What is the purpose of the church?

A local pastor uses the following statement as one of his primary promoting messages to underscore the purpose of church, "The church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners." Quaint and catchy term, but is it accurate?

Both sides of the statement, in the most obvious way, are true, but misleading at the same time. Biblically and doctrinally, the word "saint" certainly does not mean "without sin". We read about many saints in the Bible, but all of them were depraved and sinful in and of themselves, apart from Christ. The other way we hear "saints" are those who have done great works and self-sacrifice on behalf of the Lord, but they typically are not the ones sitting in churches as spiritual consumers.

On the other side of the statement, stating that the church is a place for sinners is true, because we are ALL sinners, including pastors and leaders of the church. However, if one is promoting the church to be a "hospital", we have to be careful not to imply that the church is the "place" or the "method" or the "panacea" for personal or spiritual happiness, as if the church, and not God in the church, is the surgical healer of what stinks in us.  The problem with the church being defined as a "hospital" implies that it's the church that somehow is the cure for what ails us, and that if we just find one in our neighborhood that is "cool" and "hip" enough, we can lie in our spiritual sick bed (the pew) until one day we are remediated enough to be acceptable to the world and live out a happy and content life.  This is a losing proposition and that is why the church is in decay and decline, no matter what the attendance numbes indicate.  Promoting a dilluted and distorted gospel that is sefl-focused is the quickest way to a post-Christian society. 

Which begs the question:  "What is the purpose of the church?"

Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” According to this verse, the purposes/activities of the church should be 1) teaching biblical doctrine, 2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, 3) observing the Lord’s supper, and 4) praying.

The church is to teach biblical doctrine so we can be grounded in our faith. Ephesians 4:14 tells us, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” The church is to be a place of fellowship, where Christians can be devoted to one another and honor one another (Romans 12:10), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and most importantly, love one another (1 John 3:11).

The church is to be a place where believers can observe the Lord’s Supper, remembering Christ’s death and shed blood on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The concept of “breaking bread” (Acts 2:42) also carries the idea of having meals together. This is another example of the church promoting fellowship. The final purpose of the church according to Acts 2:42 is prayer. The church is to be a place that promotes prayer, teaches prayer, and practices prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Another commission given to the church is proclaiming the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). The church is called to be faithful in sharing the gospel through word and deed. The church is to be a “lighthouse” in the community (not just to popular causes), pointing people toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The church is to both promote the gospel and prepare its members to proclaim the gospel (1 Peter 3:15).

In contrast, today's liberal churches, the gospel in its pure form is not enough.  They have let secularism dominate inside their doors, seeking the world's wisdom, believing and promoting the world's theology, following the world's agenda, and adopting the world's methods.  Their prevailing belief is that the Bible and the straight purity of the gospel message is unable and insufficient to meet the demands of life in these postmodern times.  By itself, God's Word is insufficient to win people to Christ, promote spiritual growth, provide practical guidance, or transform society.  Their goal is to be "cool" in Christ, rather than be a "fool" for Christ.  As James Boice states in his book , Doctrines of Grace, "So churches supplement the plain teaching of Scripture with entertainment, group therapy, political activism, social justice, signs and wonders - anything that promises to appeal to religious consumers."  The world's agenda is personal happiness, so the gospel is presented as a plan for individual fulfillment rather than as a pathway of costly discipleship....givng them what they really want, instead of what they really need.

The church is to equip believers in Christ with the tools they need to overcome sin and remain above the pollution of the world; not that we will never sin, but that when we sin...our sins will be clearly and swiftly shown to us and brought to bear through conviction (hopefully before we act on them), that we will humbly repent and turn from our wicked ways...each minute, each hour, every day until things are made right again in the new world.  This can only be done through expository Biblical teaching, careful explanation of doctrine and Christian fellowship to encourage each other along the way.  The church does not exist to make people feel better, or comfortable, but to educate, equip and encourage people to trust in the Lord, obey His commands, and cast their cares upon Him in ALL circumstances of life; good, bad, happy or sad.