What is the Essential Mission of the Church?

The mission of the church has been the subject of many heated discussions between brethren in the Lord’s church since the early days of the Restoration Movement. Our ancient brethren had a crystal clear understanding of the essential mission of the church, which is why the New Testament is hardly overflowing with debates about the issue. This, however, does not mean that the New Testament cannot enlighten us about the answer to this question. It is a matter of applying sound Biblical hermeneutics to the problem.

Most members of the churches of Christ will concede that the three major aspects of the essential mission of the church are:

• Evangelism (Matthew 28:19-20)
• Edification (Hebrews 3:13)
• Benevolence (Hebrews 13:16)

But, the brethren sometimes disagree about the definitions of these three things. Some think that evangelism is simply about getting people to “come to church”, while others insist that it’s about converting people from the error of their ways. Some think that edification is about keeping people entertained, while others insist that its about enabling people to grow, spiritually. Some think that benevolence is about showing the world that we care, while others insist that it must be about making a substantive difference in their lives. While Christians may dispute these things, the Bible holds the answer.

After His resurrection, but before His ascension into Heaven, Jesus said to His disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20). We call this divine imperative the “Great Commission;” and we typically mention it in the context of discussions about evangelism. But, let us not fail to recognize what the passage says about teaching. The Lord commands His disciples to “Go…teach…baptize…and…teach.” That is the essence of what the Savior instructs all of His disciples to do. Note that there is teaching, which comes before baptism, and then teaching, which comes after baptism.

Teaching is the biggest part of the Great Commission!

What we teach the lost matters.

If we are too timid to tell them the truth, then we may see them in the pew every Sunday, but we won’t see them in Heaven, because they were never “converted” (Acts 3:19). Jesus, Peter and Paul said things that made some people want to stone them to death! But, they stood their ground courageously and told people the things that they needed to hear. In many cases, they knew that they were risking their lives, but it was more important for them to tell the truth, and not to soothe people’s sensitive consciences with veiled references and vague generalizations (Acts 18:9-11). Our task is to tell people what they need to hear, and then let them decide how they will respond to it (2 Timothy 4:2).

Whenever I hear brethren talking about their efforts to reach out to the “unchurched,” it always makes me cringe. They, of course, are talking about their efforts to reach out to people with no religious affiliation, who do attend any church, anywhere. To be sure, this is a noble effort, and the “unchurched” tend to make good prospects for Christ, but what about the millions of others out there who are members of denominational churches? Are their souls not just as lost? Are they not worth the effort it takes to reach out to them? Did the Lord not teach us to cast a wider net, when fishing for men (Matthew 13:47-48)?

In their efforts draw in as many people as they possibly can, some elders and preachers may be perverting the message that is preached, setting aside the standard of Scripture for religious authority, and depending upon cheap theatrics and gimmicks to boost their numbers. In reality, church growth has little to do with the number of people who show up for Sunday morning worship. It has much more to do with the number of souls that have been persuaded to put their proverbial “hands to the plow,” without looking back (Luke 9:62). Evangelism starts with an invitation to “come and see,” but it does not end there. We must talk to our friends about the Bible, their attitude toward it, what it says, their response to what it says. Evangelism is about starting a dialogue, which results in the salvation of a lost soul. Courage is required to get that dialogue started.

“Edification” is an old word, which refers to the process of building something, or reinforcing a structure that is already standing.

In the Bible, it is a term that is applied to the souls of men, and to the Lord’s church, itself. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” It is every Christian’s job to build up and to fortify the church, as a whole and on an individual basis. “Exhortation” is how Christians edify each other. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” If we can exhort one another, then we can edify one another.

Edification is about positive reinforcement and criticism, which is designed to be helpful, rather than hurtful. There is absolutely nothing wrong with one Christian complementing a good job done by another. Jesus may have taught His disciples not to seek out the praises of men (Matthew 6:1-4), but He never taught them to withhold praise from one to whom it was due (1 Peter 2:17). In fact, Jesus praised the poor widow who cast her two mites into the treasury; holding her up as an example for others to follow (Luke 21:1-4). Preachers, elders, deacons, Bible class teachers, and others engaged in the work of the Lord need to hear that they are doing a good job. I know that, whenever I receive a heartfelt complement from one of my brethren, it gives me strength to carry on with the work! When was the last time you built up a fellow Christian by paying them a complement for a job well done?

Criticism is also part of the work of edification, but not the kind of criticism that is intended to be mean. If you can see that a brother or a sister is struggling with some spiritual issue, Jesus says that you must go to that person and “tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matthew 18:15). It is not supposed to be a confrontation, but rather a private talk between brethren. Most of the time, there will be no need to take it any further. If brethren can only talk to each other, in a spirit of love and compassion, most problems in the church would never grow any bigger (Galatians 6:1-2).

When we think about edification, let’s not just think about social get-togethers, but rather the development of deep and meaningful relationships. The more we love and support one another, the stronger we will be, as the body of Christ. Weakness in the Lord’s body is often the result of failure to connect with one another in more than just a superficial way.

“Benevolence” is a fancy word that refers to the work that Christians do to help those who are in need.

In Galatians 6:10, we are instructed to take advantage of every opportunity to “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Some think that Christians are limited to helping only other Christians, but Jesus taught us, in the parable of the “Good Samaritan” that anyone who needs help deserves our help, no matter who they are (Luke 30-37). Throughout history, it has always been the case that there is never a shortage of those who are in need (Mark 14:7).

Some churches are quite proud of all the programs they have, which are designed to help the needy. In many cases, they simply throw their financial and sometimes personal support together with denominations that are doing the actual work. The Bible teaches us not to have fellowship with denominations (Ephesians 5:11); even when it comes to works of benevolence. Is the Lord’s church powerless to help the needy on its own? By working together with denominations, are we not suggesting to the community that we are just another denomination, ourselves? These efforts may be backed by the best of intentions, but they are diluting the distinctiveness of the church of Christ.

When we think about benevolence, we typically think about flood, earthquake, or tornado relief. We think about BIG projects in far away places. But, benevolence is also about small acts of kindness, which take place right here, in our own community. Once, my mother said to me, “I wish the church had a program to give groceries to needy families on holidays like Thanksgiving.” I said to her, “Don’t wait for the rest of the church to do it. Do it yourself.” When she started collecting food from other members of the church, they wanted to help out, and before long, the entire congregation was in on the project. Sometimes, even one Christian, acting on alone, can make a big difference!