|
Where did the name " Christ Community Church " come from?
Christ is central at Christ Community Church. As the incarnation of the one true, holy, and triune God, Jesus Christ is the focal point of redemptive history, and therefore the focal point of worship at Christ Community Church (Exodus 34:14; Matthew 4:10). As Jesus Christ is the one whose death and resurrection has brought peace between God and man and the "chief cornerstone" of the Church, Christ is the cornerstone of ministry at Christ Community Church (Ephesians 2:20). Because Christ is the incarnate Word of God, the Word become flesh, there is an emphasis on knowing and worshiping Him by the study and proclamation of His Word, the Bible (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1-3).
Community is a vital aspect of the ministry at Christ Community Church. It suggests both genuine fellowship within our church family and an open door to those around us. As members of one body, we seek to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). We desire to be a light to our community (Matthew 5:14). Therefore, we are a place of peace for those in chaos, a place of forgiveness for the guilty, and a place of truth and hope for the lost and the hopeless (Matthew 11:28-30).
Church suggests that we are God's people, members of God's household (Ephesians 2:19). As the people of God, God has charted our course; God has planned our destiny; and God has decreed our purposes (Matthew 10:29; Ephesians 1:11-12). As the Church, we live to bring glory to God by singing and declaring His laudable attributes and the wonders of His grace, and by living according to the truth of Scripture (Ephesians 1:12). We embrace both traditional and contemporary music for worship that is consistent with the teaching of Holy Scripture. In keeping with the practices of the early New Testament Church, Christ Community Church seeks to honor God by setting apart one day in seven for worship and the teaching of His Word (Matthew 12:11; Acts 20:7).
[Return to list of Questions]
Do you take the Bible literally? Is not the Bible capable of being interpreted in a variety of ways?
We prefer to say that we take the Bible in its plain sense, just as one might read a book on history or science. Obviously, the Bible has many figures of speech, so we don't interpret every word literally in that way.
We believe there is credible evidence that the men who wrote the Bible did so under the guidance of God, so that what they wrote was preserved from error. In short, we believe the Bible can be trusted.
Yes, there are parts of the Bible that can be interpreted in more than one way. But we believe that the primary message of the Bible is so clear that it can scarcely be missed if read and studied with an open mind.
[Return to list of Questions]
How does Christ Community Church impact its community? Or to put it differently, what are you doing to help people?
First of all, we are committed to helping people grow in their relationship with God. We have discovered that the best way to help people is to explain what Christ has done and can do for them.
In addition to providing Bible Studies that meet Sunday morning, we have small group Bible studies that meet throughout the area. Each week, our bulletin is filled with opportunities to serve Christ, whether it is in teaching, developing leadership skills, making music, or other important areas.
[Return to list of Questions]
If I attended Christ Community Church some Sunday morning, what could I expect?
Our worship service lasts about one hour and fifteen minutes. The elements of the service include singing, Scripture reading, as well as a message from the Bible intended to bring about permanent changes in our lives. We are, in effect, preparing ourselves to represent Christ in the world and eventually live with Him forever.
[Return to list of Questions]
You say that the Bible is clear about its central message? What do you think is the core of its teaching?
The Bible presents both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we are sinners who cannot save ourselves; that is, we cannot change our relationship with God through good deeds, rituals, or even seeking a spiritual existence. When we try to find God through these means, we will never have the assurance that we have found Him! So much for the bad news.
The good news is that Christ, the God-man, bridged the gap between us and God. His death on the cross was a sacrifice for sinners; it made reconciliation with God possible. In other words, God took the initiative to save mankind through an actual historic intervention.
Paul the Apostle put it this way, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians2:8-9).
This "gift of God" is not ours unless we consciously reject any dependence upon ourselves, a belief that we are basically decent, our baptism, or any other ritual. God's holiness is so far removed from our skewed perception of our own goodness that all such efforts to reach Him fail.
We must personally and consciously transfer our trust to Christ alone by faith. He meets God's standard for us. Then we have the assurance that God has accepted us.
[Return to list of Questions]
You say, "We can have the assurance that God has accepted us." How so?
Look at it this way: If heaven were to be earned by my good deeds, church rituals, or some New Age spiritual experience, then I could never be sure that I have been accepted by God. I can't trust myself to live up to my part of the bargain because I mess up.
But if God's acceptance of me is wholly based on Christ, who is presented in the New Testament as the only qualified Savior, then I can be made a permanent member of His family even though I am a sinner. God accepts me because of Christ and in spite of myself.
Some people stumble over the simplicity of this, but we have seen Christ change many people's lives by freeing them from guilt and their own alienation from God. Of course, after we have personally accepted the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection for us, we then begin to grow in faith. That's an exciting lifetime adventure.
[Return to list of Questions]
What must I do to be saved?
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you...." Isaiah 59:2
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...." Isaiah 64:6
"...you were not redeemed with corruptible things...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18-19
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved...." Acts 16:30
[Return to list of Questions] |
