when I am enjoying his beautiful creation we live on.

[Leemo]

Church attendance in some towns, region etc.... May be failing
But the Church is not failing , the problem with most folks as to why "they" don't attend, personal selfish reasons.

[Randell]

I used to believe that the purpose of a church is celebrating God, now I feel it is all about the money. I do not go to church anymore because of it. Too many churches are takers and not givers.

This

[SwineAssassiN]

I don't believe I've been closer to God than when I'm in the great outdoors. Nothing against church. My grandpa was a past for over 30 years and just retired. I was raised in a church.

[Artos]

Ok, so I think what you are saying to make each of us better/stronger through the collective?

"Iron sharpens Iron..."