Functions of the Church

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2)

The  main functions of the church are:

Evangelism

Edification

Worship

Social Concern

I -  Evangelism –“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations.”  (Matthew 28:19).  Jesus’ last words to his disciples is evangelism.   The call to evangelize is a command “go.” Jesus said “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15).  “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”  (John 15:14).  If the church is to be faithful to its Lord and bring joy to his heart, it must be engaged in bringing the gospel to all people whom we like and dislike.  We have to take the gospel everywhere.  “But you shall receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you; and you will be by witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8).

II – Edification –meaning,  building up or  strong fellowship with each member of the church.  “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”  (Ephesians 4:12).  “From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”  (Ephesians 4:16). Like the human body parts with its own function, each member has its own role in the church to do. It is not merely the minister or pastor who is to build up other members. Ways by which members of the church are edified are through fellowship, instruction or teaching and preaching. 

In fellowship, Paul speaks  of sharing one another’s experiences like suffering, success, burden, honouring, and rejoicing.  “And whether one member suffer, all members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”  (1 Corinthians 12:26).   Meaning, we are to encourage and sympathize with each other.  Believers are to bear one another’s burden.  “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”  (Galatians 6:2). In fellowship also, this may entail correction or rebuke which should be administered lovingly.  Jesus laid the pattern of discipline in Matthew 18:15-17. “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go tell him his fault between thee and him alone.”  In severe cases, there may even be excommunication from the group , as in the case of immoral man mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2.  The primary reason is to restore such person to righteous living.

In instruction or teaching,  the church also edifies its members through education which is part of discipling. Education may take many forms and occur on many levels like Sunday school, theological seminaries, and divinity schools.  Since the truth of God is found in the Bible, it is a must for a church to send Bible students to Bible schools or mission schools.

In preaching, the church also is edified. Paul speaks of prophesying and referred to this as preaching and exhortation.  “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation and comfort.”  (1 Corinthians 14:3-4).  To the end of mutual edification, God has equipped the church with various gifts apportioned and bestowed by the Holy Spirit.  “But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”  (1 Corinthians 12:11) (Romans 12:6-8,  1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Peter 4:11).

III – Worship – Another function of the church is worship.  If edification focuses on the belivers, worship focuses on God.  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;  but exhorting one another:  and so much the more,  as ye see the day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:25).  We declare God’s greatness in worship.  We glorify God and praise him.  Who is God and what God is.

The right pattern in the book of Acts is, worship God, be edified and evangelize.  Worship of God will suffer if oriented only in edification or if service is aimed exclusively at evangelizing unbelievers.

IV -  Social Concern  -  If the church is to carry on his ministry, it will be engaged in some form of ministry to the needy and suffering. “Concern for  the widow, the sojourner is appropriate.”  (Deuteronmy 10:17-19).  “To visit the orphans and widows in their affliction.”  (James 1:27).  God also stressed that faith without action or social concern is dead .  “Even so faith, if it hath no works, is dead,  being alone.  “ (James 2:15-17).  “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth.”  ( 1 John 3:18).  Social concern includes the condemning of unrighteousness as well.   John the Baptist likewise condemned the sin of Herod even though he was imprisoned and lost his liberty and lost his life. (Mark 6:17-29).

(From the Sunday School Preaching of Mr. A. Famero taken from the Book Christian Theology by Millard Erickson).