Building on an Eternal Foundation

1 Corinthians 1:10

We need to remember the church is Church, not .

He has established the – and they are not negotiable.

We can be innovative with the of ministry, but we must never alter the of it.

Why We Exist As A Church

The purpose of our church is based on two key .

The Great : “Jesus said, ‘ the your God with all your heart…soul…and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: as yourself. All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments.’”  Matthew 22:36-40

The Great : “Jesus said, ‘ and of all nations, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to obey everything I have commanded you.’”  Matthew 28:19-20

Purpose 1:

“Love the Lord with all your heart” is .

“Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”  Matthew 4:10

“…The Father seeks worshipers…and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”  John 4:23-24

Expressions of Worship

• Singing – Ephesians 5:19
• Praying – Psalm 95:6
• Hearing the Word – John 17:17
• Giving – 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
• Baptism – Romans 6:3-4
• Meditating – Habakkuk 2:20
• Lord’s Supper – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• Commitment – Romans 12:1-2
• Serving – 1 Peter 4:10-11

Purpose 2:

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is .

The church exists to minister to .

Ministry is demonstrating God’s love to others by meeting their needs and healing their hurts in .

“By this all men know that you are My disciples – that you have love for one another.”  John 13:35

The church is to “…equip the saints for the work of ministry.”  Ephesians 4:12

Purpose 3:

“Go and make disciples” is .

Evangelism is sharing the with others.

The task of evangelism is so important that Jesus gave us the “Great Commission” times. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)

Every Christian has a responsibility to about , and some day each of us will give an account.

Purpose 4:

“Baptizing them” is .

As Christians we are called to , not just to .

When new members are baptized, we welcome them into the fellowship of the of God.

We are not . We have each other for .

Ephesians 2:19 (LB) says, “You are members of God’s very own family…and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”

The church exists to provide for believers.

Purpose 5:

“Teaching them to obey” is .

The church exists to edify or God’s people.

Discipleship is the process of helping people become more like Jesus in their , , and .

“Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.”   Hebrews 6:1