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By Kevin Cauley

The mission and work of the church centers around the great mission that Christ proclaimed namely to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The church as the bride of Christ has the responsibility of support the Christ in this great work (Ephesians 5:23, 24). As we have studied through the work of the church in our bulletin articles over the past several weeks, we have looked at the concept of evangelism and edification. Evangelism is primarily focused upon those who are outside of the church-the alien sinner. Edification is primarily focused upon those who are within the church-both saved and apostate. The work of benevolence, however, transects both spheres of work. Often the work of benevolence reaches out to the alien and edifies those who are saved or apostate. Many times benevolence encourages those who are wayward to repent and come back and shows the alien the great love that the church has for mankind and the result is conversion. No doubt, this is part of the design of benevolence. However, we should not think of

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103

By Kevin Cauley

Last week we discussed the work of the church that deals with reaching out to those who have never been saved. This is the work of evangelism. However, the church has an equal responsibility to minister to the saved. There are those among the saved who may be tempted to leave the church and return to the world (2 Peter 2:20-22). There is also the need to engage each member in introspection so as to not let Satan have an advantage over us (2 Corinthians 2:11). The church also has a need to produce additional men who will be able to lead in the office of eldership and to preach the gospel as evangelists and teachers (2 Timothy 2:2). There is also a certain amount of special instruction that needs to be given to the young, both men and women (Titus 2:1-10). I am sure that there are more things that go on in the area of edification within the congregation and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Suffice it to say that this is sufficient information to conclude that a local congregation must have a program of edification.

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126

By Kevin Cauley

God, in His wisdom, saw fit from eternity to establish the church. Ephesians 3:10-11 reads,

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This organization of men and women (which God through Christ established) is not merely a social association or fraternity. It is much more than that. The church is God’s continuing plan for man’s salvation. It is the place of the saved on earth. It is the hand through which God propagates his message upon the earth today. This means that the church has a peculiar work to do. God has charged the church with this work and only the church with this work. We, as the church, have a responsibility to ensure that this work gets done.

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By Kevin Cauley

Jesus mission while he was upon the earth was to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Inasmuch as the church belongs to her Lord (Matthew 16:18), she is to be about that same mission as well. Within that mission, there are those who need to be saved and there are those who are saved. Evangelism concerns itself with the former category. There is no doubt that the church needs to be in the business of evangelism. The church is God’s plan for man’s salvation today and as such needs to sound the message of the gospel to those who are not saved. This is epitomized in the great commission. Jesus said,

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By Mike Riley
In 1 Peter 4:17-19, the inspired writer, Peter wrote concerning the judgment of God:
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”
  1. What Being A Christian Means
  2. Have We Measured Ourselves Lately?
  3. God’s Peculiar People
  4. Closed on Sunday