What We Believe
We are the Sydney International Christian Church, a non-denominational, Bible-based church. The International Christian Churches are a worldwide movement of SoldOut Disciples with the vision to evangelise the nations in this generation. Our goal is to be a church full of disciples that love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and that love each other just as Jesus loved us (Matthew 22:37-40, John 13:34-35). We want to lead the way in laying down our lives for each other and emphasise the need for every disciple to be a committed servant in the body of Christ (1 John 3:16, Mark 10:43-45). We want to reach out within our community and share our faith. So that, through us, God can make disciples of all the nations living around us (Matthew 28:18-20) and bring them into a loving, serving and maturing body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).
Worship
The primary function of the family of God is to be a worshiping community in attitude and lifestyle (Matthew 4:10, John 4:23-24, Romans 12:1-2). In our worship services we want to experience the presence of God as we express honor, gratitude, awe, humility and brokenness before Him. Our walk with God should be a daily and consistent focus.
Holiness
A desire to be like Him should flow from effective worship. God desires us to come out and be separate so we can show the world his holiness (Leviticus 11:45, 1 Thessalonians 4:7). We believe holiness embodies more than just avoiding sin, and should focus on developing a taste and passion for God, and a hunger for righteousness. Jesus must be the Lord of our lives.
Family
We believe that Christianity is a one-another religion. We are the family of God! We share a common faith, common blood and a common love for God and each other. Our commitment is to love, forgive, encourage, serve, lay down our lives, and to share our possessions and our hearts with each other (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 5:13-26).
Discipling
We are committed, not to only baptizing people into Christ (Acts 2:38, Ephesians 4:1-7) but to growing, training and equipping disciples for kingdom-life (Ephesians 4:11-16). We recognize the biblical mandate to help each other grow and we continue to believe in accountability, seeking and giving biblical advice and collective prayer.
Serving
Our church is a church built on the biblical concept of ministering to the world’s hurts and needs. Jesus’ goal in life was to give up his life for others (John 12:24-26). The servant-heart of sacrifice – showing concern for others and a willingness to give up time and money – is deeply rooted in Old Testament and New Testament themes.
Evangelism
We are committed to testify to the world that Jesus is our Lord and Savior (1 Peter 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:15). Evangelism should be personal and natural. We will provide small groups as well as larger meetings to encourage a deep commitment to sharing the good news.
Benevolence
We are committed to making a difference in our world around us. Jesus taught that his followers are the salt, light, and leaven in a world that needs to elevate its morals and standards (Matthew 5:13-16). We want to influence our neighbors through marriage help, child-rearing classes, generosity, meals, adoptions, helping widows and orphans, the poor and sick both in our community and in our world.
Our 5 Core Convictions
1. We are a Bible Church, not simply a New Testament Church
(2 Timothy 3:14-17, 2 Peter 3:15-16) Technically speaking, the word “Scripture” in this passage refers to only the Old Testament. Now, through the inspiration of the Spirit, we believe that it applies to the New Testament as well.
(Colossians 2:13-14) We believe the Old Testament applies to our lives — as much as the New Testament — except for the Mosaic Law and any teaching in the New Testament that supersedes the Old Testament.
2. “Be Silent Where The Bible Speaks, And Speak Where The Bible Is Silent”
(Genesis 2:19) In applying scriptural principles to build the visible church, we believe we must obey God’s Word. However, where the Bible does not prohibit a practice or name, we are free to use our God-given creativity.
(1 Corinthians 10:23) We are free to practice or name something as long as it does not contradict the Scriptures.
3. Discipling Is A Command Of God And Not Optional
(Matthew 28:19-20, Colossians 1:28-29, John 15:15) The dynamic in this relationship begins as a teacher/student relationship and then matures to a more peer/peer relationship.
(2 Timothy 2:1-3) Discipling is teaching obedience to scripture. This is detailed in the “one another” passages: “love one another”, “instruct one another”, “confess your sins to each other”, “pray for each other”, etc.
4. A Central Leadership With A Central Leader
(Numbers 27:12-23, Exodus 18:12-26, Judges 21:25, 1 Corinthians 4:15-17, Titus 1:5) Throughout God’s Word, when His people were unified, there was a strong central leadership and a godly central leader. (Examples: Moses, Joshua, David and of course Jesus and the Apostles). Local congregations had an overseeing evangelist who unified the disciples “everywhere in every church”. In the first century, congregations were a collective movement — not autonomous, not self-governing.
(Acts 15:19-24, Acts 21:24) In the New Testament, Jesus is the leader of “the movement!”. Uniquely, when He ascends to Heaven, Peter takes on this responsibility as “the apostle to the Jews”, since for the first seven years of Christianity only Jews became Christians. Interestingly, after Paul became “the apostle to the Gentiles”, the leadership of the movement by Acts 15 had passed to Jesus’ oldest half-brother James. At the Jerusalem Council, James, after listening to both sides of the circumcision issue, gives his singular authoritative “judgment”, which is then bound on all the churches.
5. The Dream Of The Evangelization Of The Nations In THIS Generation
(Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23, 1 Timothy 2:3-4) If the world was evangelized in the first century, we can certainly do it again in the twenty-first century! This will be accomplished through every disciple making disciples, and every disciple having discipling relationships.