The Church's Purpose: Shining The Light
As we close out this series, let's take one more look at the lampstand in Exodus 25 - God's blueprint for every local congregation. As you read this passage, take note of the links to prior posts. Following those links will show you how each detail of the lampstand should correspond to your local church.
Exodus 25:31-36
"You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.
Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower -- and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.
On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand.
Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold."
Up to this point, here's how the local church should look:
1. Our churches should be united together as one; centered around the name of Jesus.
2. Our churches should be submissively yielding to the Word of God being preached.
3. Our churches should be operating completely by faith; with nothing from the world mixed in.
4. Our congregations should have the fruit of the Spirit produced among our members.
5. Our congregation members should also see the gifts of the Spirit operating through them.
6. Our churches should see apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers functioning as elders.
7. Our churches should have biblical deacons, assisting those ministry elders by serving the people.
Let me tell you: I belong to a powerful, Word-preaching, Bible-believing, Spirit-filled, supernatural church - and I wouldn't trade it for anything. My roots are down, and nothing can tear us away. I know my family has been extremely blessed to have found a pastor here, and to be numbered among this awesome group of people...people who only want to do what God says! But as amazing as my church is, we still know that we have much more room for growth. If our goal is living up to God's standard for His church, then we also know we haven't arrived yet. We continue to strive to make sure our church is built according to God's design.
But why?
After all of our attention to how the local church should be built - we've come to the most important question in this series: What is the purpose of it all?
The Purpose Of The Church
God gave Moses clear instructions for making the golden lampstand. But the instructions and the construction was not the end goal. The lampstand was made for a reason. That reason is found in the next few verses.
Exodus 25:37-40 - "You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
What was the purpose of the lampstand - to shine a light! And this is still the purpose of the local church.
This is the reason why we're to be fully united...
This is the reason why we should be operating in faith...
This is the reason why we should be producing the fruit of the Spirit...
This is the reason why we should "earnestly desire" the gifts of the Spirit...
This is the reason why we've been given apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers...
Everything in the local church is made to light up the world around it.
Your local church is completely designed by God Himself to shine the light!
The Light That The Church Shines
There are two primary ways that a church congregation shines it light, both of which need to be empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit:
- What the people do
- What the people say
One way our local churches shine in this world is by the good things that they do.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."Matthew 5:16 NLT - "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father."
Churches around the country work hard to host outreach events for their communities. Thousands of festivals, church plays, concerts, food drives, and other events are conducted by churches every year.
First of all, let me say that these things can be good and valuable tools. I've planned and have been a part of many of these events myself...so don't take what I'm about to say as a condemnation of them. But - I would strongly urge all local churches to evaluate the fruit from these things. If there are no salvations taking place or new converts in your chairs, then how effective can you consider that "outreach" to be?
Any organization can host a community event to establish a reputation with the public and make themselves known. Colleges do this. Social clubs do this. Business love to do this - it's part of their long-term strategy! Every organization wants to be known. They want this kind of recognition: "Oh yeah, they're the ones that did that event last year!" And in my own humble opinion, this should not be the primary goal of a church outreach. There's something much more important to us...our goal should be to change lives!
I'm not arguing that the events themselves should be scrapped or discarded, but that the target of those events be corrected. Rather than focusing on getting "our name" out there; our outreaches should affect the eternal destiny of the people who show up to them. God should be glorified, relationships should be established...and above all, converts should be made!
But let's look back to Matthew 5:16. I'd like to suggest to you...the "good deeds" that Jesus mentioned had nothing to do with large "church events" anyway. Much more important are the good deeds that individual church members do out in the world every day.
- When we individually and privately help people in need around us.
- When we show up to work on time, do a good job, and honor our employers as we should.
- When we are kind to those who are unkind.
- When we stand up for what is right, even in the face of those who want what's evil.
- When we pray for those around us.
- When we work with the Holy Spirit in supernatural ways.
In short, when the congregation members of a local church are living Christ-like lives, they are shining the light of God into this dark world. This is what Acts 1:8 calls being a witness.
Acts 1:8- "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me..."
Jesus called us to shine the light by the way that we live. And, my friends, this is one reason why the local church is so important. It is in the church that we are equipped and empowered to do this.
Another way we shine out is by the Gospel that we preach.
In the church that I grew up in, my pastor was very good at teaching us to live right when we're out in the world. I learned that Jesus wants us to be witnesses, and we can't do that if we're living sinful lives out in the world. So I was taught this: "Preach the Gospel, use words when necessary."
As we said, the way you live is important! But, living a good life is not the only way we are supposed to shine the light. No...what we say is just as important as what we do. We cannot just stand there, we must say something!
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 - "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine on them."
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the light that the church is designed to shine out. We MUST fulfill the great commission! Mark 16:15 - "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." We must live right...but we cannot only live right and then expect people to get the message. We cannot just be good; we must say something.
If you recall, Matthew 4:19 tells us that one of the defining characteristics of a Christian is that they become "fishers of men". Now remember who Jesus was speaking to. These were not recreational fishermen. These men didn't bait lines and lure fish in one at a time. No, these guys used nets not hooks.
Why is that distinction important?
If we're called to be fishers, then the Gospel is our net. Our job is not to find a bait that appeals to someone, and then hope they bite on it. We are not "luring" the world in by something that looks good to them. Our mission is to throw the good news out there, and let it collect whomever it will. We cannot be picky about who hears us. We don't get to select who we think will respond to the Gospel. No matter who is listening - rich and poor, young and old, male and female, traditional and outcast, conservative or liberal - let the gospel that we preach collect them all!
Don't just stand there, say something!
When the local church is in order, the congregation members will be fully equipped to shine the light of Heaven into the world around them.
When the local church is in order, the congregation will be empowered by grace to live as they should and let their good deeds be obvious to all.
When the local church is in order, the congregation will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel to everyone that is around them.
Seeing this, is it any wonder why God placed such a high emphasis on His local churches?
Seeing this, is it any wonder why Satan has been so opposed to the local churches?
Decide whatever you will - but my family will choose to stay connected to our local church, our pastor, and our fellow congregation members!
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