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SHARON GOSPEL CHAPEL OF EDMONTON 7540 - 106 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4W2 Phone: (780) 439-5671 Email: worship@sharongospelchapel.org Website: www.sharongospelchapel.org |
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Practices |
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Our practices are generally characteristic of those
carried out in other conservative, evangelical churches. We acknowledge
that “all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God” (Rom 3:23), that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” ( Isa
64:6), that “the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom
6:23), “that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15),
and that “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his
blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Rom 5:8-10). Some of the
more unique aspects of our chapel are given below. Why Is There No Pastor And
Why Are You A ‘Chapel’? Sharon Gospel Chapel 7540 - 106 Street NW, Edmonton
Alberta www.sharongospelchapel.org “And
hath made us kings and priests unto God”
(Rev 1:6) Brethren1
traditionally have not paid people for ministry in the local assembly nor
have they had popes/bishops/priests or ministers/pastors. They have believed
that there should be no spiritual hierarchy in Christ’s Church and thus no
separation into laity (the people) and clergy. Similarly, there should be no
denominational divisions in the Body of Christ (the church). Work in its
variety of forms should be done by all believers in the local assembly. Christ Alive is Head of the Church
(John 10:16; Eph 1:22-23, 4:15-16; Col 1:18, 1:24). Scripture is clear that the church
[whole body of Christians in the world]2 is
one under the Lord Jesus Christ who “is
the head of the body, the church” (Col 1:18). We are to be in Christ’s
Church as sheep of “one fold, and one
shepherd” (John 10:16). According to Gal 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus.” Moreover, there no need for a priest to take us to God or
to bring God to us since there is “one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). The Lord Jesus warns us about our
tendency to set man, and not God, on a pedestal: “And
call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven” (Matt 3:9-1); “But be not ye called Rabbi [a title given by pupils to their
teacher]: for one is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren” (Matt 23:8). The concept of ‘oneness’
in Christ with no believer ‘over’ another should obviate hierarchies within
denominations as well. For this reason the independence of assemblies is
jealously guarded – like-minded assemblies in the Edmonton area all function
independently of each other and of any human overseeing body. “The New Testament churches comprised
all the believers in a locality”3 thus ‘Brethren’ don’t like
to be labeled as a denomination and the building is not ‘the church’
[‘church’ is translated from the Greek ἐκκλησία
which is an assembly, literally ‘a calling out’]. In accordance with 1 Cor 1:2, believers meeting together in our assembly would
thus be recognized as the ‘Church of God at Edmonton meeting in Sharon Gospel
Chapel’. Since the church is people, the building cannot be the church thus
our building is known as a chapel and the believers meet together as an
assembly. Priesthood of all Believers
(Ex 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rom 12:1; Rev 1:6, 5:10) “The priesthood of all believers
is”…“a foundational concept of Protestantism”4. All believers are thus priests to God and
are expected to function in this capacity. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood” 9 “ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5,9); “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Rev
1:6). We all are to be “servants to God” (Rom 6:22); “as the servants of Christ, doing the will
of God from the heart” (Eph 6:6). There is no need for paid servants in
the Lord’s work since we are to be His servants at all times. Thus, although
we support ‘commended workers’ for missionary and other work, at the local
assembly level we follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul who said “For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring
night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached
unto you the gospel of God (1 Thess 2:9).
Elders are encouraged to “Feed the
flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by
constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre” (1 Peter 5:2). Assemblies are to be cared for by ‘elders’
(i.e. plural so more than one). It is not men who ‘ordain’ workers in the
church, rather it is God; “And he gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers” (Eph 4:11), and this is through the Holy Spirit: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and
to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers”
[overseer; supervisor; ruler] (Acts 20:28). In contrast with what tends to become
normal practice, elders are not to be rulers but shepherds and servants; who
are not “set over and assembly, but labourers among
the saints”5. “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles
exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon
them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among
you, let him be your minister [a waiter; servant]; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” [a
male slave] (Matt 20:25-27). “I am the
good shepherd: the good shepherd [pastor] giveth his life for the sheep” (John
10:11). --------- 1 The word translated ‘brethren’ in the New Testament often
means ‘brotherhood or the members of the Christian Church; Christendom’. The
word is used 192 times in the New Testament to refer to fellow believers and
includes ‘sisters’ as well. Sometimes this group is referred to as ‘Plymouth
Brethren’ because of the 19th century origins in places such as
Plymouth England, and because of the need for a label. 2 All definitions enclosed by brackets (i.e. [..] are taken from Robinson, M.A. and M. A. House. 2012.
Analytical Lexicon of New Testament Greek. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody,
MA. 3 Carron, T.W. The Church
Local. Selections of Ministry from Precious Seed 1945-1970. Precious Seed
Publications, West Glamorgan, UK. p 39. 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_priesthood_(doctrine) 5 Clarke, A.G. Church Doctrine and Practice. Selections of
Ministry from Precious Seed 1945-1970. Precious Seed Publications, West Glamorgan, UK. p 220. What
Should I Look For In A ‘Church’? Sharon Gospel Chapel 7540 - 106 Street NW,
Edmonton Alberta www.sharongospelchapel.org “And
they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine
[teaching] and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42) Of course you need to find a place of
worship where the Lord Jesus Christ is recognized in accordance with
Scripture (“God was manifest in the
flesh” 1 Tim 3:16), where the Bible is recognized as the God’s unchanging
Word to mankind, and where fundamental doctrinal truths are taught and
followed rather than just being a carryover from the past. Any Christian
meeting needs to have God’s Word since “faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). Don’t
just look for a ‘social club; choosing the right place to worship is
literally a matter of life and death! There can be a variety of ‘church’ meetings
and activities but, in accordance with Acts 2:42, assemblies must be serious
about prayer; “I will therefore that
men pray every where” (1 Tim 2:8), and Jesus said “My house is the house of prayer” (Luke 19:46). Teaching and
preaching should be emphasized as they were in the early church (Acts 5:42,
20:6-11; 1 Cor 4:17); remember that “it pleased God by the foolishness of
preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor
1:21). Fellowship in Christ is still important “that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). ‘Breaking
of Bread’ also was, and should be, a regular occurrence (as discussed in
another brochure). It must not be thought, however, that church meetings
should consist only of teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers.
For example the Lord Jesus and His disciples sang at their last meeting (Mark
14:26) and singing was common in Old Testament worship (1 Ch 6:32; Ne 7:77;
Ps 100:2). How Are Meetings Conducted? Not a lot is said in the New Testament
concerning the format of assembly meetings but the Corinthians were exhorted
that “when ye come together, every one
of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto
edifying” (1 Cor 14:26). Since all believers
are to be priests to God (1 Peter 2:5-9, Rev 1:6; See brochure entitled ‘Why
is there no pastor and why are you a ‘chapel’?’) it is logical that
‘everyone’ has something edifying to offer at a worship meeting and that there
is no single speaker. The principles of participation are also given in
Corinthians: “Let the prophets speak
two or three, and let the other judge. 30 If any thing
be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the
first hold his peace. 31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may
learn, and all may be comforted. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are
subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace, as in all churches of the saints. 34 Let your women keep silence in the
churches” (1 Cor 14:29-34). Brethren use this
format in their ‘Breaking of Bread’ meetings. Do Individuals Take Their Responsibility
Seriously? Are You Prepared To? If you are not currently a
believer, don’t waste the time of others unless you are coming honestly to
find out about the Lord. If you are sincere then by all means come, for He
says: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find….10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth” (Luke 11:9-10). If you are a believer, remember worship
means to ‘go down on my knees, do obeisance to’. Worship, and hence
participation in an assembly, involves giving to and getting from God; not
something we get from others. The Lord’s original instructions concerning
tabernacle worship (Exodus 29) can teach us much about worship since the
tabernacle was an “example and shadow
of heavenly things” (Heb 8:5). Before any worship took place the priest
was washed, anointed, fitted with the proper clothing, and then offered
sacrifices and offerings. The Lord
promised that after these instructions were carried out “I will meet you, to speak there unto thee (Ex 29:42-43). Not just
the priest, but the Lord’s people prepared for worship by meeting with the
Lord at the place of meeting (Ex 29:42-43), bringing sacrifices (Lev 17:5),
seeking Him (Ex 33:70), and listening to Him. The building where people meet is not
important in New Testament times because the Holy Spirit now indwells His
people (John 14:17; Rom 8:9) and the Lord Jesus is everywhere: “For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20).
Principles of individual preparedness are, however, still the same. Thus to
truly worship in any assembly meeting we must be sure that “Jesus Christ... washed us from our sins in
his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father”
(Rev 1:5-6). We are to “cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor 7:1), knowing that this comes as people are “purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts
15:9). We also individually need to be prepared to
offer up sacrifices at worship meetings: “Ye
also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1
Peter 2:5) and we are told something of what such sacrifices are to be: “By him therefore let us offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving
thanks to his name” (Heb 13:15). Indeed, what better way to “shew the Lord's death till he come” (1 Cor 11:26) than by observing the command “that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Rom 12:1)? And we know that God will meet with us in
worship meetings as speakers heed the admonishment “in
the sight of God speak we in Christ” (2 Cor
2:17) and “the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost….. he shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). What Is
The Proper Role For Men And Women In The Assembly? Sharon Gospel Chapel 7540 - 106 Street NW,
Edmonton Alberta www.sharongospelchapel.org You will notice that there are
different roles for men and women at Sharon Gospel Chapel. This raises the
question of why this should be when our society has moved towards ‘equality’
among the sexes and since Scripture says “there
is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal
3:28). Firstly, it is important to
remember God created two different sexes (“male and female created he them” Gen 1:27). Therefore different
roles for the sexes have always existed in the past, whether considerations
are based upon anthropology, biology, evolutionary theory or theology. As an
example, most societies are arranged along patriarchal lines where males act
as authority figures. In contrast, “most anthropologists hold that there are
no known societies that are unambiguously matriarchal”1
. Secondly, it is important to
believe that the God of creation knows what is best for mankind, for
assemblies and for each one of us personally. Thus, since God created
differences, there can never be truly identical roles for men and women even
though there must be ‘spiritual equality’. Differing
Roles For Men And Women in Society God has made it clear it is the
man who is to be responsible for providing for his family (“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own
house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” 1 Tim
5:8). A man must thus, if possible, carry out this function (or be
comfortable that he is personally looking after it in some way) in order to
maintain his self-respect and fulfill his other roles effectively. The Bible teaches “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph 5:25). This verse
rules out selfish ‘love’ for the man since the standard of love is that which
Christ demonstrated when He came into this world and gave His life for each
individual who comprises His church. Few women would complain if men
routinely loved them with the sacrificial-giving type of love of Christ. A ‘virtuous woman’ is described
in Proverbs 31:10-31. In 1 Tim 5:14 instructions are that “younger women marry, bear children, guide
the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully”
and in Titus 2:3 it is said that “The
aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much
wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be
sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet,
chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word
of God be not blasphemed”. Each and every person would like to be part of
a home where the woman fit these roles; the woman is absolutely necessary for
the family to have a core and for society to function as it should. Differing
Roles For Men and Women in the Assembly Assemblies need leaders. Similarly, in all
marriages someone will be the leader. Indeed, it is virtually impossible to
think of any human organization that doesn’t have a leader, a captain, a
chief, a supervisor, a CEO, etc. God recognizes this and also the need for
followers; He admonishes both men and women to be humble in their
relationships, “submitting [to be
subject or subordinate to] yourselves
one to another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:21). With
this background, God’s Word goes on to say that “the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the
man; and the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor
11:3) and “For the husband is the head
of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church” (Eph 5:23). In
marriages, then, the wife is in a subordinate position; “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the
Lord” (Col 3:18; see also Eph 5:22, 1 Peter 3:1). It is important to
remember that a ‘subordinate’ position does not mean an ‘inferior’ position.
Also, any leadership role comes with a great deal of responsibility; a man
out of control cannot be a leader – he must be under the headship of Christ
to lead others. Sharon Gospel Chapel conforms to traditional
God-given practices regarding assembly leadership. Men have a specific
spiritual role since they, and not women, are
designated by God to be elders/overseers (bishop really means ‘overseer’) of
assemblies (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-8). Women do not publically lead or teach men
in meetings or Bible studies in accordance with Scripture: “Let your women keep silence in the
churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded
to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And
if they will learn any thing, let them ask their
husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (1 Cor 14:34-35); “Let
the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to
teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam
was first formed, then Eve” (1 Tim 2:11-13). These Scriptures have been
discussed extensively by others2. Women wear headcoverings
in meetings since “every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her
head uncovered dishonoureth her head” (1 Cor 11:5). “For
this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels”
(1 Cor 11:10). From the above discussion it is clear that
the Bible is not silent with respect to the role of men and women. At Sharon
Gospel Chapel we try to follow God’s pattern rather than man’s concerning the
role of the sexes. The question which each of us must answer for ourselves is
whether we are prepared to accept these roles and, if not, the consequences
of doing things our own way rather than God’s way. ----- 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matriarchy 2 http://bible.org/seriespage/new-testament-church%E2%80%94-role-women; http://www.ntrf.org/articles/article_detail.php?PRKey=16. Why Don’t
I Get Anything Out Of ‘Church’? Sharon Gospel Chapel 7540 - 106 Street NW,
Edmonton Alberta www.sharongospelchapel.org “not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Heb 10:25). Many who go to church or chapel either
occasionally or faithfully know deep down inside that it is spiritually a
waste of time. Does this describe you? If so, it is appropriate to ask – Why?
Since God cannot be at fault, the problem has to reside in either the gathering
you are attending or with yourself. Life is too short and uncertain, and the
issue is too important for you to waste your time unproductively in a ‘wrong’
church so take time to check out what a gathering of believers should be and
see how your ‘church’ measures up (see brochure ‘What Should I Look For In A
‘Church’?). You also need to check out yourself to
determine if the reason you are not getting anything out of ‘church’ lies
within you. If so, you will need to decide if you are willing to honestly
look at the whole question of who God is and how this affects you and your
life. Do
You ‘Belong’ In A ‘Church’? We must never forget that a church is a
gathering of those who accept the fact that they are so far removed from
being good that a Holy God can have nothing to do with them unless they
recognize their need to be saved out of their sin and believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ is able to deliver them. Those who are in Christ’s Church have
thus repented [changed their mind] and have chosen to follow Christ instead
of self. Does this description fit and describe you? If so, you are already
in Christ’s universal Church and our Lord will help you desire to learn of
Him and do His will; this will make the assembling with other believers in a
local assembly worthwhile. You will get something out of the ‘right church’! If you know you are not part of Christ’s
Church as described in the above paragraph, and if the local assembly is
truly a part of Christ’s church, then it will be impossible for you ‘fit in’:
“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord,
and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the
table of devils” (Cor 10:21). Therefore you
will feel uncomfortable in a gathering of true believers and you will feel
condemned: “And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19), In truth,
you need to recognize that there will be nothing there for you unless you
make the conscious choice that you are willing to be honest with God and are
willing to believe the truth—whatever that may be. Are
You Open To Truth? Christians believe that there is a Creator
God, that morally we have all ‘missed the mark’ [sin], and that we need a
Saviour. If you are prepared to examine such concepts and seek the truth
about God you have every reason to come to assembly meetings. You will accepted, and your time will not be wasted for the Lord
promises: “Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, and ye shall find….For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth” (Luke 11:9-10). We must always remember that God is not
afraid of the truth. His existence and character are verified in creation: “For the invisible things of him from the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even his eternal power and Godhead” (Rom 1:20). True science is
no enemy to God (e.g. challenge yourself to truly examine the scientific
evidences for creation versus evolution); His ability to deliver people from
the bondage of sin has been proven; and the historical accuracy of His Word
has been verified. As you seek God you will find the truth of
Scripture: “thy word is truth”
(John 17:17), that “truth came by Jesus
Christ” (John 1:17), but there is no truth about God aside from that
revealed in Christ: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6. You will find that it
is “Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world” (Rev 12:9) thus “there
is no truth in him…. for he is a
liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). You will then need to make a
choice to actively reject or accept Christ, remembering that “he that believeth not is condemned already”
(John 3:18). Should
The ‘Church’ Be For Unbelievers? Good, solid Christ-centred
churches will always provide ways to teach others about who God is and what
He means in the individual’s life. Unbelievers will be encouraged to change
their mind about God and come to a saving faith in Christ since Christians
know that such faith is necessary for salvation both in this life (John
10:10) and for eternal life (John 3:16). Both those who believe in Christ in the Biblical sense and those who don’t always need to remember that Christians must seek to evangelize. They can never partner or compromise with unbelievers since they are admonished by God to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph 5:11). Thus those who are truly in Christ’s Church can pray for unbelievers, empathize with them, sorrow with them, and love them; but they cannot, indeed must not, allow them to lead worship or have a say in the local assembly. Our Lord warns “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion [spiritual fellowship] hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial [a demon among the Jews; a name for Satan]? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Cor 6:14-15). |
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