What is the purpose of the church?
Great question. Two powerful passages answer this question best.
First, The Great Commission.
Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
“Go and make disciples” means to connect people to God through Jesus Christ.
“Baptizing them” is a way of connecting people to other Christ-followers.
“Teaching them to obey” is the process of maturing as a follower of Christ.
This passage presents us with the first three purposes of the church. Now, here are the last two as described in another passage.
Matthew 22:36-40 (NLT)
36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
“Love the Lord your God with all” is living a life of worship.
And finally “Love others” is serving others.
We have summarized these purposes within our mission statement. “Stuttgart Harvest Church is loving the Father, Family and Friends.”
Loving the Father is a lifestyle of worship.
Loving Family is connecting others to Christ-followers. Christ-followers make up the SHC family.
Loving Friends is both serving others and also loving them enough to help connect them with God through Jesus Christ.
This makes up our focus because God has highlighted it as the purpose of the church.
