Our Purpose
At Community Bible Church exalting Jesus Christ is at the center of all we do. This is accomplished through the proclamation of God’s matchless Word, by evangelizing the world, by equipping the saints through discipleship, and by worshiping God in a manner that He rightfully deserves.
The driving goal at CBC is to proclaim the “whole counsel of God” through the dedication of the faithful exposition of God’s grace and truth found in the Bible.
We believe the Christian is called to glorify and enjoy God forever, and this is accomplished through our worship of Him, by our obedience to Him, and in our proclamation for Him. We dedicate ourselves, as a body of believers in Jesus Christ, to be adequately prepared to do the works of the ministry which is to evangelize our lost and dying world with the Gospel of Grace and to build up, encourage, and love one another. We believe that Community Bible Church exists for the glory of God!
The Core Values of Community Bible Church
A High View of Scripture
We are committed to a high view of God and the authority, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture. We teach that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man and thus the 66 books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God. The only solutions to spiritual problems are found in the Scriptures. There is no other way to reach the lost and build up the brethren.
Imparting God's Truth Through Expository Preaching
The imparting of Biblical Truth and the commitment to teach God’s Word are central to the verse-by-verse approach of expository preaching. Where many today advertise their church is seeking to be more relevant, an expositional approach to teaching and preaching assumes that the Bible is relevant to all people all of the time. We are dedicated to the verse-by-verse exposition of the Scriptures to train and equip the body of Christ and to reach those in St. Augustine and the outlying communities with the Gospel of Grace.
Biblical Theology
Paul charges Titus to “teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Our concern should be not only with how we are taught but with what we are taught. Biblical theology is a commitment to know the God of the Bible as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.
Biblical Understanding of the Good News
The gospel is the heart of Christianity. But the good news is not that God wants to meet people’s felt needs or help them develop a healthier self-image. We have sinfully rebelled against our Creator and Judge. Yet He has graciously sent His Son to die the death we deserved for our sin and He has credited Christ’s acquittal to those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus’ death and
resurrection. That is good news.
Biblical Understanding of Conversion
The spiritual change each person needs is so radical, so near the root of us, that only God can do it. We need God to convert us. Conversion need not be an emotionally-heated experience but it must evidence itself in godly fruit if it is to be what the Bible regards as a true conversion.
Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
How someone shares the gospel is closely related to how he understands the gospel. To present it as an additivie that gives non-Christians something they naturally want (i.e. joy or peace) is to present a half-truth., which elicits false conversions. The whole truth is that our deepest need is spiritual life and that new life only comes by repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus. We present the gospel openly and leave the converting to God.
Biblical Understanding of Membership
Membership should reflect a living commitment to a local church in attendance, giving, prayer, and service. Otherwise, it is meaningless, worthless, and even dangerous. We should not allow people to keep their membership in our churches for sentimental reasons or lack of attention. To be a member is to knowingly be traveling together as aliens and strangers in this world as we head to our heavenly home.
Biblical Church Discipline
Church discipline gives parameters to church membership. The idea seems negative to people today – “Didn’t our Lord forbid judging?” But if we cannot say how a Christian should not live, how can we say how he or she should live? Each local church has a biblical responsibility to judge the life and teaching of its leaders and even of its members; particularly insofar as either could compromise the church’s witness to the gospel.
Promotion of Church Discipleship and Growth
A pervasive concern with church growth exists today – not simply with growing numbers but with growing members. Though many Christians measure other things, the only certain observable sign of growth is a life of increasing holiness, rooted in Christian self-denial. These concepts are nearly extinct in the modern church. Recovering true discipleship for today would build the church and promote a clearer witness to the world.
Biblical Understanding of Leadership
Our goal is to ensure the proper shepherding of God’s church. The Pastor and leaders at Community Bible Church are striving to follow the great example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
Leaders must understand the importance of modeling character and diligence before the flock and realize the crucial need for greater personal exposure to God’s Word. As leaders, we commit to follow the challenging admonition, “Brothers, you are not professionals. You are the off scouring of the world, of which the world is not worthy. Rise up and be tough prophets and tender shepherds with broken-hearted joy in the all-providing Christ.”
Our Doctrinal Distinctives
The Holy Scriptures
We teach that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man, and thus the 66 books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God (1 Cor. 2:7 –14; 2 Pet. 1:20,21).
God
We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deut. 6:4 ; Is. 45:5–7; 1 Cor. 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19 ; 2 Cor. 13:14)—each equally deserving worship and obedience.
God the Father
We teach that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Ps. 145:8,9; 1 Cor. 8:6). He is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1–31; Eph. 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Ps. 103:19; Rom. 11:36).
God the Son
We teach that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies, and in these He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30;14:9).
We teach that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness (Mic. 5:2; John 5:23;14:9,10; Col. 2:9).
We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23,25; Luke 1:26 – 35); that He was God incarnate (John 1:1,14); and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God, redeem men, and rule over God’s kingdom (Ps. 2:7–9; Is. 9:6; John 1:29; Phil. 2:9 –11; Heb. 7:25,26; 1 Pet. 1:18,19).
We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and that His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (John 10:15; Rom. 3:24,25;5:8; 1 Pet. 2:24).
God the Holy Spirit
We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, eternal, underived, possessing all the attributes of personality and deity. In all the divine attributes He is coequal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son (Matt. 28:19 ; Acts 5:3,4;28:25,26; 1 Cor. 12:4 –6; 2 Cor. 13:14; and Jer. 31:31 – 34 with Heb. 10:15 –17).
Man
We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Gen. 2:7,15–25; James 3:9).
We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence; incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to the wrath of God; and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man’s salvation is thereby wholly of God’s grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gen. 2:16,17; 3:1–19; John 3:36 ; Rom. 3:23;6:23; 1 Cor. 2:14 ; Eph. 2:1 –3; 1 Tim. 2:13,14 ; 1 John 1:8).
Salvation
We teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (John 1:12 ; Eph. 1:4 –7; 2:8–10; 1 Pet. 1:18,19).
Sanctification
We teach that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. We teach that there is also by the work of the Holy Spirit a progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the likeness of Christ through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Security
We teach that all the redeemed once saved are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24;6:37–40;10:27–30; Rom. 5:9,10;8:1,31–39; 1 Cor. 1:4 –9; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 7:25;13:5; 1 Pet. 1:4,5; Jude 24).
We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an excuse for sinful living and carnality (Rom. 6:15 – 22;13:13,14; Gal. 5:13,16,17,25,26; Titus 2:11 – 14).
Last Things (Eschatology)
Death
We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (John 6:39; Rom. 8:10,11,19–23; 2 Cor. 4:14), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Dan. 12:2; John 5:29; Rev. 20:13 –15).
We teach that the souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Luke 16:19 –26; Rev. 20:13 –15), when the soul and the resurrection body will be united (John 5:28 , 29). They shall then appear at the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11 –15) and shall be cast into hell, the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41 –46), cut off from the life of God forever (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:41 –46; 2 Thess. 1:7–9).
The Rapture of the Church
We teach the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1–3; 1 Cor. 15:51–53; 1 Thess. 4:15–5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11–15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
We teach that after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11;2:29,30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1–7).
We teach that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Is. 65:17–25; Ezek. 37:21–28; Zech. 8:1–17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15–68).
We teach that this time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33–38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
Eternity
We teach that after the closing of the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7–15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22).
If you still have questions about what we believe, please feel free to contact us!