Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Beyond "Submit to the Authorities" part 5
A Pause to Answer Objections
Dear Courteous Reader,
Thanks be to God that He has given believers the benefit of counsel among ourselves. No one has a complete understanding of all things, and so we benefit from the fellowship of other Christians. Sometimes other believers can add their learning to our own, so filling gaps in our theology. Other times they can critique our doctrine, so helping us separate the dross from the silver
In this case, God has provided two brothers, who have taken issue with the doctrine presented in this series of articles. One is “Eklektos,” who commented on the blog. Another is a very dear and respected fellow pastor, who sent an e-mail. These two men's objections to my interpretation of Romans 13 have been given so strongly, so reasonably, and with such obvious love for Christ and His church, that I must now pause to answer their objections.
Please bear with me patiently. For my part, answering objections is harder than simply teaching, and requires more time in study. For your part, following all the arguments and their supporting points is harder than simply reading an article. The task of understanding and obeying the Bible, however, is well worth the hard work. These brothers who have studied the issue and put their objections to my interpretation in writing have sacrificed time and effort to do so. Likewise, it will be an additional commitment of time and attention for me to answer. It's springtime outside. The seeds, the soil, and the sunshine are calling for my attention out there. This matter of submission to the government is of great importance, however, and also increasing urgency.
Please pray for me, dear ones, as I work on this. I am a frail creature of dust, and feeble as frail. Only by the work of the Holy Spirit on my mind will I be able rightly to interpret the scriptures, rightly to apply them, and effectively to express them in writing.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Dear Courteous Reader,
Thanks be to God that He has given believers the benefit of counsel among ourselves. No one has a complete understanding of all things, and so we benefit from the fellowship of other Christians. Sometimes other believers can add their learning to our own, so filling gaps in our theology. Other times they can critique our doctrine, so helping us separate the dross from the silver
In this case, God has provided two brothers, who have taken issue with the doctrine presented in this series of articles. One is “Eklektos,” who commented on the blog. Another is a very dear and respected fellow pastor, who sent an e-mail. These two men's objections to my interpretation of Romans 13 have been given so strongly, so reasonably, and with such obvious love for Christ and His church, that I must now pause to answer their objections.
Please bear with me patiently. For my part, answering objections is harder than simply teaching, and requires more time in study. For your part, following all the arguments and their supporting points is harder than simply reading an article. The task of understanding and obeying the Bible, however, is well worth the hard work. These brothers who have studied the issue and put their objections to my interpretation in writing have sacrificed time and effort to do so. Likewise, it will be an additional commitment of time and attention for me to answer. It's springtime outside. The seeds, the soil, and the sunshine are calling for my attention out there. This matter of submission to the government is of great importance, however, and also increasing urgency.
Please pray for me, dear ones, as I work on this. I am a frail creature of dust, and feeble as frail. Only by the work of the Holy Spirit on my mind will I be able rightly to interpret the scriptures, rightly to apply them, and effectively to express them in writing.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Beyond "Submit to the Authorities" part 4
Dear Courteous Reader,
In the last article, we considered how some of God's commands are given in such a way that if we obey the command in its bare form in certain crisis situations, we actually disobey rather than obey the spirit of the commandment. Let us study this principle further by considering the concept of a proviso.
The word “proviso” has passed into English from the Latin phrase proviso quod, which means “provided that.” We are all familiar with this concept, because we use it often. Here are some examples:
In these examples, the proviso is stated. But the concept of proviso is almost always understood, even if not stated. When the proviso is not stated, if it were stated, it would be something like, “provided that things go as they should, and normally do.” Consider these examples:
As always, you are very welcome to send this article to others, if you think it would be helpful to them. You are also welcome to ask questions, and to add your ideas.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
In the last article, we considered how some of God's commands are given in such a way that if we obey the command in its bare form in certain crisis situations, we actually disobey rather than obey the spirit of the commandment. Let us study this principle further by considering the concept of a proviso.
The word “proviso” has passed into English from the Latin phrase proviso quod, which means “provided that.” We are all familiar with this concept, because we use it often. Here are some examples:
- “This engine is guaranteed for 36 months or 36,000 miles, provided that the owner performs regular oil and filter changes.”
- “I will pay you $600 for those wheels, provided that they fit my truck.”
- “I will keep my side of the bargain, provided that you keep your side of it.”
- “You may borrow my car if you will take good care of it.”
- “You may go over to his house if you will be home by supper time.”
- “Make another sandwich if Uncle Jeff is coming for lunch.” (Would that be enough?)
- “Lord willing and the Creek don't rise.”
In these examples, the proviso is stated. But the concept of proviso is almost always understood, even if not stated. When the proviso is not stated, if it were stated, it would be something like, “provided that things go as they should, and normally do.” Consider these examples:
- “I'll be home by about 8:00” (provided that things go as they should, and normally do---that I don't have a car wreck or a heart attack, and that I am not murdered, and that no asteroids hit the earth, etc.).
- “Put on your pajamas and go to bed” (provided that things go as they should, and normally do---that no pipe has broken and flooded your bedroom, that your pajama drawer is not on fire, and that no rattlesnakes are in your bed).
- “Children, do not leave this house until I get home” (provided that things go as they should, and normally do---that the house does not catch fire).
- “On the Sabbath you shall do no work” (provided that things go as they should, and normally do---that your neighbor does not have an accident and need you to save his life).
- “Slaves, obey your masters” (provided that things go as they should, and normally do---that they do not order you to commit murder).
- “Children, obey your parents in the Lord” (provided that things go as they should, and normally do---that they do not tell you to steal for them).
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, provided that these authorities generally govern as they should, within the bounds of what citizens should rightfully expect from their government.”Please accept also this paraphrase of the command, with a fuller statement of the understood proviso:
Citizens of a country should pay their taxes, respect the governing official (or body), and obey his laws, provided that he rightfully holds his office and does not exceed his authority (is not a usurper), that he rules according to the constitution, the laws, the long-standing traditions, and ultimate morality (is not a despot), and that he refrains from cruelty and excessive use of force (is not a tyrant).This principle of the unstated but understood proviso helps us interpret and apply this command correctly, and should help us with other commands as well, both human and divine.
As always, you are very welcome to send this article to others, if you think it would be helpful to them. You are also welcome to ask questions, and to add your ideas.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Unpatriotic Grammar
Dear Courteous Reader,
I hope you enjoy this letter, which I wrote to Dr. Walter Williams, a college professor and conservative political columnist.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
-----------------
Dear Dr. Williams,
Despite the fact that I appreciate your March 11 article on "general welfare" very much, and despite the fact that I usually agree with your ideas, I must say that I find your use of the split infinitive "to regularly exercise" very unpatriotic.
Some social commentators see the court decisions outlawing school prayer, but legalizing abortion, or the laws granting no-fault divorce, or the hippie movement violating sexual norms and undermining authority structures, as the social developments that have led our country into such dire straits today. But the real culprit in the slide of America from our past greatness to our present weakness is the use, even by good men such as you, Dr. Williams, of the grammar construct known as the "split infinitive."
Consider that ever since 1966, when Captain Kirk decided "to boldly go" beyond the traditional grammar structures of our language, our citizens have become less and less familiar with proper modification of the infinitive. True, we have retained the post-infinitive adverb, as "to think creatively," but the mid-infinitive adverb has come "to mostly replace" the traditional pre-infinitive adverb of our founding fathers.
Aye, there's the rub! Today, our citizens have more need of the Constitution than ever. Yet, many of the citizens see it as ancient, outdated, irrelevant. Why? We have become so accustomed to the carelessly-split infinitive, that we no longer appreciate the beauty of such a carefully-crafted phrase as "peaceably to assemble." Instead, the unfamiliarity of such a phrase leaves the young American with the impression that the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the related writings of the time must be mere museum pieces.
Certainly the lack of attention to traditional morality, especially the Ten Commandments has played a role; probably the tolerance of rampant political corruption has contributed; undoubtedly the exchange of the Great Awakening's vibrant religion for today's shallow pseudo-spirituality has done it's part; but the abandment of the grammar of our founding fathers is proving to be our nation's undoing.
Therefore, Dr. Williams, I hope you will, in the future, for the good of our posterity, structure your sentences in a more patriotic way, and so do your part faithfully to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and grammatical.
Sincerely,
Jeff Richard Young
Bonham, Texas
I hope you enjoy this letter, which I wrote to Dr. Walter Williams, a college professor and conservative political columnist.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
-----------------
Dear Dr. Williams,
Despite the fact that I appreciate your March 11 article on "general welfare" very much, and despite the fact that I usually agree with your ideas, I must say that I find your use of the split infinitive "to regularly exercise" very unpatriotic.
Some social commentators see the court decisions outlawing school prayer, but legalizing abortion, or the laws granting no-fault divorce, or the hippie movement violating sexual norms and undermining authority structures, as the social developments that have led our country into such dire straits today. But the real culprit in the slide of America from our past greatness to our present weakness is the use, even by good men such as you, Dr. Williams, of the grammar construct known as the "split infinitive."
Consider that ever since 1966, when Captain Kirk decided "to boldly go" beyond the traditional grammar structures of our language, our citizens have become less and less familiar with proper modification of the infinitive. True, we have retained the post-infinitive adverb, as "to think creatively," but the mid-infinitive adverb has come "to mostly replace" the traditional pre-infinitive adverb of our founding fathers.
Aye, there's the rub! Today, our citizens have more need of the Constitution than ever. Yet, many of the citizens see it as ancient, outdated, irrelevant. Why? We have become so accustomed to the carelessly-split infinitive, that we no longer appreciate the beauty of such a carefully-crafted phrase as "peaceably to assemble." Instead, the unfamiliarity of such a phrase leaves the young American with the impression that the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the related writings of the time must be mere museum pieces.
Certainly the lack of attention to traditional morality, especially the Ten Commandments has played a role; probably the tolerance of rampant political corruption has contributed; undoubtedly the exchange of the Great Awakening's vibrant religion for today's shallow pseudo-spirituality has done it's part; but the abandment of the grammar of our founding fathers is proving to be our nation's undoing.
Therefore, Dr. Williams, I hope you will, in the future, for the good of our posterity, structure your sentences in a more patriotic way, and so do your part faithfully to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and grammatical.
Sincerely,
Jeff Richard Young
Bonham, Texas
Friday, March 06, 2009
Beyond "Submit to the Authorities" part 3
Dear Courteous Reader,
May the grace of God given us by His Son be foremost in your minds today!
God's commands, given to us in the Bible, are given both for His glory and for our benefit. Every command of God is good, and in fact is perfect!
But some of His commands come to us in such a way that the general statement of the command is not to be applied in its bare form to every conceivable circumstance. Sometimes, because of the sinfulness of mankind, circumstances are so reversed from how they should be, that, to do what is right, you actually seem to disobey a commandment.
Let me present an example of a human commandment that is given in such a form, followed by an example of such a scriptural commandment. With both of those examples in mind, I will then suggest how this principle applies to Romans chapter 13 and the command to submit to the authorities.
EXAMPLE ONE
A mother commands her children, “Do not go outside the house while your father and I are gone this evening.” When the children are tempted to go outside for a game of hide-and-seek in the dark, they will do well to obey their mother's command and stay inside. But if the house catches fire, the children should NOT stay in the house, but should run outside. Because of the sinfulness of man, and the fallen state of creation, the situation has become utterly reversed from how it should be. The house should be a safe haven from danger for the children, but has in fact become a danger to their lives. So, to obey the commandment in its basic form will not honor the mother's intention, but will violate it.
EXAMPLE TWO
God commanded, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work.” Take the case, then, of a Jew in the days of John the Baptist. When he is temped to work in his business on the Sabbath, he will do well to obey the Lord's command, putting aside his work for one day, in order to rest and worship. But if, on his way into Jerusalem on the Sabbath, he sees that an archway has caved in, trapping two people under the rubble, he should NOT refrain from work. Because of the sinfulness of man, and the fallen state of creation, the situation has become utterly reversed from how it should be. In such a circumstance, if the man will not help lift the fallen stones off the people who are trapped, this will be sin. So, to obey the commandment in its bare form would not honor God's intent, but would instead violate it.
Examples could be multiplied, and perhaps you will do so as you meditate on this concept. One believer suggested the case of the boy with his finger in the dike.
Of course, some commandments of God are not stated in such a way that this principle applies. For example, it is never right not to love God with all your heart. It is never good not to love your neighbor as yourself. It is never right to commit murder or adultery. But many of God's commands do come to us in this form.
Romans chapter 13 opens with the command, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.” If a believer is tempted to stop paying his taxes, or stop getting licenses, or stop obeying the traffic laws, because he is ultimately a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, not an earthly country, or because Jesus is his Lawgiver, King, Judge, not the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court, he will do well to obey this command, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.”
But what if a Christian citizen of the United States of America, a constitutional republic, finds himself living in a time when the office of President is usurped by a foreigner, unconstitutional powers are assumed by the Congress, and immoral rulings are given by the Supreme Court? What if the government rewards the wicked and punishes the righteous? What if the government, instead of insuring justice is done, becomes itself the doer of injustice. What if, instead of securing the rights of the people, the government itself infringes the people's rights?
If a Christian in such circumstances reflects on this command, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities,” and so passively submits to every abuse and injury dished out by a usurping, despotic, even tyrannical government, allowing his fellow citizens, as well as yet-unborn future citizens to suffer the same, he has NOT obeyed God's command rightly. He has instead acted with the foolishness of children who would die in a burning house because their mother had told them not to go outside, or of a man who would not lift a stone off of his fellow man because it was the Sabbath.
This principle is a key to right interpretation and application of the commands in Romans chapter 13. I urge you to consider this, and see the rightness of it. Please feel free to add your comments and ask your questions.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
May the grace of God given us by His Son be foremost in your minds today!
God's commands, given to us in the Bible, are given both for His glory and for our benefit. Every command of God is good, and in fact is perfect!
But some of His commands come to us in such a way that the general statement of the command is not to be applied in its bare form to every conceivable circumstance. Sometimes, because of the sinfulness of mankind, circumstances are so reversed from how they should be, that, to do what is right, you actually seem to disobey a commandment.
Let me present an example of a human commandment that is given in such a form, followed by an example of such a scriptural commandment. With both of those examples in mind, I will then suggest how this principle applies to Romans chapter 13 and the command to submit to the authorities.
EXAMPLE ONE
A mother commands her children, “Do not go outside the house while your father and I are gone this evening.” When the children are tempted to go outside for a game of hide-and-seek in the dark, they will do well to obey their mother's command and stay inside. But if the house catches fire, the children should NOT stay in the house, but should run outside. Because of the sinfulness of man, and the fallen state of creation, the situation has become utterly reversed from how it should be. The house should be a safe haven from danger for the children, but has in fact become a danger to their lives. So, to obey the commandment in its basic form will not honor the mother's intention, but will violate it.
EXAMPLE TWO
God commanded, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work.” Take the case, then, of a Jew in the days of John the Baptist. When he is temped to work in his business on the Sabbath, he will do well to obey the Lord's command, putting aside his work for one day, in order to rest and worship. But if, on his way into Jerusalem on the Sabbath, he sees that an archway has caved in, trapping two people under the rubble, he should NOT refrain from work. Because of the sinfulness of man, and the fallen state of creation, the situation has become utterly reversed from how it should be. In such a circumstance, if the man will not help lift the fallen stones off the people who are trapped, this will be sin. So, to obey the commandment in its bare form would not honor God's intent, but would instead violate it.
Examples could be multiplied, and perhaps you will do so as you meditate on this concept. One believer suggested the case of the boy with his finger in the dike.
Of course, some commandments of God are not stated in such a way that this principle applies. For example, it is never right not to love God with all your heart. It is never good not to love your neighbor as yourself. It is never right to commit murder or adultery. But many of God's commands do come to us in this form.
Romans chapter 13 opens with the command, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.” If a believer is tempted to stop paying his taxes, or stop getting licenses, or stop obeying the traffic laws, because he is ultimately a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, not an earthly country, or because Jesus is his Lawgiver, King, Judge, not the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court, he will do well to obey this command, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.”
But what if a Christian citizen of the United States of America, a constitutional republic, finds himself living in a time when the office of President is usurped by a foreigner, unconstitutional powers are assumed by the Congress, and immoral rulings are given by the Supreme Court? What if the government rewards the wicked and punishes the righteous? What if the government, instead of insuring justice is done, becomes itself the doer of injustice. What if, instead of securing the rights of the people, the government itself infringes the people's rights?
If a Christian in such circumstances reflects on this command, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities,” and so passively submits to every abuse and injury dished out by a usurping, despotic, even tyrannical government, allowing his fellow citizens, as well as yet-unborn future citizens to suffer the same, he has NOT obeyed God's command rightly. He has instead acted with the foolishness of children who would die in a burning house because their mother had told them not to go outside, or of a man who would not lift a stone off of his fellow man because it was the Sabbath.
This principle is a key to right interpretation and application of the commands in Romans chapter 13. I urge you to consider this, and see the rightness of it. Please feel free to add your comments and ask your questions.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Beyond "Submit to the Authorities" part 2
Dear Courteous Reader,
No matter what is happening in your life, whether pleasant or unpleasant, easy or difficult, I pray that your hope is not in your circumstances, but in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Bible talks of Christian citizenship in several passages, but the central one is Romans chapter 13, so let's work on that for a bit. How about just one concept for now?
The apostle gives this doctrine to those believers who had the wrong idea that God's people do not have to submit to earthly government. In the case of Jewish believers, perhaps some of them claimed their special status as God's nation, and so had the same sentiment reflected in the question asked of Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (Matthew 22:17) In the case of gentile believers, perhaps a misapplication of the glorious truth that Jesus is the King of kings led them to reject all human government. Certainly some unruly professors were acting disrespectful toward officials (2 Peter 2:10). But the fact that both Paul and Peter commanded submission to government in their letters indicates that some of the Christians of their day held that they did not have to submit to kings and to lower levels of governors.
In answer to this wrong idea, the apostles command that believers be in submission to the governing authorities.
This is tender, easy stuff, I know, so let me give you something tougher to chew.
This doctrine was given to correct those believers who wrongly thought that they did not have to submit to the government, to bring them over to the truth that they did have to submit to the government.
It was NOT given to those believers who were already cheerfully submitting to the government, to help them know what to do as citizens of a republic when dealing with a usurping, despotic, and tyrannical government.
To put it another way,
Paul IS saying, “Those of you who are not submitting to the government must begin to submit.”
Paul is NOT saying, “Those of you who are faithful citizens of a republic, whose laws are being violated by a tyrant, must do nothing but submit to the tyrant's violence.”
I invite you to chew on that, and I hope it doesn't give you indigestion!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Beyond "Submit to the Authorities"
Dear Courteous Reader,
May you rejoice today in the grace given you freely by the Lord Jesus Christ!
Please consider this word I offer you in love.
As Christians, we are ultimately citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, not of any earthly country. While we live this earthly life, however, we are indeed citizens of our earthly countries, which in my case is the United States of America. As part of our discipleship, then, we must act rightly toward our government and our fellow citizens.
The Bible's basic commandment in this regard is to be found in Romans chapter 13, among other places, and it is that we are to submit to the government, rendering both taxes and honor to those government officials to whom it is due. We must never forget this basic principle, nor fail to live by it.
HOWEVER, we must not allow this one principle to be our whole understanding of the Lord's teaching on government and citizenship, either. There is much more to learn from the Bible about Christian duty, about good citizenship.
Please join me as I inquire into the Bible's teachings on this matter. At the same time, please join me in praying for our government officials, for each other, our fellow Christian citizens, and for me as a pastor/teacher.
If you find anything I write helpful, you are most welcome to send it around in whatever way seems best to you. Please feel free to contact me personally for more information.
In the thoughts I offer here, I will be leaning heavily on the text of the Bible, of course, but also a book of old sermons. It is available to read free of charge on Google Books, and is available for purchase on Amazon, and I suppose from other book sellers as well. The title is The Pulpit of the American Revolution, or The Political Sermons of the Period of 1776. The editor is John Wingate Thornton. It was published in 1860, and there is a recent new printing as well.
Click here to view on Google books.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. I am including here at the bottom of this article a few key words, so that those who are searching for information on these topics can find their way here. By seeing these words together, you may also be able to guess where I am headed with this teaching.
Barack Obama, president, usurper, usurpation, constitution, natural-born citizen, Declaration of Independence, despotism, tyranny
May you rejoice today in the grace given you freely by the Lord Jesus Christ!
Please consider this word I offer you in love.
As Christians, we are ultimately citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, not of any earthly country. While we live this earthly life, however, we are indeed citizens of our earthly countries, which in my case is the United States of America. As part of our discipleship, then, we must act rightly toward our government and our fellow citizens.
The Bible's basic commandment in this regard is to be found in Romans chapter 13, among other places, and it is that we are to submit to the government, rendering both taxes and honor to those government officials to whom it is due. We must never forget this basic principle, nor fail to live by it.
HOWEVER, we must not allow this one principle to be our whole understanding of the Lord's teaching on government and citizenship, either. There is much more to learn from the Bible about Christian duty, about good citizenship.
Please join me as I inquire into the Bible's teachings on this matter. At the same time, please join me in praying for our government officials, for each other, our fellow Christian citizens, and for me as a pastor/teacher.
If you find anything I write helpful, you are most welcome to send it around in whatever way seems best to you. Please feel free to contact me personally for more information.
In the thoughts I offer here, I will be leaning heavily on the text of the Bible, of course, but also a book of old sermons. It is available to read free of charge on Google Books, and is available for purchase on Amazon, and I suppose from other book sellers as well. The title is The Pulpit of the American Revolution, or The Political Sermons of the Period of 1776. The editor is John Wingate Thornton. It was published in 1860, and there is a recent new printing as well.
Click here to view on Google books.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. I am including here at the bottom of this article a few key words, so that those who are searching for information on these topics can find their way here. By seeing these words together, you may also be able to guess where I am headed with this teaching.
Barack Obama, president, usurper, usurpation, constitution, natural-born citizen, Declaration of Independence, despotism, tyranny
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Cost of Leaving Problems Uncorrected
Courteous Reader,
Have you ever noticed something going wrong, and failed to fix it? Most certainly I have done so! Typically we fail to fix things that are breaking, in order to save ourselves inconvenience, expense, or other unpleasantness in the short term. But in the long term, what is the cost? What are the consequences? What is the price of leaving things uncorrected?
This morning my dear wife, whose mind is as beautiful as her face, asked me this question.
The answer, of course, is well known to us. If you fail to do minor repairs to a machine when they are needed, eventually major components will fail, and the price of repairs or replacement will be high.
If you fail to fix a small leak in the roof of a house, eventually there will be major water damage, which will have to be repaired at great expense and inconvenience.
If you fail to correct a naughty child, he will become a rebellious, lawless young adult, who will most likely ruin his whole life, and the lives of others.
If you allow openly sinful people, or anti-Christian doctrine, to remain in the fellowship of a church, the church may well be severely damaged or destroyed eventually.
The example my dear wife suggested was Germany and the rise of the Nazis. In the 1930s, it became apparent that Hitler and his Nazi party were turning government upside down. Instead of protecting the good and punishing the wicked, the government began to reward the wicked and punish the good. At that time, when Hitler's hold on power was relatively weak, the good citizens of Germany should have thrown him and his party out of the government. Instead, they let him go on ruling Germany, until he had led them to world war and genocide.
Other examples from history abound, including the Bible's historical accounts. King David, a good man, saw that his son Adonijah was going astray, but did not correct him. The result was an attempted coup d'etat, and ultimately the death of the son.
Understanding this principle, let us put it into action. If you have put off setting something right because of the perceived cost of doing so, consider what the cost will be if this problem is allowed to continue to its end, and begin to fix it now!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Have you ever noticed something going wrong, and failed to fix it? Most certainly I have done so! Typically we fail to fix things that are breaking, in order to save ourselves inconvenience, expense, or other unpleasantness in the short term. But in the long term, what is the cost? What are the consequences? What is the price of leaving things uncorrected?
This morning my dear wife, whose mind is as beautiful as her face, asked me this question.
The answer, of course, is well known to us. If you fail to do minor repairs to a machine when they are needed, eventually major components will fail, and the price of repairs or replacement will be high.
If you fail to fix a small leak in the roof of a house, eventually there will be major water damage, which will have to be repaired at great expense and inconvenience.
If you fail to correct a naughty child, he will become a rebellious, lawless young adult, who will most likely ruin his whole life, and the lives of others.
If you allow openly sinful people, or anti-Christian doctrine, to remain in the fellowship of a church, the church may well be severely damaged or destroyed eventually.
The example my dear wife suggested was Germany and the rise of the Nazis. In the 1930s, it became apparent that Hitler and his Nazi party were turning government upside down. Instead of protecting the good and punishing the wicked, the government began to reward the wicked and punish the good. At that time, when Hitler's hold on power was relatively weak, the good citizens of Germany should have thrown him and his party out of the government. Instead, they let him go on ruling Germany, until he had led them to world war and genocide.
Other examples from history abound, including the Bible's historical accounts. King David, a good man, saw that his son Adonijah was going astray, but did not correct him. The result was an attempted coup d'etat, and ultimately the death of the son.
Understanding this principle, let us put it into action. If you have put off setting something right because of the perceived cost of doing so, consider what the cost will be if this problem is allowed to continue to its end, and begin to fix it now!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Friday, July 18, 2008
William Screven-1689 in 1699
Dear Courteous Reader,
Have you heard of William Screven? He was a Baptist pastor in Maine, who, due to persecution from the official church there, moved with most of the congregation to Charleston, South Carolina in 1696. The church joined with Baptists already there to become the first Baptist church in the South, FBC of Charleston.
Just three years later, William Screven had to retire at age 70, due to poor health. To conclude his farewell sermon, he spoke these words regarding the selection of a new pastor:
"Be sure you take care the person be orthodox in the faith, and of blameless life, and does own the confession put forth by our brethren in London in 1689."
Are you familiar with this confession, the 1689 Second London Confession of Baptist Faith?
If not, I urge you to read and study it. If you do, I think you will see why William Screven thought it so important. Here's the link:
http://www.1689.com/confession.html
If you would like more information on this, I am at your disposal.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Have you heard of William Screven? He was a Baptist pastor in Maine, who, due to persecution from the official church there, moved with most of the congregation to Charleston, South Carolina in 1696. The church joined with Baptists already there to become the first Baptist church in the South, FBC of Charleston.
Just three years later, William Screven had to retire at age 70, due to poor health. To conclude his farewell sermon, he spoke these words regarding the selection of a new pastor:
"Be sure you take care the person be orthodox in the faith, and of blameless life, and does own the confession put forth by our brethren in London in 1689."
Are you familiar with this confession, the 1689 Second London Confession of Baptist Faith?
If not, I urge you to read and study it. If you do, I think you will see why William Screven thought it so important. Here's the link:
http://www.1689.com/confession.html
If you would like more information on this, I am at your disposal.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Labels: 1689 Second London Confession of Baptist Faith
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Liberating Loveliness of Biblical Worship part 1
Dear Courteous Reader,
If this order of worship looks familiar to you, if it makes you unsure of whether to laugh or weep, please read the series of posts that will follow, to learn more about biblical worship.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
11:00 Announcements of Upcoming Events
11:02 Singing "Happy Birthday" and "Happy Anniversary"
11:05 Prayer (kept short to save time)
11:06 Hymn (skipping middle verses to save time)
11:09 Fellowship (greet, shake hands, hug, chat)
11:12 Committee Report
11:14 Praise Songs
11:24 Skit by Youth Drama Team
11:28 Recognition of Veterans (or mothers, or fathers, or graduates, or teachers)
11:31 Offertory Hymn (skipping middle verses to save time)
11:34 Offertory Prayer (kept short to save time)
11:35 Giving of offerings by passing the plate, with musical accompaniment
11:39 Special Music (solo or small group)
11:43 Sermon (brief scripture reading and quick prayer included)
11:58 Invitation/Altar Call
12:02 Closing Prayer or Song
12:03 Grumbling About Getting Out Late
If this order of worship looks familiar to you, if it makes you unsure of whether to laugh or weep, please read the series of posts that will follow, to learn more about biblical worship.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
11:00 Announcements of Upcoming Events
11:02 Singing "Happy Birthday" and "Happy Anniversary"
11:05 Prayer (kept short to save time)
11:06 Hymn (skipping middle verses to save time)
11:09 Fellowship (greet, shake hands, hug, chat)
11:12 Committee Report
11:14 Praise Songs
11:24 Skit by Youth Drama Team
11:28 Recognition of Veterans (or mothers, or fathers, or graduates, or teachers)
11:31 Offertory Hymn (skipping middle verses to save time)
11:34 Offertory Prayer (kept short to save time)
11:35 Giving of offerings by passing the plate, with musical accompaniment
11:39 Special Music (solo or small group)
11:43 Sermon (brief scripture reading and quick prayer included)
11:58 Invitation/Altar Call
12:02 Closing Prayer or Song
12:03 Grumbling About Getting Out Late
Monday, August 13, 2007
A High View of Baptism Leads to a Man's Conversion
-
Dear Courteous Reader,
The International Mission Board/Wade Burleson crisis of late 2005 and early 2006 drove many of us back to the books for study of the ordinances. During several months of intense reading and discussion, I learned a higher view of baptism than what I had formerly held. This Sunday, God used that high view of baptism to convict a man of sin and convert him to faith in Christ!
As a Baptist, I had always been repulsed by the various iterations of "baptismal regeneration." The Church of Christ and the Catholic Church both hold that a person is "born again" or regenerated in the act of baptism. We Baptists rightly reject this position, which is based primarily on a wrong interpretation of John 3:5
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
The correct meaning of "born of water" is "born naturally" or "born physically." But these two groups, as well as some others, take "born of water" to mean "baptized in water."
As a reaction against this wrong belief, however, many Baptists too strongly de-emphasize baptism. We act as if "walking the aisle" is the profession of faith, and baptism is something to be done later, at our convenience, if at all. (Please see Dr. VanNeste's excellent article, p.4.) This was the position I held.
In study of the issue, however, I came to understand that baptism, although not regenerative, should always accompany faith in Christ, and should be performed immediately upon conversion. The command is "believe and be baptized." The practice is to be baptized right away. (Consider the experience of the three thousand, the Ethiopian, the Philippian jailer, and Saul/Paul himself.) A person who has come to faith in Christ, and made this known to other believers, should not remain unbaptized for more than a few hours. Certainly there are difficult cases, where physical infirmity or lack of a suitable body of water is an obstacle, but in almost all cases, the new convert should be baptized the same day.
Understanding this biblical truth, I began to reconsider my idea of who should be allowed to share in The Lord's Supper. As a young adult, in ignorant zeal, I had believed that anyone at all could share the Supper. As my understanding matured, I had held that any Christian could take the Supper, even if he had not been baptized. But through study and prayer in 2006, I came to realize that the old Baptist position is right: A man who has refused baptism should not be welcomed into the communion of the church, especially around The Lord's Supper. (See any of the old Baptist confessions of faith, or any of the three versions of The Baptist Faith and Message, found here.)
Although I have held this position for roughly a year, my fellow elder and I had not yet brought ourselves to state this quite so baldly in our worship services. We have been saying that a person who has not "made a good and credible profession of faith" should not take the Supper. Our intention has been not to drive away inquirers with too harsh a position.
Yesterday, however, it was my turn to lead the communion, and I was convicted that I must state the truth. I instructed the congregation (there were first-time visitors present) that anyone who had supposedly believed in Christ, but had not been baptized should not take The Lord's Supper on the grounds that he might be taking it in an "unworthy manner."
As the worshipers came forward to take the elements and form a circle, one man, a first-time visitor, remained in his place near the back, and bent down his head. When the worship service closed, he was still there, crying. I went to him and asked what he was thinking about, but he only shook his head and continued crying. I prayed over him and offered my help when he was ready.
In a few minutes, he spoke to me outside, and told that in those moments, while the rest of the church was sharing The Lord's Supper, he was being converted to Christ! He had attended church off-and-on for years, known most of the facts, and believed in God. But he said that when he realized he was being excluded from The Lord's Supper, he became strongly convicted of sin, and began asking Jesus to forgive him. He testified that he was overwhelmed with emotion "in a good way" and began to cry out to God. Afterward, he felt a kind of peace that he had never felt before. He said that although he had made deals with God before, and promised to quit sinning in this way or that, it had never worked. This time, however, he did not ask God to do anything for him, and did not make any promises to shape up, but just asked God to forgive him of his sins.
I read to him from Peter's Pentecost sermon, that he should be baptized, and he agreed. I told him that he should be baptized the same day, and he agreed to that, too! So, I had the great pleasure of baptizing him in a the pleasant, warm waters of our local lake yesterday evening, praise God!
I offer this account as an encouragement to my brothers. If you are concerned that a high view of baptism, or a hard line on The Lord's Supper will be anti-evangelistic, perhaps that should not be such a concern after all.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Dear Courteous Reader,
The International Mission Board/Wade Burleson crisis of late 2005 and early 2006 drove many of us back to the books for study of the ordinances. During several months of intense reading and discussion, I learned a higher view of baptism than what I had formerly held. This Sunday, God used that high view of baptism to convict a man of sin and convert him to faith in Christ!
As a Baptist, I had always been repulsed by the various iterations of "baptismal regeneration." The Church of Christ and the Catholic Church both hold that a person is "born again" or regenerated in the act of baptism. We Baptists rightly reject this position, which is based primarily on a wrong interpretation of John 3:5
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
The correct meaning of "born of water" is "born naturally" or "born physically." But these two groups, as well as some others, take "born of water" to mean "baptized in water."
As a reaction against this wrong belief, however, many Baptists too strongly de-emphasize baptism. We act as if "walking the aisle" is the profession of faith, and baptism is something to be done later, at our convenience, if at all. (Please see Dr. VanNeste's excellent article, p.4.) This was the position I held.
In study of the issue, however, I came to understand that baptism, although not regenerative, should always accompany faith in Christ, and should be performed immediately upon conversion. The command is "believe and be baptized." The practice is to be baptized right away. (Consider the experience of the three thousand, the Ethiopian, the Philippian jailer, and Saul/Paul himself.) A person who has come to faith in Christ, and made this known to other believers, should not remain unbaptized for more than a few hours. Certainly there are difficult cases, where physical infirmity or lack of a suitable body of water is an obstacle, but in almost all cases, the new convert should be baptized the same day.
Understanding this biblical truth, I began to reconsider my idea of who should be allowed to share in The Lord's Supper. As a young adult, in ignorant zeal, I had believed that anyone at all could share the Supper. As my understanding matured, I had held that any Christian could take the Supper, even if he had not been baptized. But through study and prayer in 2006, I came to realize that the old Baptist position is right: A man who has refused baptism should not be welcomed into the communion of the church, especially around The Lord's Supper. (See any of the old Baptist confessions of faith, or any of the three versions of The Baptist Faith and Message, found here.)
Although I have held this position for roughly a year, my fellow elder and I had not yet brought ourselves to state this quite so baldly in our worship services. We have been saying that a person who has not "made a good and credible profession of faith" should not take the Supper. Our intention has been not to drive away inquirers with too harsh a position.
Yesterday, however, it was my turn to lead the communion, and I was convicted that I must state the truth. I instructed the congregation (there were first-time visitors present) that anyone who had supposedly believed in Christ, but had not been baptized should not take The Lord's Supper on the grounds that he might be taking it in an "unworthy manner."
As the worshipers came forward to take the elements and form a circle, one man, a first-time visitor, remained in his place near the back, and bent down his head. When the worship service closed, he was still there, crying. I went to him and asked what he was thinking about, but he only shook his head and continued crying. I prayed over him and offered my help when he was ready.
In a few minutes, he spoke to me outside, and told that in those moments, while the rest of the church was sharing The Lord's Supper, he was being converted to Christ! He had attended church off-and-on for years, known most of the facts, and believed in God. But he said that when he realized he was being excluded from The Lord's Supper, he became strongly convicted of sin, and began asking Jesus to forgive him. He testified that he was overwhelmed with emotion "in a good way" and began to cry out to God. Afterward, he felt a kind of peace that he had never felt before. He said that although he had made deals with God before, and promised to quit sinning in this way or that, it had never worked. This time, however, he did not ask God to do anything for him, and did not make any promises to shape up, but just asked God to forgive him of his sins.
I read to him from Peter's Pentecost sermon, that he should be baptized, and he agreed. I told him that he should be baptized the same day, and he agreed to that, too! So, I had the great pleasure of baptizing him in a the pleasant, warm waters of our local lake yesterday evening, praise God!
I offer this account as an encouragement to my brothers. If you are concerned that a high view of baptism, or a hard line on The Lord's Supper will be anti-evangelistic, perhaps that should not be such a concern after all.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Knowing Christ Jesus-Reprise
Dear Courteous Reader,
Some time when I was a teenager, my father, a men's Sunday School teacher, said to me, "Everybody wants to study Revelation. But they don't even know their Bibles! If they don't know the prophets and the gospels, how are they going to understand Revelation?" Evidently God filed that away in my memory banks, to retrieve it later when it was needed. It was finally needed when I became a preacher in 2002.
In my first year and a half of preaching, I waded through Nehemiah and 1 Corinthians, which had great practical lessons for the church and for me as a new preacher. As I neared the end of 1 Corinthians, I wanted to dive into Romans, which had fascinated me for years. But, thinking of Dad's advice, I considered what material from the scriptures I should study first. I listened to Dr. Tom Nelson (Denton Bible Church) introducing Romans to a Bible study class. He said that to understand Romans, we have to understand the material in Genesis. Agreeing with that concept, in 2004 I studied and preached through the first half of Genesis, up to the death of Abraham. It was very rewarding, and has helped my understanding of original sin, marriage, and a number of other doctrines.
Near the end of that study, I realized that I did not have a very good understanding of Jesus Himself. So, in the Fall of 2004, I embarked on a sermon series called "Knowing Christ Jesus," in which I intended to cover a few highlights of the life of Jesus, lasting a few months. Once into the study, however, I realized that I could not skip anything! What is not important from the life and sayings of Jesus?!
So, I changed my preaching plan, and determined to study and preach on every event and saying of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. As a guide, I had A.T. Robertson's classic harmony of the gospels. Over the course of two years, I preached almost every Sunday morning on the life and sayings of Jesus. How rich! How convicting! How compelling! I had never before known the Savior like I was learning to know Him during these years.
In the late summer of 2006, I reached what I think of as the half-way mark---Peter's great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Just a few weeks later, I had to make an abrupt exit from that church, and began a six-month sojourn, which God used as a sabbatical for me. He led me to study the partial preterist interpretation of Revelation, the reformed view of The Ten Commandments (especially the sabbath), and the first three chapters of Romans.
Since I have been preaching here at Grace Community Bible Church, I have been neck-deep in The Ten Commandments. (As I mentioned in a previous article, if you have not yet studied and/or preached the commandments, get hold of A.W. Pink's book, and the appropriate section of Calvin's Institutes, along with just about any old commentaries, and be ready for a life-changing experience.) But this past Sunday was the end. In God's grace, I was able to preach on "You shall not covet your neighbor's house," and it was over.
I have wondered for quite a while, but now am certain that I will endeavor to preach the rest of the way through all the life and sayings of Jesus. God willing, I will return to Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and declare to all listening that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God." I will then teach that the Son of Man had to be crucified, and to rise from the dead. I will teach that to be His disciple, you must take up your cross and follow Him. If the Lord allows, I will spend roughly the next two years unfolding before the eyes of men, women, and children the great righteousness, teachings, sacrifice, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Here is the key passage that drives me to this goal:
Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (11) if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Father, please help me to know Christ Jesus, and to preach Him in Your church, of which He is the glorious head. Amen.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Some time when I was a teenager, my father, a men's Sunday School teacher, said to me, "Everybody wants to study Revelation. But they don't even know their Bibles! If they don't know the prophets and the gospels, how are they going to understand Revelation?" Evidently God filed that away in my memory banks, to retrieve it later when it was needed. It was finally needed when I became a preacher in 2002.
In my first year and a half of preaching, I waded through Nehemiah and 1 Corinthians, which had great practical lessons for the church and for me as a new preacher. As I neared the end of 1 Corinthians, I wanted to dive into Romans, which had fascinated me for years. But, thinking of Dad's advice, I considered what material from the scriptures I should study first. I listened to Dr. Tom Nelson (Denton Bible Church) introducing Romans to a Bible study class. He said that to understand Romans, we have to understand the material in Genesis. Agreeing with that concept, in 2004 I studied and preached through the first half of Genesis, up to the death of Abraham. It was very rewarding, and has helped my understanding of original sin, marriage, and a number of other doctrines.
Near the end of that study, I realized that I did not have a very good understanding of Jesus Himself. So, in the Fall of 2004, I embarked on a sermon series called "Knowing Christ Jesus," in which I intended to cover a few highlights of the life of Jesus, lasting a few months. Once into the study, however, I realized that I could not skip anything! What is not important from the life and sayings of Jesus?!
So, I changed my preaching plan, and determined to study and preach on every event and saying of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. As a guide, I had A.T. Robertson's classic harmony of the gospels. Over the course of two years, I preached almost every Sunday morning on the life and sayings of Jesus. How rich! How convicting! How compelling! I had never before known the Savior like I was learning to know Him during these years.
In the late summer of 2006, I reached what I think of as the half-way mark---Peter's great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Just a few weeks later, I had to make an abrupt exit from that church, and began a six-month sojourn, which God used as a sabbatical for me. He led me to study the partial preterist interpretation of Revelation, the reformed view of The Ten Commandments (especially the sabbath), and the first three chapters of Romans.
Since I have been preaching here at Grace Community Bible Church, I have been neck-deep in The Ten Commandments. (As I mentioned in a previous article, if you have not yet studied and/or preached the commandments, get hold of A.W. Pink's book, and the appropriate section of Calvin's Institutes, along with just about any old commentaries, and be ready for a life-changing experience.) But this past Sunday was the end. In God's grace, I was able to preach on "You shall not covet your neighbor's house," and it was over.
I have wondered for quite a while, but now am certain that I will endeavor to preach the rest of the way through all the life and sayings of Jesus. God willing, I will return to Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and declare to all listening that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God." I will then teach that the Son of Man had to be crucified, and to rise from the dead. I will teach that to be His disciple, you must take up your cross and follow Him. If the Lord allows, I will spend roughly the next two years unfolding before the eyes of men, women, and children the great righteousness, teachings, sacrifice, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Here is the key passage that drives me to this goal:
Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (11) if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Father, please help me to know Christ Jesus, and to preach Him in Your church, of which He is the glorious head. Amen.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Turned Inside Out by the Ten Commandments
Dear Courteous Reader,
For the past several weeks, God has had me studying and preaching The Ten Commandments. During this process, I feel that God has turned me inside out. What do I mean by this?
As a Christian and a pastor, I have been in a constant process of sanctification. It has been impossible to deny that I am a sinful man, and that God is constantly refining my character. But in order to keep up the appearance that I was a Godly man, I tried to hide most of my sinfulness away, and admit (to others and to myself) only a small fraction of my corruption.
You know how it is with dark, wet, dirty places. They grow more and more putrid, until finally someone pulls the rotting stuff out into the sunlight and fresh air. During this study of God's perfect moral righteousness, the Holy Spirit has unzipped me, reached inside to where all the filth is hidden, and pulled my insides out into the light. He is now disinfecting me with His Word, cleaning up several varieties of mold and fungus.
I am left with some very interesting feelings. I feel like running away, stuffing it all back inside, and zipping it all back up. Couldn't we just go back to status quo ante? I also feel tired. True, I have been staying up too late, but that's not what I mean. This has been an intense spiritual exercise, it's not over, and I feel that my strength is giving out. Perhaps that is part of the process? I also feel strangely hopeful. It seems that I felt very limited before. I somehow knew that I was not going to run very fast or get very far in God's service with all that sin inside. Now I'm starting to feel that maybe I can fly!
God has also made me feel humbly grateful. I am thankful to Him for continuing to work on me all these years, and thankful to Jesus Christ for his sacrifice on the cross, by which I am now forgiven for all this sin, with which I have brought disgrace upon His perfect name. In the human arena, I am very thankful to Brother Jarrett Downs, of Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas. He has preached on The Ten Commandments, and I highly recommend your listening to the recordings, as I have done. I wrote, asking him about his experience preaching that sermon series, and guess what he said---"It turned me inside out."
So, if you have not preached on The Ten Commandments yet, I encourage you to make plans for starting. You might read A.W. Pink, Matthew Henry, John Calvin, and The Larger Catechism for starters. And may God turn you inside out as well!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
For the past several weeks, God has had me studying and preaching The Ten Commandments. During this process, I feel that God has turned me inside out. What do I mean by this?
As a Christian and a pastor, I have been in a constant process of sanctification. It has been impossible to deny that I am a sinful man, and that God is constantly refining my character. But in order to keep up the appearance that I was a Godly man, I tried to hide most of my sinfulness away, and admit (to others and to myself) only a small fraction of my corruption.
You know how it is with dark, wet, dirty places. They grow more and more putrid, until finally someone pulls the rotting stuff out into the sunlight and fresh air. During this study of God's perfect moral righteousness, the Holy Spirit has unzipped me, reached inside to where all the filth is hidden, and pulled my insides out into the light. He is now disinfecting me with His Word, cleaning up several varieties of mold and fungus.
I am left with some very interesting feelings. I feel like running away, stuffing it all back inside, and zipping it all back up. Couldn't we just go back to status quo ante? I also feel tired. True, I have been staying up too late, but that's not what I mean. This has been an intense spiritual exercise, it's not over, and I feel that my strength is giving out. Perhaps that is part of the process? I also feel strangely hopeful. It seems that I felt very limited before. I somehow knew that I was not going to run very fast or get very far in God's service with all that sin inside. Now I'm starting to feel that maybe I can fly!
God has also made me feel humbly grateful. I am thankful to Him for continuing to work on me all these years, and thankful to Jesus Christ for his sacrifice on the cross, by which I am now forgiven for all this sin, with which I have brought disgrace upon His perfect name. In the human arena, I am very thankful to Brother Jarrett Downs, of Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas. He has preached on The Ten Commandments, and I highly recommend your listening to the recordings, as I have done. I wrote, asking him about his experience preaching that sermon series, and guess what he said---"It turned me inside out."
So, if you have not preached on The Ten Commandments yet, I encourage you to make plans for starting. You might read A.W. Pink, Matthew Henry, John Calvin, and The Larger Catechism for starters. And may God turn you inside out as well!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, April 16, 2007
Grace Community Bible Church
Dear Courteous Reader,
This past Sunday, I began work as an elder/pastor of Grace Community Bible Church, a small Reformed Baptist church in Bonham, Texas. Brother Dale Sterzer, who has been laboring alone in the church for four years, asked me to join him in the work. Initially, I declined, but eventually my dear wife and I agreed that we should do it. Dale is busy with a full-time business, so I plan to shoulder most of the pastoral responsibilities. Our good friends Matt and Lisa Kennedy are also joining the church.
The church is remodeling the parsonage for us, and it should be ready in one to two weeks. There will also be a salary, according to the church's ability. We are very grateful to the Lord for these provisions from His hand.
Those of you who have followed my posts about The Baptist Faith and Message will be glad to hear that our church holds the 1677/89 Second London Confession of Baptist Faith as its confession. Of course that means we are in agreement with the original (1925) Baptist Faith and Message, also (for your benefit, Brother Dr. Barber and Brother Nathan).
Painfully for me, our church is not a Southern Baptist Convention church. I grew up in an SBC church, graduated from an SBC seminary, and served for twelve years in SBC churches. We are going to consider it seriously, but will probably not affiliate ourselves with the SBC. Although I have been a small-time crusader for reform within the SBC, I cannot say I will miss the many controversies, either. We are independent at the moment, but may join with the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America for cooperative missions and education work. We hope to join Fannin Baptist Association, but despite the brotherly love shown us by those people, we probably will not pass the requirements in that organization's by-laws.
This means that I will not be able to speak in favor of all the failing motions and against all the passing motions at this year's SBC annual meeting in San Antonio. Someone will have to step up to Microphone 13 in my place. If you can manage it, try to speak in favor of a motion right between and Dr. Jack Graham and Dr. Jerry Vines speaking against it. It's exhilarating!
During my wanderings over the past five months, since a painful parting with the church I had pastored, God has sent a long list of Christian brothers and sisters who have supported us in various ways. We are grateful to God for the pastors and members of Grace Covenant Bible Church in Arlington, TX, FBC of Leonard, TX, Heritage Baptist Church of Mansfield, TX, Grace Baptist Church of Willis, TX, and many others who have shown us such Christian kindness.
There is much more to be written, but that will have to do for now. I thank God for all of you, and trust that He will produce good fruit in your ministry and in this new work to which He has assigned me.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
This past Sunday, I began work as an elder/pastor of Grace Community Bible Church, a small Reformed Baptist church in Bonham, Texas. Brother Dale Sterzer, who has been laboring alone in the church for four years, asked me to join him in the work. Initially, I declined, but eventually my dear wife and I agreed that we should do it. Dale is busy with a full-time business, so I plan to shoulder most of the pastoral responsibilities. Our good friends Matt and Lisa Kennedy are also joining the church.
The church is remodeling the parsonage for us, and it should be ready in one to two weeks. There will also be a salary, according to the church's ability. We are very grateful to the Lord for these provisions from His hand.
Those of you who have followed my posts about The Baptist Faith and Message will be glad to hear that our church holds the 1677/89 Second London Confession of Baptist Faith as its confession. Of course that means we are in agreement with the original (1925) Baptist Faith and Message, also (for your benefit, Brother Dr. Barber and Brother Nathan).
Painfully for me, our church is not a Southern Baptist Convention church. I grew up in an SBC church, graduated from an SBC seminary, and served for twelve years in SBC churches. We are going to consider it seriously, but will probably not affiliate ourselves with the SBC. Although I have been a small-time crusader for reform within the SBC, I cannot say I will miss the many controversies, either. We are independent at the moment, but may join with the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America for cooperative missions and education work. We hope to join Fannin Baptist Association, but despite the brotherly love shown us by those people, we probably will not pass the requirements in that organization's by-laws.
This means that I will not be able to speak in favor of all the failing motions and against all the passing motions at this year's SBC annual meeting in San Antonio. Someone will have to step up to Microphone 13 in my place. If you can manage it, try to speak in favor of a motion right between and Dr. Jack Graham and Dr. Jerry Vines speaking against it. It's exhilarating!
During my wanderings over the past five months, since a painful parting with the church I had pastored, God has sent a long list of Christian brothers and sisters who have supported us in various ways. We are grateful to God for the pastors and members of Grace Covenant Bible Church in Arlington, TX, FBC of Leonard, TX, Heritage Baptist Church of Mansfield, TX, Grace Baptist Church of Willis, TX, and many others who have shown us such Christian kindness.
There is much more to be written, but that will have to do for now. I thank God for all of you, and trust that He will produce good fruit in your ministry and in this new work to which He has assigned me.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Why I Affirm Only the Original Baptist Faith and Message
Dear Courteous Reader,
Recently an exceptionally well-informed pulpit committee asked if I subscribe to The Baptist Faith and Message. As I understand it, quite a number of missionaries, professors, and other types of SBC ministers have been asked that question over the past seven years! So I suppose it was my turn.
My answer went something like this:
“I fully subscribe to The Baptist Faith and Message as it was originally penned in 1925, but there are some problems with the 1963 and 2000 revisions that don’t allow me fully to subscribe to them.”
This position is the opposite of Nathan Finn’s and Dr. Bart Barber’s view. They say that only the latest revision can even be called The Baptist Faith and Message, and that it is sacrilege even to say, “BFM 2000"! (I am poking fun, here, and do not intend to poke too hard at these two fine Baptist ministers and bloggers.) I do not agree with them. The original 1925 version was in perfect keeping with hundreds of years of Baptist tradition, rooted in correct interpretation of the Bible, but the 1963 and 2000 revisions contain significant departures.
I went on to explain the one minor and two major problems resulting from the changes made in the 1963 and 2000 revisions. I will demonstrate them to you here, in terms of the historic consistency of Baptist confessions up through 1925, and the radical departure from them in the 1963 and 2000 revisions. For your convenience, I have provided a link to our most important Baptist confessions of faith, at the bottom of the page.
1646 First London Confession Section 36: Being thus joined, every church hath power given them from Christ, for their wellbeing, to choose among themselves meet persons for elders and deacons . . .
1742 Philadelphia Confession chapter 27, paragraph 8:
the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church . . . are bishops or elders, and deacons.
1833 New Hampshire Confession chapter 13: its only scriptural officers are Bishops, or Pastors, and Deacons
1858 Abstract of Principles chapter 14: The regular officers of a Church are Bishops or Elders, and Deacons.
1925 BFM chapter 12: Its Scriptural officers are bishops, or elders, and deacons.
1963/2000 BFM chapter 6: Its Scriptural officers are pastors and deacons.
The scriptures teach us that Paul called the elders to come to him, and that Peter addressed his fellow elders. He then instructed them to serve as bishops, pastoring the sheep. (See Acts 20 and 1 Peter 5.) Biblically and historically, the words “elder,” “bishop,” and “pastor” were used as synonyms, with “elder” being the most prominent. To drop the two more important terms for exclusive use of the third is to miss part of the meaning of the office. This is not a great matter, as far as I am concerned, but it is an error.
1646 First London Confession Section 4: Adam; who without any compulsion, in eating the forbidden fruit, transgressed the command of God, and fell, whereby death came upon all his posterity; who now are conceived in sin, and by nature the children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subject of death, and other miseries in this world, and for ever, unless the Lord Jesus Christ set them free.
1742 Philadelphia Confession chapter 6, paragraph 3:
They being the root, and by God's appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.
1833 New Hampshire Confession chapter 3: We believe that man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.
1858 Abstract of Principles chapter 6: God originally created Man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
1925 BFM chapter 3: He was created in a state of holiness under the law of his Maker, but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and in bondage to sin, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
1963/2000 BFM chapter 3: By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation.
The problem is that by re-arranging the phrases, the revisions state that a person becomes guilty of sin only after he consciously sins. The biblical and historic Baptist position was that a man is born guilty of the original sin that he committed in Adam. The primary scriptural reference for this idea is Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned"
1742 Philadelphia Confession chapter 22, paragraph 8 The sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations, but are also taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.
1833 New Hampshire Confession chapter 3: We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath; and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes, by abstaining from all secular labor and sinful recreations; by the devout observance of all the means of grace, both private and public; and by preparation for that rest that remaineth for the people of God.
1858 Abstract of Principles chapter 17: The Lord's Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, resting from worldly employments and amusements, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.
1925 BFM chapter 14; 1963 BFM chapter 7: The first day of the week is the Lord's day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, and by refraining from worldly amusements, and resting from secular employments, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.
2000 BFM chapter 7: The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The unbelievably flippant change to this section reflects a misunderstanding of the Law and the Gospel that would have been unthinkable to Baptist ministers of previous centuries. Some of our fellow ministers and many of our dear people have come to believe that The Lord’s Day should merely include worship alongside worldly entertainments, and that whether or not a Christian pursues business on The Lord’s Day is simply a matter for his own conscience. Perhaps you followed the story that Lifeway Stores are working on The Lord's Day this month to do annual inventory, which in past years they had always done on Saturday afternoons. Is that really the direction we want to go?
Brothers, did our late-20th-century generation of Baptists suddenly know better on these three doctrines than did the several generations of Baptists before them? Were the Baptist men who penned these documents in the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s truly in error? Or could it be that on these issues, we have failed to learn the lessons that they knew so well?
May the Lord bless you and our Baptist churches as you study these important doctrines. I have put my flame suit on, and look forward to reading your comments.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
1646 London Confession of Baptist Faith (First London)
1742 Philadelphia Confession of Faith (essentially the same as the 1677/89 2nd London)
1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith (the basis for the 1925 BFM)
1858 Southern Seminary Abstract of Principles
1925, 1963, and 2000 BFM Side-By-Side
Recently an exceptionally well-informed pulpit committee asked if I subscribe to The Baptist Faith and Message. As I understand it, quite a number of missionaries, professors, and other types of SBC ministers have been asked that question over the past seven years! So I suppose it was my turn.
My answer went something like this:
“I fully subscribe to The Baptist Faith and Message as it was originally penned in 1925, but there are some problems with the 1963 and 2000 revisions that don’t allow me fully to subscribe to them.”
This position is the opposite of Nathan Finn’s and Dr. Bart Barber’s view. They say that only the latest revision can even be called The Baptist Faith and Message, and that it is sacrilege even to say, “BFM 2000"! (I am poking fun, here, and do not intend to poke too hard at these two fine Baptist ministers and bloggers.) I do not agree with them. The original 1925 version was in perfect keeping with hundreds of years of Baptist tradition, rooted in correct interpretation of the Bible, but the 1963 and 2000 revisions contain significant departures.
I went on to explain the one minor and two major problems resulting from the changes made in the 1963 and 2000 revisions. I will demonstrate them to you here, in terms of the historic consistency of Baptist confessions up through 1925, and the radical departure from them in the 1963 and 2000 revisions. For your convenience, I have provided a link to our most important Baptist confessions of faith, at the bottom of the page.
One Minor Problem: The Title of One of the Offices of the Church
1646 First London Confession Section 36: Being thus joined, every church hath power given them from Christ, for their wellbeing, to choose among themselves meet persons for elders and deacons . . .
1742 Philadelphia Confession chapter 27, paragraph 8:
the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church . . . are bishops or elders, and deacons.
1833 New Hampshire Confession chapter 13: its only scriptural officers are Bishops, or Pastors, and Deacons
1858 Abstract of Principles chapter 14: The regular officers of a Church are Bishops or Elders, and Deacons.
1925 BFM chapter 12: Its Scriptural officers are bishops, or elders, and deacons.
1963/2000 BFM chapter 6: Its Scriptural officers are pastors and deacons.
The scriptures teach us that Paul called the elders to come to him, and that Peter addressed his fellow elders. He then instructed them to serve as bishops, pastoring the sheep. (See Acts 20 and 1 Peter 5.) Biblically and historically, the words “elder,” “bishop,” and “pastor” were used as synonyms, with “elder” being the most prominent. To drop the two more important terms for exclusive use of the third is to miss part of the meaning of the office. This is not a great matter, as far as I am concerned, but it is an error.
First Major Problem: The Guilt of Original Sin
1646 First London Confession Section 4: Adam; who without any compulsion, in eating the forbidden fruit, transgressed the command of God, and fell, whereby death came upon all his posterity; who now are conceived in sin, and by nature the children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subject of death, and other miseries in this world, and for ever, unless the Lord Jesus Christ set them free.
1742 Philadelphia Confession chapter 6, paragraph 3:
They being the root, and by God's appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.
1833 New Hampshire Confession chapter 3: We believe that man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.
1858 Abstract of Principles chapter 6: God originally created Man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
1925 BFM chapter 3: He was created in a state of holiness under the law of his Maker, but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and in bondage to sin, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
1963/2000 BFM chapter 3: By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation.
The problem is that by re-arranging the phrases, the revisions state that a person becomes guilty of sin only after he consciously sins. The biblical and historic Baptist position was that a man is born guilty of the original sin that he committed in Adam. The primary scriptural reference for this idea is Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned"
Second Major Problem: The Lord’s Day
1742 Philadelphia Confession chapter 22, paragraph 8 The sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations, but are also taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.
1833 New Hampshire Confession chapter 3: We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath; and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes, by abstaining from all secular labor and sinful recreations; by the devout observance of all the means of grace, both private and public; and by preparation for that rest that remaineth for the people of God.
1858 Abstract of Principles chapter 17: The Lord's Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, resting from worldly employments and amusements, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.
1925 BFM chapter 14; 1963 BFM chapter 7: The first day of the week is the Lord's day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, and by refraining from worldly amusements, and resting from secular employments, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.
2000 BFM chapter 7: The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The unbelievably flippant change to this section reflects a misunderstanding of the Law and the Gospel that would have been unthinkable to Baptist ministers of previous centuries. Some of our fellow ministers and many of our dear people have come to believe that The Lord’s Day should merely include worship alongside worldly entertainments, and that whether or not a Christian pursues business on The Lord’s Day is simply a matter for his own conscience. Perhaps you followed the story that Lifeway Stores are working on The Lord's Day this month to do annual inventory, which in past years they had always done on Saturday afternoons. Is that really the direction we want to go?
Brothers, did our late-20th-century generation of Baptists suddenly know better on these three doctrines than did the several generations of Baptists before them? Were the Baptist men who penned these documents in the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s truly in error? Or could it be that on these issues, we have failed to learn the lessons that they knew so well?
May the Lord bless you and our Baptist churches as you study these important doctrines. I have put my flame suit on, and look forward to reading your comments.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
1646 London Confession of Baptist Faith (First London)
1742 Philadelphia Confession of Faith (essentially the same as the 1677/89 2nd London)
1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith (the basis for the 1925 BFM)
1858 Southern Seminary Abstract of Principles
1925, 1963, and 2000 BFM Side-By-Side
Monday, February 19, 2007
A Blessed Trip to Valliant, Oklahoma
Dear Courteous Reader,
This past Lord’s Day, we woke up in the home of our friends Matt and Lisa Kennedy. We attended Grace Community Bible Church, a reformed Baptist church in Bonham, Texas. Brother Dale Sterzer had invited me to preach in his place, which I did, and which was a great blessing to me. We praised the Lord through singing, prayer, The Communion of the Lord’s Supper, and fellowship with the believers in that church.
After lunch with the Kennedys, we hit the road for the 1 ½-hour trip to Trinity Baptist Church of Valliant, OK. Brother Dale was gracious to drive us men and two of the children in his car, while the ladies and the rest of the children drove in our Suburban.
While we drove, Dale, Matt, and I listened to a sermon from Paul Washer. His cry for the authentic Gospel in the SBC is something all Baptist ministers should hear.
We arrived early at the beautiful campus of the church, and were amazed at the lovely property and buildings. Brother Wes Kenney and his sweet wife Debra invited is into their home, which they have decorated in good style, with a Native Texan theme! Kenney, Young, and Kennedy children all played together out in the beautiful sunny afternoon. Susan, Lisa, and Debra prepared a very nice supper, which we all enjoyed together.
At 6:30 we walked next door for worship. It was a nice, typical country Baptist church worship service, with prayer, lively hymn singing, and a beautifully-sung solo about Jesus’ death and resurrection.
When Brother Wes called on me to preach, I began by thanking the church for their hospitality, and for explaining what was happening. I told the people that it was a cooperative effort by several sister Baptist churches to accomplish a particularly difficult task in the Lord’s work---finding a new pastor for a church that needs one.
One of our Baptist churches in Oklahoma, searching for a pastor, had received my resume from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, contacted me, and asked to come hear me preach. Brother Wes and Trinity Baptist Church of Valliant opened their pulpit to me, and so members of the pulpit committee traveled there to meet me and hear my preaching. Friends from Grace church in Bonham came in support. Our pastors and others from Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, TX, where we attend were praying for us. It was a beautiful scene of cooperation and fellowship among like-minded Christians.
I tried, with the Lord’s help, to preach the Gospel with little regard for the fact that my preaching was being evaluated by men. The text was Mark 8:31, and the main ideas were:
1) Who the Son of Man Is,
2) What He Had to Do,
3) Why He Had to Do It, and
4) What Our Response Should Be
Within a few minutes of starting, the Spirit caused me to forget the opinions of men, and preach the truth of the Scriptures as best I know it. I praise the Lord for keeping me faithful.
After the worship service, the pulpit committee members met with me for a conversation. They had questions about why I left my previous church pastorate, what I think about worship music style, and what I believe about youth ministry. We found ourselves in basic agreement on these things. I asked them questions about the previous pastor of their church, and what conflicts may have led to his resignation. They we very open and honest about the situation, which I appreciated. I expressed to them my confidence that God is sovereign over these affairs, and that we can all seek His wisdom and count on His faithfulness to lead us. We had prayer together, and left the meeting feeling blessed by the Lord bringing us together.
We listened to another good Paul Washer sermon on the way home, and arrived safely.
We should have gone to bed, as it was close to midnight, but we stayed up talking for quite a while about how to make a wise decision about accepting or not accepting a church pastorate. I finally turned in with my priceless wife in the wee hours of the morning, feeling mightily blessed of the Lord.
I thank the Lord for all the support that you friends and family have given me during this time.
May all praise and thanks be given to God, through the Son Jesus Christ!
This past Lord’s Day, we woke up in the home of our friends Matt and Lisa Kennedy. We attended Grace Community Bible Church, a reformed Baptist church in Bonham, Texas. Brother Dale Sterzer had invited me to preach in his place, which I did, and which was a great blessing to me. We praised the Lord through singing, prayer, The Communion of the Lord’s Supper, and fellowship with the believers in that church.
After lunch with the Kennedys, we hit the road for the 1 ½-hour trip to Trinity Baptist Church of Valliant, OK. Brother Dale was gracious to drive us men and two of the children in his car, while the ladies and the rest of the children drove in our Suburban.
While we drove, Dale, Matt, and I listened to a sermon from Paul Washer. His cry for the authentic Gospel in the SBC is something all Baptist ministers should hear.
We arrived early at the beautiful campus of the church, and were amazed at the lovely property and buildings. Brother Wes Kenney and his sweet wife Debra invited is into their home, which they have decorated in good style, with a Native Texan theme! Kenney, Young, and Kennedy children all played together out in the beautiful sunny afternoon. Susan, Lisa, and Debra prepared a very nice supper, which we all enjoyed together.
At 6:30 we walked next door for worship. It was a nice, typical country Baptist church worship service, with prayer, lively hymn singing, and a beautifully-sung solo about Jesus’ death and resurrection.
When Brother Wes called on me to preach, I began by thanking the church for their hospitality, and for explaining what was happening. I told the people that it was a cooperative effort by several sister Baptist churches to accomplish a particularly difficult task in the Lord’s work---finding a new pastor for a church that needs one.
One of our Baptist churches in Oklahoma, searching for a pastor, had received my resume from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, contacted me, and asked to come hear me preach. Brother Wes and Trinity Baptist Church of Valliant opened their pulpit to me, and so members of the pulpit committee traveled there to meet me and hear my preaching. Friends from Grace church in Bonham came in support. Our pastors and others from Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, TX, where we attend were praying for us. It was a beautiful scene of cooperation and fellowship among like-minded Christians.
I tried, with the Lord’s help, to preach the Gospel with little regard for the fact that my preaching was being evaluated by men. The text was Mark 8:31, and the main ideas were:
1) Who the Son of Man Is,
2) What He Had to Do,
3) Why He Had to Do It, and
4) What Our Response Should Be
Within a few minutes of starting, the Spirit caused me to forget the opinions of men, and preach the truth of the Scriptures as best I know it. I praise the Lord for keeping me faithful.
After the worship service, the pulpit committee members met with me for a conversation. They had questions about why I left my previous church pastorate, what I think about worship music style, and what I believe about youth ministry. We found ourselves in basic agreement on these things. I asked them questions about the previous pastor of their church, and what conflicts may have led to his resignation. They we very open and honest about the situation, which I appreciated. I expressed to them my confidence that God is sovereign over these affairs, and that we can all seek His wisdom and count on His faithfulness to lead us. We had prayer together, and left the meeting feeling blessed by the Lord bringing us together.
We listened to another good Paul Washer sermon on the way home, and arrived safely.
We should have gone to bed, as it was close to midnight, but we stayed up talking for quite a while about how to make a wise decision about accepting or not accepting a church pastorate. I finally turned in with my priceless wife in the wee hours of the morning, feeling mightily blessed of the Lord.
I thank the Lord for all the support that you friends and family have given me during this time.
May all praise and thanks be given to God, through the Son Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Restoring Two Old Things for God's Use
Dear Courteous Reader,
After a period of waiting, God has graciously given me some meaningful work to do! Starting today, I have the privilege of repairing an old car and an old house for His use.
Back in October, I bought a 1986 Mercury Cougar for $800. It had been gently used and kept in the garage most of its life, but had spent a few painful months being unloved by a college student. When I bought it, it was undamaged, but dirty inside and out, low on oil, and low on coolant. It had a shredded belt, a turn signal stalk broken off, one headlight assembly smashed, and one tire flat. God helped me work on it, and within a week I had fixed all those minor problems on the cheap. After some vacuuming, washing, rubbing, and polishing, the old car looked and ran great. It passed inspection and entered God's service.
I drove the old car wherever God sent me for about one month, racking up 2,000 very stylish, pleasant, fuel efficient miles. (Our suburban is great, but it gets 12 mpg!) Then----I saw the dreaded tan color at the bottom of the dipstick, which means the head gasket (probably) is leaking antifreeze into the oil passages. The car has been sitting like that for two sad months, because repairs by a mechanic are cost prohibitive, and I had nowhere to work on it myself. But a few days ago my dear father-in-law, Larry Jones, offered me space under his carport to do repairs. I brought the car here yesterday, and today I get started! When the car is finished, it will be ready to take me back and forth several times between here (Arlington, TX) and Bonham, TX, where my next restoration project is located.
That project is the old parsonage at Grace Community Bible Church (sorry, no web site---yet!), a small, struggling reformed Baptist church in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks neighborhood. I’ll tell more about that project next time. For now, please pray that God will enable me by His Spirit to do some mechanic work and carpenter work to restore this old car and old house for His use!
Thank You to all of you who have cared about me, kept up with me, and prayed for me every since I left my old church in November. God is taking good care of my family and me in answer to your prayers, and in keeping with His faithfulness.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
After a period of waiting, God has graciously given me some meaningful work to do! Starting today, I have the privilege of repairing an old car and an old house for His use.
Back in October, I bought a 1986 Mercury Cougar for $800. It had been gently used and kept in the garage most of its life, but had spent a few painful months being unloved by a college student. When I bought it, it was undamaged, but dirty inside and out, low on oil, and low on coolant. It had a shredded belt, a turn signal stalk broken off, one headlight assembly smashed, and one tire flat. God helped me work on it, and within a week I had fixed all those minor problems on the cheap. After some vacuuming, washing, rubbing, and polishing, the old car looked and ran great. It passed inspection and entered God's service.
I drove the old car wherever God sent me for about one month, racking up 2,000 very stylish, pleasant, fuel efficient miles. (Our suburban is great, but it gets 12 mpg!) Then----I saw the dreaded tan color at the bottom of the dipstick, which means the head gasket (probably) is leaking antifreeze into the oil passages. The car has been sitting like that for two sad months, because repairs by a mechanic are cost prohibitive, and I had nowhere to work on it myself. But a few days ago my dear father-in-law, Larry Jones, offered me space under his carport to do repairs. I brought the car here yesterday, and today I get started! When the car is finished, it will be ready to take me back and forth several times between here (Arlington, TX) and Bonham, TX, where my next restoration project is located.
That project is the old parsonage at Grace Community Bible Church (sorry, no web site---yet!), a small, struggling reformed Baptist church in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks neighborhood. I’ll tell more about that project next time. For now, please pray that God will enable me by His Spirit to do some mechanic work and carpenter work to restore this old car and old house for His use!
Thank You to all of you who have cared about me, kept up with me, and prayed for me every since I left my old church in November. God is taking good care of my family and me in answer to your prayers, and in keeping with His faithfulness.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Friday, December 29, 2006
Acts Brand Gospel-Some Assembly Required
Dear Courteous Reader,
The following story is a satirical attempt to spur you into study of how the apostles shared the Gospel, as recorded in the book of Acts.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I wanted to give my next-door neighbor just the right Christmas present, so I decided to give him a Gospel. Normally I buy religious presents at a store called Twentieth Century America, but that store is so crowded around Christmas that you can’t even find a parking spot. So I went down to the old Acts of the Apostles store the day before Christmas and picked up a do-it-yourself Gospel Kit (some assembly required). Back home again, I opened the box, got out all the pieces, and spread them on the floor of the garage. There was a book of instructions for how to assemble a Gospel, but I knew how to put one together without any help, as I had seen my preacher put them together many times before.
First, I decided to put on the “God loves you.” But I looked at the pieces, and there wasn’t one there. I shook the box upside down and looked inside it, but there was no “God loves you” anywhere in the Acts Gospel Kit. So, I reached up on the shelf and took down my New Believer Kit, which a pastor had given me for my birthday some years before. After blowing off the dust, tearing off the shrink-wrap, and opening the box, I saw that there were several “God loves you”s in there, so I took one out and stuck it on the front of my neighbor’s Gospel.
Second, I thought a “God has a wonderful plan for your life” would look nice right under the “God loves you.” Again I looked through the pieces, checked in the empty box, but still couldn’t find a “wonderful plan” piece. Well, I knew I had seen one somewhere, so I checked in the New Believer Kit, and, sure enough, there it was. I took it and put it on my neighbor’s Gospel right next to the “God loves you.”
I was beginning to think that this Gospel Kit was defective, but it was Christmas Eve, so I really needed to get it assembled for my neighbor.
The third piece I reached for was the “age of accountability.” By now I was not surprised that my defective Gospel Kit did not have this piece, either. I was surprised, though, that there wasn’t one in my New Believer Kit, either. I began to rummage through the pieces of the Gospel Kit looking for something that would fit in its place. There was an “original sin” part, and an “actual transgressor” piece, but I didn’t like how those looked. Well, I’m pretty handy with tools, so in no time I just fashioned my own “age of accountability” piece and put it on the Gospel.
The fourth piece I reached for was the “Jesus is the Son of God.” Everyone knows that’s an important part of any good Gospel. Even though none of the first three pieces had been in the kit, I was sure this part would be. I looked, then looked again, and then looked a third time in utter disbelief. There was not even a “Son of God” in this defective Gospel Kit! At that point, I thought I must have bought the wrong thing. I don’t often shop at Acts of the Apostles, so maybe I picked the wrong kit off the shelf. Reaching for the box, I carefully read the label.
Acts of the Apostles brand
Gospel Kit
Contents: one complete Gospel presentation, one set assembly instructions
Some assembly required; no special tools needed
After making a note to self not to shop at Acts of the Apostles any more, I looked with high hopes into my New Believer Kit. You guessed it---there was a nice-looking Son of God piece right in there. I hooked it to my homemade “age of accountability,” and stepped back to admire my work. The Gospel was looking pretty good, in my opinion, despite the faulty kit, and I thought my neighbor would love it.
Things went much smoother after that. There was a “sin” piece in the kit, although I didn’t recognize it at first, because it didn’t look like what I was expecting. I reached for the “Jesus died for you” piece, and although there wasn’t one of those, the “Jesus died on a cross” piece fit okay. Imagine my relief when the “forgiveness” part was there, and looked just like I thought it should! The kit’s “repent” piece was a pretty good substitute for the “admit” piece I was looking for, and there was a “believe” part, even though it wasn’t quite the shape or color I had in mind. When I tried to put the “repent” on before the “believe,” it wouldn’t fit, but switching them around, they fit perfectly. It looked okay like that, so I just left it that way.
I happened to notice that the “be baptized” piece was a perfect fit to go on right after the “repent.” There were some more pieces, though, so I set it aside for later.
My next real snag was when I looked for the “receive the free gift,” the “ask Jesus into your heart,” and the “make Jesus Lord” pieces. Those pieces were not present in either kit. Again, I had to go back to the workbench and make my own. But even when I did, they wouldn’t fit onto the end of the “repent.” I had to get out the super glue to get them to stay.
Once those homemade pieces were in place, I got out the “be baptized” part but it didn’t fit well on the back of the “make Jesus Lord.” It didn’t seem that important to me anyway, so I just left it off.
I was sure I was finished, but there were several pieces still left on the floor of the garage. Along with the “be baptized,” there was a great big “resurrection,” an “exalted to the right hand of God,” a “Lord and Christ,” a “fulfillment of prophecy,” and a “creation and providence.” These pieces seemed unnecessary to me, so I just put them back in the box and put it on the shelf of the garage, along with my “New Believer” kit.
I wrapped the Gospel I had assembled in Santa Claus wrapping paper and gave it to my neighbor. He politely thanked me, and I went home to enjoy Christmas with my family.
A few days later, I checked with my neighbor. I said, “Did you open the present? What did you think of it?” My neighbor answered, “I have never received a Gospel before, and I was curious about it. I turned it on, and it made me feel really good. I decided I would get it out and turn it on whenever I need to feel better. Thank you very much for giving it to me.”
The following story is a satirical attempt to spur you into study of how the apostles shared the Gospel, as recorded in the book of Acts.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I wanted to give my next-door neighbor just the right Christmas present, so I decided to give him a Gospel. Normally I buy religious presents at a store called Twentieth Century America, but that store is so crowded around Christmas that you can’t even find a parking spot. So I went down to the old Acts of the Apostles store the day before Christmas and picked up a do-it-yourself Gospel Kit (some assembly required). Back home again, I opened the box, got out all the pieces, and spread them on the floor of the garage. There was a book of instructions for how to assemble a Gospel, but I knew how to put one together without any help, as I had seen my preacher put them together many times before.
First, I decided to put on the “God loves you.” But I looked at the pieces, and there wasn’t one there. I shook the box upside down and looked inside it, but there was no “God loves you” anywhere in the Acts Gospel Kit. So, I reached up on the shelf and took down my New Believer Kit, which a pastor had given me for my birthday some years before. After blowing off the dust, tearing off the shrink-wrap, and opening the box, I saw that there were several “God loves you”s in there, so I took one out and stuck it on the front of my neighbor’s Gospel.
Second, I thought a “God has a wonderful plan for your life” would look nice right under the “God loves you.” Again I looked through the pieces, checked in the empty box, but still couldn’t find a “wonderful plan” piece. Well, I knew I had seen one somewhere, so I checked in the New Believer Kit, and, sure enough, there it was. I took it and put it on my neighbor’s Gospel right next to the “God loves you.”
I was beginning to think that this Gospel Kit was defective, but it was Christmas Eve, so I really needed to get it assembled for my neighbor.
The third piece I reached for was the “age of accountability.” By now I was not surprised that my defective Gospel Kit did not have this piece, either. I was surprised, though, that there wasn’t one in my New Believer Kit, either. I began to rummage through the pieces of the Gospel Kit looking for something that would fit in its place. There was an “original sin” part, and an “actual transgressor” piece, but I didn’t like how those looked. Well, I’m pretty handy with tools, so in no time I just fashioned my own “age of accountability” piece and put it on the Gospel.
The fourth piece I reached for was the “Jesus is the Son of God.” Everyone knows that’s an important part of any good Gospel. Even though none of the first three pieces had been in the kit, I was sure this part would be. I looked, then looked again, and then looked a third time in utter disbelief. There was not even a “Son of God” in this defective Gospel Kit! At that point, I thought I must have bought the wrong thing. I don’t often shop at Acts of the Apostles, so maybe I picked the wrong kit off the shelf. Reaching for the box, I carefully read the label.
Acts of the Apostles brand
Gospel Kit
Contents: one complete Gospel presentation, one set assembly instructions
Some assembly required; no special tools needed
After making a note to self not to shop at Acts of the Apostles any more, I looked with high hopes into my New Believer Kit. You guessed it---there was a nice-looking Son of God piece right in there. I hooked it to my homemade “age of accountability,” and stepped back to admire my work. The Gospel was looking pretty good, in my opinion, despite the faulty kit, and I thought my neighbor would love it.
Things went much smoother after that. There was a “sin” piece in the kit, although I didn’t recognize it at first, because it didn’t look like what I was expecting. I reached for the “Jesus died for you” piece, and although there wasn’t one of those, the “Jesus died on a cross” piece fit okay. Imagine my relief when the “forgiveness” part was there, and looked just like I thought it should! The kit’s “repent” piece was a pretty good substitute for the “admit” piece I was looking for, and there was a “believe” part, even though it wasn’t quite the shape or color I had in mind. When I tried to put the “repent” on before the “believe,” it wouldn’t fit, but switching them around, they fit perfectly. It looked okay like that, so I just left it that way.
I happened to notice that the “be baptized” piece was a perfect fit to go on right after the “repent.” There were some more pieces, though, so I set it aside for later.
My next real snag was when I looked for the “receive the free gift,” the “ask Jesus into your heart,” and the “make Jesus Lord” pieces. Those pieces were not present in either kit. Again, I had to go back to the workbench and make my own. But even when I did, they wouldn’t fit onto the end of the “repent.” I had to get out the super glue to get them to stay.
Once those homemade pieces were in place, I got out the “be baptized” part but it didn’t fit well on the back of the “make Jesus Lord.” It didn’t seem that important to me anyway, so I just left it off.
I was sure I was finished, but there were several pieces still left on the floor of the garage. Along with the “be baptized,” there was a great big “resurrection,” an “exalted to the right hand of God,” a “Lord and Christ,” a “fulfillment of prophecy,” and a “creation and providence.” These pieces seemed unnecessary to me, so I just put them back in the box and put it on the shelf of the garage, along with my “New Believer” kit.
I wrapped the Gospel I had assembled in Santa Claus wrapping paper and gave it to my neighbor. He politely thanked me, and I went home to enjoy Christmas with my family.
A few days later, I checked with my neighbor. I said, “Did you open the present? What did you think of it?” My neighbor answered, “I have never received a Gospel before, and I was curious about it. I turned it on, and it made me feel really good. I decided I would get it out and turn it on whenever I need to feel better. Thank you very much for giving it to me.”
Monday, December 18, 2006
Irony of Modern-Day Christmas
Dear Courteous Reader,
Here's some Christmas irony for you:
This season is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One way we celebrate is to give gifts to others, ostensibly to remember God's gift to us, the Wise Men's gifts to Jesus, and the generosity of the original Saint Nicholas, 3rd-4th century bishop in Turkey.
But in our modern-day Western celebration of Christmas, the gift-giving has taken on a life of its own. The advertising, shopping, buying (including charging), wrapping, mailing, giving, opening, and returning :) of gifts threaten to overwhelm the rest of the holiday, including what the central meaning originally was meant to be.
The irony comes when we consider what Jesus Himself said about money/stuff/possessions/mammon. To summarize His words in Matthew 6:19-34---Do not worship money or possessions, and do not worry about money or possessions. He said this, but in our modern day, we celebrate His birth by worshiping and worrying over money and possessions more than at any other time of the year!
To make the situation more intensely ironic, some Christians apply even this scripture passage as follows:
"Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow, so I will just borrow all the money I want/need to this Christmas through my credit cards, then trust Him to help me repay it all after the first of the year."
O, my dear Christian brothers and sisters, how it must grieve the Lord to see this holiday, which is ostensibly still about His birth, corrupted to this point.
Won't you, this year, obey Christ's commands regarding this matter?
Do not worship money and possessions. Do not worry about money and possessions.
Merry Christmas to all!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Here's some Christmas irony for you:
This season is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One way we celebrate is to give gifts to others, ostensibly to remember God's gift to us, the Wise Men's gifts to Jesus, and the generosity of the original Saint Nicholas, 3rd-4th century bishop in Turkey.
But in our modern-day Western celebration of Christmas, the gift-giving has taken on a life of its own. The advertising, shopping, buying (including charging), wrapping, mailing, giving, opening, and returning :) of gifts threaten to overwhelm the rest of the holiday, including what the central meaning originally was meant to be.
The irony comes when we consider what Jesus Himself said about money/stuff/possessions/mammon. To summarize His words in Matthew 6:19-34---Do not worship money or possessions, and do not worry about money or possessions. He said this, but in our modern day, we celebrate His birth by worshiping and worrying over money and possessions more than at any other time of the year!
To make the situation more intensely ironic, some Christians apply even this scripture passage as follows:
"Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow, so I will just borrow all the money I want/need to this Christmas through my credit cards, then trust Him to help me repay it all after the first of the year."
O, my dear Christian brothers and sisters, how it must grieve the Lord to see this holiday, which is ostensibly still about His birth, corrupted to this point.
Won't you, this year, obey Christ's commands regarding this matter?
Do not worship money and possessions. Do not worry about money and possessions.
Merry Christmas to all!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Alive, Well, and Standing on the Solid Rock
Dear Courteous Reader,
I apologize for having disappeared so abruptly from the Baptist Blogging world several weeks ago. I deeply appreciate those of you who have contacted me with an encouraging word, and who have prayed for my family and me.
In early November, I resigned from my place of ministry, and have been faced with the task of moving my large family and our large collection of stuff out of the parsonage where we lived. Blogging went WAY down on my list of priorities.
We have now successfully moved out in good order, and are gypsy-ing around among the homes of friends and relatives. The Lord has blessed me with opportunities to preach, especially at FBC of Leonard, TX, where the pastor and other members have made us feel very welcome. Fellow bloggers Wes Kenney, Ben Cole, C.B. Scott, and Wade Burleson have actively helped me, and I appreciate that very much. I am seeking another place of service, and waiting on the Lord to show me where to go.
Because of the controversy within the church that lead to my resignation, I have decided not to recount what happened just yet, at least until the dust settles.
For now, my wife Susan, my children, and I are enjoying a very blessed Christmas season. God is showing us every day that He is taking care of everything.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I apologize for having disappeared so abruptly from the Baptist Blogging world several weeks ago. I deeply appreciate those of you who have contacted me with an encouraging word, and who have prayed for my family and me.
In early November, I resigned from my place of ministry, and have been faced with the task of moving my large family and our large collection of stuff out of the parsonage where we lived. Blogging went WAY down on my list of priorities.
We have now successfully moved out in good order, and are gypsy-ing around among the homes of friends and relatives. The Lord has blessed me with opportunities to preach, especially at FBC of Leonard, TX, where the pastor and other members have made us feel very welcome. Fellow bloggers Wes Kenney, Ben Cole, C.B. Scott, and Wade Burleson have actively helped me, and I appreciate that very much. I am seeking another place of service, and waiting on the Lord to show me where to go.
Because of the controversy within the church that lead to my resignation, I have decided not to recount what happened just yet, at least until the dust settles.
For now, my wife Susan, my children, and I are enjoying a very blessed Christmas season. God is showing us every day that He is taking care of everything.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Revival Meetings, Seminary Extension, and Family Stuff
Dear Courteous Reader,
I apologize for going so long without posting. Things have been busy, and I've had to temporarily actually do some church work! I'm sorry that I allowed ministry to interfere with my blogging, and I promise not to let it happen again. :)
Last week, our church had the pleasure of hosting Brother Cliff Cooper of Grace Baptist Church in Van, Texas (a newly-planted church) for a week of revival meetings. We found Cliff to be a very knowledgeable, experienced, capable preacher, and a kind, humble Christian man. He gave us what was basically a six-night mini systematic theology course! It was a great week. Despite the meetings lasting through Friday evening rather than just Wednesday, this is the first time that I wasn't ready for a revival week to be over!
Last night, our association began our first Seminary Extension classes. We have two students, one who is a bi-vocational pastor, and one who is an aspiring youth minister. Rick Shultz, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Bonham, Texas is teaching them a basic hermeneutics course called, "How to Understand the Bible." I am teaching Old Testament Survey part one. The first night was GREAT! Both students have an excellent attitude toward the courses. The best part of the evening was when they told me that our Seminary Extension program is an answer to prayer for both of them.
We discussed the relationship between these two verses:
(Nehemiah 8:8) They [Ezra and the other teachers] read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
(Ezra 7:10) For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
We all want to be able to give the meaning of the Word to the people; but it requires both study and observance of the Word now to do so effectively in the future.
On a personal note, I am thankful for the double blessing of our most recent trip to Scottish Rite children's orthopedic hospital in Dallas. One of my sons, Andrew, who is 5, has some slight deformity in his legs, which causes him to walk and run awkwardly. This was our third trip to the hospital for exams. This time, the doctor said he is doing much better, and should not need any kind of surgery or therapy. Praise God! While Andrew and my dear wife were seeing the doctor, the rest of the children and I were playing outside at the lovely park next door, enjoying the perfect weather. Angie (7 months) and I had some really good bonding time over Gerber's sweet potatoes! God carried us safely to downtown Dallas and back without incident.
Thanks for coming by to read this update, and thanks to those of you who contacted me, concerned that I had fallen off the edge of the earth!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, August 28, 2006
Eric Liddell-Chariots of Fire
Dear Courteous Reader,
Has it really been 25 years since Chariots of Fire? Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk, brought this to the attention of the blogging world last week, and invited fellow bloggers to write an article about the movie's effects on our lives.
Thank you, Michael. Here goes:
My mother took my friend Paul Hesse (Paul, are you out there?) and me to see the movie in the theater when it was released. My mom almost never took us to the movies, and I didn't understand why this one until much later. We were 12 years old, and did not know the story at all before going to the movie. I remember being excited by the race scenes, and intrigued by the 1920s cultural trappings, but I am sure I missed the point.
Now, 25 years later, I assure you that I get the point. Eric Liddell was a devout Christian, and a Scot. It has been said that in his time almost all of Scotland observed the Christian Sabbath, and very little activity could be seen in the streets or the countryside on The Lord's Day. Eric Liddell and his like-minded countrymen believed firmly that the 10 Commandments, including the Sabbath command, are eternal laws that reflect the essence of who God is. Liddell was able to say that he would not race on "the Sabbath," even in the Olympics, and maintain that conviction despite pressure from coaches, fans, teammates, and even the prince.
In our modern times, when even committed Christians are very unsure of the continuing relevance of the 10 Commandments, Eric Liddell's witness is desperately needed. A Christian today will typically say, "I have to work on Sunday," meaning that if he doesn't he may be fired from his job at Stuff Mart. But would that Christian murder to keep his job? Would he lie, steal, or commit adultery to keep his job? No, he would not do those things. But he does not understand that there are 10 Commandments, not 9 Commandments and 1 Principle.
Eric Liddell understood the importance of the 10 Commandments, and was willing to obey them no matter the cost.
The movie ends with Liddell's amazing gold-medal run. But his witness does not end there. Instead, it continued to his departure aboard a ship bound for China, where he served as a missionary for many years. It continued to his internment in a Japanese prison camp, where he died. It continued in Scotland, where the whole country mourned. It continues in its influence on prominent Christians, such as Alistair Begg, who refers to Liddell often in his preaching, and Twila Paris, who wrote a song about Liddell and fellow missionary Jim Elliott. It continues in the life of every young Christian who hears the story or sees the movie for the first time. And it continues in my life. Hardly a day goes by that I do not think of Eric Liddell, either running his heart out in a race for which he had not trained, or standing up to the prince, or preaching in the rain, or boarding the boat for China, or keeping the faith until death far from home.
God used an unlikely director and an unlikely actor to point the attention of the world to a very likely hero. May his memory continue to point us to God and His law and His Son. Amen.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, August 21, 2006
Knowing Christ Jesus
Dear Courteous Reader,
I must express my warm appreciation for Wayne Hatcher, who has been my partner slugging it out over at the new SBTC blog, with the Resolution 5 guys, who wish to add "Drink no wine" as an 11th Commandment. In addition to that fellowship, he also sent me some flower bulbs from his flower bed. When I received the box in the mail from Wayne, I was afraid it was a bottle of wine! I do not drink, nor does my wife, and we've never even had any alcohol in the house. So I was thinking, "What am I going to do with this?!?"
I apologize for my nearly two-week absence from this blog. I've had my head in theology books and sermon tapes, and just emerged for a brief respite before plunging in again. I hope you enjoy these few words.
A young man came home from the Korean War in 1952. He had sent his army paychecks home to his mom and dad, who saved it up for him. By the time he came home, he had enough money for a new car. This was a flashy guy, so he bought a flashy car, a yellow Chrysler convertible with maroon interior. So, he was quite the dashing young man around his small hometown, with his army uniform, his flat-top haircut, and his new convertible.
Shortly after he came home, he went to church on Sunday morning, and saw the most beautiful young lady he had ever seen, singing in the church choir. For the next several weeks, this young man was very faithful in church attendance! He had a hard time paying attention to the preacher, though, because his gaze kept drifting to the beautiful girl on the first row of the choir loft.
For a few weeks, he tried to get up the nerve to speak to her, but he wasn’t able to do so. Then, one day, his mother said, “Your sister and her new friend want to go up to the lake. She’s a really nice girl, and I’d like you to get to know her. Since you have that new car, would you please take them this Saturday?” He said, “Ah, Ma, I’m not taking my sister to the lake this Saturday. There are two races down at the dirt track. Dut and Sneezy and I are going to be down there all day.”
So, Saturday morning came around, and the young man was getting in the car to go to the races, when his little sister’s friend walked up to the house. And who do you suppose it was? That’s right---it was the girl from the church choir! Suddenly he forgot all about the races, and had a strong urge to go to the lake!
These lovebirds married in 1954, and celebrated their 50th anniversary before he passed away in 2005. This is the story of how my mother and father, Richard and Amy Young, met and fell in love.
For weeks my father admired my mother from a distance. There was a wonderful relationship waiting for him, and all it took was getting to know each other.
In the same way, Jesus Christ is a beautiful Savior, and he loves us very deeply already. But we need to get to know Him for us to fall more deeply in love with Him.
Consider this passage of Scripture:
(Philippians 3:7-11) But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (10) I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (11) and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Shortly after he came home, he went to church on Sunday morning, and saw the most beautiful young lady he had ever seen, singing in the church choir. For the next several weeks, this young man was very faithful in church attendance! He had a hard time paying attention to the preacher, though, because his gaze kept drifting to the beautiful girl on the first row of the choir loft.
For a few weeks, he tried to get up the nerve to speak to her, but he wasn’t able to do so. Then, one day, his mother said, “Your sister and her new friend want to go up to the lake. She’s a really nice girl, and I’d like you to get to know her. Since you have that new car, would you please take them this Saturday?” He said, “Ah, Ma, I’m not taking my sister to the lake this Saturday. There are two races down at the dirt track. Dut and Sneezy and I are going to be down there all day.”
So, Saturday morning came around, and the young man was getting in the car to go to the races, when his little sister’s friend walked up to the house. And who do you suppose it was? That’s right---it was the girl from the church choir! Suddenly he forgot all about the races, and had a strong urge to go to the lake!
These lovebirds married in 1954, and celebrated their 50th anniversary before he passed away in 2005. This is the story of how my mother and father, Richard and Amy Young, met and fell in love.
For weeks my father admired my mother from a distance. There was a wonderful relationship waiting for him, and all it took was getting to know each other.
In the same way, Jesus Christ is a beautiful Savior, and he loves us very deeply already. But we need to get to know Him for us to fall more deeply in love with Him.
Consider this passage of Scripture:
(Philippians 3:7-11) But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (10) I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (11) and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Evidently the apostle Paul desired to know Christ better, and so to love Him more. Let us join him in the quest to know Christ Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Friday, August 11, 2006
Blog-Free Weekend
Dear Friends,
Thanks for your fellowship through this blog. I'm going to try for a blog-free weekend, so I can concentrate on my church and family. This picture is one of my daughters, Anna, and my youngest son, Alex. I thank God for them, and love them dearly. Have a great weekend.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Book Tag
Dear Courteous Reader,
I’ve been tagged by Brother Tim Sweatman. Thanks, Tim; I needed a break from the Welch’s controversy of the past two days.
1. One book that changed your life: Quest for Godliness by J.I. Packer
I’ve been tagged by Brother Tim Sweatman. Thanks, Tim; I needed a break from the Welch’s controversy of the past two days.
1. One book that changed your life: Quest for Godliness by J.I. Packer
-Packer introduced me to the Puritans!
2. One book that you've read more than once: Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
-I have returned many times to her description of her father.
3. One book that you'd want on a desert island: Other than the Bible, Lord of the Rings (Trilogy paperback!)
-Wouldn't everyone?
4. One book that made you laugh: Cruel Shoes by Steve Martin
-"I sold my cuticles to buy you this shin bone polish." "But darling, I sold my shin bones to buy you these cuticle frames!"
5. One book that made you cry: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
-I have done so little to shepherd my sheep. God help me to be faithful.
6. One book that you wish you had written: Look Behind You: Interpreting the Bible Like They Did Before Evolution, Feminism, and the Rest of the Twentieth-Century Stuff Brainwashed Us by Jeff Richard Young.
-I wish I had written it already, instead of just getting started, and I wish I had a more succinct sub-title!
7. One book you wish had never been written: Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin
-I suppose someone else would have written it sooner or later, though.
8. One book that you are currently reading: Baptism of Disciples Alone by Fred Malone
-I'm learning about Reformed Baptist theology.
9. One book that you've been meaning to read: The Death of Death by John Owen
-I did get started, but it's not brief or easy reading!
I am supposed to tag four people, so Bob Cleveland, Wayne Smith, Jamie Wooten, and Wayne Hatcher, you’re it!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I am supposed to tag four people, so Bob Cleveland, Wayne Smith, Jamie Wooten, and Wayne Hatcher, you’re it!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Help-Outgunned and Overmatched!
Dear Friends,
I just threw down on the alcohol issue over at the new SBTC Blog. It's just me against Dr. Jim Richards, Editor Gary Ledbetter, Dr. Brad Reynolds, Dr. Jerry Vines, and all six seminary presidents.
It's hardly fair, me against all of them. Could someone come over and give these outgunned, overmatched guys a hand? :)
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I just threw down on the alcohol issue over at the new SBTC Blog. It's just me against Dr. Jim Richards, Editor Gary Ledbetter, Dr. Brad Reynolds, Dr. Jerry Vines, and all six seminary presidents.
It's hardly fair, me against all of them. Could someone come over and give these outgunned, overmatched guys a hand? :)
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Do We Have to Get Re-Married?
Dear Friends,
My dear wife Susan Kathleen (Jones) and I were married July 25, 1992. She was beautiful then, both inside and out, but she is 140 times as beautiful 14 years later. For Jesus to be fairer than she is, He must be fair indeed, and worthy of much worship. God has blessed us with our precious children, sustained our marriage, and blessed us in a thousand other ways. We are very thankful.
There's one problem, though, which has just occurred to me now, on our anniversary. We were not married in a Baptist church, but at Pantego Bible Church in Arlington, Texas. To make matters worse, the wedding ceremony was conducted by Dr. Elliot Johnson, who is not a Baptist minister. In fact he is (do I dare say it?) an elder in a Bible church, and a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, which is not a Baptist seminary.
We are presently serving in a church here in the states. But what if we are ever led to apply for missionary service with the International Mission Board? Will we have to get re-married?
I ask this because last November, the IMB Board of Trustees passed a new policy indicating that if a candidate for missionary appointment had not been baptized in a Southern Baptist church, or one VERY similar, he should request “baptism” in his local Baptist church for identification with the system of beliefs held by Southern Baptists. Here is the quote:
a. Baptism is a church ordinance. Baptism must take place in a church that practices believer’s baptism by immersion alone, does not view baptism as sacramental or regenerative, and a church that embraces the doctrine of the security of the believer.
b. A candidate who has not been baptized in a Southern Baptist church or in a church which meets the standards listed above is expected to request baptism in his/her Southern Baptist church as a testimony of identification with the system of belief held by Southern Baptist churches.
In adopting this policy, the IMB BOT has created a new breed of hybrid. Their policy is two parts old Landmark ecclesiology, which states that only Baptist churches are real churches, only churches can baptize, and therefore a “baptism” ceremony performed by anyone else is not valid. Hence the need for “real” baptism before entering a Baptist church. Part a. and most of part b. of the new policy are pretty good Landmarkism. Most Southern Baptists, including this author, do not adhere to very much of the Landmark system, but at least the IMB policy is in line with someone's beliefs.
The third part, though, would be disavowed by good Landmark Baptists, and in fact by well-studied Baptists of every stripe. It conveys the idea that the missionary candidate has already been baptized for the biblical reason---to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ--- but now must be “baptized” again for another reason, to demonstrate that he believes what Southern Baptists believe. If that third part is not derived from Landmarkism, what is its origin? Sadly, it comes from the kind of careless, ignorant ecclesiology that has become all too common of late in our churches. The idea that the person who has already been baptized must be “baptized” again, or, as is commonly said, “re-baptized” to state his denominational affiliation is common among the uninitiated in our churches, but is to be found nowhere in the Bible, certainly, nor anywhere in serious theological scholarship.
(Pardon me a moment---cough, cough, cough---every time I hear the nonsense word “re-baptized” I begin to choke, cough, sneeze, wheeze, and hyperventilate all at the same time. Please give me a moment, and a paper bag. No, not a Wal-mart bag, son! Okay, thanks. Ah, that’s better.)
In all of the hubbub over abstinence from alcohol, church discipline, Calvinism, election of officers, requirements for church membership, and other matters that have consumed the Southern Baptist denomination over the past few weeks, we seem to have lost sight of what started the whole thing---it’s about Baptism!
We are Baptists! We know that baptism is one thing, and one thing only: Baptism is an act of obedience whereby the believer identifies with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Sure, more can be said about its significance, but that is the bottom line. Do not try to tell us that baptism is a ceremony that means whatever we say it means. Do not try to use baptism as a denominational loyalty pledge. God chose baptism precisely because it is a powerful picture of the heart of the Gospel. The believer is lowered into the water, as Jesus was lowered from the cross and into the tomb. The believer is then raised from the water, as Jesus was raised from the tomb to life! If the IMB BOT wants us to cheapen that God-given ordinance into something we do to identify ourselves as loyal Southern Baptists, they have another thing coming.
Susan and I do not intend to be re-married. We have already been married. We are already married.
Neither do I intend to be “re-baptized” (cough, cough, cough) for any reason, least of all to show that I am a good Southern Baptist.
The IMB BOT’s ridiculous policy must be repealed, and the trustees will see no end of opposition from well-versed Baptists until it is repealed.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
In adopting this policy, the IMB BOT has created a new breed of hybrid. Their policy is two parts old Landmark ecclesiology, which states that only Baptist churches are real churches, only churches can baptize, and therefore a “baptism” ceremony performed by anyone else is not valid. Hence the need for “real” baptism before entering a Baptist church. Part a. and most of part b. of the new policy are pretty good Landmarkism. Most Southern Baptists, including this author, do not adhere to very much of the Landmark system, but at least the IMB policy is in line with someone's beliefs.
The third part, though, would be disavowed by good Landmark Baptists, and in fact by well-studied Baptists of every stripe. It conveys the idea that the missionary candidate has already been baptized for the biblical reason---to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ--- but now must be “baptized” again for another reason, to demonstrate that he believes what Southern Baptists believe. If that third part is not derived from Landmarkism, what is its origin? Sadly, it comes from the kind of careless, ignorant ecclesiology that has become all too common of late in our churches. The idea that the person who has already been baptized must be “baptized” again, or, as is commonly said, “re-baptized” to state his denominational affiliation is common among the uninitiated in our churches, but is to be found nowhere in the Bible, certainly, nor anywhere in serious theological scholarship.
(Pardon me a moment---cough, cough, cough---every time I hear the nonsense word “re-baptized” I begin to choke, cough, sneeze, wheeze, and hyperventilate all at the same time. Please give me a moment, and a paper bag. No, not a Wal-mart bag, son! Okay, thanks. Ah, that’s better.)
In all of the hubbub over abstinence from alcohol, church discipline, Calvinism, election of officers, requirements for church membership, and other matters that have consumed the Southern Baptist denomination over the past few weeks, we seem to have lost sight of what started the whole thing---it’s about Baptism!
We are Baptists! We know that baptism is one thing, and one thing only: Baptism is an act of obedience whereby the believer identifies with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Sure, more can be said about its significance, but that is the bottom line. Do not try to tell us that baptism is a ceremony that means whatever we say it means. Do not try to use baptism as a denominational loyalty pledge. God chose baptism precisely because it is a powerful picture of the heart of the Gospel. The believer is lowered into the water, as Jesus was lowered from the cross and into the tomb. The believer is then raised from the water, as Jesus was raised from the tomb to life! If the IMB BOT wants us to cheapen that God-given ordinance into something we do to identify ourselves as loyal Southern Baptists, they have another thing coming.
Susan and I do not intend to be re-married. We have already been married. We are already married.
Neither do I intend to be “re-baptized” (cough, cough, cough) for any reason, least of all to show that I am a good Southern Baptist.
The IMB BOT’s ridiculous policy must be repealed, and the trustees will see no end of opposition from well-versed Baptists until it is repealed.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Mr. and Mrs. Sprinkled Prospect
Dear Courteous Reader,
Discussions about baptism and Baptist church membership always remind me of the time when the Prospect family visited our church. Mr. and Mrs. Prospect were in their 30s at the time, with two children, Buddy (5), and Leddy (14). The Prospects had been Presbyterians before moving to our community, but had not found a conservative Presbyterian church in our area. When Mr. Prospect’s cousin invited them, the Prospect family attended our Baptist church. They felt welcome, liked the music, appreciated the biblical preaching and Sunday School, and soon wanted to become members.
As the pastor/elder, I took their cousin Dennis Deacon along with me and visited with the family in their home. In asking a few questions, I learned the following:
-Mr. Sprinkled Prospect had been born into a family that did not attend church. As a teenager, he was invited to a Methodist church, believed the Gospel, and was sprinkled. He considered this sprinkling experience to be his baptism. After the Prospects married, he joined the Presbyterian church with his wife.
-Mrs. Christened Prospect had been born into a good Presbyterian family, and had been sprinkled as an infant. At age 10, she had understood and believed the Gospel. She considered her sprinkling as an infant to be her baptism.
-Miss Leddy Prospect had been sprinkled as an infant in the Presbyterian church. At age 6, she had attended Vacation Bible School at a Baptist church, where the pastor had told her, “If you want to have Jesus in your heart and go to heaven instead of hell, repeat this prayer after me.” After repeating the prayer, she was told, “Now you need to be baptized.” (Confused, but not wanting to hinder the child’s Christian experience, the parents had consented.) So, she had been immersed in the Baptist church. Later, as a 12-year-old girl, back in her Presbyterian church, she had understood and believed the Gospel. Although somewhat confused about salvation and baptism, Miss Leddy was pretty sure that she had been saved and baptized one way or another.
-Buddy Prospect had been sprinkled as an infant in the Presbyterian church. He liked going to church, and knew many of the Bible stories, but had not yet made a profession of faith in Jesus.
Mr. and Mrs. Prospect wanted to become members of our Baptist church.
After the Prospects had told me their story, Dennis spoke up and said, “They can’t join by transfer of letter, can they, because they’re not Baptists?” I said, “That’s right. Transfer of letter means that the sending church writes a letter to the receiving church testifying that the people are members in good standing. Then the church votes on whether or not to accept them as members. But Baptist churches exchange letters only with other Baptist churches.”
Dennis had been a Baptist long enough to know a bit of our jargon, so he said, “But they can join by statement, right?” I asked Dennis, “What does a person have to state to join our church by statement?” Dennis thought for a minute, and answered, “Well, I guess you have to state that you are saved.” I answered, “That’s the first part, yes, but there’s more. A person must state that he has been saved by faith in Jesus Christ, then baptized (by immersion). Then the church votes on whether or not to accept him as a member. But the Prospects have not been baptized (by immersion), so they cannot state that.”
At this point Mr. Prospect said, “I don’t understand all this. What does it mean to be baptized by immersion? We’ve all been baptized. Leddy has even been baptized in a Baptist church! We don’t need to be baptized; we just want to become members of your church.”
I then had the great joy of explaining to this family that baptism can only be done by immersion (dunking all the way under) of a believer in water. “You see, the Greek word baptizo means ‘to immerse.’ The Bible’s record of baptisms mentions going to a body of water, going down in it, and coming back up out of it. And the believer’s identification with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection cannot be symbolized by sprinkling, but only by immersion. Our Baptist forefathers believed this so strongly that many of them braved severe weather conditions and suffered persecution in order to baptize by immersion in water.”
When I had finished, I said, “This does pertain to church membership, but the primary issue at hand is obedience to Christ. He has commanded that every believer be baptized. Since baptism can only be by immersion of the believer, sprinkling is no baptism at all. Even Leddy’s immersion was not baptism, because she was not yet a believer at the time. Each of you has undergone a religious ceremony that you were told was baptism. But the ministers who told you this were mistaken. They offered you baptism, but instead provided experiences that were not baptism.”
Chaos reigned for the next few minutes. Questions, accusations, angry looks, and even a few tears flowed from the family members (except Buddy---issues of baptism did not seem important to him).
Eventually Dennis restored order and said to the Prospects, “It’s simple. You just have to be re-baptized to join the Baptist church. That’s what our last pastor used to do.”
That almost made me choke on my iced tea, but I managed to swallow, and said, “Dennis, we Baptists recognize that baptism can only be by immersion. Therefore no one who has merely been sprinkled can be ‘re-baptized,’ because he wasn’t really baptized in the first place. The word ‘re-baptized’ really shouldn’t be used, at least among Baptists. ‘Re-baptism’ simply doesn’t exist.”
Turning, I said, “Mr. and Mrs. Prospect, Miss Leddy, I am thankful for your testimony of faith in Christ, and for your desire to join our church. I truly do desire for you all to become members. But my primary concern at this point is your baptism. The Bible says, and we Baptists affirm that baptism can only be done by immersion of the believer in water, and therefore cannot be done any other way. Now that you have heard the truth about this, would you like to receive true baptism?”
To make a long story short (is it too late for that?), the Prospects did not become members of our church, and I took some heat over it. (If you were wishing for a happy ending to this story, believe me, so was I!)
Having believed in infant baptism for her whole life, Mrs. Christened Prospect could not accept that there was anything wrong with it. She said that since her whole family had already been baptized, there was no reason why the opinion of one person (me) should keep them out of membership.
Mr. Sprinkled Prospect read the scriptures I provided, and agreed that immersion was the “best” way to baptize. He even allowed that there might be something lacking about infant baptism, but still held that his sprinkling was his baptism. He was willing to undergo immersion, if he had to do so to join the Baptist church, but I was not willing to do it. I told him and the church that to do this would violate Mr. Prospect’s conscience and mine, would teach the church a false view of baptism, and would admit as a member a man who was not convinced of our church’s most distinctive Baptist belief. This offended Mr. Prospect and some members of my church, especially Dennis Deacon. He blamed me for the problem and, along with several other members, eventually quit the church in protest. I don’t really know what Miss Leddy Prospect thought about the whole thing, because we didn’t get to talk about it again. Buddy is a good-natured little boy, and we miss him in our church.
The Prospects, the Deacon family, and the other members who left our church are now attending Hillside Community Church. They seem to be doing fine, and we are able to exchange polite greetings when I see them at Fifth Sunday Singin’ or at Stuff Mart from time to time.
Most of the members who remained appreciated what I did, and now understand the Baptist position on baptism. (Even though they had worshipped under the name “Baptist” for years, they hadn’t thought much about it before.) I hope that with great patience and careful instruction on my part, in a few years we will have a truly Baptist church, that will faithfully follow our Lord’s command to baptize, and will provide all sprinkled prospects the opportunity to obey the Lord’s command to be baptized.
Love in Christ,
Earnest S. Baptist, Pastor/Elder
Typical Baptist Church
Discussions about baptism and Baptist church membership always remind me of the time when the Prospect family visited our church. Mr. and Mrs. Prospect were in their 30s at the time, with two children, Buddy (5), and Leddy (14). The Prospects had been Presbyterians before moving to our community, but had not found a conservative Presbyterian church in our area. When Mr. Prospect’s cousin invited them, the Prospect family attended our Baptist church. They felt welcome, liked the music, appreciated the biblical preaching and Sunday School, and soon wanted to become members.
As the pastor/elder, I took their cousin Dennis Deacon along with me and visited with the family in their home. In asking a few questions, I learned the following:
-Mr. Sprinkled Prospect had been born into a family that did not attend church. As a teenager, he was invited to a Methodist church, believed the Gospel, and was sprinkled. He considered this sprinkling experience to be his baptism. After the Prospects married, he joined the Presbyterian church with his wife.
-Mrs. Christened Prospect had been born into a good Presbyterian family, and had been sprinkled as an infant. At age 10, she had understood and believed the Gospel. She considered her sprinkling as an infant to be her baptism.
-Miss Leddy Prospect had been sprinkled as an infant in the Presbyterian church. At age 6, she had attended Vacation Bible School at a Baptist church, where the pastor had told her, “If you want to have Jesus in your heart and go to heaven instead of hell, repeat this prayer after me.” After repeating the prayer, she was told, “Now you need to be baptized.” (Confused, but not wanting to hinder the child’s Christian experience, the parents had consented.) So, she had been immersed in the Baptist church. Later, as a 12-year-old girl, back in her Presbyterian church, she had understood and believed the Gospel. Although somewhat confused about salvation and baptism, Miss Leddy was pretty sure that she had been saved and baptized one way or another.
-Buddy Prospect had been sprinkled as an infant in the Presbyterian church. He liked going to church, and knew many of the Bible stories, but had not yet made a profession of faith in Jesus.
Mr. and Mrs. Prospect wanted to become members of our Baptist church.
After the Prospects had told me their story, Dennis spoke up and said, “They can’t join by transfer of letter, can they, because they’re not Baptists?” I said, “That’s right. Transfer of letter means that the sending church writes a letter to the receiving church testifying that the people are members in good standing. Then the church votes on whether or not to accept them as members. But Baptist churches exchange letters only with other Baptist churches.”
Dennis had been a Baptist long enough to know a bit of our jargon, so he said, “But they can join by statement, right?” I asked Dennis, “What does a person have to state to join our church by statement?” Dennis thought for a minute, and answered, “Well, I guess you have to state that you are saved.” I answered, “That’s the first part, yes, but there’s more. A person must state that he has been saved by faith in Jesus Christ, then baptized (by immersion). Then the church votes on whether or not to accept him as a member. But the Prospects have not been baptized (by immersion), so they cannot state that.”
At this point Mr. Prospect said, “I don’t understand all this. What does it mean to be baptized by immersion? We’ve all been baptized. Leddy has even been baptized in a Baptist church! We don’t need to be baptized; we just want to become members of your church.”
I then had the great joy of explaining to this family that baptism can only be done by immersion (dunking all the way under) of a believer in water. “You see, the Greek word baptizo means ‘to immerse.’ The Bible’s record of baptisms mentions going to a body of water, going down in it, and coming back up out of it. And the believer’s identification with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection cannot be symbolized by sprinkling, but only by immersion. Our Baptist forefathers believed this so strongly that many of them braved severe weather conditions and suffered persecution in order to baptize by immersion in water.”
When I had finished, I said, “This does pertain to church membership, but the primary issue at hand is obedience to Christ. He has commanded that every believer be baptized. Since baptism can only be by immersion of the believer, sprinkling is no baptism at all. Even Leddy’s immersion was not baptism, because she was not yet a believer at the time. Each of you has undergone a religious ceremony that you were told was baptism. But the ministers who told you this were mistaken. They offered you baptism, but instead provided experiences that were not baptism.”
Chaos reigned for the next few minutes. Questions, accusations, angry looks, and even a few tears flowed from the family members (except Buddy---issues of baptism did not seem important to him).
Eventually Dennis restored order and said to the Prospects, “It’s simple. You just have to be re-baptized to join the Baptist church. That’s what our last pastor used to do.”
That almost made me choke on my iced tea, but I managed to swallow, and said, “Dennis, we Baptists recognize that baptism can only be by immersion. Therefore no one who has merely been sprinkled can be ‘re-baptized,’ because he wasn’t really baptized in the first place. The word ‘re-baptized’ really shouldn’t be used, at least among Baptists. ‘Re-baptism’ simply doesn’t exist.”
Turning, I said, “Mr. and Mrs. Prospect, Miss Leddy, I am thankful for your testimony of faith in Christ, and for your desire to join our church. I truly do desire for you all to become members. But my primary concern at this point is your baptism. The Bible says, and we Baptists affirm that baptism can only be done by immersion of the believer in water, and therefore cannot be done any other way. Now that you have heard the truth about this, would you like to receive true baptism?”
To make a long story short (is it too late for that?), the Prospects did not become members of our church, and I took some heat over it. (If you were wishing for a happy ending to this story, believe me, so was I!)
Having believed in infant baptism for her whole life, Mrs. Christened Prospect could not accept that there was anything wrong with it. She said that since her whole family had already been baptized, there was no reason why the opinion of one person (me) should keep them out of membership.
Mr. Sprinkled Prospect read the scriptures I provided, and agreed that immersion was the “best” way to baptize. He even allowed that there might be something lacking about infant baptism, but still held that his sprinkling was his baptism. He was willing to undergo immersion, if he had to do so to join the Baptist church, but I was not willing to do it. I told him and the church that to do this would violate Mr. Prospect’s conscience and mine, would teach the church a false view of baptism, and would admit as a member a man who was not convinced of our church’s most distinctive Baptist belief. This offended Mr. Prospect and some members of my church, especially Dennis Deacon. He blamed me for the problem and, along with several other members, eventually quit the church in protest. I don’t really know what Miss Leddy Prospect thought about the whole thing, because we didn’t get to talk about it again. Buddy is a good-natured little boy, and we miss him in our church.
The Prospects, the Deacon family, and the other members who left our church are now attending Hillside Community Church. They seem to be doing fine, and we are able to exchange polite greetings when I see them at Fifth Sunday Singin’ or at Stuff Mart from time to time.
Most of the members who remained appreciated what I did, and now understand the Baptist position on baptism. (Even though they had worshipped under the name “Baptist” for years, they hadn’t thought much about it before.) I hope that with great patience and careful instruction on my part, in a few years we will have a truly Baptist church, that will faithfully follow our Lord’s command to baptize, and will provide all sprinkled prospects the opportunity to obey the Lord’s command to be baptized.
Love in Christ,
Earnest S. Baptist, Pastor/Elder
Typical Baptist Church
Ruralarea, Texahoma
P.S. This is a story to help us understand the relationship between baptism and membership in a Baptist church. Don’t try to figure out who these people are---they are typical, but fictional!
Permission is given to quote from this article, or to reprint it in its entirety for the edification of the church. Please credit the author, Jeff Richard Young of Corinth Baptist Church in Ravenna, Texas.
www.corinthbaptist.net
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Are We Lying in the Name of Evangelism?
Dear Friends,
In several evangelistic sermons I have heard in Baptist churches, the preacher has said something like this:
Is this a lie? Let's see from the scriptures.
(Ephesians 1:4-6) For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (5) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- (6) to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
In several evangelistic sermons I have heard in Baptist churches, the preacher has said something like this:
"You'd better pray to receive Christ right now, because if you don't, a car might hit you on your way out of the church tonight, and you'd go straight to hell."
Is this a lie? Let's see from the scriptures.
(Ephesians 1:4-6) For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (5) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- (6) to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
In the light of this scripture, I think a preacher who uses "now or never" statements like the one above is lying to two different kinds of people.
First, he is lying to those who have not been predestined to be adopted as sons. He is telling them that they should "pray to receive Christ," even though they do not believe in Him. How can someone do that? If a person believes the message of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, he is saved already, before praying any kind of prayer. If he has not believed, then no kind of praying of a certain prayer will have any saving effect on him.
Second, he is lying to those who have been predestined to be adopted as sons. He is telling them that they might be saved, as long as they get saved right now, but that they might not be saved, if they die of accident before they get saved. How could that be true? If God predestined someone for adoption before the creation of the world, how can God's plans be thwarted by a speeding driver or a careless pedestrian? When God decides to adopt someone, He will do so.
Do not get me wrong. I do believe that the message should be preached:
"The amazing life of Jesus of Nazareth showed Him to be God's Chosen One. He was killed by crucifixion, taking the punishment for our rebellion against God upon Himself. God raised Him from the dead, and many witnesses saw Him alive. God exalted Him to a throne in Heaven, and he is now Judge of all mankind and King of Kings. He is serving as the only mediator between man and God, granting repentance and eternal life to all who will believe in Him. Therefore, believe in Him, turn away from your sins, and be baptized."
But please, dear friends, let's not tell them that it's "now or never." Just tell them the Gospel, accurately and boldly, and let the Holy Spirit do His work.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, June 26, 2006
Some Affirmation Definitely Helps!
Dear Friends,
Human opinion does not drive our ministry---far from it! Often we must make enemies on this earth in order to be faithful to our Master, Jesus Christ.
Our Master is compassionate, however, and supplies us with human friendship, through which He strengthens and encourages us. In my case, I have a dear friend named Doug Cherry, who is an MSC missionary at CMU in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
His wife, Kiki, is an ardent Baptist Blogger, and has argued in favor of public school for the children of Christian parents, while I often argue that only distinctively Christian education is acceptable for our children. (If I recall correctly, we have also not seen eye-to-eye on guns, birth control, Y2K, and a number of other issues!) In the midst of such an argument on her blog, however, Kiki paused to affirm her and Doug's affection for me and respect for me personally. I did not read it at the time, and 0nly just found it today. It was like drinking a cold Coke on a hot day! Thanks, Kiki, for such kind words.
If you only know me as the SBC messenger who opposes everything, and as the pastor who preaches against everything, then maybe you would enjoy visiting Kiki's blog and reading about her perspective. You have to scroll down to May 11th. You'll get to read about a side of me you may not have seen, and get to see pics of my best friends from my hometown, and our wives and children.
For the record, Mrs. Cherry, I am very thankful for your family's friendship, and am a great fan of your ministry in Pittsburg. I also have a much higher opinion of you as a Christian than I have of myself.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. But you’re still wrong about Christian education! :)
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Let's Have No Political Speech Next Year
Dear Friends,
The Southern Baptist Convention is a religious organization, not a political one. At our annual meeting we hear reports from our seminaries, we pray for our missionaries, we conduct necessary business, we debate resolutions on practical theological questions, we worship Jesus Christ through music, and we challenge each other to greater faithfulness in obedience to the Great Commission.
Why, then, did we have a political speech from a high government official?
I suppose it would have been great to hear the Christian testimony of a high government official who is a fellow Baptist, or perhaps even a fellow Christian who is not a Baptist, telling of his or her experiences, what it means to serve our country as a Christian.
This was not a Christian testimony, however. This was a political speech. Why did we have a political speech from a high government official at our Annual Meeting?
Dr. Condoleezza Rice (yes, two z’s) is a fine, upstanding American to be sure. She is articulate, composed, well-educated, accomplished, and hard-working. She deserves all our admiration and respect as our Secretary of State. But she is not one of us, and she should not have been speaking to our convention in that venue.
Let’s have no political speech at next year’s convention.
Every person who spoke to this convention was a Baptist, except one.
We heard the Vietnamese-speaking voice of a pastor as he baptized a new Christian; we heard the South African-accented voice of a pastor as he preached strongly from 1 Kings; we heard the Southern, African-American voice of another pastor as he preached strongly from Acts; we heard the excited voices of seminary students as they testified of their experiences on mission trips; we heard the beautiful voices of singers as they led us in worship. Every one of these voices that spoke to our convention was a Baptist voice, except one.
Dr. Rice is a Presbyterian, and praise God for Presbyterians! This was not, however, the annual meeting of the Southern Presbyterian Convention, but of the Southern Baptist Convention! Right now in our International Mission Board, we are debating how closely we will cooperate even with other groups that baptize by immersion. Baptism by immersion only is the primary Baptist distinctive, and in fact gives our denomination its name. Why, then, was a Presbyterian speaking to our convention? I grant that there could be a compelling reason in the future: Perhaps a Presbyterian missionary would testify of cooperation with Baptists on the mission field; perhaps a Presbyterian pastor would testify of God’s hand working through Baptists in disaster relief. But why was a Presbyterian giving a political speech to our convention?
Let’s have no political speech at next year’s convention.
Every person who spoke to this convention was Pro-Life, except one.
One of the moral issues upon which the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention have spoken consistently is abortion. The Bible teaches that life starts while the baby is still inside the mother, and that man must not murder his fellow man. Therefore we hold that abortion is murder, and must be opposed in our laws. We hold that the Supreme Court decisions legalizing abortion in America must be overturned and/or a constitutional amendment must be passed specifying that the right not to be killed before birth is an inalienable right.
In that meeting hall, we did not all agree on Calvinism, on alcohol, on church discipline, and on a variety of other issues. But all of us who spoke at the convention agreed that no unborn baby should be torn limb from limb inside his mother’s womb, except one.
Dr. Rice says she is, “mildly pro-choice.” (I completely reject the idea that the world “mildly” can honestly be used in conjunction with “pro-choice” regarding abortion.) Dr. Rice says, abortion is an “extremely difficult moral issue.” (No, it is an extremely difficult POLITICAL issue, but is a very simple moral issue.) Dr. Rice says, “we should not have the federal government in a position where it is forcing its views on one side or the other.” (I assure you that she does not hold this as a principle, but rather as a political expedient. She agrees, for example, that it was acceptable for the federal government to force its views on one side or the other when it emancipated the slaves, desegregated the schools, and overturned the other Jim Crow laws.) Why was a pro-choice government official giving a political speech at our Annual Meeting?
Let’s have no political speech at next year’s convention.
Every person who spoke to this convention professes faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, except one.
There was a refreshing discussion of the doctrine of election during the Pastor’s Conference. An Arminian-leaning and a Calvinist-leaning seminary president presented opposing views on this aspect of soteriology (doctrine of salvation). Some messengers spoke of church discipline, while another countered with “reclamation evangelism.” But everyone who spoke to the convention speaks openly, at every opportunity, of his belief that he has been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, except one.
Since she was speaking to a religious organization, it was natural that Dr. Rice should mention her own religious beliefs which she did. Here are her remarks:
“People ask me all the time about my beliefs and I tell them faith has been a journey for me, as I'm sure it has been for each and every one of you. I do pray every day and in times of tragedy and heartbreak, like the passing of my own parents or September 11th, I have found solace and strength in the power of prayer.”
What we heard that day was not a profession of faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, but instead a politically correct, sanitized paragraph of non-sectarian rhetoric that would pass equally well in a Mormon, Unitarian, Jewish, Muslim, or any other religious assembly.
Secretary of State Rice received, several times during her speech, a standing ovation from our convention, primarily because of remarks on the war and in support of our military heroes. But this crowd would have gone NUTS if she had said something like, “I have been saved from my sins by God’s grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” If she had simply “made the good confession,” she could have sent the applause and cheers through the roof!
But she did no such thing. I grant that she may well be a genuine Christian. But one of the marks of a Christian is that he or she PROFESSES faith in Christ! We heard no profession from Dr. Rice, because this was not a Christian testimony from one chosen for her boldness in sharing the faith we all share, but a political speech from a high government official and political partisan. Why was a government official who would not profess faith in Jesus Christ even to ardent supporters making a political speech at our Annual Meeting?
Let’s have no political speech at next year’s convention.
We are not an arm of the United States Government.
We are not an extension of the Republican Party (or any other).
We are not, ultimately, citizens of any country of this world.
We are the Southern Baptist Convention, a distinctively Christian organization, and we serve the Lord Jesus Christ only.
Let’s have no political speech at next year’s convention.
Friday, June 09, 2006
My Goals for Greensboro
Dear Friends,
Here are my goals for this year's convention:
For the first time every, I'm heading for the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, which will be in Greensboro, North Carolina this year. I have felt convicted that I must do my part in overseeing our denominational work, especially the mission boards and the seminaries.
Here are my goals for this year's convention:
1. To speak and vote in favor of what is right and against what is wrong.
2. To represent the Name of my Savior and the reputation of my church well.
3. To learn everything I can from the experience.
Please pray with me that Christian kindness will rule the day in all our meetings.
If I can figure out how to connect to the internet at the convention center and/or the hotel, I'll keep you posted during the convention. If not, I'll make a report as soon as possible after I get home.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Thursday, May 18, 2006
The Gospel---Long and Strong
Dear Friends,
A few months ago a church member’s mother passed away, and I found myself attending a Lutheran funeral. I didn’t know what to expect, but when the elderly minister appeared on the platform in his robe and collar, I thought the service would probably consist of a few platitudes read from a liturgy, and maybe reference to one of the more pleasant Psalms.
Boy, was I wrong!
After sharing a very few kind words with the family, this Lutheran minister began to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its glory. His sermon was long, about 45 minutes. It was strong, quoting the scriptures about sin and God’s wrath as well as those about God’s mercy and Christ’s sacrifice. It was very precise, with theological points stated accurately and biblical texts quoted appropriately and in context. He made no apologies; he did not hurry; he did not water it down; he made it very personal for the listeners. He preached the whole Gospel that day to a crowd of unbelievers. They fidgeted in their seats, they looked at their watches, they cleared their throats, but he kept preaching. He preached the Gospel.
A few weeks later, I heard that this same Lutheran minister had passed away. I wish I could have been in Paradise to hear what the Savior said to him. I’m sure it went something like this, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
I have preached one funeral since then, and you can guess what they heard from me that day. It’s the same thing any crowd of believers at a baccalaureate, and funeral, or any other gathering of unbelievers will always hear from now on if they call on me to preach. It’s the same thing I hope they will hear from each of you.
The Gospel---long and strong!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. My thanks to Kevin Lancaster. He relates an experience of his that put me in mind of this incident.
A few months ago a church member’s mother passed away, and I found myself attending a Lutheran funeral. I didn’t know what to expect, but when the elderly minister appeared on the platform in his robe and collar, I thought the service would probably consist of a few platitudes read from a liturgy, and maybe reference to one of the more pleasant Psalms.
Boy, was I wrong!
After sharing a very few kind words with the family, this Lutheran minister began to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its glory. His sermon was long, about 45 minutes. It was strong, quoting the scriptures about sin and God’s wrath as well as those about God’s mercy and Christ’s sacrifice. It was very precise, with theological points stated accurately and biblical texts quoted appropriately and in context. He made no apologies; he did not hurry; he did not water it down; he made it very personal for the listeners. He preached the whole Gospel that day to a crowd of unbelievers. They fidgeted in their seats, they looked at their watches, they cleared their throats, but he kept preaching. He preached the Gospel.
A few weeks later, I heard that this same Lutheran minister had passed away. I wish I could have been in Paradise to hear what the Savior said to him. I’m sure it went something like this, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
I have preached one funeral since then, and you can guess what they heard from me that day. It’s the same thing any crowd of believers at a baccalaureate, and funeral, or any other gathering of unbelievers will always hear from now on if they call on me to preach. It’s the same thing I hope they will hear from each of you.
The Gospel---long and strong!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. My thanks to Kevin Lancaster. He relates an experience of his that put me in mind of this incident.
Monday, May 01, 2006
A Call to Fast and Pray for IMB Trustees
Dear Friends,
The Board of Trustees of the International Mission Board has experienced an unprecedented level of conflict in the past six months. As a result, many Southern Baptists and other concerned Christians have been praying for the trustees, in addition to many prayers for the missionaries and their work.
The Board will next meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 22nd-24th, at which time this conflict may become even more severe if reconciliation does not take place before then among the trustees who are in conflict.
In hope that God will intervene miraculously to promote a peaceful and productive resolution to this conflict, Brother Wes Kenney and I are calling all Baptist bloggers and friends to fast and pray from now until May 24th.
(Acts 13:2-3) While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (3) So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
The Bible gave the church in Antioch a word from Him about missions when they were worshiping and fasting. They responded by fasting and praying some more! Perhaps God will give our IMB trustees a word from Him about missions between now and their May meeting.
If you will join us to fast (in the method and to the extent of your choosing) and pray for the trustees during these next three weeks, feel free to say so in the comments section.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. Wes and I live close to each other here in “Texoma,” and we plan to travel to the May meeting together. If we do get to make the trip, we’ll blog like crazy while we’re there and afterward. All contributions toward our expenses can be sent in the form of Exxon and McDonald’s gift cards. :)
The Board of Trustees of the International Mission Board has experienced an unprecedented level of conflict in the past six months. As a result, many Southern Baptists and other concerned Christians have been praying for the trustees, in addition to many prayers for the missionaries and their work.
The Board will next meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 22nd-24th, at which time this conflict may become even more severe if reconciliation does not take place before then among the trustees who are in conflict.
In hope that God will intervene miraculously to promote a peaceful and productive resolution to this conflict, Brother Wes Kenney and I are calling all Baptist bloggers and friends to fast and pray from now until May 24th.
(Acts 13:2-3) While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (3) So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
The Bible gave the church in Antioch a word from Him about missions when they were worshiping and fasting. They responded by fasting and praying some more! Perhaps God will give our IMB trustees a word from Him about missions between now and their May meeting.
If you will join us to fast (in the method and to the extent of your choosing) and pray for the trustees during these next three weeks, feel free to say so in the comments section.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
P.S. Wes and I live close to each other here in “Texoma,” and we plan to travel to the May meeting together. If we do get to make the trip, we’ll blog like crazy while we’re there and afterward. All contributions toward our expenses can be sent in the form of Exxon and McDonald’s gift cards. :)
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
SBC Resolution on Exit Strategy from Public Schools
Dear Friends,
I firmly believe that submitting our children to anything less than distinctively Christian education is being unfaithful to our charge of training our children to know the Lord. Therefore my family homeschools, and I recommend to my members either homeschool or a private Christian school.
Many pastors and other members, however, are in the dark or in denial on this issue. Therefore I firmly supported the Pinkney/Shortt resolution in 2004, the Baucham resolution in 2005, and this proposed resolution for the 2006 SBC Annual Meeting.
----------
RESOLUTION ON DEVELOPING AN EXIT STRATEGY FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT WOULD GIVE PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF ORPHANS, SINGLE PARENTS, AND THE DISADVANTAGED
April 24, 2006
Submitted by
Roger Moran,
and
Dr. Bruce N. Shortt
Whereas, in June 2005 Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called for responsible Southern Baptists to develop an exit strategy from the government schools, stating further that there is no reason to believe that each year will not bring even more urgent concerns related to public education [1], and
Whereas, federal circuit court judges held in November 2005 in Fields v. Palmdale that "parents have no constitutional right ... to prevent a public school from providing its students with whatever information it wishes to provide, sexual, or otherwise, when and as the school determines that it is appropriate to do so"; and
Whereas, in December 2005 a federal judge ruled in favor of government schools indoctrinating children with dogmatic Darwinism; and
Whereas, government schools continue to adopt and implement curricula and policies teaching that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable; and
Whereas, Christian educational alternatives to government schools are desperately needed immediately by orphans, children of single parents, and the disadvantaged [2] and can be an effective means for evangelistic outreach; and
Whereas, the Gospel of Luke instructs us that a student is not above his teacher and, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher; and
Whereas, the government schools are required by law to be humanistic and secular in their instruction; and
Whereas, children are our most important mission field, and the overwhelming majority of Christians have made the government school system their children’s teacher; and
Whereas, studies by Barna Research, Dr. Christian Smith, and The Nehemiah Institute have found that a large majority of children from Christian families do not have a Christian worldview[3]; and
Whereas, an article by Dr. Thom Ranier published in the spring 2005 issue of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology reported, “nearly one half of all [Southern Baptist] church members may not be Christians”[4]; and
Whereas, the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life reported to the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention that 88 percent of the childrenraised in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18, never to return; and
Whereas, the Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2005 Annual Meeting urged parents in Resolution No. 1, On Educating Children, to embrace their responsibility to educate their children by choosing a means of education that would “…ensure their physical, moral, emotional, and spiritual well-being, with a goal of raising godly men and women who are thoroughly equipped to live as fully devoted followers of Christ”; and
Whereas, in light of government school curricula, court rulings, and the influence of the NEA, parents cannot satisfy the criteria for the education of Christian children set forth in Resolution 1 by educating Christian children in today’s government schools; and
Whereas, article XII of the Baptist Faith and Message states, “the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people”; and
Whereas, the next clause in article XII makes it clear that this education is to be provided through ‘Christian schools, colleges and seminaries’; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations can draw upon many existing buildings and other resources to provide an alternative to educating children in government schools; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations have many adults, including pastors, who can assist in the education of children as a ministry; and
Whereas, satellite, DVD, internet-enabled multi-media computer technology, and other more traditional forms of self-paced learning are effective ways of providing Christian education and are now very affordable; and
Whereas, churches can collaborate in providing alternatives to the government school system:
BE IT NOW RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention encourages each church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention to heed Dr. Mohler’s call to develop an exit strategy from the government’s schools; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that particular attention be given in the development of such exit strategies to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that the agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention assist churches in the development of exit strategies from the government schools and help coordinate efforts, including partnerships with churches in low income areas, to provide a Christian educational alternative to orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention applauds the many adult members of our congregations who teach in government schools, and this resolution should be construed to encourage adult believers who are truly called to labor as missionaries to unbelieving colleagues and students to continue their missionary work in the government school system.
1 Mohler, R. A. (2005). "Needed: An Exit Strategy." June 17, 2005. 2005, from http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-06-17.
2 Basham, P. (2001). "Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream." Public Policy Sources Number 51: 18.
Basham, P. (2001). "Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream." Public Policy Sources Number 51: 18. Research indicates that home-educated children whose parents did not graduate high school outperformed their public school counterparts from similar socio-economic situations by more than 50 percentile points. Thus, providing alternatives to underperforming urban schools may be the greatest form of socio-economic uplift the SBC can provide the poor and underprivileged.
3 See: Barna, G. (2003). "A Biblical Worldview has a Radical Effect on a Person's Life." The Barna Update Retrieved March 29, 2005, from http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=154., Smith, C. (2005). Soul Searching: The religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. Oxford, University Press.
4 Rainer, T. (2005). "A Resurgence Not Yet Realized: Evangelistic Effectiveness in the Southern Baptist Convention Since 1979." The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 9(1): 54-69.
-----
I welcome your comments on this matter, especially ones with a clear biblical basis, and any questions you may have.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I firmly believe that submitting our children to anything less than distinctively Christian education is being unfaithful to our charge of training our children to know the Lord. Therefore my family homeschools, and I recommend to my members either homeschool or a private Christian school.
Many pastors and other members, however, are in the dark or in denial on this issue. Therefore I firmly supported the Pinkney/Shortt resolution in 2004, the Baucham resolution in 2005, and this proposed resolution for the 2006 SBC Annual Meeting.
----------
RESOLUTION ON DEVELOPING AN EXIT STRATEGY FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT WOULD GIVE PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF ORPHANS, SINGLE PARENTS, AND THE DISADVANTAGED
April 24, 2006
Submitted by
Roger Moran,
and
Dr. Bruce N. Shortt
Whereas, in June 2005 Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called for responsible Southern Baptists to develop an exit strategy from the government schools, stating further that there is no reason to believe that each year will not bring even more urgent concerns related to public education [1], and
Whereas, federal circuit court judges held in November 2005 in Fields v. Palmdale that "parents have no constitutional right ... to prevent a public school from providing its students with whatever information it wishes to provide, sexual, or otherwise, when and as the school determines that it is appropriate to do so"; and
Whereas, in December 2005 a federal judge ruled in favor of government schools indoctrinating children with dogmatic Darwinism; and
Whereas, government schools continue to adopt and implement curricula and policies teaching that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable; and
Whereas, Christian educational alternatives to government schools are desperately needed immediately by orphans, children of single parents, and the disadvantaged [2] and can be an effective means for evangelistic outreach; and
Whereas, the Gospel of Luke instructs us that a student is not above his teacher and, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher; and
Whereas, the government schools are required by law to be humanistic and secular in their instruction; and
Whereas, children are our most important mission field, and the overwhelming majority of Christians have made the government school system their children’s teacher; and
Whereas, studies by Barna Research, Dr. Christian Smith, and The Nehemiah Institute have found that a large majority of children from Christian families do not have a Christian worldview[3]; and
Whereas, an article by Dr. Thom Ranier published in the spring 2005 issue of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology reported, “nearly one half of all [Southern Baptist] church members may not be Christians”[4]; and
Whereas, the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life reported to the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention that 88 percent of the childrenraised in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18, never to return; and
Whereas, the Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2005 Annual Meeting urged parents in Resolution No. 1, On Educating Children, to embrace their responsibility to educate their children by choosing a means of education that would “…ensure their physical, moral, emotional, and spiritual well-being, with a goal of raising godly men and women who are thoroughly equipped to live as fully devoted followers of Christ”; and
Whereas, in light of government school curricula, court rulings, and the influence of the NEA, parents cannot satisfy the criteria for the education of Christian children set forth in Resolution 1 by educating Christian children in today’s government schools; and
Whereas, article XII of the Baptist Faith and Message states, “the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people”; and
Whereas, the next clause in article XII makes it clear that this education is to be provided through ‘Christian schools, colleges and seminaries’; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations can draw upon many existing buildings and other resources to provide an alternative to educating children in government schools; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations have many adults, including pastors, who can assist in the education of children as a ministry; and
Whereas, satellite, DVD, internet-enabled multi-media computer technology, and other more traditional forms of self-paced learning are effective ways of providing Christian education and are now very affordable; and
Whereas, churches can collaborate in providing alternatives to the government school system:
BE IT NOW RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention encourages each church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention to heed Dr. Mohler’s call to develop an exit strategy from the government’s schools; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that particular attention be given in the development of such exit strategies to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that the agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention assist churches in the development of exit strategies from the government schools and help coordinate efforts, including partnerships with churches in low income areas, to provide a Christian educational alternative to orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention applauds the many adult members of our congregations who teach in government schools, and this resolution should be construed to encourage adult believers who are truly called to labor as missionaries to unbelieving colleagues and students to continue their missionary work in the government school system.
1 Mohler, R. A. (2005). "Needed: An Exit Strategy." June 17, 2005. 2005, from http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-06-17.
2 Basham, P. (2001). "Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream." Public Policy Sources Number 51: 18.
Basham, P. (2001). "Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream." Public Policy Sources Number 51: 18. Research indicates that home-educated children whose parents did not graduate high school outperformed their public school counterparts from similar socio-economic situations by more than 50 percentile points. Thus, providing alternatives to underperforming urban schools may be the greatest form of socio-economic uplift the SBC can provide the poor and underprivileged.
3 See: Barna, G. (2003). "A Biblical Worldview has a Radical Effect on a Person's Life." The Barna Update Retrieved March 29, 2005, from http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=154., Smith, C. (2005). Soul Searching: The religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. Oxford, University Press.
4 Rainer, T. (2005). "A Resurgence Not Yet Realized: Evangelistic Effectiveness in the Southern Baptist Convention Since 1979." The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 9(1): 54-69.
-----
I welcome your comments on this matter, especially ones with a clear biblical basis, and any questions you may have.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, April 24, 2006
Why Teach Your People Sound Doctrine?
Dear Friends,
Let us teach not what our church members' itching ears want to hear, but what the Bible says to be true. Return with me to the historic practice of teaching sound doctrine.
Titus 2:1 You must teach [lit. speak] what is in accord with sound doctrine.
Why is the teaching of sound doctrine so important? Among other reasons, which you may add, are these five:
1. Sound doctrine brings glory to Jesus Christ.
If you wanted to make me sound good, you would need to leave some things out and make some things up! But to bring the most glory to Jesus Christ, you need to tell the truth. Leaving out part of the Bible's teaching about Christ, or getting something wrong as far as interpretation brings Him less glory than He deserves.
2. Sound doctrine brings the Gospel to sinners.
If I gave directions to my church location that were incomplete or slightly wrong, the visitor might still find the place. But he would be best served by complete, correct directions. In the same way, the sinner is best brought to Christ by true doctrine about man, sin, Jesus, salvation, etc.
3. Sound doctrine brings encouragement to believers.
Titus 1:9 . . . so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine . . .
Our church members have trouble of various kinds. A misinterpretation of Romans 8:28 or Proverbs 22:6, for instance, can weaken the faith of a believer. Good doctrine, however, about God's faithfulness, can build up the weak.
4. Sound doctrine brings protection to believers.
Cultic groups, as well as Christian groups that preach much false doctrine mixed with true, can ruin the lives of believers who fall into their traps.
Titus 1:10-11 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. (11) They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
A Christian who has heard a steady stream of good doctrine from his pastor is unlikely to believe the lies of these kinds of groups.
5. Sound doctrine brings unity to the church.
Some disunity in the church comes as a result of petty squabbling over issues with no spiritual significance, (like the color of the carpet) due to the sin nature in each church member. Other disunity comes from arguments over matters of belief or practice that are not perfectly clear in the scriptures. (Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli did not agree about the Lord's Supper, for example.) Teaching sound doctrine does not necessarily treat these two causes of disunity in the church.
Much disunity can be avoided, however, and harmony acheived when the church as a whole has learned from its elders and other teachers the truth of the essential points of doctrine.
Ephesians 4:11-13a) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (12) to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (13) until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God
Join me in preaching and teaching the lost and our dear church members the truth of the essential points of doctrine. We will bring glory to Christ, bring the Gospel to sinners, bring encouragement and protection to the believers, and bring unity to the church.
Please add your comments, which are very welcome here.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, April 17, 2006
New Jim Richards Fan Club (SBTC/Calvinism Issue)
Dear Friends,
I am hereby declaring myself the founding President of the Jim Richards Fan Club.
I’m not used to hobnobbing with the convention big wigs, but tonight I had a wonderful call at home from Dr. Jim Richards, who is the Executive Director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. He had received my e-mail about the anti-Calvinism letter sent out by Dr. Don Cass, Director of Evangelism for the SBTC and called to respond. He very humbly and courteously apologized for what Dr. Cass had done, and promised that there will be no more such offenses to Texas Baptist Calvinists.
Having written rather an angry and somewhat accusatory letter to Dr. Cass, I took Dr. Richards’ soft-spoken kindness to me on the phone as a silent rebuke for my lack of Christian kindness in my letter. I will be e-mailing an apology for the tone (not the content) of the nasty-gram that I sent to Dr. Cass. In addition, I issue this apology on this blog:
Dr. Don Cass, I am sorry that I wrote an unkind response to your letter in the e-mail that I sent and on this blog. Please forgive me for not taking up this matter with you more privately and gently.
Thank you, Dr. Richards, for handling this situation so lovingly. Your good example is speaking loudly and clearly in favor of the cause of Christ and the work of the SBTC.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
1963 BFM Study-What should I watch out for?
Dear Friends,
I plan to begin teaching our church from our doctrinal statement, which is the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message. This will be my first time to teach it, except for a few short sections on certain topics, and actually my first time to STUDY it as well.
Are there any statements in the BFM that you consider weak biblically? I would like to get your ideas as a "heads up" for items that need the most study.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
I plan to begin teaching our church from our doctrinal statement, which is the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message. This will be my first time to teach it, except for a few short sections on certain topics, and actually my first time to STUDY it as well.
Are there any statements in the BFM that you consider weak biblically? I would like to get your ideas as a "heads up" for items that need the most study.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Thursday, April 13, 2006
SBTC Evangelism Director Opposes Calvinism-UPDATED
UPDATED
Dear Friends,
Dr. Don Cass, Director of Evangelism for the SBTC, has sent every SBTC pastor an envelope of materials including one sermon transcript and two sermon recordings on CD. In the cover let, he states that these materials address “critical issues of our day that directly effect evangelism in the local church.”
One of the issues is Universalism. Certainly Baptist leaders agree that this is indeed a threat to the evangelistic zeal of our church members. One of the CD sermons argues against Universalism.
The other issue is Calvinism. Certainly Baptist leaders DO NOT agree that this is a threat to the evangelistic zeal of our church members. The sermon manuscript is from Dr. Roy Fish, and opposes Calvinism on the grounds that historically it has inhibited the spirit of evangelism and missions. The sermon CD is from Dr. Paige Patterson, and argues against the Calvinistic view of predestination.
Since Calvinism, properly understood and applied, is most definitely not a threat to evangelism, but instead is a powerful propellant for it, I have written to Dr. Cass for clarification.
Dr. Don Cass, Director of Evangelism for the SBTC, has sent every SBTC pastor an envelope of materials including one sermon transcript and two sermon recordings on CD. In the cover let, he states that these materials address “critical issues of our day that directly effect evangelism in the local church.”
One of the issues is Universalism. Certainly Baptist leaders agree that this is indeed a threat to the evangelistic zeal of our church members. One of the CD sermons argues against Universalism.
The other issue is Calvinism. Certainly Baptist leaders DO NOT agree that this is a threat to the evangelistic zeal of our church members. The sermon manuscript is from Dr. Roy Fish, and opposes Calvinism on the grounds that historically it has inhibited the spirit of evangelism and missions. The sermon CD is from Dr. Paige Patterson, and argues against the Calvinistic view of predestination.
Since Calvinism, properly understood and applied, is most definitely not a threat to evangelism, but instead is a powerful propellant for it, I have written to Dr. Cass for clarification.
---UPDATE---
Earlier I had posted my e-mail to Dr. Cass in this space. An anonymous blogger who reads this blog pointed my attention to the fact that I should not have done so until I get a reply from him. The questions I asked Dr. Cass in my e-mail came across like accusations rather than questions. So I've taken her advice and removed the e-mail letter, and will wait for Dr. Cass to respond.
I am sorry to any who were weakened rather than edified by what I posted. I apologize to Dr. Cass for not letting him respond to my correspondence before making it public.
---------------
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, April 10, 2006
Accept Non-Southern Baptists for Membership?
Dear Friends,
In our small town (Bonham, Texas), and the nearby even-smaller towns, there are several Southern Baptist churches, but only one Nazarene church, and no other Nazarene church for many miles around. This particular church is very small, all the members are retirement age, and there is little ministry available for younger adults or children. Similarly, there is only one Presbyterian church, and it is liberal in orientation, with a woman pastor and other issues that are disagreeable to the more conservative Presbyterians. We have no Missionary Baptist church, no Freewill Baptist church, no Four-Square-Gospel church, no Reformed Baptist church, no Bible church, etc.
So, a number of believers from these backgrounds, who move to our community, have to look to Southern Baptist churches for a church family with which to worship. Clearly such believers are welcome to attend our Bible study groups and our worship services, but what about membership?
Should a believer who has been baptized by immersion as a profession of faith in Christ, but who is not from a Southern Baptist background be accepted for membership in a Southern Baptist church?
This question would be easy to answer in the case of someone who has basically been “converted” to Southern Baptist-ism. That is, if someone has become convinced that the Southern Baptist system of belief and practice is superior to his denominational upbringing, then we clearly can accept him for membership.
But what about the person who is not forsaking his denominational distinctives, but simply cannot attend his own brand of church, and is joining a Southern Baptist church as the best available alternative?
One solution I have considered is this: If the person is willing to say he believes the church’s statement of faith (1963 BFM in our case), he can be accepted for membership. There is a BIG problem with this approach, however---I DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING IN OUR CHURCH’S STATEMENT OF FAITH, EITHER!!! For example, as some of you know, I do not believe that baptism should be called a “church ordinance.” I also do not believe that the church’s biblical officers are deacon and pastor. (The Bible clearly says “Elder” and “Bishop/Overseer” rather than “Pastor.”) Unless I want to kick myself off the membership role, I can’t use this approach.
The solution I am considering at present is this: If a believer has been baptized by immersion as a profession of faith in Christ, and commends himself by Christ-like words and actions as he worships with our church, then he can be accepted for membership by the church. If he brings with him certain beliefs or practices that are not traditionally Southern Baptist, then so be it.
I welcome your comments, as this is an issue of great importance in my own local church, and in our whole denomination. As we share ideas, may God guide us to policies and practices that honor Christ, strengthen the local churches, and edify the individual believers.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Friday, March 31, 2006
Textured Vegetable Protein
Dear Friends,
Do you know about TVP? It's a meat substitute made mostly of soybeans. The best-known iterations are Bacos and school lunch hamburgers.
Well, a few years back I got Y2K crazy. (This should suprise no one who knows me, because I get caught up in whatever I get interested in.) In the process I bought some cans of long-term storage food, among which were some cans of TVP. Since I spent so much money on this barely-edible stuff, I feel obligated, when it's my turn to cook, to use it if possible. Through the past few years, my family has sat down to some decent powdered-cheese kinda soup stuff, some barely-edible black bean vegetarian chili, and a few dishes that the dog wouldn't eat.
It's been more than five years now, and most of the food has been et. (That's the rural Texas past tense of "to eat.") But today when I was about to cook, I seemed to remember that there was still a can or two under the bed. Sure enough, there was one more can of TVP Beef!
We had the makin's (rural Texas for "ingredients") for enchilada casserole, so I gave it a try. This casserole had all kinds of good stuff in it:
-half a brick of Velveeta
-a can of cream-of-something soup
-a cup of milk
-a package of Taco seasoning
-Ranch dressing (rural Texas multi-purpose seasoning)
-flour and corn tortillas
We even had some Texas-shaped tortilla chips that my in-laws brought back from San Antonio. (We don't have HEB up here in North Texas.)
You'd think that with all these yummie ingredients, the flavor and texture of the TVP would disappear, and the whole casserole would taste wonderful.
You'd be wrong.
Seven kids and two adults sat down to that casserole, and I found I had fooled no one. The little kids ate their apple slices, asked for more corn chips, then said, "Can I go play the computer now?" The older kids ate some and said it was pretty good, but were just being nice. My normally-ravenous 12-year-old ate only a few bites. (This was very telling!)
The combined flavors of the delicious ingredients could not overpower the stale, imitation, artificial flavor of the TVP.
I think this simple episode in my family's life could serve as a strong challenge for Christians in general, and church leaders in particular. We must live holy lives. We must keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. We must purify ourselves.
If we have a great witnessing ministry, but we watch sexual movies on the DVD or VCR, we will not be able to keep the rotten taste from surfacing.
If we preach great sermons, but we harbor prideful thoughts about advancing in our careers, moving to more prestigious churches, we will not be able to mask the artificial flavor.
If we provide good biblical counseling for troubled Christians, but overindulge in leisure or good food, we will not be able to keep our church members from wanting something else besides what we are serving.
The Bible says,
(2 Peter 3:11) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
(James 1:27) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
(1 John 3:3) Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
"Daddy's Famous Under-the-Bed TVP Enchilada Casserole" was not much use as a food. Maybe it will at least be useful as a reminder of this principle in Christian life and ministry.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, March 20, 2006
Prayer for the International Mission Board BOT
Father, thank You for the trustees who have been called to manage the affairs of the International Mission Board.
Please keep them safe as they travel to and from the meeting.
Please bless their meeting this week.
Please lead the men who have been in conflict with each other to be reconciled.
Please lead every member to speak the truth in a loving, Christ-like manner.
Please lead the board to repeal the new policies they passed in November, if that is what would honor You.
Please remove all partisan politics or sectarian agendas from the board's deliberations.
Please give each one wisdom to make good decisions for the IMB.
Father, thank You for calling new missionaries into Your service.
Please bless those who are in the application process, and especially those who will be commissioned this week.
In the name of Jesus, amen.
Please keep them safe as they travel to and from the meeting.
Please bless their meeting this week.
Please lead the men who have been in conflict with each other to be reconciled.
Please lead every member to speak the truth in a loving, Christ-like manner.
Please lead the board to repeal the new policies they passed in November, if that is what would honor You.
Please remove all partisan politics or sectarian agendas from the board's deliberations.
Please give each one wisdom to make good decisions for the IMB.
Father, thank You for calling new missionaries into Your service.
Please bless those who are in the application process, and especially those who will be commissioned this week.
In the name of Jesus, amen.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Should We Be Called "Pastor"?
Dear Friends,
As you may already know, God has been leading me to study and question some of the teachings found in the 2000 BFM and its predecessor, the 1963 BFM. Our church holds the 1963 version, not out of opposition to the 2000 revision, but just from never having been motivated to look at it! (Institutional apathy?)
In our church’s discipleship training class, we have been studying baptism in light of the 1963 BFM, and have raised the question, “Is baptism really a church ordinance?” If you’re interested, you are welcome to join the study at http://www.corinthbaptist.net/ .
This blog is dedicated to defining and promoting the work of the elder-bishop-overseer in the church. Previous posts have been walking through the New Testament’s teachings about what the elder is to pray for as he prays for his church, but I am going to put that on the back burner for a while in favor of a look at the title of “Pastor” in relation to the Baptist Faith and Message.
So here is my question: Should the men commonly called "pastor" in our churches be called “pastor”? In this article, let’s look to the Bible for guidance. Next time, we’ll consult our historical Baptist confessions.
Not being an accomplished Greek scholar, I study from the NIV, NASB, and KJV English translations, then consult the Greek when these do not agree, and for the precise meaning of important words. That will be the method in this article.
Does the New Testament call us “pastor”?
The only place that the English word “pastor” is used in the English translation of the New Testament is:
(Ephesians 4:11) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
This is the NIV rendering, but there is complete agreement on these terms among the English translations, because the Greek is not difficult here. The Greek word is poimen, which means “one who tends sheep” both literally and figuratively. Our English word “pastor,” taken from the Latin word pastum, “to feed,” also means “one who tends sheep” both literally and figuratively.
Some people look at this verse to supply the term “Pastor” for our church office. This is weak, however, because this is not a list of church offices. Baptists do not say that the offices in a church are Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, and Pastor-Teacher. This lists describes the roles people may assume or the gifts they may exhibit, but not the offices they may hold. Therefore this verse cannot be the basis for our use of the word “pastor” to describe an office in the church.
The word “pastor” is not used anywhere else in the English translations. The related word “shepherd” is used in other verses, though. Not counting the many times that it is used to refer to Jesus, or to actual shepherds who tend real sheep, the term is used in three verses:
(Acts 20:28) Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (NIV)
(1 Peter 5:2) Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; (NIV)
(Jude 1:12) These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead. (NIV)
Interestingly, however, the noun form is not used in these three verses. In Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:2, the apostles instruct certain men in the churches to shepherd the church. In Acts 20:28, the Greek word is poimainein, present active infinitive of purpose of poimaino, which means “to shepherd.” In 1 Peter 5:2, the Greek word is poimanate, first aorist active imperative of the same verb. The NASB conveys this in English by using the verb “to shepherd.” The KJV uses the verb “to feed,” which gives the main meaning of the Greek verb, but not the related ideas of “guide” and “guard,” which are also expressed in the verb. The Jude passage is not as relevant to our study as the others, since it is an indictment of false teachers, but even this verse uses a verb form of poimaino, not the noun poimen.
Jesus used this same verb and another when he spoke to Peter about this role in the church that was soon to be. In John 21:15, and 17, Jesus used the word boske, present active imperative form of bosko, an ancient word that means “to feed.” Verse 16 uses our friend poimaino again, in the present active imperative form poimaine.
(I realize that this account may be a Greek translation of words spoken to Peter in Aramaic. What else can we do but to use the Greek text?)
Where, then, is the New Testament basis for calling ourselves “pastor”? Jesus, Paul, and Peter all told us to tend our churches as a shepherd tends his sheep. But they never referred to the office of “pastor,” and in the New Testament record, they never referred to us as “the pastor.” Far from it, they never even used the noun “pastor” or “shepherd” to refer to us or our office.
What does the New Testament call us?
The Bible does refer to our office. Both Paul and Peter wrote on this matter. The most instructive passages are Acts 20:17-28, Titus 1:5-7, and 1 Peter 5:1-2. In all three passages, the apostles call the men in our office “elders” and “overseers” or “bishops.” Evidently these terms were used interchangeably by the apostles in referring to the same office.
The Greek word translated “elders” is presbuterous. This is a term borrowed from Jewish custom, especially the synagogue. It literally means “the aged,” but was used to refer to the leaders of families and communities, who also were the same class of men who lead the synagogues. This is the most-used term to refer to the office we hold as the church’s leaders and teachers. A simple word search for this term will yield several New Testament references to elders.
The Greek word translated “overseers” is episkopous. It is a word taken from business, and literally means “to oversee” and means also “to inspect.” In the Vulgate and the KJV, the word was not translated, but instead was carried over from the Greek. In the mutation from Greek to Latin to English, the term became “bishop.” (Write this out and have a look. You’ll see that the words are very similar.) Therefore there is no inherent difference for English-speakers between the terms “overseer” and “bishop.”
In addition to the definition of the terms, at least two points that may be significant strike the reader who studies these three passages.
First, the term “elder” occurs before "overseer" in each passage. Is it that they are commonly referred to that way more often than the other, or that the term “elder” occurs first to the mind of the author because of his Jewish mindset.
Second, the term “elder” has no inherent meaning as to function, while the term “overseer” does. That is to say, the term “elder” does not in itself give any clue as to what the man should do, while the term “overseer” does so.
Should we, then, be called, “pastor”? The Bible’s answer is, “No.” We should be called “elder” or “overseer” or “bishop.”
As you may already know, God has been leading me to study and question some of the teachings found in the 2000 BFM and its predecessor, the 1963 BFM. Our church holds the 1963 version, not out of opposition to the 2000 revision, but just from never having been motivated to look at it! (Institutional apathy?)
In our church’s discipleship training class, we have been studying baptism in light of the 1963 BFM, and have raised the question, “Is baptism really a church ordinance?” If you’re interested, you are welcome to join the study at http://www.corinthbaptist.net/ .
This blog is dedicated to defining and promoting the work of the elder-bishop-overseer in the church. Previous posts have been walking through the New Testament’s teachings about what the elder is to pray for as he prays for his church, but I am going to put that on the back burner for a while in favor of a look at the title of “Pastor” in relation to the Baptist Faith and Message.
So here is my question: Should the men commonly called "pastor" in our churches be called “pastor”? In this article, let’s look to the Bible for guidance. Next time, we’ll consult our historical Baptist confessions.
Not being an accomplished Greek scholar, I study from the NIV, NASB, and KJV English translations, then consult the Greek when these do not agree, and for the precise meaning of important words. That will be the method in this article.
Does the New Testament call us “pastor”?
The only place that the English word “pastor” is used in the English translation of the New Testament is:
(Ephesians 4:11) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
This is the NIV rendering, but there is complete agreement on these terms among the English translations, because the Greek is not difficult here. The Greek word is poimen, which means “one who tends sheep” both literally and figuratively. Our English word “pastor,” taken from the Latin word pastum, “to feed,” also means “one who tends sheep” both literally and figuratively.
Some people look at this verse to supply the term “Pastor” for our church office. This is weak, however, because this is not a list of church offices. Baptists do not say that the offices in a church are Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, and Pastor-Teacher. This lists describes the roles people may assume or the gifts they may exhibit, but not the offices they may hold. Therefore this verse cannot be the basis for our use of the word “pastor” to describe an office in the church.
The word “pastor” is not used anywhere else in the English translations. The related word “shepherd” is used in other verses, though. Not counting the many times that it is used to refer to Jesus, or to actual shepherds who tend real sheep, the term is used in three verses:
(Acts 20:28) Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (NIV)
(1 Peter 5:2) Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; (NIV)
(Jude 1:12) These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead. (NIV)
Interestingly, however, the noun form is not used in these three verses. In Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:2, the apostles instruct certain men in the churches to shepherd the church. In Acts 20:28, the Greek word is poimainein, present active infinitive of purpose of poimaino, which means “to shepherd.” In 1 Peter 5:2, the Greek word is poimanate, first aorist active imperative of the same verb. The NASB conveys this in English by using the verb “to shepherd.” The KJV uses the verb “to feed,” which gives the main meaning of the Greek verb, but not the related ideas of “guide” and “guard,” which are also expressed in the verb. The Jude passage is not as relevant to our study as the others, since it is an indictment of false teachers, but even this verse uses a verb form of poimaino, not the noun poimen.
Jesus used this same verb and another when he spoke to Peter about this role in the church that was soon to be. In John 21:15, and 17, Jesus used the word boske, present active imperative form of bosko, an ancient word that means “to feed.” Verse 16 uses our friend poimaino again, in the present active imperative form poimaine.
(I realize that this account may be a Greek translation of words spoken to Peter in Aramaic. What else can we do but to use the Greek text?)
Where, then, is the New Testament basis for calling ourselves “pastor”? Jesus, Paul, and Peter all told us to tend our churches as a shepherd tends his sheep. But they never referred to the office of “pastor,” and in the New Testament record, they never referred to us as “the pastor.” Far from it, they never even used the noun “pastor” or “shepherd” to refer to us or our office.
What does the New Testament call us?
The Bible does refer to our office. Both Paul and Peter wrote on this matter. The most instructive passages are Acts 20:17-28, Titus 1:5-7, and 1 Peter 5:1-2. In all three passages, the apostles call the men in our office “elders” and “overseers” or “bishops.” Evidently these terms were used interchangeably by the apostles in referring to the same office.
The Greek word translated “elders” is presbuterous. This is a term borrowed from Jewish custom, especially the synagogue. It literally means “the aged,” but was used to refer to the leaders of families and communities, who also were the same class of men who lead the synagogues. This is the most-used term to refer to the office we hold as the church’s leaders and teachers. A simple word search for this term will yield several New Testament references to elders.
The Greek word translated “overseers” is episkopous. It is a word taken from business, and literally means “to oversee” and means also “to inspect.” In the Vulgate and the KJV, the word was not translated, but instead was carried over from the Greek. In the mutation from Greek to Latin to English, the term became “bishop.” (Write this out and have a look. You’ll see that the words are very similar.) Therefore there is no inherent difference for English-speakers between the terms “overseer” and “bishop.”
In addition to the definition of the terms, at least two points that may be significant strike the reader who studies these three passages.
First, the term “elder” occurs before "overseer" in each passage. Is it that they are commonly referred to that way more often than the other, or that the term “elder” occurs first to the mind of the author because of his Jewish mindset.
Second, the term “elder” has no inherent meaning as to function, while the term “overseer” does. That is to say, the term “elder” does not in itself give any clue as to what the man should do, while the term “overseer” does so.
Should we, then, be called, “pastor”? The Bible’s answer is, “No.” We should be called “elder” or “overseer” or “bishop.”
Wow! Have so many of us been so wrong? Apparently so.
Next time, we’ll look at our historical Baptist confessions to see what they say about the title of our office.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you share your ideas.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Next time, we’ll look at our historical Baptist confessions to see what they say about the title of our office.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you share your ideas.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, March 06, 2006
Second Spiritual Topic for Prayer
Dear Friends,
My last post showed that one spiritual topic for prayer is love. We pray that Christians will love each other, and that they will grasp the love that God has for them. A second theme about which the apostle Paul prayed was knowledge.
(Philippians 1:9-11) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, (10) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, (11) filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.
(Ephesians 1:17) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
(Colossians 1:9) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
In these verses we see Paul praying that Christians would have knowledge, depth of insight, discernment, spiritual wisdom, revelation, and understanding. We as preachers and teachers generally focus our attention on instilling knowledge in the people through our teaching. That is all well and good---biblical teaching is absolutely crucial in the discipleship of Christians. But the Word shows us that God is the one who fills His people with spiritual wisdom. Therefore, just as much as we teach the people ourselves, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will be their true teacher. Let’s pray that our churches will be filled with the knowledge of God!
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Monday, February 27, 2006
First Spiritual Topic for Prayer
Dear Friends,
My last article related the general principle that God desires for us to pray more about matters spiritual than matters physical. So, then, about what spiritual concerns are we supposed to pray, if we mean to be excellent in prayer? Most of the prayers recorded in the New Testament prayers cover one of several general topics.
The first topic is LOVE. Paul regularly prayed that the new believers he had fathered would revel in Christ’s love, and also would have love for each other. See these scriptures:
(Philippians 1:9-11) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, (10) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, (11) filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.
(1 Thessalonians 3:12) May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
(2 Thessalonians 3:5) May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
(Ephesians 3:16-19) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, (18) may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (19) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
This is what Jesus desires for us, as well. He said to His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
The next time we pray, let’s be sure to pray for our churches that the people will know Jesus’ love, and will have love for each other.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
My last article related the general principle that God desires for us to pray more about matters spiritual than matters physical. So, then, about what spiritual concerns are we supposed to pray, if we mean to be excellent in prayer? Most of the prayers recorded in the New Testament prayers cover one of several general topics.
The first topic is LOVE. Paul regularly prayed that the new believers he had fathered would revel in Christ’s love, and also would have love for each other. See these scriptures:
(Philippians 1:9-11) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, (10) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, (11) filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.
(1 Thessalonians 3:12) May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
(2 Thessalonians 3:5) May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
(Ephesians 3:16-19) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, (18) may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (19) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
This is what Jesus desires for us, as well. He said to His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
The next time we pray, let’s be sure to pray for our churches that the people will know Jesus’ love, and will have love for each other.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Friday, February 17, 2006
Excellence in Prayer
Dear Friends,
Once God taught me that the elder/bishop’s primary duties are “prayer and the ministry of the Word,” it occurred to me that I must be excellent in both of these areas. What does it mean to be excellent at praying? (I was sure that I was NOT a very good prayor.) There are many valid answers to that question, but here is the one that seemed best to me: To pray well is to pray biblically.
If I needed to pray biblically, then I needed to find out how Jesus, the apostles, and other biblical characters prayed. The Bible records the prayers of many people, and I may in the course of time try to do an exhaustive study of these prayers. To get started, though, I just studied prayers in the New Testament.
As I did, God led my thinking about prayer in three directions:
1. For what or about what should we pray?
2. How should we pray?
3. What lifestyle helps us pray?
So, as I studied New Testament praying in search of these answer, here is the first thing I learned regarding what we should pray:
Prayers in the New Testament were predominantly about matters spiritual rather than matters physical.
I have found only one NT prayer about physical matters.
(3 John 1:2) Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
John did hope and pray that his people would prosper in matters of health and wealth.
BUT, out of many prayers in the New Testament, only this one mentions such concerns. Every other prayer is prayed for spiritual concerns.
The dear people in our churches generally do not understand or practice this. In a typical prayer meeting, or a time of "prayer requests" in small group sessions, our people can make long lists of people who are sick or facing surgery. They enjoy sharing these concerns with each other, and take comfort in praying for those who are hurting physically.
There is nothing wrong with this, praying that people will be healed, comforted, sustained financially, etc. BUT, if this kind of praying is the focus of your prayer meetings or of people's private prayer, then your people are not praying well or biblically.
Likewise, in our private prayers, it is very easy to pray for our own health and that of our family members. It is very easy to pray for God to keep our old cars running or help us pay our bills.
But these are not the matters that God intends to have before our minds in prayer. Instead, matters of spiritual health are to be our concern in prayer---our sins rather than our bills; our people's maturity rather than their surgery; our neighbors' souls rather than their bodies.
I’ll go into more detail in future articles, but the general answer to the question, “For what or about what should we pray?” is: We must pray about matters spiritual more than matters physical.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Once God taught me that the elder/bishop’s primary duties are “prayer and the ministry of the Word,” it occurred to me that I must be excellent in both of these areas. What does it mean to be excellent at praying? (I was sure that I was NOT a very good prayor.) There are many valid answers to that question, but here is the one that seemed best to me: To pray well is to pray biblically.
If I needed to pray biblically, then I needed to find out how Jesus, the apostles, and other biblical characters prayed. The Bible records the prayers of many people, and I may in the course of time try to do an exhaustive study of these prayers. To get started, though, I just studied prayers in the New Testament.
As I did, God led my thinking about prayer in three directions:
1. For what or about what should we pray?
2. How should we pray?
3. What lifestyle helps us pray?
So, as I studied New Testament praying in search of these answer, here is the first thing I learned regarding what we should pray:
Prayers in the New Testament were predominantly about matters spiritual rather than matters physical.
I have found only one NT prayer about physical matters.
(3 John 1:2) Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
John did hope and pray that his people would prosper in matters of health and wealth.
BUT, out of many prayers in the New Testament, only this one mentions such concerns. Every other prayer is prayed for spiritual concerns.
The dear people in our churches generally do not understand or practice this. In a typical prayer meeting, or a time of "prayer requests" in small group sessions, our people can make long lists of people who are sick or facing surgery. They enjoy sharing these concerns with each other, and take comfort in praying for those who are hurting physically.
There is nothing wrong with this, praying that people will be healed, comforted, sustained financially, etc. BUT, if this kind of praying is the focus of your prayer meetings or of people's private prayer, then your people are not praying well or biblically.
Likewise, in our private prayers, it is very easy to pray for our own health and that of our family members. It is very easy to pray for God to keep our old cars running or help us pay our bills.
But these are not the matters that God intends to have before our minds in prayer. Instead, matters of spiritual health are to be our concern in prayer---our sins rather than our bills; our people's maturity rather than their surgery; our neighbors' souls rather than their bodies.
I’ll go into more detail in future articles, but the general answer to the question, “For what or about what should we pray?” is: We must pray about matters spiritual more than matters physical.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Messenger of Joy
Dear Friends,
God has been gracious to deliver Angela Joy Young into this world healthy and with a big fan club! Susan labored bravely Wednesday night and Thursday, and gave birth to "Angie" at 7:50 Thursday evening. She is 10 lb 3 oz (our family's biggest) and 21", with light brown hair.
We were blessed to be at Allen Birthing Center, with midwives Becky and Amy in attendance. Susan's good friend Lori Yandell helped as well, and was a Godsend. Dear people from our church, Lloyd and Betty, Larry and Norma, and Glen and Darlene, sweetly cared for the rest of our children while we were gone. (Andrew was having so much fun, he told Mommy not to hurry!)
Susan chose Angela Joy's name to mean "Messenger of Joy," but Susan and I have dear friends whose friendship influenced our choosing these names as well. My friend is Angela Temples, who was my next-door neighbor growing up, and now works at Southwestern Seminary. Susan's friend is Joy Rounsavall, who was a close friend in college, and now works as a church planting pastor's wife in California. Thank you, Angela and Joy, for adding sweetness to our dear baby's name.
I wish you could have seen how beautiful Susan looked during the hardest part of labor ("transition"). The beauty of Jesus Christ shined out from her face, and nearly took my breath. The ladies commented also, although I don't think they were as awe-struck as I was!
The baby was well past her due date, and we were tempted to worry. God knew just when to send the baby, though, and just how to bless us richly in the process. He is faithful.
Mommy and Baby are napping now, the fridge is filling up with food that the church has brought, and I feel surrounded by God's loving kindness as I write this.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
God has been gracious to deliver Angela Joy Young into this world healthy and with a big fan club! Susan labored bravely Wednesday night and Thursday, and gave birth to "Angie" at 7:50 Thursday evening. She is 10 lb 3 oz (our family's biggest) and 21", with light brown hair.
We were blessed to be at Allen Birthing Center, with midwives Becky and Amy in attendance. Susan's good friend Lori Yandell helped as well, and was a Godsend. Dear people from our church, Lloyd and Betty, Larry and Norma, and Glen and Darlene, sweetly cared for the rest of our children while we were gone. (Andrew was having so much fun, he told Mommy not to hurry!)
Susan chose Angela Joy's name to mean "Messenger of Joy," but Susan and I have dear friends whose friendship influenced our choosing these names as well. My friend is Angela Temples, who was my next-door neighbor growing up, and now works at Southwestern Seminary. Susan's friend is Joy Rounsavall, who was a close friend in college, and now works as a church planting pastor's wife in California. Thank you, Angela and Joy, for adding sweetness to our dear baby's name.
I wish you could have seen how beautiful Susan looked during the hardest part of labor ("transition"). The beauty of Jesus Christ shined out from her face, and nearly took my breath. The ladies commented also, although I don't think they were as awe-struck as I was!
The baby was well past her due date, and we were tempted to worry. God knew just when to send the baby, though, and just how to bless us richly in the process. He is faithful.
Mommy and Baby are napping now, the fridge is filling up with food that the church has brought, and I feel surrounded by God's loving kindness as I write this.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Prayer is Primary-The Elder's Priorities
An elder/bishop (commonly called a pastor or minister) is called by God to tend the church as a shepherd tends his flock (See Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:2). Since people do not literally need green grass and protection from wolves, however, what does this mean in practical terms? What are the elder’s duties, exactly?
The elder cannot trust his church to teach him his duties. First, churches expect their elders to do too much. Churches call upon the elder to do many things, from administering the work of committees, to visiting the sick, to performing weddings and funerals. (Yes, for some of the many small-church pastors, the list is much longer: mowing the grass, turning on and off the lights, cleaning the buildings, fixing the plumbing, etc.) If the church has a written job description, it is probably a page long, with about 20 duties named, and a phrase at the end that says, “other duties as needed.” If the church does not have a written job description, then rest assured that an unwritten job description several pages long, with upwards of 50 duties named, exists in the collective mind of the members! Second, churches do not normally derive the elder’s list of duties from the scriptures or from the example of the best elders throughout history. Instead, their list is made up of every good thing they have ever seen any minister do anywhere anytime.
The elder cannot trust his heart to teach him his duties, either. First, his heart is bigger than his schedule! That is, the love of Christ moves the elder to concern for many people. He desires to minister to the sick, the lonely, the mature, the immature, the lost of his community, the lost on the mission field, the missionaries he knows, his colleagues who are hurting, and the list goes on and on. Second, his own personal preferences will send enjoyable tasks to the top of the priority list, and send distasteful duties to the bottom, regardless of their relative importance.
For the first seven years of my own ministry, I wandered among these church-made and self-made lists of duties. My ministry had some success because of God’s grace and the power of the Gospel, but was, frankly, a failure in general.
Then, about three years ago, God taught me what should have been obvious, that there are two tasks for the elder/bishop that supercede all others: “prayer and the ministry of the Word.” (This is the NIV translation. I will address the literal meaning of the Greek in a future blog, and I welcome you to do so in your comments.)
God taught me this through a key verse in the Old Testament and a key verse in the New Testament. First, a verse about Samuel:
(1 Samuel 12:23) As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
Here we see this one-two punch that characterizes the work of the man of God: prayer and teaching the Word of God, with prayer listed first.
The New Testament verse about the apostles:
(Acts 6:3-4) Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them (4) and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
Here we see the same combination, with prayer again listed first. Here the order of these two is not clear, however, because the apostles had mentioned the Word of God already, before restating their concern about ministering in the Word along with the ministry of prayer.
Since God showed me this foundational truth, I have endeavored to re-orient my ministry to fulfill these God-given tasks.
I look back on these three years and say that, despite certain failures due to my own immaturity and selfishness, my ministry has been, in general, a great success.
In future blogs, I will share how God has worked this truth into my life and ministry, and what I have learned about how to do these two basic tasks with excellence.
Thanks for reading, and I welcome your comments.
The elder cannot trust his church to teach him his duties. First, churches expect their elders to do too much. Churches call upon the elder to do many things, from administering the work of committees, to visiting the sick, to performing weddings and funerals. (Yes, for some of the many small-church pastors, the list is much longer: mowing the grass, turning on and off the lights, cleaning the buildings, fixing the plumbing, etc.) If the church has a written job description, it is probably a page long, with about 20 duties named, and a phrase at the end that says, “other duties as needed.” If the church does not have a written job description, then rest assured that an unwritten job description several pages long, with upwards of 50 duties named, exists in the collective mind of the members! Second, churches do not normally derive the elder’s list of duties from the scriptures or from the example of the best elders throughout history. Instead, their list is made up of every good thing they have ever seen any minister do anywhere anytime.
The elder cannot trust his heart to teach him his duties, either. First, his heart is bigger than his schedule! That is, the love of Christ moves the elder to concern for many people. He desires to minister to the sick, the lonely, the mature, the immature, the lost of his community, the lost on the mission field, the missionaries he knows, his colleagues who are hurting, and the list goes on and on. Second, his own personal preferences will send enjoyable tasks to the top of the priority list, and send distasteful duties to the bottom, regardless of their relative importance.
For the first seven years of my own ministry, I wandered among these church-made and self-made lists of duties. My ministry had some success because of God’s grace and the power of the Gospel, but was, frankly, a failure in general.
Then, about three years ago, God taught me what should have been obvious, that there are two tasks for the elder/bishop that supercede all others: “prayer and the ministry of the Word.” (This is the NIV translation. I will address the literal meaning of the Greek in a future blog, and I welcome you to do so in your comments.)
God taught me this through a key verse in the Old Testament and a key verse in the New Testament. First, a verse about Samuel:
(1 Samuel 12:23) As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
Here we see this one-two punch that characterizes the work of the man of God: prayer and teaching the Word of God, with prayer listed first.
The New Testament verse about the apostles:
(Acts 6:3-4) Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them (4) and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
Here we see the same combination, with prayer again listed first. Here the order of these two is not clear, however, because the apostles had mentioned the Word of God already, before restating their concern about ministering in the Word along with the ministry of prayer.
Since God showed me this foundational truth, I have endeavored to re-orient my ministry to fulfill these God-given tasks.
I look back on these three years and say that, despite certain failures due to my own immaturity and selfishness, my ministry has been, in general, a great success.
In future blogs, I will share how God has worked this truth into my life and ministry, and what I have learned about how to do these two basic tasks with excellence.
Thanks for reading, and I welcome your comments.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Just Getting Started
Dear Friends,
This is all new to me, so please be patient as I go through the learning curve.
This blog was inspired by Dr. Wade Burleson, and his use of a blog to teach the SBC rank-and-file what is going on in the present IMB internal power struggle. I was so impressed by his use of the blog in this cause, that I determined to do the same for the issues that God has convicted me to champion.
I hope in days to come to offer encouragement to other believers regarding some of these issues.
Love in Christ,
Jeff Young
This is all new to me, so please be patient as I go through the learning curve.
This blog was inspired by Dr. Wade Burleson, and his use of a blog to teach the SBC rank-and-file what is going on in the present IMB internal power struggle. I was so impressed by his use of the blog in this cause, that I determined to do the same for the issues that God has convicted me to champion.
I hope in days to come to offer encouragement to other believers regarding some of these issues.
Love in Christ,
Jeff Young
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