““The church has a very narrow commission. It is not called to be an alternative neighborhood, circle of friends, political action committee, social club, or public service agency; it is called to deliver Christ so clearly and fully that believers are prepared to be salt and light in the worldly stations to which God has called them. Why should a person go through all the trouble of belonging to a church and showing up each Sunday if God is the passive receiver and we are the active giver?””
![“If the church is the body of Christ [who was disguised in servant form], why would we think the world would be able to pick us out of a crowd of other well-meaning organizations?” quote by Mark Galli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bc2/mark-galli-21107_body-of-christ_if-the-church-is-the-body-of-christ-who_1439270.jpg)
![“As the pretensions of modernity are unmasked today, it is a good time for us to recover our nerve, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for the hope that is in [us]” (1Pe 3:15). By breaking into our history, sharing our history, and transforming that…” quote by Michael S. Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d20/michael-s-horton-7082_history_as-the-pretensions-of-modernity-are-unma_107863.jpg)
![“T]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people - the new covenant, blood-bought people of God. That's why Paul said, 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph. 5:25). He didn't give himself up for a…” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a4/mark-dever-3175_blood_t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-bu_3297.jpg)
