At God With Us we believe that God will only add to the church and grow our ministries when these Biblical principles are kept in balance. Many churches and ministries have a strong emphasis on the teaching and preaching of the word of God, but they neglect the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, their churches are lifeless and only limp along.

Others have a strong emphasis on the ministry of the Spirit of God but neglect the teaching and preaching of the Word of God. As a result they fall into many sad and hurtful experiences. We believe if God is going to work and move within our ministries there must be a balance between the two.

Someone once said, "Having an emphasis on the Word of God without the Spirit of God will force your ministries dry up. To have an emphasis on the Spirit of God without the word of God will cause your ministries to blow up. But to have an equal emphasis on the Word of God and the Spirit of God will allow your ministries to grow up." The key is balance and balance is absolutely necessary in every area of ministry.

It is a balancing of these twelve distinctives that make GOD WITH US unique and unify us as one body. And it is a balance of these foundational principles that God richly blesses. That is why it is crucial for each of us to grasp what we call,

"The Twelve Indispensable Distinctives Of The God with Us Church Ministries."

The First Distinctive - The Model Of The Church; 
The Second Distinctive - The Government Of The Church; 
The Third Distinctive - The Power Of The Church; 
The Fourth Distinctive - The Builder Of The Church; 
The Fifth Distinctive - The Spirit Of The Church; 
The Sixth Distinctive - The Priority Of The Church; 
The Seventh Distinctive - The Centrality Of The Church; 
The Eighth Distinctive - The Motivation Of The Church; 
The Ninth Distinctive - The Leader Of The Church; 
The Tenth Distinctive - The Passion Of The Church; 
The Eleventh Distinctive - The Attitude Of The Church; 
The Twelfth Distinctive - The Activity Of The Church;

1) The Model Of The Church Is Acts

"Upon this rock I will build my Church…" (Matthew 16:18)

At GOD WITH US we look to the book of Acts as the model for the church. We do not look to church history for our model. History only presents a sad and tragic picture. In the book of the Revelation Jesus called the seven churches of Asia Minor to repentance. It was only sixty years after the church was founded that it was filled with corruption, lukewarmness and all kinds of false practices. Sadly as we look at church history things have not improved.

In the book of Acts we see the church as God intended it to be. This was a dynamic church that took the gospel to the whole world. Paul, writing to the Colossians said, "because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit as it is also among you since the day you heard it and knew the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:5-6).

What does Acts teach us about the church? There are four basic functions of the church. First, they were dependent on Spirit of God. They were empowered by the Spirit (Acts 1:8), filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4), led by the Spirit (Acts 13:2-3), guided by the Spirit (Acts 15:28) and directed by the Spirit (Acts 16:7).

Second, they were teaching the Word of God. In Acts 2:42a, we are told that the church "continued steadfast in the Apostles doctrine." Third, they were building oneness in the people of God. Acts 2:42b, says they continued in "fellowship and breaking of bread." Fourth, they were praying to God. Acts 2:42c, says they continued in "prayer." When these four vital functions of the church are kept in balance we can expect God to richly bless. Acts 2:47, says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

It is important to realize that the growth of the church is not our job. Our primary focus is to follow the Lord's leadership, feed the sheep and tend the flock and as a result God will bring the increase. Our concern is not to grow the church but to grow the Christian. The natural outflow of a healthy Christian is a growing church. Our top priority is to be dependent on the Spirit of God, teach the word of God, build oneness in the people of God and to be a people of prayer.

2) The Government Of The Church Is Episkopos

"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," (Ephesians 1:22)

At GOD WITH US we believe that God appoints the pastor to lead the Church and he is assisted in his leadership by a board of elders. This is called an "episkopos" form of church government. In I Timothy 3:1, Paul wrote, "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop (episkopos), he desireth a good work." The word bishop refers to an overseer or one who rules and leads the church.

The church is not to be ruled by the congregation. The only biblical example of a congregational church government is a negative one. In Exodus 16:2, we read, "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness." And the church is not to be ruled by a board of elders or by a board of deacons. When the church is ruled by a board the pastor becomes a hireling and he losses his God given ability to lead the church as God directs.

We believe that God's model is that the pastor is appointed and ruled over by the Lord and is recognized by the congregation as God's anointed instrument to lead the church with the board of elders guiding and assisting him. This form of government is seen in the early history of Israel. God called a man named Moses to lead the nation of Israel. Israel recognized Moses as God's appointed leader and Moses went to God for wisdom to lead the nation of Israel. To assist Moses in leading the nation of Israel God, appointed 70 elders and together they led the nation (Exodus 18:13-27, Numbers 11:25).

In the church, Jesus is the head and from Him the pastor receives direction for the church. He is assisted in his leadership by the elders. The board of elders is appointed by the pastor. In Acts 14:23, we are told, "So when they (Apostles) had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord." Elders are not to be new converts (I Timothy 3:6) and they are not to be ordained too quickly (I Timothy 5:22). They are pastors sharing the spiritual over sight of the church.

Deacons are servants who exercise the ministry of helps in the church. They look after the facilities and the needs of the congregation and help the sick. Their ministry of helps enables the pastor and elders to lead and feed the congregation (Acts 6:3-4).

3) The Power of the Church Is the Spirit

"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

At GOD WITH US we believe there is an experience of the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that is distinct and separate from the indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at conversion. Every believer at the moment of salvation is instantly and permanently indwelt. Paul said, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9). But to know the power of the Holy Spirit in our work and witness demands a separate choice of faith. Paul made this clear when he wrote to the Galatian believers, " that you might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:14).

To know the power of the Holy Spirit we must come to God and in faith ask. Jesus declared, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit (refers to the power of the Spirit) to those that ask?" (Luke 11:13). And it is not just asking once and for all for the Spirit's power but every new day, every new decision, every new deed demands that we, by faith, choose to depend upon the Spirit's power.

There is no power for Christian living and serving apart from the fullness of the Spirit. Jesus did not begin His earthly ministry until He was empowered for service (Luke 3:21-22) and everything He did in His earthly ministry He did as a Spirit filled man (Acts 10:38). In the same way the Apostles did not begin their ministry until they were empowered for service (Acts 2:14) and all the work they accomplished they did as Spirit filled men. If we are not accessing the power of the Holy Spirit by faith we are living and serving in the energy of the flesh and Jesus reminded us that, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profits nothing" (John 6:63).

We believe there is an experience with the Holy Spirit that is distinct from conversion and the indwelling. Some call it an enduement with the Spirit, the anointing of the Spirit, the fullness of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit or the filling of the Spirit. Whatever term you choose the question is do you have it? Because without it there will be no power and no progress in your Christian walk, work and witness.

4) The Builder Of The Church Is God

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6)

Another distinctive of GOD WITH US is our belief that the builder of the church is God. Which means we do not get involved in all kinds of spiritual hype in order to draw a crowd. We do not high pressure the church or manipulate the people to grow our congregation. We do not run to the latest church growth seminar to discover the newest technique on how to build the church. We are simply of the belief that "unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it" (Psalm 127:1). This does not mean that we do not seek creative ways to win souls. Nor does it mean that we are not aggressive in our out reach. It simply means that we have complete confidence that GOD WITH US is His church and He will build it. All we have to do is be faithful to him.

When you fail to understand that God is the builder of the church, you will find yourself under pressure to grow the church. This will result in you pushing, shouting, and manipulating the congregation. You will create schemes and programs often producing a hyped-up spiritual atmosphere. The problem with pushing and pressuring a congregation to gain growth is you have to keep pushing and pressuring the congregation to keep the growth. Whenever you strive to gain, you must then strive to maintain what you have gained. Maintenance is tough if it's a man-made, man-built church.

Jesus did not say, "Upon this rock 'you' will build my church" but he said, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). When we realize it is His church and He will grow it then we do not have to be under pressure to grow, church or to maintain the growth. We do not have to worry about paying our mortgage, our missionaries or meeting our financial obligations. God will always pay for what He plans. When we understand that God is the builder of the church we will not get bent out of shape when families leave our church for another. We will not feel pressured to keep up with the church next door. When we understand that God is the builder of the church our ministers, members, and ministries will be relaxed and casual rather than stressed and uptight. 

5) The Spirit Of The Church Is Grace

"For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace" (Hebrews 13:9)

At GOD WITH US we believe having received the grace of God we are to seek to extend that same grace to others. We believe that one of God's chief characteristics in dealing with man is grace and mercy. We realize that without the grace and mercy of God none of us would have a chance. We believe that having received grace and mercy from God, we are to show grace and mercy to others. Jesus emphasized this when He said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Again Jesus said, "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).

One of the primary ways we can show forth grace and mercy to others is to restore those who have fallen into sin. Paul said, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). Before we can restore one who has fallen into sin there must be repentance. But once there is repentance that one must be restored and brought back to a position of usability. It was to fallen and backslidden Peter that Jesus said, "Peter, do you love Me?" and Peter replied, "Yes, Lord You know that I love You." Then Jesus restored repentant Peter with these words, "Tend My sheep" (John 21: 15-16). That is to be the spirit of GOD WITH US.

However, showing grace is not without risk. We may make a mistake in forgiving and showing grace to some people. It may be that there repentance was not genuine or maybe that they had a hidden agenda. Maybe they were still involved in their sin and maybe later they will do damage to you. We are not perfect and will sometimes make mistakes. We would much rather err on the side of grace and restore a brother who has not truly repented than to err on the side of judgment and not restore a brother who has truly repented. The Bible warns, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matthew 7:1). We must be careful of a very harsh, inflexible and severe form of legalism that allows no room for repentance and restoration. If we err, let's err on the side of grace and restore every repentant believer to a place of usability. This is the Spirit of Christ and is to characterize GOD WITH US.

6) The Priority Of The Church Is The Word

"Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine" (I Timothy 4:13)

At GOD WITH US it is our aim to declare to people the whole counsel of God. Paul said to the Ephesians elders, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). The only way we can make that claim is to teach through the whole Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. This cannot be done through topical sermons. Topical sermons are good and they have their place, but when you are preaching topically, you are prone by nature to preach only those topics you like. And you tend to avoid those topics that you do not like or that are controversial or difficult. As a result we are not giving the church a balanced view of God's truth. The only way we can say "I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God" is to systematically teach verse by verse through every book of the Bible.

This does not mean that we do not on occasionally address a particular topic or preach a series of topical messages. But for the most part, we must follow the example of Isaiah who said, "But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little" (Isaiah 28:13).

One of the advantages of preaching through the Bible is that we will deal with difficult issues that address problems in an individual's life or within the church body that we would otherwise not address. When you come to a difficult issue you can deal with it in a straightforward manner. We need not worry about people thinking, "Oh, he is aiming at me today." People in the congregation will know that it's simply the passage of Scripture being studied that day.

Teaching systematically through the Bible will not only give our congregations a good understanding of the scripture but teaching the Word of God as God has laid it out will change lives and grow the church. Jesus said, "The seed that falls on good soil will bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred fold" (Matthew 13:8). Now this growth may not happen over night. It takes time to whet and develop an appetite of the people for the Word of God. The seed does not bear fruit over night, but it eventually will, just keep teaching the Word verse by verse. God will bless when we give His Word priority in the church.

7) The Centrality Of The Church Is Christ

"For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord…" (II Corinthians 4:5)

At GOD WITH US we want Jesus Christ to be the central focus in our worship. We do not allow any practice or behavior that would distract people from focusing on Him. For example, we cannot allow someone to stand up during our singing while everyone else is sitting down. The moment he stands, those near him will become aware of him and begin to wonder, "Why is he standing"? The focus is taken off Jesus and placed onto the person who is standing.

If someone does stand up, an usher needs to approach him and invite him into the back of the church and in love tell him, "that we do not practice this because we have discovered that it draws peoples attention away from Jesus and we know you would not want that to happen?" If they get upset it will only show that they were doing it in the flesh. Anything that distracts from Jesus needs to be stopped whether it is someone raising hands in worship, a crying baby or a restless child.

The church is not a place to show case someone's talents, nor is it a place where talented musicians are to perform. We are not to be drawing attention to ourselves. Jesus warned of this when He said, "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven" (Matthew 6:1). We need to remember that worship is not about us, but it is about Jesus and our only job is to point people to Him. Like it or not if people are watching you they are not focused on Him.

When Jesus is the focus and He has central place in our worship lives will be changed and the church will grow. Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples to myself" (John 12:32). One of the surest was to quench the Spirit of God in our services is by allowing things that distract. Jesus must remain the central focus in our worship. He will not share His glory.

8) The Motivation Of The Church Is The Rapture

"Looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)

At GOD WITH US we believe in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that at any moment "the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we will always be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). When the Lord comes all of our earthly work will come to an end. Never again will we have an opportunity to witness and work for the Lord. It is the reality of this imminent return that motivates us to be living and serving our Lord.

It is the rapture of the church that motivates us to be living purely. John said, "Beloved, now we are the sons of God and it doeth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (I John 3:2-3). The rapture motivates us to live purely because we do not want to be caught doing something we would be ashamed of when He comes.

It is the rapture of the church that motivates us to be living harmoniously. Peter said, "Therefore beloved, looking forward to these things [that is, the coming of Christ], be diligent to be found in Him in peace" (II Peter 3:14). It is the rapture of the church that motivates us to live joyfully. Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice…the Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:4-5). It is the rapture of the church that motivates us to live zealously. Jesus said, "Occupy until I come" (Luke 19:13). It is God's desire that we be living each day as if it is our last and we must be living in such a way that we will be ready for our Lord's return. 

9) The Leader Of The Church Is The Spirit

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:5-6)

Another distinctive of GOD WITH US is our belief that God will use anyone who is dependent upon the Spirit's leadership. We believe that a person need not be highly educated or theologically trained to be used by God. We believe that a person need not be an intellectual genius or a gifted orator to advance His kingdom and build His church. Paul wrote, "For we see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called" (I Corinthians 1:26). But we believe that the primary requirement for usability is absolute dependence upon the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

When God called Gideon to deliver the nation of Israel, Gideon said, "O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh and I am the least in my fathers house" (Judges 6:15). God chose Gideon because he had nothing to offer God. He was not a proven leader or a fierce warrior; but he was the babied youngest child from a poor family. God called Gideon because he had no other recourse but to depend upon God and His leadership. The same is true with Jeremiah, when God called him, he responded, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am but a child" (Jeremiah 1:6).

When Jesus was looking for twelve men to carry His message and advance his kingdom, He did not visit the rabbinical schools or the theological seminaries instead he went to the fishing ports, side streets, and the market place and chose a group of unschooled, unlettered artisans, and fisherman who had nothing, but were willing to depend upon Him for everything. In Acts 4:13 we are told, "When they saw the boldness of Peter and John they perceived they were uneducated and untrained men…" Yet these uneducated and untrained men "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). At GOD WITH US we recognize that it is not great talent that God uses but dependence upon a great God and God will use anyone who depends on Him.

We must remember having begun in the Spirit we cannot be perfected by the flesh. Paul warned of this in Galatians 3:3. Our ministries must be from start to finish dependent upon the leadership of the Spirit.

10) The Passion Of The Church Is Love

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another" (John 13:35)

At GOD WITH US we believe that the single most important virtue is love. The Scripture makes it clear that without love every word that we speak, every work that we perform is both meaningless and worthless. In I Corinthians 13:1-3, we are told that it is more important than splendid speech, more valuable than scriptural scholarship, and more impacting than a supreme sacrifice is love. Paul concluded by saying, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three but the greatest of these is love" (I Corinthians 13:13).

Love is the evidence that we are filled with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22, says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love…" the little word 'is' indicates that there is only one fruit of the Spirit. If there were nine fruits of the Spirit the verse would read, "the fruits of the Spirit are…" But there is only one fruit of the Spirit the other eight words simply describe love.

This love that is produced by the Spirit is to influence every area of the life. It is to influence our attitudes. Did you know that it is more important to have the right attitude than to have the right answer? If our answers are wrong, God can change them in a moment by the revelation of His truth. But if often takes a lifetime to change our attitudes. Better that we have the right attitude and the wrong answers than have the right answers and have the wrong attitude.

We are also to be loving in our actions. Paul said to young Timothy, "be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (I Timothy 4:12). Nothing will make a greater impact in the lives of both the saved and unsaved than the love of God moving through the life of a child of God. That is why Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another" (John 13:34-35).

It is not our high tech services or our cleverly crafted words and well delivered sermons alone that will move the hearts and meet the needs of men and women instead it is the love of God moving through the words and works of the child of God. It is for this reason we must "pursue love" (I Corinthians 14:1).

11) The Attitude Of The Church Is Balance

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15)

Another important distinctive of GOD WITH US is our desire not to divide God's people over non-essential issues. This is not to say that we do not have strong convictions. When the Bible speaks clearly, we must as well. We take a firm stand on the foundational doctrines of the faith. But on non-essential issues we try to recognize the validity of both sides of the debate and avoid excluding or favoring those in one camp over the other.

For example we believe the Scripture teaches both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. It is not our job to try to reconcile the two. When teaching through the Scripture and we come to Ephesians 1:4, which says, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" then we teach on God's sovereignty in choosing man. But when we come across Revelation 22:17, which says, "Come! And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" we teach on man's responsibility in choosing God. Man gets in trouble when he takes either of these two positions to an extreme. When you take a hard stand on these non-foundational issues we unnecessarily divide people, split churches and lose many we could otherwise be ministering to.

This is true in worship. Many churches will only worship using hymns and their instruments are limited to the organ and piano. Others will use only modern chorus and arrangements and a full use of instruments. At GOD WITH US we believe in a balance of the two with a mixture of old hymns and modern choruses and a balanced use of instruments. It is not our desire to divide over non-essential issues, whether that is the style of music a church may use or the version of the Bible a church may recommend. We do not battle over the mode of baptism nor will we fight over whether the church of Jesus Christ is local, universal, or both. We may differ with others on these issues but we will not divide over them. In the Spirit of Christ we can agree to disagree over non-essential issues and together push back the gates of hell.

12) The Activity Of The Church Is Faith

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6)

At GOD WITH US we believe that in order to discover God's will and to see God work we must take a step of faith. Without venturing out in faith we will never see what the Lord wants to do. In the Old Testament the Philistines had amassed a huge army and invaded the land of Israel. The Philistines were such an awesome threat that most of the Israeli army deserted and fled. Saul's son Jonathan woke one night and said to a young man, "Come let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised, it maybe that the Lord will work for us" (I Samuel 14:6). In other words Jonathan took a step of faith, he said, "let's see if God wants to work today. Let's see what God might want to do today." Without this venture of faith they would have never discovered God's will or seen God work.

But this venture of faith was not without precaution. As they were on the way to the Philistine camp Jonathan wanted to make sure God was in this wanted venture of faith. He said to the young man, "If they say to us, wait until we come down to you" (I Samuel 14:9) then we will know God is not in it. "But if they say to us, come up to us" (I Samuel 14:10) then we will know God is in it. When we are not sure a little precaution is always wise but it is only when we take a step of faith will we know God's will and see God work. Faith is often risking but remember nothing ventured, nothing gained.