The Bible is inspired. We must follow it.
At
Mountain View, we have one reference book we
turn to: the Bible.
The Bible was written for everyday people to
read, think about for themselves and to put into practice. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is
the Son of
God. His coming (Genesis 49:10), His mission (Isaiah 53, Zechariah 6:13) and His
new message (Jeremiah 31:31-33) were all foretold in the Old
Testament
hundreds of years before He was born. Jesus
Christ wasn’t simply “a good man” but Himself said in Luke
19:10 that He came “to seek and to save that
which was lost.” Some have foolishly decided that Jesus is no longer
relevant. But God said
in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus Christ is "the same
yesterday, today and forever." His clear and simple teachings are
just as powerful and relevant today as ever. Maybe even more so!
God holds us each accountable.
We believe that God will hold
each of us accountable for our actions. What we say, what we do and how we
live our lives is important. His only Son said so. His Son
taught us that there are two destinations for everyone- heaven and hell.
He taught us us how to live our lives such that we can live with Him
eternally-- no matter how bad things in
our lives "used
to be."
Once we become Christians, we must each check our egos at the door, and we
must be personally accountable for following the teachings
of the Bible.
The apostle Peter, when confronted by an arrogant religious leader who
didn't like what Peter had to say about this leader's sin and hypocrisy, replied
"We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)
We urge our visitors and our members to constantly weight what they see and hear
at Mountain View against the Bible. If we are wrong, tell us and we
will change. That is
truly what we are all about.
Since
God holds us accountable for reaching out to others, we
care about your soul, and will do everything in our power to help you to become
a child of God-- "a workman that need not be ashamed." If we're not
doing our job in that regard,
we want you to tell us.
The Bible is the complete teaching of God.
II Timothy 3:16-17 says "All scripture is
inspired by God". Not some. Not most. All. It then goes
on to say, "...and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and
for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work." According
to this and other teachings in the Bible, God has given us the complete
teachings we need to live our lives-- how to be good parents, good spouses, good
employees, good employers, good students, good citizens and productive members
of the only kingdom that matters- the kingdom of Jesus Christ! Why would
any of us think that men could improve upon God?
The Heart and Mind of Jesus Christ
We believe that The New Testament reveals the heart and mind of
Christ (Hebrews 9:15-17). By studying the New Testament, we learn that no
denominations existed– history shows that these came later. We read of people in
their faith obeying the
conditions of God’s grace: they believed, turned
to God, repented of their sins and were baptized in order to be forgiven of
their sins. Being thus saved by God, they were added to the Lord’s people,
or “church” (Acts 2:36-47). As the gospel spread, we see them assembling
in congregations in various
locations, each local group under the oversight
of its own elders (also called bishops, overseers, pastors or shepherds) who did
not answer to anyone other than Jesus. These men could not make laws or be
masters, but were only given the responsibility of caring for the congregation
as shepherds would a flock (Acts 20:17, 28; I Peter 5:1-3). These early
Christians only knew of one headquarters: heaven,
where
their master, Jesus Christ, ruled over each of them (Ephesians 1:23).
This is what we believe. And this is what
we strive to emulate.
New Testament Worship: Simple, Uncomplicated and
Moving
New Testament worship was something that
all believers participated in every Sunday, not something they watched. On the
first day of the week they would eat the Lord’s Supper and hear preaching (Acts
20:7; I Corinthians 11:23-29). They would share their mutual responsibilities by
sharing their prosperity, and we find no other examples or commands of
collections other than this (I Corinthians 16:1-2). No hierarchy could tell them
how much money to give. They had no “church organizations” clamoring for their
money and telling them how much to "tithe," but they each “purposed in their own
hearts” (II Corinthians 9:6-7). In their assemblies they would all sing
(Ephesians 5:19) and all would pray while various men of the assembly would lead
them (I Corinthians 14:15-16). No one person performed the worship, but each
worshipped his or her God as commanded by Jesus Christ. It was
simple but powerful, because each person had a responsibility to worship in
spirit and in truth.
They
were all involved, for each saved person was a priest (Revelation 1:5-6).
These men and women lived godly lives. They taught
others about Jesus Christ. They sent out preachers to other lands. They cared
for their poor. With their simplicity of faith, and with their understanding
that Jesus Christ was the head of the church, there was no need of
centralization. Without any type of organized machinery, the gospel was preached
throughout civilization in a short time (Colossians 1:23) and these early
disciples were known simply as “Christians” (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; I Peter
4:16). They wore no other denominational name.
Pleasing God, Rather Than Men
In the New Testament, their religion was neither
materialistic, flamboyant nor recreational. They were not interested in
impressing men with ceremony, but were interested in pleasing God with the only
thing that has ever pleased God: contrite obedience to His commands (I Samuel
15:22). They preached the gospel to a troubled world, for they knew that it was
God’s power to save others, and not their own (Romans 1:16). Any other appeal
they would not make.
“If only this could be the case today,” many say.
It is. Men and women throughout the world have despaired of “organized
religion,” taking a stand to know no other master besides Jesus Christ, reading
for themselves the commandments of God. So can you!
At Mountain View, we worship and serve God in the
same way the early disciples did, and we would like for you to serve God in the
same manner: in simplicity, following His commandments. We’re not a part
of any denomination. We are all just “Christians.”
How about you? Would you like to be just a
“Christian” and to freely serve God, following Christ without being bound by
denominational laws and obligations? If such freedom appeals to you, please come
meet with us, or call us.
