By Jeff Noblit

In a time when many churches are shaped more and more by cultural trends and personal preferences, the call to build a thoroughly biblical church remains as urgent as ever. A true church must be deeply rooted in God’s Word and empowered by His Spirit. As our purpose statement declares, “The purpose of Grace Life Church of the Shoals is to glorify God by obediently making and equipping disciples of Christ (establishing local churches) both in the Shoals and throughout the world by the power of the Spirit.” This is not a trendy slogan but a conviction drawn fully from Scripture, providing a roadmap for building a church that honors God.

“To Glorify God…”

The ultimate purpose of the church is to glorify God. Ephesians 3:21 declares, “To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” The church exists not to cater to human preferences to proclaim His Truth and accurately reflect His Character to the world. And here’s the reality: if glorifying God doesn’t apprehend your soul, you won’t make it long term as a faithful member or pastor. No other motivation will carry you through the opposition, undermining, and overall persecution that comes against all faithful works of God. It’s not worth it unless you believe down in your soul that the glory of God is worth it. And trust me, it is.

The church is Christ’s prized possession, purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). It is His building, His body, and His bride (Matthew 16:18, Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 5:23). These metaphors are not mere poetry; they emphasize that the church exists to magnify Christ. As I’ve said before, “He didn’t say, ‘I’ll build your church,’ and He didn’t say, ‘You’ll build my church.’ He said, ‘I will build my church.’” That’s a powerful truth—and it means our job is to yield to His design and be on mission with Him!

“…By Obediently…”

The church glorifies God through obedience. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The Bible is not a suggestion manual; it is the sufficient, authoritative blueprint for the church. Our job is not to innovate but to obey. I’ve often said, “God doesn’t need smarter men in church work; He just needs obedient ones.”

This obedience flies in the face of what many churches today have embraced. Too often, churches are designed around what men want rather than what God commands. You’ve seen it—the “Six Flags Over Jesus” approach, turning churches into amusement parks to attract a crowd. But as Charles Spurgeon warned, “The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people.” This is not obedience; this is compromise.

The goal is not success. If success were the goal, Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross. By the time He got there, most of His followers had abandoned Him. But He was obedient, and through His obedience, God brought about eternal victory and ultimately true and great success! Obedience brings God’s blessing and thus “true” success. In the early years of Grace Life Church of the Shoals, if we had focused on “success” instead of obedience, we would not enjoy the success we have today!

“…Making and Equipping Disciples”

Our obedience as His church centers under one broad command. The Great Commission commands us to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). That’s disciples—not decisions, not baptisms, not raised hands at a revival meeting. Discipleship is about transformed lives and maturing faithful disciples, not empty rituals. Decisionism, revivalism, believism—these things may look like the real deal, but they’re just man-made imitations. It’s Christianity-ism, not Christianity.

So how do we make and equip disciples? Through God’s appointed means:

1. Preaching the Word: Faithful preaching is the cornerstone. Romans 10:14-15 reminds us that people cannot believe unless they hear the Word of God. There’s a difference between using Scripture and preaching Scripture. Too many pulpits today offer fluffy motivational talks sprinkled with a biblical verse or two and often taken out of context. But real, biblical preaching demands rigorous, Spirit-filled exposition of God’s Word that is accompanied by Spiritual power!
2. Every Member Ministry: Discipleship doesn’t stop with the sermon. It extends into the life of the church, particularly through Small Groups. This is where biblical truths are fleshed out, where believers encourage, reprove, and disciple one another (Acts 2:42-47). Most para-church organizations wouldn’t exist if churches were doing their job in Small Group discipleship. Strong, healthy Small Groups require hard work; yet, they are the embodiment and proof of the pulpit and the undeniable evidence of God’s Word in the lives of membership.
3. Homelife Discipleship: Real Christianity has to go home from church with us. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 makes it clear: fathers are taught by their pastors, and then they are to lead and teach God’s Word to their children in the rhythms of everyday homelife. You don’t need a complicated program for this. Talk about Scripture while you’re driving, eating dinner, or tucking your kids in at night. Make it real.

“…In the Shoals and Around the World…” (both locally and globally)

The church’s mission is not confined to a single location because God’s glory must fill the earth! Jesus instructed His followers to be witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). This global vision reflects the heart of God, Who desires people from every nation to know Him and worship Him (Revelation 7:9).

The scope of our church ministry must be as wide as the heart of God. John 3:16 reminds us that God so loved the world, and 1 John 2:2 declares that Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Spurgeon put it well: “If the elect had a yellow stripe down their back, we’d just lift up shirts to see who to evangelize. But since they don’t, we preach the Gospel to everyone.” That’s our job: to urge all men everywhere to repent and believe.

“…In the Power of the Spirit…”

Here’s the point: none of this will work apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, after His resurrection, Jesus didn’t chastise His disciples for abandoning Him; instead, He empowered them. He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations…and lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:18-20). He is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit as we honor His will for the church! The Spirit’s presence is the lifeblood of the church.

Something I’ve learned over the years: Spirit-wrought people stick. Gimmicks might draw a crowd for 18 months, but they won’t build a church. When the Spirit transforms hearts, those people are anchored to Christ—and they can’t walk away. That’s why Paul said in Colossians 1:29, “For this purpose I labor, striving according to His power, which works mightily within me.”

Conclusion

Building a biblical church is not about gimmicks, trends, or entertainment; it’s about faithfulness to God’s Word and reliance on His Spirit. The church exists to glorify God, by obeying His commands to make and equip disciples, embrace a global mission, and depend entirely on the power of the Spirit.

This path isn’t easy to our natural inclinations! And it isn’t always popular. But when we stand before the Lord, we won’t answer for how big our church was or how many programs we offered. We’ll answer for whether we were faithful. And if we’ve built God’s church God’s way by God’s power, we’ll hear the words we long to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

That’s the goal. That’s the prize. Let’s build churches that accurately reflect God’s character and attributes and thereby glorify Him.