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Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Our Mission – 5 – Tenets of Faith

Our Mission – 5 – Tenets of Faith
Subject – Statement of Fundamental Truths of the A/G
by Rick Welborne
--Two weeks ago we shared with you our Distinctive as a church…
1. Our First Distinctive: We should be passionate about the lost.
2. Our Second Distinctive: Home and world missions.
3. Our Third Distinctive: Being filled with the Holy Spirit.
4. Fourth Distinctive - Generous giving.
5. Fifth Distinctive: Worship.

--Last week we started looking at our Sixteen Fundamental Truths or the Tenets of Faith…we looked at the first four.

1. The Scriptures Inspired

2. The One True God

3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

A. He was born of a virgin.

B. He lived a sinless life.

C. He worked miracles.

D. His substitutionary work on the cross.

E. His bodily resurrection from the dead. 

F. His exaltation to the right hand of God.

4. The Fall of Man

--Today we will continue these Tenets of Faith.

5. The Salvation of Man

--I think we all know this but let’s establish this from the beginning: Our only hope is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)
46  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47  and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

A. The Conditions of Salvation – Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:3 (NKJV)
3  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Romans 10:13-15 (NKJV)
13  For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
14  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" 

--By the washing of regeneration (being born again) and renewing of Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9  not of works, lest anyone should boast.

--Some of you think…if I do something bad that now I have to do two or three good things to tip the scales the other way. It is miserable living your Christian life on a merit system. It is by grace you are saved.

Titus 2:11-15 (NLT2)
11  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
12  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
13  while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
14  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
15  You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say. 

B. The Evidence of Salvation – The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
16  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

--The outward evidence of salvation to all men is a life if righteousness and true holiness. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
11  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

6. The Ordinances of the Church 

A. Baptism in Water – The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. 

Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mark 16:16 (NIV)
16  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

--Because of this we declare to the world we have died with Christ and we have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Under the water – death. Coming out of the water – a new life.

Romans 6:4 (NKJV)
4  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

B. Holy Communion – This is what we call the Lord’s Supper, consisting of the bread and the juice. These are the symbols expressing our sharing of the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT2)
3  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
4  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 

--Holy Communion is also to be a memorial of His suffering and death and a prophecy of His second coming.

1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT2)
26  For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 

7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

--Every believer is entitled to and should earnestly seek the Promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Luke 24:49 (NKJV)
49  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." 

--Catch this, this was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With this power comes enduing of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their work of the ministry. 1 Cor. 12:1-31

Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
4  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
5  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7  And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--This is so important…This experience is distinct from and following the experience of the new birth. 

Acts 19:1-6 (NKJV)
1  And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2  he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
3  And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
4  Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6  And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 

--Along with the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit. 

Acts 4:8 (NKJV)
8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

--Holy Spirit also gives us a deepened reverence for God, an intensified consecration to Him, and dedication to His work. 

Hebrews 12:28-29 (NKJV)
28  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Acts 2:42-43 (NKJV)
42  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.


Mark 16:20 (NKJV)
20  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen

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