WHO IS JESUS? WHY DO I NEED HIM?
The Bible is really just one story — the story of God and His love for His people. Because we are all sinners, we are separated from God who is perfect and Holy. Therefore, God sent His son, Jesus, to die for our sins. To be restored in our relationship with God, we must admit our sins and ask God's forgiveness through Jesus. Without Jesus, we are eternally separated from God. It's that simple —your relationship with Jesus is the most important one in your life.
GOD IS HOLY
God has always existed, even before time began (Psalm 90:2). He is the creator of everything (Genesis 1). Among all creation, man has a unique place because God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). He has a special love for us, His special creation. God’s character is flawless. He is holy-perfect in every way. Because of His holiness, He is also a God of justice. He alone will judge injustice and wrongs. God sees the hearts and minds of all men; no one can hide from God (Psalm 139:1-4)
MAN IS SINFUL
God does not force us to love Him. From the very beginning, God gave His people free will. We can choose Him or we can choose to live without Him. And from the very beginning with Adam and Eve, His people have sinned (Genesis 3).The Bible is clear - we are all sinners. We all fall short of God's glory (Romans3:23). The "righteousness" of man is like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6).Because of sin, we live in a difficult world. Our world is full of decay, destruction and death (2 Timothy 3:1-5). This is not the world God intended, and it is not what He wants for the people He loves.
JESUS PAID THE PRICE
Jesus is the divine Son of God and also God Himself (Mark 1:1). Because He is God, He has always existed (Colossians 1:16). In His mercy, Jesus humbled Himself by coming to the earth in human form. While on earth, He was both fully God and fully man. He grew up in a Jewish home, had hunger and thirst, enjoyed time with friends, and felt pain and suffering. The purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth was to make an eternal payment(atonement) for our sins (1Corinthians 15:3-4). He was and is holy and sinless. Jesus did not deserve to die on the cross- He chose to die on the cross because of His love for His people (John 10:17-18). Through His death and resurrection, our relationship with God can be restored. That is, we can be saved from the consequences of sin (salvation). The gift of salvation is available to everyone. This is the “Good News” of the Bible! Whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life with God in heaven (John 3:16). On the third day after His death, Jesus rose into heaven and is seated at the righthand of God the Father (Mark 16:19). He has prepared a place in heaven for those who believe in Him(John 14:1-3)
RECEIVING SALVATION
Salvation requires us to humble ourselves before God by admitting our sinfulness. There is no good in us apart from God. We must put our faith and trust in Jesus in order to be saved from the consequences of our sin. In this way, we become Christians — followers of Christ. Salvation is both simple and profound. When we are saved, we are made holy in God's eyes (justification). Our place in heaven in secured in the moment we are saved. Our past, present and future sins are completely forgiven. Although the consequences of our sin have been removed through Jesus' death on the cross, we will still struggle with sin as long as we are on earth. God continues to work in us through His Holy Spirit to transform our mind, will, behaviors and affections (sanctification). One of the marks of a Christian is the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These attributes are not necessary for our salvation; they are a result of our salvation.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. -ROMANS 10:9
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE
As a church, we are committed to the centrality of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of how God’s grace has invaded the darkness of the world through the power of Christ. It is the answer to the bad news that all mankind has rebelled against God and is condemned to eternal death. God’s answer to our rebellion is seen in Jesus, who died in the place of sinners and then rose from the dead-conquering sin and death. Through faith in Jesus, people can receive God’s forgiveness and newness of life. More still, part of this good news is the promise that Jesus will return to make all things new, and all who follow Jesus will be raised to everlasting life with Him. The gospel isn’t just good news; it’s the most important reality in the universe. That’s why we want everything that takes place in our hearts and across our church to proceed from the gospel.
BASIC BELIEFS
These basic doctrines represent what we believe to be core elements of biblical teaching.
GOD
We believe in one God eternally existing as one essence and three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each of whom is fully God, yet there is one God.
SCRIPTURE
The Bible is the Word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is infallible, inerrant, and our supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. All Scripture is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
CREATION AND PROVIDENCE
God created the world from nothing, and his creative work is the overflow of the love present within the Trinitarian fellowship. As creator, he knows all things, preserves all things, and governs all things at all times in all places as part of His good and wise plan.
MAN
God created humanity in his own image, and because of this every person—regardless of culture, ethnicity, developmental stage, mental capacity, or any other factor—has equal and intrinsic dignity and worth.
SINS
Sin has fractured all things. It has left the world broken and in need of restoration. It has corrupted man’s nature and made him wholly opposed to God and in desperate need of salvation.
SALVATION
Salvation is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Anyone who turns away from their sin, pledging allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is declared righteous by God and receives the gift of everlasting life through the atoning death and resurrection life of Christ.
THE CHURCH
We believe in the universal church as the Body of Christ, composed of all there deemed of all the ages. We believe in the local church, consisting of a local family of believers, associated by covenant in the faith, seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.
THE KINGDOM AND THE WORLD TO COME
Jesus Christ will return personally, physically, visibly, and suddenly in power and great glory at the end of the age, and he will raise the dead, judge the nations, and establish his eternal kingdom in the new heavens and new earth.
Sacraments of Baptism and Communion
We partake of the two primary sacraments that Jesus left us. Baptism, for the public acknowledgement of Christ’s atonement for our sins, and Communion, to regularly remember what he did for us on the cross.
Baptism by Immersion
We believe baptism follows conversion by immersion into water. Baptism itself isa visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection, signifying that a former way of life has been put to death and depicting release from the mastery of Satan, sin and death. As a church, we only admit to membership and to the Lord’s Supper those who have professed their faith by pledging allegiance to Christ through baptism.
DISTINCTIVES
These areas reflect what might uniquely distinguish Cross Creek Cowboy Church theologically or practically from other churches who would affirm the basic doctrines of Christianity.
Christ-Centered Expositional Preaching
We gather in corporate worship primarily to be fed from God’s word. On top of that we believe the Bible is first and foremost a story about Jesus Christ. That’s why in our weekly gatherings we are committed to expositional preaching—explaining what God has said in his Word, verse by verse. And in that process, we are committed to interpreting the entire Bible and our own lives in light of Jesus Christ and his promised Kingdom.
Pastor-Led Congregationalism
We believe Jesus ordained two offices in the church— pastors, who are servant leaders, and deacons, who are leading servants—and placed formal authority for leadership in the church in (1) the pastors of the church, who teach and lead as the primary authority, and (2) in the entire congregation covenanting together who act as the final authority. Thus, we are ruled by Christ, led by our pastors, and accountable to our congregation.
God's Design for Man and Woman
We believe men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity, and value and are complementary by divine design. Both men and women are expected to lead in the church; however, Scripture has reserved the office of pastor for Scripturally-qualified men. In all, men and women both are visible partners in the life of the church—deploying their diverse gifts for the good of the body as equal and complementary partners.
Cultural Implications of the Gospel
We are committed to living out the implications of the gospel in everyday life. This includes defending innocent life and opposing the evil of abortion, unashamedly affirming and modeling a Christian sexual ethic, compassionately caring for the poor, opposing any form of racism, abuse, or other evil. In opposing unrighteous- ness, we hope to bear witness to the beauty of the gospel and its relevance to all of life.
WHY JOIN A CHURCH?
Jesus established the church to be a public, earthly institution that would affirm and oversee those who believe in Him (Matt. 16:18-19,18:15-20). As a church body, we display the Good News about Jesus to our community and beyond.
Church membership is a visible commitment to God and His people.
By joining, you are professing your love for God and fellow believers. God made us to live in community - to encourage, rebuke, correct and serve one another in love. We are better together because that's how God designed us!
Church membership brings us under the spiritual authority of church leaders.
Scripture repeatedly commands Christians to submit to their leaders (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). The pastor and elders are, in turn, to faithfully lead their flock. To obey this command, it is necessary for us to publicly commit to being members of the flock by joining a local church.
Church membership allows you to play your role in the body of Christ.
Did you know that you are uniquely gifted? Each member of the body of Christ has gifts that are meant to be fully utilized in service to God and His people (Romans 12:4-8). When all parts of the body are serving as they are called, the entire body benefits and God is glorified
(1 Peter 4:10-11).