BELIEFS Our hpe is t simply be Christians in Christ s church being SHAPED BY SCRIPTURE. Overview: We are called t 1. understand Gd s relatinship t Christ Jesus. 2. be in a relatinship with Gd thrugh Jesus. 3. be in a relatinship with Gd in Kingdm cmmunity. 1. Called t Understand Gd s Relatinship t Christ Jesus There is ne Gd the Father, Sn, & Hly Spirit. Gd is the Creatr and Ruler f the universe. He has eternally existed in three persns: the Father, the Sn, and the Hly Spirit. The three are c-equal in nature and are ne Gd. Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Crinthians 8:6; II Crinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2 Prphecies predicted Jesus birth, death, and resurrectin. Jesus is the fulfillment f ver 300 histrical prphecies. Luke 24:44-47; Acts 2:14-36; 13:26-43; Hebrews 1:1-3 Jesus is the Sn f Gd, brn miraculusly f a virgin. Jesus Christ is the Sn f Gd. He is fully Gd and fully human, equal in nature with the Father, brn as a human in a miraculus birth. Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6 Jesus lived a perfect life and was the perfect sacrifice. Jesus lived a sinless human life, and ffered Himself as the perfect sacrifice fr the sins (disbedience t Gd s will) f all peple by dying n a crss. Jhn 1:1-5; Hebrews 4:14-15 Jesus vercame death with bdily resurrectin. Jesus arse bdily frm the dead after three days t demnstrate His pwer ver sin and death. 1 Crinthians 15:3-4; Rmans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11 Jesus is the nly Way. Only thrugh Jesus will we find the way t have a relatinship with ur Creatr, the truth cncerning reality, and spiritual life bth nw and in eternity. Jhn 14:6; Acts 4:12
Jesus Christ is the Wrd. Jesus is the embdiment f the Wrd f Gd. He delivered the will f Gd t humanity. The will f Gd is preserved fr us in the Bible. The Bible is inspired f Gd and withut errr. It was written by human authrs under the supernatural guidance f the Hly Spirit. It is the supreme surce f truth fr Christian beliefs and living. Jhn 1:14; 14:10-30; II Timthy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; II Timthy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6; Prverbs 30:5 Jesus reigns in heaven and will return again smeday. Jesus ascended t Heaven t reign as King f Kings and Lrd f Lrds and will return again smeday. Philippians 2:9-11; Revelatin 17:14; Titus 2:13 Our hpe is t be simply Christians in Christ s church being SHAPED BY SCRIPTURE. 2. Called t Be in a Relatinship with Gd thrugh Jesus a. Gd ffers salvatin t all peple. We are made in the spiritual image f Gd, t be like Him in character while exercising free mral chice. We are the supreme bject f Gd s creatin. Althugh each f us has tremendus ptential fr gd, all f us are marred by sin that separates us frm Gd. This is the dangerus cnditin frm which we need t be saved. Genesis 1:27; 9:6; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Rmans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2 The New Cvenant Gd ffers all f mankind a way back int His Kingdm thrugh cvenant relatinship. (A cvenant is an agreement ffered by Gd fr a special relatinship with Him that must be accepted by mankind.) Jesus ffers us His New Cvenant fr the Christian age which began n the day f Pentecst (Jewish feast day n which Christ s church began) and cntinues tday. Ezekiel 36:24-28; Hebrews 8:8-13; 1 Timthy 2:3-5 Gd s Grace Gift Salvatin is Gd s free gift t us. We can never make up fr ur sin by self-imprvement r gd wrks. We avid separatin frm Gd nly by accepting Gd s frgiveness thrugh Jesus Christ. Rmans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9 Peple s Faith Acceptance Thugh salvatin is a free gift t us, we still must chse t accept it. When we turn frm ur selfruled life and turn t Jesus in bedient faith, we are saved and receive the prmise f eternal life in heaven. In spite f ur many mistakes, we remain secure in Gd s grace. Only if we turn in rebellin may we be lst. Rmans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Jhn 1:12; 14:6; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26-28; II Peter 2:20-22
Belief Faith begins with chsing t believe what we learn frm scripture cncerning the Gd News f Jesus Christ: that He is the Sn f Gd, that He died fr ur sins, that He was buried, and that n the third day after His burial, He was raised frm the dead. Jhn 3:16; 6:45; 8:24; 1 Crinthians 15:3-4 Repentance Faith includes a change f mind r heart, prduced by grief cncerning ur separatin frm Gd because f ur wn sin. This grief leads t a willing change in the way we think and act. Our will becmes that f ding ur Heavenly Father s will. Luke 13:3; Jhn 7:17; Hebrews 12:1-2; Acts 17:30 Public Cnfessin that Jesus is Gd s Sn Faith in the heart finds expressin in the verbal cnfessin that Jesus is the Sn f Gd. This cnfessin includes faith in Gd having raised Jesus frm the dead, a belief central t Christianity. Matthew 10:32; Rmans 10:9-10 Baptism The New Birth Faith culminates in baptism f the penitent believer (Different frm such practices as infant baptism which is never mentined in scripture baptism f a penitent believer stands n the capacity f a persn t chse t trust Gd s ffer f grace.) Baptism (which means immersin) is a reenactment f the death, burial, and resurrectin f Jesus. Baptism is the time at which Gd prnunces frgiveness and where ur guilt f sin is remved frm Gd s view f us. In light f this, we recgnize that baptism is essential fr salvatin. The bld that Jesus shed n the crss prvides the sacrificial payment required by Gd fr ur sins and is the pwer f baptism. As Gd created us t be children in His eternal Kingdm, ur new birth at baptism begins life in His family. Matthew 3:16; 28:19-20; Jhn 3:3-5; Acts 2:38; 8:36-39; 22:16; Rmans 6:1-14; 1 Peter 3:21; Ephesians 1:5 In-Christ At the mment f baptism, we can knw we have passed frm spiritual death int spiritual life. We have passed frm Satan s realm int the In-Christ realm. Ephesians 2:4-6; Clssians 1:12-13 Christ in yu The Indwelling f the Hly Spirit We knw at the mment f baptism that His Hly Spirit indwells ur heart. This prmise f the New Cvenant empwers us t live accrding t Gd s way. Clssians 1:27; Acts 2:38; Rmans 8:9; 1 Crinthians 3:16; 12:13; Galatians 5:22-23 b. Salvatin requires us t be transfrmed fllwers f Jesus Christ. Salvatin is just the beginning f a lifetime f Christian grwth better knwn as discipleship. Jhn 15:8; Acts 6:7
Grwing in a Cvenant Relatinship Just as in a marriage relatinship, a cvenant relatinship has t be nurtured in rder t be healthy. Hebrews 8:9 Nutritin Keeping the Wrd in ur Mind Prviding ur mind with cnstant interactin with the Wrd is vital t ur cntinued grwth, health, and greater faith. 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Timthy 2:15; Rmans 10:17 Exercise Faith in Practice Putting ur faith int practice strengthens ur spirit. We d nt participate in gd wrks in rder t be saved; rather, we participate in gd wrks ut f gratitude fr ur salvatin. Gd wrks is nw a part f wh we are. Failure t grw in gd wrks leads t spiritual weakness and eventual death. Hebrews 5:14; James 2:17; Ephesians 2:8 Discipline Ging Beynd What is Cmfrtable Jesus asks us t grw beynd ur cmfrt zne. This grwth is smetimes difficult and requires spiritual discipline t achieve. The Hly Spirit helps us in a special way with this life f discipline that leads t purity, maturity, and Christlikeness. 1 Crinthians 9:24-27; Galatians 5:22-24; Ephesians 4:13-15 Our hpe is t be simply Christians in Christ s church being SHAPED BY SCRIPTURE. 3. Called t Be in a Relatinship with Gd in Kingdm Cmmunity a. Fellwship f the Church The church is nt a sacred building, but a gathering f Gd s peple. It is cmpsed f all wh have experienced the new birth (baptism) thrugh faith in Jesus. Each new Christian, at the mment f salvatin, is added by the Lrd t His ne universal church. Jesus is the nly head f His church. His church finds expressin in lcal cngregatins which, in the New Testament, were interdependent, each having its wn leadership f elders. Once a persn is saved and added t the universal church, he r she needs t jin the fellwship f a lcal cngregatin that hnrs the teachings f Scripture. Acts 2:41-47; 20:28; I Crinthians 1:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; Titus 1:5 The Peple f Gd In the Bible, the church is referred t as the peple f Gd wh are t be a hly natin and a ryal priesthd. 1 Peter 2:9-10 The Bdy f Christ The church is als referred t as being the bdy f Christ. Christ s presence in the wrld tday is represented by the church as they cntinue His ministry in the wrld. The different parts f the
bdy represent many talents within the church where each member cntributes t the grwth f the whle bdy. 1 Crinthians 12:4-6; 18; 27 The Unified Cmmunity f the Hly Spirit When we becme Christians, the Hly Spirit s indwelling f us brings us tgether int cmmunity. The Hly Spirit gives the church the gift f unity. Jesus charges us with keeping this unity in the bnd f peace with all humility and lve. Ephesians 4:1-5; 2 Crinthians 13:13 The Family f Gd Being added t Christ s church includes becming a part f His lving spiritual family. This new family is bth a privilege and a respnsibility. Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 10:29-30; Rmans 8:14; 1 Timthy 3:15 Male Spiritual Leadership The Bible leads us t understand that we all have imprtant rles within His family. Gd asks men t fill sme rles while asking wmen t fill thers. We trust Gd s infinite wisdm cncerning ur rles in ur hmes, in church leadership and in assembly wrship. Genesis 1-3; Galatians 3:26-29; 1 Crinthians 11:3; 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:25-33; 1 Timthy 2:11-15; 3:1-2, 12 b. Wrship & Assembly f the Church Cming Befre Our King Wrship cvers the Christian life as well as Christian assembly. Hwever, in assembly, the church manifests itself by being tgether as a family. Nt everything that is acceptable in daily Christian living has a place in assembly wrship. Assembly wrship is celebrative and relevant wrship that adres the Creatr accrding t His will. The Bible refers t this kind f wrship as being in spirit and in truth. When we apprach ur Heavenly King in this manner, ur spiritual needs are met in a way that leads t unity, visin, maturity, blessing, and empwerment. Jhn 4:23; 1 Crinthians 11:20-22, 33-34; 14:23 Need Christians need ne anther. Gd created us this way. Christian faith always includes expressin as cmmunity because Gd exists in cmmunity. As ppsed t being based n ritual, ur assembly wrship is based n relatinship t Gd and t ur brthers and sisters in Christ. Hebrews 10:25; Acts 17:24-25 Attitude The Bible teaches us t apprach ur assembly wrship with an attitude f dependence and humility befre Gd the Father. Because f ur salvatin in Christ, Christians cme t Gd with an attitude f thanksgiving and jy. Frm the Hly Spirit cmes expectatin and hpe as we lk twards eternity. 1 Thessalnians 5:18; Rmans 15:13
Scripture Shaped The prper gals f the assembly are t glrify Gd and t edify the church. The apstles teaching sets the standard fr hw we participate in this as a church. Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:21; 1 Crinthians 14:9, 12, 15 Weekly Cmmunin As we see in the New Testament, the Lrd s supper is the central act f the church in its weekly assemblies. These assemblies tk place upn the first day f the week. The Lrd s supper is expressive f the central principles f the Christian faith, namely, remembering what Jesus has dne thrugh His death, burial, and resurrectin and remembering what that means t ur lives. Acts 20:28; Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Crinthians 11:23-28 Spiritual Cmmunicatin Much f ur assembly wrship is fcused n the spiritual cmmunicatin necessary fr a healthy relatinship t grw between each Christian and Gd and between each Christian and ur fellw brthers and sisters in Christ. Ephesians 5:15-21 Prayer In assembly wrship, ur prayers vice the family cncerns f the church. We pray thrugh the name f (r by the authrity f) Jesus. Thrugh Christ, we are allwed t cme bldly befre the thrne f Gd with ur prayers. The gal f prayer, hwever, is ur submissin t the will f Gd. Within this cntext, we trust Gd with ur requests, and pray His will be dne. 1 Timthy 2:1; Jhn 16:26; Hebrews 4:16; Matthew 6:10; 7:11; 26:42 A Cappella Singing Singing spiritual thughts frm ur hearts t Gd and t ne anther is an imprtant part f grwing ur relatinships in Christ. Singing is a sacrifice and cnfessin f ur faith made with ur lips. We sing t ne anther fr mutual edificatin and fr affirmatin f unity. Our sng invlves the whle persn and prvides an utlet fr deep religius emtin. Musical instruments ccur in the New Testament as a part f everyday life but are never mentined as part f the wrship assembly f the church. In light f this, we participate in a cappella singing in ur assembly wrship. 1 Timthy 3:16; Hebrews 13:15; Ephesians 5:18-19; Clssians 3:16; Rmans 15:6; James 5:13 Bible Study The Bible encurages the public reading f scripture in assembly and t the receiving f teaching frm the Bible. The New Testament establishes the Christian faith and interprets the Old Testament fr us in the light f Christ. 1 Timthy 4:12; Matthew 17:5; Hebrews 1:1-2
Giving c. Purpse f the Church The everyday life f a Christian is marked by giving. Hwever, giving als finds wrshipful expressin in the weekly assembly. In assembly, ur giving is t be persnal, intentinal, planned, and accrding t hw Gd has blessed us. Our attitude in giving is als imprtant t ur relatinship with Gd. 1 Crinthians 16:1-3; 2 Crinthians 9:7 As a church, we seek t be abut ur Father s business in ways utlined fr us in scripture. We seek t challenge urselves as a church with cnnecting all f the varius aspects f ur lives t the will f Christ. Luke 2:49; Rmans 12:2 Cnnect ur faith t Christ - Discipleship We seek daily t walk as Jesus disciples and trust that Jesus, Himself, is wrking t finish what He has begun in us. Jhn 13:35; Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Timthy 1:12-14 Cnnect ur faith t the lst Evangelism We seek t share the gd news f Jesus Christ with the wrld arund us s they t may becme His disciples. Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Crinthians 5:18-20 Cnnect members t ne anther Fellwship Jesus wants his peple t wrk tgether, wrship tgether and strengthen each ther. Acts 2:42-44 Cnnect members t the cmmunity - Ministry Our ministries extend beynd urselves as we seek t demnstrate the lve f Christ t the cmmunity arund us. Ephesians 4:7-11; Galatians 6:9 This is nly the beginning f the search f scripture t understand Gd s will. We invite yu t jin the cnversatin. Are yu new t Christianity? Visit ur Bible Resurces page