CCC is a community of believers in Christ, transformed by God-centered worship and broken by the vision of His holiness, justice, and mercy: To live out the implications of that vision and welcome and befriend many of every ethnicity and social position, who would long to be a part of the great worshiping family of God, around the world and in Heaven.
Our Vision
Christ Coastal’s Vision is supplied by God in Revelation 4 and 5: we are made for worship. It is the vision of the Holiness of God, that captivated all the ethnicities gathered in worship, and their response of exulting in His holiness (Rev.4:8). Jonathan Edwards said, “Someone who has not loved God for His holiness has never truly loved God.” Henry Krabbendam (professor at Covenant College, TN) adds that if we have loved God only for His love (His blessings), the WHY’s will rise up in our hearts. “Why, God, did you allow this?” we will say in a time of trial. The difference between man-centered and God-centered worship is precisely here: do we worship the Lord for Himself, our Holy God? We want to counter-act the culture of man-centered thinking so pervasive today.
Implications of this kind of vision from
Revelation 4 and 5 include:
3. When God “recalls” something or someone or some event in our lives, He exercises His prerogatives of ownership over all things. That is what is acknowledged in worship, in heartfelt surrender.
4. And for the response of the believer? If the why not’s replace the why’s in our surrender to a sovereign God worthy of all our worship, then submission replaces rebellion, whether painful or devastating. Any recall of God will instill a thankful heart. Complaining will be replaced by contentment, thankfulness, and joy. True worship is the overflow of God’s grace coming to us through the truth of the Gospel. It’s the difference between a crowd, and the body of Christ engaged in its worship of their Head.
1. Worshipers give it all up, as well as give their all to God. All crowns are cast down before Him. Nothing or no one is left out- not even ourselves in which to trust. We are here to manage His things, to be His stewards ; we are not owners, because it is all His!
2. We give our ALL as well as all. That means we give up our possible worth to God. All the words of praise are to God. We are liberated from the bondage of wanting the praise of people and the love of our reputations. It’s all His, and it’s all about Him.