Why are we called First Baptist Church? What is a church? What is a Baptist? Why is it First Baptist Church?
First and foremost we are a church. But what is a church according to the Bible?
The New Testament describes what a church is and what it does. It should be noted first of all that the goal of any church should be to please God, not man. It is far more important to bring glory to God than to man. The question for a church is not, “What do people want,” but rather, “What does God look for in a church?” What will please Him? God looks for:
The Clear, Accurate Teaching of the Bible
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. . .” (Acts 2:42).
Pastors are commanded to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13).
God looks for a church that is serious about Christian education and keeps the teaching of the Bible as the centerpiece of every service.
A God-Centered Focus in Worship
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17).
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
God looks for a church that is not designed to entertain the worshipers, but is intent on making God known and pleasing Him in every way.
An Authentic Sense of Community
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7).
God looks for a church where the members show their love for one another through their involvement in each other’s lives.
Ministry Shared by Each Member
“It was he who gave some to be . . .pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
God looks for a church that equips, encourages, and expects its members to get involved in the work of the ministry.
A Passion to Share the Good News of Christ
“Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
God looks for a church that eagerly proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ.
Ministry Structure Shaped by Truth
“Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).
God looks for a church that does not base its practice on tradition, but on the Word of God. He looks for a church that can explain its philosophy of ministry from the Bible and can show how everything they do is designed to be consistent with that philosophy.
Numerous churches call themselves Baptist and many of them are not alike. There are Missionary Baptists, Free Will Baptists, Southern Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Independent Baptists, etc. We are an independent Baptist church (self-governing and independent of a church hierarchy). But that does not explain what we believe. It is actually difficult to know just what a church believes any more merely by the name Baptist. Historically, however, the name Baptist has stood for a firm belief in the Word of God. The distinctives of the name Baptist and what we believe can be given by a simple acrostic using the name Baptists:
Biblical Authority
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (1 Timothy 3:16-17).
We believe that the Bible is the only authority for our faith and practice. We do not base our beliefs or our actions on tradition, church dogma, or human reasoning. We strive to base both faith and practice on the Scriptures alone.
Autonomy of the Local Church
“. . .you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
Priesthood of All Believers
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:5-6).
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrew 4:15-16).
We believe that every believer may pray without a human intercessor directly to God through Jesus Christ the High Priest.
Two Ordinances
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:41-42).
We believe that the church has been given two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (also called Communion). These are called ordinances simply because the Lord ordained or appointed them. They are not sacraments because this would mean that grace is somehow given to those who participate in them. God commands them but does not bestow any extra favor on those who practice them. These ordinances have been given to the local church to practice.
Scriptural baptism always follows a commitment to Christ and is simply a symbolic act. Baptism symbolizes what has already taken place in one’s heart—forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice. Scriptural baptism is only by immersion and pictures the cleansing that takes place in salvation; the fact that Christ died, was buried, and rose again; and the fact that a believer is a new creation in Christ. Baptism does not save those who are baptized.
The original Lord’s Supper took place on the night Christ was betrayed and just before He was crucified. He told the disciples (and us) to partake of the bread and juice regularly and in remembrance of Him. The bread and juice symbolize Christ’s body and blood, which were sacrificed for us on the cross. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial service which causes us to do some self-examination when we consider all that Christ gave for us. The Lord’s Supper does not save those who partake.
Individual Soul Liberty
“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him” (1 John 2:27).
Saved Church Membership
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. . . . And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42, 47).
We believe that membership of a church consists of only those who have openly confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have demonstrated a willingness to obey the teachings of the Bible and agree to the doctrine and standards of the local church.
Two Officers
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons” (Philippians 1:1).
We believe there are only two biblical offices in the church: pastors (also called overseers, elders, and shepherds) and deacons. The congregation chooses both. Their qualifications are given in 1 Timothy 3. The pastor leads, sets the agenda for ministry, and is responsible to clearly teach the truths of God’s Word. The deacons are men who serve in such a way as to allow the pastors to be devoted to prayer and the ministry of God’s Word.
Separation
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2).
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ ‘Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1).
We believe that individual Christians are to be separated from sin and worldliness in their lifestyles, both in word and deed. We also believe that local churches are to keep separate from those who advocate, teach, or practice unbiblical doctrine. The church is not to participate with those who wrongly interpret the Scriptures, nor is it to join hands with non-religious (secular) organizations for any reasons. Furthermore, we believe that the church is to be separate from civil government. Every believer should respect and obey civil authority so long as it does not cause them to violate the Scriptures. There should be no union of church and state, but the state should protect, not interfere with, the affairs of the church.
While we hold to many other doctrinal beliefs, these are the primary doctrines that are distinctively Baptist.
The early membership of the church named it First Baptist Church of Gibraltar, Michigan, apparently because it was the first one here. We can never forget however, that our first priorities are Jesus Christ and His Word.