The Pastor’s Vision
HOLDING UP THE ARK AND EMBRACING THE ALTAR
Deuteronomy 10:8-9
8At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
9Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.
The bible declares that we are a “royal priesthood and a holy nation”. As the royal priesthood of God we are required to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord. It was the tribe of Levi that carried the ark from place to place. I see the ministry of Refuge Temple of Christ holding up the four corners of the ark. The ark contained three items: (1)The table of stone the God wrote His commandments on (God’s Word) (2) Aaron’s rod that budded (God’s direction and protection) (3) a pot of manna (God’s provision and sustaining power). Refuge Temple of Christ is a church that is ordained by God himself. He is the one that has led us through all of the peaks and valleys and has promised us great success if we completely submit to His will. Just as it took four priests to carry the ark, we have four areas of priestly ministry that we have been assigned to in this region. This approach to ministry will address the needs of the “whole man”.
I no longer choose to limit this ministry to being called “Refuge Temple Lockport” because God has a greater vision for us than the city of Lockport.
Joshua 18:3 (King James Version)
3And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
The Four Corners of the Ministry
The Priesthood of Worship
A church’s worship ought to be God-centered and gospel-fueled. We ought to come to worship expecting first and foremost to see God. We come to encounter his glory, to be awe struck by his majesty. A worship service isn’t the place to showcase human talent but the place for God to showcase his divine treasure. We gather not to be impressed by one another—how we sound, what we wear, who we are—but to be impressed by God and his mighty acts of salvation. We come to sing of who he is and what he’s done. We come to hear his voice resounding in and through his Word. We come to feel the grief of our sin so that we can taste the glory of his salvation. We gather to be magnificently defeated, flattened, and shrunk by the power and might of the living God. We are expected to approach praise and worship with excellence and reverence for our God.
The Priesthood of Fellowship
“Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing God’s will on earth.” Refuge Temple of Christ is a church that is built on believers that have fellowship with the Holy Spirit and with each other. Fellowship is just not being together but it is “doing” together. There is a place for everyone in the ministry and it is the goal of leadership to help all those that have a mind to work to find their purpose.
You can practice fellowship by taking an active part where you can best help with this goal. You can discover where you can best help by recognizing your spiritual gifts and natural abilities and by knowing the needs of our church. Then help where you can make not just yourself, but the church as a whole, to be the most fruitful. If you do not know your spiritual gift, pitch in where you have a natural ability. As you work with others, your gifts will surface and you’ll find places you might function in our church according to your gifts and abilities.
The Priesthood ofTeaching and Training
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (II Peter 3:18).
Refuge Temple of Christ is committed to the teachings of the oracles of God by effective teaching and training. The continual study of God’s Word is a cornerstone of our ministry. Weekly bible studies and personal studies is how this shall be achieved. We are not just focused on the teaching behind the walls of the church but also the teaching of God’s Word to the entire community. The teaching and training will go from the “cradle to the grave”. We are committed to teaching or children from the minute that they can communicate. It is through the knowledge of God’s Word that we will grow and flourish.
The Priesthood of Evangelism and Outreach
We cannot be the church of our Lord Jesus Christ if we do not adhere to the final directives that were given by our Lord when he departed this earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Refuge Temple of Christ is committed to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this entire region and abroad. We will establish outreach ministries, local and regional evangelistic strategies. We will also pursue church planting in areas where the gospel may be shallow or non-existent. Witnessing will be the staple of our church growth. The church is also here to establish components to serve in the greater Lockport area. We look to minister to the entire man. SPIRIT SOUL AND BODY
Prayerfully submitted
Pastor Mark K. Sanders, Sr.
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