THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

By Peter C. Cay-ohen

 

  1. The church has a MISSION – to preach the gospel to the world

 

  1. Mark 16:15 – Jesus commission his church to preach the gospel to the world

 

  1. Matt. 24:14 – the gospel is to be preached as a witness to all nation even to the time just before the end of the world

 

  1. Rev. 14:6 – Everlasting gospel to be preached to all nations before the coming of Jesus

 

Acts of the Apostles, p. 9 “The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.”

 

Desire of Ages, p. 822.2 “The Saviour’s commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel.”

 

  1. Important warning for church leaders and members

 

  1. 1 Cor. 9:16 – woe unto me if I preach not the gospel.

 

  1. Gal. 1:6-8 – curse is everyone who go and preach another gospel different from the gospel preached by the apostles

 

III. The purpose of preaching the gospel is to save souls

 

  1. 1 Tim. 2:3, 4 – God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

  1. Rom. 1:16 – The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. This was why Christ commission his church to preach the gospel to all the world so that all will come to the knowledge of the truth of the gospel and be saved.

 

  1. Mark 16:15, 16 – The salvation of men depends on whether they will believe the gospel or not.

 

  1. John 3:14-18 – Those who believe will be saved. Those who reject will be lost.

 

  1. 1 Cor. 15:1, 2 – All who believe are assured of their salvation, unless they believe in vain.

 

  1. Rom. 10:9-13 – True faith is believing in the heart, followed by confession with the mouth the Lord Jesus unto salvation and this applies to both Jews and Gentiles.

 

  1. Rom. 10:14 – But for men to believe and be saves, there must be preachers who will preach to them the truth of the gospel

 

  1. Rom. 10:17 – For faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of the truth of the gospel.

 

  1. The gospel of God is concerning his son Jesus Christ, thus all preaching done by the church must center on Jesus Christ

 

  1. Rom. 1:1-3 – The gospel of God is concerning his Son Jesus Christ. So to preach the gospel is to preach concerning Christ.

 

  1. 2 Cor. 4:5 – like the apostles we are not to preach ourselves but we are to preach Jesus.

 

  1. Acts 5:41, 42 – The preaching of the original Apostles centers on Jesus Christ

 

  1. Acts 8:1-5, 35 – The preaching of the members of the early church also centers on Jesus Christ.

 

  1. Acts 8:25 – By preaching Jesus it is said that they preach the gospel. This is because the gospel is concerning Jesus Christ.

 

  1. Acts 11:19-21 – other early Christians preach Jesus in other places and many come to believe in Him.

 

  1. 1 Cor. 1:23, 24 – Paul’s preaching centers in Christ Jesus.

 

  1. Rom. 9:30-32 – The mistake of the Jews was in focusing their teaching on the law and not on Jesus Christ as a means of becoming righteous.

 

What similar mistake did many SDA preachers commit in the time of E.G. White?

 

Signs of the Times, October 17, 1892 par. 1

“The eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us. This theme will quench unbelief; and yet, sad to say, Jesus has been dropped out of many, many discourses that have been preached by Seventh-day Adventist ministers. And why? Because these ministers had not Jesus abiding in their hearts by faith; they were not clothed with Christ’s righteousness.” –Ms 16, 1890.

 

Many SDA preachers focused their preaching on the law:

 

Review and Herald, March 11, 1890 par. 13

“You will meet with those who will say, “You are too much excited over this matter. You are too much in earnest. You should not be reaching for the righteousness of Christ, and making so much of that. You should preach the law.” As a people, we have preached the law until we are as dry as the hills of Gilboa that had neither dew nor rain.”

 

The 1888 message was given to correct this error:

 

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 92

“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. [SEE APPENDIX.] This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure.

 

“The uplifted Saviour is to appear in His efficacious work as the Lamb slain, sitting upon the throne, to dispense the priceless covenant blessings, the benefits He died to purchase for every soul who should believe on Him. John could not express that love in words; it was too deep, too broad; he calls upon the human family to behold it. Christ is pleading for the church in the heavenly courts above, pleading for those for whom He paid the redemption price of His own lifeblood. Centuries, ages, can never diminish the efficacy of this atoning sacrifice. The message of the gospel of His grace was to be given to the church in clear and distinct lines, that the world should no longer say that Seventh-day Adventists talk the law, the law, but do not teach or believe Christ.”

 

Counsels on Health, p. 524

            “But God did not design that the medical missionary work should eclipse the work of the third angel’s message. The arm is not to become the body. The third angel’s message is the gospel message for these last days, and in no case is it to be overshadowed by other interests and made to appear an unessential consideration. When in our institutions anything is placed above the third angel’s message, the gospel is not there the great leading power.”

 

  1. Conclusion

 

  1. Cor. 13:5 – let us examine our ourselves
  2. to see if our faith is founded upon the true gospel
  3. to see if our preaching is centered in Christ

 

  1. 16:25 – there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end is death.

 

Note: We might honestly believe we are preaching the true gospel when in fact we are preaching another gospel, or we might be dwelling on side issues.  So, let’s be careful.

 

Steps to Christ, p. 70

“So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love –this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation.”

 

Evangelism, p. 185

“Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended into the heavens, Christ coming again, should so soften, gladden, and fill the mind of the minister that he will present these truths to the people in love and deep earnestness. The minister will then be lost sight of, and Jesus will be made manifest.”

 

“Those who preach the last message of mercy should bear in mind that Christ is to be exalted as the sinner’s refuge.”

 

RH, January 7, 1896 par. 13

“The meetings have been well attended by the people of Armadale and Malvern, both afternoons and evenings, and on Sundays and Wednesdays, large numbers have come from the distant suburbs. The people say: “You cannot appreciate the change of feeling about your meeting and work. It has been commonly reported that you do not believe in Christ. But we have never heard Christ preached as at these meetings.” “There is no life in our churches. Everything is cold and dry. We are starving for the Bread of Life. We come to this camp-meeting because there is food here.” As they see our stenographers reporting the discourses, they plead that they be printed soon, and placed within their reach. One who is a Sunday-school teacher, took copious notes of Elder Prescott’s discourse on “God and Caesar,” and then made copies for two ministers who were interested in the subject.”

 

RH, February 11, 1896 par. 18 

“The theme of the addresses and Bible studies was, Jesus Christ: his love, his sacrifice, his obedience to the will of God, his life as an example, his exaltation, his ministry, and his messages to the church. Much of the Spirit and power of God was felt as these things were dwelt upon, and all were impressed that our religion must be more a matter of the life, and less a matter of theory.”