| A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local assembly of believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, having been baptized in obedience to His commands, and being committed to His teachings whereby they exercise the gifts , rights, and privileges invested in them by the Word of God. Further such an assembly will be committed to the carrying out of the great commission which involves spreading the gospel and making disciples throughout the entire world. Such an assembly is also bound together by the observance of the two ordinances which Christ committed unto them which are communion and baptism. Communion , also known as the Lord's supper , is to be observed as a memorial recalling the death ,burial and resurrection of our Lord and is to be a reminder of His promised return. There is no power to save in any form found in the observance of this ordinance . Christian baptism is the act of immersion into water in the name of the Father, The Son , and The Holy Spirit, whereby a believer testifies to the truth that they have placed their faith in, and identify with, the death, burial , and resurrection unto new life of Jesus the Christ of the Living God and does not possess any power to appropriate salvation in any fashion. Being one of only two ordinances which the Lord gave unto the church by example, it is the first act of obedience which a believer ought to undertake , and therefore is a prerequisite to membership in a local church as well as the receiving of the Lord's supper. In addition to the local church assemblies the Bible also clearly teaches that there is what may be termed the church universal which is comprised of all the saints of all ages from around the world who have entered into salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. The scriptures are clear that we all form the body and the bride of Christ, which shall be gathered unto Him in the end times , and shall dwell with him for all eternity. Until that final in gathering the church , local as well as universal , should continue in the observance of the two ordinances mentioned earlier as well as the gathering together upon the first day of the week for worship and praise. The Lord's day is the first day of the week which is observed in memory of the day upon which the Christ arose from the tomb unto new life and therefore should be set aside for such observance. |