THE CHURCH AND ITS PURPOSE
- Eph. 3: 1-10
I. DO YOU KNOW WHAT “THE CHURCH” IS?
1. In the N.T. there are 79 references to “the church” indicating that it is an
important subject.
2. The most common idea of what “the church” is today:
Methodist Catholic Assembly of God Church of Christ First Christian Lutheran
“THE CHURCH”
Episcopal Adventist Presbyterian Baptist Holiness Pentecostal
The idea is that all of these different groups with their different doctrines and ideas on what is
required to be saved, make up “the church”.
3. Another idea is that “the church” was an “after thought” of God. Is that all “the
church” is? Are these ideas right?
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH IS AN EXTENSION OF THE
APOSTLE’S MISSION; vs. 1-10.
1. Paul was given a mission or stewardship for the Gentiles.
Vs.1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you
Gentiles-- 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which
was given to me for you;
2. In vs. 3 Paul says that “by revelation there was made known to him the
mystery” and he wrote it down.
3. And, in vs. 4 Paul says that if we “refer to what he wrote…and read it…we
can understand his (Paul’s) insight into the mystery of Christ.
4. And in vs. 5 Paul tells us concerning this mystery of Christ that “other
generations didn’t know this mystery” but now, in him and the other apostles
and prophets, the mystery has been revealed.
5. And in vs. 6 Paul tells us specifically what that mystery is: “… that the Gentiles
are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”
6. Notice in vs. 6 how the Gentiles were brought INTO Christ; “…through the
gospel.”
7. In vs. 7, speaking of “the gospel” that brought the Gentiles INTO Christ, Paul
says that “he was made a minister of that gospel, according to the gift of
God’s grace.”
8. And in vs. 8 Paul says that the ministry that was given to him was to preach
“the unfathomable riches of Christ.”
9. And in vs. 9, not only was he “made a minister of the gospel” but he was “to
bring to light the administration of the mystery which for ages has been
hidden in God, who created all things…”
10. Now, in vs. 10, look at why Paul preached the “unfathomable riches of
Christ” and why he “brought to light the fulfilling of the mystery”. He did it
“in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known
through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
11. Critical explanation of “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
 Several times in this letter you see the phrase “in the heavenly places.”
(1: 3; 1: 20; 2: 6; 3: 10; 6: 12)
 In three of these instances Christ is there (1:3; 1: 20; 2: 6)…in the other
two Christ isn’t there.(3:10; 6: 12)
 Christ not being there makes all the difference in the world. When Paul
says “in the heavenly places, in Christ” he is talking about where Christ
is…and when he just says, “in the heavenly places” he is talking about
where Christ isn’t.
12. Summary: So, the purpose of “the church” is to take the same message that
the apostles taught about Christ and make that message known to those
places where Christ is not found.
o The apostles could only start the mission and then someday they
would die. Someone then would have to keep the mission going
and that someone is “the church.”
o This makes “the church” the most significant body there is with the
most significant mission possible.
o If “the church” doesn’t fulfill its mission those people “without
Christ” will remain “dead in their trespasses and sins” or lost.
III. “THE CHURCH”, WHOSE IDEA WAS IT?
Vs. 11: This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out
in Christ Jesus our Lord,
1. “The church” is God’s idea…and “the church” is to be about “making known
the manifold wisdom of God to a world where Christ doesn’t exist”; vs. 10.
2. And notice, “the church” is not an “after thought” as many contend today. It
is as much of a part of God’s eternal plan as Jesus is.
 Notice when God decided to bring about man’s salvation through
Christ: He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world; 1: 3
 Before this world was ever laid on its foundation God had a plan to
redeem people through Christ and chpt. 3: 11, says that just as Christ
was part of God’s eternal plan, so too was “the church”.
i. “The church” was never an “after thought” of God’s
ii. And our mission is to take the message of Christ that the
apostles taught to those who are without Christ so that they too
might be redeemed.
IV. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: WHAT OR WHO IS “THE CHURCH”?
1. “Church” in the Greek: “ek” which means “out” and “klesis”, “to call” or “the
called.” “The church” speaks of a “called out people.”
2. Matthew 16: 18: Christ says that “He will build His church…” “The church”
belongs to Christ.
3. Acts 20: 28 says that “the church” was “purchased with His (Christ’s) own
blood.”
4. However, Matthew 26: 28 says that Jesus’ blood was shed for the forgiveness of
sins.That means that “the church” consists of those whose sins are forgiven.
5. We are also told in Eph. 1:7 that “redemption is obtained through His blood” so,
the church consists of the redeemed.
6. And Rev. 1: 5 says that “the blood of Christ releases us from our sins”. So “the
church” consists of those who have been released from their sins.
7. If you are redeemed, forgiven, and released from your sins, you are saved…and
that tells us something more about “the church” because in Mark 16:16 and 1
Peter 3: 21 we are told that “baptism now saves you.” Therefore, “the church”
consists of those who have been baptized as Christ commanded.
8.Therefore, the common idea (see section I, number 2) cannot be right because
there is not a variety of ways to be saved.
Summary: “The church” is Christ’s. It consists of those who have been baptized
and saved by the blood of Christ. And, “the church’s” mission is to take the same
message about Christ that the apostles taught to those places where Christ is
missing, so that those people might be saved too.
 As a member of the Lord’s church are you doing that?
 If you are not a member of His church then the sad truth is you are lost.
 Change that today by letting the blood of Christ wash away your sins…and
thus allowing Him to add you to His body; Acts 2: 38-47.