ABOUT US
Welcome to the Church of Christ Ikeja.
The Origin of the Church
From Matthew 16:18 we learn The church wasn’t established in the Old
Testament. Thus the rules governing this relationship will be found in the
New Testament. The church belongs to Christ, not man. The church is a
very important relationship. The word church is spoken of in the singular,
Jesus desires that all believers be united and in one universal body (Eph.
1:20-23; John 17:20-23). Acts 20:28 ..the church of God which He
purchased with His own blood. The church isn’t a building, rather it is
people who have been redeemed (1 Peter 1:18-19).
What Christians Believed/Practiced
This isn’t meant to be a complete list. But here is just a sample. Someone
has noted that if you were trying to find something then you would look for
its identifying marks, such as the specific characteristics of a car that had
been stolen. In like manner, the church that Jesus established has
identifying marks.
Worship
Christians assembled on the first day of every week (Sunday)
(Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1; Heb. 10:25),and observed the Lord’s Supper.
Every member partook of both elements (1 Cor. 11:23-26). They sang
spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19; Colossians 3:16); gave as they had been
prospered (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Collections were not solicited from non-
members. They prayed together (Acts 2:42), and listened as the Word of
God was taught (Acts 2:42).
Organizational Structure
Jesus was the sole head (Eph. 1:20-23).
Each local congregation was shepherded by a plurality of men called
elders/pastors/overseers or bishops (Acts 14:23; 20:17,28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7;
Titus 1:5-11). The authority of these men was limited to the congregation
of which they were members (1 Peter 5:1-3). Thus each congregation was
self-governing. The New Testament provides no earthly organizational
structure for the church which is beyond the local congregation.
Basic Teachings - The church that Jesus established taught and practiced:
- Water baptism is just as essential to salvation as is hearing the
gospel or believing that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 16:15-16;
John 3:16). - Man is born pure and innocent (1 Cor. 14:20).
- No one has been predestined for salvation or damnation (2 Peter
3:9). - Heaven and hell are both eternal (Matt. 25:46).
- The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit each possess the qualities of
Deity (John 1:1; Acts 5:3-5). - Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).
- All non-Christian religions are powerless to save (Acts 4:12).
- God’s moral standard is not changed by time and culture (Galatians
5:19-21). - A Christian can lose their salvation (Heb. 10:26-31).
OUR BELIEFS
1. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God – a lamp for our
feet and a light for our path. (II Timothy 3.16; Psalm 119.105)
2. We believe that every person matters to God, our Creator, but every
person has disobeyed him, or sinned, and will die because of their sin.
(Romans 3.23)
3. We believe that God does not want anyone to perish, so he made
forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life available to all those who
call on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and arose
from the dead. (I Corinthians 15.1-8; John 3.16; II Peter 3.9)
4. We believe that to call on the name of Jesus Christ means to repent of
sin, confess faith in Jesus Christ, be baptized into him, and submit to him
as master. (Romans 10.9; Acts 2.38)
5. We believe that the Church is the Body of Jesus Christ on earth, is
empowered by the Holy Spirit, and exists to evangelize the lost and edify
the saved. (Ephesians 4.1-6)
6. We believe that Heaven and Hell exist, that God will judge all people one
day, and that heaven should determine our priorities. (Matthew 25.31-46; I
Thessalonians 4.13-18; I Peter 4.7-11; Philippians 3.14)
How Can One Become A Member Of This Church?
Become just a Christian! When one is saved, he is added by the Lord to the church. ‘And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved’ (Acts 2:47). Jesus said, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved’ (Mark 16:16). Sinners were told, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost’ (Acts 2:38). Therefore we accept into our fellowship all who willingly confess their belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and will repent and be baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of their sins. Obeying these commandments makes a person just a Christian. We wear no other name than Christ’s and seek to be no other kind of church than the one described in the New Testament. Wouldn’t you like to be just a Christian?