Jesus Christ- Head of the Church and object of our worship
1. We were created to worship, and Jesus Christ is the one who is truly worthy of all our worship. Part of our worship is remembering the Lord together regularly, as He commanded. The example from Scripture seems to be each week, not as part of a ritual, but as a part of real worship. Worship is proclaiming the worth of the Lord Jesus Christ, remembering what He has done, thanking God and praising Him for His love, grace and mercy. Worship comes through self-examination and partaking in the symbols of the bread and wine in remembrance and anticipation of the Christ's return, through prayer, singing, testimony, thanks, praise, and reading Scripture.
Luke 22:14-20; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 (example- Lord's Supper); 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 (order, women's roles); Acts 2:42 (what); 1 Peter 2:4-5 (priesthood, offering sacrifices); John 4:23-24 (worship)
2. Jesus Christ is preeminent in all things in the church. Seeking His glory first in everything we do – corporately and individually. Total commitment to our Lord and Savior. Making the conscious decision to place Him as our first and highest priority in life. Our use of time and resources will reflect this. The church is not a social club or 12-step group, but the living body of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We exist to serve Him, for His glory. He is the only reason we have fellowship with one another, and as such is the center of such fellowship.
Colossians 1:1 8; (preeminence) 1 Corinthians 3:9-11; 1 Peter 1:7-9, 2:6 (Christ the foundation); Ephesians 3:20- 21, 5:23 (Christ as Head); Luke 14:26-33 (count the cost, self sacrifice, true discipleship); 1 John 1:3 (Fellowship with the Father through Christ)
3. Meeting without the bonds of ritual, tradition or predetermined order. In all things truly allowing the Spirit to lead (not chaotic or casual – just ordered by God instead of men). This includes the 'rituals' of rigidly scheduled times for ending, opening/closing prayers & hymns, order of meetings.
1 Corinthians 14:26-40, Acts 20:7(no clocks or schedules); 2 Corinthians 3:17 (Freedom as led by the Spirit); Isaiah 29:13-14 (not just ritual, quoted in two following passages); Mark 7:6-9; Matthew 15:2-3 (Commandments of men, traditions)
The Ideal Church Part 2 God's Word as the Authority
4. Let every practice be carefully searched out in the Scripture. Let us never be afraid of what might be found if we honestly look together at what the Scriptures teach on a subject, no matter what we've previously believed or been taught. Let us have full confidence that searching the Scriptures afresh will always lead to the truth.
Acts 17:10-11 (tried by Scripture); 1 John 4:1 (test the spirits);2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Scripture inspired of God); Mark 7:7-8 (not man's laws)
5. Sound expository teaching and study of the Word of God. God has revealed Himself to us through His Word, and everything we need to know for life and godliness is found within its pages. We cannot live holy lives by merely knowing about the Bible, but it is impossible to practice in obedience that which we are ignorant of. Less time spent covering new material and more time spent applying what has been learned/discussed.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (Gifts given by God); 1 Timothy 1:5, 3:15, 4:13, 6:3-5; (sound doctrine);2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16- 4:2 (study, preach, true to God's Word, no compromise); Titus 1:9; Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 8:1 (knowledge without love); Colossians 3:16 (teaching, admonition); Psalm 119:11
6. Worship and obedience go hand-in-hand. Righteousness and holy living should be taken seriously – not legalistic rules to be followed. In love challenging one another to be holy for the love of Him who died to free us from bondage to sin. Remember: sin grieves God and His Spirit dwelling in us. Let us never grow lax in our striving against sin, or grow lax in our acceptance of sin in our lives. Instead, let us encourage one another to live holy, set apart for the work He has called us to.
1 Peter 1:13-19; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:20-26; James 4:4-10 (Holy living to honor God); 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 2:14; John 14:15, 21; John 15:8, 14; 1 John 2:3-4; 1 John 5:3; Luke 6:46 (Obedience proves love/discipleship); Matthew 5:16 (good works glorify God); Hebrews 12:1-4 (Christ our example) The Ideal Church Part 3 Body life
7. The local church is described as a body and as a family – loving one another, caring for each other's needs, working together, encouraging and exhorting one another, accountable to one another. Christians should be known for their love for one another, the expression of a family not formed by physical birth, but spiritual birth.
John 13:35, 15:12, 17 (one another); Galatians 6:10; Acts 2:42-47 (selfless, unity); Romans 12:10, 13; Ephesians 4:15-16;1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (one body); Philippians 2:1-4 (others first)
8. Treating all other true believers (those who meet elsewhere, even if in ways we see as less than ideal) as brothers and sisters in Christ. Laboring together, helping one another, etc. as extended family instead of as competition or the enemy. If there aren't supposed to be divisions in the body, let's live that out.
Romans 16:1-16 (lives dedicated to the Lord's work); 2 Corinthians 13:11-14; Philippians 4:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:25-27 (greet ALL the saints)
9. Everyone in the body exercising their spiritual gift(s) – encouraged to and given opportunity, understanding that every Christian has been gifted for the common good of the body.
1 Corinthians 12:4-31 (every part needed, ordained by God); 1 Peter 4:10; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-12 (gifts by God for edifying all)
10. Young people trained up in the church to serve – who are not entertained into staying, but put to work and so are useful and needed members of the Body. The primary teacher of each child is to be the parents, those without believing parents may be helped along by spiritually mature and faithful men and women as part of the ministry of the local church to whoever the Lord draws to Himself.
Acts 16:1-3 (Paul sought Timothy out); 1 Timothy 4:12 (example even in youth); Titus 2:6-8 (teach young men by example); 2 Timothy 3:10-11, 14-15 (taught since a child)
The Ideal Church Part 4 Structure and order
11. A local church is led and shepherded by elders, not a single professional trained religious figure. The church often has been limited to the exercise of public speaking gift due to man made distinctions, yet we must be cautious that we not lay hands on men too quickly or assume that desire to lead is equal to qualification to accurately handle God's Word. Let elders and deacons be recognized in accordance with the qualifications laid out in Paul's epistles to Timothy and Titus, not adding to nor taking away from these apostolic traditions for the purpose of fulfilling perceived needs nor limiting men's service due to unbiblical or pragmatic reasoning. .
1 Peter 5:1-3; Acts 14:23, 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5-11; James 5:14 (elders doing the work, not a title or “ornamental” position)
12. No official positions that draw lines between 'professional' ministry and everyone else – just the exercise of different gifts within the body.
3 John 1:9-10 (Diotrophes refuses others help) ; Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-26 (not lording it over the flock, but leading by example of service and humility); 2 Corinthians 1:24
13. Some gifts require much time to exercise, thus we believe the Word gives license for supporting such laborers, although not in the sense of an expected or negotiated salary but rather the loving support of those who recognize and appreciate the faithful work for the Lord to which some men are called.
1 Timothy 5:17-18; Galatians 6:6; 1 Corinthians 9:1-19 (life dedicated to the Lord's work, laborer worthy of his wages/investment in people)
14. True shepherding of the flock: vision, visitation, discipleship, counseling, correction, etc. When these things are not practiced, a body will suffer and struggle. This is to be modeled by those specifically gifted (shepherds/elders), but practiced by all the body. The body of Christ is to be interdependent and selflessly dedicated to fulfilling the goals and actions directed by the Head, who is Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Peter 5:1-3; Ephesians 4:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:2 (pass it on); Titus 2 (examples to all); John 21:15-17 (love acts); James 1:22-25 (see the truth, act on it); Ezekiel 34:2-6(consequences for disregarding of sheep)
15. All the men involved in teaching and contributing to the study of the Word. Every member of the body must be a student of the Word, with parents primarily charged with the training of children.
Hebrews 5:12-14 (maturity expected); 1 Corinthians 14:24-26, 29-32 (each one something to offer in service to the Lord)
16. Let the women not be ignorant of the stumbling block that immodesty causes men, both in the church and out. Let the older women teach the younger women such things, and let the fathers be accountable for the behavior of their daughters. Let the women also participate in the body as the Lord has directed – in silence publicly and proper submission to their own husbands, not teaching or exercising authority over men.
Titus 2:3-5 (modesty); 1 Corinthians 11:1-15 (creation order/covering), 14:34-35 (women's silence); 1 Timothy 2:9-15 (modesty, not leading men);1 Peter 3:1-6 (not for show, meek and quiet, recognizing and accepting God's order in submission to Him)
17. Giving as a personal matter before the Lord – secretly, joyfully, sacrificially, regularly, and proportionately as the Lord provides, not from guilt or compulsion. Although the principle is not without merit, the Tithe of the OT is not found commanded to Christians anywhere in the NT. Giving is for the physical needs of the poor (especially fellow Christians) and for those who labor in the gospel and the Word. Offering plates and solicitation of money, (especially for things that are not Biblically defined needs such as entertainment, youth outings and such that are common in our era) are not found in Scripture, and so should not be found in the Church.
Ephesians 4:28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:5-12; Philippians 4:14-19; Romans 15:26-27; Galatians 6:6; Matthew 6:2-4
18. Let us not be bound by or dictated to by the government, or voluntarily place ourselves under its yoke, just for the sake of saving money in taxes, which is the primary reason given as explanation of need for incorporation. The structure imposed on the church by the government for incorporation is not what is patterned in the Scriptures. (boards, offices, voting, record-keeping, etc. - these all sound more like a business than the living body of Christ) Without a building, this issue becomes almost irrelevant.
Mark 12:14-17; Romans 13:1-8; (render to Caesar, obey authority God places over us) 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (unequal yoke/exchanging freedom to speak truth for political correctness for money's sake) ; John 18:36
The Ideal Church Part 5 Outreach and growth
19. An emphasis on proclaiming the gospel to the lost – and equipping all the saints to do so boldly and effectively. Let us not forget the commands of Old and New Testaments for fathers to proclaim God's truth to their children, nor the role of a husband to wash his wife with the water of the word. Note that the command of Jesus implies continual, not sporadic Gospel proclaimation, but truly a core goal of daily/weekly life of the saints. Proclaiming the gospel should be an expression of who we are as Christians, not just something we do.
Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15 (evangelism commanded to all); 2 Timothy 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:11, 17-21 (those alive in Christ are ambassadors); 1 Corinthians 9:16 (expectation of a disciple); Luke 6:45 (obedience); Psalm 145:4-12 (hearts filled with love burst forth) Deuteronomy 6' Ephesians 5,6
20. Dedication to prayer, both individual and corporate. God listens to and answers prayer, and desires for us to bring to Him all of our needs and concerns, as well as our thanks and praise. Times of prayer may be scheduled as well as impromptu, fervent, interceding, persevering, in all things, and in faith, expecting God to answer.
Matthew 21:22; Luke 6:12; Acts 1:14, 2:42, 6:4, 12:5; Romans 12:12, 15:30; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 5:16
21. We should expect to see growth without compromise. When numbers increase so that some of these ideals become difficult to maintain, then the body will look to branch out, possibly intentionally into new territory where there is not evident Biblical evangelism or in areas where fruit has been born of labors. A foundational goal and characteristic of the church is continual growth (which is what we see in the Bible as well as early church history), which will necessarily lead to regular hive-offs of new gatherings of believers (think 5 to 10 years, not 30 to 50). Such goals encourage real discipleship and intense training in living for and serving the Lord. Large bodies of believers hinder the exercise of spiritual gifts, force us out of homes and into special buildings, and require much bureaucracy to operate.
1 Thessalonians 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Titus 1:5 (every city)
*Updates and additions February 2018-
- Our family believes the Scriptures to teach a literal 6 day creative act of God. We believe that evolutionary views of origins are erroneous and when examined in depth deny the Biblical accounts of original sin, God's judgment of sin through a worldwide flood, and are interpretations based not on Biblical exegesis but man's faulty opinions and a secular worldview. We have much to say about these things, but will leave it for now to say that the Bible must be the authority in all matters.
- We are credo-baptist and reformed/Calvinist. Many great works exist on this issue, so for now we will continue on to other topics which can be briefly stated.
- We believe the Scriptures teach no other pattern than for the family to be gathered together for worship with the assembly of Christians known as the Church. We believe age segregation as it is often practiced is not only lacking a Biblical pattern, but quite destructive to the family and contrary to the nature of the body of Christ as one body with many parts, with all necessary for the fullness of the glory of God to be revealed as He has ordained.
- We believe singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs are for the purpose of teaching sound doctrine and thus songs that are merely for entertainment are not according to the pattern laid out in God's Word.
- We believe the Bible to be the authoritative, inerrant, relevant and practical, complete, and sufficient means by which God has seen fit to reveal Himself to those who are His own.
- We maintain the practice of teaching by catechism to be profitable and a proper application of 2 Timothy 3:14-17 and other passages of Scripture that speak of readiness to proclaim the Gospel, studying to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the word of truth, and many other such commands of God in regard to His Word and holy living.
