Doctirne & Purpose

LOVELAND BIBLE CHURCH
PURPOSE AND CONSTITUTION

I. A GLIMPSE AT OUR CONFESSION:

As a New Testament Body of Believers, it is our desire to fulfill the highest purpose which God has established for us: To worship and bring glory to God. This Church is formed is to worship both corporately and publicly and to praise, glorify, and give thanks to the Triune Godhead. We desire to minister the word of God to believers, to promote fellowship among the Body of Christ, and to promote evangelism at home, in the community, and the world.

II. THE GOALS OF THIS CHURCH:

A. TO BRAID INTO THE LIVES OF THE LOVELAND BIBLE CHURCH BELIEVERS FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE. We will provide teaching and training that will equip those in our local body to mature in these three key areas. We seek to accomplish this by stressing the importance of . . .

--- Bible knowledge and obedience to the commands of Christ
--- love for one another
--- faith in God
--- hope in the return of Christ
--- evangelism
--- giving
--- service to others
--- fellowship and unity
--- personal and corporate prayer

B. TO BUILD FELLOWSHIP. The support, understanding, and love of those of like faith is critical to being able to live in this world while yet remaining separate from the sinful practices around us. We shall endeavor to provide and promote activities that will afford believers inter-body fellowship.

C. TO NURTURE EVANGELISM. The most important activity and obligation toward the world we live in is to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people. We intend to do this by equipping believers with the tools necessary for the task. Through our tender loving care groups, obligation to the world will be ever before us as we live each day.

D. TO BACK MISSIONS. We will endeavor (as God blesses our fellowship) to support missions both at home and abroad through prayers and money. We will also strive to maintain a proper balance in meeting both the spiritual and physical needs of those in the world around us.

E. TO BELONG TO THE COMMUNITY. Our local fellowship is determined to be good citizens. We are equally committed to demonstrating love and compassion, as did Christ, in very practical ways . . .

--- by encouraging local community involvement.
--- by providing food and clothing to those in need.
--- by seeking out and attempting to meet the needs of
our local community.

F. TO BELIEVE AND PRACTICE GOD’S WORD. Since we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, it is our purpose to draw from the Scriptures the principles that determine our beliefs and practices. Since it is God’s Word, rather than man's word, it is understood that God ultimately directs our Church. Loveland Bible Church is committed to being unhampered by the restrictions and decisions of other churches or denominations. It is our belief that Christ is the head of the Church (Colossians 1:18) and therefore our message, emphasis, and concerns ought to be communicated to us through Christ and His Word.

G. TO BECOME DISCIPLES. Because Loveland Bible Church is a body of believers, it is the mission of this church to make disciples. In keeping with Acts 2:42-46 this Church has three areas of emphasis through which we will seek to disciple and be discipled.

THREE VITAL EXPERIENCES TO BECOMING DISCIPLES

--- Learning experiences with the word of God.

--- Relational experiences with one another and with God.

--- Witnessing experiences with non-Christians.

III. GUIDELINES OF LIFESTYLE.

Often the New Testament exhorts believers to engage in specific activities that would enable the body of Christ to function effectively and to grow spiritually. A unique word is used to describe this mutual and reciprocal process, the Greek word allelon, and is most frequently translated one another.

When all the exhortations are studied carefully and grouped together according to specific meanings, they can be reduced to approximately 12 significant actions Christians are to take toward one another to help build up the body of Christ, and to live a lifestyle that is in harmony with the teaching of the Bible.

· WE ARE TO BE MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER (Romans 12:5).
· WE ARE TO BE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER (Romans 12:10).
· WE ARE TO HONOR ONE ANOTHER (ROMANS 12:10 ).
· WE ARE TO BE OF THE SAME MIND WITH ONE ANOTHER (Romans 15:5).
· WE ARE TO ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER (Romans 15:7).
· WE ARE TO ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER (Romans 15:14).
· WE ARE TO GREET ONE ANOTHER (Romans 16:3-6, 16).
· WE ARE TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER (Romans 5:13).
· WE ARE TO BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS (Galations 5:13).
· WE ARE TO BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 4:2).
· WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 5:21).
· WE ARE TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

A GLOSSARY OF TRUTHS:

The purpose of this doctrinal statement is to express the beliefs of the Elders, Deacons, & Staff of the Loveland Bible Church. This statement serves as a basis for the qualification of Elders, Deacons, department directors, and anyone else serving in a teaching capacity or holding an office in this church.

THE BIBLE

We believe the words of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God, and are without error in the original manuscripts, All scripture is God breathed. . . (2 Timothy 3:16). The exact meaning is unchanged in any important respect in the widely accepted English translations such as the King James Version, New American Standard, and the New International Version. The Bible is authoritative and without error in any category of knowledge, including science and history, and is our supreme and final authority in all matters about which it speaks. We believe that the Bible is to be interpreted in a normal and literal way. This means to consider history, grammar, context, and harmony with other Scripture as guidelines for interpretation. We believe the Holy Spirit guides the believer to understand the Bible ( John 10:35; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13-16; 1 Timothy 5:18; John 16:12-15).

GOD

We believe that God is one . . . the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
He eternally exists in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
(1Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3-4; John 6:27; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 28:19).
We believe that God became flesh in Jesus Christ the Son, The Word became flesh and lived a while among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father , full of grace and truth ( John 1:14). Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is God and man (Matthew 1:18-25; 26:38; Luke 23:46; John 8:40-42; 11:33; Hebrews 1:8; 2:14).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person possessing all the distinctively divine attributes that God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thought of a man except the man’s spirit within him?
In the same way, no one knows the thought of God except the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

The Holy Spirit is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He regenerates, baptizes, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. The Holy Spirit dwells within in his fullness and gives the believer power to live in this world (1 Corinthians 12:11, 13 ; Ephesians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:9).

MAN

We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Because man was created in the image of God he has great value to God. But man sinned and consequently experience not only physical death, but also spiritual death which separates us from God (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God and sinned; The consequences of this sin affects the entire human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and commit acts of sin, including those who reach moral responsibility (Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-23).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-6; 20:12-15;
John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 21:1-8).

THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all humanity as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood (2 Corinthians 5:14). But God showed His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him. (Romans 5:8-9).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus now ministers as a high priest, intercessor, and advocate on our behalf with the Father (Romans 1:4; John 20:25-27; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11).

We believe in the personal, bodily premillenial return of Jesus Christ, and that He shall return in the glory of His Father to set up on the earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace. (Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 20:4-6; Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:2-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

SALVATION

We believe that whoever by faith receives Jesus Christ as Savior becomes a child of God (John 1:12-13). This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit. We believe that upon receiving the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, the believer passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and into fellowship with God.

LIFE AS A CHRISTIAN

We believe that all who have received Jesus Christ by faith will not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. The believer will be transformed and not conformed to this world. All who walk in the will and in the obedience to the Father will grow spiritually, and will mature in the Spirit. Our lives should mature in the spiritual graces that God has provided for us as we live a life surrendered to the Spirit (Romans 5:12-21, 6:1-11, 8:1-17, 12:1-2; Galations 5:22-26).

We believe that all believers will make progressive steps towards spiritual growth after their initial in-filling of the Holy Spirit (Colossian’s 1:28).

We believe that every believer receives grace from God in the form of spiritual ability which will enable her/him to function as a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7).

We believe that the purpose of the Church and the believers who make up the Church is twofold: evangelism and edification (Matthew 28:18-20).

We believe that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each person as He will (1 Corinthians 12:11). From the summary of spiritual gifts that are found in (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) it is clear the following principles are manifest:

The gifts of the Spirit are supernatural endowments for service and are determined by the character of the ministry to be fulfilled by the work of the Church;
(1 Corinthians 12:29-30) makes it clear that there is a diversity of gifts in the Church all members are similarly endowed;
The gifts of the Spirit are exercised in conjunction with, and not apart from, the harmony of the body of Christ.

THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church in its invisible form is universal and is the true Body of Christ (Colossians 1:18). All believers, from The Day of Pentecost until the Church is caught up into heaven, are members of the Universal Church regardless of their organizational affiliation.

We believe in the imminent, pretribulational, return of Christ to receive His own (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

We believe that all members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13).

We believe that the church gathers for practical instruction in the Scriptures, fellowship with God, and other believers, and for a corporate witness to the world.

Our common spiritual goal is to grow toward Christ’s likeness (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:11-18, 4:13-16).

ORDINANCES

We believe that Jesus Christ instituted the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, to be observed by all believers until His return.

We believe that the ordinance of baptism is for everyone who has accepted Christ as Savior. Baptism by water does not bring forgiveness of sin, but rather sets forth in symbol the essential facts of redemption by the death and resurrection of Christ. Baptism also represents the essential facts in the new life of the believer: death to sin and resurrection to the newness of life (Romans 6:4; Acts 8:26-39).

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a privilege accorded to all believers. This is the commemoration of our Lord's death until he comes. As to how often, we believe that there is no clear teaching regarding the frequency of communion, but we do believe that as often as we partake of the Lord's Supper we should do it in remembrance of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).