Introduction:
Faithful Baptist churches down through the ages have been distinguished by certain characteristics common to all true Baptists. There are certain doctrines in the Bible that cannot be ignored in our teaching and practice or we become unsound and unscriptural
I.  A True Missionary Baptist Church is One Who’s Only Faith and Practice is the Bible, God’s
Inspired Word.  II Tim. 3:16-17
     A. She believes that the church was begun by Christ in His personal ministry and that the Faith (the Word of God) which
          Jesus gave to her at that time has perpetuated to this very time. John 17:8, 14   “For I have given unto them the words
          which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
          believed that thou didst send me. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of
          the world, even as I am not of the world.”
II. A True Missionary Baptist Church Keeps the New Testament Order of Commandments.
     A. Repentance: Repentance is doing an about face, a changing of one’s direction. Acts 17:30  “And the times of this
          ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”
     B. The second commandment is faith.  Mark 1:15 “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
          repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
          1. If a person is to receive Christ as Saviour and be saved, it is essential to have faith in Christ’s saving grace and
              atoning blood.
          2. When a person comes under the conviction of sin, and wills to accept Christ as Saviour, God extends to him the gift
              of faith. Eph. 2:8
     C. The third commandment is baptism.  Acts 2:38  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you
          in the name of Jesus Christ forthe remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
          1. Baptism is the first act of obedience in a believer’s life after being born again.
          2. The Christian life is a life of obedience and the first step in a believer’s obedience is baptism.
     D. Repentance, faith, baptism and church membership are prerequisites to the Lord’s Supper.
          1. The Lord’s Supper is essential to a dedicated Christian life.
          2. It serves several spiritual functions.
              a. The Lord’s Supper helps keep the church free of open sins.
          3. The open sins of church members must be judged and if they don’t repent they are to be removed from the member
              ship of the church.
          4. The Lord’s Supper helps each church member to stay in the right frame of mind and attitude.
              a. If a member has hidden sins which they are not willing to repent of then the Lord will judge them like He did those
                 church members at Corinth, who were weak, sick and some had died. I Cor. 11:30
          5. Another reason for the Lord’s Supper is that we might always keep in mind the sacrifice, that He
              made on the cross for us.
              a. We are told to remember the Lord’s death.
              b. That memory should keep us in love with Him and encourage us to be faithful in the execution of our spiritual
                  duties through the church.
          6. The Lord’s Supper keeps us constantly reminded of His Second Coming.
              a.We are commanded to “remember His death till He come.”
III.  Only Saved Baptized Believers Are to be Members of a Missionary Baptist Church.
     A. Sometimes a person will find his way into a Baptist church withou regeneration.
     B. There was an unsaved man in the church that Jesus organized.(Judas) John 6:70; John17:12
         1. Lost people can get into a New Testament church.
IV.  There Are no Class Differences in a New Testament Church.
     A. There are leadership positions within the church, but one member is as important to the Lord and His church as any
          other member. I Cor. 12:22 “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are
          necessary:”
V.  Missionary Baptist Churches Practice Restricted Communion.
     A. When a church opens her communion to all believers she is, (in the worst way) opening herself up for having 
          communion with fornicators, covetous, idolaters, railers, drunkards or extortioners.
     B. We are given a strict command in I Cor. 5:11 not to eat the Lord’s Supper with such people.
VI.  Missionary Baptist Churches Believe in the Perpetuity of the Lord’s Churches and That They Have Been Persecuted in All Ages Since Christ but Have Never Persecuted Any.
     A. We do not believe that a person has a right to believe anything he wants to believe because no one has a right to believe
          anything unless it is what God teaches in His Word.
          1. However, it is not our responsibility to punish people for what they believe, only God has that right.
          2. Missionary Baptist has always stood for liberty of conscious.
VII.  The Eternal Security of the Believer is One of the Fundamental Doctrines of a Missionary
Baptist Church.
     A. When a person is truly regenerated his spirit is sealed unto the day of redemption and can never be lost.
          Eph. 1:12-13; Col. 3:3; Rom. 8:33-39; John10:27-29
VIII.  Missionary Baptist Churches Are Independent in Their Government.
     A. No individual nor organization has the right to dictate to a New Testament church.
     B. God’s Churches have no headquarters but heaven and have no manual of rules and orders but the Bible.
     C. Baptist churches associate with one another but do not have any authority over one another.
     D. Pastors are to lead the churches “over which God has made them overseers,” and not dictate or lord over them.
Conclusion: Churches function much better when the pastor does his work, the deacon does his work and the church is
allowed to do her work.