What Is The Church Here For?

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​​   People visit with us here at Sunny Slope all the time.  Sometimes, it’s people who are traveling.  They’re in town on a Sunday or Wednesday night and stop to worship and study with us.  Other times, it’s people who have family or friends who are members here.  They visit with us in response to an invitation given them by their family member or friend.  Still others simply live in the community, maybe in the neighborhood, and stop in to worship God and check us out.  There are also people who were members of the Lord’s church in another part of the country, who have moved to this area and are looking for a good congregation to call home.

   What is this church here for?  This basic question could be asked by everybody who comes in contact with us, even those who simply drive by our church building.  It’s a question that we who are members here at Sunny Slope should ask of ourselves, on a regular basis.  And, we should know the answer.
   Bottom line, the church is the Lord’s body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).  He adds us to the church Himself as we come to salvation through Him (Acts 2:47).  When you think about it, it’s an awesome relationship we share with our savior as part of His body.
   But as His body (His church), just what are we here for?  We’re here to glorify God.  That’s what worship is all about, giving God glory, showing Him our adoration.  In doing that we’re here to help other people learn about God and His Son, our Savior.  Our mission is to teach the gospel to everyone all around us and around the world (Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16).  We’re here to teach God’s word (2 Tim. 4:2).
   We’re also here to help people.  We need to help people with their physical needs where such is needed and appropriate (Gal. 6:10), but that’s not our primary purpose.  We’re here to help people find their way.  A lot of people are groping around looking for direction and purpose in life.  They’ve tried a lot suggestions the world throws at them, and they’ve come up empty.  We’re here to help them find out what life’s really about by teaching them about their creator.
   We’re here to help people who are hurting.  Because so many people do not have their lives centered in Christ, they can’t find real, sustainable happiness.  They don’t have the right focus in their lives.  As a result, they go about relationships, work and life in general with the wrong emphasis and end up hurting and unhappy, maybe even forlorn.  We’re here to help them find peace in Jesus Christ (Phlp. 4:4-7).  We’re here to show them a different emphasis for what they do, one that gives the greatest sense of satisfaction.  We’re here to let them know that someone cares and that God loves them.
   This church is important, because God sent His Son to die on the cross to establish it.  We always need to remember who we are and what this church is here for...