This last Sunday, Pastor Herk of my father’s church started his sermon by reciting their church’s Statement of Faith. It reads: We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal future return to this earth in power and glory to rule over the nations. We believe that the only means to being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ. We believe that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing of the human body and answer to believing prayer. We believe in the Spirit-filled life, by whose indwelling, the Christian is given the power to live a victorious and effective life. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; one unto everlasting life and the other unto everlasting damnation.
We believe that marriage has been ordained by God (marriage is defined by this church as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman, in which such union is a lifetime commitment. A Civil sanctioned union shall be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church, only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of marriage found in the Bible. We believe that legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely with marriage, hence sexual activities outside of marriage referred to in the New Testament are “porneia” (illicit sexual intercourse or sexual activity), including but not limited to adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, pedophilia which are all inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the church.
Luke 12:4-5 “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will point out to you whom you should fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority and power to hurl
[you] into hell; yes, I say to you, [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him!”
If you know the Law of God, the Word of God, and the Will of God on the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage, and do not speak up and take action to stop the abominable depravity and destruction of them, are you sinning against a just and holy God? A secular humanist in rebellion against God, His kingdom and His sovereign, reign and rule does not ultimately judge you; the Lord does.
This church uses the baseball diamond diagram to layout the ministry strategy, goals, direction and plan of action. Homeplate starts with “Mission” which is continuing the gospel work of Christ in the salvation of sinners. First base is “Membership” which goes without mention in the brotherhood and community of the body of Christ. Second base is “Maturity” which involves Discipleship. Third base is “Ministry”, which is the Ecclesiastical function. Any church is not to stop once they get a person to “first base”. The church’s work just begins at the point where someone accepts the transforming free gift of eternal life in Christ as Savior and Lord. Knowing Christ, growing in Christ, serving Christ and sharing Christ is the path of the Christian. Do we think about the purposes of the church and what they mean?
2 Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
We are in a season of “Discipleship” and submission is the perfect Segway into discipleship because if we cannot humble before and submit ourselves top God, then we can never be effective disciples. We need to return to discipleship and telling people about Jesus. The country is not going to heal by anything either political party can do or doesn’t do. This nation and world is going to heal because of what God can do. It is God that is going to bring us what we need are healing this land and people, but we need to turn from our wicked ways, humble ourselves, pray constantly and seek God’s face. We can do that by being good disciples (student/follower) of Jesus, becoming more Christ-like.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on "Discipleship" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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