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* I can’t
until I get my life together
* Church is filled with Hypocrites
* All they care about is your money
* Dress Code?
* Church makes me nervous
* I’m not sure I believe everything that you believe (but you can still belong)
* Church is for wimpy girly men
* If you knew me and what I’d done you wouldn’t want me
* You can come no matter what your religious background.
* It's not about religion. It's about relationship
Can we allow people to be in our fellowship who don’t believe the way we believe?
I say yes. I’d also say our Church won’t grow as long as we can’t. As a matter of fact, if I asked enough doctrinal questions, going deep enough theologically on a particular subject, I could easily divide people.
I believe not every doctrine is as vitally important as every other doctrine. There comes a point when we should release our grip on a doctrine in order to embrace a person.
What we believe is vitally important because it determines our thought life. If you accept a belief, you reap a thought. If you sow a thought, you reap an attitude. If you sow an attitude, you reap your words. If you sow your words, you reap an action. If you sow an action, you reap a habit. If you sow a habit, you reap a character. If you sow your character, you reap your destiny.
Is there a doctrine that we believe here that would cause us to prohibit someone from coming in the building and attending a service with us? Or a year’s worth of worship services? Hopefully everyone’s heart is open to newcomers.
If there is, we must not have very much confidence in what we believe. When I believe something, and really believe it, I’m at peace with the subject. I don’t feel a need to defend the position simply because someone else has a different opinion. I may be very passionate about the subject but it’s not for self interests.
If I have to respond, I may have a pride problem.
It’s encouraged to be passionate about what we believe. This passion is what God is looking for in his Church. Even if it’s wrong, God has a way of focusing wrong passion in the right direction.
Consider Saul
Saul at Stephen’s Stoning
Acts 7:57,58
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Acts 9:1
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest
God took Saul’s passion and through an encounter with the Lord re-directed it to glorifying the Lord Jesus.
Let’s always make sure we have Bible to back up what we believe. Just because a famous person believes it doesn’t mean we have to believe it also.
1 Corinthians 1:12
What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Our Goal
I Corinthians 1:10
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Another thing to consider is how vital is the belief. For example, let’s talk about the subject of the rapture of the Church.
- No Rapture Position
- Rapture of the Wicked
- Pre-Tribulational Rapture
- Mid-Tribulational Rapture
- Post Tribulational Rapture
The Rapture of the Church is an important subject. However, what a person believes about it doesn’t change what happens in regard to it.
A person’s rapture belief system will change the way they respond to the world we are living in. But it doesn’t have a direct affect on their salvation.
The disposition of people
It also depends on the person. Are they seeking to understand and be teachable or are they dogmatic and entrenched in a certain system of understanding; trying to “convert” people to their way of believing on a certain subject.
Where believing the same way becomes increasingly important is when a person wants to be involved in leadership; having influence over the local congregation.
Amos 3:3
Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?
Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
The opposite is also true.
How bad and miserable it is when God’s people live together in disunity!
Proverbs 17:1
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
What can be present when there is strife?
Proverbs 13:10
Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Proverbs 20:3
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
1 Corinthians 8:1
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
2 Corinthians 3:6
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The Scriptures Inspired - The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to God's reason (II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter 1:23-35; Hebrews 4:12).
The One True Godhead - The triune Godhead is comprised of three separate and distinct personalities, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ - The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9; 2:33; Phil 2:9-11; Heb. 1:3)
The Fall Of Man - Man was created good and upright; for God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19).
The Salvation of Man - Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus Christ became sin and sickness providing both salvation and divine healing for all mankind, (Psalm 103:3) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. For by grace we are saved through faith. "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:8-10).
The Evidence of Salvation - The inward evidence, to the believer of his salvation, is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. "And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us" (I John 3:23).
Faith and Works - Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by human works; however, our works will determine the rewards in eternity (Acts 16:3; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 14:12-20; and 2 Corinthians 5:10).
The Ordinances of the Church.
1. Baptism in Water. The ordinance of baptism by a burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures by all who have really repented and in their hearts have truly believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4).
2. The Lord's Supper (Holy Communion). "And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also the cup, after supper saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (I Corinthians 11:24, 25, 28).
3. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit - All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of the believers in the early Christian Church. This experience is accompanied by, but not limited to, the initial physical evidence of speaking in other tongues (glossolalia) as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matt. 3:11; John 14:16-17; Acts. 1:8; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:4). With it, comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; I Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20). We recognize the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit in the Believers' lives according to 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
4. Sanctification - Sanctification is a progressive act of separation from that which is evil and of dedication unto God (Romans 12:1,2; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of holiness "without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: "Be ye holy for I am holy" (I Peter 1:15-16).
5. The Blessed Hope - The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (I Thess. 4:16,17; Rom. 8:23; Titus 2:13; I Cor. 15:51, 52).
6. The Church - The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through
the Spirit with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great
commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general
assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven (Eph.
1:22,23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23).
7. The Ministry - A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been
provided by our Lord for a two-fold purpose: (1) The evangelization of the
world and (2) The edifying of the body of Christ through the maturing and
training of believers for ministry (Mark 16:15-20; Eph. 4:11-12).
8. Divine Healing - Divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. Healing from
sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers
(Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:16, 17; James 5:14-16).
9. The Millennial Reign of Christ - The second coming of Christ includes the
rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible
return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years
(Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:27,30; Rev. 1:7; Rev. 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial
reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Ezek. 37:21-22; Zeph.
3:19-20; Rom. 11:26,27) and the establishment of universal peace (Isa. 11:6-9;
Psa. 72:3-8; Micah 4:3,4).
10. The Final Judgment - There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead
will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found
written in the Book of Life, together with the Devil and his angels, the beast
and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake
of fire which is the second death (Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20;
20:10-15; 21:8).
11. The New Heavens and the New Earth - We, according to His promise, look for new
heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (II Peter 3:13; Rev.
21:22).
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Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124