A pastor friend in Hawaii recently posted on Facebook this emphatic statement: “Make no bones about, the purpose of the church is EVANGELISM.” (Emphasis his.)
When I read that, various ‘purpose’ and ‘vision’ statements that I’ve found in the pages of church web pages came to mind. It is with a certain sadness that I confess that most were not nearly as Gospel centric as Pastor Derrick’s Facebook statement, however they did reflect a certain level of marketing savvy, with their slick visual presentations, catchy slogans, and often omitted actual scripture passages, that after all might turn off seekers.
So that I don’t appear judgmental (too late?), let me say that it was the contrast between the clear statement of my pastor friend and the content of church web pages that came to mind, not a desire to intentionally find fault with either the pastor’s statement or the content of church web pages. That contrast begs the question: “What should be the ‘vision’ of the church? Is there a single vision that evangelical churches, without exception, should share?
Perhaps there is:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” – Revelation 7:9-10
In my former career as a combat soldier, we might have called that passage of Scripture ‘the commander’s intent’ – the overarching goal of our mission on the ground. I don’t remember exactly when ‘The Commander’s Intent’ became a mandatory articulated statement in combat orders, but it’s inclusion in those orders helped us maintain our mission focus. We could always turn to it when the situation of the ground might have caused us to wander off on in a direction that, while doing the enemy harm, would have detracted from our primary purpose.
Our passage from Revelation reflects the Commander of the Universe’s intent – to have a people for Himself – rescued out of the mass of fallen humanity, so that one day they would gather around His throne, giving Him the honor due His Name!
And for a reason only God knows, He has chosen flawed, imperfect humans as the primary means of spreading the perfect Gospel message. This is indeed the greatest privilege ever bestowed on mankind and yes – the purpose of the church!
Thanks for the reminder, Pastor Derrick!
The Battle Cry 
As a proud obstacle raised against the knowledge of God, and in opposition to “the Commanders’s Intent” (Matt. 16: 13-28), the church (evangelical or not) is a dead duck with no chance of success or survival!
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Actually . . . while saving the lost is a necessary step in God’s eternal purpose, it is not, in fact, the eternal purpose. You did state the purpose when you said it was God’s intent to have a people for Himself. That was His intent before the creation, before the fall, and (though He did know we would fall), it would still have been His purpose even if we hadn’t.
God meant and means to have a house of living stones through which to express Himself, a family of sons and daughters to spread His image throughout the world, and a bride for His Son.
We tend to be very man-centric. God wanted something for Himself. That something is us–His church. He didn’t create man so that He could save us, but so that we could be His children, His house, His bride. Saving us became a necessary step when we fell from holiness. I know you know this, and I’m pretty sure you don’t disagree, Dan, but it’s an important point all the same.
Love in Him,
Cindy
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I think we are saying the same thing Cindy. God desired a people for Himself, man fell, He chose to save a remnant out of that mass of fallen creatures, and sent His Son to die for the remnant he chose to save. Further, God has given us the great privelege of spreading the message (the gospel), although He could just ‘make it happen’, I am sure.
The eternal purpose of God is multitude around the throne. The purpose of the church is to spread the message, with the vision of that multitude in our hearts, ‘the Commander’s Intent’ in view.
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As a wholly separate and independent identity from who Christ is (Matt. 16: 13-28), what we call “church” is truly in the business of “scattering” rather than “gathering” (Matt. 12:30).
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Ephrem, are you saying that the church has lost focus on Christ as the Son of the Living God (Matt 16:13-28)? Just asking.
Matthew 12-28 is set in the context of the Pharisees accusing Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelsebub and Jesus asking his disciples “who do you say that I am?”, and Peter’s confession.
You sound like you are saying that the church has forgotten who Christ is?
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What I personally say is of no value at all!
On the authority of the Jesus Christ, as reported in Matt. 16: 13-28 and John 6: 62-64; 8: 21-28, however, the church (a misnomer) is unquestionably suffering from an identity crisis for losing sight of Jesus’ defining moment, as the “Son of the living God”, or “I Am Who I Am”, or the “Father”(the all-powerful “God’s life-giving Spirit”) in the perfect and transfigurative death of Jesus on the cross (the real “church” which “not even death will ever be able to overcome”).
The parallel to the “flame coming from the middle of a bush on fire but not burning up” and the fulfillment of the promise to Moses that “all future generations are to call me” by the same name (Ex. 3: 1-15; Zech. 14) should be also underscored.
In my opinion, the specific context of Jesus’ question and Peter’s long-awaited confession is the healing of a blind man by slow motion of Jesus’ laying his hands twice as commentary on the disciples’ poor view of Jesus’ divinity reflected in their hiding of a loaf of bread from him (Mark 7: 14-21).
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“What I personally say is of no value at all!”
“In my opinion, the specific context of Jesus’ question and Peter’s long-awaited confession is the healing of a blind man by slow motion of Jesus’ laying his hands twice as commentary on the disciples’ poor view of Jesus’ divinity reflected in their hiding of a loaf of bread from him (Mark 7: 14-21).”
???????
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