God established three foundational institutions on this earth: the family unit, civil government, and the group of Bible believers that He calls “the church.” Each group has a design, and is no less important than the other. Our focus in this lesson is on the local church which has been commissioned by God to carry out His commands of reaching the lost, and maturing the saved. Therefore, God's plan for a Christian's life will always be connected with a local body of believers called the church. The purpose of this lesson is to show the disciple the role which their church will play in their everyday life.
A church is a group of people who faithfully assemble (that means every week) because they are saved, baptized, and purposed in their hearts to fulfil “all that Christ commanded” them to do in the Bible (Mt 28:19,20).
So,
What is a Baptist Church?
A
Baptist Church is a group of believers that were first branded with the name
“ana-baptists”
(which means re-baptizers) because they always required people who got
saved to get re-baptized, and to come out of the catholic church or any church
that did not follow the Bible. The Baptists down through history were tortured
and burnt at the stake by the tens of thousands during the dark ages – all
because they would not submit to a pope or king who required people to either
worship himself, or follow an unbiblical belief. Please realise that what we
take for granted as freedoms today, were totally against the law just a few
hundred years ago – like the right to own a Bible; the right of free assembly;
and the right of disagreement with the government.
Baptists
are politically and monetarily independent (free) from any other church
organization or government. They raise their own money from among themselves,
and spend it locally, or else send it missionaries so they can take the Gospel
freely to peoples the world over.
All
Bible-believing and practicing churches are ‘baptistic’ even if they don’t
have the name “Baptist,” but they ought not be ashamed of the name.
·
The purpose of Christ starting His New Testament Church - the
local church. Jesus created His church (the people that are followers of His) to
be His bodily replacement on earth while He is gone. We do a very poor job of it
to be sure, but it is our calling to direct people to a personal surrender to
God the Father. There is no other greater duty of man than to surrender to God
at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ! Once surrendered, the Saviour washes
away our sins, and gives us a brand new life in Him – all by child-like faith
in His death, burial, and triumphant resurrection!
·
The importance of doctrinal purity. The reason there are so many
cults, and wide ranges of “faith” today is because very few churches cared
about following Jesus – they are more worried about what others will think if
they really obeyed the Lord by their lives – so the variations continue. And
they all end in confusion. God is not the author of confusion. His Bible is
perfect, and clear. Any confusion is ultimately because of our refusal to accept
that God is right.
·
The importance of believers uniting together in local churches.
·
The Baptist kind of Church
Click here for Other Churches in Ireland of Like Faith