As a church, we at Lakewood Presbyterian Church are committed to the historic Christian faith, the basic truths of which are summarized in the gospel (literally, the good news) that through Jesus Christ it is possible for you to know God personally. If you are curious about how this can happen or if you are skeptical about Christianity in general or about any of its particular teachings, we would be happy to talk with you further.
What do Presbyterians Believe?
You may be wondering what the Presbyterian church is all about. If so, let us first say that the word "presbyterian" comes from the Greek word for "elder", presbyteros (n.b., the New Testament was originally written in Greek and later translated into English). Quite simply, then, a Presbyterian church is one that is directed or led by elders.
But what is an elder? An elder is one who has been nominated and elected by the congregation to oversee the affairs of the church. Thus, he is also called an "overseer" or "bishop" in Scripture (the terms "elder" and "bishop" are used interchangeably in the Bible and refer to one and the same office: see, e.g., Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:6-7). "Elder" refers to the office itself; "bishop" or "overseer" refers to the function of that office. The point is that the "elder" functions as a "bishop," in that he "oversees" or "shepherds" the people of God. The necessary qualifications and responsibilities of the elder, as well as the nature of the office itself, are expressly stated in the Bible, in such passages as 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-3; and Acts 20:17-31.
What does our church believe?
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, our final authority in matters of faith and life. For this reason, we deliberately endeavor to preach and teach the Bible in our Sunday services as well as in Sunday school and in small group settings. We believe that the teachings of the Bible are best represented in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Shorter and Larger Catechisms (please ask us for a copy of the Confession if you would like one, we would be happy to send it out to you). As a church we are theologically Reformed, because we believe the distinctives of the historic Reformed faith are nothing more or less than Biblical Christianity.
We believe that the way of salvation can perhaps best be described by the phrase "God saves sinners." This means, in the first place, that all people without exception are "dead in sins and trespasses" (Ephesians 2:1ff) and unable to do anything to save themselves apart from God's sovereign mercy. In the second place, it means that God, and not man, is the author of salvation (Romans 8:33; Ephesians 2:4ff). And while it is true that the individual is responsible to exercise faith in Christ, it is also true that he or she will do so only in response to God's initiative in regenerating him or her (John 6:44, 63, 65). In the third place, it means that God actually saves sinners. He doesn't just make salvation possible through Christ and leave the rest up to the individual's free will. God actually accomplishes the salvation of particular individuals (Romans 8:29-30; 1 Timothy 1:15), thereby ensuring that they and no others will necessarily be in heaven with Him (Romans 9:10-23). God does this in such a way that "the liberty and contingency of second causes" is not "taken away, but rather established" (WCF, 3.1).
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, who, through His perfect life upon the earth and His sacrificial death upon the cross, made atonement for the sins of all who trust in Him alone for their salvation. We believe that He will return bodily for all to see and that He will judge the world. And when He does return, "every knee will bow...in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11, NASB).
We also believe in the importance of Christian discipleship and missions and outreach, fulfilling Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to make disciples by going into all the world proclaiming the good news that freedom from sin and guilt is found in Christ.
Why are we here?
We are here to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), to equip God?s people for works of service, and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, so that we will no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that we hear or by the deceitfulness of those who are cunning and crafty in their scheming (Ephesians 4:12-14).
What do we believe about Worship?
At LPC, we believe that worship is to be governed by four overarching principles: it is to be God-centered, Bible-based, Christ-exalting, and Spirit-empowered.
By God-centered we simply mean that God is the proper focus of all our worship. Our services, therefore, are aimed God-ward rather than man-ward. We seek to "ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name" and to worship Him "in the splendor of His holiness" (Psalm 96:8-9, NIV).
Because the Bible is necessary to know God rightly and truly, our worship must also be Bible-based in order for it to be God-centered. By "Bible-based" we mean that Scripture, and not human opinion or tradition, determines the content of our worship. Not only does the Bible determine the specific elements of worship (i.e., we sing, pray, read, and preach because there is Biblical warrant for doing these things when Christians gather together to worship God), but it also determines the content of each element. This means that we don't just sing; we sing the Bible. We don't just pray; we pray the Bible. We don't just read and preach; we read and preach the Bible.
Worship is to be Christ-exalting, because Christ, by His own admission, is the only Savior for sinners, the only mediator between God and man, who has provided the only way of salvation by His life and death (John 14:6; cf. Acts 4:12; 2 Cor. 5:21). He is the "Lamb, who was slain," the One who alone is "worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise" (Rev. 5:12, NIV).
Biblical worship must also be Spirit-empowered. As Jesus Himself says in John 4:23-4, those who wish to worship God rightly must do so "in spirit and in truth" (NIV). One of the things this means is that our worship is not simply to be "in truth." We are not simply to ensure that we are worshiping God with the right elements and the right content (as important as that is). But we are to worship Him with our "spirits" in the power of the Holy Spirit. Worship is not merely to be cognitive; and it is not merely to be affective. Rather, it is to be a "whole-soul" communion with Christ by way of the Holy Spirit.
If you are interested in knowing more about any of the things we believe, we would be happy to discuss it with you in greater detail. Please contact our Pastor.
What do Presbyterians Believe?
You may be wondering what the Presbyterian church is all about. If so, let us first say that the word "presbyterian" comes from the Greek word for "elder", presbyteros (n.b., the New Testament was originally written in Greek and later translated into English). Quite simply, then, a Presbyterian church is one that is directed or led by elders.
But what is an elder? An elder is one who has been nominated and elected by the congregation to oversee the affairs of the church. Thus, he is also called an "overseer" or "bishop" in Scripture (the terms "elder" and "bishop" are used interchangeably in the Bible and refer to one and the same office: see, e.g., Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:6-7). "Elder" refers to the office itself; "bishop" or "overseer" refers to the function of that office. The point is that the "elder" functions as a "bishop," in that he "oversees" or "shepherds" the people of God. The necessary qualifications and responsibilities of the elder, as well as the nature of the office itself, are expressly stated in the Bible, in such passages as 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-3; and Acts 20:17-31.
What does our church believe?
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, our final authority in matters of faith and life. For this reason, we deliberately endeavor to preach and teach the Bible in our Sunday services as well as in Sunday school and in small group settings. We believe that the teachings of the Bible are best represented in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Shorter and Larger Catechisms (please ask us for a copy of the Confession if you would like one, we would be happy to send it out to you). As a church we are theologically Reformed, because we believe the distinctives of the historic Reformed faith are nothing more or less than Biblical Christianity.
We believe that the way of salvation can perhaps best be described by the phrase "God saves sinners." This means, in the first place, that all people without exception are "dead in sins and trespasses" (Ephesians 2:1ff) and unable to do anything to save themselves apart from God's sovereign mercy. In the second place, it means that God, and not man, is the author of salvation (Romans 8:33; Ephesians 2:4ff). And while it is true that the individual is responsible to exercise faith in Christ, it is also true that he or she will do so only in response to God's initiative in regenerating him or her (John 6:44, 63, 65). In the third place, it means that God actually saves sinners. He doesn't just make salvation possible through Christ and leave the rest up to the individual's free will. God actually accomplishes the salvation of particular individuals (Romans 8:29-30; 1 Timothy 1:15), thereby ensuring that they and no others will necessarily be in heaven with Him (Romans 9:10-23). God does this in such a way that "the liberty and contingency of second causes" is not "taken away, but rather established" (WCF, 3.1).
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, who, through His perfect life upon the earth and His sacrificial death upon the cross, made atonement for the sins of all who trust in Him alone for their salvation. We believe that He will return bodily for all to see and that He will judge the world. And when He does return, "every knee will bow...in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11, NASB).
We also believe in the importance of Christian discipleship and missions and outreach, fulfilling Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to make disciples by going into all the world proclaiming the good news that freedom from sin and guilt is found in Christ.
Why are we here?
We are here to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), to equip God?s people for works of service, and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, so that we will no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that we hear or by the deceitfulness of those who are cunning and crafty in their scheming (Ephesians 4:12-14).
What do we believe about Worship?
At LPC, we believe that worship is to be governed by four overarching principles: it is to be God-centered, Bible-based, Christ-exalting, and Spirit-empowered.
By God-centered we simply mean that God is the proper focus of all our worship. Our services, therefore, are aimed God-ward rather than man-ward. We seek to "ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name" and to worship Him "in the splendor of His holiness" (Psalm 96:8-9, NIV).
Because the Bible is necessary to know God rightly and truly, our worship must also be Bible-based in order for it to be God-centered. By "Bible-based" we mean that Scripture, and not human opinion or tradition, determines the content of our worship. Not only does the Bible determine the specific elements of worship (i.e., we sing, pray, read, and preach because there is Biblical warrant for doing these things when Christians gather together to worship God), but it also determines the content of each element. This means that we don't just sing; we sing the Bible. We don't just pray; we pray the Bible. We don't just read and preach; we read and preach the Bible.
Worship is to be Christ-exalting, because Christ, by His own admission, is the only Savior for sinners, the only mediator between God and man, who has provided the only way of salvation by His life and death (John 14:6; cf. Acts 4:12; 2 Cor. 5:21). He is the "Lamb, who was slain," the One who alone is "worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise" (Rev. 5:12, NIV).
Biblical worship must also be Spirit-empowered. As Jesus Himself says in John 4:23-4, those who wish to worship God rightly must do so "in spirit and in truth" (NIV). One of the things this means is that our worship is not simply to be "in truth." We are not simply to ensure that we are worshiping God with the right elements and the right content (as important as that is). But we are to worship Him with our "spirits" in the power of the Holy Spirit. Worship is not merely to be cognitive; and it is not merely to be affective. Rather, it is to be a "whole-soul" communion with Christ by way of the Holy Spirit.
If you are interested in knowing more about any of the things we believe, we would be happy to discuss it with you in greater detail. Please contact our Pastor.
