We believe that God sent his son Jesus, not to condemn us but to save us, because he loves us (John 3:16-17).
We meet every Sunday at 10am to encourage each other, get to know each other and challenge each other. At these meetings we generally sing, pray, read the Bible and learn/think through what we read. We try and apply what we learn to our everyday lives.
We are trying to follow the example of Jesus in the way we relate to others. We want to learn to love more and serve others more.
We hope you'll enjoy your visit with us if you come along on Sunday!
What we believe @ RPC.
RPC belongs to a group of Churches called the Presbyterian Church of Australia. More importantly we see ourselves as being a part of the worldwide church that is made up of the followers of Jesus Christ.
We believe the Bible contains all the facts we need to understand who God is and who we are in relation to God, as well as the information we need to enter into a positive relationship with God. And so the Bible is very important to us. Of greater importance to us is the relationship that we can have with God, through His Son Jesus. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for us, so that if we believe in Him we will live with God forever (John 3:16).
What does the bible tell us
about our relationship with God?
1 - The World is Broken!
The Bible tells us that the world is broken. As a result we all know what we should do, but none of us can actually do it (Romans 2:14-15)! Jesus tells us that we were made to love God and to love each other (Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 3:11-12). Sadly, because we are a broken bunch in a broken world, we fail (Romans 1:21-25).
2 - We Cannot Fix Ourselves!
Just like kids who do exactly what you tell them not to do, all people struggle with authority (Romans 7:7-8, 15). The way we are wired means that the more we are reminded of our responsibility to love - the more we fail! The more we fail the more guilt and shame we feel. God is love, and has created us to love, and if we are to be the people He made us to be, then we need to learn how to love! The problem is, no matter how much we try, we cannot love the way we should. The Bible tells us that those who cannot love are spiritually dead.
3 - There is a Solution!
God loved us so much the He sent Jesus to solve the problem (John 3:16). Jesus performed the greatest possible act of love for us when He gave His life to pay the price for our failure. Jesus not only deals with our inability to love in the past, He also teaches us how to love God and each other (1 Thessalonians 4:9). In Jesus we can learn how to love!
4 - Making the Solution Ours!
To tap into what Jesus has done, all we need to do is believe in Him (Romans 3:21-24). This means that we believe in what He has done, why He has done it, and the effectiveness of what He has done.
5 - The Solution Lives in Us!
When we believe in what Jesus has done He becomes our brother, our friend. We are no longer guilty of our failure to love in the past! God does not see us as failures, but instead as His own sons and daughters when we believe in Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus then lives in us and we are spiritually alive (Romans 8:1-4). Jesus' Spirit reminds us that Jesus has died for us so that we are no longer failures - but perfect (John 3:16-18).
6 - Made Perfect in Love!
When we believe in Jesus, we are no longer ruled by our failure, by our guilt and shame at not being the people we should be. Instead, having been freed through God's love, we become people who are free to love God and each other (1 John 4:16-19).
7 - Being One of the Family!
It can be hard in this world, where we are constantly reminded of our failures, to remember what Jesus has done, and continues to do for us. This is why the Bible reminds us to meet together, to encourage one another. Church is a community of people who all believe in Jesus, and remind each other of what Jesus has done, and what that means for each one of us (Hebrews 10:25). This community of God's people, in Jesus, continues beyond the grave, where one day we will be His Community in a world that is no longer broken (Revelations 21:1-4).
