Threefold Functions Of The Church - Ekklesia Called-Out Community - Worship Upward To God - Fellowship Inward To Believers - Mission Outward To World - Acts 2:42
The heart of the church is found in one simple mission. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). That mission has three parts: we save lost souls, we equip the saints to become soul winners, and we send them out to the nations. A church that does all three is alive. A church that does only one or two will slowly grow weak.
First: Save the Lost
Jesus did not come for the healthy, but for the sick (Mark 2:17). Luke 19:10 says, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." The Lord's heart is seen throughout Scripture. On the day of Pentecost, after Peter preached, "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47).
Heaven rejoices over lost souls. Jesus told three parables in Luke 15 to show this. When one sinner repents, "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God" (Luke 15:10). A shepherd who finds one lost sheep rejoices more than over the ninety-nine that never wandered.
James 5:20 gives us a serious and hopeful truth: whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way saves that soul from death and covers a multitude of sins. Our witness is not a hobby. It can rescue a life from eternal death.
Jesus also asked a question that every believer should consider: "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). A soul is worth more than anything this world can offer, and that is why we must share the gospel.
Second: Equip the Saints
Saving souls is not the work of a few specialists. God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-12). The leaders' job is to prepare the believers to do the work.
Paul shows us how this works. He told Timothy, "The things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). That is four generations of disciples in one verse: Paul, Timothy, faithful men, and then others. Each believer who is trained becomes a trainer. This is how the gospel multiplies.
Third: Send Them Out
Jesus did not only gather disciples. He sent them. After his resurrection he said, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (John 20:21). The church is a sending community, not a waiting room.
The Lord's commission is clear. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-20). The authority is his, the command is his, and his presence is with us to the end of the age.
How Should We Measure a Church?
Many churches measure their success by how many people attend on Sunday. The numbers are easy to count, but Jesus measured things differently. The question is not only how many people come to us, but how many are sent out to make disciples. A church that gathers crowds but sends no one is a dead end. A church that trains and sends believers is a river that reaches the nations.
What Does This Mean for Us?
Each of us should ask three questions. Who in my life is still lost, and whom am I praying for by name? Whom am I training to teach others also? Where is the Lord sending me, in my home, my street, or my city, and am I ready to go?
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, you came to seek and to save the lost. Give us your heart for the lost souls around us. Equip us to make disciples, and send us out with your authority and your presence. Let our church be measured not by its crowds, but by the faithful disciples who go into all the world for your name. In your name, Amen.
Shalom,
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