The Task of the Church

The task of the Church is the redemption of the world and the salvation of the lost.  The more lost an individual is, the more attention the Church should give to that individual.  And the greatest sin of the Church is the exclusion of those who we deem to be unholy, because it prevents the Church from fulfilling its mission of the redemption of the lost. 

Today many Christian voices speak primarily about exclusion and judgment of those who they deem to be lost in sin.  The only message to those who are deemed to be lost is to confirm that they are lost and fallen.  Part of the task of the Church is to define holiness and right behavior.  But rather than condemning those who are deemed to be lost, the Church should be about the business of seeking the redemption and salvation of the lost by emphasizing that redemption and salvation is available in Jesus.

Think of the Church like a hospital.  The greatest attention in a hospital is given to those who require the most medical assistance.  The medical professionals with the highest level of skill are assigned to the care of the patients who need it most.  By analogy, the Church has become a place that excludes those who need the Church most by simply telling them that they are lost and fallen without balancing that message with the real message of the gospels, which is the message of redemption and salvation.