FCG Church - Teaching

(Note: Clicking the church name above will take you back to the home page,
and clicking the three crosses at the bottom will take you back to the top of the page.)

FCG Church - Teaching

#1406 0718 10A

The doctrine of a church determines how we live in this world. The First Century Gospel Church emphasizes to vital need to depend on God in faith to control every part of our life every day. We are to trust God in faith to control every situation and every person we meet in the course of a day—without trusting on any human power or plan to control those situations or people. The church wants to say what the apostle wrote Acts 20:27 ”I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

Beginning in 1925, the FCG Church has always taught that a true believer will accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and that the teaching of Scripture is our guide for a continuing life of believing trust on God, and enduring faith in the Atonement of Christ, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16 ”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine [teaching], for reproof [conviction], for correction [convincing], for instruction [training] in righteousness.”

It is necessary to repent, confess, and forsake our sins before God, because 1 John 1:9 ”If we confess our sins, He is so faithful and just that He forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.” Isaiah 55:7 ”Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

Our life must be committed to God without compromise, and our will is to be His will in everything. Romans 12:1-2 ”I plead with you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present all your faculties to Him as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him. This with you will be an act of reasonable worship. And do not follow the customs of the present age [this world], but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is—that will which is good and beautiful and perfect.”

That commitment to God means we are to trust God alone for physical healing without the use of medicine, drugs, prescriptions, human remedies, or a doctor. Jesus said to the woman Matthew 9:22 "your faith has healed you," and the apostle reminded those listening Acts 3:16 that “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him [faith being the condition] that has given this complete healing to” [the man].

Our church teaching emphasizes the importance of trusting God for financial support, both in our personal lives and the ministry. The church and its members do not ask for donations, nor do they make their financial needs known to anyone or any agency—not making the slightest hint that they are in need of funds. Philippians 4:6,19 ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

The FCG Church believes and teaches that we are to trust God alone for protection from accidents or injury, and to not use protective seat-belts, or any other device that is designed to protect a person from accidents, as such devices are false places of trust that substitute for faith in God. Our trust is to be totally on God to be protected from such incidents in the first place. Psalm 41:2 ”The LORD will protect him and preserve his life.”

The FCG Church teaches its members not to purchase, not to take responsibility for, nor sign any type of insurance policy for financial protection. In regard to homes and vehicles, we must rent them, and thus placing the responsibility to financially protect that investment on the owner of the house or the vehicle. God alone is to be trusted in believing faith to protect us from financial loss and to provide our needs by faith on a daily basis.

We believe in trusting God only for the salvation and control of our family, without depending on any human plan, threats, or force to bring about change or cooperation. In training children, Bible teaching is to not use physical punishment, but instead to show them a correct example by the Holy Spirit’s power, and to explain Christ-like attitudes to them. We are not to provoke nor discourage our children, but to Ephesians 6:4 “bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice.”

The FCG Church baptizes by full immersion as the apostles of the early church did Acts 8:38, and follows the commission Jesus gave Matthew 28:19-20 to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”

Our church emphasizes the importance of commemorating the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis, as instructed by Jesus. Partaking of the Bread and the Cup reminds us that Jesus took our place on the cross to forgive the sins in our life. Jesus Luke 22:19 “took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. ‘”

Our church has always asked God to inspire our service messages by His Holy Spirit. We trust God in faith to give people the desire to attend church services, so they can be better acquainted with living His Truth from Scripture. We do not depend on special services or human plans to bring people to the meetings, but we depend on God alone. Hebrews 10:25 ”Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The FCG Church has always rented the building in which to hold services, and it teaches its members to rent their homes or land for farming. Bible teaching is that a believer in Christ should not own real estate on earth, nor own expensive property that would be considered a treasure—or be collateral to protect them financially. The valuable possession would be a false place of dependence that would replace total dependence on God.

The principle of trust is to not have any financial assets in place here on earth on which we could depend. Jesus was specific when teaching about faith and finances Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up stores of wealth [treasures] for yourselves on earth, where the moth and wear-and-tear destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where [they are secure]. For where your wealth [treasure] is, there also will your heart be.”

Financial security is a major concern for people of the world, but Jesus warned us to Luke 12:15 "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Jesus then told of a rich man who desired to be a good steward and worldly-wise in handling money. His assets increased, so he constructed larger buildings in which to store this increasing wealth.

The man thought [“I will say to my soul”] Luke 12:19-21 "’[Soul] You have plenty of good things [ample possessions] laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life [thy soul] will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared [provided] for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things [amasses treasure] for himself but is not rich toward God."

The Scriptures are clear on financial matters. As the first century church was beginning, the apostles had to make decisions about money and possessions. Acts 4:34-35 ”There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time [as the Holy Spirit inspired them] those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

This giving money to charity or to the poor, is always done anonymously—without anyone knowing what we are doing. Matthew 6:3 “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” When giving to charity, we are simply transferring our funds from the bank, to the Lord—for His control and safe-keeping—which compels us to trust Him in faith—it is an electronic transfer of eternal importance! Luke 12:33 ”Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted.”

The Philadelphia FCG Church has hundreds of members, and is the only branch in this country. Many correspond from a distance and receive FCG Church literature on a regular basis. There are branches in Nigeria and Ghana in West Africa, and two more recent contacts in Migowi, Malawi—East Africa, and one in Cabadbaran City—the Philippines.

These overseas branches receive the same Truth of God transcribed from our service messages. These groups are learning to trust God each day for their finances, healing, protection, and salvation by faith in the Atonement of Christ, just as we teach our members to do.

The church has always emphasized the importance of full obedience to the New Testament Scriptures—and the Old Testament where it supports the New—in order to be prepared by God for eternal life. Jesus said Matthew 7:21 "Not every one who says to me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to [who is doing the will of] my Father who is in Heaven.”

God’s Truth is in our heart—Matthew 7:21 “Not all people who sound religious are really godly [righteous]. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.”

The one requirement for salvation is to place a believing and trusting faith in the Atonement work of Jesus Christ. John 3:18 ”He who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

†††