THE PURPOSE OF CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH
FOR 65 YEARS AND BEYOND
Virtually every week in our Sunday Bulletin, there is a little
boxed-in statement that says, “The purpose of Calvary Baptist Church is
to glorify God and magnify His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, by the
edification of the saints and the evangelization of the lost in Grinnell
and the surrounding area, even to the ends of the earth.”
That is an excellent purpose statement because it is Biblical,
following precisely the mandate and mission Jesus gave to his disciples
after His resurrection and just before He ascended back to Heaven.
Christ gave this “Great Commission” to the apostles recorded
for us in Matthew 28:16-20. In
this text, we see three basic ingredients that were essentials for the 1st
century church, and are still vital for the 21st century
church.
I.
Exaltation of the Savior – vs. 16-17 …”When they (the eleven
disciples) saw Him (Jesus), they worshipped Him”… Our primary purpose on earth is to exalt, glorify, and
magnify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We do this through public, corporate worship as we assemble
together as a body of believers. When
we sing His praises, study His Word, and give to His Kingdom causes, He is
exalted. We are instructed
not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb. 10:25).
We should each worship Christ also in our personal, daily walk by
continuing in regular prayer and Bible study, cultivating an intimate
relationship with our Savior, and seeking to let His light shine through
us to others (Matt. 5:16).
II.
Evangelism of the Sinner – vs. 18-19 …”Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations…” As
we have come to know Him, we are to make Him known to others. Christ has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to be
witnesses of Him to our friends, relatives, coworkers, and neighbors.
Someone has said, “The Gospel is good news only if it reaches the
lost in time.” People are
dying without Christ. Judgment
is coming. Jesus is returning
soon and the door of grace will be shut forever for many.
We who know Jesus must seek to share Him with others before it is
too late. We do this in our
public worship service, in our Sunday School classes, through our AWANA
ministry, Vacation Bible School, special outreach events, and ongoing
support of home and foreign missionaries.
III.
Edification of the Saints – v. 20 …”Teaching them to observe
all things that I have commanded you”… After children and adults are
saved, they are to “continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine,
fellowship, breaking of bread and in prayer” (Acts 2:42).
The local church is to be “the pillar and ground of the truth”
(I Tim. 3:15), and we are responsible to faithfully teach sound doctrine
to the saints, which will equip them to do the work of the ministry (Eph.
4:11-16). Healthy sheep
reproduce themselves and that is one of the main reasons Jesus chose us,
that we might bring forth fruit for His glory and the growth of His church
(John 15:8, 16). New
Testament Christians and churches are to fulfill their God-given purpose,
which is to be continually committed to the perpetual cycle of Exaltation,
Evangelism, and Edification.
In 1940, a small group of believers dedicated themselves to this
purpose. For the past 65
years, Calvary Baptist Church in Grinnell has sought to follow Christ and
be a “pillar and ground of the truth” in this community.
Though we have sometimes failed in our commitment, Jesus has never
failed. He is “the same,
yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
His purpose for us remains the same.
We must rededicate ourselves to do it.
Join us as we celebrate God’s faithfulness to us and renew our
faithfulness to Him in commemorating the 65th Anniversary of
Calvary Baptist Church, November 6-8, 2005.
Former Pastor Damon Reese and Rev. Joe Hayes will speak on our
theme, “Back to the Basics – Forward by Faith”.
Bring your family, invite your friends, and may we all be renewed
in our commitment to Exaltation, Evangelism, and Edification.
“Faith
of our fathers, we will strive
To win all
nations unto thee;
And
through the truth that comes from God,
Mankind
shall then be truly free.
Faith of
our fathers, holy faith;
We will be
true, to thee till death!”