“The Lord hath done great things for us: whereof we are glad.” Psalm 126:3
praying hands   Bible
 
Our Beliefs - Position Statements
   
     

The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts
God says

Rom 12:4-8 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Eph 4:7-12 “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

1 Cor 13:8-10 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”


1 Cor 12:4-11, John 15:7, 1 John 5:14-15 

Therefore we believe:
God is sovereign in the bestowal of all His gifts, and that the gifts to the church of evangelist, pastor teacher is sufficient for the perfection of the saints today; that  speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament scriptures were completed and their authority became established.  Additionally, every Christian is given at least one spiritual gift through divine enablement by God to edify the body of Christ.  God does hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will.

Separation
God says

2 Cor 6:14-17, 7:1 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

2 John 9-11 “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

2 Thess 3:14 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.”

Rom 1:1, 2 Corinthians 7:1 1 John 2:15-17, Titus 2:11-15, James 4:4 Titus 3:10, Rom 16:17

Therefore, we believe:
A Christian is separated to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and should walk free of all known sin and worldly activities in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon his Saviour and Lord.  A Christian should obey the command of Scripture to “come out from among them” and be separate from religious apostates and to such doctrinal principles held dear to this Church while maintaining a separated position.

Satan
God says

Isaiah 14:12-17 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”

Ezekiel 28:13-15 “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”

Matt 4:2-11, Rev 20:10, Rev 21:8

Therefore we believe:
That Satan is an actual created being, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.

Coming Events
God says

1 Thess 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Rev 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Zech 14:4-11,  Rev 20:1-6, 1 Thess 1:10,  1 Thess 5:9,  Rev 3:10

Therefore we believe:
God’s word tells us of the Blessed Hope, the personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and His subsequent return to the earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom

The Church
God says

1 Cor 12:12-14 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”

1 Tim 3:1-13 “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Eph 1:22-23, Eph 5: 22-27, 2 Cor 11:2, 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Col 1:8, Matt 28:18, 1 Cor 6:1-3,
1 Corinthians 5:11-13, Matt 18:15-22

Therefore we believe:
The Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born again persons of this present age.  The local church has the right of self-government recognizing no authority over it but Christ and His Word and is free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations.  The congregation is to be organized and have qualified leaders to fill the roles of the scripturally designated officers of pastor (elders or bishop) and deacons.  In the matter of policy, government, discipline, and love, the will of this local church is final.

Ordinances
God says

1 Cor 11:17-34  “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.”

Matt 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Acts 8:36-39, Acts 10:47-48, 1 Cor 1:14-17, Romans 6:1-5, Acts 2:38-41, 1 Peter 3:20-21, Gal 3:27

Therefore we believe:
Two ordinances are recognized in this church of this age, The Lords’ Supper and Water baptism.  They are not  to be regarded, however, as a means of salvation, nor as means of grace by which special merit is obtained.  The Lord’s Supper shall be observed as often as the Pastor shall decide.  All who have accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior and are walking in fellowship with the Lord shall be welcome to join in this service, unless they are under the discipline of the Church.  Water Baptism, when administered by this Church, shall be by immersion at the request of those who have personally acknowledged Jesus Christ as Savior.

Missions
God says

Matt 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”


Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Luke 24:47-49 , John 20:21, Acts 1:8 Acts 26:17-18, 2 Cor 5:19-20

Therefore we believe:
The Saved are obligated to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind, whether at home or abroad, by their service, prayers and gifts.

Civil Government
God says

Rom 13:1-7 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”


Acts 23:5 “Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.”

Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Matt 22:21 “They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”


Titus 3:1 “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.”


2 Sam 23:3, Exod 18:21-22, Acts 4:19-20 Matt 10:28 Matt 23:10 1 Pet 2:13-14, 1 Pet 2:17 Dan 3:18 Phil 2:10-11, Psalm 72:11

Therefore we believe:
Civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the written, revealed will of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.

 

     
     
   
     
   
       
Village Chapel Baptist Church
15 Twin Bridge Road
Weare, NH 03281
Church (603) 529-6788
vcbc@gsinet.net
 
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