June 21, 2022 (Tuesday)
If leaders in a church are serious about leading the church to higher ground of Christian worship and service, it may get started by asking the members to write down what they believe the church should should be doing. Why the church? What should its objectives be? In almost every situation, the survey of the members will reveal five objectives of a church: Ministry, Witness, Fellowship, Worship and Nurture. Ways of expressing this and choices of words may vary, but, when analyzed, it boils down to these five objectives.
This week we are asking, “Why the church?’ The objective under consideration is “Witness.” In other words, one of our main desires is to let people know about Jesus Christ as our Savior. How does a church go about doing this?
Let’s take a look at the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost. The church grew from 120 to thousands in a matter of days. How did that happen? One hundred twenty prayed for ten days. The Holy Spirit fell upon them in great power. They told everyone about Jesus being the one and only savior of mankind.
Philip Tells Another Person About Jesus (Acts 8:35)Now that there were thousands, what should they do first? In my opinion, the time was right to pass along to all the new Christians the last words of Jesus before He was crucified: “Love one another.”
Individual Christians simply told their own personal experience of accepting Jesus as their Messiah — their personal Savior. And He was responsible for their having become believers. As the word spread to the Gentiles, they were thankful and spread the word to others.
No one had to tell the new churches that their job was to spread the word about Jesus. Their acceptance of Him had been the event that got the church started. The message that converted Jews and Gentiles shared was all about Jesus Christ. This was their central message, and it is ours today.
The church should exalt Jesus as Savior. This was their mission. This was their objective. This cemented their fellowship. This inspired their teaching believers and helping them to grow in their faith.
JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME
Will L. Thompson
1904
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad,
He’s my Friend.
Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my Friend.
(Interlude-Something About That Name)
Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.
Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.
WHY DO WE HAVE CHURCHES?
Five Objectives of the Church
Blogs This Week
MONDAY – MINISTRY
Churches are here to serve the Lord by serving others.
TUESDAY – WITNESS
Presents Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life.
WEDNESDAY – FELLOWSHIP
The church is a family in need of each other.
THURSDAY – WORSHIP
Christians are to honor and glorify God.
FRIDAY – NURTURE
Christians need help to grow.
The printed order of these five objectives is not necessarily the order of importance. They are all important, and each one is needed in the church. Local churches determine priorities as they are led by the Holy Spirit.