THE CALL TO THE MINISTRY
Hebrews 5:4, "No man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God." The most vital characteristic of an effective ministry, and what the other Calvary Distinctives hang on, is the conviction in your heart that God has chosen and called you to serve Him. To one that is called of God, the ministry is a necessity not an option.
GOD'S MODEL FOR THE CHURCH
Ephesians 1:19-22, "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." These four foundations must be instituted when developing a fellowship of believers: (1) continue steadfastly in the Word of God, teaching the apostles' doctrine, (2) fellowship in the body of Christ, (3) participate in the breaking of bread, and (4) be people of prayer. These foundations should be led by the direction of the Spirit and should keep Christ at the head.
CHURCH GOVERNMENT
Jude 1:24-25, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever. Amen." As God alone is wise, it is to Him to ordain, to direct, and to govern the Church. Ephesians 1:22 says, "He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church." We look to God to instruct, through His Holy Spirit, the under-shepherd (pastor), aided by the elders, to lead the body in following His will. This in turn is implemented by the assistant pastors.
EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT
Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit 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." Another Calvary Chapel Distinctive is the position concerning the Holy Spirit empowering the life of a believer - that it is distinct and separate from the indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at conversion. We believe that the Spirit works in three distinct ways, represented by the Greek prepositions - para, en, and epi. "And I [Jesus] will pray to the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him; but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17) In John 14, para speaks of the "with you" relationship or the coming alongside. "And shall be in you" is the Greek en. In Acts 1:8, we see the third preposition, epi, used, "...when the Holy Spirit comes 'upon' you." Our lives are not only vessels in which the Spirit resides, but they become avenues in which the Spirit, when the vessel is filled to overflowing, goes forth to affect the world and the souls around us. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit is what Calvary Chapel believes Jesus spoke of in John 7:37-39, "On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
BUILDING THE CHURCH GOD'S WAY
Zechariah 4:6, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." If the Lord doesn't build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Calvary Chapel does not seek programs or procedures, thEatrics or attention grabbers to do the job. We simply trust in the working of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus Christ is building His church as He said He would. If you strive to gain then you will have to strive to maintain. If it is the Lord's work, if He has done it and He has added, then you will not have to strive to keep it going.
GRACE UPON GRACE
Hebrews 13:9, "For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace..." We must need the grace of God continually in our lives. We must stand in His grace. This means at Calvary Chapel we seek to restore the fallen in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Having been forgiven, we need to be forgiving. Having received mercy, we must show mercy. Having received grace, we must be gracious. Showing and extending God's grace is an important part of Calvary Chapel. We seek to minister to hurting people - to see them restored, back on their feet, functioning again.
THE PRIORITY OF THE WORD
1 Timothy 4:13, "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." Acts 20:26-27, Paul said, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. At Calvary Chapel we seek to declare to all people the whole counsel of God. The only way to declare the whole counsel of God is to teach the Word from Genesis to Revelation. A Cavalry distinctive is to systematically teach the entire Word of God. The teaching is expositional in style. We adhere to the example of Isaiah; Isaiah 28:13, "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... It takes time to develop fruit. We must lay the foundation, prepare the ground, plow the hardened soil, work the soil, and plant the seed in the fertile soil. The seed has to grow and develop, but eventually, it begins to bear fruit.
THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS CHRIST
2 Corinthians 4:5, "for we preach not to ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord..." Calvary Chapel seeks to keep the focus on Christ. Distractions that would draw away the attention from Christ to an individual causes confusion and disorientation in the service. Our hearts should be fully focused on praising King Jesus, seeking His voice in the scriptures and worshiping the Father in Spirit and Truth.
THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." The Rapture refers to that time when Jesus is going to come, without warning, and take away His church from this earth. Jesus promised He would come again when He said, "Let not our heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3) The rapture could happen at any time as there are no prophecies that need to be fulfilled for it to occur. Jesus spoke in many parables about the imminence of His return, with an emphasis on watching and being ready. Matthew 25:1-13, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them; But those wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps have gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." The distinction between the Rapture and the Second Coming are clear and distinct prophecies, that must take place before the Second Coming of Jesus. Those that are left to endure the day of judgment will be able to know the timing of the Second Coming as judgments are poured out upon the earth. The Rapture, on the other hand, will come without warning and those who have accepted the Son, and have a relationship with the Father, will be caught up and kept from the wrath that will come upon this world. Calvary Chapel believes it is important that we proclaim the teaching of the Rapture and keep people watching and hoping. Be ready! The Lord is coming for His bride, and He is going to take us to be with Him forever.
HAVING BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT
2 Corinthians 3:5-6, "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..." Calvary Chapel is a work that was begun by the Spirit. Historically, moves of God deviate from that birth in the Spirit, to ultimately seeking to be perfected in the flesh. Movements that were once alive in the Spirit become dead in ritualism. Ritualism is nothing more than a rut, and the only difference between a rut and a grave is length and depth. We believe that if a program in the church is unable to survive on its own, the most merciful thing to do is let it die. If the fruits of the endeavor are rotten, or non-existent, then the Spirit is not moving in that area and we must seek the Face of God to find out what His will is. As the Lord said to Zechariah, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)
THE SUPREMACY OF LOVE
John 13:35, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." Without love, all the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit are meaningless and worthless. 1 Corinthians 13:1: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." All our doctrinal orthodoxy and understanding of the scriptures are of no value if we don't have love. God's supreme desire for us is that we experience His love and then share that love with others. Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
STRIKING THE BALANCE
2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Calvary Chapel's desire is not to divide God's people over non-essential issues. This does not mean that our convictions are weak. When the bible speaks clearly, we must as well. Trying to bring God within the confines or our temporal minds is a lesson in futility and frustration. We must stand firm on the foundations that are very present in the Word of God and allow for faith to guide in the rest of the journey. Isaiah 55:8-9, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.'"
VENTURES IN FAITH
Hebrews 11:6, "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." It is God's will and pleasure to use His creation to accomplish His will. From His angelic messengers to those of us seeking to be used as vessels in His kingdom. The way that we, at Calvary Chapel, seek to do this is by venturing out in faith to see if God is willing to move. It is simply making ourselves available to the working of God. At Calvary we are willing to venture out and give God a chance to work through us.
Hebrews 5:4, "No man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God." The most vital characteristic of an effective ministry, and what the other Calvary Distinctives hang on, is the conviction in your heart that God has chosen and called you to serve Him. To one that is called of God, the ministry is a necessity not an option.
GOD'S MODEL FOR THE CHURCH
Ephesians 1:19-22, "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." These four foundations must be instituted when developing a fellowship of believers: (1) continue steadfastly in the Word of God, teaching the apostles' doctrine, (2) fellowship in the body of Christ, (3) participate in the breaking of bread, and (4) be people of prayer. These foundations should be led by the direction of the Spirit and should keep Christ at the head.
CHURCH GOVERNMENT
Jude 1:24-25, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever. Amen." As God alone is wise, it is to Him to ordain, to direct, and to govern the Church. Ephesians 1:22 says, "He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church." We look to God to instruct, through His Holy Spirit, the under-shepherd (pastor), aided by the elders, to lead the body in following His will. This in turn is implemented by the assistant pastors.
EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT
Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit 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." Another Calvary Chapel Distinctive is the position concerning the Holy Spirit empowering the life of a believer - that it is distinct and separate from the indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at conversion. We believe that the Spirit works in three distinct ways, represented by the Greek prepositions - para, en, and epi. "And I [Jesus] will pray to the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him; but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17) In John 14, para speaks of the "with you" relationship or the coming alongside. "And shall be in you" is the Greek en. In Acts 1:8, we see the third preposition, epi, used, "...when the Holy Spirit comes 'upon' you." Our lives are not only vessels in which the Spirit resides, but they become avenues in which the Spirit, when the vessel is filled to overflowing, goes forth to affect the world and the souls around us. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit is what Calvary Chapel believes Jesus spoke of in John 7:37-39, "On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
BUILDING THE CHURCH GOD'S WAY
Zechariah 4:6, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." If the Lord doesn't build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Calvary Chapel does not seek programs or procedures, thEatrics or attention grabbers to do the job. We simply trust in the working of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus Christ is building His church as He said He would. If you strive to gain then you will have to strive to maintain. If it is the Lord's work, if He has done it and He has added, then you will not have to strive to keep it going.
GRACE UPON GRACE
Hebrews 13:9, "For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace..." We must need the grace of God continually in our lives. We must stand in His grace. This means at Calvary Chapel we seek to restore the fallen in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Having been forgiven, we need to be forgiving. Having received mercy, we must show mercy. Having received grace, we must be gracious. Showing and extending God's grace is an important part of Calvary Chapel. We seek to minister to hurting people - to see them restored, back on their feet, functioning again.
THE PRIORITY OF THE WORD
1 Timothy 4:13, "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." Acts 20:26-27, Paul said, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. At Calvary Chapel we seek to declare to all people the whole counsel of God. The only way to declare the whole counsel of God is to teach the Word from Genesis to Revelation. A Cavalry distinctive is to systematically teach the entire Word of God. The teaching is expositional in style. We adhere to the example of Isaiah; Isaiah 28:13, "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... It takes time to develop fruit. We must lay the foundation, prepare the ground, plow the hardened soil, work the soil, and plant the seed in the fertile soil. The seed has to grow and develop, but eventually, it begins to bear fruit.
THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS CHRIST
2 Corinthians 4:5, "for we preach not to ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord..." Calvary Chapel seeks to keep the focus on Christ. Distractions that would draw away the attention from Christ to an individual causes confusion and disorientation in the service. Our hearts should be fully focused on praising King Jesus, seeking His voice in the scriptures and worshiping the Father in Spirit and Truth.
THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." The Rapture refers to that time when Jesus is going to come, without warning, and take away His church from this earth. Jesus promised He would come again when He said, "Let not our heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3) The rapture could happen at any time as there are no prophecies that need to be fulfilled for it to occur. Jesus spoke in many parables about the imminence of His return, with an emphasis on watching and being ready. Matthew 25:1-13, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them; But those wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps have gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." The distinction between the Rapture and the Second Coming are clear and distinct prophecies, that must take place before the Second Coming of Jesus. Those that are left to endure the day of judgment will be able to know the timing of the Second Coming as judgments are poured out upon the earth. The Rapture, on the other hand, will come without warning and those who have accepted the Son, and have a relationship with the Father, will be caught up and kept from the wrath that will come upon this world. Calvary Chapel believes it is important that we proclaim the teaching of the Rapture and keep people watching and hoping. Be ready! The Lord is coming for His bride, and He is going to take us to be with Him forever.
HAVING BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT
2 Corinthians 3:5-6, "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..." Calvary Chapel is a work that was begun by the Spirit. Historically, moves of God deviate from that birth in the Spirit, to ultimately seeking to be perfected in the flesh. Movements that were once alive in the Spirit become dead in ritualism. Ritualism is nothing more than a rut, and the only difference between a rut and a grave is length and depth. We believe that if a program in the church is unable to survive on its own, the most merciful thing to do is let it die. If the fruits of the endeavor are rotten, or non-existent, then the Spirit is not moving in that area and we must seek the Face of God to find out what His will is. As the Lord said to Zechariah, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)
THE SUPREMACY OF LOVE
John 13:35, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." Without love, all the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit are meaningless and worthless. 1 Corinthians 13:1: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." All our doctrinal orthodoxy and understanding of the scriptures are of no value if we don't have love. God's supreme desire for us is that we experience His love and then share that love with others. Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
STRIKING THE BALANCE
2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Calvary Chapel's desire is not to divide God's people over non-essential issues. This does not mean that our convictions are weak. When the bible speaks clearly, we must as well. Trying to bring God within the confines or our temporal minds is a lesson in futility and frustration. We must stand firm on the foundations that are very present in the Word of God and allow for faith to guide in the rest of the journey. Isaiah 55:8-9, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.'"
VENTURES IN FAITH
Hebrews 11:6, "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." It is God's will and pleasure to use His creation to accomplish His will. From His angelic messengers to those of us seeking to be used as vessels in His kingdom. The way that we, at Calvary Chapel, seek to do this is by venturing out in faith to see if God is willing to move. It is simply making ourselves available to the working of God. At Calvary we are willing to venture out and give God a chance to work through us.