MISSION AND WORK

        Although the Margaret Street church of Christ is made up of imperfect people, we realize that the Lord's church is a spiritual organization with a spiritual purpose governed by spiritual rules (found in the Bible). Our souls will outlast our physical bodies. They were made for eternity and need to be saved and made ready for the home prepared by Jesus.

        The mission and work Jesus gave His church is first and foremost spiritual in nature; teaching the truth and saving souls. The great commission He gave just before His ascension to heaven is: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20). He said that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Lk. 24:47). He said in Matthew 11:28-30: "Come unto Me... and you will find rest for your souls. ". The rest He offers is for the soul. He gives peace of mind and promises an eternal home in heaven when this life is over (Jn. 14:1-4, Col. 1:5 1Pet. 1:4).

        We reject the practice found among some churches of promoting and subsidizing human institutions from the church treasury to do good works in the name of the church (e.g., colleges, hospitals, benevolent institutions). Some have shifted the work of the church to a different "who" and have relegated the church to the role of being fund raisers to subsidize these self-governed institutions. While charitable and educational businesses may do much good, they are an unscriptural addition to God's arrangement when they become an extension to the Lord's church. God designed the church and made it sufficient to accomplish its own work in evangelism, edification, and benevolence (cf. Acts 6:1-7; 1 Peter 5:2-3).

        Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, He doesn't endorse and advocate physical battles (Jn. 18:36). Paul said though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (2Cor. 10:3). He said we look not at the things which are seen, which are temporary, but at the things which are not seen, which are eternal (2Cor. 4:18). The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). The law of Christ is concerned with spirituality and love for one another (Rom. 8:1-14, Gal. 6:2), as found in the example of Jesus (Phil. 2:4-8).

        The church was bought with the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). Jesus did not shed His blood to establish a social club, where we could have chicken dinners, softball games, aerobics, day care or any other recreational, social, political or educational activities. He died on the cross to save the souls of men and women who are lost. That is absolutely the most important mission. A certain amount of those things mentioned are fine in and of themselves, but they are not the work of the church Christ established. Church members may engage in them and even form groups to do them together as long as they aren't funded from the church's treasury and they don't detract from the more important spiritual mission of the church and individual Christians.

        People are called to Christ and salvation by the preaching of the gospel of Christ or not at all. They are attracted by the promise of a home in heaven and glory with Christ after this life is over, not by food and sports. (see Rom. 1:16, 2Thess. 2:13-14) [Recent article on this subject]

        The scriptures were given to us by God for complete and thorough instruction in righteousness and good works (2Tim. 3:16-17). If a work is not found in the scriptures it is not a good work. We must stay within the bounds of His instructions to be pleasing to God, to truly be His disciples. We must make a genuine effort to do all that He instructs us to do, but we must not transgress or go beyond what He says. If we do, we are on our own, and that is not where we want to be. (See Jn. 8:31-32, Col. 3:17, 2Jn. 9)

        A careful study of the New Testament scriptures shows that the authorized work of the church is:

• Worship
• Evangelism
• Edification
• Benevolence

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• Worship: Each local church or congregation is to provide itself a place or facility to worship. It may be a place that is rented, borrowed, or owned; a humble, makeshift place or a big, nice building. It would depend on the size of the congregation, its financial ability, and other factors.

         Worship is expected of God's people. Jesus said the Father is seeking true worshipers to worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23-24). It is also authorized by example, as in Acts 20:7. Inherent within the authorization to worship is the authorization to provide a place to worship. It is indirectly authorized, but authorized just the same. Any time there is to be worship by a group of people, a place must be found, provided, and agreed upon. Whenever a command is given, anything that is required or expedient to carry out that command is inherent within the command.

         There is no scriptural authorization for the church to provide a place or facilities for cooking, eating, socializing, recreation, etc. There is no authorization for using the church treasury to pay for busses, camping or recreational trips, etc. That is going beyond what is commanded, failing to abide in the word, teaching, doctrine of Christ. (See Jn. 8:31-32, 2Tim. 3:16-17, 2Pet. 1:3, 2Jn. 9). The work of the church is in spiritual endeavors. [RETURN]

• Evangelism: The work of evangelism is carried out by preaching and teaching the word of God in its purity and simplicity and winning souls to Christ. It is great that some of the members make preaching and teaching their full-time occupation and they are supported by others who don't have as much ability and talent in that kind of work. However, all the members need to look for opportunities to reach out to the lost and teach them the truth.

         The scriptures authorize the church to support from its treasury the preaching of the gospel. The way it does so is by giving financial support to preachers of the gospel, for example at the home congregation, at some small struggling congregation within the country or away in some foreign mission field. The Thessalonian church was commended by Paul for "sounding forth" the word of the Lord (1Thess. 1:8). The Philippian church sent support to Paul to help him preach the gospel (Phil. 4:14-18). Barnabas was sent by the Jerusalem church to help with the preaching in Antioch (Acts 11:22-24). Paul said he "robbed" other churches as they supported him to preach at Corinth (2Cor. 11:8).

         There is no authorization in the scriptures for a church giving money from its treasury to any human institution to do its work of preaching the gospel. The only N.T. examples we find are of churches giving directly to the preacher. The Margaret St. church of Christ supports the preaching of the gospel the way the scriptures authorize. [RETURN]

• Edification: Edification means to build up. The way it's used in the New Testament means to build up spiritually, or to build up a person's faith, hope, love and zeal for spiritual things. Paul said God's word is able to build us up and give us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32).

         Paul said in Eph. 4:11-16 that Jesus gave to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.....from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

         The apostles and prophets are no longer with us, but we do have evangelists, pastors and teachers to edify the church. We have sermons, classes, Bible study groups, lessons, commentaries and such to learn more of God's word and be built up spiritually. [RETURN]

• Benevolence: Benevolence is giving and helping others in need. The scope of benevolence that the church as an institution is to practice is limited by scriptural authority to Christians anywhere who are destitute. One Bible example is Acts 2:44-45, where there were many Jews who had come from their far-off homes to Jerusalem for the Pentecost observance, had heard and obeyed the gospel of Christ and had stayed there in Jerusalem. Since they were away from their homes, they didn't have jobs and had no way to support themselves. So, others sold their goods and property to help them. Acts 4:34-35 is another mention of the same situation.

         In Acts 11:27-30 the Christians in Antioch heard that there was a famine in Judea and that there were Christians in dire straits, so they sent relief to them. They sent it by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (Paul) to the elders of the churches there, to be given to those in need.

         In Rom. 15:25-28 we see that the churches in Macedonia and Achaia sent contributions to the poor saints in Jerusalem, and sent it by the hand of Paul. And in 1Cor. 16:1-2 we read that the Corinthian church was told to take up a collection on the first day of the week for the saints in Jerusalem. That was also to be hand delivered.

         There is no scriptural authorization for the church to be a welfare agency to non-members, or to take funds from its treasury to give to any human benevolent institution. As individuals, though, and as opportunities arise, we are to do good to all, Paul says, but especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). We are to visit widows and orphans in need, to see what we can do to help (Jas. 1:27). When we see someone in need, we should be a good Samaritan and help, no matter who they are (Lk. 10:30-37).
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