To spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples. [1]
Why Is This The Vision of Grace Bible Fellowship?
Because the Bible tells us that God’s glory is His chief purpose that drives everything He has accomplished and will accomplish.
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Isaiah 48:11, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I will act”
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Ezekiel 29:21, “I will set my glory among the nations”
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Romans 11:36, “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things”
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Ephesians 1:6,12,14, “to the praise of His glory”
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See also Psalm 57:11; 79:9; Zechariah 2:5; 1 Corinthians 8:6, etc.
Because the Bible tells us that we should passionately embrace His chief purpose as our own.
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Psalm 29:2, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory do His name”
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Psalm 96:3, “Tell of His glory among the nations”
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1 Corinthians 10:31, “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
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1 Peter 2:9, “so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him”
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See also Jeremiah 9:24; 1 Corinthians 1:27-28,31; Galatians 6:14, etc.
What Are The Goals of GBF In Light Of This Vision?
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To participate, with urgency and compassion, in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in all its fullness, locally and abroad (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Jude 22-23 cf. Genesis 12:3b [Gal. 3:8]; Psalm 96:1-3; Isaiah 11:9).
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To see every member of GBF presented complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28; 1 Thessalonians. 3:12-13).
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To see the body of GBF mature spiritually in all aspects into Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).
How Will GBF Pursue The Goals Of This Vision?
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By worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ with godly passion and biblical truth (John 4:24).
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By evangelizing, baptizing and teaching all peoples (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Revelation 5:9).
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By instructing and counseling every man (Colossians 1:28).
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By preparing believers for the use of their spiritual gifts in service to others with a view to an every-member ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).
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By demonstrating a God-produced fond affection for all our neighbors (in the church and outside the church) through tangible acts of love (Matthew 22:38-39; John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:16-18).
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By treasuring all of God’s Word (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Colossians 3:1-2,16; 1 Timothy 2:15).
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By praying for all of God’s purposes and people (Ephesians 1:15-23).
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By shepherding the portion of God’s flock at GBF (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-3).
[1] We have adopted this statement from the vision statement of Bethlehem Baptist Church (http://www.bbcmpls.org). After much effort, we concluded that we could not improve upon it as an expression of our vision. The statement is closely parallel to the answer of the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”