Once again this week our church is sending out mission teams. Our Youth Choir will be in East Tennessee for the coming week while our Carpenters for Christ are in Louisiana. Please remember these groups in prayer for the success of their ministry. You will want to be present next Wednesday evening for the Youth Choir Homecoming Concert.
I am preparing a teaching message for Sunday evening on our Baptist heritage. Many will be away due to the trips mentioned above. Therefore, we will move the evening service to Room 154 where we will have a prayer time and the message.
One of the most important parts of our Baptist history is the emphasis on the local church. The Bible teaches three primary purposes of the local church. No matter what else we do, these must be central to the church and to us as individual members. One is to glorify God. That should be the ultimate purpose of every Christian and his church. It sounds simple, yet it is profound. Every church must ask the pivotal question, “Are we bringing glory to God by what we are doing?” and every member should ask, “Is my relationship to the Lord and the church that which gives glory to God?” Another way to look at it is to ask, “What kind of church would it be if every member were just like me?”
A second purpose is to make disciples. Churches are not simply told to witness, but rather, to make disciples. Disciples are not just people who believe in or even follow Christ. They are people who do what He commands. What is it you do which is a result of fulfilling a command?
Third, churches are called to be salt and light to the world, to make a difference. The ancient use of salt was both to preserve, to flavor tastefully and to heal. Light overcomes darkness. What are we doing to make that kind of difference in our world?
In light of these brief, yet basic, comments, I urge you to evaluate our church and your part in it. Most Pastors I know are deeply concerned about the lack of desire by many members to fulfill these most critical purposes of the church.