by Jerry Lockhart 

We at Berean Bible Church are very much aware of who and what we are. As stated elsewhere we know that it is only by God’s marvelous grace that we are allowed the privilege of 1.) salvation; 2.) participation in a ministry. Therefore, it seems somehow imperative that we should state what our purpose is. We are a group of believers whose aim is to place the glory and praise upon He whom we worship, the Lord Jesus Christ. Phi. 3:3 says that we “worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” By what means we can, we want to portray that. 

Below, you will read what I believe is the best explanation of our purpose. But, please understand that it is I who writes this. The bible is very clear that “every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” -Rom. 14:5b. So, it isn’t that everyone who attends BBC must agree with me. For they will not answer to me, but to God- Rom. 14:10 & 12. 

As the Lord has led, I believe the scripture teaches the following things as the “credentials” for an assembly to be formed in His name. The book of Proverbs teaches that “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul” -Prov. 13:19a; and, “when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”-Prov.13:12b. These two statements reflect my intention to serve the Lord, who bought me with His blood and saved me by His grace, in an assembly with whom he allows me to serve.  

I believe that

1.)   The King James Bible is the Word of God in the English language and is to be taught to all who understand its hearing; and that it is the final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. I teach that each person who may have been persuaded otherwise (as I had been) should take the time to compare and study versions if they have doubts to this truth. This will leave nothing to chance as to where one can find God’s Word. Since He promised to preserve it-Ps.12:6,7, every saved person should be able to lay his hands on it. Further, since academic textbook analysts have declared the KJB to be in 6th grade English, I believe anyone above that grade level attending our services should be included with the class of adults and not as children. Socially, perhaps teens are different. But, concerning the study and learning of God’s Word, they are capable of awareness and responsibility. We should not short-change them.

2.)   The Word of God should be studied by all. 2 Tim.2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Then a person whose intention is to please the Lord is required to study and to rightly divide it in study. This is simple, though seldom found to be easy.

3.)   Salvation is available to any person today, anywhere they are, if they are willing to “hear” the words which are able to save them. According to the Apostle Paul, that is the Gospel of Christ-Rom.1:16. He said “for therein is the righteousness of God revealed” in v.17. When he wrote to the Corinthian church, he said the gospel is “…how that Christ died for our sins…, and was buried, and was raised again the third day....”-1 Cor.15:3,4. Again, in Rom.4:24, 25, he stated that the righteousness of God shall be imputed to us “…if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” He told the Philippian jailer to “…believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…”Acts 16:3.

4.)   Being saved requires no works of righteousness on our part, nor activity in our flesh. In fact, a very clear statement to prove that appears in Titus 3:5. It is clearly by God’s own mercy and grace that He has saved us (see also, Eph.2:8,9).

5.)   Once saved, we are sealed till He comes. Clearly, our Apostle Paul (the apostle of the Gentiles) teaches us this in four different passages of scripture: Rom.8:1-39; Eph.1:12-14: 2 Cor.5:5-10; 2 Tim.2:11-13. These all show conclusively, that there is a bond between us and our Saviour because of His purpose and intention (which was from before the world began—discussed later). We are therefore called “the church, which is his body” in Eph.1:22, 23.

6.)   The church, the body of Christ, began with Paul. When the apostles were leading the new converts to Christ in the first part of the book of Acts, they were following perfectly what Christ had told them which we find written in Matthew through John. They had been told they would be speaking as the “Spirit gave them utterance.” Further, they understood the Lord to say that anyone who blasphemed the Spirit could not be saved as they were (Mt.12:31,32). Paul was one of those people who were blasphemers. He could not be saved into that same group of people being formed by the 12 Apostles in Acts 2 through 7. Yet Paul (then called Saul) was saved by grace and placed into a body of believers called the “body of Christ.” He declared that he was the first one saved that way very plainly, and this cannot be denied even by version changes, in 1 Tim.1:11-16. One can only conclude that the church of today, the Body of Christ, began with the salvation of Paul in Acts 9.

7.)  The Lord is coming to take this Body of believers to go be with Him. Controversy surrounds this doctrine like no other.   Some who claim Christ believe there is no future appearance of Him to this earth. Some believe that after the “church” suffers enough, the Lord will come straighten everything out. Other some say that we’re left here to improve things so that Christ can rule when He returns. What a hodge-podge! The bible is very clear on this subject; but, only if one study’s by “rightly dividing the word of truth” can they see this clearness. In sequence, the next events which involve the Lord’s promises are these:

a.)   “The Lord himself descends from heaven with a shout…”-(read all this in 1 Thess.4:13-18)

b.)   He shall “change our vile bodies” and fashion them “like unto his glorious body” –(read all this in the following three passages: 1 Cor.15:50-54; 2 Cor.5:1-4; Phi.3:20,21)

c.)  After our removal from the earth, the Lord finishes the work He began with Israel, commonly called the Tribulation (read all about it in Dan.9:24-27 [70th week]; Jer.30:4-9; Joel 2; Zach.12:1-9; Mt.24, 25, and hundreds of other passages of prophecy.)

d.)  At the close of the 7 years, the Lord returns with His saints (presumably the church, the body of Christ) and be glorified in Israel (in all the passages under “c” read that which follows; but, especially read Rev.19, 20, 21, 22)

e.)   Then, the new heaven, new earth, and eternity are ours. 

Having stated the above 7 main points of my belief, I believe the Lord led us to have a local assembly intending to benefit this community for making these things known. Eph.3:6-12 is our call to “make all men see” and to follow the same purpose that was the Lord’s purpose in revealing these great truths by whom and at such time as He did. The bible is our only source for knowing these things and for showing to our community why they should desire to see the Lord’s will. 

Now, we have the privilege of broadening our ministry through access to the internet. Our prayer is that we do the same in this media as we do in person or in print: that the Lord Jesus Christ and His marvelous message of grace be made known; that the mystery revealed to, through, and by the Apostle Paul go forth with the power of the gospel reaching the lost; and the peace of knowing God’s will reach the saved.