What to Expect at First Baptist Church of Lockport

We at First Baptist Church are excited to hear you are considering a visit to our church.

You can expect a welcoming atmosphere here at First Baptist. The church family is a loving one and will make you feel comfortable without being pushy.

Concerned about what to wear? Don't be. You will see our congregation in everything from jeans to suits and dresses.

Our worship service includes a mixture of hymns and contemporary worship songs. During the service, we offer Children Church for the kids.

If your visit includes Sunday Morning Small Group, you have the opportunity to select from several different small group Bible studies, designed for you and your family.

We hope this answers some of the questions you may have about First Baptist Church. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call 815-838-4004 or email at fbclockportil@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

Remember that Sunday Bible Study begins at 9:30 am to 10:30am and Worship Service starts at 10:45 am.

The Meaning of Church Membership

God is a God of order. He has a plan for every saved person, and the church is in the center of God’s plan for Christians; but, it is remarkable how many people claim to be saved by the grace of God through Christ yet in the same breath say that they do not have to go to church to be a good Christian. The Bible tells us that Jesus built the church Himself and if He thought we needed it and built it for us, we ought to trust His wisdom, judgment, work and worship Him through His church as He desires - He loves the church. Should your love be any less? If the church is that dear to the heart of our Savior, shouldn’t you support it faithfully with your attendance, tithe and prayers?

Christ died for the church (Eph. 5:25), and that alone should change the attitude of those who feel that church attendance is not important. Furthermore, Christ is the Head of the church (Eph. 1:22). If the Lord Himself is the Head, is it not worthwhile to be a part of it? Today we live in the church age and God expects and commands all Christians to worship and serve Him through a church. God has a plan for those who have been saved to help them live amidst this world of sin and temptations that we face while on Earth, and in the center of this plan for each Christian is the Church.

As Christians, we should be obedient to the Lord’s command to follow Him in baptism and become a member of His church. However, every church member should know the seriousness and sacredness of church membership. It is surprising the number of people who hold a church membership without realizing their privileges and opportunities or accepting their obligations.

The church was built by Christ during His personal ministry and He alone is its Head (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18). He promised perpetuity to it and said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it (Mt. 16:18; 28:20). He gave it the commission and the ordinances and died for it upon the cross (Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Eph. 5:25). Christ loved the church and desires His churches to honor and glorify Him as His representatives on the Earth (Eph. 5:25-27; 3:21). The greatest task ever assigned to any individual or group in the world’s history, the task of carrying the glorious gospel of Christ the Savior to the whole world, belongs to the Lord’s churches. The Great Commission is unique in that no other commission like it has ever been given or ever will be given. We see then that the great privilege of church membership offers an opportunity for Christian growth, development and training through the church; and an opportunity for Christian service through the work of the church in its evangelistic program both to those at home and around the world on the mission fields. Membership also places upon us inescapable obligations, an obligation to make our church and its work first in our lives; and obligation to use our time and our talents for the glory of God; an obligation to the work of the church with our presence, our talents, our influence and our means.

We must subject our conduct in accordance to Gods Holy Word by refraining from embarrassing or disgracing Jesus Christ or His Church. We agree to support our respectfully, financially, physically, and prayerfully as well as through our regular attendance. We believe that God has called us each according to our talents and gifts and it is our love for Him that gives us the desire to use our talents and gifts for Him, striving daily to become more Christ like.

God’s Plan of Salvation

Think carefully on this soul-searching question: If you should die right now, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven?

If your answer is anything other than, "Yes I'm absolutely certain that my sins are forgiven and that Heaven will be my home," then this important message is just for you.

The Bible teaches that you need to know and believe four things to settle this matter of your eternal destination:

1. You must accept that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). No one is exempt from this indictment.  Everyone has sinned.  Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned "  No one is perfect and no one can live up to God's perfect standard.  We are sinners by nature.

2. You must accept that as a sinner you owe a penalty. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). Because of our sin we owe a debt. This debt is a spiritual death or separation from God in the lake of fire known as Hell. Hell is not a figment of someone's imagination or only a figurative term. Hell is very real. It is a literal burning place. It's not a place where you go because your friends will be there and you want to have a good time. It is a dark, lonely, smoldering, burning place and it never ends. It continues to burn for all time. The worst part is, there is nothing you or I can do on our own to avoid it outside of Jesus, it is our final destination. If you are depending on your church membership to get you to Heaven, beware; it's not enough. If you pray a lot hoping to get to Heaven, don't depend on that; it's not enough either. Even if you give a lot of money to a church, it's not enough to gain Heaven. Many people think if they are good enough, they will be able to slip in through the gate when no one is looking or find a hole in the gate somewhere. There is only one way to get to Heaven. How?

3. You must accept that Jesus Christ has already paid our sin debt."But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. " (Romans 5:8). Christ was not a sinner, and the Bible teaches that God took all of our sin and placed it on Jesus Christ. While Christ was bearing all our sins in His own body, God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe. This is not something God promised to do. It is something He has already done. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. " (John 3:16). It is a fact: Jesus Christ has already paid your sin debt.

4. You must accept by faith what Jesus Christ did for you. "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. " (John 3:36). In this verse, the world is divided into two groups: those who are believing and those who are not believing on the Son. Those who believe have everlasting life, and those who don't believe shall not see life.

The word "believe" means to trust, to depend on, to rely on. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means that you accept the fact that you are a sinner, that as a sinner you owe the sin penalty, and that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and arose again on the third day to pay the debt you owe. But it means going one step further: it means that you will completely trust Christ to get you to Heaven, that you will place the matter of your salvation in His hands and depend on Him alone for everlasting life.

The moment you do this, God promises you are not condemned but have everlasting life and that you will never perish in Hell. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment,but has passed from death into life. " (John 5:24).

Now, if you will trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, pray this simple prayer from your heart:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I deserve to pay my own sin debt, but I do believe that You died for me to pay the debt that I owe. Today, the best I know how, I trust You as my Savior. I will depend on You from this moment on for my salvation.

If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, please let us know so that we can work with you, and help you grow in the Lord by learning about his promises found in the bible. Please call (815) 838-4004, or go to Contact Us so that we can celebrate with you.