Why We Do What We Do
September 21st, 2008Fall is a busy time of the year at Ashville Road. A quick glance at the church calendar reveals three retreats, a youth rally or two, some banquets, a teachers’ workshop, Friends and Family Day, and the Fall Festival. When a church is this busy, it is a good idea to back up and remember why we do all these things.
We should be able to condense the church’s work down into two fundamental functions. First, it should be evangelistic. The Great Commission calls every disciple to spread the saving gospel to all creation (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16). Christ came to seek and save the lost, leaving us an example to follow in his steps (Lk. 19:10; 1 Pet. 2:21). The church is a soul-saving enterprise. Thus, Paul wrote, “So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10).
Second, the church’s work should be edifying. The church is God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16). But it doesn’t become a dwelling place for God overnight; it grows into that position (Eph. 2:21-22). For this reason, Paul instructs, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Rom. 14:19).
Why do we do what we do? A popular bumper sticker reads, “Jesus Is Coming: Look Busy.” I don’t know exactly what the creators of that slogan had in mind, but to me it expresses a dangerous sentiment: “As long as I look like I’m doing something, God will be pleased.” The church needs to do more than give the appearance of being busy. Everything that we do must be rooted in the important functions of evangelism and edification. If there is something that taxes our resources, and it cannot be linked to one of these important functions, let it fade into oblivion. Time is too precious to waste on frivolous activities in the church.
As we start down the home stretch of 2008, let’s examine why we do what we do and keep our focus. This is how a church brings lost souls to Christ, ensuring at the same time that it doesn’t lose sight of the spiritual growth of its individual members. In other words, this is the secret to church growth.