“IN CHRISTIAN CIRCLES TODAY THERE IS A REAL PUSH TO JETTISON THE IDEA THAT CHRISTIANS MUST BELIEVE AND PRACTICE BIBLICAL TRUTHS CALLED DOCTRINE. IN FACT, IN MANY POPULAR CHURCH SETTINGS, DOCTRINE HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED!”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about what the Bible has to say about being a Christian, and God’s commands to know Him and His word. Stay tuned…

…I just got back from a trip where I visited a modern evangelical church that is growing leaps and bounds and is filled with people of all ages. It was a thriving church with happy joyous people who gathered together regularly to worship and serve God. However, one thing I noted seemed to be conspicuously absent – it was the clear teaching of doctrine found in the Word of God. Well, I researched this by asking for a church doctrinal statement and was politely given one that consisted of a single page with a very simple paragraph that generically could fit just about any system of theology in any church today. In others words, I could say “amen” to the statement of faith, but nonetheless, so much was missing that I believe the Word of God says is important for the true believer in Christ today. This spurred me on to share with you today’s message on just exactly what does the Bible say every true Christian needs to know about the fundamentals of the faith, and after another musical pause, I’ll tell you exactly what that should be…

…It’s true and yet unfortunate, but Church doctrine has fallen on hard times. Many modern and popular churches that sport huge gatherings of worshippers each Sunday, seem to feel that doctrine is one item to jettison from their repertoire of things to know and follow. However the historic Christian church was founded upon and thrived when it followed carefully systematized and taught truths for the New Testament follower of Jesus Christ. However, are these things called doctrine no longer relevant? The answer is “no,” they are relevant for every generation. In fact, any church that claims to be a local assembly of the Church of Jesus Christ, must be sure to communicate them to all who would join with them. So today let me share with you what the bible says about a number of “fundamental” truths, teachings or “doctrines” that must be taught and believed by all, to truly qualify any church as a genuine local assembly of God’s universal Church. So let’s begin,

To be sure, not everyone who claims the name of Christ, nor attempts to follow Him, is approved by God as representative of His plan for this world of lost sinners. For instance, “Within the Christian circle of theological systems, the popular faith called Roman Catholicism, sees the ‘Roman Church’ as the ultimate seat of God’s authority. To be sure, the Bible is believed, but it must be interpreted, they say, by the Roman Church exclusively. Therefore, the Church of Rome becomes the final authority, and its pronouncements are binding on its members. Then we have what is called, the Evangelical Christian Church, where the Christian’s basis of authority is to be found within the framework of the written and preserved ‘revelation of God,’ the Bible. Therefore, a serious study of the Bible is the most important means by which a Christian can come to know this basis of authority which is the revelation of God.”[1]

Today we call this doctrine, which simply means a specific teaching found in the Bible that all believers are to know and follow. Now what are the fundamentals of the faith that should be taught and practiced by any group that calls itself the Church of Jesus Christ ? Let me list them for you with a short summation of its relevance to us today. We begin with the most important of all and that is

1. THE FULL INSPIRATION AND ABSOLUTE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE

The Lord Jesus Himself, and His apostles and early church affirmed that God alone is author of only 66 books of Scripture, which is found in our Bibles, both the Old and the New Testament. In it, every word is reliable and truly spoken as it pertains to God, His creation and His plan for humanity. The Bible itself teaches us this and all Christians are to believe it. We read of this in,

John 17:17 (NIV) "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."

2 Tim 3:16 (NIV) "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"

2 Pet 1:21 (NIV) "For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

To neglect this or deny God's Word this place in the life of every Christian, is to effectually deny God Himself. Liberals today that infest the major denominations, if pressed, will deny the full inspiration and absolute inerrancy of Scripture. And to do so the Bible says, is to deny Christ. Jesus said,

Mat 5:18 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

Mat 4:4 (NIV) "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'""

Unfortunately many today feel that to strongly emphasize and teach this is too controversial and divides many, so it’s best to just ignore it when preaching from the pulpit or Sunday school lectern.  Thus many who follow in these popular but generic churches never get to hear this and stand firmly upon it for their life and living. One must have confidence in God’s Word as it is the only authority for faith and practice. Now the second important fundamental of the faith is,

2. ABSOLUTE BELIEF IN THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST!

The entire Bible teaches that when the Messiah would come that was promised to the ancient followers of God, He would be none other than God Himself in the flesh. This is foundational to be a Christian. For the Bible says,

John 1:1,14 (NIV) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God …14 (NIV) "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 20:31 (NIV) "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

1 Tim 3:16 (NIV) "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He [God] appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."

It is sad today how many pulpits of the land that claim to be Christian, are filled with Christ denying men, [and women] these days, or just Christ depreciating men and women. These are either false teachers, or compromising teachers who neglect to teach the fact that Jesus Christ was and is not only the Savior of mankind, but He is our Creator GOD come in the flesh! Therefore if He is GOD, everyone who claims the Name of Christ must honor Him as such in their personal lives and collective worship. Yet, how many churches that believe Christ died for them, treat him simply as a fellow brother in the faith, or a good moral teacher, one can either willingly follow or not and still remain in favor with God. The truth is the Bible says HE IS LORD! HE IS GOD! Is he in your life, your church and worship? Does Christ rule by His Word? Is He to be obeyed regardless of circumstances and even consequences? As to this, the Lord Jesus had something to say to anyone who denies this fundamental of the faith. We read in the Bible,

John 8:24 (NIV) "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.""

John 10:26 (NIV) "but you do not believe because you are not my sheep."

Yes, Jesus made it clear, if one willingly denies Christ His rightful place as Lord in our hearts and lives, it is because we are not saved, nor are we forgiven of our sins. In fact, Jesus went on to say those who deny His deity and Lordship, in their churches and their hearts, would forever perish in their sins. That’s how important this is to know. Now the third essential of faith one must teach, believe and practice is,

3. BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH & MIRACLES OF THE BIBLE

The Bible makes it clear, that Jesus of Nazareth was born miraculously without a human father. He was conceived in the womb of his human mother by the divine act of creation by God. Even the Old Testament prophesied this would happen.

Isa 7:14 (NIV) "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Heb 4:15 (NIV) "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin."

1 Pet 2:22 (NIV) ""He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.""

You would be surprised these days how many popular Christian religious leaders do not believe in the miracle of the virgin birth of the sinless and perfect Christ, nor any of the other miracles He performed in the Bible. Yet, my friend, to deny this is to deny Christ. Jesus Himself said,

John 6:35 (NIV) "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 8:28 (NIV) "So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me."

John 14:6 (NIV) "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

If we truly believe Christ is the miracle creation of the infinite GOD/Man Jesus of Nazareth, everything we do will be done to glorify and serve Him! Our churches will be “Christocentric” meaning every service, every gathering will be to glorify Christ in our lives. Yet, how often many modern worship services today are truly geared to glorify man and individuals instead of Jesus Christ. Worship for too many has become just entertainment, when it should be centered on participatory worship and true personal praise to God, but glorifying Him alone!

Now the fourth important and fundamental doctrine that identifies and qualifies anyone to be a Christians is firm faith in,

4. THE BLOOD ATONING FULL AND SUFFICIENT DEATH OF JESUS FOR SIN

Although liberal and modernist religionists today abhor the Bible's` teaching on the atonement of the shedding of blood --one cannot be a Christian without belief in this doctrine of Scripture. The Bible is full of this teaching for we read,

Rom 3:24-26 (NIV) "and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

Heb 9:22 (NIV) "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

Liberals today hate this teaching and speak vehemently against it. Still others who know better are just silent and never speak on the issue of the blood atonement for sin. You see, if Christ died on a cross, shedding His blood for your sin and mine, it means that a great cost was paid for our sins and will be extracted from all who have not the covering of Christ’s death upon their sinful lives. As such, missions must be a first and foremost ministry of outreach. Not centered of course on feeding the poor and making them comfortable on their way to Hell, but feeding them the “words of life,” the gospel of Jesus Christ and ministering first and foremost to their soul and spirit as you do their bodies needs. Ask the pastor of your church how much of gathered funds goes to missions? How much to making your own lives comfortable? A godly bible centered church will make missions number one and it will be seen in its dynamic support of missionaries and mission organizations that first preach the gospel, then minister to practical needs.

Now continuing one, there are two more basic doctrines of the faith that are fundamental to claiming God's forgiveness and grace and seem to be conspicuously absent from every day teaching in many popular evangelical churches today. The first is the,

5. BODILY RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

The greatest and most important miracle in the Bible outside the virgin birth of the Savior is the miraculous resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. Do you know that today the most substantiated truth from our historical past is not the account of the American Revolutionary War, nor the report of the reality of Charlemagne, or Napoleon, or even Columbus ' discovery of the Americas ! No, the greatest and most reliable historical truth passed down to us is that Christ rose from the dead! The Bible says this clearly too for we read in,

1 Cor 15:1-7 (NIV) "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,"

Yes, it is the resurrection of Christ that alone gives us assurance that His death and blood atonement was accepted by God as the full and final payment for our sins. God the Father raised Jesus Christ, in testimony that through faith in Him and His work of redemption, we can be saved from our sins, and given the wondrous gift of life eternal with God. Now, why anyone would want to deny or neglect this teaching is beyond my understanding except for simply rebellion and unbelief in a God who rules eternity. Well lastly, but of course not the least of all  doctrines to the necessity to know and believe in,

6. THE PERSONAL IMMINENT RETURN OF CHRIST, TO BRING JUDGMENT UPON THE WICKED, THE UNSAVED ONES AND BLESSING TO THE RIGHTEOUS, OR SAVED ONES

When Christ rose from the dead, He assured His followers they would likewise experience the same blessing God the Father gave Him. Listen to the Scriptural promises that are our prized possession concerning our coming resurrection unto eternal life.

John 14:1-3 (NIV) ""Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

1 Th 4:13-17 (NIV) "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

Friends, these are the essentials, the basic Scriptural teachings that formulate what is to be taught in Christian assemblies, and to be a Christian. Of course, there are many more doctrinal truths to be believed and are important for a right understanding of God and maintaining our righteous walk in this world. However, if you willingly deny any of these and choose to reject them - you have no promise of God you belong to Him. The angel of Christ declared,

Acts 4:12 (NIV) "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.""

Friend, the virus of ignorance and worse unbelief are growing again in religious circles, as millions of followers of churches and religious systems of faith move away from these basic truths. So today, examine yourself as Scripture says -- whether you be "in the faith." For if you find yourself outside the camp of truth and knowledge, enter in by the simple act of faith and believe these things according to God's own record, the Bible. For in and through these doctrines we have eternal life, and through them our souls are saved for all eternity.

Well there you have it! -- the fundamentals of the faith, say are you a fundamentalist? It’s not a dirty word, nor a word of fanatics. You are a fundamentalist, if you believe these basic truths of Scripture. Don't shy away from that word because only fools condemn it. Stand firmly upon and with it, knowing God's approval is there. I for one, expectantly await the personal return of our Lord and when He comes, I know He will say to all who faithfully followed and believed His Word…

Mat 25:21 (NIV) ""… 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness."

May God further add His great blessing to all these words and thoughts to you, for Jesus' sake. Amen…

…Well friends, I’ve shared with you the most important doctrines and teaching that every Church that names Jesus Christ must teach and proclaim from their pulpits. When we neglect them or worse deny them the people fall away, and fail to live rightly before God and man. We must return to being preachers of the Bible, and expositing the Word for the members of our churches that they may grow thereby. May God give us all a holy revival all across the land, and may it break out in seeing many come to Christ as a result.

Say friend if you’d like a copy of today’s talk please write to me for a free audio or print copy at, the World, the Word & You! Broadcast Post Office Box 60033 , Grand Junction , Colorado 81506 . Or, you may obtain one right way by visiting our internet website at www.wwy.org. There you can have this and many more free of charge, as well as listen to the program again.

My time is gone, so may I share with you my heart felt cry to God that you be saved from your sins by trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, that you align yourself with a bible believing church of your choice, and that you seek to know and learn more about Jesus Christ day by day and live for Him.

God bless you friends, be sure to tune us in again next week at the same time on this fine station. This is Dennis Finnan your host and speaker saying, may God richly bless you, so long for now.