Convictions (What We Believe)

By Pastor Alex Ruelo

Acts 2 tells of how the believers first became a church. It says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over hem all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

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Ekklesia is a gathering or people being called together or called out. We are all called together to worship. Jhn 4:24 says, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.””

Back in the days, this is how they worship individually in 1 Corinthians 14:25. It says, “As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.””

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Romans 12:1 also says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Worship can also be acts of service.

Matthew 15:8-9 say, “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”” Make sure your worship is from the heart and not just superficial so people will see.

The Word. Acts 2:42 says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”

Titus 2:3-4 says, “Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.”

It is important to study the word of God. Questions may arise during the times when you study God’s word.

Prayer. Acts 12:5 says, “But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” Prayer can be done anytime, on your own or with a group of people. 1 Timothy 2:1-3, 8 says, “About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.”

Singing. James 5:13 says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” Different kinds of music may be used. As long as your heart is right, it is still a form of worship. 1 Corinthians 14:26 says, “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.” Everybody has their purpose in the kingsom of God.

Giving. James 2:15-17 says, “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” 1 John 3:17-18 says, “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 Corinthians 2:3-5, 11-13 says, “That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you. I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.”

Christians were begging to give to others. But you have to give only a part of what you have and only what you can.

Fellowship. Ephesians 4:12-17 says, “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.” The church is for the growth of the body of Christ. Maturity comes with practicing all these things, being part of the ekklesia.

Should we follow all these patterns and principles? Times change and we must adapt to the times. As long as these practices do not go against the word of God in the Bible, we should be fine. Worship has no time or place. We can do it anytime and anywhere. Ephesians 5:26-27 says, “to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” It is important that the church will be presented to the Lord without blemish. It should be the goal of all leaders to present the church as holy.

The Ministry of Discipline. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 says, “Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.”

‭Be open to correction and discipline so that you will mature in your faith. Galatians 6:1 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” Man will keep on making mistakes; but it is the goal of the church to restore a person.

The Minustry to Widows and Orphans. 1 Timothy 5:4-8 says, “But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God. Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism. But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.”

The Ministry of Charity. 1 John 3:17 says, “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” Who should be helped? Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” Help everyone, but especially those who are believers.

As a church, this is who we are and what we believe. What should we do then?

Serve others with love and compassion. Galatians 5:13 says, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

‭‭Help yourselves first. Learn how to say no. Serve others with love and compassion.

Prioritize prayer and bible study. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” Study the word. Don’t just believe everything you hear on Sundays. Find out for yourselves what God is saying. Prioritize the things which will last for eternity.

Cultivate strong relationships with fellow believers. Hebrews 10;24-35 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Death is certain for everyone. Life is short. Use your remaining time on earth in things that matter.

Jesus died for everyone. He died so all of us will live a better life. That is what the church stands for. Do not waste time. Know your convictions in Christ.