Will The Real Grace Church Please Stand Up
Read: Ephesians 4
Yesterday we looked at “Why We Exist.” We found a simple answer in Scripture–to glorify God. Another important “W” question could be, “Who Are We?” Who is Grace Church?
Are we Baptist? Yes. Are we non-denominational? Yes. Are we a large church? Yes. Are we a “mega-church?” No. Are we a traditional church? Yes and no.
You see, there are a lot of questions we could ask about ourselves, but we still haven’t really answered the question, “Who are we?” Here are some facts you may not know about our church: Approximately 1,000 people call Grace Church home on any given Sunday; each week you contribute approximately $13,000 to the ministry; approximately 600 of our 1,000 weekly attenders are involved in a Sunday School class; our church supports more than 50 home and foreign missionaries on a monthly basis; Pastor Nelms has been our pastor for 11 years; our present building is approximately 35,000 square feet; our auditorium can seat 700.
Those are interesting facts, but it still doesn’t answer the question: Who Are We? Who is Grace Church? We are not buildings, programs, offerings or statistics–we are the church. Who is Grace Church? We are Grace Church.
In 1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul tells us,
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (1 Cor. 6:19)
Buildings don’t minister to people...people minister to people. This leads to an important question: how are you involved in ministry? Are you using the gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit himself to minister to your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Begin praying now that the Lord will reveal to you the area in which He would have you serve. Remember, it’s not the size of the mission in front of you that matters, but the size of the Person behind you.
Why We Exist?
Have you ever wondered why Grace Church exists? Why do we work so hard to do what we do week after week? Take a moment to discuss this question.
You probably thought of many reasons: to share the gospel with a lost world; to equip the saints for the work of the ministry; to pray for one another and show our love for one another. You may have thought of several more reasons why Grace Church exists, but there is only one reason Grace Church exists.
The answer to our question is found in the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians. In chapter 10:31 the Holy Spirit led the apostle Paul to write,
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
In a sentence, that is our answer–that is the reason we exist. In fact, the purpose statement for our church states this first and foremost: “Grace Church exists to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ.” How can we do this? The purpose statement continues, “We believe we can best do so by growing in grace and becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ. Our desire is to equip each one to reach and then teach others how to grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Does this principle apply just to Grace Church? Absolutely Not! God created each one of us for one purpose–to worship Him and bring glory to His Name.
How does this occur? First, by cultivating the habit of including the Lord God in every segment of your life. Second, by refusing to expect or accept any of the glory that belongs to God. Third, by maintaining a priority relationship with Him that is more important than any other on earth.
Additional reading: Psalm 145; Psalm 86:1-10