The mission of the Church is a mission. However, as we look at the purpose of the Church in the world today, we cannot avoid the fundamental truths that God created us to first have fellowship with Him; then to commune with others who have also come to believe in the saving work of Christ; and also to bear witness to the lost who live among us. These three things, I believe, are inseparable and I wish to focus on the last point after making some brief comments on the first two. God has left us in no doubt of His love for humanity as we read throughout the Old and New Testaments of His provision. of a path back to Him, even if it is Man who rebelled against God and who therefore deserves His wrath. We often see how God made covenants (agreements with a promise) with men of the past such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, and countless prophets. Most of the time, God's promises are that He chooses a people for Himself, the children of Israel, and that these special people are chosen to be a light to the rest of the world, testifying to the goodness and mercy of God towards them. The aspects of God's choosing and calling His people and bringing them together as a community are preparatory to the ultimate goal of God's will – that all people on earth will worship God and receive salvation from Him. Abraham was promised that he was 'blessed to be a blessing' (Genesis 12:1-3). Although he never saw the fulfillment of this promise, Abraham is remembered throughout history as the man who “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4 :3). The Psalmist tells us that all men are meant to “rejoice and sing for joy” in praising God (Psalm 67). It was God's intention that through His people, God's way could...... middle of paper...... or not, Jesus makes no distinction. We are called to bear witness to our neighbors (and our enemies if you can manage it), to our friends, to our loved ones, to our co-workers, to our classmates, and even to our bosses. And we don't even need to venture outside our own circle of influence. Imagine if all believers did at least this! The Church does not exist for its own sake, has never existed. Our goal is to continue where Jesus began. During his life, he traveled through all the cities and villages of Judea and Galilee, telling people about the Kingdom of God, healing their illnesses, casting out demons, and raising the dead. It is through the Church today that Jesus wants this saving work to continue, and while we seem to have reached the “ends of the earth,” continue to seek out those who need to be saved. Will you join me in saying and living “The mission of the Church is the mission”?