Mission of the Church
Text: Eph. 1:15-23
by Robert J. Young


Church--What is Church?

Introduction
It is the beginning of a new year, our students come back today, registration begins tomorrow, families are home, routines, schedules are before us. It is not too late to make resolutions. Thank you to our visitors, you honor us, most of all you honor God. We hope you like us, but more than that, we hope you like our God.

A Mission Statement
"The Grand Central church exists to walk daily with God and to lovingly serve our community through the gospel."

Have you considered that? What a lofty goal. What does it mean to be church? This is an important question. Today we seek to answer that question, not from our mission statement, but from the text of the Bible. Who are we? What are we about?

1. We exist to be church.
Ekklesia is an interesting word. Plato uses it in his Apology to refer to the jurists chosen from men of Athens. These are called out, but not called out of citizenship to renounce it, but called together for a purpose. Here the word has less emphasis on separation from past although such can be a valid point, more emphasis on purpose. This is consistent with Paul's use of the word at the end of Eph. 1.
To be church means to adopt God's purpose, to be God's people, his possession. We are called in hope, inheriting in togetherness. This suggests four things:

The church that is really church is a people with a passion for God's purpose. Let the church be the church. We are committed to being church. God has called us to him for his purpose, to bring together all in Christ.
Our first pressing question is, "Will we be church?"

2. We commit to walking with God daily.
We seek to be empowered, but to be empowered we must be in touch with the power. Hopeful, inheritors as sons and daughters, chosen ones. Paul speaks of a tremendous power, like bodily resurrection power. Awesome power, life-changing, spiritually renewing. But are we in touch with the power? Why are our lives not changed? How can we continue to change into his likeness and image?
Our second question is, "Will you walk with God daily?" Will we cultivate daily prayer, study, meditation, solitude, spiritual thought?

3. We commit to serving those about us in love through the gospel.
We are the overflowing of Christ into our world. Will you commit to being his overflowing presence?

Conclusion
We are people of God's purpose, God's power, God's presence in our world. This is our commitment, our goal, our dream.
Grand Central--godly commitment, for glorious Christ and a global cause, a godly community of God's children


Return to Sermon Index

Return to Young Home Page

http://www.bobyoungresources.com/gcmisssttmt.htm
Last updated February 26, 2001.