1108. The Mission of the Church

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The school was founded in 1927.

The evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent preaching from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series about the role of the church, Jason Ormiston, a faculty member in the Bob Jones University school of religion will bring today's message looking forward to this opportunity to talk with you about a pretty massive topic. The mission of the church and I think as many of the speakers will save you will do our best to get through as much material as we can, but really I just want to speak from my heart to yours about this thing about mission. The mission of the church you use the word mission were talking about something in action. I appreciated what Kevin DeYoung said in his book, what is the mission of the church. He defines mission simply is this a specific task or purpose that the church is sent into the world to accomplish so the purpose of the church is obviously I hope you realize this, to bring glory to God. You can look to the book of Ephesians 4 that the mission of the church. What were going to use today in the time that I have with you to go through three passages in the Gospel of Matthew. Now the reason for using Matthew, it may surprise you that I would go there is ideal Matthew as the text that the first century church used, to get things going because the first century church was comprised of Jews, and as they read through the book of Matthew, they would understand what God wanted from them. But let me try to illustrate just a bit. What is the mission of the church.

We talk about this perhaps you think first of all proclamation gospel proclamation and that is the mission. After all, the gospel is propositional. First Corinthians 15 is very clear that we are to preach Christ that he died, was buried, and rose again.

According to the Scriptures and rejoice in the fact that is coming again. Romans 10 tells us that you cannot understand unless someone preaches so you can just live it out.

You gotta proclaim it and so this is where a lot of us may land that the mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel to all the world and do it without being ashamed about about how, but the second option have this option called social reformation, justice, reconciliation, what am I talking about, what are you bothered at all. That one in eight people drink water in this world that could kill them. 18 and that's coming off of a website called water wells for Africa.org or how about Ebola does Ebola bother you at all. Do you realize that the World Health Organization directors called it the greatest peace time challenge that the world has ever faced with estimates there estimating that in November over 20,000 people more 20,000 more people will be infected and if it continues at the rate it's going 1.4 million people could be infected by January. What's the church supposed to do about that she do need to get over there to say get saved before the tie did say before he died from malaria. Have you heard this before in a we could actually with Ebola. It's difficult because were still working on what is the cure about malaria. We know we can do something about that and so may be a church should get behind the idea of trying to just this end malaria 483,000 children per year. That's 90% of Africa die of malaria each year 1300 kids who lose their lives lose their lives every day by mosquito bite. Should you care about that 1300 bit by mosquitoes.

I have one more human trafficking ideal. Are you aware that there are slaves today. This is coming from freedom for 24.org and I'm borrowing it from one of the students that give a presentation in class.

Just last week there estimated to be 27 million slaves worldwide. The industry brings in 32 billion a year, and those numbers are increasing daily. Reportedly, 161 countries are affected by human trafficking as either sources transit centers or destinations.

80% of traffic. Victims are more women more and more young girls and women are being sold trafficking and or forced into prostitution and this is just part rending that the average age of the trafficking victims worldwide his 12 years of age. Every hundred and 20 seconds a child is sold into slavery. 30 per hour, 720 per day. 1.2 million a year. What's the church supposed to do about that. While there are people that come up with solution how you respond to this particular mission statement. Or perhaps he would call it a summary of what we could do the whole church with the whole gospel to the whole world. If we do that when that be great. Now I expect that when you look at this. I expect that those on the main floor might think with me that you know this mission statement is clear, it's concise, it's compelling. Finally, sunset Bratcher thinking yeah it's about time that we get things in order. Any we do hear from our Chancellor frequently the most sobering reality in the world today is that people are dying and going to hell today so let's do something about. Let's get mobilize. Let's get going.

And that's what I would expect you to say as you would look at this. At least if you care at all today as I'm talking to you but you know there's another group that when they see that would rise within them great concern. Great concern and what were dealing with, I think, is not just about the main floor thing but a general generational gap millennial's a look at this.

You said this is right. We need to get together because we can do this, the baby boomers Gen Xers are St. Paul hold up a second wait a second who's defining the whole church. And please tell me who's defining the whole gospel.

I don't think we need help defining the whole world. That's pretty clear and I just wanted note for you. The tension that exists because I don't think were talking about the same things I think in general student body and talking for my heart.

I think that in general, would you hear what seems to be restrictions regarding who you're gonna partner up with it with the church or organization.

You sit there and you say they don't get it. They still don't get a winter they can get in and when you talk about this statement is my statement.

The whole church whole gospel whole world.

Some of us sit there and say I do understand what you're saying, who's defining the church whose defining the gospel what I can tell you that we can have hope. Spitzer hears the word of God that will give us definition and that's where I want to go together with you and it also states you that this is not some fancy mission statement I came up with loss and Congress. If you see the laws and movement that had three meetings started in 1974.

Billy Graham found that John Stott is written much on this and then it had another meeting in 1989 in them. In Manila, Philippines and at the Los Angeles conference. They had lots and covenant and Melinda Manila. They had the Manila proclamation where they're encouraging the redefinition of these terms and then most recently in Cape Cod, Cape Town, Africa.

They had a 2010 conference and are constantly looking and trying to save who is the whole church and what is the whole gospel to the whole world and it's it's really in the spirit John Stott puts it this way, the spirit of love Sam is the stirring by what God is doing in our day moved to penitence by our failures and challenged by the unfinished task of evangelism my start to read this stuff in here and I think to myself. Life is but a vapor that appears for a moment and vanishes away. I don't want to be held back by restrictions of my people saying you can't do it. I want to say we can do it.

The gospel is given to us is go get it got there and share the good news and you have some same will hold up your quote made popular by Augustine in the essentials, unity, and the nonessentials liberty in all things, charity Ormiston spin on that okay in the essentials. I think before we had unity we need to have clarity we can unite around something that we don't know what were talking about. So let's use Matthew as our guide them invite you to take your Bible and turn with me to Matthew 16, verses 13 through 20. Now only have a chance given time to spend just a little bit of time in each of these passages, but will allow the word to dwell in us richly and hopefully will see the point.

Each of these passages bring up or to see from this passage. Look with me. Matthew 16, verses 13 through 20.

When Jesus came into the coast of Sesser I Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, whom do men say that I the Son of Man am and they said, some say thou art John the Baptist. Some Eliasson others, Jeremias, or one of the prophecy set under them, but whom say ye that I am and Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God and Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood hath not revealed it under the but my father which is in heaven and I sanded the thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. Want to see something the mission of the church very first time we see reference to Eck Lacey of the called out ones in the Gospels here.

Matthew chapter 16 we have our first reference in verse 18. The mission of the church is to simply proclaim the great confession will encourage you to proclaim the great confession to what he thought he might break the question will notice in verse 13 the context to be in this area called Caesarea Philippi. It's a very beautiful area.

It is high and lifted up is the from quote from where Jesus walked the National Geographic it situated near one of the sources of the Jordan River 9232 feet high, majestic mountain Herman snow covered throughout most of the year in the immediate background and it's a truly a landscape of on forgettable picturesque and on top of that the theological nature of it is that it was the center where Philip the tetrarch said let's exalt Caesar and he built this territory of all these false gods in these images and so here we have Jesus with his disciples in there on this backdrop of God's creation in the midst of all of these false idols, and he turned to them and he says a question for you guys who do people say that I am notice he's asking the disciples. This is the context we find in verse five is talking to them now as he asked them this question they respond in a particular way they respond by saying John the Baptist will chapter 14 we already had a reference to potentially thinking.

Herod thinking that Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life. There were aware of Elijah and the prophecy in Malachi 45 rep something that hello Jeremiah why would they think is Jeremiah.

Perhaps because of his bold assertions as he's talking about the judgment oracles in chapter 11 or the downplaying of the temple in chapter 12 and then maybe one of the prophets three years about many looks at them, he says, but whom say ye that I am not who speaks up Simon Peter. Why does he speak up because this is what Simon Peter taught us. Peter says all speak out. I'll do that. I'll tell you. I'll tell you you are and he makes his bold assertion.

He says thou art Messiah, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, and I don't know if Peter was in their own while religious faith was perfect about Jesus, puts him in his place. He says you know, blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah bar Jonah, your flesh, man flesh and blood teacher said something profound. I want to know.

It didn't just come out of view because he goes on to say, flesh and blood, if not revealed it to be, but my father which is in heaven. This statement, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, the great confession. Jesus responds by saying to him, thou art Peter in this word Peter is the word Petra Ross or the reference to small rock and on this rock Petra a massive rock I will build my church, and she hit it I will build my church that there is debate as to what Jesus was asked to talk about is he referring to build the church. I knew Peter Bromley build the church on the confession, I think, in context, which is so important. If you look at in verse 20 it says don't tell anyone what you just said. I think it's talking about more of the confession. But if you pull in Peter being significant in it. He was significant.

He is one of the living stones that set up the foundation according to the rest of the New Testament, so don't get distracted by all your options get on point with me on this, the church's mission is to proclaim that he is the Christ the son of the living God want to be on mission. We need to be right there when you go to church. You need to make much of Jesus Christ. You should not go to church because the pastor preaches well you shouldn't go to church because they have a program that meets your needs. You shouldn't go to church because that's where you can use your gifts. That is not as insufficient. We go to church to proclaim that he is the Christ the son of the living God.

I want you to understand this is not about you. It is not about me it's about Christ as we start to grasp that we start to understand the great confession and we ask yourself the question MRI on mission or am I finding myself having roast preacher for lunch every Sunday. I was okay but you know that illustration, flopped about Christ you go to church. What you get out of it or what you can give in worship to Christ. What a beautiful statement that Christ makes when he tells them.

I will build my church. I think we get into this mass of trying really hard to build the church.

She says I'm in a do that just make much of me, and let the building part rest on me.

I will build my church, and when I do that the gates of hell will not prevail against it and in it when I look at this there's this great promise, Christ will preserve his church now as we talk about that. Is he talking about that will never see a local church ever die obviously not in America 30 504,000 churches close their doors each year. According to Barna study, we have reference to church at churches that are losing thousands of people every year to nominalism and secularism when it comes right down to it, Christ says I will build my church, his confession will go out are you to be on mission in that area. Christ promised to do that. I want to look at the second passage the second passage were defined as in chapter 22 verses 34 through 40 that this is an interesting one, because the first one is the great confession.

The second one I want you to understand is the great commandment so we are to proclaim the great confession were to practice the great commandment so we talk about what is this mean will notice what what happens here in Matthew 2230 in verse verse 34 but when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence they were gathered together than one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him saying master which is the great commandment in the law and what they're trying to do their testing him there trying to trip them up. They noticed that the Pharisees had put the Sadducees to silence or muzzle them so they didn't have a voice so they thought. This is my chance to get them. The lawyer, the one who is given to the law is very triple Christ. Actually, that will never happen and never did happen. They wanted to get him talking about all these commandments which is the best give an opinion on what is the best. I love a copy, but that we have that we can put on our coffee table actually don't have a coffee table so we put it in a shelf and pull out on occasion, but it's called the book of awesome give her that the book of awesome where it talks about little things that are awesome. I just bought one, and awesome is when in during the night having a hard time sleeping for a variety of reasons and use them simply flip over your pillow. The other side of the fellow of the pillow. He says folks because it's flat when you're citing freshmen are stale and cold when you're hot, baby. It's awesome that he goes on to talk about other things like a cashier who comes in jumps to the occasion when you have the person in front of you cruise the flyer guy forcing the store clerk to cut out every coupon or the guy that no math Jack who sticks and piles of extra items into the express lane acts like it's no big deal, or the one that the fidgety grandma with a ton of points and then you have the spry cashier the jumps up and says please say awesome. It's a here, the Pharisees let you know where it really gets you on this one. This is think of the law is a lot options effect. We've turned it into 613 options. So which is the best you know I love how Christ responds. She doesn't even talk about referencing taking sides.

He looks right at them and he says without hesitation, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind and then he goes on to say this is the first and great commandment in the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, and so we have reference to that.

His answer is scriptural because he quotes back from Deuteronomy 65 in Leviticus 1918 for his answer is simple.

Goes from this concept of 613 the 10 down to two summarizes one half of the 10 Commandments first war second half second six. His answer is substantial pieces on these hooks hang all the law and the prophets, and so the question is are you pursuing a genuine relationship with God. Are you pursuing a genuine relationship with those around you and I love how this reference to love shalt love is in the future tense which indicates that he is hopeful that this Pharisee, this expert in the law might actually buy in and converts. That's how Christ is. He's very hopeful when he presents the gospel. Notice the reference to you still love them with all your heart that has really reference your thoughts with all your soul, that's a reference to your motions and with all your mind. That's a reference to your will.

You're all in. When it comes to worshiping God.

And if this is the way you are with God than this is the way you're going to be with others so what's the mission of the church I think is we keep it and look at it. Matthew as a guide for the first century church is to make much of Christ, and as you're living out the gospel, not just proclaiming Christ, but you worshiping God. Sincerely, you're looking around and identifying needs and your helping people and that this is not clear enough for you.

One of the experts in the law came to Jesus and said can you help me know who is my neighbor was Jesus do in response. He breaks out from the book of Luke, the parable of the good Samaritan know your neighbor happens to be whoever you notice is hurting right next to the mission of the church is for us to proclaim Christ and for us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. It's not that complicated. Within that boundary includes many many things you can care about what's going on with human trafficking.

You can care about what's going on with Ebola. You can care about what's going on with malaria, but you need to make sure you keep everything in proper perspective, but I'm afraid what's happened is we had this great swing away from caring about other people and onto the same were right with our documents or deal with people see right through that minor.

You see right through that not calling you back to the mission love God, love your neighbor as yourself that the spirit of God is provoking you to think of someone who really needs you to love on them, why aren't you doing it. I don't have enough time to develop all this. But let me end with this thought on the last one in Matthew 28 6320 is this a familiar passage to you. I hope so. It's a reference to the great commission, but we need to do is we need to participate in the great commission participating in the great commission. I didn't use the word fulfill his.

I don't think were able to ever fulfill the great commission. During this era, but we sure can get our hands dirty involved in the lives of others but Stephen Jones recalled 30 handed discipleship in this passage talks to us about the reference of a group of people. 11 coming together on a mountain and it says very clearly, Jesus was there and they worshiped him, but some doubted. And I want to know is, as were called to fulfill the mission of the church and make disciples of the nations. It's normal for us to hesitate and even to doubt can I do this. Is this what I really should be doing the thing is, we are because verse 18, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Jesus says, go ye therefore, and teach all nations or make disciples and I perhaps you've heard this before. The main verb in this verse is make disciples and teach all nations, and it's directed is towards all nations not just people that look like you talk like you act like you select.

So while going assuming you're doing this make disciples. Baptizing connecting them with the local church, teaching them great theology in the name singular of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you. And though I am with you always, even unto the end of the age so we need to get back to making disciples, we have an emphasis on that this particular semester and it's an emphasis that God placed on the church for all the ages and I just have questions for you. Are you actually engaged in making disciples. So tell me help you with trying to bring it all together. This is my effort in application. The first thing I want you to consider with me on out. I was asked the question, do you really trust Christ to build his church do some of you come from homes of the pastors are missionaries and your parents are really struggling right now.

Encourage them with the fact that Christ will build his church. We need to do is just proclaim Christ, he is the son of God. Let's rejoice in that you are the Christ, the son of the living God, and let us rest in that fact trust Christ to build his church about this question. Are you a disciple of Christ are called to be a disciple of Christ and what I'm saying this I'm talking about a real disciple loves God you worship him all of your mind. All of your emotion all of your volition.

That's a decision you have to make and then how this last one make a disciple of Christ.

The skin on mission. Let's identify one person imagine that this is from John Thompson in his book urban impact. Imagine having only a brief time to live with the mission of providing salvation for all mankind and starting a movement that would affect millions of people for all eternity. The millions who never heard the truth would go into eternity without God, what method would you use Christ chose to use small groups in life on life sometimes one-on-one one on 2413 discipleship he lived with his 12 disciples whom he constantly talked to instructions, corrections rebuked personal example and training so back in Minneapolis and were sitting there going and were not on point.

We are trying hard to reach these who God is bringing us to Christ as image bearers so shutdown the league we started over as I go after the brightest and best athletes were going D1 we started with seventh and eighth graders. It was fun. No more dunking going on in okay Alan Anderson, the joy of seeing a guy like that enjoying Christ the joy of following Christ obediently and be willing to say I'm not on point I need to get back on point, they want to understand what I'm saying to I think in basic application. If we could begin a discussion between the millennial's and the Gen Xers are the baby boomers about what is the church. What is the whole gospel and how do we take the church the message of the whole gospel to the whole world. That's where we need to be.

That is our mission.

Are you on point spreading of God. I pray that you would take these words from Matthew and encourage us to follow you in Jesus name, amen.

You been listening to a sermon preached at Bob Jones University.

Dr. Jason Ormiston, which is part of the study series called Christ's body, the church join us again tomorrow as we continue the series here on The Daily Platform