As Baptists we are marked by certain distinctives that separate and differentiate us from all other faiths.
1. We believe in the absolute authority of the Bible and hold to no other creed or guideline for our faith, government, practice and purpose.
2. We believe that each church is autonomous and completely independent. For the Christian church there is no head but Christ and no headquarters but Heaven.
3. We believe in the priesthood of every believer. The Bible teaches that we have one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Through Christ's blood we are able to come boldly to the throne of grace by simply pleading the cross of Calvary.
4. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone. Salvation does not come by our good works, or by the waters of baptism.
5. We believe that the church is not a fortress but rather headquarters to bring about the purpose that Christ has given us to: preach the gospel, baptize believers and train people to serve the Lord and follow God's Word.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Statement of Faith
The Scriptures -
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Bible, “as it is in truth, the Word of God...” (I Thessalonians 2:13). We believe in verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant, inspiration in the original writings, and God's preservation of His pure words to every generation (II Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6-8)
The Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Received Text of the New Testament (Textus Receptus) are those texts of the original languages we accept and use; the King James Version of the Bible is the only English version we accept and use. The Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice.
The Godhead -
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14)
The Person and Work of Christ -
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit -
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Person who reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, indwelling all believers and sealing them unto the day of redemption.
(John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing.
(II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22)
The Depravity of Man -
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)
The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image and is mindful of him, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every individual possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love (Psalm 8:4-9; Colossians 3:9-11)
The Way of Salvation -
We believe that the clear message of salvation is “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). We believe that salvation is "by grace" plus nothing minus nothing. We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19)
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that eternal life is the present possession of every believer (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1, 2)
The Church -
We believe that the New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission. The Lord is doing His work in this world through local churches. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; I Peter 5:1-4)
The Wentworth Baptist Church follows the biblical pattern for church leadership. We believe the Word of God teaches that a local church, to receive God's blessing, must be a pastor-led church. This means the pastor has the biblical authority to make executive decisions concerning the body of believers. Every three years, the church votes to elect faithful men to fulfill the biblical office of deacon. These men help to serve and minister to the church body under the pastor's leadership.
The Ordinances of the Church -
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age
(Matthew. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
Biblical Separation -
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1)
The Return of Christ -
We believe the "Blessed Hope" of our Lord's return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. Believers will caught up to bewith the Lord prior to the seven years of tribulation, and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on the earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4)
Our Eternal State -
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13)
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15)
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Bible, “as it is in truth, the Word of God...” (I Thessalonians 2:13). We believe in verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant, inspiration in the original writings, and God's preservation of His pure words to every generation (II Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6-8)
The Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Received Text of the New Testament (Textus Receptus) are those texts of the original languages we accept and use; the King James Version of the Bible is the only English version we accept and use. The Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice.
The Godhead -
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14)
The Person and Work of Christ -
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit -
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Person who reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, indwelling all believers and sealing them unto the day of redemption.
(John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing.
(II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22)
The Depravity of Man -
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)
The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image and is mindful of him, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every individual possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love (Psalm 8:4-9; Colossians 3:9-11)
The Way of Salvation -
We believe that the clear message of salvation is “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). We believe that salvation is "by grace" plus nothing minus nothing. We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19)
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that eternal life is the present possession of every believer (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1, 2)
The Church -
We believe that the New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission. The Lord is doing His work in this world through local churches. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; I Peter 5:1-4)
The Wentworth Baptist Church follows the biblical pattern for church leadership. We believe the Word of God teaches that a local church, to receive God's blessing, must be a pastor-led church. This means the pastor has the biblical authority to make executive decisions concerning the body of believers. Every three years, the church votes to elect faithful men to fulfill the biblical office of deacon. These men help to serve and minister to the church body under the pastor's leadership.
The Ordinances of the Church -
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age
(Matthew. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
Biblical Separation -
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1)
The Return of Christ -
We believe the "Blessed Hope" of our Lord's return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. Believers will caught up to bewith the Lord prior to the seven years of tribulation, and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on the earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4)
Our Eternal State -
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13)
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15)
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Our Vision
Although the first "Great Awakening" of four took place hundreds of years ago, The Lord isn't finished with New England. Although, the region has grown spiritually cold to the things of the Lord, revival can take place again. The Wentworth Baptist Church desires to see a "Reawakening" where God is glorified and exalted. What New England needs is to arise from its sleep. Our vision is to see all of New England revived once again and on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our desire is to see many souls saved and to become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The sermon, "The Christian Pilgrim" was preached in September 1733 in Boston by Jonathan Edwards to Stockbridge Indians. The sermon is also known as "The True Christian's Life a Journey Toward Heaven" which pointed people to the Love of JesusChrist and the journey toward the gates of heaven.
The sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", was originally preached by Jonathan Edwards on July 8th,1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. It's the most famous sermon in American history and was part of a nationwide revival that changed the course of America for generations. Jonathan Edwards has long been considered one of the foremost theologians of all time, eventually becoming the President of Princeton University in 1758.
Edwards was keenly aware of the spiritual decline and coldness to the gospel in New England, and in his own congregation as well. The desire of his heart was to see a spiritual revival among both these groups. When we consider New England now; one cannot but see how much more another great revival and Great Awakening is needed today!
Edwards preached this sermon in the unemotional, solemn, and somber style of that day, the response of the congregation and other hearers was to loudly moan and cry out to God under conviction of sin and with a demonstration of fear unheard of in that day. Historical accounts state that people were under such Holy Spirit conviction that they were literally following prostrate in the aisles unable to move. The sermon is completely true the Bible which is the inerrant, infalliable Word of God. In this sermon, Edward's intense descriptive imagery that provides a foundation for the truth of both God's intense love for man and yet His severe judgment for sin.
What does New England and its people need today? They must see both God's intense love for all man that was demonstrated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. However, man must see his sinful state and be aware there is to be a coming judgment for sin.
Our vision at Wentworth Baptist Church is to preach the Word of God in a strong fashion without apology and pray that the Lord God Almighty would indeed send "The Great Reawakening."
The sermon, "The Christian Pilgrim" was preached in September 1733 in Boston by Jonathan Edwards to Stockbridge Indians. The sermon is also known as "The True Christian's Life a Journey Toward Heaven" which pointed people to the Love of JesusChrist and the journey toward the gates of heaven.
The sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", was originally preached by Jonathan Edwards on July 8th,1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. It's the most famous sermon in American history and was part of a nationwide revival that changed the course of America for generations. Jonathan Edwards has long been considered one of the foremost theologians of all time, eventually becoming the President of Princeton University in 1758.
Edwards was keenly aware of the spiritual decline and coldness to the gospel in New England, and in his own congregation as well. The desire of his heart was to see a spiritual revival among both these groups. When we consider New England now; one cannot but see how much more another great revival and Great Awakening is needed today!
Edwards preached this sermon in the unemotional, solemn, and somber style of that day, the response of the congregation and other hearers was to loudly moan and cry out to God under conviction of sin and with a demonstration of fear unheard of in that day. Historical accounts state that people were under such Holy Spirit conviction that they were literally following prostrate in the aisles unable to move. The sermon is completely true the Bible which is the inerrant, infalliable Word of God. In this sermon, Edward's intense descriptive imagery that provides a foundation for the truth of both God's intense love for man and yet His severe judgment for sin.
What does New England and its people need today? They must see both God's intense love for all man that was demonstrated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. However, man must see his sinful state and be aware there is to be a coming judgment for sin.
Our vision at Wentworth Baptist Church is to preach the Word of God in a strong fashion without apology and pray that the Lord God Almighty would indeed send "The Great Reawakening."
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