What We Practice
Beliefs
are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. Based on
what the Bible teaches, we feel very strongly about the following seven
practices:
Bible As Our Sole Authority
“The
whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to
teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it
straightens us out and helps us to do what is right.” 2 Tim. 3:15
Since
God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we
accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced
with a decision is “What does the Bible say?” We practice daily Bible
reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for
all we believe.
Autonomy of Each Local Church
“Christ is the head of His Body, the church. He is the source of the Body’s life…” Col. 1:18 (GN)
Christ
is the recognized head of our church, not any person, group, or
religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and
cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local
church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational
control. In relating to our “daughter churches” that we sponsor, we
encourage each congregation to determine it’s own strategy, structure,
and style.
Priesthood of Every Believer
“Christ
loves us, and by His death He has freed us from our sins and made us a
kingdom of priests to serve God…” Rev. 1:6 (GN) “You are…the King’s
priests…God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God.”
1 Pet. 2:9 (GN)
The Bible teaches that every Christian is called
to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We
practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging
every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has
direct access to God through prayer Bible reading.
Tithing
“A tithe of everything you produce belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Lev. 26:30
At
Messiah we encourage our members to practice tithing for the support of
Christ’s body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving
10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.
If you wait until you are “perfect”, you’ll never feel “good enough”!
The Lord’s Supper
Jesus
never asked His disciples to remember His birth. But He did instruct
them to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the church two
visible symbols (called “sacraments”) as reminders of His death. These
two sacraments are: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.
What Is The
Lord’s Supper? (1 Cor. 11:23-26) Jesus gives his true body with the
bread and his true blood with the wine for the forgiveness of our sins
and the strengthening of our faith in Him.
“The Lord Jesus, on
the night He was betrayed, took bread…” (vs. 23) “…and when He had given
thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; eat
it in remembrance of me.’” (vs. 24)
“In the same way, He took
the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; drink it to
remember me.’” (vs. 25) “For whenever you eat the bread and drink the
cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes back.” (vs. 26)
Who Should Take The Lord’s Supper?
Only
those who are already believers in Christ as their Savior and who
believe His promise to give His body and blood in this sacrament for the
forgiveness of their sins.
“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” 1 Cor. 11:29
Therefore
whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of sinning “against the body and blood of the
Lord. A person ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and
drinks of the cup.” 1 Cor. 11:27-28
Baptism
“For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ…” Col. 2:12 (GN)
We
practice baptism by sprinkling, but any form of application, including
immersion under water — the way Jesus was baptized, and the Word is
acceptable.
Spirit-led Living
(Jesus
said), “I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in
you, you will bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
We believe the only way possible to live the Christian
life is by God’s power within us. So we seek to practice a daily
dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right. (Phil.
2:13, Eph. 5:18)
Telling Others About Christ
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15
It
is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with
those with whom God brings us into contact. We practice personal sharing
about Christ and inviting friends to church.
