Our purpose is to
promote a Biblical vision of authentic Christianity by planting churches -
throughout Connecticut - where people delight supremely in God.
We
seek to accomplish our vision/purpose by:
Praying
- fervently, faithfully, consistently, expectantly with a kingdom focus.
Worshiping
- reverently, joyfully, Biblically by publicly and privately ascribing glory
and praise to God.
Teaching
- Biblically, theologically, experientially, and practically all of God’s
inspired word.
Evangelizing
- locally and globally by graciously offering the love of God in Christ to all
who will listen.
Serving
- people in need consciously and tangibly by acts of kindness and deeds of
mercy
Multiplying
- disciples and churches deliberately, intentionally, and consistently.
Encourage one another to grow and mature in the Christian faith by studying the wisdom of the Old and New Testaments from a Reformed perspective and by praying for and edifying* one another.
Reach
out to other like-minded Christians to celebrate the truths of God’s word and
to form a church.
Communicate
the hope and love of Jesus Christ to our community by hosting Bible studies,
seminars and other community events.
*To edify is to build up, especially
in character or faith; to instruct in moral and religious knowledge.
The Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
There is one God, eternal and self-existing in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are to be equally loved, honored, and adored.
All mankind participated in Adam's fall from his original sinless state and is thus lost in sin and is totally helpless.
The Sovereign God, for no other reason than for His own unfathomable love and mercy, has chosen lost sinners from every nation to be redeemed by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit and through the atoning death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ.
Those sinners who the Spirit quickens, come to believe in Christ as Savior by the Word of God, are born again, become sons of God, and will persevere to the end.
Justification is by faith and through it the undeserving sinner is clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
The goal of God's salvation in the life of the Christian is holiness, good works, and service for the glory of God.
At death the Christian's soul passes immediately into the presence of God and the unbeliever's soul is eternally separated from God unto condemnation.
Baptism is a sign of God's covenant and is properly administered to children of believers in their infancy as well as to those who come as adults to trust in Christ.
Jesus Christ will return to earth, visibly and bodily, at a time when He is not expected, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
The Gospel of God's salvation in Jesus Christ must be published to all the world as a witness before Jesus Christ returns.
We believe the Westminster Confession of Faith accurately portrays the truths of the Bible.
Why We Believe In The Necessity Of The New BirthWhy We Believe In GodWhy We Believe Jesus Is The MessiahWhy We Observe Two SacramentsWhy We Are PresbyteriansWhy We Practice Joyful Stewardship Of Time, Talent, And TreasureWhy We Serve The Poor And NeedyWhy We Celebrate The Lord's DayWhy We Engage In Evangelism And World MissionsWhy We Believe In Predestination
WHY WE BELIEVE IN THE NECESSITY OF THE NEW
BIRTH.
The United States has probably never been as spiritually oriented as now. Large segments of our population have rejected the sterile, rationalistic modernism which left no room for religion; and, in turn, have sought a New Age spirituality which embraces reincarnation and pantheism, meaning we are all gods. On top of this there still remains in our country a traditional and nominal, in name only, Christianity. Millions attend church each Sunday with a vague, moralistic notion that religion means keeping the golden rule as well as possible, hoping in the end that God will be happy for all of us to make it to heaven when we die.
Jesus said, however, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . .Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. . .Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:3,5,7. The prophet Ezekiel said the same thing a little differently some 600 years before Jesus walked the earth, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:26,27. The apostle Peter refers to the new birth as well, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” I Peter 3:3. And the apostle Paul speaks of the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:5,6. Thus we at Christ Community Presbyterian Church believe in the necessity of the new birth. By the new birth we mean a supernatural work by the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who takes away the rebellious heart of stone, the inner principle which hates God and loves sin; and replaces it with a new spiritual inclination, a heart of flesh, as it were, an ability to love God and hate sin. The new birth affects every aspect of man’s being. His understanding, heart, affections, soul, and will are all given the capacity to obey God. The born again man or woman has a new principle of life, a habitual holiness that now renders him able and willing to love and obey God.
This begs at least three questions for our consideration. First, why do we believe in the necessity of the new birth? We do so for the simple reason that the Bible says man is dead in his sins. By this we do not obviously mean that man is physically, emotionally, or psychologically dead; but we do mean he is spiritually dead. The apostle Paul says that man is dead in his trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:1. He says that no one seeks for God, that there are none righteous, that none understand, that all have turned aside and become worthless, that the poison of vipers is in their mouths, that their feet are swift to shed innocent blood, that there is no fear of God in man, Romans 3:10ff. The prophet Ezekiel reports a vivid description of man dead in his sins. In Ezekiel 37 the prophet sees a vision of a valley of dry bones and the Lord tells him to prophesy or preach to these dry bones. Ezekiel does so and God breathed life into the bones and flesh came on them and they stood and walked. This was meant to be a picture to Ezekiel of what the Lord would do among the people of Israel in drawing many to spiritual life.
This ought to enable us to understand that man cannot and will not truly follow Christ and His word in his own strength. He has no interest or desire to do so. He cannot and will not respond to the preaching of the gospel in his own strength and will. Moral persuasion is simply inadequate to bring man into right relationship with God. It is not enough merely to urge man to obey God, get right with God, and go to church and read his Bible. Something far more radical and profound must happen to him. He must be born again.
This begs a second question- what happens when one is born again? Simply put, one’s whole life is radically transformed. God works a miracle of grace in him, changing his heart, mind, affections, and will. By this I mean the very essence of one’s life, his soul or heart, is now desirous to seek God, to delight supremely in Him, to love Him with all his heart. One’s mind is also transformed. Before regeneration, one thought all this talk about the holiness, justice, and wrath of God was foolishness, a vestige from simpler, more quaint days. Now he comes to understand that indeed God is holy and he is a sinner, justly deserving God’s wrath and displeasure. One’s affections are also changed. He begins to love what God loves and hate what God hates. He loves God’s people and indeed all people of the world, putting aside his sinful prejudices. He grows to hate his own sin, to feel the guilt of it, even what some could call little sins. These all bother him and he finds that he confesses his sins and apologizes to others for wronging them. Finally he also finds that his behavior changes. His speech is wholesome. He puts away his pornography and all illicit behavior. One begins to treat his spouse lovingly. Increasingly he finds his behavior more and more in conformity to that of His Savior. Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus is the classic Biblical illustration of regeneration.
And this begs a third question- how does it happen? How is one born again? The Bible speaks of effectual calling. One hears the gospel preached (external call) and responds to it as the Holy Spirit prompts him (internal call). Isaiah 55:1ff is a good example of this call. Then as the person is more interested in the message of salvation, the Holy Spirit supernaturally changes or transforms the person’s heart. See Titus 3:5. This leads to what we call conversion. The person is able to repent of his sins (to acknowledge his life as sinful rebellion against God and to turn from sin to God) and to believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus urged people to repent and believe in the gospel, Mark 1:15. As one does so he begins to see his sin in all its ugliness. He sees God’s holiness and how far short he falls of it. He sees the glory and sufficiency of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. His thinking, affections, and behavior all are changed and he begins to seek, obey, and trust God. I am not saying that one becomes perfect, never sinning. I am saying, however, that one sees his sin, eventually repenting of it, and willingly submitting to God’s word.
One last question- how does one receive the new birth? One cannot act on his own will to receive it. You did not ask to be born into this world a first time, did you? In the same way, you cannot make yourself born a second time. God must do it by a miracle of His grace. But there are some things you ought to do? The fact that you are interested in this topic may mean that God has already begun effectually to call you. Thus you ought to read the Bible daily. Start with John’s gospel, asking the Holy Spirit to show you your sin and the glory of Jesus. Attend each Sunday a Bible preaching church. Repent of whatever sins God brings to your mind. Apologize to people whom you have wronged. Make restitution of anything you have stolen. And ask God for a new heart. My experience has been that those who do these things eventually come to experience the glorious and unmistakable regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Then tell others what has happened to you.
If you have any questions, about this, then please contact me through e mail and I will be very happy to help you any way I can.
Concerning the existence of God, there are four possibilities. An atheist (theist is from theos, God, and a means no) is one who says there is no God. An agnostic (a means no and gnosis means knowledge, I don’t know) is one who says that he does not know whether or not God exists. A polytheist (poly means many, theist means God, many gods) is one who believes in many Gods. Hindus and animists in African traditional languages believe this. And a monotheist (mono means one) is one who believes in one God. We can go further in subdividing monotheists and say that three major religions in our world today embrace monotheism. These are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
We at Christ Community Presbyterian Church are monotheists. More specifically we are monotheists who believe in the Triune God. That is we believe in one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons are one God, in three distinct persons, equal in substance, power, and glory. Why do we believe in God and why should you believe in Him too?
There are two reasons why we believe in God. First is what we call natural revelation. Even a cursory look at nature ought to drive people to believe in God. The Hubble space telescope, for example, has sent us incredible images of the vastness of space, millions of light years in depth and width, a creation all in perfect order and harmony. Micro-biologists are now able to document the intricate design of all living things, moving many to believe in what some scientists call intelligent design. The fact that we have seasons, days and nights, consistent weather patterns all cry out to us that there is a creator God who has made and directs all of creation through the laws of nature. Then the beauty of animals and man yields remarkable evidence that there is a God who made all things. Recently I was standing at the kitchen sink in my home and looked outside to see a huge, beautiful woodpecker. I had never seen one like it before and I stood in awe for a minute or two, watching it, and delighting in the God who in infinite wisdom made this beautiful creature.
While natural revelation is very helpful in causing us to believe in God, this is simply not enough, for it does not tell us who this God is. We suggest that modern Judaism and Islam differ significantly from Christianity in their views of this one God. We need to know more about Him and this leads us to say that we believe in God because of special revelation. By special revelation we mean the Bible, God’s inspired word given to us, the writings of the Old and New Testament. The Bible forthrightly declares that God is and that He created, out of nothing, the universe and all things in it in the space of six days, Genesis 1:1ff. It says, “O Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all; the earth is full of Thy possessions,” Psalm 104:24. “The Lord sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to Thee, and Thou does give them their food in due time. Thou dost open Thy hand, and dost satisfy the desire of every living thing,” Psalm 145:14-16. “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number. Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing,” Isaiah 40:26. And many Scripture passages refer to the Trinity. I only site one here. In Ephesians 1:4ff Paul speaks of the Father choosing, the Son dying, and the Holy Spirit sealing until the day of redemption.
Are you an atheist? Why? Are you sure there is no God? Are you certain that you are certain? Have you reason for not seeing Him in the beauty and intricacies of nature? Are you rejecting Him because of violence done to you by others? Just as many who have suffered unjustly believe in Him as reject Him. There is absolutely no reason for your rejection of Him. You have no epistemological (from where does knowledge or truth come?) reason for your rejection of God. You cannot prove He does not exist.
Are you an agnostic? Why? Are you certain that you can be uncertain? His word and creation cry out proclaiming His existence and maintenance of all things. What legitimate reason do you have for doubting His existence and care? Again you have no epistemological rationale for doubting His being.
Are you a polytheist? Why? From where does your belief in many gods come? Can you justify their existence? Can you prove them? Be honest with yourself, isn’t this simply superstition on your part? What possible credence can you give to such a belief? Can you prove them by any authoritative book or experience founded on objective, authoritative, written truth?
Are you a monotheist? If so, that’s good, as far as it goes. But why? And if you deny Christianity’s Trinitarian God, then why? Do you believe God’s name is Allah? Why? What justification have you for such a belief? Why have you rejected the Biblical declaration that God is one God, existing in three persons, all of the same divine substance, equal in power and glory? What epistemological reason do you have for rejecting the Trinitarian God?
When all is said and done, the atheist, agnostic, polytheist, and anti-Christian monotheist simply pulls his belief system out of thin air. There is absolutely nothing objective, historical, or authoritative upon which he builds his view or denial of God. Thus the only place man can look to find the true nature of God is in the Bible. I know what you are thinking, “That’s not fair. You are arguing in a circle. You reject my authority of the Koran or other literary works, but you cling to your own.” Yes, that’s true, but I do so with one significant difference from you, and deep down in your heart you know that I am right. I hold completely to the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Bible. I am not propagating my own theories or esoteric philosophy. I am simply stating what the Bible says. It alone is my authority. You, on the other hand, if rejecting the Biblical notion of God, are refusing to subject yourself to truth. In your rebellion against truth, you are simply pulling from traditions that make sense to you and you are making idols in your own mind and heart.
What should you do then? Though you may reject the Biblical notion of one God in three persons, I urge you to submit your mind and heart to the Bible. Read it, think on it, seek to live out its principles, turn from your sin, ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear. In due time, I believe you will come to embrace the God of the Bible and find salvation in Christ Jesus alone. We believe in God because He has made Himself known to us in nature and His word. He has opened our eyes to see His marvelous goodness, love, and mercy in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
WHY WE BELIEVE JESUS IS THE MESSIAH
We believe Jesus of Nazareth is the long awaited Messiah. That’s the Hebrew name meaning Anointed One. The Greek name is Christ. We are not alone in our belief. The Old Testament prophets speak of this often. Isaiah says, “A virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel,” 7:14. “A child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace,” 9:6. “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities. . .by His scourging we are healed. . .His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth,” 53:5,9. King David, who wrote a thousand years before Jesus walked on earth, said about Him, “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord; He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee,’” Psalm 2:7. Jesus Himself was asked if He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, and He replies, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven,” Mark 14:62. The apostle Peter proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Matthew 16:16. The apostle Paul thought Jesus to be the Messiah too, “. . .concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans 1:3,4.
What are the implications of this magnificent statement? If Jesus is the Messiah, then it means we have deliverance from sin, Satan, and death. See Isaiah 53:11, I John 3:5,8, and John 3:35. It means we have deliverance unto holiness and our Father in heaven. See I Corinthians 1:2, Romans 8:15, John 6:37. It means we have the promise of glorified bodies in heaven, living on the new earth. See I Corinthians 15:20, 42ff, Revelation 21:1-4. Practically this ought to give the believer marvelous comfort, Isaiah 40:1ff. It ought to strike fear in the unbeliever’s heart because all who die without Christ pay the penalty of their sinful rebellion away from the presence of the Lord forever, Revelation 20:13-15. It means exclusivity of the gospel message. Jesus is the only way to the Father and eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, Acts 4:12. It means that one must close with Christ by sincere repentance and faith, Matthew 11:28ff. And it means that the believer is able daily to draw upon Christ Jesus, the fountain, head, treasure, and source of all we need to live joyful and holy lives, John 7:37,38.
But this still begs the question, doesn’t it? How do we know, why do we believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ? Can we be sure this belief is not merely a myth, tradition, or esoteric philosophy? If He is Messiah, then all we have said above is true and there is nothing more important that believing in, embracing Jesus as one’s Lord and Savior. If He is not the Messiah, then we at Christ Community Presbyterian Church are wasting our time. Well, is Jesus the Messiah? How can we know for sure?
It is very interesting to note that the apostles, both in Acts and the New Testament epistles never seek to prove Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. They merely proclaim it. They assume their audience knows this to be true. Jesus’ resurrection is a huge part of their preaching and living. Take for example Peter’s words at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 who had been praying in the upper room for at least ten days. After the Spirit fell on them and they spoke in the languages of the people gathered there from all over the known world, Peter preaches his famous sermon, one in which thousands of Jews believed in Jesus as the Messiah. He begins his sermon by saying that God raised Jesus up again, after they had crucified Him, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its (death’s) power, Acts 2:24. Peter then sites the great King David of Israel as one who prophesied Jesus’ death and resurrection some 1000 years before it occurred. He quotes from Psalm 16:8-11. In brief David said, “I was always beholding the Lord in My presence. . .Thou will not abandon My soul to Hades, nor allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.” Though David did not know as much as the apostles, he nonetheless did know and believe that Messiah would be raised again from the dead; that He would suffer, die, be buried and raised.
Peter goes on in his sermon to state that King David also prophesied Messiah’s ascension to the Father’s right hand, something we know occurred in Acts 1:8, as Jesus ascended into heaven before the eye’s of the apostles. Acts 2:33 says, “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.” And in verses 34,35 David prophesies Messiah’s eternal session at the Father’s right hand. “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to My Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’” In other words, Peter is proclaiming to those gathered on Pentecost that Jesus was crucified, buried, raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the Father’s right hand in glory, judging the nations and dispensing grace by the Holy Spirit to true believers. Peter summarizes his sermon by saying in verse 36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah)- this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Thus it is clear that the prophets, King David, Jesus, and the apostles all believed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, the Christ. Of course Jewish people, among others, have always for the most part denied this. Why? For the simple reason that they have believed Messiah would be a second coming of King David, a glorious, powerful king who would put their enemies in subjection under his feet. They cannot fathom a Messiah who suffered and died such a humiliating and shameful death. We know, however, and many Jewish people are coming to see the same thing, that Jesus is Messiah and His resurrection from the dead proves it. His resurrection is a fact of history faithfully substantiated by over 500 eyewitnesses. Christianity rises or falls on Jesus’ resurrection. Since He was raised from the dead, then He is Messiah, and since He is Messiah He alone can take away our sin and bring us to the Father, giving us the hope of eternal life in heaven.
This means then that God the Father makes His wonderful and glorious promise of deliverance from sin’s dominion and guilt, from Satan’s power and enslavement, and from death’s sentence and dread through Jesus’ death and resurrection for all who believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the Christ, the long expected Anointed One. If you have questions, then call our pastor or e mail him and he will be happy to speak further with you about this very important issue.
What is a sacrament? We believe that a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. A sacrament is divinely ordained, that is, commanded and instituted by God. In using the sacraments, His people (the Church) would understand more clearly the promise of the gospel. Through the sacraments God seals, or guarantees by His authority the promise to grant us forgiveness of sins and eternal life, by grace alone, because of the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Because of our weakness God also represents, confirms and displays the benefits of Christ’s mediation on our behalf, while increasing and strengthening our faith and all other graces by means of the sacraments. Furthermore, He calls us to ongoing repentance and obedience and to testify and cherish our love and communion with one another. God uses divinely ordained sacraments to distinguish us from the rest of the world. The sacraments have no power in themselves to work salvation in the one receiving them. Their effectiveness is not dependent on the godliness or prayers of the one administering them. The sacraments become an effective means of salvation only by the working of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted.
We believe that, in the New Testament, Christ has appointed only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19 and Luke 22:17-20 respectively). Since it is God who ordains and institutes the signs and seals of His choosing to represent and confirm His working in us, we believe that it is presumptuous for human beings to change or add to those sacraments that God has given to His people according to the Scriptures. For this reason we believe that the sacraments should be administered during the public worship of God, among the people of God and always in conjunction with the Word of God, where we find those promises that are signified and sealed to us in the sacraments.
Concerning baptism, we believe that it is a divinely ordained washing with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It should be administered only once, using plain water as the outward and visible sign. The promise of this sacrament is that just as surely as water washes away dirt from the body, so certainly does the blood of Christ and His Holy Spirit wash away all our sins. The use of water and blood as signs of God’s grace and cleansing are numerous throughout the Bible and always point toward the sacrifice and cleansing effected by Christ. The following are merely some examples for consideration: Exodus 24:4-8; Leviticus 4:5-7, 14: 4-9; Psalm 51: 2, 7; Ezekiel 36: 25-27; Ephesians 1: 7; Hebrews 10: 22, 12: 24; 1 Peter 1: 2. In all of these passages, as well as others, the terms “sprinkle” and “pour” are used almost exclusively. Moses sprinkled the blood on the people just as we are said to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ. The blood of the sacrifices was to be poured at the base of the altar and God promises to pour out His Spirit. God promises to sprinkle us with clean water and David says “wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” We believe that when administering the sacrament of baptism the methods of either sprinkling or pouring are to be preferred over immersing simply because they are more consistent with the language of Scripture in terms of cleansing, forgiveness and the renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is a sign of our being grafted into, or made a living member of Christ. It can be compared to an engagement ring, by which we are separated from all others and designated wholly and only for the Lord. We are identified with the Church, the people of God and all the benefits of this relationship that tend toward our salvation and sanctification, or growth in grace and holiness. These benefits of the Church and promises of the gospel belong to the children of believing parents as well (Acts 2:39). For this reason we believe that infants ought to be baptized to distinguish them from the children of the world, who do not have an interest in Christ. As Israel was commanded to circumcise all male children, as well as any men who converted from outside the nation, so we baptize those who come from without and those that are born among us, both male and female. Like repentance, the effects of baptism should go on throughout one’s life. This we refer to as “improving”, or responding to one’s baptism. The promises of God should become surer, our resolve to repent and obey be renewed and our love for one another be strengthened each time we witness the sacrament of baptism in the public worship service.
The Lord’s Supper is the second of the two New Testament sacraments. Ordinary bread and wine are set aside from common use to signify the broken body and shed blood of Christ on the cross and all the benefits that come to us from His atoning death. This sacrament, as instituted by Jesus, is meant to nourish and sustain those who have already been born again. Just as the natural body needs food to grow and thrive, the life that we receive from Christ in the new birth also needs nourishment. We feed spiritually on Christ, who offers Himself to us as our food and drink in the meal. As we see the bread broken and wine poured out, so in reality was Jesus’ body broken and blood spilled for our sins. As surely as we are offered the bread and the wine, so truly Christ is offering Himself to us in the Supper. When we speak of eating Christ’s body and drinking His blood, we mean accepting with a believing heart all the suffering and death of Christ and so receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life. We also imply becoming more and more united to His sacred body through the Holy Spirit that lives in Christ and in us. In these ways we are truly partaking of Jesus’ crucified body and shed blood.
We believe, as stated in the Nicene Creed, that Jesus is “seated on the right hand of the Father from whence He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.” For this reason we reject any teaching that has Christ physically present in or around the bread and the wine. Jesus is in heaven and has sent another Helper- the Holy Spirit (John 16: 5 -15). Jesus did say to break the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of Him, but we also reject any teaching that reduces the Lord’s Supper to a mere memorial of the death of Christ; it is a memorial, but it is also much more. We actually commune with Christ through His Spirit.
Unlike baptism that is administered only once, the Lord’s Supper should be celebrated frequently. Although no directive is found in the Bible to tell us how often to eat the Supper, it seems that there is some evidence in the Acts of the Apostles to suggest that the churches celebrated weekly- every Lord’s Day (see Acts 20:7 especially). Some would say that familiarity breeds contempt. But if we understand what the sacrament is, what is taking place and how we are nourished and strengthened in our faith, then the benefit of weekly celebration is clearly seen.
We must remember that there is a warning attached to the Lord’s Supper. The apostle Paul tells us to examine ourselves before eating and drinking (1 Corinthians 11: 28). Is living, active faith present? Faith that will perceive Christ in the bread and in the wine and receive His completed work on behalf of guilty sinners? Paul says, if not, and we eat in an unworthy manner, we will be “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11: 27). The sign carries a warning as well. We see the bread broken and the wine poured out. If we are not seeing Christ broken for our sins and His blood spilled for our cleansing and life, then we are seeing a grim reminder that our own bodies will be broken and our blood shed in the Day of Judgment. Christ is our only hope and comfort in life and in death, or we will have no hope or comfort in either. But if we have tasted the grace of God, if He has begun a good work in us, then He has given us signs and seals to assure us that what we have believed is true. All of the promises of God are “yes” and “amen” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1: 20).
Why do we call ourselves at Christ Community Presbyterian Church of West Hartford, CT a Presbyterian church? It is very possible that you have never attended a Presbyterian church and consequently are curious about our name. When we call ourselves Presbyterians we are saying something about our polity or church government. Actually the word Presbyterian is a transliteration of the Greek word used in the New Testament presbuteros which means elder. Thus a Presbyterian church is saying that it is ruled or governed by elders elected or chosen by the local congregation.
The Bible speaks quite a bit about elders. The Apostle Paul in Acts 20:17-35 gathers together the elders of the church at Ephesus and gives a farewell address to them at Miletus as he makes his way back to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey. Paul also gives instructions to both Timothy and Titus concerning elders in I Timothy 3,5 and Titus 1.
This, however, still begs the question- why are we Presbyterians? Is this merely our tradition or do we believe there is a Biblical precedent for it? After all, there are many denominations throughout this country and world, having names like Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Methodist. In answering this question it seems important to acknowledge that sincere Christians disagree on this secondary issue of importance. We can ultimately say, of course, that one’s views on church polity are not of primary importance. Many sincere believers differ on how a church is to be ruled. The denominations just mentioned- Congregational, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Methodist also are saying something about their church government. It is certainly correct to say that theological differences also stand behind these varied denominations but the form of church government is the original and historical point of difference.
Having said this, it may be helpful for you to realize that there are historically three forms of church government. The first is prelactic or Episcopal. The Methodist, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches all have this form of church government, one where a Bishop or Pope presides over a whole denomination or regional church. Ultimately we can say that the various churches in these respective denominations are all accountable to the Bishop or Pope. A second form of church government is the independent or congregational form. Obviously the Congregational denomination, which is so prevalent in this part of the country, falls into this classification. In this form of government the local congregation governs itself. There is no hierarchy that governs a number of churches. The individual members of the individual congregations make all the decisions by which the church is governed. Baptist, Bible, and Pentecostal or charismatic churches also fall into this category of churches. Finally there is the Presbyterian or representative form of church government. Again this refers to churches ruled by elders who are elected by the local congregation. Historically this has been a connectional system of government (more about this in a moment) but more recently there are individual churches, not governed by any form of hierarchy, that have elders elected by the local congregation, those who rule in that local church.
Though we respect the many faithful believers who practice episcopal or congregational Church government, we believe the Presbyterian form of church government is the one used by the church in the New Testament, and thus we believe it is the most Biblical form of government for the church today. Why do we say that? A look at what happens in Acts 15 gives us solid evidence that the early church practiced a representative form of church government. Briefly speaking a conflict arose in the church at Antioch where some were teaching Gentile believers that they must observe Jewish ritual in order to insure their salvation. A council was called to meet in Jerusalem and we are told that elders and apostles from various churches came together and debated the issue. A decision was reached by the elders and apostles, and that verdict was put in writing and given to the church at Antioch and the surrounding region. If the church practiced congregational government then no council at Jerusalem would have been called. Each church would have reached its own conclusion. Or at best, the Jerusalem Council would have been able to give advice only. It is clear, however, that the Council ruled with authority and the church at Antioch submitted willfully and joyfully to their verdict. If an Episcopal form of government had been practiced then the Council would not have been needed. The apostles would simply have rendered a verdict. No debate with elders would have been required. It seems clear to us that elders and apostles from numerous churches met in Jerusalem, considered the issue before them, debated it, and then arrived at a decision, one which the churches continued to submit to throughout Acts and the epistles.
What does this mean for us at Christ Community Presbyterian Church? We believe there are two church offices- elder and deacon. We further divide elder into two categories, what we call Ruling and Teaching Elders. We derive this from I Timothy 5:17, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” We believe elders and bishops (presbuteros and episcopos) are terms referring to the same office with slightly different nuances of responsibility. An elder rules over the congregation, leading her; while a bishop oversees or shepherds a congregation. We also believe God has ordained the office of deacon (Greek word is diaconia). See Acts 6. Deacons are to consider the physical needs of those within and without the church, doing deeds of mercy and kindness to alleviate physical suffering.
There are three church courts in our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America. The local church is governed by the Session, the Ruling and Teaching Elders chosen by the local congregation. The second church court is the Presbytery, a gathering of churches from certain geographical areas. And a third church court is the General Assembly, composed of all the churches within our denomination.
What does this practically mean for you as you consider joining our church? As a member of CCPC you will vote to elect both Ruling and Teaching Elders to lead our church. You will also vote on any land or property acquisitions, and you will vote to dissolve the pastoral relationship between Teaching Elders and our church, if that time ever seems prudent. And while the Session surely solicits your input on ministry decisions and ideas, ultimately the decision for setting the direction of the church, under submission to God’s word, falls to the responsibility of the Teaching and Ruling Elders you have chosen to govern, lead, and shepherd you.
People get nervous when pastors begin talking about money. It can be a pretty sensitive topic and we all know too many examples where charlatans have robbed the gullible of their money in the name of Christ. This is most deplorable. Having said this, however, there is an indescribable joy in one’s giving of time, talent, and treasure to the work of Christ’s church. We don’t shy away from this sensitive topic at Christ Community Presbyterian Church because we believe such stewardship is both commanded and commended by our Lord. Jesus talked a great deal about money and how to use it and His parable in Luke 16:1ff is a wonderful challenge to those with ears to hear.
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning and in Jesus’ parable of Luke 16 He is seeking to drive home this one point- we are to use our temporal wealth now on earth with a view to our eternal reward then in heaven. In the parable Jesus speaks of a rich man with a steward, one who cares for his estate or business, and this steward has been squandering his master’s possessions. The master has had enough and confronts his steward about his irresponsibility. The steward realizes he is soon to lose his comfortable lifestyle and so he goes to those who owe his master money. In effect he says to them, “You owe my master $20,000. Why not write a check write now for $12,000 and we will call it even.” To another he says, “You owe my master $12,000. Why not write a check to him now for $10,000 and your obligation to him is finished.” No doubt these men who have received a very reduced obligation will say to the steward, “You sure are a great guy. If you ever need anything from me, then give me a call.” At that point the steward will say, “Well, as a matter of fact, there is one thing you can help me with. You see, I could use a place to stay for a while until I find another job.” The master hears of what the steward has done and commends him for his shrewdness.
Don’t get too bogged down in the details of this parable. Jesus is not commending laziness, irresponsibility, or cheating. Jesus says that we are to make friends for ourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (mammon refers to temporal wealth or money), for when it fails, those who have become our friends by it will receive us into eternal dwellings, into heaven. In other words, the main point of the parable is that Jesus wants us to see the eternal benefit of investing in His kingdom and we do so by giving our time, talent, and treasure to the work of the gospel worldwide. Practically speaking, it may go something like this- “I just received my year end bonus and I have had my eye on a new boat. I am certainly free to buy the boat and God will not be displeased with me for doing so. However I think I will instead give my bonus to our world mission’s program at church, believing that my investment here will no doubt yield the conversion of people to Christ in other lands and when I die, they will welcome me into heaven.”
Jesus goes on in the parable to commend faithfulness in our service to Him, verses 10-12. He says, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Jesus continues by saying that if one is unfaithful in the use of unrighteous mammon (money) then how can He entrust true riches (the glories of the gospel here and the benefits of it in heaven) to him. Jesus also lays down a non-negotiable maxim in verse 13, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” We have a hard time believing this. We tend to think we will be the one exception to the rule. We think we can love both money and Christ. Jesus says that this is impossible. Everyone will hold to the one and despise the other. It’s either money or Jesus. No exceptions.
Now I hope you see in this parable why we are so excited about the prospect of giving joyously, sacrificially, and faithfully to the work of Christ’s kingdom. The promise is wonderful. If you invest your time, spiritual gifts (talents), and money then you have the glorious promise that the payoff for you will be in eternity. Simply put, the time our people put into ministry in our church, in the community, with the poor and needy, is never wasted. Giving our money to gospel work is never wasted. There may be many times when we do not see an immediate payoff, but we look past the temporal to the eternal. Helping a street person, for example, by giving him food may not seem to yield anything significant. This deed of kindness may never bring this person to Christ, but we give ourselves and our money with the belief that Christ will reward us in heaven.
Practically speaking, by investing our time, talent, and treasure in the work of Christ’s kingdom means that we urge our people to tithe, to give at least one-tenth of their income to the work of our church. We do so unashamedly because the Bible teaches that we are to do so. See Malachi 3:10ff. Failure here is condemned by the Lord as robbing Him of His due. In fact God challenges us by saying, “Tithe and test Me now in this. See if I will not open up for you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon you until there is no more need.” The Bible also speaks of offerings above and beyond a tithe, something God’s people are to give as God prospers them and as they grow in faith to trust Him. To whom much is given, much is required. If you are blessed by God to make large sums of money, then you ought to give large sums of it away for the work of Christ’s kingdom. It means we are to serve one another and the poor and needy of our community and world. Jesus models this servanthood in Mark 10:42-45. It means we are to discover and use our spiritual gifts, I Corinthians 12-14, within the body of Christ for the purpose of building up the church and extending its outreach in the community and world.
Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher and apologist, once said that only two things last for eternity- God’s word and people’s souls. Invest your life in these two things. That’s good advice. Indeed this is Biblical advice and we urge our people to follow it. Oh, another thing. One sure way to guard ourselves against loving mammon and hating God is to give sacrificially and faithfully of our time, talent, and treasure. This zeal, of course, comes from a heart in love with Jesus and people of all kinds. As we give ourselves faithfully and sacrificially in the name of Christ we live with the certain and glorious expectation that those whom we have helped, who have gone on to heaven before us, will welcome us to heaven when we die. In effect they will say, “Thank you for your time and money you gave to Jesus. Your gift has brought me to heaven, and I thank God for your faithfulness.” Granted, we cannot see this now, but we believe we will one day. We give joyously and expectantly, thanking God for the privilege, knowing that our labor is never in vain.
WHY WE SERVE THE POOR AND NEEDY
The Bible is replete with references to God’s compassion for the poor, and God expects His people to have like compassion on them. This raises at least three immediate questions. What is meant by the term poor people, why are they poor, and what is our responsibility to them?
First, what is meant by the term poor people? The Bible refers to two types of poor. The first are the spiritually poor, those estranged from God, those still dead in their sins, those not having the life of God in their souls, those who are not true and sincere Christians. These people are poor though they may be rich societally, educationally, professionally, culturally, financially. Jesus says to the professing believers at Laodicea, “You say that you are rich and have need of nothing, but you are poor, wretched, miserable, blind, and naked, “ Revelation 3:17. The second are the physically or financially poor. God tells Israel that if a poor man is with them they are not to harden their hearts, but shall freely open their hands to him, give generously to him whatever he lacks, Deuteronomy 15:7ff. I define the financially poor as those with very limited options. You can choose whether you will drive in your car to the store and decide how much and what kind of food you will buy. You can decide if, when, and where you will take a vacation. The poor cannot do that. You can decide where your children will attend school. The poor have not that option.
Second, why are people poor? Assuming the two categories of poor people, the first are poor spiritually because they consciously ignore or reject the overtures of grace from a God filled with lovingkindness and compassion. They refuse to bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. The financially poor are so for a number of reasons. One, disobedience to God, living licentious and godless lives often leads to poverty. “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich,” Proverbs 10:4. “Mere talk leads only to poverty,” Proverbs 14:23. The prodigal son spent his inheritance on riotous living and found himself in poverty, hungry, wishing for the food of swine, Luke 15:16. Two, some are poor because they are born into poverty. Sociologists tell us that when a community experiences 20% or more illegitimate births then poverty is sure to follow quickly. Many children and teens are poor because their parents, who most often do not live together, have violated God’s word and thus suffer the consequences of their disobedience. In most cases the children are not encouraged to pursue excellence in education which further exacerbates the problem. Poverty begets poverty. Three, some are poor because of political, governmental, judicial, or racial injustice. Perhaps politicians tell people what they want to hear, encouraging legislation which ultimately kills work incentive and fosters a victim mentality among some, causing some to believe they are entitled as citizens of a country to a certain standard of living. At times in our history we knew the horrible spectacle of racial discrimination which kept many in poverty. People were kept from better paying jobs simply due to the color of their skin. And four, some are poor due to natural catastrophe or war. One with inadequate insurance, for example, who experiences the destruction of his home due to a tornado or the death of the bread winner may be plunged into poverty. It is difficult for the people in certain parts of Belfast, Northern Ireland to get ahead when they are afraid to sleep at night and are constantly repairing broken windows from fire bombs and errant bullets.
Third, what is our responsibility to the poor? Why do we at Christ Community Presbyterian Church serve the poor and needy? We do so, not because we hope to gain salvation by doing it, not even primarily because we seek to help them, though this certainly is a desire we have. We do so for two reasons. One, God commands us to remember the poor, to not turn our backs from them, to open our hands and freely give to them. And two, because God is glorified or made large in the minds and hearts of people when they see concrete, tangible evidences of kindness and compassion toward the needy. Consider first our responsibility toward the spiritually poor, those who live in this world without the benefit of Christ. We are to proclaim to them the unsearchable riches of Christ. We are to do what we can to engage them in thoughtful consideration of where they will spend eternity, of why they are ultimately unhappy with their lives here and now, and how the great question which all mankind has can be answered, “How can I be right with God?” We seek to do this in numerous ways at our church, not the least of which is encouraging people to attend Sunday worship services, to sing our hymns, to listen to the word of God as it is preached, to ask God for grace to believe and act upon what they hear.
But we also take seriously our responsibility to serve the financially poor in our community and world. Leviticus 19:15 says that we are to be partial to the poor. Job said that he was grieved for the poor and so we should be also, Job 30:25. Solomon says that those who mock the poor reproach their Maker, Proverbs 17:5. And Jesus tells us that when we feed the poor, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit the prisoner and bedridden, and take in the stranger then we have done these things for Him, Matthew 25:35ff. How do we serve the poor and needy? At this early juncture of our ministry we are not exactly sure what form this ministry will take. To illustrate our commitment to ministry to the poor we plan to call a man who will oversee mercy ministry in Hartford. We will assess what ministries are already occurring here and seek to find our nitch, so to speak. We see no need to “recreate the wheel”. If there is little work in AIDS awareness, serving the HIV positive community, then we will help there. If there is little done to help children or adults learn to read, we will step in there. If there is a need to help refurbish housing for the poor, then we will get involved there.
We joyfully, willingly, and expectantly serve the poor, not with a condescending attitude, not by simply writing a check, but by standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder with those in need with an earnest desire to give those who are thirsty a cup of cool water in the name of Jesus. What is the payoff? Maybe very little in this life, though we certainly hope there is. Our great joy, however, will be on that day when we stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords and hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. . .enter into the joy of your master,” Matthew 25:21.
Perhaps you grew up in a time when people strictly observed the Lord’s day by going to church Sunday morning and evening, eating lunch at home, and resting all afternoon. For young children this usually turned into a negative, long litany of prohibitions. “Don’t watch television. . .don’t read the newspaper. . .don’t play ball. . .don’t swim. . .” In fact, for some of you Sundays seemed more like a funeral than a festival. Is there little wonder, then, why so few people today are genuinely excited about observing the Lord’s day? The term Lord’s day is a New Testament term for the Old Testament Sabbath. We believe the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10) is to be observed on Sunday, the first day of the week, the day which coincides with Jesus’ resurrection.
Very few Christians today intentionally and deliberately celebrate the Lord’s day. For most this observance is a half day. They attend church Sunday morning but then go home and do as they please the rest of the day. And most do not understand the celebratory nature of observing the Lord’s day. My intention here is not to judge my brethren nor is it to give a list of rules and regulations about what one can or cannot do on the Lord’s day. That’s been done already and is counterproductive and unbiblical. I have not the right to dictate to you or anyone the specifics of how you conduct yourself on the Lord’s day. Many today view observance of the Lord’s day as an infringement on their personal liberty, a day God has taken from them instead of a gift He has given to them. Someone has said that we tend to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.
Why do we have such a problem in our day with keeping the Lord’s day? There are at least three reasons for this. One, the secularization of our culture works against celebrating the Lord’s day. All the shopping malls are open on Sundays, professional and college teams play on Sunday, and increasingly children’s sports teams play on Sundays, even Sunday mornings. In our secularized culture Sunday has become a great day of recreation, perhaps even more so than Saturdays which increasingly is becoming a day to do chores around the house so that one is free to play on Sundays. This makes celebrating the Lord’s day for Christian people very difficult. After all we live in the world and cannot help being influenced by it. Two, our fleshly nature moves instinctively away from the spiritual and eternal to the natural and temporal. We are not naturally prone to pray and read our Bibles, to attend worship, to read books which edify us spiritually. And three, the fast pace of life today makes sitting, resting, and thinking seem like laziness and a waste of time. The pace of life, due to modernity (our technology) has escalated exponentially in the last fifteen years or so. Electronic mail traveling at the speed of light, cell phones, FAX machines, jet travel all have made it possible to conduct work faster with less down time in business transactions. Only a few years ago a contract proposal, for example, would be sent by surface mail and give companies three or four days to think over the proposal as they waited on it to be delivered. That’s not the case any longer. All of this works to quicken to a maddening level the pace of our lives. Sitting, resting, worshipping God, spending time with friends seems much too slow for most of us. We tend to be like hyperactive children. We just cannot sit still for more than a few minutes.
But the Lord, as part of His creation mandate, gave us one day in seven to devote our full attention to Him. We ought not view the Lord’s day as a day He seeks to wrench from our grasp, rather we ought to see it as a wonderful and gracious gift to slow down and smell the roses. There are three biblical principles which under gird God’s call to devote one day in seven to Him. The first is God’s sovereignty over time. Exodus 20:11, Genesis 1:3ff, Joshua 10:1-15, II Kings 20:1-11. Since God is the author of time, He is free to use it as He pleases. He is free to command us to use it as He directs. The second is God’s sovereignty over work. Genesis 1:26-28. God created work before the fall into sin and thus He alone is free to direct us when and how to work. He says that we are to work six days and rest the seventh. And third, God is sovereign over rest. He rested on the seventh day after creation and He calls us to do the same. Exodus 35:1,2,Deuteronomy 5:13,14.
As we study the Old Testament it becomes clear that the Sabbath is part of God’s creation mandate, prior to the fall into sin. Genesis 2:1-3. In other words, the Sabbath is not an after thought or punishment to man because of sin. God from the very beginning of creation directed man to rest and honor Him one day in seven. God intended the Sabbath to be a day of rest from one’s normal work in order to be free to perform spiritual acts of worship and service. The context of God’s directive on Sabbath observance in Exodus 20:1ff makes clear that we are to celebrate creation and redemption. God created in six days and rested, so we are to rest from our labors after six days of work. God redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage and we are to celebrate Him for doing so. The New Testament, while changing the name and day, still teaches the celebration of the Lord’s day. In it we observe two vital fruits of the Sabbath. First is the resurrection Sabbath. Believers worshipped on the first day of the week, I Corinthians 16:1-4, and their worship was a sign of the new creation in Christ. It became a sign of God’s covenant of grace, ratified or made sure by the blood of Christ shed at Calvary for us. The second is the final Sabbath. Hebrews 4:1ff. This speaks of a Sabbath rest, a day of anticipation when believers rest from all their labors and hardships in this world. In other words, the Lord’s day is meant to be a picture of what eternity in heaven will be like. We know from Revelation 19 that heaven is a place of rejoicing and feasting. Finally keep in mind that Jesus came to liberate the Sabbath from wrong, sinful, though well meaning attitudes. Mark 2:23-28, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 13:10-17, Luke 14:1-6, John 5:1-9, John 9:1-41. This all means that the Lord’s day is to be a celebration of God’s people, resting from their normal labors so that they can focus their attention of the worship of God, fellowship with believers, growing in knowledge of God through His word, and resting physically so that they are energized for the upcoming week’s activities.
Now practically, what are we to do? I will not tell you specifically what you can or cannot do. Some prefer we tell you whether you can eat in restaurants, play golf, go swimming, watch television, etc. on Sundays. I will not go there. Rather use these principles to determine before God what is right for you and your family. See Sundays as a day God has graciously given you to rest, worship, fellowship, and grow in grace. See it as a day of celebration, not a funeral but a festival. It ought to be like the joy of attending a wedding and the reception party that follows. We at Christ Community Presbyterian Church love to celebrate the Lord’s day because we work hard during the week and often cannot spend the time with God, family, and friends as we would like. God has granted us one day to catch up with people and Him. Make the day joyful for your children. Remember, not a funeral but a festival. Why not have the best meal and desserts of the week at lunch after church on Sundays? Why not forgo business travel on the Lord’s day? If necessary, leave early Monday or late Sunday night for such travel. Take a nap on Sunday afternoon. Visit friends, read to your children. Put away your paper work and focus on people work. Read a good Christian book. And if exercise will help you be more attentive and alert to spend the day with a good book or people, then do it.
My experience has been that the best way to insure a productive celebration of the Lord’s day is to attend Sunday morning and evening church activities. I do not say this with any legalistic intent, but my own personal experience and also observing many others, is that the absence of Sunday evening church activities very quickly, for most, turns into a half-day of Lord’s day celebration. It is so very easy to sink into using 1 p.m. onward as a day to catch up on work and thus lose the greatest benefit God has for us. In short, we should view the Lord’s day much like I tell men to view a weekly date with their wives. Work your sixty or seventy hours per week, make your trips all over the country for your company; but give your wife one day, one evening devoted completely to her. She will love you for it. You must intentionally use one day in seven to cultivate your love relationship with your wife. Likewise work your sixty or seventy hours per week but set aside Sundays to be with God and His people. Use this day to catch up, to build a strong, vibrant walk with God. Do what you can to develop your love relationship with God by celebrating the Lord’s day.
WHY WE ENGAGE IN EVANGELISM AND WORLD
MISSIONS
Why are we at Christ Community Presbyterian Church committed to evangelistic outreach and world missions? In answering this question I need first to define what we mean by evangelism and missions. By evangelism we do not mean proselytizing or intentionally taking people from other churches, commonly called sheep stealing. We do not mean activity that seeks to change one’s political ideology. We do not mean encouraging mere morality that may cause one to treat his or her family and neighbor better. By world missions we do not mean imposing western culture on another culture. We do not mean working to undermine unjust regimes in other countries. By evangelism we mean proclaiming by word and deed the love of God made known through the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth, seeking to convince people that He is the Messiah, and that eternal life alone is found in Him. By world missions we mean sending missionaries cross culturally to train indigenous Christians in how to serve their own people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This also means directly proclaiming Christ to the people, calling them to repentance and faith, just as one does in evangelism in his own culture.
But why do we engage in evangelism and world missions? There are two reasons for it. The first has to do with God and the second has to do with people. The bible makes clear that God loves the world. He has always loved all the great peoples of the world and His intent is to draw to Himself in His kingdom those from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. Revelation 5:9. God desires that people worship Him. He is all about the business of turning scoffers into worshippers. He alone is worthy of the praise and adoration of all peoples. Consider these references, among many, to God’s heart for the nations. “Ask of Me, and I shall surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession,” Psalm 2:8. “And let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him,” Psalm 72:11. “So the nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory,” Psalm 102:15. “The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God,” Isaiah 52:10. “And many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you,” Zechariah 2:11. “I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation which did not call on My name,” Isaiah 65:1. God promised Abraham that he would be a father of many nations, Genesis 12:1-3. God made known His covenant of grace, the plan of redemption, at first to the Jews, the physical descendants of Abraham; and Jesus and Paul the apostle went first to the Jews. However even a summary reading of the gospels makes clear, even at that early juncture in New Testament life, that God was interested in the nations, not just the salvation of the Jews. Jesus addresses the Samaritan woman in John 4, the Syrophonecian woman in Mark 7, the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, and many other Gentile peoples during His earthly ministry. So the first reason we joyfully and willingly engage in evangelism and missions is because people are on the heart of God. He wants them to know His love, grace, forgiveness. He wants them to have fullness of life here and forever. Our hearts are to delight in that which delights God. Our zeal is to bring people of all nations to worship the one true God who alone is worthy of our praise.
There is a second reason why we engage in evangelism and missions. God commands us to do so. The Psalmist, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says, “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples,” Psalm 96:3. “Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee,” Psalm 67:3. God commands us to go to the nations and offer the good news of reconciliation to anyone who will listen. And of course the so called Great Commission given by the risen Jesus Christ to His disciples is the summum bonum verse on this issue. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:18-20. We are not to keep the glorious gospel to ourselves.
But this begs another question. Why does God command us to evangelize? Because people need the Lord. The Bible makes clear that though man is made in God’s image and thus has dignity and is the crown of His creation; man nonetheless is fallen, tainted by sin, estranged from the God of holiness, justice, love, and mercy. The Bible says that man will not seek God on his own, that he cannot and will not hear of the good news unless people go to him and tell him. Romans 10:13ff. So we are to speak to anyone who will listen in our family, neighborhood, city or town, and all nations of the world. We are to tell them of the love of God in Christ Jesus, that Jesus lived perfectly, died on the cross for sin, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the Father will all power, authority, and dominion. We are to urge people to turn from their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We at Christ Community Presbyterian Church take this command very seriously. We do not force the good news on those who do not wish to hear it. We respect people and their right to believe what they wish. We are not interested in mere morality. We do not preach politics. We do not seek to impose western culture on other cultures. We do believe that Christian faith brings change to people and consequently a culture in due time. We seek to make the good news of Jesus Christ known in our community winsomely, creatively, humbly, gently, lovingly, persuasively, joyfully.
We engage in world missions by praying for missionaries, raising money and sending it to various mission agencies which we as a church support, and we encourage our people to consider short term (one or two weeks to two years) and career mission opportunities. We love all the peoples of the world, whatever their color or nationality, whatever their religion or creed. We desire to make known to these peoples the love of God made known in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, desiring that all the great peoples of the world will come to the truth and rejoice in it.
When people hear that we are a Presbyterian church they usually say, “Oh, I know about you. You are the one’s who believe in predestination.” We all tend to make judgments or assessments on hearsay, likes and dislikes, preconceived notions, misinformation, or even lack of information. The moment people hear the word Presbyterian they tend to think predestination, and with this goes the idea that we believe in fate, good luck or bad luck. Such people also tend to believe that we think man is a robot, and that God is capricious or arbitrary, that there is no rhyme or reason, so to speak, to what He does in the world. Well, let’s look at the facts. I hope I am able to explain simply to you why we believe in predestination.
Obviously in any discussion of importance and possible misunderstanding, it is vital to define one’s terms at the beginning. There are at least five words you need to understand in this discussion- predestination, foreknowledge, sovereignty, election, and concurrence. By predestination we mean pre- before, and destined- planned. So predestination has the idea that God plans beforehand all the events that occur in our world. By foreknowledge we mean fore- before, and knowledge- knowing. Foreknowledge means that God knows beforehand all the events that occur in our world. By sovereignty we mean God’s ownership, rule over all the created world. God does as He pleases, when He pleases, and how He pleases. By election we mean God choosing, before He created the world, a people to be His children, His precious possession. And by concurrence we mean living with the tension that God’s sovereignty and predestination are true on the one hand while also believing in man’s responsibility. Man plans his ways, as Proverbs says, but the Lord directs his steps.
But why do we believe in predestination? We do so, not because of our theological tradition. Historically some churches take a more man-centered (man is completely free to do as he pleases) approach to theology and Bible study while others take a more God-centered approach (God foreordains whatsoever comes to pass). This is not about tradition. We believe in predestination for one reason only. God’s word unequivocally teaches it. We will simply state a few verses to prove the point. We don’t have the time nor space to go into this more deeply now, but contact our pastor if you wish to discuss this further. “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; for Thou hast worked wonders, plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness,” Isaiah 25:1. “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning. . .My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure. . .truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it,” Isaiah 46:9-11. “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases,” Psalms 115:3. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. . .And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that he has given Me I lose nothing but raise it up on the last day,” John 6:37,39. “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated,” Malachi 1:2. “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires,” Romans 9:18. “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,” Ephesians 1:4,5. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. . .and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified, and whom He justified, these He also glorified,” Romans 8:29,30.
But perhaps you object to this by asking, “What about free will? If one believes in predestination, isn’t this denying man’s freedom to choose? Aren’t we making man a robot?” We do not deny man’s freedom to choose or make decisions. Obviously we make millions of decisions daily. Man is totally free to do whatever he chooses but he will never choose God for his Lord nor Jesus for his Savior. He cannot do so for he is dead in his sins. The things of God are foolishness to him. We deny the thought that man is a robot. He is the crown of God’s creation. He is the image of God, something no animal or angel can claim. Man has dignity and part of that dignity is the ability to reason, think, act, react, love, hate, enjoy, choose. We also deny that predestination makes God capricious or arbitrary, that He simply does things without any purpose behind them. The Bible teaches that God is all power, all wise, all good, that He is imminent. He stoops to our weakness, is intimately acquainted with all our ways.
Let’s be real practical. When we say that God is One of predestination, foreknowledge, sovereignty, and election we are saying that He foreordains whatsoever comes to pass. We are saying that nothing, absolutely nothing happens by chance in this world. There is no such thing as bad luck, good luck. There is no such thing as fate. We serve and worship a Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who is all loving, all good, and all wise. This means, for example, that a loved one suffering with cancer or the loss of a child in an automobile accident are not mistakes or bad luck. This is not fate. We readily acknowledge that one’s diet and lifestyle may have contributed to the cancer. We readily agree that the drunk driver who swerved into your lane, hitting your car and killing your child, chose to drink. God did not make him drink in order to carry out His plan. This is a mystery of providence, what I earlier referred to as concurrence.
Another way of putting it is to say that we believe in 100% God and 100% man. God gives man the freedom to go his own way, to make his own decisions. That’s 100% man. But God also superintends over, works through all circumstances in the deep mystery of His providence (literally He sees beforehand) so that His purpose from long ago is accomplished in our lives. This also means that if you are a Christian then God chose you before He created the world. This means that He has loved you as long as He has known you, and He has known you forever. You have always been in His mind and heart. Amazing, isn’t it!
This means then that the Christian ought to be the most content, joyous, happy, humble, anxious free, and gracious person in the world. He knows that the Father has always loved him, that he will always belong to God, that God directs his every step, that God will provide for his every need, and that he will not die one moment before or after God’s appointed time for him. Predestination is a wonderful, glorious, and comforting doctrine when properly understood. It is meant to drive us to worship and humble adoration of the great and mighty One who has loved us with an everlasting love.
For the Christian, worship is primarily a personal, continual spiritual offering—irrespective of time, location, or methodology—as we adore, communicate with, work with, and enjoy a holy God in spirit and in truth. Further, true worship is chiefly an act of the heart—any sincere expression of awe, praise, thanksgiving, confession, or petition to God—not formulaic liturgy or carefully crafted language. After all, we cannot impress God with our many words or rituals (Matt 5:5-7, Amos 5:21-23), our fear of the Lord and our love for Him take priority over our knowledge about Him (I Cor 8:2-3, Prov 1:7, 3:5), and He knows we often do not know how to pray (Rom 8:26). Indeed, a wonderful exchange takes place when Christ, our “High Priest,” takes our prayers and praises, sanctifies them, and offers them without spot or wrinkle to the Father. These truths free us to approach God boldly with any sincere expression of worship—with confidence that we will receive the grace and mercy we need (Heb 4:16).
Nevertheless, when it comes to corporate worship—Christians gathered together to hear and respond to God’s word—the Bible provides a clear picture of what is most pleasing to God. While Christ Community Presbyterian Church makes no claim that our worship service is the only proper way to worship—or even the single best way—the structure and content of our service is motivated by our striving to obey what Scripture teaches.
Since corporate worship is fundamentally a dialogue—in which we listen and respond to God’s revelation of Himself through His word— our service begins with an acknowledgment of the actual, spiritual presence of the Triune God. We proclaim the creative, redemptive, and empowering work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we recognize the fullness of His nature as both transcendent (holy, beyond our full understanding) and immanent (fatherly, loving, friend). In the presence of such a God, the posture of our worship should be marked by reverent intimacy—an attitude of humility and awe, along with respectful familiarity and joyful celebration (Eccl 5:1-2, 7; Heb 12:28-29; Rom 8:15-16; Mark 3:35; John 15:14-15; Ps 95:1-2).
Essential to this reverently intimate worship posture is acknowledgment of our continued failure to meet God’s standard of holiness (Rom 3:23; Ps 53:3) and our need to confess our sin regularly. Although we confess our particular individual sins silently, we also confess our sins corporately (Jas 5:16), using responsive readings drawn from Scripture. After this confession, we are comforted and refreshed by God’s assurance of forgiveness ( 1 John 1:9; 2 Cor 5:17); and we respond to this assurance by singing with thankful hearts of God’s grace and mercy.
Central to our response to God’s revelation of Himself are musical expressions of praise, such as the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col 3:16). While the precise meaning of these three expressions has long been debated, we believe it is clear that the objective truth of God’s Word should comprise the substance of our singing (Ps 119:54, 72). For this reason, we draw upon the metrical psalms of the Trinity Psalter and the rich tradition of Christian hymnody contained in the Trinity Hymnal, as well as more contemporary scripture songs that faithfully convey the truths of God. We further believe that the entire congregation is the church’s “first choir”—as all in attendance are encouraged to unite in song (Ps 32:11; 150:6). Our Adult Choir reflects the added conviction that singers who are especially gifted (or who simply enjoy the fellowship and musical preparation of a choir) can contribute greatly to the collective worship of the church (Neh 12:31, 40). Our particular choir draws upon four centuries of sacred choral literature—from Thomas Tallis to John Rutter.
The Bible also describes the playing of musical instruments as direct expressions of worship (2 Sam 6:5; 1 Chron 23:5; Ps 150:3-5) and as accompaniment for songs of praise (Isa 38:20; 2 Chron 5:13, 30:21). Our orchestra and handchime choir—along with our choral program—result in diverse musical expressions of worship, striving for maximum participation and a high degree of excellence. Indeed, while our God of grace does not require musical perfection, we know that excellence pleases Him (Ps 33:3, 1 Chr 5:22, Phil 4:8)—and this is sufficient motivation for us to offer our best.
Our service includes a pastoral prayer of thanksgiving and petition related to the specific needs of our congregation and the surrounding community. Also, by reading together the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, we regularly recall and confess a concise summary of the Christian faith—joining the people of God around the world, across denominations, and throughout the history of the church. Finally, our weekly giving of tithes and offerings is itself an act of worship—acknowledging God’s abundant provision to us and returning to Him a small portion of His financial blessing, that His mission for the church might be advanced.
Because corporate worship is a dialogue of divine revelation and human response, then we believe in the primacy of the reading and preaching of the Bible (Ps 119; 1 Tim 4:2, 13)—not as something that takes place after we worship, but as an integral part of worship. We believe that the Bible, as it exists in the original languages, is the perfect, unchanging Word of God—the only completely reliable standard for our faith and our daily living. This is why as much as 40 minutes or more of our service is devoted to the preaching of the Word. God also speaks to us through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which we celebrate each Sunday. Our basis for this weekly practice is explained in a separate position paper entitled “Why We Observe Two Sacraments.”
We respond to God’s Word with a final hymn of praise or one that further reflects upon the themes of the sermon. The benediction then sends us forth to “love God and love people” (Matt 22:37-39), as our personal lives of worship continue throughout the week ahead.