Why does the church exist? What exactly is it for and what is it supposed to do and how is it supposed to do it? Have you ever thought about those questions?

Clip from Gladiator ch5:21:30-24:08. The emperor discusses with General Maximus the question "Why are we here?" He goes on to say that "When a man sees his end he wants to know there was some purpose to his life." And what was his purpose? It is the dream of Rome: "There was once a dream of Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish", "Maximus, let us whisper now, together, you and I."

Just as Rome was founded upon an ideal, a dream, a vision, so was the Church a community where people were devoted to God and to one another, a people who met together on earth but whose praise and lives declared God’s glory, love, wisdom and rule to the universe.

For the next five weeks we’re going to be thinking about that question - why does the church exist? And more specifically why does this church exist? Why start a new Church? We’re going to do that as we look together at our mission or vision statement; 'South Doncaster Community Church exists to equip God’s people to be grace in the community to the glory of God.' As we do so we are going to look at what the Bible has to say about what we are to be and how we are to be it. Why? Because the Bible is where God speaks and in it we find his vision for the church. This morning we are going to start by looking at the first bit 'to equip'.

What does a Christian look like? I guess this is the popular perception, the Simpson’s Ned Flanders, or maybe its someone with a white beard, sandals and white socks, but I don’t mean in terms of dress sense or lack there of. What characteristics should mark out the Christian?

(1-6) Tell us they live a life worthy of the calling they have received, in other words their lives show that they know God and have been loved, forgiven and given a relationship by him. It shows in their being "completely humble and gentle; ...patient, bearing with one another in love", making every effort to keep unity, having a common hope. They are the marks of someone who is a Christian.

Now I don’t know about you but there are things on that list that I need to work on. How can anyone live like that?

1. Getting equipped
If you want football kit where do you go? You go to the sports shop. If you want connectors for your ipod, you go to an electrical store. So where do you go if you want to be equipped to live a life worthy of the gospel - you need to go to the right place and that is the Bible. The place where we learn all about how Jesus lived, spoke, cared, taught and loved, where we see Jesus give us a template of how to live to delight God.

(11) Paul tells us of people that Christ gives to the church to equip it to do just that. Apostles - the original witnesses of Jesus’ words, life, actions, death and resurrection, Prophets - those whose words show us that Jesus was always God’s plan, Evangelists - those who tell us the great news that Jesus died in our place paying for our rebellion and so we can be credited with his perfect record, Pastors - those who lovingly apply the Bible to our lives, Teachers - those who explain what the Bible means.

What is the common feature in each of those? It is that they focus upon Jesus; they teach and remind us of who he was, how he lived and what he did. That is how you are prepared, trained and got ready by listening to and engaging with teaching about Jesus.

That’s why every Sunday and in Home Groups during the week we will be studying the Bible and what it says about God, us, our world, Jesus, and how we are to live, act and react. The Bible is God’s word to us, relevant to today that gets us ready to live lives that show the world that Jesus is alive and is our Lord and King. It is what equips us as we allow it to determine and mould our thinking, our worldview and our actions.

2. What are we equipped for?
As we listen, think about, apply and act upon what we learn from the Bible it is meant to affect the way we live. To make us live a life worthy of the gospel, to make us mature, but what does that look like?

(13) It looks like "the fulness of Christ" and it is seen not just in attitude but in serving others (12) that’s what we are equipped for. As I am taught by, engage with and am equipped by the Bible we become ready and active in loving and serving Christ by loving and serving those around us. It is living out what we see Jesus do, spending time with the marginalised, loving the unlovely, washing the feet of others, listening, healing, teaching, telling people about the great news of God’s kingdom come.

A pastor who’d led churches on both sides of the Atlantic was asked what the biggest difference was. He said in America its greatest blessing and curse was peoples ‘can do’ attitude. In Britain he said it was ‘British reserve’. The fact we won’t get up and do, we wait for others, why because well they’d be so much better than I would, or whatever the reason is.

(7) But each one of us has been given grace and are meant to be living in the light of it, using God’s gifts that he has given us to his glory. (16) In fact you need to be using your gifts because only "as each part does its work" is the body built up, only as we serve, or minister to each other.

Maybe it’s the meal cooked for exhausted new parents, or the babysitting so that a couple can have an evening away from the chores. Perhaps it’s the lawn cut for the elderly person, the preparation and teaching of children, the encouraging phone call to someone you know who is under pressure, or the opportunity for the grieving just to talk. All ministry, all the result of being equipped by the word of God to live worthy of the gospel.

3. A community equipped to change
Imagine a young couple about to go on their first date. She has spent all morning out with friends shopping choosing all manner of possible perfect outfits. The afternoon has been spent having a long bath before trying on all the different possible permutations of outfits getting advice and help from her friends before finally doing her hair. At last she is ready.

Meanwhile across town he has just got back from football, he is muddy and smelly as he sits down to watch Final Score. Then he rushes up stairs dashes quickly through the shower, pulls on this weeks jeans and the only clean shirt he still has in the wardrobe before leaving the house.

Half an hour later she stands nervously waiting when she sees him in the distance, her mind begins to wander, could he be the one? Until the wedding march that is quietly accompanying her daydreaming screeches to a halt as he turns and she sees the great big smear of mud down the side of his neck.

What did that he need? He needed a friend, someone who would say you need to do something about that, someone who’d speak the truth to him and help him change.

What do you notice about who these verses are written to? It is written to the church collective, this is not for the individual to do on their own, and this is what the church is to be engaged in together. In fact we can only do this as a community.

The goal of our being equipped is "so that the body of Christ [the Church] may be built up until we all reach unity" You can’t be united and build the Church on your own only in a group. The body of Christ is composed of many different parts with different tasks equipped to serve one another. It is in that context that we reach maturity rather than remaining in immaturity, that we are able to discern truth from lie, that we become Christ like.

The church exists to equip, train, make us ready for ministering to one another as we see Jesus ministers to those around him and to us. As we do so we show that we are God’s trophies of grace, that we live under his rule and reign to please him.

Are you being equipped? Are you listening to and engaging with what the Bible tells us about Jesus and how I am to live. Are we living lives worthy of the gospel? That’s why church exists to equip us to do so by equipping us to give ourselves in serving others.

Maybe this morning you are saying I never knew this is what church was for. Maybe what you read in the newspapers and see of Church has put you off looking at who Jesus is in the past, maybe it was a bad experience of Christians. This is what God wants his church to be, it is not a place where people are perfect but where people are striving to be more like Jesus who has saved them.

It’s not about religion, you can’t just decide to be like this. It only happens when you admit to God that you have lived life your own way and trust Jesus has paid for that rebellion and ask him to take control of your life, listening to how he teaches us to live through his Holy Spirit. To try to do it yourself is to settle for religion when what Paul writes about here is relationship.

Why does the church exist? To equip us to live lives worthy of the gospel.

1. Why does the Church exist?
2. Am I hearing and responding to the Bible taught? How is that seen; my service of others, my maturity, my building others up?
3. How can I be involved in serving others practically, or speaking the truth in love, or whatever my ministry is this week?

Vision and Values