Core Beliefs
Homedale Calvary Fellowship
Statement Of Faith, Character, Belief and Ordinance
1. We believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8 and 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3).
2. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which this church operates and is the basis for which this church is governed. The New King James Version will be the literal Bible translation to be used to interpret any issue related to doctrine and our Statement of Faith. (Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:3-4 and 1:21).
3. We believe in the person of God the Father, an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2; Psalms 102:27; John 3:16 and 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3).
4. We believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2, 8:58 and 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8).
5. We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, Who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ; (Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 16:8-11; Romans 8:26 and 15:13,16; Hebrews 9:14),
6. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 6:13, 14:16-17 and 16:8-11; Romans 8:26).
7. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all Biblical gifts of the Spirit according to the instructions given to us in 1 Corinthians 12-14. (1 Corinthians 14)
8. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God saves and regenerates based upon faith by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. (Acts 8:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-3 and 8-9; Romans 3:23 and 5:8; Titus 3:5).
9. We believe in the universal church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all who are born again are a part of the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16)
10. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for the church: (a) full immersion water baptism of believers, and (b) the Lord's Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) We also believe that the Lord Jesus Christ validated the ordinance of marriage. (Matthew 19:4-5 and John 2:1-11)
11. We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ which is His personal, visible return to earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15)
12. We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, while those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord. (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 5:22, 18:9 and 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11 and 20:11-15)
13. We believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church where all believers will meet the Lord in the air and be taken out of this world prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth. (Isaiah 26:20; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:36; Romans 1:18, 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-16 and 5:9; 2 Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 3:10, 5:7-10 and 7:13-14)
14. Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality
We believe in the biblical account of creation and God as the Creator. We believe that God creates each man and woman and that He created them with the immutable and unchangeable nature of male and female to reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological and God given sex is sin and is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God. Accordingly, this ministry will not perform any marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex. It will not condone or recognize such same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships even if laws are passed that provide for recognition of such unions.
We believe that the term “marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4).
We believe that any form of sexual immorality is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10): and that legitimate biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography and efforts to alter one’s physical gender or gender related appearance are incompatible with a true biblical witness. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11)
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Homedale Calvary Fellowship as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to our Homedale Calvary Fellowship congregants and community, it is imperative that members of the Board Trustees, all persons employed by Homedale Calvary Fellowship in any capacity, or those who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. (Matt. 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22)
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11)
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the beliefs and doctrines of Homedale Calvary Fellowship. However, our compassion for a person struggling with sin should not be mistaken for approval of such sin.
Statement of Authority
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Homedale Calvary Fellowship’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline, our Senior Pastor and Board of Trustees are Homedale Calvary Fellowship’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application, and the New Kings James Version of the Bible will serve as the baseline for this interpretation.
Statement Of Faith, Character, Belief and Ordinance
1. We believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8 and 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3).
2. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which this church operates and is the basis for which this church is governed. The New King James Version will be the literal Bible translation to be used to interpret any issue related to doctrine and our Statement of Faith. (Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:3-4 and 1:21).
3. We believe in the person of God the Father, an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2; Psalms 102:27; John 3:16 and 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3).
4. We believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2, 8:58 and 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8).
5. We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, Who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ; (Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 16:8-11; Romans 8:26 and 15:13,16; Hebrews 9:14),
6. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 6:13, 14:16-17 and 16:8-11; Romans 8:26).
7. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all Biblical gifts of the Spirit according to the instructions given to us in 1 Corinthians 12-14. (1 Corinthians 14)
8. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God saves and regenerates based upon faith by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. (Acts 8:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-3 and 8-9; Romans 3:23 and 5:8; Titus 3:5).
9. We believe in the universal church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all who are born again are a part of the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16)
10. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for the church: (a) full immersion water baptism of believers, and (b) the Lord's Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) We also believe that the Lord Jesus Christ validated the ordinance of marriage. (Matthew 19:4-5 and John 2:1-11)
11. We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ which is His personal, visible return to earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15)
12. We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, while those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord. (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 5:22, 18:9 and 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11 and 20:11-15)
13. We believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church where all believers will meet the Lord in the air and be taken out of this world prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth. (Isaiah 26:20; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:36; Romans 1:18, 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-16 and 5:9; 2 Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 3:10, 5:7-10 and 7:13-14)
14. Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality
We believe in the biblical account of creation and God as the Creator. We believe that God creates each man and woman and that He created them with the immutable and unchangeable nature of male and female to reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological and God given sex is sin and is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God. Accordingly, this ministry will not perform any marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex. It will not condone or recognize such same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships even if laws are passed that provide for recognition of such unions.
We believe that the term “marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4).
We believe that any form of sexual immorality is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10): and that legitimate biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography and efforts to alter one’s physical gender or gender related appearance are incompatible with a true biblical witness. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11)
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Homedale Calvary Fellowship as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to our Homedale Calvary Fellowship congregants and community, it is imperative that members of the Board Trustees, all persons employed by Homedale Calvary Fellowship in any capacity, or those who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. (Matt. 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22)
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11)
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the beliefs and doctrines of Homedale Calvary Fellowship. However, our compassion for a person struggling with sin should not be mistaken for approval of such sin.
Statement of Authority
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Homedale Calvary Fellowship’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline, our Senior Pastor and Board of Trustees are Homedale Calvary Fellowship’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application, and the New Kings James Version of the Bible will serve as the baseline for this interpretation.
What Makes Homedale Calvary Fellowship Distinct?
"What is it that makes Calvary Chapel different from other Bible-believing, evangelical churches? It's always good to have a grasp of the unique work that God has done in our fellowship...There are many who believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they don't have a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching, nor do they look to the Word to guide their experiences with the Holy Spirit. There are many who have a strong emphasis on teaching the Word of God, but they don't share the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available and valid today. In Calvary Chapel we find the teaching of the Word, and an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is this balance that makes Calvary Chapel a distinct and uniquely blessed movement of God." (Excerpt from Chuck Smith's Calvary Distinctives.)
The Call To The Ministry "No man taketh honour unto himself, but he that is called of God..." Heb. 5:4 If there is one characteristic that is absolutely essential for effective ministry, it's that we must first have a sense of calling-the conviction in our hearts that God has chosen and called us to serve Him. The Bible tells us to make our calling and election sure. Are you convinced that God has called you into the ministry? This is very important because ministry is not a profession that we might choose. It's a calling of God. However, it is also true that Christ wants each member of His body to be active, "...the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." (1 Corinthians 12:7).
God's Model For The Church "Upon this rock I will build my church..." Matt. 16:18 In Calvary Chapel we look to the book of Acts as the model for the church. We believe that church history, for the most part, has been a sad and tragic story of failure. Many horrible things have been done in the name of Jesus Christ under the banner of the church. So, you can't look at church history for a model for the church. The divine ideal is found in the book of Acts. This was a church that was dynamic. It was a church led by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It was a church that brought the gospel to the world...There were four basic functions of the early church. Acts 2:42 tells us, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." The Lord certainly took care of everything for the church in Acts. "And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).
Church Government "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," Eph 1:22 We recognize the New Testament doesn't give a clear definitive statement of God's preference for church government. We find three basic forms of church government. Two come from the New Testament, and one from church history. First, the church is ruled by bishops, or overseers, Gr. 'episkopos'. Another form of leadership involved a group of gifted men called the elders, or Gr. 'presbyteros'A third form comes from church history, known as congregational rule; there is nothing in the Bible about congregational rule. Many churches are divided over the other two options. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head over the body of the church. It's His church. The church leaders resemble Moses and his supporting leaders, going to God, and then coming to back to God's people with God's will, guidance and blessing.
Empowered By The Spirit "But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." Acts 1:8 Another Calvary Chapel distinctive is our position concerning the Holy Spirit. We believe that there is an experience of the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer that is distinct and separate from the indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at conversion. We acknowledge a three-fold relationship between the Holy Spirit and the believer that is recognized by three Greek prepositions • 'para' (with), 'en' (in), and 'epi' (upon). We also believe that the Holy Spirit provides the power in the life of the believer to give him victory over sin and over the flesh.
Building The Church God's Way "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zech. 4:6 We don't get involved in a lot of spiritual hype. We don't try to motivate people carnally...We are of the belief that if the Lord doesn't build the house, they labor in vain who build it, so all of our hype and pressure aren't really going to do the job. We simply trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, and of Jesus Christ who is building His church as He said He would.
Grace Upon Grace "For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace..." Hebrews 13:9 Calvary Chapel has a distinctive position on the subject of God's grace. We realize that without the grace of God none of us would have a chance. We need the grace of God in our lives. We need it daily. We experience it, and we're saved by it personally. But we also stand in grace. We believe in the love and grace that seeks to restore the fallen.
The Priority Of The Word "Till I come, give attendance to the reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." 1 Tim. 4:13 We must be able to say, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." This can only be done by teaching through the whole Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. Although topical sermons have their place, they can never substitute a systematic study of the entire Bible, verse by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, and book-by-book. We try to follow the biblical example of Nehemiah 8, where they read from the Word of God, and gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
The Centrality Of Jesus Christ "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus our Lord..." 2 Cor. 4:5 One of the important characteristics of Calvary Chapel is the centrality of Jesus Christ in our worship. We don't allow any practice or behavior that would distract the people from focusing on Him. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:29, "No flesh shall glory in His presence."
The Rapture Of The Church "Looking for that blessed hope, and that glorious appearing of the great God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13 The rapture refers to the time when Jesus Christ will come, without warning, and take away His church from this earth. After the rapture, the Lord will pour out His wrath on this sinful world. The Rapture can take place at any time. The Second Coming is a separate event, which does have certain prophetic requirements before it can happen, unlike the Rapture. We believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture (That the church is caught up to be with the Lord, before the Tribulation) There are no prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled before the Rapture occurs. It could happen today!
Having Begun In The Spirit "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think that anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit..." 2 Cor. 3:5-6 Calvary Chapel is a work that was begun by the Spirit. Every new and great movement of God is born of the Spirit. When we examine church history and the various great movements of God, we discover they were all born in the Spirit. Yet such moves of God historically seem to move from that birth in the Spirit to ultimately seeking to be perfected in the flesh. This seems to be a continual cycle in the history of the church. Movements that were once alive in the Spirit become dead in ritualism. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, churches begun in the Spirit, and chided them. "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3).
The Supremacy Of Love "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." John 13:35 Without love all the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit are meaningless and worthless. 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13: 1)...All our doctrinal orthodoxy and understanding of the Scriptures are of no value without love...God's supreme desire is that we experience His love and then share that love with others.
Striking The Balance "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15 An important characteristic of Calvary Chapel Fellowships is our desire not to divide God's people over non-essential issues. This is not to say that we do not have strong convictions. When the Bible speaks clearly, we must as well. There are some biblical issues that must be addressed with a balanced view: security of the believer vs. 'perseverance of the saints,' sovereignty of God vs. responsibility of man, etc. When the Bible gives two aspects of truth, we should never overemphasize one at the expense of the other.
Ventures in Faith "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6 "It's always an exciting thing to give God a chance to work. God wants you to be a part of what He's doing. I have found that the way we discover what God wants to do is to venture out in faith. We need to step out and see what the Lord might do...God has a work that He desires to do, and God is simply looking for people who are in harmony with what He desires in order that He might show Himself strong on their behalf. The key is to discover what it is that God wants to do. I've found that the best way is by just stepping out. Try it and see. Maybe God will work. Maybe God is wanting to work. Let's give Him a chance." (Excerpt from Chuck Smith's Calvary Distinctives.)
The Call To The Ministry "No man taketh honour unto himself, but he that is called of God..." Heb. 5:4 If there is one characteristic that is absolutely essential for effective ministry, it's that we must first have a sense of calling-the conviction in our hearts that God has chosen and called us to serve Him. The Bible tells us to make our calling and election sure. Are you convinced that God has called you into the ministry? This is very important because ministry is not a profession that we might choose. It's a calling of God. However, it is also true that Christ wants each member of His body to be active, "...the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." (1 Corinthians 12:7).
God's Model For The Church "Upon this rock I will build my church..." Matt. 16:18 In Calvary Chapel we look to the book of Acts as the model for the church. We believe that church history, for the most part, has been a sad and tragic story of failure. Many horrible things have been done in the name of Jesus Christ under the banner of the church. So, you can't look at church history for a model for the church. The divine ideal is found in the book of Acts. This was a church that was dynamic. It was a church led by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It was a church that brought the gospel to the world...There were four basic functions of the early church. Acts 2:42 tells us, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." The Lord certainly took care of everything for the church in Acts. "And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).
Church Government "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," Eph 1:22 We recognize the New Testament doesn't give a clear definitive statement of God's preference for church government. We find three basic forms of church government. Two come from the New Testament, and one from church history. First, the church is ruled by bishops, or overseers, Gr. 'episkopos'. Another form of leadership involved a group of gifted men called the elders, or Gr. 'presbyteros'A third form comes from church history, known as congregational rule; there is nothing in the Bible about congregational rule. Many churches are divided over the other two options. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head over the body of the church. It's His church. The church leaders resemble Moses and his supporting leaders, going to God, and then coming to back to God's people with God's will, guidance and blessing.
Empowered By The Spirit "But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." Acts 1:8 Another Calvary Chapel distinctive is our position concerning the Holy Spirit. We believe that there is an experience of the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer that is distinct and separate from the indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at conversion. We acknowledge a three-fold relationship between the Holy Spirit and the believer that is recognized by three Greek prepositions • 'para' (with), 'en' (in), and 'epi' (upon). We also believe that the Holy Spirit provides the power in the life of the believer to give him victory over sin and over the flesh.
Building The Church God's Way "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zech. 4:6 We don't get involved in a lot of spiritual hype. We don't try to motivate people carnally...We are of the belief that if the Lord doesn't build the house, they labor in vain who build it, so all of our hype and pressure aren't really going to do the job. We simply trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, and of Jesus Christ who is building His church as He said He would.
Grace Upon Grace "For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace..." Hebrews 13:9 Calvary Chapel has a distinctive position on the subject of God's grace. We realize that without the grace of God none of us would have a chance. We need the grace of God in our lives. We need it daily. We experience it, and we're saved by it personally. But we also stand in grace. We believe in the love and grace that seeks to restore the fallen.
The Priority Of The Word "Till I come, give attendance to the reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." 1 Tim. 4:13 We must be able to say, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." This can only be done by teaching through the whole Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. Although topical sermons have their place, they can never substitute a systematic study of the entire Bible, verse by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, and book-by-book. We try to follow the biblical example of Nehemiah 8, where they read from the Word of God, and gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
The Centrality Of Jesus Christ "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus our Lord..." 2 Cor. 4:5 One of the important characteristics of Calvary Chapel is the centrality of Jesus Christ in our worship. We don't allow any practice or behavior that would distract the people from focusing on Him. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:29, "No flesh shall glory in His presence."
The Rapture Of The Church "Looking for that blessed hope, and that glorious appearing of the great God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13 The rapture refers to the time when Jesus Christ will come, without warning, and take away His church from this earth. After the rapture, the Lord will pour out His wrath on this sinful world. The Rapture can take place at any time. The Second Coming is a separate event, which does have certain prophetic requirements before it can happen, unlike the Rapture. We believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture (That the church is caught up to be with the Lord, before the Tribulation) There are no prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled before the Rapture occurs. It could happen today!
Having Begun In The Spirit "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think that anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit..." 2 Cor. 3:5-6 Calvary Chapel is a work that was begun by the Spirit. Every new and great movement of God is born of the Spirit. When we examine church history and the various great movements of God, we discover they were all born in the Spirit. Yet such moves of God historically seem to move from that birth in the Spirit to ultimately seeking to be perfected in the flesh. This seems to be a continual cycle in the history of the church. Movements that were once alive in the Spirit become dead in ritualism. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, churches begun in the Spirit, and chided them. "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3).
The Supremacy Of Love "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." John 13:35 Without love all the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit are meaningless and worthless. 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13: 1)...All our doctrinal orthodoxy and understanding of the Scriptures are of no value without love...God's supreme desire is that we experience His love and then share that love with others.
Striking The Balance "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15 An important characteristic of Calvary Chapel Fellowships is our desire not to divide God's people over non-essential issues. This is not to say that we do not have strong convictions. When the Bible speaks clearly, we must as well. There are some biblical issues that must be addressed with a balanced view: security of the believer vs. 'perseverance of the saints,' sovereignty of God vs. responsibility of man, etc. When the Bible gives two aspects of truth, we should never overemphasize one at the expense of the other.
Ventures in Faith "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6 "It's always an exciting thing to give God a chance to work. God wants you to be a part of what He's doing. I have found that the way we discover what God wants to do is to venture out in faith. We need to step out and see what the Lord might do...God has a work that He desires to do, and God is simply looking for people who are in harmony with what He desires in order that He might show Himself strong on their behalf. The key is to discover what it is that God wants to do. I've found that the best way is by just stepping out. Try it and see. Maybe God will work. Maybe God is wanting to work. Let's give Him a chance." (Excerpt from Chuck Smith's Calvary Distinctives.)