The Church was established by Christ. It belongs to Him. He
is the head of the Church. The purposes of the Church include:
•Worship –
to glorify God and honour Him through praise, sacraments, and obedience;
•Fellowship
– to build a loving community of believers who support, encourage, and grow
with one another;
•Discipleship
– to teach and nurture believers toward spiritual maturity and Christlikeness;
•Mission/Evangelism
– to proclaim the Gospel and serve the world through word and deed, fulfilling
the Great Commission.
It is often said that mission is the primary purpose of the
Church. Many argue that the Church exists for mission. This idea has been
strongly promoted by missionaries in the past, and is still emphasised by many
today. John Wesley once said, “You have one business on earth – to save souls.”
The work of mission is indeed very important. However, it is
incorrect to say that mission is the Church’s primary purpose. So what is the
Church's primary purpose? It is worship. If you are someone who is passionate
about mission, you may initially disagree. But allow me to explain why worship
must be understood as the primary purpose of the Church.
From the beginning, we were not created for ourselves—we
were made for God, to adore Him and glorify Him (Isaiah 43:7, 21). All things
were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16). Therefore, the ultimate
purpose of our lives is to know God, love Him, walk in relationship with Him,
and glorify Him. We are commanded: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you
do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
God created His people for His glory and praise. The Church,
as God’s redeemed community, exists primarily to glorify Him—that is the
essence of worship.
Some draw the idea that mission is the Church’s main purpose
from the Great Commission. But, as John Stott aptly noted, the imperative to
carry out mission work is rooted in the second greatest commandment: to love
our neighbour as ourselves. The greatest commandment, however, is this: “Love
the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30).
This shows that love for God—worship—is primary. Preparing
for heaven is not the main goal of life, nor is saving souls the Church’s
primary purpose. Love is the greatest, and the object of that love is God
Himself. We do not love God merely to receive something from Him—true love is
not a means to an end; it is an end in itself. God is the source of all love,
and all blessings flow from Him. God is not a means to an end, but the end
Himself — the supreme object of our worship and the ultimate aim of our devotion.
Our mistake often lies in loving the gifts more than the Giver.
So, why do we come to God? Why do we follow Christ? If our
primary reason is to gain peace, blessings, success, happiness, or even heaven,
then our focus is misplaced. These things are not unimportant, but if they are
the main reasons we follow Christ, we are ultimately focusing on ourselves —
our own well-being and security. Remember, we were not made for ourselves—we
were made for Him.
We must follow Christ for Christ’s sake. We follow Him
because we were created to follow Him, to love and glorify Him. As Scripture
says, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians
5:15). This aligns with the teaching that we are created for God’s glory.
We worship God by glorifying Him in every part of our lives.
But true worship is only possible through redemption in Christ. While
unbelievers should never be turned away from attending church, acceptable worship—worship
that pleases God—can only come from those who have been born again. This is why
mission is so vital: people must be redeemed to truly worship God as He
desires.
However, as many theologians have observed, the Church does
not have a mission of its own—God has a Church for His mission. The mission
belongs to God. We are simply continuing the mission He began. God desires to
save us because He is love, but He does not save us merely for our own sake. He
saves us so we might live for Him and glorify Him.
Paul reminds the Corinthian believers to glorify God in
everything—even in eating and drinking (1 Cor. 10:31).Worship doesn’t happen
only within the four walls of the church or during revival meetings. Worship is
a way of life. We worship God in everything we do. This is why we must not
divide life into “sacred” and “secular.” Everything we do is holistic and
spiritual when done according to His will and purpose. As believers, we
recognize that our whole being exists, acts, and lives for God’s glory.
Understanding this truth is vital. If we fail to recognise
it, we miss the very purpose for which we were created: to live for God and His
glory. Sadly, many churches today overemphasize mission and neglect the central
role of worship. I'm not saying we should stop doing mission work. Nor am I
suggesting that we must be perfect before doing mission—perfection is
impossible in this life.
However, when we misunderstand the primary purpose of the
Church, it affects every area of life. Some focus so much on heaven and the
future that they forget to live out their faith in everyday actions and
relationships. Others become caught up in doing good works and church
activities but neglect the deep, personal devotion that fuels true worship.
They stay busy but feel far from God’s presence.
We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind,
and strength. The primary purpose of the Church is worship. Worship is not
confined to a place or a programme—it is a life lived for God’s glory. When we,
as the Church, live this way, we live a meaningful life—the life God created us
to live. As His people, we must live for the very purpose for which we were
created.
