The Church's Mission

Last week, I and the staff at Harvest Bible Chapel, West Olive, had a unique opportunity.  We attended an event called The Elephant Room sponsored by Harvest Bible Chapel in Aurora, IL.  The purpose of the day long event was to bring together seven influential pastors, (James MacDonald, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, David Platt, and Greg Laurie) all of whom share a common love for the Gospel but take different approaches to ministry, in order to have candid conversation about a variety of church matters and issues, including money, church planting, culture, compassion ministry, and the like.  To say that the day was informative and beneficial would be an understatement.  It certainly challenged my thinking and gave me and my staff plenty to talk about during the three and a half hour drive home.
 
One of the themes that seemed to run through the entire day at The Elephant Room was the church’s mission.  While the pastors involved in the discussion had different opinions approaches, virtually everyone one agreed that the mission of the church was to make disciples which includes both the evangelism of the lost and the maturation of the saints.  Now I certainly believe that, but the question is, how do we get that done?  Some of the pastors at The Elephant Room see the corporate worship services as a primary way to reach the lost.  Each message, or at least a significant portion of the message, would be geared toward the lost, in other words it would be evangelistic in nature. Now, I’m not down on sharing the gospel in a message.  In fact, in preaching Romans 5:15-21 this past Sunday, I did exactly that.  But I do not believe the primary emphasis of the corporate worship service is to reach the lost.  Based on Ephesians 5:18-21, Hebrews 10:24-25 and other passages like them, I believe the primary emphasis of the corporate worship service is for followers of Christ to exalt God.  We gather to bring our praise, adoration, thanks, service, etc. to God for who He is and what He has accomplished in our lives.  If that is so, the question remains, how do the lost get reached?  Where is the gospel brought to bear?
 
I believe the answers to those questions are found in Matthew 28:19.  That verse begins by saying, “Go therefore.”  The mission of the church is not to invite unbelievers to the church, though that is not a bad thing to do.  Rather the mission of the church, as it relates to reaching the lost, is for followers of Christ to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in their daily lives.  In the Greek text, the word “go” is not a command but a participle.  In other words, the idea is, “in your going” make disciples.  At work, at school, across the fence with your neighbor, wherever you go, live out your faith and share what Jesus Christ has done in you and for you.  I wonder, how are you doing at that?  We need to understand, evangelism is not the pastor’s job.  It is every Christian’s job.  All of us are commanded by Christ to be His ambassadors (II Cor. 5:18-21).  That being the case, let me suggest four things we need to be, in order to get the mission accomplished.
 
Be prayerful.  We need to be praying for the lost people that we know, asking God to prepare their hearts and open their minds to the truth of the gospel.

Be biblical.  Make sure you are actually sharing the gospel in the way the Bible declares it.  The Gospel is not simply “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”  The gospel is that all men are sinners and the only way of escape from the power, penalty, and punishment of sin is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. While that message certainly needs to be shared in a loving and compassionate way, we must be careful not to water it down or compromise it in any way.

Be personal.  As you share the gospel, be sure to relate your story.  While the biblical content is critical, it is also helpful to share the circumstances surrounding how you heard and received the gospel and the impact it has had upon your life.

Be bold.  I know that many believers do not share the gospel because they are too afraid.  They are afraid of the questions they may get asked or the rejection they may receive.  Let’s be honest, sharing the gospel is not always easy, but Christ gave us the Holy Spirit so that we could get the job done (Acts 1:8).  It is not our knowledge, logical argument, or outgoing personality that makes for an effective presentation of the gospel.  Rather, it is the power of the Word and the power of the Spirit coupled with our obedience that brings people to repentance and faith.  

When it comes to the church’s mission, I’m convinced time is running out.  I urge you to redeem the time you have left by doing your part to reach the lost with the gospel.  When we obey the Word of God and rely upon the Spirit, we will see God do great and mighty things!