Doctrinal Statement Part 10

Tonight I am picking up on the second part of my statement regarding the Church.  I have tied it in with my statement about Christ's return.

I have placed these two together on purpose both in my Doctrinal statement and in this post, because it is important to see the Bride of Christ and His return as intimately connected.

To begin with, the Church's existence is temporary.  If I don't live with this reality in mind, I tend to forget what the purpose of the Church is and who it is for.  Christ is going to return one day, but the reality is that He left us here for a time and He desires us to pursue the Kingdom here and now in part until He brings it to full upon His return.  When He returns, the Church will no longer exist.  It will be replaced by the Kingdom.

What is important about the Lord's Supper and Baptism - is that they are two ordinances which He gave to us to mark the occassion of the Church now, and the hope of what it will be replaced with.    Now we exist in imperfect fellowship, sealed by the Spirit, made possible by His sacrifice. Then we will have perfect fellowship made possible by His actual presence and reign.

He is coming back.  We will live eternally.  It will be a life of fulfillment we can't even imagine at this point.  We celebrate the partial reality of it now.  We celebrate the hope (the actuality, the promise, the imminence) of its fulfillment which is closer everyday.  This is the mystery of the already and not yet.  No where else in the world can we experience such a phenomenon except when gathered together with the truly redeemed.  We need Church.  Church needs us.  The Savior is returning for His Bride, who watches diligently and passionately, and celebrates it through the ordinances.

I want people/my children to know why we celebrate the Lords Supper, why we celebrate (not just perform) baptism, and that Heaven is not some etherial other thing akin to fairy tale kingdoms.

With you for His glory




Baptism and the Lord's Supper
I believe that the Lord Jesus instituted the ordinances of baptism 
and the Lord's Supper to be observed by all believers until 
His return.
(Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26)

9. The Second Coming of Christ
 I believe in the personal 
imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His own, the 
Church.
(Zechariah 14:4-11; I Thessalonians 1:9-10, 4:13-18; 
Revelation 20:6)