MOBILIZED – OUR PURPOSE
Why Are We Here? #2
Pastor Brandon Cross
Woodland Church
Sunday, July 19, 2026
MAIN IDEA:
We have a responsibility to embrace our purpose, which is to partner with God and actively engage in reaching those who do not yet know Him. We are to be mobilized as His Chosen!
THE AG FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH #10: “THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION”
“The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission.”
- Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:19-22, Hebrews 12:23
“Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by man, to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, and to demonstrate His love and compassion for all the world, the priority reason for being of the Assemblies of God as part of the Church is the following:”
1. TO BE AN AGENCY OF GOD FOR EVANGELIZING THE WORLD.
- Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8
- Mission: The Sending – Spreading the Gospel, both locally and globally, to share the message of Jesus Christ.
- “Mission” is the overarching purpose of God in the world, encompassing all that God is doing to redeem fallen creation.
- The local church acts as the “sender,” raising up, equipping, and supporting disciples to carry the gospel forward.
- Evangelism: The Proclamation – Every believer is commissioned as a witness to announce the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
APPLICATION:
Our primary purpose is to be the messengers of God to our community to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who do not know Him yet. We have to embrace that individually, not just corporately for events/outreaches.
2. TO BE A CORPORATE BODY IN WHICH MAN MAY WORSHIP GOD.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 5:19-20
- Fellowship & Community – (Acts 2:42-47)
- Worship and Glorifying God:
- Mutual Edification – (Matthew 18:18-20)
- Power of Agreement
- Divine Presence
- Reconciliation
APPLICATION:
We are meant to make sure that we stay committed to gathering together for corporate worship and surrender to God, share in one another’s lives DEEPLY, prioritize building up other believers over our own needs from the church, and to lovingly hold each other accountable to be more like Jesus.
3. TO BE A CHANNEL OF GOD’S PURPOSE TO BUILD A BODY OF SAINTS BEING PERFECTED IN THE IMAGE OF HIS SON.
- Ephesians 4:11-16
- Discipleship and Edification: Teaching biblical doctrine to ground believers, enabling them to grow in maturity and avoid false teaching.
APPLICATION:
We are to be concerned about one another as a “collective” body of Christ and fight off our individualistic mindset that our culture has emphasized. We are to help one another train or learn what it means to serve Jesus as a passionate follower and model it as well.
4. TO BE A PEOPLE WHO DEMONSTRATE GOD’S LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR ALL THE WORLD.
- James 1:27, Galatians 2:10, Psalms 112:9, Matthew 25:31-40
- Jesus places a high priority on the Church seeing people through His eyes and taking action to help them sacrificially!
APPLICATION:
Service and Compassion are to be Core Values. We are to be vigilant to find opportunities to identify and to meet the needs of the community through social support, care for the poor, generosity with resources and practical, loving actions!
As the Church, we exist to:
- Evangelize the world – Share the Gospel
- Gather together to worship – Live Like Jesus
- To build the Body of Christ – Live Like Jesus
- Demonstrate God’s love and compassion – Serve Our Neighbors
CALL TO ACTION:
- Who can I share my faith with this week? Pray for the opportunity to speak the truth of Jesus into someone’s life this week!
- Commit to participating in our Wednesday night Bible study, attending a Bible study with a friend, or praying with someone over a need this week.
- Pray for the opportunity to fill a need in someone’s life this week, then look for it and do it!