Believer’s Baptism (Romans 6:1-4)

“(v.1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (v.2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  (v.3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (v.4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4)

Baptism is identification with Christ, a profession of Christ, an obligation towards Christ.  Baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  Basically, it is through the work of Christ that we are saved – thus no man is justified by observing an ordinance.  In fact, we aren’t even saved because of our very own profession, rather, we are saved because the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and rose from the grave triumphant over sin, death, Hell, the world, flesh and Satan.  In essence, we are saved because of His work.  We are simply recipients of His mercy and righteousness.

Our baptism identifies us with both the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  Ironically, our baptism is really about Him, and not about us.  Our baptism is a profession in that it proclaims to the world that we are His followers.  Baptism is also an obligation to live for Christ.  Because He gave us new life, we walk in newness of life.

When believers are baptized, it should remind us of our Lord.  The act of immersion signifies that He died and rose for us.  And so, in baptism, when the believer is placed into the water, it represents The Lord’s death, and it also represents the believer’s death to the old way of life.  The same holds true for the resurrection.  When the believer is brought up from under the water, this represents the resurrection of the Lord, and the resurrection of the believer to walk in newness of life.

When believers are baptized, it should also remind us of our baptism – that we ourselves are in fact baptized.  That we too have pledged our allegiance to Christ, we are His followers and that we desire His will for our lives, not ours.  We must live for Him, and we do.  Believer’s Baptism helps to remind us of this truth.

Smacking the Liberal Elites Upside the Head

It is becoming more “strange” to be a Christian living in the 21st century.  I wonder why the majority of American citizens think of us, the ones which held the standard of our nation for two centuries, are looked down upon as extreme–and even compared to the Taliban of Afghanistan sometimes.  Why is this?

As a Christian who studies the Bible, I know the answer.  It is simply that those that love Christ will be hated by the world (John 15:18).  The problem is that most of the world today has made Jesus Christ out to be someone who he is not.  As an example, to see Christ as a preacher of social justice and social welfare is completely fraudulent.  All one has to do is read the four gospels and know that Christ was preaching the Kingdom of God to the hell-bound world, not trying to make all of the classes “equal.”  Yet most mainline denominations (United Methodist, UCC, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, etc.) preach the “social gospel” instead of the real gospel.  They make Jesus Christ, our Savior, out to be someone who He is not.  He is not what some author says (Mark Driscoll, William P. Young).  He is not what my minister says.  He is not what my high school teacher says.  He is who He says He is.  The only truly foundational picture we have of Jesus Christ is in the Bible.  That is all just one example.

Something that tends to irritates me as a fundamental Baptist is the fusing of Protestants, Catholics, and Baptists together as “Christianity.”  The “intellectual” elite tend to do this most unashamedly.  They will say things like, “The worst atrocities committed in history were in the name of Christ.”  Or, “Religion has caused more bloodshed than anything else.”  In one strain, they are right; but when they lump me in there as well, that is when the line is crossed.  Did you know, that in history, it was the Roman Catholics mainly, and to a lesser extent, Protestants, that made war in the name of religion?  I doubt that anyone can name an atrocity committed by Baptists as a whole.  In fact, we were the ones being persecuted by the Pope, John Calvin, and Philip Melanchthon. We never have persecuted other denominations just because they believe differently.  We have always been for what Christ has preached: loving your neighbor, and your enemy! It comes from a complete lack of understanding by these intellectuals when Baptists are lumped together with every other religion under the sun.

All of this to say that we are a very strange people to the world.  They do not understand that I, who am called by God to be in His ministry, do not concern myself with making “the big buck” in life.  Sure, I will make as much as I can to provide for my family, and work for every bit of it; but I did not attain a degree in higher education to make a lavish career for myself.  This is one of very few things that people go to college for, caring little if any for the amount of money they make.  It is foolish to the world to go to school for four years, just to be a pastor some day, never making a six or seven digit salary.  Often, God calls his people to do what will seem very peculiar to the world–and the joy that comes from this money could never buy.  This is what the world could never understand.  They may try to hyper-analyze and say that, “Oh, he is just given security by his religion.  That’s good for him.”  I can stand up and say with all confidence: I get all of my security from my God–not some “made-up” religion.  The more that the sociologists and physiologists try to analyze, the more foolish they become.  I just wish they could know God, and how great He is.  Then, they would fully understand.

None of this is esoteric.  I am for sure not “duped” by religion, or “brainwashed as a child.”  Everything about my faith and belief in God is my own decision.  They call us anti-intellectual.  I say that they make intellect into something that it is not: secular humanism.  They hate to hear it, but humanism is just as much of a religion as anything.  Their god is their mind.  Their church is the extremely dumbed down universities (compare them to institutions of the 19th century).  No, they are the ones duped by their finite minds.

They compare us to this???

Then, they call us the “American Taliban.”  What???  First off, I would never kill someone unless they threatened me or my family.  Second, I don’t kill civilians.  Third, I don’t kill people from other religions to instill fear and make them convert.  Fourth, I don’t advocate modesty police for every citizen.  Now what are the similarities?  ”Oh, you both want our government to be a theocracy.”  Now, I believe that government is best run by non-hypocritical Christians, but I would never impose by force or politics my religion on anyone else.  Then they say, “Just like the Taliban, you want to impose your morals on everyone.”  Again, that is a false and non-informed statement.  Do I think that our society is better without alcohol?  Without a doubt.  Do I believe that people should never live together unless they are married.  Definitely.  But to do that through politics or mass forced conversion would be like trying to paddle up a waterfall.  This is foundational: without people genuinely–by their own decision–being born again, the moral makeup of a nation will never completely accommodate the Christian.  Of course, I believe that we should never let our country become Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abortion should be outlawed because it is murder.  This is not a religious argument!

Altogether though, I simply wanted to illustrate a few points where the liberal elite–religious or not–are so blinded by their own pattern of thinking.  They believe what they want.  They cannot tell me what I believe nor try to hyper-analyze who God is.  God is my creator, savior, and life.

A blessed thought from Matthew Henry

No doubt one of the greatest of the commentators of the Scriptures is Matthew Henry (1662-1714).  He began working on his commentary on Nov. of 1704, and ten years later, by the time of his death, he was able to go as far as the book of Acts. The rest (Romans-Revelation) were completed by other ministers and edited by George Burder and John Hughes in 1811.

The main thrust of his commentary seems to be more devotional rather than critical, not that he doesn’t employ some form of criticism or another – but his commentary is unencumbered by such observation and methodology.  He delivers great thoughts that most certainly comes from a heart and mind that is fixed on the Lord and His Word.

As I was reading Henry this morning on Gen. 3:17-19, here is what he said:

How admirably the satisfaction our Lord Jesus made by his death and sufferings answered to the sentence here passed upon our first parents.  (1.)  Did travailing pains come in with sin?  We read of the travail of Christ’s soul (Isa. 53:11); and the pains of death he was held by are called odinai (Acts 2:24), the pains of a woman in travail.  (2.)  Did subjection come with sin?  Christ was made under the law, Gal. 4:4.  (3.)  Did the curse come in with sin?  Christ was made a curse for us, died a cursed death, Gal. 3:13.  (4.)  Did thorns come in with sin?  He was crowned with thorns for us.  (5.)  Did sweat come in with sin?  He for us did sweat as it were great drops of blood.  (6.)  Did sorrow come in with sin?  He was a man of sorrows, his soul was, in his agony, exceedingly sorrowful.  (7.)  Did death come in with sin?  He became obedient unto death.  This is the plaster as wide as the wound.  Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!

Now, after reading something like that, I say, wow that was a good read from Matthew Henry.  And somehow in my heart, a prayer flies to Heaven, and with words of gratitude placed upon the Heavenly throne of God, “Amen! Father, Blessed be God for our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War

Here are just a few brief thoughts to put the issue of slavery and the Civil War into perspective:

• The Baptists at the time of the Civil War were basically divided into two very loose conventions: The Southern Baptists and Northern Baptists.  They were one fellowship, but separated because they began to disallow slaveholders to be supported as missionaries.  Therefore, the Southerners separated just before the Civil War because they still believed that slavery was instituted by God to “keep the races separate.”
• The Puritans (Congregationalists) of the era strongly opposed slavery.  One of those men was D.L. Moody. Moody enlisted in service with the YMCA to preach to Northern soldiers of General Grant, and was present at the battles of Shiloh, Murfreesboro, and the taking of Richmond.  Moody was also a staunch supporter of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party.  The south may have had General Jackson on their side praying, but the north had “General” Moody praying!

• Other Christian abolitionists of the time included Peter Cartwright and Charles Finney.  Even the English preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon preached against American slavery.  In the south, his sermons were outlawed and burned due to his strong opposition of slavery.
• The Republican Party was only a few years old when their first president, Abraham Lincoln, was elected.  The Republicans were the main stream abolitionists of the period.  Democrats, for the most part, opposed the war and complete abolition.

• Yes, I believe that the Civil War, at the beginning, was an issue of states rights (Confederate thought), and preservation of the nation (Union thought).  No, the union was not the side who made the war an issue of slavery: it was the south.  The north simply wanted the Union preserved, while the Confederacy wanted their supreme “state right” of slavery.
• The south was the aggressor.  Simply because they didn’t like that Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans were elected, they separated from the Union.  They fired the first shots at Fort Sumpter.  They continually insisted that “their land” was being invaded, while at the same time invading the Northern states of Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.  Any black man found in those states, whether they had ever been a slave or not, was sent into bondage.  Now, who was the aggressor?  And who was trying to preserve peace and justice?
• The Confederacy had some very godly generals fighting for them: including Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Robert E. Lee.  That does not prove, however, that the south was justified.

• Some would say that it was good that slaves were brought to America, because without slavery they would still be living in absolute poverty in Africa.  So, they would say, American slavery was a righteous cause.  Here, I believe I can equate the bondage of Israel in Egypt with the bondage of blacks in America.  It grieved God to see his people suffer in affliction.  He did not want them in slavery.  Yet even amidst the slavery, God’s Divine Will still worked, despite the sin of slave-holding by the Egyptians and the Confederacy.  Even in spite of bondage, slaves came to know Christ as Savior, and would eventually be free in the most prosperous country in the world: with an opportunity to live with Christian liberty.

• The freeing of slaves itself did not promote the degradation of much of the black society as we know it today.  There were many Christian agencies (not government!) that taught the freed slaves business practice, land ownership, and agriculture.  Men like Booker T. Washington promoted the ideas of opportunity through industry and intelligence.  Black society made large steps in the right direction during reconstruction and into the late 1800′s.  It was not until the socialist/welfare preachings of W.E.B. DuBois and others that black culture took a drastic turn in the wrong direction.  Unfortunately, entitlement replaced industry in the minds of many blacks, the results of which is seen prominently today.  However, each man still has his chance to be a successful American, no matter what his or her background may entail.

Let me know where you agree, or even disagree!  Comment away!

Stomping Grounds: Part 2

In the summer of 1995, Ebay and Yahoo were founded, the conflict in the Balkan countries of Bosnia and Croatia were raging, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty, and I moved to Lansing–the capitol of Michigan.  We found our suburban home just south of the city limits, in a quiet new subdivision surrounded by fields.  The address was 6165 Lindsey Lane.  I don’t actually remember much about the whole moving experience, but I do remember how much we all loved our new house.

“The Michigan Militia”

My sister and I were scheduled to start school at Capitol City Baptist School (which was our church also) soon after we moved in.  I can remember my very first day of third grade–Mrs. Grimwood.  Everyone was brand new to me, but thankfully I was befriended quickly.  One friend from that first day ended up standing in my wedding as a groomsman, and still is a good friend.  I was baptized at Capital City Baptist Church, I began to see God leading me to the ministry, and learned what a good teacher was; in fact, all of my teachers from third to sixth grade were excellent.  I also learned to stand up for my faith–yes, even in a Christian school.  There were some who did not believe that the Bible was the Word of God, and I learned to study the Book so as to know what I believe and communicate that to others.  A strong educational foundation was instilled on me at Capital City, and without it, I do not believe I would have had the discipline and studiousness I needed in the rest of my school years.

I also made several neighborhood friends in those years on Lindsey Lane.  Jake, David, and I pretty much stuck together through thick and thin.  We would go play in the nearby woods and fields, build forts, pretend we were in the army, get chased out of other peoples property, and name any other boy thing to do: we did it.  One summer, a new subdivision was being built directly adjacent to ours, and with it, a new road.  Well they stalled on the road after grading it for several months, so what did we do?  We built our own “BMX” bike track, with jumps and all!  Every day after school we would make our track better, then ride on it and race each other.  Oh, how I wish sometimes I could go back for just one day and ride that track again!  Today, it’s filled with now decade-old (or more) houses, gardens, and swimming pools.

One day in fifth grade, a friend from school came home with me to spend the afternoon outside.  Well, boys enjoy getting dirty–and we sure did!  At a nearby pond we found out that there were plenty of tadpoles to catch.  We found a couple of nets and buckets and wandered in.  We didn’t have waders or water shoes, we just went in with jeans, a t-shirt, and shoe-less.  We caught literally thousands of tadpoles, filling up our buckets, and even a dozen or so crayfish.  The next day, we took the tadpoles to school for “show and tell!”  Oh, how Mrs. Seifert loved us!

I changed a lot when I first moved to Lansing.  One major change was my new-found love of sports, especially the Michigan State Spartans!  Every Saturday in the fall (which tended to be work outside day) we would listen to the Spartans battle it out on the football field.  Back then, Nick Saban was the coach, who since has left MSU and eventually led LSU and Alabama to national championships.  He never did that for the Spartans!  They had their good years in the 90′s–and bad ones!

Then, of course, there was Michigan State basketball.  They had a new coach in 1994–the little known long-time assistant from the backwoods of Michigan.  His name was Tom Izzo.  When I first started paying attention,the Spartans were in the middle or lower end of the pack in the Big Ten.  The dreaded Wolverines at the University of Michigan was the conference powerhouse.  Yet, I always still loved those Spartans, hoping that some day they might get better.  All of the sudden, the stars in the heavens began to line up in 1996.  What happened was the Izzo coaching method and the “Flintstones-” a group of guys from the depressed city of flint.  In ’97, they made it to the NIT.  In ’98, they lost to Dean Smith’s NC Tarheels in the sweet sixteen.  Then in ’99, the Spartans made it to the Final Four!  What they ran up against was one of the greatest teams ever assembled under Mike Krzyzewski and Duke, of which I came to despise as a Spartan fan.  They lost in the semifinals, but with plenty of hope for the next year.  The Spartans had a superb year, followed by a march to the Final Four, were they beat Wisconsin, and then Florida for the National Championship.  Tom Izzo, if he had ran for mayor of Lansing, would have won!  I followed every game intently, and yes, I am still a huge fan of those Spartans!

Spartan “Flint-stones”

Many other life memories happened on Lindsey Lane: we adopted my little brother and sister from Romania, I was introduced to Fairhaven Baptist College, and I surrendered my life to God and the ministry of the Gospel.  I learned a strong work ethic from my parents in Lansing ( I imagine they thought I was hopeless back then!  Lots of regrets of what I should have done right…!).  The attack on September 11 happened one Tuesday morning while I was in the middle of Bible class (I was home-schooled at the time–from 7th-12th grade to be exact), when my mom told me to turn on the TV.  The first plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center, and the second one crashed seconds after turning on the news.  I watched the towers collapse, heard about the heroes on Flight 93, and was filled with a spirit of justice against those who did this.  My dad told me that this would probably be the only time in my life where I would look up on a clear, blue day and not see streaks from a jet.  Fear filled the air.  We went to Burger King that night, and I can clearly remember the solemness on the few faces that were there.  My parents can remember when Martin Luther King was assassinated, Reagan was shot, the Challenger crashed, and the Berlin Wall fell.  I will be able to tell my kids where I was when the terrorists attacked our country on September 11.

In 2001 we moved to the other side of Lansing, in the middle of nowhere with and address in Grand Ledge.  By then, we began attending Community Baptist Church of Lansing.  Most of my friends were at church by then, and those that were in the neighborhood had moved away recently as well.  I was ready to move, but looking back now, I still have those little sentimental memories of childhood on the south-side of Lansing.  Here’s a few more just for my parents: Jenna and Jordan with the ducklings, Rich’s Country Store, stabbing myself in the toe with a garden hoe, having to be shown the right way to mow the lawn a million times, the maximum security kennel and fence for the dogs–that they still managed to escape from, white fur from our dog Levi on the dark green carpet in my room…just to name a few.

Next I get to tell you all of our house in the wilderness on Royston Road!

P.S.–  I have very few pictures from Lansing.  Most of those would be in the possession of my parents!

The Ignored Doctrine of Discipline

There are many traditions in churches today, many of which are not Biblically founded, yet they are not harmful and can be beneficial (ie “must have” Sunday School). There are other traditions in our churches that once studied from a Biblical perspective, are found to be wrong and unBiblical (ie the world’s method of ‘dating around’ to find a spouse). Then there are other areas and practices that have gotten so far off course, that a fresh study would be of great benefit to correct our methods of practice. One can tell they are getting off course when they ‘believe they are doing right” in the matter, but there is not the fruit that God promised there would be. Once such area is this of church discipline-an ignored doctrine in today’s churches.

The fruit promised from God’s Word is two fold. Either, the transgressor will be convicted and repent and then restored, or the transgressor will be chastened by the Lord even to death so that the spirit may be saved in day of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 5:5). The only other option is that the transgressor was never a child of God and thus was living in and by his flesh all along (which is probably the majority, truth be known). Yet, there are not enough “success” stories when it comes to discipline.

A church cannot be a Biblical church without practicing Biblical Church discipline.

The word discipline means training, cultivation, improvement, according to prescribed rules; subordination to law; administration of government and submission to lawfully constituted authority. It comes from the word disco which means ‘I learn.’ Discipline is the means God gave the church to assure the smooth operation of the organization and the maintenance of proper standards for membership. Its purpose is to prevent, restrain, or remove the evil that may exist, to encourage and protect the right, and to cherish the good; not to satisfy any personal prejudice, but to reclaim the wandering and guide the wayward. (From 50 Lessons on the Church by Normal Wells).

It is to the church that our Lord gave the authority to discipline (Mt. 18:17, 2 Thess. 3:6; Titus 3:10; 1 Cor. 5)

The typical practice of church discipline goes something like this: Larry gets into a vile sin and somebody finds out. They then go and tell the Pastor about Larry and his sin. The pastor will tell the other pastors and deacons about Larry and his sin and start a process from Matt. 18 where he will go and speak to Larry. Take another pastor/deacon and talk to Larry. Should Larry ignore all these, he will then tell the church about Larry’s sin and they will ‘vote him out’. Is this what is found in Scripture? Repeatedly, we read the goal of discipline is reconciliation! When practiced Biblically, it will be successful.

The greatest blessing that has come to our church over the years has been the result of practicing Biblical church discipline.

The Scriptures give to the church, the authority to discipline. Many call it unloving, yet the opposite is true. (Prov. 13:24; Heb. 12:6; Rev. 3:19)-to discipline is to love! Failure to discipline is failure to love, it is neglect, it is disobedience!

The Great Commission is to Evangelize (reach those on the outside with the Gospel) and to Disciple (train those on the inside). To disciple is to discipline! To teach, train, improve, correct. A church cannot fulfill the great commission without practicing church discipline!

At times discipline is preventative, other times confrontational, but should always be corrective. Discipline is based upon the holiness of God (1 Peter 1:15-16). Discipline helps a church to be holy (Heb. 12:11), to clean out the leaven (1 Cor. 5), and to embrace the holiness of God. Discipline is based upon the commands of God’s Word (Matt. 18; 1 Cor. 5; Luke 17). One should discipline because it brings glory to God (Eph 3:21), restores sinning believers (Matt 18:15, Gal 6:1), produces a healthy faith (Titus 1:13), win a soul who is falsely professing (2 Tim. 2:24-26), sets an example for the rest of the Church (1 Tim. 5:20), and protects the church’s purity and power (1 Cor. 5:6-7).

Who should be disciplines?

Should a church discipline over every sin? Prov. 10:12 says that “love covereth all sins.” Ps. 32:1 reads, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” It is when there is a transgression that is unrepented of, blatantly participated in, and has caused a separation of fellowship and adherence to God’s Word, that a sin must be dealt with. There are some sins so serious that the Bible forbids us from overlooking:

1. Fornication (1 Cor. 5:11)
2. Covetous (1 Cor. 5:11)
3. Idolatry (1 Cor. 5:11)
4. Railer (1 Cor. 5:11)
5. Drunkard (1 Cor. 5:11)
6. Extortioner (1 Cor. 5:11)
7. Heresy (Titus 3:10)
8. Disorderly conduct (2 Thess. 3:6)
9. Laziness-not working when they can (2 Thess. 3:9-13).
10. Those that cause divisions in the church (Rom. 16:17-18).

These are sins that our Lord commands a church to administer discipline over.

So how is the church to practice such discipline Biblically? In Luke 17 we can see another model of discipline. Please note the following from this text:

I. Sin is Present (vs. 1). Offences will come, and they will need handled. Most churches need to quit ignoring sin issues and a constant disregarding of holiness and realize our Lord told us they would be there-Handle them!

II. Simple are Perceiving (vs. 2). The world and a younger generation are watching and learning from how we handle sin. Perhaps this is why we have reared such a generation that doesn’t fear God, doesn’t hate sin, and is ignorant in church discipline; they never saw the generation before them deal with it! It must be taught that our Lord hates sin and there is a penalty for sin.

III. See it Personal (vs. 3). “If thy brother trespass against THEE.” As a church, we are a body, one body, and if part of a body is wrong, it defiles the whole body. As a church, we most take care of our own members.

IV. Steps are Planned (vs. 3-4) If someone is wrong and is in sin such as we have discussed, there are clear Biblical steps to be followed. (Matt. 18)

A. You are to go to the person. Tell him alone, no one else. In that first church, the Lord was the ‘Pastor’ and the disciples the members. He told THEM to go to the transgressor. In Luke 17 it was the disciples that were to rebuke the transgressor. 2 Thess. 3:6 it is the ‘brethren’ at the church at Thessalonica that were to rebuke the transgressors. In Romans 16:17 it was the brethren that were to rebuke the transgressor. Each member, as they see the sin, should go to the transgressor discreetly in a spirit of meekness (Gal. 6:1) and confront the sin and call the sinner to repentance. Usually there will be more than one member who sees the transgression taking place and if each member does such privately, the transgressor is being overwhelmed with an outpouring of love and concern for the sinner-it’s not just the pastor ‘getting on to him.’ The normal attitude in response is “well, who am I to judge?” Exactly! This DEMANDS PERSONAL DISCIPLINE AND WILL RESULT IN A PURER CHURCH-exactly why and how our Lord established it.

B. Take another with you to confront the transgressor (vs. 16). If the transgressor will not hear the individuals privately, the member is to take another member with him. This will no doubt enlighten others in the church as to the transgression, will confirm to others the transgression, but will undoubtedly show the transgressor that his church is concerned for him. It is established by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses (Deut. 19:15; 1 Tim. 5:19). Now the transgressor is seeing the seriousness of his sin, feels the love from his church, and should be convicted if he is a believer of his sin. Again, it’s not the pastor and deacon threatening him, but his church loving him. (I will add here, that a pastor is a member of the church and too should participate in such).

C. Tell it to the Church (vs. 17a). If the transgressor will not hear the individual brethren, nor the 2 or 3 brethren that all have come to him, then it is the responsibility of the members to bring it before the church. By this time, having done all things Biblically, this comes as no ‘shock and surprise’ to the church, but rather a time of mourning and prayer as a church. The church all has one mind and has seen and attempted to reach the transgressor. Much, much, prayer has been put into the matter. There have not been just two visits by the pastor and deacon, but 50-60 members who all have gone to the transgressor in love. It is now that the entire church is made aware of the transgression and the entire church now has a responsibility to reach the sinner. It is not at this time a vote it taken to remove the sinner. For Scripture teaches then…

D. “If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen…” (vs. 17). The entire church has now gone to the transgressor. I know I have never seen this done, sadly. One can only imagine the overwhelming of love and concern and conviction this would place upon the transgressor. Unfortunately even then, some will not ‘hear the church.’ It is then…

E. Regard as a heathen (vs. 17). It is then the transgressor is to be excluded from membership. It is then the church would vote to remove them from the church in hopes that they will be restored as a result of the chastening of God. (1 Cor. 5:13, 11). The transgressor during this time should be treated as a lost person. Would we allow a lost person to come to church? Yes! Would we invite a lost person to the Lord? Yes! Would we fellowship, pray with, observe the ordinances with a lost person? NO! We would be burdened and pray for them in hopes that they get right with the Lord! There is an unBiblical spirit of ‘Kick them out’ in some churches, when it ought to be a spirit of mourning and calling and praying for reconciliation! Oh that we would reconsider our practicing of church discipline in accordance to God’s Word.

V. Summons for Perfection (vs. 5) A proper practicing of church discipline would result in a maturing, increased in the faith, more holy church where sin is acknowledged, abhorred, and abandoned!

May we no longer ignore this doctrine of discipline; but rather practice and truly be a Biblical church!

Ahh!… The End of a Beautiful Sumer!

…southeastern Pennsylvania style!  You may have read Sharon’s post with this same title, so here is my edition of our ‘end of summer’ here in countryville, Pennsylvania!  In Utah, summer means hiking in mountains and canyons, rodeos, and Utah Statehood days; in our neck of the woods, it means stocking and storing up Summer’s Bounty!

Last year, I posted about canning tomatoes, something I had never done before!  Then I tasted the canned tomatoes.  I was sold on them.  The problem was, in January, I ran out.  And then it was, that I decided, rain or shine, this next summer, I would can tomatoes, and I would can a lot of them!  So last week I did twenty-four quarts, and may have more to come!  Have you ever tasted home-canned tomatoes?  Suffice it to say, I don’t mind if I never taste store-bought canned tomatoes again!Oh yes, and those green beans are actually remnants of last summer’s bounty!  They have a story of their own you can read if you missed it last year!

Then there is the sweet corn.  Oh, the sweet corn!  A dear friend (and even more dearer now!) blanched and froze corn with another lady from church.  Kindly, she offered to give us a bag.  I expected one ziploc bag of frozen fresh corn for us to taste.  Well, she awarded us with a grocery bag full of sweet corn!  Wow, what a blessing!  We tasted it for the first time last Sunday.  I hate to be prejudice, but it had to be the best I remember!  It had no sugar added to it, and yet was soooooo sweet!  And the flavor and even texture were perfect!  Come to find out, it was from this church lady’s Amish neighbors.  Well, they must know the secret to raising and harvesting sweet corn!

Then there are all the berries!  Last year we picked wine berries, a type of red raspberry, and I also picked blueberries.  Well, this year I went the easy route, and simply bought blueberries and strawberries.  I had to get up a good store of strawberries for Dustin’s favorite smoothie: Strawberry-Banana-Orange Juice.  Bananas are still easy to find in the winter, as is orange juice, but strawberries go from $1-2/quart to $5-6/quart!

And last, but not least, we made refrigerator pickles.  Dustin had a taste for pickles, and so after some research, we decided to make our own.  We found a good recipe, put the spices into the jars, sliced and chopped cucumbers to fill them, and added the vinegar and water.  They look mighty tasty, but we have to wait one more week for them to ‘pickle’ before eating them.

And there you have it…this time of year is very busy here in rural PA!  There are produce stands all over the place, not to mention the farm markets; and some ladies at our church are very busy canning and freezing and pickling!  We certainly don’t compare to the stockpiles some families amass, but we do make our own feeble attempt to preserve Summer’s Bounty!

Biblical Church Officers

Having demonstrated that the church is a Theocracy in essence and a democracy in viewing, who then are the officers of a church and what are their responsibilities? We study this as we are proving what is a Biblical church and which are church pretenders. A true church will have (or be seeking when needed) Biblical officers.

Before we begin our study, let us be reminded that Jesus Christ is the head of each church (Col 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23). Each church is to recognize as it’s Authority the Lord Jesus Christ-no man, no king, no ruler, but Him. Our Lord Jesus is the Head, our Advocate (1 Jn. 2:1), our Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), our High Priest (Heb. 7:25), our Foundation of our church (1 Cor. 3:11). The Holy Spirit is the Administrator/Manager of each true church. Each church settles all matters under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that directs (Rom. 8:14), calls to special service (Acts 813:2-4), guides and equips in service (Acts 8:27-29; 1 Cor. 2:12-14; Jn. 16:13-14; 1 Thess. 1:5). The Word of God is the Sole Authority and rule of faith in a true church.

Having established such, it is Biblical that a church have officers from within. First, there is the pastor. The Lord gave apostles and prophets (1 Cor. 12:28) first to the church as gifts whose work was to work miracles, give the Scriptures through the Spirit, and help establish the church Christ started. These ‘gifts’ were done away with when this work was accomplished (1 Cor. 13:10).

The work of the pastor goes on. A pastor in God’s Word is called an “elder,” “bishop”, “shepherd”, “preacher”, and “teacher.” Each name refers to a duty a pastor has from the Lord. The pastor must meet high qualifications in order to be qualified for the position of pastor. These have been discussed before, but can be found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Tutus 1:5-8. A pastor is to preach the Gospel, win souls to Christ, teach the church, lead by example, visit his members, lead in church meetings, and have the oversight as under-shepherd of all matters of interest to the church. A pastor should be supported by the church (1 Cor. 9, 1 Tim. 5:18), respected by the church (1 Tim. 5:19), and loved and prayed for by the church. A pastor is not an hireling and should not be greedy of filthy lucre. Every church needs a pastor, for without one, a church soon strays; but that pastor must be a Spirit led, Biblically secure man of God.

The ONLY OTHER BIBLICAL office is that of deacon. The first deacons were chosen in Acts 6:1-7. At this time, that church was approximately the size of 6-8,000 members. The pastors were not able to meet the needs in visitation and widows were being “neglected.” The pastors gathered the church and said, “It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.” Deacons were needed to be chosen so that the pastors would not neglect their main duty to “give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” Thus seven men were chosen to be the first deacons.

It is important to note that deacons were not Demanded in order to have a church, but a necessity as the church grew larger. The ratio of deacons to members here was about 1 per 900-1,000 members. Because of a protestant influence, deacons today are seen as a “counseling board” or “board of authority” or a “representative of the members to the pastor.” This is not Biblical! Deacons are for service to the church. They were/are appointed over the task of administering relief, to be a  ‘pastor-helper.’  Because of a misconstrued view of the office of deacons, many churches feel they need many deacons no matter their size. I know of a church that ran 22 each week and seven were deacons. This is not wise. Our church averages nearly 200 each Sunday and we have one deacon. I was recently asked when we would be ordaining more deacons, to which I responded, “When we average 1,400 we will consider this.” In the Bible they were “men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.”

These deacons had to meet qualifications as a pastor does. These can be found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. I would point out that his qualifications were “like” that of a pastor. There are a few differences to consider:

• “not given to much wine” does not refer to drinking alcohol, but grape juice. I could explain this in detail, but it would take too much time, I would refer you to sermon audio.com and my sermon on “alcohol and the Bible.”
• “not greedy of filthy lucre” refers to the same as a pastor. I believe Scripturally speaking, there was such a demand for the office of a deacon, that they too had to be supported by the church as a ‘full time position.’ Thus they too could not be guilty of filthy lucre.
• “Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.” For a man to be a deacon, his wife must meet a qualification not found in reference to a pastor. Why is this? Perhaps because of the role of a deacon to care for the widows. A deacon had better have a thus qualified wife if he is to spend so much time with these widow ladies. I do not seek to be crude, but this is a fact to ponder.

THAT’S ALL FOLKS! Those are the only two offices found in the Bible for the local church. Today you will find trustees, treasurers (one could argue that the first church had one, but not many people would like to mimic him), clerks, Sunday School Superintendents-but these are all man made positions. These are not Biblical nor mandatory in God’s Word. Is there anything wrong in having these positions? None at all as long as they understand their position is one of service not mandated in Scripture. Many of those from a legal perspective are mandatory in today’s world.

In any case, there are only two Biblical offices found in God’s Word, Pastor and Deacon; and one of those (deacon) is not mandatory, but entered into upon necessity as the church grows.



How Should Men Train for Ministry?

Could you ever contemplate a pastor sending his latest converts off to another church or organization to have then discipled, grounded, and matured in the faith? Your response to that notion would surely be, “Never! That’s unthinkable … ridiculous!” Why is it, then, that pastors who (rightfully) see the discipling of new believers to be one of their primary duties will send those from their congregation whom God has called into the ministry to someone else for training — often to a place far away, and often with results that are less than satisfactory?

The responsibility for equipping men for the ministry rests scripturally and squarely upon every Bible-believing Baptist church, and upon those whom God has placed in leadership, the pastors. This fact is made clear from Ephesians 4:11,12 — “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” There is no other organization or individual — outside of a church of the Lord Jesus Christ — that has the Biblical mandate to engage in the training and preparing of men and women for the Lord’s work.

Among Bible-believing Baptists there is general agreement that the “Great Commission” of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,was given to His churches, and that this involves the evangelizing, baptizing, and discipling of individuals. It is also generally agreed that only New Testament (Baptist) churches have the scriptural authority to ordain God-called men as pastors — and to send out evangelists whose objective it is to establish other churches of like faith and order. This being the case, there really is NO Biblical basis or rationale for the training of such men to be received in any other setting or under any other authority than the institution the Lord established for that purpose.

From a SCRIPTURAL standpoint, a pastor must be “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). Each church is the “pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15), and its pastors and evangelists (missionaries) are charged with the responsibility “the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

From a PRACTICAL standpoint, there is no better place for any man to learn firsthand the order, operation, and ethics essential to the leadership of a church than by being actually involved in one. There is no need to send your best workers away to be trained by others and serve in another church.

From a PERSONAL standpoint, a close working relationship with one’s own pastor(s)—rather than professional academics—allows tremendous opportunities for insights and evaluation not found in any other setting. Training a man is much more than lectures and book learning (as important as they are); it requires that a preacher share his heart, his vision, his burden, etc.,with the preachers-in-training God has given him (2 Timothy 3:10,11a).

The apostles and those that followed them continued the pattern established by our Lord in the training of His men. It must be the same pattern we endeavor to follow, by God’s grace, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

Christians reproduce Christians. Churches reproduce churches. Pastors reproduce pastors.

The Names of God (The Lord of hosts)

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” (Psalm 24:10)

A closer look:

Host – army or company.

The word “Sabaoth” is transliterated from the Hebrew word “tsebaoth,” which means armies, and is also translated “hosts.”  We find this title “Lord of hosts” abundantly in the Old Testament, and twice in the New Testament (as “Lord of Sabaoth”) in Romans 9:29 and James 5:4.  The word “hosts” may refer to three separate items:  nature (Genesis 2:1; 2 Kings 21:3; Joel  2:15), or angels (1 Kings 22:19; Psalm 34:7; 103:21; Luke 2:13), and armies (2 Samuel 8:16; Revelations 9:14).  The name “Lord of Sabaoth” should not be confused with the name “Lord of the Sabbath.”  The name Lord of hosts teaches us that God is a fighter who will go to war on our behalf.  He will fight for us (Isaiah 31:4).  His name Lord of Sabaoth suggests two things:

1.  He is in control over all things (all the hosts of Heaven and Earth).

2.  He alone is worthy of worship, and not the hosts of which He created.  Nehemiah 9:6 says:  “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”