8-19-18 Is Church Membership Biblical?

Scripture    Acts 2:37-47

Video - Is the Church relevant? https://youtu.be/yXVGvP6xpeg

RIDDLE ME THIS:

Hillcrest / (College explored) / Owl Creek / FBC Urbana / Living Water-Merge / FBC Twin Falls / Ashland

CHRISTIAN WRITERS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

In the book “The Body” by Charles W. Colson, 1992 he writes, “Membership in a confessing body is fundamental to the faithful Christian life. Failure to do so defies the explicit warning not to forsake "our assembling together."

Martin Luther said, "Apart from the church, salvation is impossible." Not that the church provides salvation; God does. But because the "saved" one can't fulfill what it means to be a Christian apart from the church, membership becomes the indispensable mark of salvation.

"So highly does the Lord esteem the communion of His church," Calvin wrote," that He considers everyone a traitor and apostate from religion who perversely withdraws himself from any Christian society which preserves the true ministry of the word and sacraments."

“The spouse of Christ cannot be adulterous; she is uncorrupted and pure. She knows one home; she guards with chaste modesty the sanctity of one couch. She keeps us for God. She appoints the sons whom she has born for the kingdom. Whoever is separated from the Church and is joined to an adulteress, is separated from the promises of the Church; nor can he who forsakes the Church of Christ attain to the rewards of Christ. He is a stranger; he is profane; he is an enemy. He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother.”

— Cyprian, Treatise on the Unity of the Church

That is what others say about church membership. The only direction that matters is what the Bible says about church membership.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Greg Gilbert addressed church membership in Christianity Today:

“If you’re like most people, the word “membership” probably doesn’t cause you to well up with any deep spiritual emotion. For most of us, membership is something most associated with junk mail from credit card companies or a high-pressure sales pitch at a gym. When it comes to the church, perhaps it’s viewed as a bureaucratic tool for keeping track of people. Some consider it irretrievably Western—a faintly imperialist concept that really ought to be abandoned when we begin to plant churches in other cultures.

I understand that impression, especially given how many churches treat the concept and reality of membership. But what’s needed is to return to the Bible itself and see whether it talks about church membership, and if so, what the nature and meaning and purpose of that concept is in the first place.”

JESUS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

The idea of church membership began to take shape in Matthew 16 when Jesus established his church. There he gave the church the keys of the kingdom, which means that he gave it authority to speak in his name both to what the gospel is and who is rightly confessing the gospel.

Matt 16:13-19  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

The ability to affirm who is confessing the gospel correctly and who is not is the what we mean by the term “church membership.” (eg. Presby pastor many ways of salvation)

If someone understands and confesses the gospel correctly, the church is given authority by King Jesus to say, “Yes, you’re a genuine believer in Christ,” and is, therefore, to be baptized and join in the life of the church. If not, the church also has the authority, granted by the King, to say, “No, you don’t understand the gospel, you’re not confessing it and living according to it, and therefore we will not continue to affirm that you’re a Christian.”

THE BOOK OF ACTS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

We see this principal of the church at work in the story written in the Book of Acts from the beginning of the church. On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel and told people to be baptized. Then, in Acts 2:41, “three thousand souls were added to their number.” Even at the beginning, then, the first Christians knew who they were. The life of the church wasn’t just a matter of “come when you can.” There was a defined, recognized group of people who believed, were baptized, and were part of the number.

Acts 2:37-47

 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 (Description of the church body) All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

It’s not just that they knew each other, though. Those early Christians lived life together. They attended the temple together (2:46) as more and more were “added to their number” (2:47) until in Acts 4:4 the number had risen to five thousand (and that’s just counting the men)! To be a part of “the number” wasn’t just a lifeless bureaucratic reality, either. Acts 4:32 reports that they were “of one heart and soul.”

In the very first church in Jerusalem, even as large as it was, the first Christians knew who they were.

Even with 5000+ people in “the number,” that earliest church in Jerusalem continued to meet together. Acts 5:12 says that they were “all together” in a large place called Solomon’s Portico; 6:2 even says the “full number” of them came together in a business meeting to discuss how to care better for widows. And through all of this, those early Christians called themselves a church— that is an assembly, a gathering.

Why did Peter and the disciples choose this ‘porch’ in close proximity to the temple to hold church meetings? John 10:22-29  Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Here in Solomon’s Portico Jesus is confirming that these are not his followers but that others are his followers - setting up the primary function of the church where the first church members will later first meet in its large gatherings.

So, in the very first church in Jerusalem, even as large as it was, the first Christians knew who they were. There were those who were part of the number, and there were those who were not, and the dividing line between the two was baptism. A person would become a believer, the church would exercise the keys and say, “Yes, you seem to be a genuine believer,” then he or she would be baptized and thereby join the life of the church—its joys and pains and problems and solutions. That’s membership.

THE NEW TESTAMENT ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Matthew 18, shows the authority of the church to remove one of its number if they will not recognize their sin and turn from it.   1st Corinthians 5:2 gives us a look at another similar situation in which Paul tells the church to “remove this man from among you.” Obviously, that doesn’t mean they are supposed to physically toss him out of the room or bar the doors against him. No, they wanted the man to attend the gatherings of the church, to hear the word, and repent. What it means to “remove” him is that they are to make it clear that they are withdrawing their affirmation of his claim to be a Christian in hopes that he/she will repent.

In 2 Corinthians 2:6 Paul returned to the situation he faced in 1 Corinthians 5 and told the church to bring the man back into the number of disciples. The man repented and, therefore, should be restored. The man’s faith was reaffirmed and he was restored. This was done by majority vote of the church members. Church membership is biblical and vitally important. It affirms or denies that a person is part of the body of Christ.

Membership Means Relationship

But still, the question remains: does the Bible ever explicitly talk about church membership? Yes, it does. It even uses the word. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul addresses a particular local church in the city of Corinth, explaining to them that instead of being divided and jealous of each other, they should be united. In the course of that argument he says in 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

There it is. All those shadows in the New Testament—of making someone part of the number, of putting someone out of the number, of life lived together in mutual commitment—those shadows point to this biblical image of the local church being the Body of Christ. meln = member [Christians are called meln of Christ because the body is the living place of the spirit of Christ and there are dedicated to Christ’s service.]

Membership Means Commitment

What that means is that membership is not a cold, lifeless word having to do with names on a list. It’s a flesh-and-blood, lively word that describes the parts of a body.

Membership is not a modern, Western concept, but a biblical reality born of the spiritual union between Christ and his church.

For one thing, it simply underlines the truth—which we see again and again in the Bible—that a local church has a boundary. Think about it. It’s actually very clear what is a part of your body and what is not. Maybe you wear a wedding ring. I do, and it almost never comes off my finger. It’s about as close to my body as anything can possibly be. You might even call it a regular, committed attender and participant in the life of my body. But I also know that it’s not a part of my body. What’s more, as close as that ring may be to my body, it doesn’t really share in my body’s life, its pleasure, or its pain. If I stub my toe, my ring doesn’t react. My finger does though.

Membership Is Not a Modern, Western Concept

The point and heart of church membership is a mutually recognized relationship between a Christian and church in which both of them say— “I am committed to you.” I will share your joy and your pain. I will take responsibility for you. I will love and care for you. That’s the meaning of membership. It’s not a modern, Western concept, but rather a deeply biblical reality born of the spiritual union between Christ and his church—the reality that each local church is the body of Christ, and we as individual Christians are members of it.

BEING FAITHFUL

Bottom line - we believe God works through the members of the church to bring salvation, confirm it, and cause it to spread across time and space. Here is an example of how that works:

In the book Second Calling, Dale Bourke writes that years ago, she attended a conference. When it was over, her friend Bruce offered her a ride to the airport. As they were about to leave, another man asked if he could join them. As they drove away from the hotel, she and Bruce asked the man where he worked, and he mentioned a Christian organization. Bruce said, “I have fond memories of that group, because I attended a retreat of theirs one time, and that’s where I became a Christian. It was in 1972 in New Hampshire.” Bruce went on to explain that eventually his whole family became Christians and went into Christian work. His sister was a Wycliffe missionary and Bruce himself became publisher of a major Christian publishing house, which brought many significant Christian books to the public. Bruce finished the story with a flourish saying that the retreat had had worldwide impact when you think about it.

The man was silent. Dale and Bruce thought that maybe they were boring him. Then the stranger quietly said, “I led that retreat. It was my first time as a conference leader, and I felt like a total failure. Until this moment, I have always believed it was one of the biggest failures of my life.” Dale Bourke wrote, “What had seemed like the simple act of offering a ride to a stranger had turned into a powerful reminder that God uses our efforts whether we realize it or not. I may spend the rest of my life doing things that don’t seem at all successful. Yet only God knows the purpose. I am called simply to be faithful.”

8-12-18 Join a church! Who? Me?

The next 3 Sundays I will be tripping over myself - saying the same things in different ways while saying things new in each message as well.

What does the bible say about joining a church?

Should I encourage others to join Ashland Church?

Join a Church! Who? Me? First, I would have to find that ‘perfect’ church!

VIDEO: Top Church

A church with NO members is NO church!

Scripture                                            1 Corinthians 1:1-10

          This text is rich with layers at first unseen like a double lava chocolate cake. Every bite reveals new hidden delights. It is not normally served up as a text about the church or church membership but let’s get our forks out, dig in and see what delicious truths God has for us today from His word.

[Map of Achaia] 

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, (Acts 18:4-18 Paul traveled to Corinth [1] (Pracilla & Aquila were there from Rome) where 4 every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of [2] Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 [3] Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

12 While Gallio [4] (Prominent Roman; brother Seneca, nephew Lucan) was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."

14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law — settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on [5] Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.

18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time.)

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

The song LAY ME DOWN says: With this heart open wide, From the depths from the heights, I will bring a sacrifice.
With these hands lifted high, Hear my song here my cry, I will bring a sacrifice
Hand on my heart, This much is true, There's no life apart from you
It will be my joy to say, Your will, your way, WE will bring a sacrifice

OPTIONAL - * VIDEO Sacrifice of Praise

As those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours, we bring a sacrifice of praise. We - the church. Those who have committed themselves to church membership.

“In the New Testament,” John Piper observes, “to be excluded from the local church was to be excluded from Christ.”

Can I still be a part of the church without church membership? Yes! But you can also be a guy who flirts with 1000 girls and never commits to one. The result is that you are still alone in the world. Commit to that one you will marry. Likewise, commit to that church where you will be a member because the kingdom of God was never designed for you to live alone in your faith. God created us to live out our faith in community. Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Join the church! Who? Me?

A little boy said, “Dad, did Grandpa make you go to Sunday school when you were my age?”

His father said, “He sure did. We went every Sunday.”

The boy said sadly, “Well, I bet it won’t do me any good either.”

STAINED GLASS

A fourteenth-century Italian stained-glass artist was summoned to design and create a huge portrait for the window of a cathedral in Chartres, France, a place well known for its stained-glass work. He laid all of the pieces he was going to use out on the floor of the cathedral. They were beautiful to behold; most of them were large and colorful. Among these awesome pieces of glass was a small, clear piece about as big as your fingernail. As the stained-glass portrait was assembled, that little piece remained on the floor. Only the big colorful pieces of glass were used.

On the day of the window’s completion, the tiny piece of clear glass was still lying on the ground. The entire city gathered to witness the unveiling of the brilliant and beautiful stained-glass portrait. The artist stood in front of the crowd, made his speech, and dramatically pulled down the cloth cover. The crowd gasped at the beauty of the colorful window glowing in the sunlight.

After a few seconds, however, the crowd grew silent. They sensed that something was missing, that the portrait was unfinished. The great artist then walked over to where the little clear piece of glass lay, picked it up, and placed it in the portrait, right in the center of Jesus’ eye. As the sun hit that little piece, it gave off a dazzling sparkle.

The magnificent stained glass window still draws visitors. The first thing they see is that sparkle in Jesus’ eye.

As small as that piece of glass was, it was very important to the portrait. And, no matter how insignificant a Christian may seem, he is important to the body of Christ

I call that stained class the church - each piece of glass is a member of that church - it is not complete until even the smallest, seemingly most insignificant part is put in place - I call that piece Sosthenes. As you consider church membership, recognize that to Christ, you are the apple, or the sparkle, of His eye!

Response Song: Lay me Down

7-22-18 My Vacation on a boat is not the same as Jesus’ vacation on a boat!

Scripture   Matthew 11:28-30

          SIT IN LAWN CHAIR - pastor vacation song.

We need vacations/rest/time away. The human part of Jesus was no different and there were times he got away - like me he got away in a boat - no better way to do a vacation then when a boat is involved. However, SLIDE - Boat 7 My vacation on a boat is different than Jesus’ vacation on a boat.

My ideal vacation would be in the winter going to a tropical paradise spending every day on the beach or on a boat on the water. My more realistic vacation is staying in the 54 year old cottage at Put in Bay and feeling no need to do work (that is difficult for me). I always think I could be working on things for church as well as working on things around the cottage. SO I tend not to get the relaxation there that I would in the tropics.

Why do we want or need a vacation anyway?

Our bodies need to recuperate. Our minds need to slow down. But there is something even more important that we need - and I don’t know that a vacation will do this, but I am sure it doesn’t hurt - we need SOUL rest - SPIRIT renewal.

          Jesus knew the disciples needed a vacation or SOUL rest - SPIRIT renewal - time away in quiet with him. A story is told of an exploration team in Africa which had employed a group of natives to carry their supplies to go with them into the interior. Being in a hurry to reach their objective, the team pushed forward at a rather quick pace for several days. At one point, the natives just sat down and would not go further. Frustrated by this stoppage, they asked why they were sitting instead of moving forward? The spokesperson for the natives replied, "We are waiting for our souls to catch up with our bodies."

          Jesus knew the disciples souls needed to catch up with their bodies, and, on one occasion, this is what happened:

Mark 6:30-56

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

FOOT RACE WITH A BOAT

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. / But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

FEEDING THE 5000

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, *$ “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. (DO SKIT HERE) They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

JESUS SENT THE BOAT AHEAD

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.  After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.  He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.

48 Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.  As soon as they got out of the boat, (they got their vacation) people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.  And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

THE REST TEXT

Matt 11:28-30     NIV

 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It is not about needing a vacation - yes vacations are important. But this text is talking about vacating your agenda, your struggle, your anxiety, your depression, your workaholism, your religiosity, anything that makes you move so fast or get so distracted…you forget to rest with Jesus - not just for moment - but with your whole life.  Here is the same text from the MESSAGE version:

Matt 11:28-30      The Message

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”

CONCLUSION

          Yes Jesus, as man, had to get away to rest in God his Father. But Jesus as God needs no rest:

Psalm 121:1-8

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Matthew 11:28-30 was the text of the preacher one night. His heart was so full of Christ that his words could not express what he wanted to say. All he could say was, "'Come unto Me'—what does it mean? 'Come unto Me'—what does it mean?" Again and again he repeated, "What does it mean? What does it mean?" All at once, a little girl, sitting on a front seat, timidly rose and held out her hand. "Well," asked the preacher, "what does it mean, dear child?" "It means that He wants me,". The preacher sat down. Both he and the people felt no more needed to be said. "The wisest and most able among us could not have given a truer and sweeter exposition of the text.” "Come unto Me" means that "Jesus wants ME."

7-15-18 Kindness – The NEW witness!

Scripture  Ephesians 4:29-32

This past week I was the recipient of an act of kindness; and I was a witness to an act of kindness from one person to another.

We live in a world that is anything but kind. Words and actions of unkindness, meanness, nastiness, brutality, malice, spite, vindictiveness, callousness, harshness and heartlessness abound from the wealthiest and highest positions to the poorest and the outcast. Unkindness has no boundaries and escapes no segment of life.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

ILUSTRATION:

A Youth in Japan was moved by the kindness of a gentle elderly man. The man, a missionary, had not been in this Asian country for many years and was still limited in his use of Japanese. Yet, each week he visited the young man’s home to discuss the Bible. With friendly smiles and kindly manners, he patiently answered the many questions that the curious young student raised.

The kind ways of the elderly missionary left an indelible impression on the young man. ‘If the Bible makes a man so kind and loving,’ thought the young man, ‘then by all means I should learn about it.’ This gave him the incentive he needed to study something totally foreign to him. Yes, kindness touches the human heart and speaks to it, often more powerfully than words can. You may have heard the phrase – “You may be the only bible someone ever reads.”

Should people be kind just because it is the right thing to do? YES! Daily life would be so much better if people (regardless of religion) would use words and perform acts of kindness.  How many of us hear an unkind word or are subjected to an unkind act every day? In the world of social media, the lack of kindness has soared to new levels as people hide behind a screen name and say all kinds of nasty things. I used to love to play online hearts – played with people al over the world and could chat as you played. It became a problem as people would play and become cruel if they weren’t winning. I stopped playing years ago because of that. This last week I thought I would see if it still exists – it does…but without the live chat.

          For non spiritual reasons it makes sense - Proverbs 11:17  Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

Luke 6:31  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

          Even though we should all be kind because it is a better way to live, that may not be reason enough. There are two higher reasons we should speak and act kindly.

REASON 1 Because God does

          Over and over the bible speaks of God’s kindness – Isaiah 63:7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

          Romns 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love (kindness) for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

REASON 2 Because Jesus wants us too – the bible says so

Jesus wants us too:

Matthew 5:46-48

 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The bible tells us too:

I Cor 13:4-8, 13

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (which is kindness).

NOTE the contrast between what not to do and what to do – only 2 things to do – be patient and kind. Paul carries that Don’t do this and do this theme into our text for today…

Ephesians 4:29-32

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

          Paul gives us an ethic of kindness – he paints a picture if you will and we must stare at that picture daily if we are to change and become more Christlike. We cannot copy what we do not see. We must see the picture of the kindness of Christ – dying on the cross out of kindness for those who sinned and turned their back on him.  When we see that picture, we can’t help but act toward others ALL OTHERS in kindness. When we do that, we become the artist and are painting a picture of kindness, therefore of Christ, for all the world to see.

          KINDNESS is the new witness. We are now no longer motivated to be kind because it is the right and better way to live – we now have the intention of experiencing God as we speak words and do acts of kindness because he is living and working through us – what a difference that makes. I can take it or leave it if it simply benefits me – but if it somehow allows me to experience the reality of God in my life – I want that more than anything. Let the kindness begin. Keep in mind that kindness is an act of the will – God works with us – not on us.

I mentioned that I received words and an act of kindness this week. Someone responded to a need, not because it was a right or better thing to do, but because they were living as the hands and feet of their savior Jesus Christ.

The words and act of kindness I observed I was also involved in. My kindness motivation was because it was right – so my the words I said…and those I refrained from saying were less Christ influenced and more duty influenced. Then along comes a church member who takes the person and shows them great words and acts of kindness that were absolutely an ethical intention based on an awareness of Christ – having seen the picture of his kindness toward them and measuring it out to one of the least of these. It was a beautiful thing to watch and made me want to be more like that, therefore more like Christ in his kindness toward others.

Matthew 25:31-    When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

          Remember the young man in Japan who was shown kindness by an elderly missionary -because of that kindness – he found NEW life in Christ. Kindness…the new witness.

7-8-18 BEHOLD, I got nothing new!

Scripture  Hebrews 11:1-2, 12:1-2

Hebrews 11:1-2

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Duncan Phillips talks about the importance of standing up and saying, 'This is who we are.'

The Newsboys band appeared in the hit film, "God's Not Dead," and their song, "We Believe," appears on the Billy Graham tribute album.

 During an interview about the song We Believe, Duncan Phillips said, Christian music

is a funny thing. It is one of the only genres of music that is characterized by its lyrical content rather than its musical style. Sometimes because of that, the art of the music tends to be second rate. That is not as important as the lyrical content. I get it, but I don't necessarily agree with it.

A lot of times if you want to reach kids, the music has got to stand out. It can't be second rate. The music is the conduit to get the message into the heart of a person, into their soul and their spirit. If the music isn't as good as current secular music, there is going to be a barrier. I think we've failed at making the art as good as it could be. With this album more than ever before, we really wanted the art to be great.

I think "We Believe" says, all that aside, this is who we are. This is what we believe. We believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, the crucifixion, He conquered death, the Resurrection, and He's coming back again!

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

John 14:19 (The Voice):  Because I live, you will also live.

John 20:29 (NKJV): Jesus said, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

1 Corinthians 15:21 (NKJV): "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead."

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Romans 10:9 (NKJV): That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

What's the takeaway message

This is who we are as Christians. At some point, we must stand up and say this is who we are. No matter what you are going through, when you stand and sing this song and claim your faith in a very simple way, people resonate with it. They stand up and raise their hands and it is a declaration of what we believe.

Through Christ, we need to have joy and express what we stand for more than what we are against. With statements like this song, it is very positive and uplifting.

Lyrics:
In this time of desperation when all we know is doubt and fear, There is only One Foundation - We believe, We believe - In this broken generation when all is dark, You help us see, there is only One Salvation - We believe, We believe

Together we read the Nicene Creed. The shorter Apostles Creed reads like this:

THE APOSTLES CREED

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

1l. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

          As Baptist, we have no creeds. Creeds are largely a part of the Catholic Church and are somewhat ascribed to in the Episcopal and the Lutheran Church. Because we have no written authority other than the bible it does not mean the creeds are no good. They are a way of saying, in short form what we believe according to the scriptures. Instead of creeds – which in some cases are placed equal to the scriptures, we would say we have statements of faith that are altered over time due to language, culture and what is se as most important to talk about.

          There have been many Baptist Confessions or statements of faith written over the years. It would be a good exercise for everyone to write their own. For example, if you were writing a statement of faith, to state plainly what you would believe, would you start by saying what you believed about the bible first, or God, or the state of man, or the church, or heaven, or salvation, etc. See, even knowing where to start is challenging.

Once you put the major theological components in a logical order – not necessarily one thing greater than another – simply an order that makes sense, what do you say about each? If you start with the nature of man, do you say that man is good, man is evil? What? How about staring with God created man in his own image and saw that it was very good (Gen 1:26). Man disobeyed God and is in a state we call fallen – as in fallen from grace. Or in a sinful state: There is no one righteous (Rom 3:10) All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

Then you might go on to the nature of God – that God is love, etc. Then Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, Heaven, etc.

          Is it enough just to believe? We know the Bible says, “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!” Acts 16:31 or Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Part of my statement of faith would be that the bible is the sole written authority for all things pertaining to God and daily life. Now here is the rub. What does the word believe mean according to the Bible – not only according to our best translated word?

Believe in the Greek is pisteuson pisteuson = To believe or entrust.

You will be saved in the Greek is swqhsh sōthēsē = to save

There is more: Believe is the aorist imperfect followed by you will be saved which is future passive and forms a type of Hebraic conditional sentence.

                       The aorist is a single event in the past – you did believe – but it is also imperfect which is something continuing in the past. So, your belief started at a point in time but continues. Some people could have a single moment of belief that does not continue. That continuing belief according to the word used here is essential for being saved. (Stop arguing for once saved always saved and argue for once believed always believed)

                       The future passive of you will be saved – passive means something is being done to you. You are not saving your self – the saving is being done to you because of your belief that continues. It is future, meaning it has been done, is being done and will be done based on when you started to believe and that you continue believing. 11-4-74 I had my aorist moment of belief and (cause and effect) I was saved. I have (in the imperfect tense) continued to believe and have continued to be saved and yet I also look forward to that day when Christ returns, and I will be saved.

                       WAIT – there is more. You may have missed something very important I said in the definition of ‘believe’ according to the Greek. When we talk about belief, we simply mean an intellectual ascent. But that is not enough. It is not enough to just believe it in your mind – check this out: James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. The demons always believe – they call Jesus the son of the most high God and tremble in fear when he shows up (send us into those pigs over there). Are the demons saved? NO! The bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. We conclude then that just believing as an act of intellectual ascent – is not enough. Remember the definition was not simply believe but entrust – put your trust in. Therefore, when the bible says Believe in Jesus and you will be saved it means you start with intellectually believing but also means you put your trust in the object of that belief - JESUS!

                       What does it mean to trust? It means to commit to another with confidence.  It is not just saying Jesus is Lord (Mt 7:21-23  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’) You can believe with your mind – you can say I believe – but true belief is much more – you must put commit yourself to trust in Jesus.

                       WAIT, there is more – the one who enters his kingdom is the one who does the will of his father. That is the 3^rd and final part of what the word believe in the Greek means – it implies action. Intellectual belief first – putting trust in Jesus follows – and living the belief completes it. All three parts are inherent in the word believe. Let’s go back to James who so well describes what real belief (or faith is)

James 2:14-23

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith (belief) save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

Yes We believe in God the Father / We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit / And He's given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion / We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection / And He's comin' back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations We believe, We believe!

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised! In the here and now, let love invade!
Let the church live loud, our God we'll say We believe, We believe!
And the gates of hell will not prevail! For the power of God, has torn the veil!
Now we know Your love will never fail! We believe, We believe!

Intellectual Belief becomes Committed trust in Jesus becomes Action – lives lived for Christ!

That is the belief we mean when we sing the song WE BELIEVE!

7-01-18 What does Freedom Mean to you?

Scripture    John 8:31-32

VIDEO: What does freedom mean to you?

Most people in the video said: Freedom means I can do whatever I want with no one stopping me. Online dictionary says – Freedom is a Noun: = the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Webster 1928 Freedom = A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious.

PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, ETERNAL FREEDOM

Acts 12:1-19                      PHYSICAL RELEASE FROM PRISON

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John  Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Acts 16:16-40                   SPIRITUAL RELEASE FROM PRISON

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

John 8:31-59              ETERNAL RELEASE FROM PRISON

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.”  “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”  “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”  “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”  “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.