What is the Work of the Church?

When considering the “work” of the church it’s important to note that God does not specifically in one locale of the New Testament reveal that to us. Rather… it requires some study to draw conclusions about what that work is.

Another thing to consider… is there really a difference in the work that individual Christians do (who are the Church) and what the church assembled or gathered does? That’s something to think about.

Let me suggest that the over whelming “work” that the church does is found in Ephesians 3:10…

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms”

God’s intent for the “work” of the church was to illustrate his wisdom to spiritual beings (in the heavenly places).

That’s it… that’s the work of the church (individually or collectively). Anything else we might consider to be a “work” of the church is just a subset of that overriding work whether it is described as “evangelism, edification or benevolence” as the work of the church is sometimes classically defined.

So how does the church do that?

John 17:20-23…

“…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one… I in them and you in me… so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me”

God’s intent as revealed here was that the church… individually and collectively would be one with the exact kind of oneness (unity) that Jesus had with God the Father. A oneness based on sacrificial love. Which is the very best evidence to the world that Jesus came from God.

When the world knows that… then the spiritual beings in Heavenly places also know it, God’s wisdom is glorified and the church (individually and collectively) is fulfilling its purpose and completing its work

Once we know what our mission is then we can ask ourselves... what am I doing to promote love and unity at my church? Am I involved or am I sitting on the side lines watching?

Just What is Wisdom?

1 Kings 3 records that God offered to give Solomon anything he wanted… anything. Solomon upon reflection asked for…

“An understanding heart to judge your people, to discern between good and evil”

God responded…

“Behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days”

A description of the wisdom God gave to Solomon is recorded in 1Kings 4…

“God gave Solomon wisdom and discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than all other people He also told three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005. He told of trees he told also of animals, birds, crawling things, and fish. People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

I’m so glad that God gave the details of the wisdom, otherwise I might have thought he only gave Solomon and intimate knowledge of his written word… something that might be duplicated by the intense study of God’s written word.

But no… Solomon was among other things a student and teacher of nature. He wrote down his wisdom in proverbs and was a great writer of songs which means he was also a poet.

My guess is that Solomon was intellectually curious and had a thirst for knowledge… all kinds of knowledge.

Remember that outside of the Bible God also reveals himself in nature so along with our Bible study… a study of nature and this world (God’s creation) also teaches us about God.

If it is our desire to be wise remember how God made Solomon wise and try to duplicate that path. And oh by the way though Solomon’s wisdom he also became quite wealthy.

Proverbs 8…

“I (Wisdom) love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full”

Think God... Think Big

The Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel and bring them to the tent of meeting… and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them… So Moses gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders. As soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied.

Now two men remained in the camp, Eldad and Medad, and the Spirit rested on them too. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua the son of Nun said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”

The reaction of the Great Joshua was to stop the two men from prophesying.

But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

What can we learn from this?

- Sometimes God acts outside of his specified command. I guess that’s okay, after all he is God and He can do what he wants.

- When others aren’t obeying God’s command just like we are we may get a little indignant… like Joshua did and rashly rebuke them. Maybe we should take a little time to think about that.

- How was Joshua going to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying? It was God who caused them to prophesy. Was Joshua going to stop God?

- The Great Moses realized this and didn’t question God or get insulted… Eldad and Medad were prophesying great things about God himself! Moses might not have understood the mechanism but he understood the results.

Moses wished that God would give his Spirit to all humanity and that’s just what God did starting on the day of Pentecost when God poured out his Spirit (on all flesh) and fulfilled what the prophet Joel predicted…

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy”

Joshua and Moses were both great men in the Old Testament but Joshua was focused on the minute details of God’s Word and couldn’t see God’s great plan for mankind. Oh that we could lift up our eye and see our great God like Moses did!