Title The Three Missions of the Church
Contents
2004·10·01
While evangelizing, there are things that the people of the world are sarcastic about. It means, “The God you believe in, show me the Jesus you are preaching.” I am very upset when I hear this. How can we show God the Spirit? But it is quite natural for the world to say this. And we ought to listen to their demands. In other words, we must show Jesus to the world. How can we show them Jesus?
The Church as the Body of Christ
Because the Lord was resurrected and ascended into heaven, He is no longer in this world in the flesh. But before his ascension, the Lord established the Church. The Bible says that this church is the body of the Lord. The Lord made the church his body and made it continue to do what the Lord did while he was on earth. Therefore, the church, the body of Christ, must naturally show the image of the Lord to the world. And we must continue to do what the Lord did when He was on earth. How can the church show the Lord to the world? The church can show the Lord to the world by faithfully continuing what he did when he was on earth. Therefore, today we must know what the Lord did when He was on this earth, and try to keep doing it.
The 3 ministries of the Lord - The 3 major missions of the church
Jesus did many things while he was on this earth. However, all the works of the Lord can be divided into three main categories. The text says that He taught them, preached the gospel of the kingdom, and healed all diseases and infirmities. The Lord did three things: teaching, preaching, and healing.
If the church is the body of Christ, then the church must also do these three things: teaching, preaching, and healing. Here comes the three major missions of the church. Today the church is to teach, preach, and heal. Let's look at the meaning of these three ministries and think about how we should handle these three ministries today.
synagogue and church
The first ministry Jesus performed was teaching. But the Lord did this mainly in the synagogue. If we take a look at this synagogue, we can discover some very important things.
Originally, Israel was a temple-centered nation. For the Israelites, the temple was a place where God was present. In other words, the temple had the meaning of showing that God was among them. They offered sacrifices to God in this temple, and they felt God's presence. But when Jerusalem was captured, the temple was destroyed, and they were taken captive to the Gentiles, they could no longer offer sacrifices in the temple. The synagogue was created at this time.
The Jews built synagogues wherever they went. And there they worshiped God and taught the Bible. In addition, education, trials, and even weddings were held in the synagogue. The synagogue was not only the center of the Jewish faith, but also a place of life and a cultural center. Therefore, from the time the synagogue was built, the life of the Jews became synagogue-centered. However, it was the synagogue where Jesus mainly taught, and the apostles taught and preached in the Jewish synagogues not only in Palestine but also abroad. There were about 400 synagogues in Palestine at the time of Jesus.
The church, like the synagogue, should be the center of faith and life. The church should be our dream, our haven, and the place where our souls are restored. And it should be a place where we can meet the living God while worshiping and praying. The church should be a place overflowing with joy, thanksgiving, praise, and miracles. In this church, we must meet and experience God. It should be a place where you can shed tears through praise, taste God's touch through prayer, and enjoy the joy of meeting God through worship, and where you can hear God's voice. And the church should be a place where the fellowship of saints is abundant. The church should be the foundation and center of our lives. If the church isn't fun, our lives are powerless. But when the church is fun and enjoyable, our lives are powerful and rich. Therefore, we love the church, and we should come to church often to meet God as well as our beloved brothers and sisters. If anything happens, make sure to run to the church first. We must not build an empty church. Don't just pass by when you pass by. Make sure to stop by once in a while.
teaching
Jesus taught in the synagogue. Perhaps he taught the Old Testament step by step. A powerful lesson was passed on to the people. In this teaching, people were shocked and experienced the power. Jesus taught whenever he had the opportunity. The most important thing a church should do is to teach the Word of God. If this is left out, the church becomes helpless, disoriented, and unable to mature and develop further. Many problems in the church today stem from neglect of teaching. Our church will strive to teach the Bible. The saints must always strive to learn the Word.
Church is not a place to come to see. In the church, we must meet God while listening to, learning, and teaching the Word of God. Everyone must teach and learn. Because the Word of God is the foundation of our faith. You must learn, but you must learn and teach. You do not know how precious and blessed it is to teach. Teaching was the essential work of Jesus. And it is the most blessed ministry we must share today. We must become lay leaders who can learn and teach well in the church. Through this work, we can find answers to all our problems and discover what the Lord wants.
to preach
If you preach the Bible as it is, step by step, you will discover that there is God's will, plan, and command for us in this age. The subject of the sermon is always Jesus Christ. Because the subject of the entire Bible is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our salvation, the goal of our lives, the Lord of our homes, and our everything. However, the Bible, the Word of God, speaks only of Jesus. Therefore, preaching is to proclaim the word of God to the people of this age through the Bible, and it is also to proclaim Jesus Christ. Therefore, through this sermon, we meet Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord, and solver of all problems.
Furthermore, we must share this gospel with those who do not yet know Jesus. The most important thing our Lord did was preach the gospel of the kingdom. And the greatest command given to us is also the preaching of the gospel. Therefore, we must all participate in this work. We must never forget the goal of evangelizing those around us. In particular, all believers must participate in missions. We have been commanded by the Lord to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. Therefore, we must all be missionaries. If you have not become a missionary going, you must become a missionary sending. The way to become a sending missionary is to pray every day and give offerings with all your heart. We must all be involved in this work. Now our neighbors are dying. It is said that 80,000 people go to Hell every day. So, how urgent is the evangelism? Today, 80,000 people are going to hell, what have I done?
Healing
The Lord healed all kinds of sick people. In fact, salvation includes the concept of healing. In other words, salvation is not only for the soul to go to heaven, but for us to be rescued from our troubles, to be healed of diseases, and to change our lives. In fact, the Bible uses the word salvation in all of these cases. Jesus not only forgave sins, but also healed diseases and cast out demons. Today, our oppressed, crushed, and broken hearts must be healed in the name of Jesus. Not only that, but our diseases must be healed in the name of Jesus. Many of our complex problems must also be healed and resolved in the name of the Lord. We must not only receive the Word through faith, but also receive the miracle of healing through faith.
In the image of the Lord performing miracles and healing diseases, we see that the Lord is God and the Messiah. Nothing is impossible with our Lord. He also has compassion on us. So He heals us. Where the Lord, the King of Heaven, has come, sickness, death, demons, and problems will pass away, and the kingdom of heaven will come. Therefore, I hope that today our infirmities, diseases, and problems will be healed in the name and power of the Lord, the King of Heaven.
If one of the three major works of the Lord was to heal, the church today must also take charge of this work. Our church should be a church that raises the dead in spirit and binds up the wounded. And we must become a church where the poor and sick can experience grace, receive healing, and receive blessings. For this, we should try to gather together and pray. When we pray, the healing of diseases must occur. When wounded souls enter this church, they must be healed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of brothers. In addition, we must take care of our neighbors who groan in the marginalized and shady places of society, and we have a mission to transform a society full of sin. These things are also healing. In order for us to take on these tasks today, we need to be thoroughly trained in the Word, preach the Word boldly, and strive to pray with one accord. Give us this power today! Make me imitate your heart and give me the strength to do what you have done!
How blessed are our Lord's three major works of teaching, preaching, and healing today? The church is not only a place to enjoy these blessings of the Lord, but it is also a place to continue. By doing this, the church shows the image of the Lord to the world. The church is the center of our lives. We must all receive power, receive blessings, and carry out our missions while living centered on the church. The three major works of the Lord - Let's become a church that shows the image of the Lord to the world by carrying out the ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing with power! *