Social clubs are great. Community service organizations are indispensable. But the church is neither of those things. Not as conceived by Christ, our Founder. Does the church offer social opportunities? Sure. Does the church do community service? It should. But these things are not its primary mission or focus.
The local church, according to the New Testament, is to glorify God and make disciples.
If the church isn’t doing those things, the church isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do. Period.
At the heart of the local church’s mission is worship. The church belongs to Christ, and it exists primarily to bring glory to God through worship. This was evident in the early church, where believers gathered to praise God, read Scripture, pray, and partake in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42-47). The local church, therefore, is not just a social gathering but a place where God is honored and His people come together to reflect on His majesty and goodness.
Beyond worship, the church is called to fellowship and community (Acts 2:42-47 and Hebrews 10:24-25). In Hebrews, Christians are exhorted not to forsake gathering together, as it is within the local assembly that believers encourage and build one another up. Through fellowship, the church becomes a family—a place of mutual support, love, and accountability. The New Testament consistently frames the church as a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), where each member contributes to the whole. Just as the hand or foot cannot function in isolation, neither can a believer thrive spiritually without the local church.
The church is tasked with discipleship and teaching. Before His ascension, Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20, KJV)
Just as a candy factory makes candy and a car manufacturer produces cars, the local church is to make disciples. That’s our “product.” If we’re not doing that, we’re not being the church — not in the biblical sense anyway.
This is why (historically) the church has served as the primary vehicle for missions and evangelism. The apostles were commissioned to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, and today, the local church continues that mission. Whether through local outreach or global missions, the New Testament church is called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Will this strain our relations at times with those outside the church? You bet. Whenever the church does the Great Commission, it triggers opposition from the world. Expect it! But we aren’t to follow culture. We are to follow Christ.
Should the church do more than these things? I believe the answer is “yes.” Historically, the local church served as a beacon of hope and compassion. Throughout the New Testament, believers are instructed to care for the poor, the widow, and the orphan (James 1:27). The first major outreach ministry of the early church was a food ministry (Acts 6).
The church is not just a community of believers but should be a force for good in the broader society, representing Christ’s love and compassion to those in need.
It is consistent with that, I believe, that Bible-believing, God-honoring, Christ-following churches took the lead over the centuries to oppose infanticide, slavery, and bigotry. Among other things. Nevertheless…
It’s very easy to let our desire to do good things lead us away from doing the right things.
If we aren’t lifting up the Lord and making disciples, we aren’t on mission.
Let’s make sure we stay on mission.
Jesus didn’t give us the Great Suggestion. He gave us the Great Commission. And we should be grateful. He doesn’t need us, but He wants to use us. I, for one, consider it an honor to be used by God.
Do you?
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