Why the Church Matters

Reasons why the church matters:

1. The church is the only institution that our Lord promised to build and to bless (Matt 16:18).
2. The church is the gathering place of true worshippers (Phil 3:3).
3. The church is the most precious assembly on earth since Christ purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 6:19; Eph 5:25; Col 1:20; 1 Pet 1:18; Rev 1:5).
4. The church is the earthly expression of the heavenly reality (Matt 6:10; 18:18).
5. The church will ultimately triumph both universally and locally (matt 16:18; Phil 1:6).
6. The church is the realm of spiritual fellowship (Heb 10:22-25; 1 John 1:3, 6-7).
7. The church is the proclaimer and protector of divine truth (1 Tim 3:15; Titus 2:1, 15).
8. The church is the chief place for spiritual edification and growth (Acts 20:32; Eph 4:11-16; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:1-2; 2 Pet 3:18).
9. The church is the launching pad for world evangelization (Mark 16:15; Titus 2:11).
10. The church is the environment where strong spiritual leadership develops and matures (2 Tim 2:2).

Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson, Comeback Churches, 32-33. Quoted from John MacArthur, Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, Shaping Contemporary Ministry with Biblical Mandates; and Richard Mayhue and Robert Thomas, The Master’s Perspective on Pastoral Ministry