All The Right Ingredients
by Pastor Matthew E. Walker

Have you ever eaten a piece of cake where one of the ingredients was left out or perhaps there was too much of a certain spice? Typically, we don’t like cakes that are really salty. In baking, not only is it important to have all the ingredients, but it is also important to mix them in the right proportion.

Here at College Park, we believe that being the right kind of church requires having all the right ingredients for a good church and then mixing them proportionally to their level of importance. Because of that we have developed some non-negotiable priorities for our ministry. These priorities are the ingredients that make up our church and ones which we will not back down from for anything.

Our first non-negotiable is that Jesus is the head of our church. This is in obedience to the clear teaching of Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” This means that no one is ever going to be the Head of this church but Christ. CPBC is certainly not Matthew Walker’s church, though some may refer to it that way. It is Jesus Christ’s church and He makes the decisions around here.

Our second non-negotiable is that the Bible is our final authority. It is the written Word of God breathed out by Him. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The Bible teaches us about God, brings conviction to our heart, makes changes as they are necessary, and then helps us to live out that change so that we might bring glory to Him.

Our third non-negotiable is the plurality of godly leadership. As the pastor, my ministry is to fulfill this Scriptural office as God enables me to do so. Technically, in Greek I am the PESBO(a). That is, I am the pastor, elder, shepherd, bishop, overseer, and possibly angel depending on the meaning of that term in Revelation 1-3. We also have deacons here at College Park who desire to serve the body here taking care of many of the mundane tasks that mount up in a growing ministry. Then we take seriously Ephesians 4:12 which reveals what church leadership is all about: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The saints of College Park are the ones doing the “work of the ministry” and they are involved in “edifying the body of Christ.”

Our fourth non-negotiable is centrality of preaching in the church. While many churches are moving toward a post-modern approach to ministry which includes drama, music (labeled improperly as worship), and even something called “liturgical dance,” our focus here is on the clear expositional teaching of the Bible. That is why we make the sermon so much of an emphasis here. In fact, the whole service is geared to work up to the preaching of God’s Word. Paul instructed Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Paul also instructed Titus to preach in Titus 2:15. “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Our fifth non-negotiable is that Christian music must be sacred. In many modern evangelical churches music has become anything but sacred. Be honest about it. Would you call your worship service sacred, or would you use a term more like relevant or practical? We believe that when people come into the church sanctuary that they are coming to meet with God. That doesn’t mean that they cannot meet God outside the walls of a church building. It does mean, though, that this building has been set aside for God’s use. The music and every other ministry here must be sacred. God told Moses in Exodus 3:5 to put off his shoes “for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” When we meet with God in church it must be in a reverent manner. God is holy and His holiness demands that our attitude be one of holy fear.

Our sixth non-negotiable is that a church should be a loving environment where people encourage one another spiritually. Ephesians 4:15-16 teaches that our attitude towards others should be in a loving spirit. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” The spirit that rules in some churches is a gossiping, back-biting, and self-serving spirit. That attitude should not describe the church which Jesus selflessly died to redeem.

Our seventh non-negotiable is that God has called us to plant new churches. We believe that this is the best explanation of our Lord’s statement in Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Because of that, our ministry philosophy is not to create a mega-church with a sprawling campus that includes a fitness center, restaurant, and bookstore. Instead, we desire to build many churches out of our church by raising up Christ-like leaders and then commissioning them to go out and do what Jesus commanded. We already support many missionaries that are around the world preaching Christ.

Just about every evangelical church agrees with these non-negotiable priorities in some way. The question is one of balance. Mixing these ingredients in the right proportion allows us to give glory to the Divine Chef—Jesus Christ. Because of that, our church is a spiritually vibrant place where Christians are growing to become more like Jesus Christ. If these priorities coincide with yours, we would love to have you join us this Sunday!