The purpose of Sea Road Christian Church is to lead as many people as possible to discover the fullness of Christ.
As a dynamic church proclaiming the Word of God we seek to accomplish this by remaining clear and staying focused on why we exist:
The foundation of the Cross
The cross is the singular focus and foundational starting point to discovering the fullness of Christ. The cross is at the absolute center of who we are at Sea Road and is the reason why we exist. Apart from the cross, we can do nothing. In light of that reality, however, the cross is not the end but the beginning of a new creation, walking by the Spirit in the newness of life. The personal conviction that is produced by the gospel brings forth repentance, the forgiveness of sin, AND the gift of the Holy Spirit. The experience of the gospel is not static, and neither is it merely believing in information. Rather, the message of the cross is only the beginning of God’s transforming work in us through the reconciling work of the Holy Spirit.
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:37-38
EXALT
In response to the cross, we experience the fullness of Christ through worship. Responding to the gospel message is not based on gratitude, formality, or obligation but rather the response to the gospel is primarily one of great, unspeakable, everlasting joy. This is based on the good news of great joy for all the people that the angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds at the birth of Christ our Savior. The centrality of the cross produces a genuine response of worship in the life of a disciple of Christ. It is impossible to come into the presence of the glory of God and not be forever changed. Our worship is out of the overflow of the infinite joy that the gospel brings. In the presence of God, there is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore (Psalm 16:11).
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37
I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands, Psalm 63:2-4
ENGAGE
In response to the cross, we experience the fullness of Christ through relationship. Jesus calls his followers into nothing less than a fully engaged lifestyle of relationship. We do not seek to participate in worship with our lips while our hearts are far away. Rather, we are a church that believes in the active participation of the church body both vertically in our relationship with Christ and horizontally in our relationship with one another. The kind of participation Jesus calls His church to is comprehensive, personally engaging the mind, engaging the heart, engaging the will, and corporately engaging relationships and engaging community. As the body of Christ, we are not spectators but rather we have been called to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, to be ambassadors of reconciliation, to bear witness to the gospel, to make disciples of all nations, and to join with Jesus as He builds His church.
No one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother, 1 John 4:19-21
EQUIP
In response to the cross, we experience the fullness of Christ through discipleship. Salvation occurs in a moment but discipleship is a lifelong commitment and endeavor to continually grow in the fullness of Christ. At Sea Road, we believe that the inspired, authoritative, infallible word of God is useful and profitable to equip disciples of Jesus for whatever is needed under any and all circumstances. The grace of God is sufficient for all things. Jesus commands us to make disciples, which includes instructing and teaching them to obey all that He has commanded. We are called to maturity in Christ, which eternally calls us deeper into the gospel and refuses to allow us to settle for stagnation.
Teach them to obey all that I have commanded you, Matthew 28:18-20
Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come, 1 Timothy 4:8
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work, 2 Timothy 3:16
EXTEND
In response to the cross, we experience the fullness of Christ through witness. The message and power of the gospel is not to be exclusively enjoyed internally but the gospel is also to be shared, proclaimed, announced, and declared externally for all to hear, respond, and enjoy. The gospel is meant to go out in all directions and to fill all the earth with the good news of Jesus Christ. The gospel is designed to increase and promote the message of Christ to all peoples of all nations. At Sea Road, we believe that the full extension of the whole gospel message is shared through word and deed. The proclamation of the gospel without the demonstration of the gospel is a truncated, eclipsed, and incomplete description. The demonstration of the gospel without the proclamation of the gospel is ungrounded, unclear, and devoid of meaning. The fullness of the gospel includes both word and deed, thus it is through both word and deed that the gospel extends into the world bearing greater witness with integrity and authenticity.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven, Matthew 5:14-16
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, Matthew 28:19
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth, Acts 1:8
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14
Summary
We are passionate about developing 360-degree disciples whose faith is directly impacted upwardly, inwardly, and outwardly. We believe that the power of the gospel fundamentally, irreversibly, and undeniably transforms lives forever. The only way to achieve this is first, to recognize that without the cross as the foundation and starting point, there can be no exalting, engaging, equipping, or extending; and second, to recognize that discovering the fullness of Christ is not limited to one aspect of our discipleship to the exclusion of another. If one of the key components of our discipleship is missing, then experiencing the fullness of Christ will be found incomplete and lacking. Therefore, we believe that exalting, engaging, equipping, and extending are all integral parts that make up the whole of experiencing the fullness of all that God is for us in Jesus Christ.