'WE BELIEVE' SERIES
Overview
When Simon Peter declared the revelation of the truth of who Jesus was, He said: "Blessed are you, Simon son of John, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18)
On the premise that biblical truth is the foundation upon which Christ builds His church, we embark on a series of foundational Christian teachings.
The following six-part series is based on the agreed Beliefs and Practices of Skye Bible Church:
1 We believe in God
2 We believe in Salvation
3 We believe in the Bible
4 We believe in the Church
5 We believe in Service
6 We believe in Mission
1. We Believe in God
(45 min 11 sec)
Introduction
We do not confine ourselves to a “God of our own understanding”; the God we have come to worship is infinitely greater than our ability to understand. The purpose of this message is not to reduce God to a theological box, a portable idea, but to declare that our faith is founded on One greater than ourselves.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
(See also: Psalm 139:1-6)
In this study, we wish to consider the expressions of God, the essence of God and the attributes of God.
I EXPRESSIONS OF GOD
The Unity of God
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
The Trinity
“And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased’.” (Matthew 3:16-17)
We believe in one God expressed through three Persons.
We believe that the Father is the first Person of the Godhead – I Peter 1:2.
We believe that Jesus is the second Person of the Godhead – Matthew 1:23, John 1:1-5, 9-10, John 8:58-59, Titus 2:13, II Peter 1:1. We also believe that Jesus is fully man, born of a woman, that he was crucified for our sins, raised bodily from the dead on the third day, ascended to heaven, and that He will one day return to earth.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person (not a force) of the Godhead – Ephesians 2:22.
II ESSENCE OF GOD
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17)
Spiritual
“God is (a) Spirit.” (John 4:24)
When the bible tells us that God made man in His own image (Genesis 1:27) it does not mean that God is physical, but that man is spiritual.
Self-existent
God has always been. He has the ground of His own existence within Himself. God is uncaused.
Infinite
God is unlimited. This aspect of His essence underpins each of His attributes which we will go on to look at.
Eternity
No beginning and no end. Impossible for the finite mind to comprehend!
III ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (NON-MORAL)
Omniscient – All knowing
He has numbered the hairs of our head – Matthew 10:30, counted the stars and given them all a name – Psalm 147:4, and knew the end of our days countless ages before we were born – Romans 8:29.
Omnipotent – All powerful
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.” (Acts 19:6)
Old Testament: El Shaddai – God Almighty
Creator of all things – Colossians 1:16, John 1:3.
His sovereignty includes His perfect will (e.g., Ephesians 1:9-12) – those things He deliberately plans and effects – and His permissive will (e.g., Genesis 50:20) – those things He allows because they can contribute to a greater overall good.
God in his sovereignty has given man free will. This means that man has the power to, and frequently does, act against the perfect will of God; this is what sin is.
Omnipresent – Everywhere at once
“In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
It is impossible to escape from His presence – Psalm 139:7-10. Not the same as pantheism (e.g., Hinduism) where people believe that God in essence is in everything – animals, plants, humans alike – but the belief that it is impossible to escape God’s gaze and influence.
Immutable – Unchanging
“I am the Lord; I change not.” (Malachi 3:6)
God’s nature and purposes never change – Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17.
IV ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (MORAL)
The God we believe is not a Norse or Greek deity, fantastic in power but void of moral attributes. We believe in a God who is moral as well as spiritual. God’s moral perfection is demonstrated by the following attributes.
Holiness
“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16)
Because God is a holy God who cannot tolerate sin in His presence, we will not see the Lord without it (Hebrews 12:14). See also: Psalm 24:3-4.
Righteousness and Justice
“Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25)
Though we may not understand everything God does or allows to happen, we believe that He is more just than we could ever be and – unlike humans – will always do what is right.
Goodness
“O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)
God is not a God of harshness and cruelty; He is a good God who does good to His children. His goodness is demonstrated powerfully through Jesus’ earthly ministry – John 10:10, Acts 10:38. God’s goodness is expressed through love (I John 4:8, I Corinthians 13:4-8), kindness (Titus 3:4-7), grace (I Peter 5:10, Ephesians 2:8) and mercy (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Truth
“He who has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.” (John 3:33)
We believe in one, true God. He is an absolute reality who is what He is regardless of whether men believe in or understand Him. Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), “the faithful and true” (Revelation 19:11) who can always be relied upon to be what His true word (John 17:17) reveals Him to be.
2. We Believe in Salvation
(40 min 00 sec)
Introduction
Definition: The work of Christ in restoring fallen man to God.
Salvation is sweet because it is God’s antidote to the bitterness of sin and its consequences. The magnitude of salvation can only ever be appreciated against an understanding of the awfulness of sin and its consequences.
If you asked most citizens in modern, secular Britain, “Have you been saved?” the most honest common response would probably be “Saved from what?” The graphic, black-and-white terms of the Apostle Paul in the following theme text might seem like an alien language … Ephesians 2: 1-10
Along with the apostles and the teaching of the New Testament, we believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation (Acts 4:12, John14:6) because He is the only spiritual leader in all of history to have actually dealt with mankind’s greatest enemy: sin. The founders and leaders of every religion tell their followers not to sin; Christ Jesus personally removed sin, provided forgiveness and cleansing to all who repent and believe, and promises to deliver His followers from its power (I Corinthians 10:13).
So what do we believe about this salvation?
We believe this salvation is the will of God, His solution to our need, His work which dependent on our response, and that it is outworked personally on three levels.
I SALVATION IS THE WILL OF GOD
“… [God our Saviour] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:3-4) - see also II Peter 3:9.
We do not believe in the imbalances of Particularism – that Christ only died for the elect – or Unrestricted Universalism – that Christ died for all and therefore everyone will be saved – but in Qualified Universalism – that Christ died for all but that only those who accept Him will be saved. The sacrificial death of Christ is sufficient for all, but efficient only for those who believe. “God … is the Saviour of all men, especially of believers.” (I Timothy 4:10)
II SALVATION IS GOD’S SOLUTION TO OUR NEED
Sacrifice
Ephesians 5:2 – The solution to our guilt.
Though the idea of sacrifice is not popular today, even amongst some theologians, it is nevertheless a biblical truth that Christ’s death was expiatory; that is, it covered man’s sins. The Book of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear that the Old Testament sacrificial system was a forerunner to the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, that of Christ. John the Baptist introduces us to Christ as God’s sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29).
Propitiation
1 John 2:2 – The solution to God’s wrath.
Propitiation is directed towards God and it appeases His righteous and just anger against sinful man. God loves us, but His righteousness requires judgement on all sin; He will not sweep it under the carpet. God’s anger against sinful man was vented upon Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53:10, Psalm 30:5).
Reconciliation
II Corinthians 5:18-19 – The solution to our broken relationship with God.
When Adam sinned, mankind fell with him (Romans 5:12-19) and our sins alienated us from God:“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear you.” (Isaiah 59:2) Christ’s death dealt with the cause of our separation from God – that is, our sin – and in so doing restored our broken fellowship with God.
Redemption
Ephesians 1:7 – The solution to our slavery to sin and Satan.
Jesus said, “Everyone who sins is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34) When Adam sinned all mankind fell into bondage to Satan, enslaved to do his will. We do not believe that it is impossible to do good – or even great – works outside of Christ, but that man’s natural and controlling influence is towards sin (Romans 3:10-18,23). But when Christ died He didn’t just deal with the penalty of sin; He broke its – and therefore Satan’s – power over us.“If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) Paul tells us that, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we should “consider [ourselves] dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
III SALVATION IS THE WORK OF GOD
Regeneration
“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Jesus told Nicodemus he must be “born again” (John 3:3-7; see also I Peter 1:23). Becoming a Christian is not so much about self-improvement as self-replacement (See Galatians 2:20) In his first epistle, John writes repeatedly about being “born of God”. Christians do not create themselves any more than natural babies do; they are “born of the Spirit.” (John 3:6) Becoming a Christian is a miraculous work of God, a transfusion of life from heaven.
Justification
“… Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24; see also Romans 5:1)
Justification is the act of God’s grace whereby He declares righteous the person who places faith in Jesus Christ as his Substitute and Saviour. Justification literally means being made just, or righteous. God imputes, or accords, the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17) to us on the basis of our faith in Christ who “became to us …righteousness” (I Corinthians 1:30) – “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Corinthians 5:21) As surely as He bore our sin, we – by believing in Him – now bear His righteousness and are therefore able to enter God’s presence with confidence (Hebrews 10:19-20).
Adoption
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15).
Whereas regeneration is about a change in our nature, adoption is about relationship and status. Paul’s writings refer to the rights and privileges which Christians have as adopted sons of God. “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:7)
IV SALVATION DEPENDS UPON MAN’S RESPONSE
Repentance
“Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away …” (Acts 3:19)
Repentance is the act whereby we recognise and turn from sin, confessing it to God. Repentance is also a place of surrender, involving the abdication of self-reliance and self-determination and entering into a relationship of dependency upon God. Repentance is required by God as man’s response to His grace (Romans 2:4). Without repentance, forgiveness and salvation cannot be received.
Faith
“… Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved …” (Acts16:31)
Faith, though a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8) and inspired by His word (Romans 10:17), is nevertheless volitional. We are saved or condemned on the basis of whether or not we have chosen to believe – “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16; see also John 3:18)
V SALVATION WORKS ON THREE LEVELS
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:23)
Saved
We believe that Christians are saved at conversion; that is, they are sealed for eternal salvation by personally receiving the deposit of the Holy Spirit – “… Having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance …” (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Being Saved
However, the outworking of our salvation is ongoing. Conversion is not the end of our salvation, but the beginning. Paul wrote, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) The Christian life is marked by spiritual growth as we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and the word of God. This sanctification is the evidence of our salvation.
To Be Saved
“For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven …” (II Corinthians 5:2) Our salvation will not be complete until we are clothed with heavenly, glorified bodies in our final, redeemed state of perfection. Jesus promised on two occasions, “He that endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22, 24:13)
3. We Believe in the Bible
(41 min 52 sec)
Introduction
“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)
The Bible has been greatly misunderstood. It is not a dry book of rules and regulations. Neither is it, as some evangelicals may have given the impression, a cold measuring rod necessary to counter-balance the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t need balancing! And neither does the Bible need enlivening. The words of Scripture are already infused with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. “My words are spirit and life,” said Jesus (John 6:63).
Yes, the Bible presents us with the standards and laws of a just God. But the Scriptures, inhabited as they are by the Holy Spirit, contain within them, in seed form, the power to live by the very standard they proclaim. “Thy word I have treasured in my heart,” wrote the Psalmist, “that I might not sin against Thee.” (119:11)
Scriptures such as I Peter 1:23, Romans 1:16, Romans 10:17 and many, many others show the Bible to be something far greater than a lifeless book on the shelf that requires something outside of itself to bring it to life. As Spurgeon put it, the Bible is like a lion that is well able to defend itself. The believer is not called to explain it, merely to proclaim it and turn it loose! Welcome to the Holy Bible, the most thrilling, dynamic book ever written, God’s wonderful plan and glorious means of redemption for mankind.
In this study, we will consider how it is that the Bible has come to be considered the word of God, what it is that makes the Bible the word of God, why the Bible is so important, and how we should approach the Bible.
I HOW DO WE KNOW THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD?
We believe in what Bible scholars call “the full, plenary inspiration of Scripture”. By this, it is meant that the Bible does not merely contain the word of God – we would then be left with the highly subjective task of deciding which parts were inspired and which parts were not, thereby making ourselves, rather than the Bible itself, the final authority.
What we do believe is that the Bible, in its totality, is the word of God and, as such, is the ultimate measure of conduct and source of faith. The Bible is our manual for life.
Why do we believe the Bible to be the word of God?
The Old Testament
Jesus himself confirmed the traditional acceptance of the threefold division of the then canonical Old Testament in Luke 24:44.
The New Testament
In John 14:26, Jesus guaranteed that the Holy Spirit would later give revelation to all His teachings; for this, His teachings would obviously require to be preserved.
Between the first and fourth centuries the 27 books of the New Testament were gradually compiled into one collection of writings to add to the already recognised Old Testament.
New Testament ‘Canon’ (literally, ‘measuring rod’)
When the Council of Carthage finally set the seal on the New Testament canon in AD397, they did not give us the Bible; they merely recognised it. Evangelical scholar F.F. Bruce writes, “The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognising their innate worth and … apostolic authority … .”
Criteria of ‘Canon’
1 Authorship – books had to be written by one of the early apostles or someone who had a close relationship to these.
2 Witness of the Spirit – over a three-century period the distinction between ‘the gold and the gravel’ had become very evident to the church.
3 Acceptance – any book that claimed canonical status, yet diverted from the truth of the life of Christ, would have been rejected by Jesus’ own disciples who were eyewitnesses to the New Testament events.
a) New Testament internal witness. For example, in II Peter 3:15-16, Peter categorises Paul’s writings along with “the rest of the scriptures”; again, in I Timothy 5:18, Paul refers to as “scripture” a quotation from the gospel of Luke (10:7) – “the labourer is worthy of his wages”.
b) Early Church Fathers (AD80 and 180). These leaders (such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch etc.) not only confirm much of the information contained in the New Testament books but also place the gospels and epistles on a different level from their own writings.
c) Embraced by the church. The books of the New Testament were widely and unquestioningly accepted as divinely inspired in the church. As with the scriptures of the Old Testament, the New Testament writings had proven themselves over many generations to be “pure words; as silver tried in the furnace of the earth, refined seven times.” (Psalm 12:6)
II WHAT MAKES THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD?
The Inspiration of the Holy Spirit
“All scripture is inspired by God …” (II Timothy 3:16)
It is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that makes the Bible the word of God. The human vessels through which the Scriptures originally came were not the source; the Bible has many writers, but one Author.
Most churches have a Statement of Beliefs. These are necessary partly for negative reasons; there are numerous false teachings common in the world today that seek to gain credibility by defining themselves as Christian (for example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the divinity of Jesus Christ and the personhood of the Holy Spirit). Many groups that believe heresies also claim to believe the Bible. Therefore, it is necessary, not for God’s word’s sake but for ours, to re-affirm our belief in core biblical doctrines that have been challenged over the centuries.
However, every Statement of Beliefs should be subordinate to the Scriptures and the church’s vision and practices should always subject to the correction and influence of God’s word.
“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (II Peter 1:20-21)
NB: Clear biblical distinction between the gift of prophecy and the prophecy of Scripture. The latter is the infallible word of God, whereas the common New Testament gift of prophecy, subject to the frailties of human vessels, is to be judged (I Corinthians 14:29) rather than unquestioningly obeyed. “The word of our God stands for ever” (Isaiah 40:8) but “if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away” (I Corinthians 13:8). We do not place the revelatory spiritual gifts on a par with the Scriptures. Whereas the prophetic gift will contain the word of God, the Bible is the word of God; the Bible, then, is the measure against which all prophetic utterances should be judged.
III WHY IS THE WORD OF GOD SO IMPORTANT?
Its Function
The crucial importance of the word of God is revealed through numerous biblical metaphors. A study of these will reveal the function of the Scriptures in the believer’s life:
Spiritual bread … Matthew 4:4 A child’s milk … I Peter 2:2
A lamp and light … Psalm 119:105 Seed (Gr. Spermos) … I Peter 1:23
Rain that waters … Isaiah 55:10 Sword … Ephesians 6:17
Fire… Jeremiah 23:29 Hammer … Jeremiah 23:29
Its Benefits
Freedom … John 8:31-32 Faith … Romans 10:17
Purity … Psalm 119:9,11 Sanctification … John 17:17
Healing … Psalm 107:20 Success Joshua 1:8
Wisdom, salvation, training / equipping … II Timothy 3:14-17 + much more
IV HOW SHOULD WE APPROACH GOD’S WORD?
In faith … Hebrews 4:2
With devotion … Psalm 1:1-3
As diligent students … II Timothy 2:15
In humble obedience … James 1:21-25, Matthew 7:24-27, John 7:17
4. We Believe in the Church
(48 min 51 sec)
Introduction
“ … I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
How significant is it that two Christian words which seem to have lost much respect in our generation are ‘Bible’ and ‘Church’?!
But if we believe in Christ and Christ believes in the church, then it follows that we also ought to believe in the church; indeed, if we are to follow Christ’s example, then we should love and even be willing to lay down our lives for the church (Ephesians 5:25).
So, what is the Church?
Matthew 16:13-19; 18:15-20
Matthew has been referred to as ‘the gospel of the church’ because it is the only gospel account where Christ expressly refers to and teaches on it.
Ephesians 2:19-20
Ephesians has been referred to as ‘the epistle of the church’, having the church of Jesus Christ as its central and uniting theme.
In this study, we will consider the church as a called out people, built upon Christ and the truth He reveals, one spiritual body with many visible expressions, both organic and organised, and visibly testifying to Christ through the ordinances of baptism and communion.
I ‘CALLED OUT’
Church; Gr., ekklesia – called out ones
Ever since the fall of man, God has repeatedly sought to call out of a tarnished world system a people for Himself – Noah (Genesis 6:11-14), Abram (Genesis 12:1), the nation of Israel (Exodus 3:7-8; Deuteronomy 7:6) and, of course, the Church (I Peter 2:9-10). Most significantly, each of these was subsequently sent back into the world with a clear commission – Noah (Genesis 9:1ff), Abram (Genesis 12:1-3), Israel (Joshua 1:10-11) and the Church (Mark 16:15).
The implication is clear: we are of no godly use to the world until we’ve been removed from the world! Hence, the Church – a people called out of the world by Christ in order to be sent back into the world carrying His commission. This need for separate-ness is something of which Scripture continues to remind the church throughout her life (II Corinthians 6:14-18, I John 2:15-17).
II FOUNDED ON ROCK
NB. “The foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20) does not mean “the foundation [which was] the apostles and prophets” but the foundation [laid by] the apostles and prophets. We do not believe the church is built upon the apostles, prophets or any other fallible being, but on Jesus Christ, “the corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20, I Peter 2:7), and upon the revelation of who He is – “upon this rock (Gr., petra, a large rock; NB. Peter = petros, a stone) I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18); that is, the Church is built upon the revelation that “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”(Matthew 16:17).
We believe that the basis of the church’s unity is not human relationship, but revealed truth (NB. Part 3: We Believe in the Bible) – the basis of our fellowship is our common revelation of Christ and the truth He reveals by His Spirit and word. It is the church that is solidly built upon the truth of God’s word against which “the gates of hell shall not prevail” (cf. Matthew 7:24-28, Ephesians 3:4-6).
III ONE SPIRITUAL BODY …
We believe in the universal church, the company of God’s redeemed, made up of every believer who has ever lived – Hebrews 12:22-23, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:4-6.
The true church is that which is indwelt by the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 2:22. As such, it is a holy place, set apart from and above the world, as a light shining in the darkness, “a peculiar people” (Titus 2:14), “a holy nation” (I Peter 2:9),“the light of the world” and “a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).
The purity of the church is of such importance to Jesus that His second, and only other mention, of the church recorded in the gospels (Matthew 18:15-20) is the instruction on how to discipline a brother who brings sin into the church. In the ‘epistle of the church’, Paul instructs the Ephesians in a similar vein to maintain a pure walk (Ephesians 5:3ff).
IV … WITH MANY VISIBLE EXPRESSIONS
We believe in the local church – e.g., I Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:2, I Thessalonians 1:1 – but are conscious that the distinctions between the New Testament churches were geographical rather than denominational. In fact, Paul rebuked early seeds of denominationalism in I Corinthians 3:4.
We believe that Christian disunity obscures and hinders the revelation of Christ to the world (John 17:21), and that every Christian should be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). We consider it our responsibility to maintain healthy relationships with Christian believers of all churches on every point of common faith.
Our commitment to one another in Skye Bible Church is on the basis of the truths expressed in our statement of faith and presented in this series of messages.
V ORGANISM AND ORGANISATION
The New Testament uses the metaphors of a body (Ephesians 4:11-16) – which speaks of organic life – and a building (Ephesians 2:20-22) – which speaks of organised structure – to describe the church.
Organic
We believe the local church ought to be a dynamic, vibrant organism, throbbing with spiritual life, where the members minister to one another (Ephesians 5:19) and participate in corporate worship (I Corinthians 14:26), whether in the public place of worship or in each others’ homes (Acts 2:46).
It is important that the life comes before the structure. Organisation is essential but it can never create life and must always serve it. We believe that the structures must always be flexible, never over-rigid or stifling. Life followed by structure has been the pattern of church growth from the beginning.
Organised
In the earliest days of the church, it did not take long before the church had to be organised. The choosing of the seven deacons in Acts 6:1-6 was a recognition that men needed to be set in position in order to prevent confusion and chaos bringing the explosive growth of the church to a grinding halt. And the immediate result? Everyone was released to do what they were called to and verse 7 shows radical growth. Rather than bringing the kiss of death, the application of an inspired structure was essential in the facilitation of further increase.
Similarly, Paul instructs Titus (1:5) to “set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city …” The positions of deaconship and eldership are referred to in the Authorised Version as “offices” and speak of the organisational aspect of the church. We believe the New Testament church is a place of both life and structure; neither will last for long without the other.
VI RECOGNISED BY ORDINANCES
We believe that entrance to and ongoing membership of the church of Jesus Christ is acknowledged through the ordinances of baptism (I Corinthians 11:23-29) and communion (Matthew 26:26-29).
We believe in the baptism of believers by immersion in water (Romans 6:3-5), in response to the example (Matthew 3:16-17) and obedience to the command (Matthew 28:19) of Jesus Christ. Baptism and entry into the church of Christ is an inner experience of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13, I Peter 3:21). Baptism in water is a symbolic act of witness which testifies to that inner reality; water baptism is an outward expression of an inner reality.
Similarly, we believe that regularly partaking in communion is an essential outward expression of identity with Christ and His church. I Corinthians 11 teaches that communion should be a time of reaffirming our covenant relationship with Christ (24-25), proclamation of His death (26), and self-examination and cleansing (27-29).
5. We Believe in Service
(45 min 57 sec)
Introduction
“For you are the workmanship of Christ, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we might walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
We believe that every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and, as a part of the living body of Christ on earth, has some aspect of the ministry of Christ to fulfil. The Christian is chosen by God, not only for eternity in heaven, but before that for a purpose on earth. When God created us, he fashioned us each with a unique earthly function in mind.
What is service?
Gr. diakonia; ministry, service, attendance (as a servant).
I SERVICE IS WORSHIP
The idea of a waiter serving a table is a good picture of service. The whole scene revolves around the needs and desires of the person being served rather than the one serving. Every act of Christian service is an act of worship to the Lord. (Matthew 25:40, Colossians 3:23-24)
II SERVICE IS BASED ON RELATIONSHIP
Jesus called His disciples “that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach.” (Mark 3:14) The order is clear: relationship first; ministry second. On one occasion, Jesus instructed Simon Peter to let down his nets for a catch and, though reluctant to do it, Simon Peter responded “nevertheless, at thy word …” (Luke 5:5, KJV) Every work of Christian service ought to be the product of our relationship with Him who asks. (See, for example, John 15:14, 2:5)
III SERVICE IS A LABOUR OF LOVE
John 3:16 tells us that God gave because he loved. In the gospels, we read of Jesus being “moved with compassion” and ministering to the multitudes. He saw their need as the reason for His supply and told his disciples to pray for more workers to be sent out (Matthew 9:35-38). It was the apostle Paul who coined the phrase “labour of love.” (I Thessalonians 1:3)
We believe that Christian service is a discipline of selflessness, with the needs of those being served always a higher priority than the needs of the server. We do not find our ministry by ‘looking within’ but asking God to open our eyes to the sea of need surrounding us. As we set about meeting those needs, we soon discover the works we are best equipped for.
IV SERVICE IS FOR ALL
While different Christians are obviously gifted to serve in unique ways, the spirit of service may sometimes compel us to work in areas where help is needed- not because we feel particularly gifted or fulfilled in that area, but simply because a job needs to be done. For example, we may not all be great evangelists but we are all called to evangelise (I Peter 3:15); Paul’s instruction to Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” might even imply that he was not primarily an evangelist. We may not all have the “gift of encouragement” (Romans 12:8) but we are all instructed to “encourage one another, and build up one another.” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
In the New Testament, to become a Christian was to go in for the ministry. The work of the ministry was not carried out by selected representatives in proxy for the rest of the body; rather, the role of the oversight ministries was to equip the rest to do the work. This model of Christian service was set out very clearly by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16. We believe in “the fivefold ministry” (or, “ascension ministries”) – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – today. We further believe that, due to their crucial equipping role in the body, the ministry of the entire church is limited wherever they are limited.
V ALL SERVICE IS SPIRITUAL
We believe that all ministry is spiritual. In I Corinthians 12:28, miracles and tongues are listed in the same breath as helps and administrations. What makes a ministry truly spiritual is not its appearance but its motivation. This is why in the Book of Acts the first deacons had to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be entrusted with the responsibility of serving the tables (Acts 6:1-3). A cup of water served by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit can melt a heart that great sermons have failed to touch.
VI SERVICE IS DEVELOPED THROUGH FAITHFULNESS
Faithfulness is a basic requirement of all who serve (I Corinthians 4:2). When Christ looks for people to entrust responsibility to, he looks for faithfulness. (Luke 16:10-12) Do we see through what we start? (Luke 14:28-30, Luke 9:62). Are we true to our word? (Psalm 15:4c, II Corinthians 1:17-19).
“Man looks at the outward appearance,” – eloquence, charm, intelligence, beauty and earthly means – “but God looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7, Acts 13:22) God’s selection process is based on trustworthiness rather than natural talent (I Timothy 1:12).
Effective ministries are always developed by gradual progression rather than sudden elevation (I Timothy 5:22, II Timothy 2:2). In I Corinthians 12:7-11 we see manifestation (charismatic) gifts operating through available members of the body; in Romans 12:6-8 we see the development of motivational gifts through those who demonstrate a heart to serve the Lord; and in Ephesians 4:8, 11-12 we see ordained ministry gifts in the lives of those commissioned to raise up a ministering church.
6. We Believe in Mission
(48 min 40 sec)
Introduction
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (The Great Commission, Mark 16:15)
On returning from a Bible tour of the Holy Land, evangelist Lester Sumrall reflected, “The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life; by sheer contrast, the Dead Sea is utterly lifeless. Why? The Sea of Galilee gives out the Jordan River; the Dead Sea receives the Jordan River but gives out nothing.”
All we believe in – God Himself, His plan of salvation, His revealed word, the church He indwells, the service of His people – these things are entrusted to us that we might serve His glory by making them known to the ends of the earth. Like our missionary father, Abraham, we are blessed with the clear intention that we might “be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2)
Like Moses and Isaiah before him, the prophet Habakkuk declared, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14; cf. Numbers 14:21, Isaiah 6:3) The last prophet of the scriptures, John, goes beyond earth and time to give us a picture of heaven: “… Behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and people and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes …” (Revelation 7:9)
I MISSION IS THE HISTORIC PLAN OF GOD
God’s response to the culture of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) was to call and send out a missionary father whose descendants would bring His blessing to “all the families of the earth.” (Genesis 12:1-3) Abram was to become the father of the Jews and indeed the church (Galatians 3:6-8).
Up until the time of Jesus, Israel largely failed in its missionary calling. The only obvious example of an Old Testament missionary to the Gentiles, Jonah, was reluctant to say the least: he didn’t want to go and preach to the Assyrians in Nineveh in case they repented and got forgiven (Jonah 4:1-2)! But the same passage also reveals the great compassion of God for the nations (see also Jonah 4:11).
God sent Jesus, not only to be the Saviour of mankind, but also to get His missionary plan back on track as “a light of revelation to the gentiles.” (Luke 2:32) Jesus’ repeated references to fruitless trees (see Mark 12:1-12, John 15:1-6, Mark 11:12-17) reflect a divine frustration that overflows in the cleansing of the temple, an incident recorded in all four gospel accounts. The temple ought to have been a place of the sweet smelling savour of prayer “for all nations” (Mark 11:17) but instead had become a stinking stable and a haven for profiteers (John 2:14). Enter Jesus …!
Jesus began His earthly ministry by calling out a missionary people – “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men …” (Matthew 4:19) – and concluded it by sending them out to all the nations of the world – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations …” (Matthew 28:19). He not only saved His church but rescued God’s missionary purpose.
II MISSION IS THE PURPOSE OF PENTECOST
“… You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
As a pentecostal church, we believe in the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit. But why? To what end? The infilling with the Holy Spirit is a supernatural experience motivated by an intelligent strategy: to empower the church for her missionary calling. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the Great Commission are so inseparable, that Jesus instructed His disciples not even to consider embarking on the latter until they had experienced the former (Luke 24:46-49).
III MISSION IS LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
The late pastor and missionary statesman, Oswald J. Smith, wrote, “the light that shines furthest shines brightest nearest home.” (The Challenge of Missions – highly recommended!) He was responding to the argument that we ought to forget about world missions until we’ve got our own communities sorted out, suggesting that those who complain about helping other nations aren’t always the most effective at home!
The truth is that if this philosophy had been adopted from the beginning, Christianity would never have made it out of Israel. In fact, we have no biblical basis for believing that we will ever ‘get our own communities sorted out’ before the end of the age. The Acts 1:8 strategy does not say, “… first in Jerusalem, then in all Judea and Samaria, and finally to the remotest part of the earth.” The words used are “both … and … and …”
We believe that Skye Bible Church is not only a local ‘mission post’ but is also responsible to directly support mission regionally, nationally and internationally. Paul holds up as a shining example the churches of Macedonia who, despite enormous need at home, “begged” to be allowed to contribute to a missionary offering for the church in Judea (II Corinthians 8:1-4). We believe that the principle of “give and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38) applies to churches, towns, regions and nations as much as it applies to individuals.
IV MISSION IS THE WORK OF THE WHOLE CHURCH
We believe that everyone in the church can and ought to take part in missionary work regardless of whether they are called to travel abroad.
a) Prayer
Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for more missionaries to be sent (Matthew 9:36-38) and the apostle’s requests to “pray for us” (I Thessalonians 5:25, II Thessalonians 3:1) are, by extension, an invitation to pray for all engaged in missionary work. (See Acts 10:9ff, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 16:6-9)
b) Giving
The entirety of II Corinthians 8 – 9 is devoted to the uplifting of a missionary offering. In fact, the only regular Sunday offering we read of in the New Testament (I Corinthians 16:1-3) is for missionary aid!
In Romans 15:27, Paul distinguishes between the giving of spiritual things and of material things. At a time when our nation is not as endowed spiritually as it is materially, we are particularly well equipped to invest materially in parts of the world where there is great spiritual opportunity but severe physical constraint. Paul and John both warn Christians who have been entrusted with much to be generous stewards of His resources (I Timothy 6:17-19, I John 3:17).
Take Africa, where a huge spiritual harvest is still underway. In 2004, the average annual UK income per person is around £15,000; in Nigeria it is less than £200. Our average life expectancy is 78; Ghana’s is 46. 36% of the population of Botswana has AIDS and a child born in Sudan already owes 70 times what he will earn in his lifetime.
However, we believe our giving should be in a way that releases and serves indigenous churches rather than relieves them of responsibility and stifles their spiritual initiative.
NB. Tithing. It may be difficult to establish a doctrine of tithing solely from the New Testament, but it is infinitely more difficult to justify a doctrine of pay the TV licence and see what’s left for mission! Tithing, like having a day’s rest every week, is as sensible and as possible in the New Testament as it was in the Old. Because we practise tithing we are not found wanting when it comes to supporting mission, either locally or abroad. (Recommended: The Gift of Giving by R. T. Kendall)
c) Sending
Christ will not return until every ethnic group has received the gospel (Matthew 24:14). There are around 3500 people groups in the world today where the majority have no access to Christ. Paul asks, “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15)
After Jerusalem, the great missionary sending church of the first century was the church at Antioch, where Paul and others went out from and returned to. But they didn’t just go out, they were sent out – by the church and, at one and the same time, by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:1-4)
d) Going
There are numerous contexts where long-term missionaries are needed today: for example, where the scriptures are being translated, people groups are being reached for the first time, the training of leaders where there is enormous church growth, long-term development projects, and so on. Most of us will find ourselves most effective as missionaries within our own culture – God did have some influence in deciding where we would be born!
However, in this day of easy international travel, there is no reason why most of us cannot at some point go on a short-term mission. When Paul talked about being “enlarged” by his missionary travels (II Corinthians 10:13-16; cf. Romans 15:22-28), he didn’t simply mean covering more geographical miles. Even a brief experience of foreign mission will greater motivate us for the above aspects of missionary participation – praying, giving and sending.
V MISSION IS THE EARTHLY REASON FOR SKYE BIBLE CHURCH
In the early days of Skye Bible Church, we all put pen to paper and wrote down everything we should be and do as a church. As pastor, I then had the task of taking a big pair of scissors and reducing all these to one simple pithy statement, a uniting theme that ran like a thread through everything that had been presented – the heartbeat of our purpose as a church.
The mission statement had to begin with “God” and had to have an end outside of ourselves – “to change our world”, the world we come into contact with. The church is not just the object of Christ’s love; it is the channel through which His love can be made known to the world He has yet to reach. Sandwiched between God and His plan for the world is the work He must accomplish in us, His people, to render us “useful to the Master.” (II Timothy 2:21)
It is towards His goal for mankind that He works in us, in our own prayer times, in our personal Bible study, in our home fellowship groups, and in our Sunday worship. It’s all for something more than simply blessing us, though He delights to do that; it’s that we, like our father Abraham, might become His blessing to all the families of the earth. (Genesis 12:2-3)
God is changing us to change our world. We believe in mission.
This is usually run in small groups and is supported by a sequence of tapes and explanatory notes.
The membership list is periodically reviewed .
WORKS OF SERVICE
Church members are actively encouraged to seek out and engage in ‘works of service’ which God has prepared for them for the building up of the church.
BAPTISMS & TESTIMONIES
