Anticipate the End (A repost from Truth for Life)

Do you not know that the end will be bitter?
2 Samuel 2:26


Reader, if you are merely a professor and not a possessor of the faith that is in Christ Jesus, the following lines are a true sketch of your end.

You are a respectable attender at a place of worship; you go because others go, not because your heart is right with God. This is your beginning. I will suppose that for the next twenty or thirty years you will be spared to continue in this way, professing religion by an outward attendance upon the means of grace, but having no heart in the matter. Tread softly, for I must show you the deathbed of someone just like you. Let us gaze upon him gently. A clammy sweat is on his brow, and he wakes up crying, "O God, it is hard to die. Did you send for my pastor?" "Yes, he is coming." The pastor comes. "Sir, I fear that I am dying!" "Have you any hope?" "I cannot say that I have. I fear to stand before my God. Oh, pray for me." The prayer is offered for him with sincere earnestness, and the way of salvation is for the ten-thousandth time put before him, but before he has grasped the rope, I see him sink.

I may put my finger upon those cold eyelids, for they will never see anything here again. But where is the man, and where are the man's true eyes? It is written, "In Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes."1 Why did he not lift up his eyes before? Because he was so accustomed to hearing the Gospel that his soul slept under it. If you should lift up your eyes in hell, how bitter will be your wailings. Let the Savior's own words reveal the woe: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame."2 There is a frightful meaning in those words. May you never have to spell it out by the red light of God's wrath!

1Luke 16:23 2Luke 16:24

------------------------

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission. Today’s Bible Reading material is taken from McCheyne Bible reading plan and used by Truth For Life with permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers.

This post is 1st and foremost - a True and Heart felt apology...

This post is 1st and foremost - a True and Heart felt apology... 

I stumbled onto a young Christian ladies blog site Wednesday while polishing my Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting Message. From glossing over her site she is a nice, energetic, bright Christian woman. She included an article on her site that caught my eye, and I took a few minutes to comment on the article, which was promptly removed from her site.

Today’s Church in America is infatuated with “Faith”, Religion & Christianity…. That’s right, America does have Faith and our own brand of Christianity. It’s one where Christ is conformed to our image of Him, rather than us conforming to His image.

When I read the article on this lady's site, I wasn’t sure if it was back dated from the 1960’s or 1970’s but it had a lot of the implications of that era. The opening line was, and I quote – “I am tired of being a Christian, and GOD tells me, it’s just a name. It’s just a label. And I have given you a new name. I am calling you Artist.”

Now, I must tell you, this young “artist” did a wonderful job of disclosing some of the same issues that I have been writing about with “The Church”!!! She masterfully shed light on the hypocrisy and religiosity of America’s Church.

Where she fell short was to show LIGHT, to show TRUTH, to show Christ in all His Glory and Holiness. When I wrote the comment to her post, I included 3 or 4 verses from 1st Peter, Leviticus and John that showed us the Calling of Christ. That we are called out and to be apart from the worlds ways and religion. We are called to be “Filled with the Spirit – then walk in the Spirit”. We are called to Holy. We are called to be Righteous. We are called to Godly. And we are called to be Christ Like to the world showing them His Love, Compassion and tender heart.

But I also commented on her blog, that to understand, to comprehend, and to exercise our Liberty in Christ – we MUST understand why it is that we need 1st HIS MERCY! Then why HE shows us abundantly HIS GRACE!

We were created by GOD in HIS image… The American Church today, has had its belly full of the hypocrisy, of the double standards, and of the “organized religion” in Christianity. However; my fear is that in the mass exodus, we have created a graven image of God and His Blessed Son in our own image. Today’s Church wants to hold onto all the “politically correct” virtues of God and His Son, but do not want to talk about Sin or Accountability!

To that I again state a fact I have mentioned in my blog before. “You Can Not Legislate The Heart Of Men & Women” Church in the past has tried to brow beat submission, overstretch authority in trying to control submission, as well as humiliate and legislate submission… The only thing these tactics provided were a frustrated and eventually rebellious people. What came out of the throngs of all that mess is what we see today – a “title” Christian, with no understanding Academically or Spiritually of what that truly means.

In showing His Love, we must never forget that He came for a purpose, to pay the Ultimate Price for SIN! The entire sermon on the Mount and all the Be-attitudes were to tell us and show us what a “conformed” life to Christ is to look like. Galatians 5, Paul tells us what the unclean heart looks like, and what the heart and walk of a Christian should be.

In Acts 2, we see where the Church started, there are our roots to following Christ and building a relationship with HIM. (1) They understood their sinful Godless condition. (2) They repented of that Sin, proclaim God as GOD, and turned from their ways. (3) The Holy Spirit “FILLED” them, guided them and ministered the preaching of Peter to their hearts. (4) They were Baptized in “obedience” to the instruction provided by Peter. (5) They shared their belongings / wealth with the brethren. (6) They continued in the Spirit of Christ and took up His Cross as their own in submission and service.

So to this young lady, my deepest apologies if I have offended you with my comments. I hope this Blog post explains my shared distaste for organized religion in this Country, and my understanding and vision of what a relationship with Christ really should be. It is after all, “All about Christ” and not about us…. We were created to Love, Praise, Glorify, Honor and Serve GOD. We are a GIFT from the Father to the Son, and we are KEPT through His Holy Spirit.

We are to conform to HIS likeness, take on HIS character attributes….

The Christ Filled Spirit will reflect:

Love

Joy

Peace

Longsuffering

Gentleness

Faith

Meekness

Temperance

Christ said that the blessed are they that are:

Poor in Spirit

Mournful of Sin

Meek in character

Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness

Merciful

PURE in heart

Peacemakers

Persecuted for Righteousness Sake

Reviled & Persecuted for Christ

Falsely accused over faith in Christ

Conformity comes from within, the Holy Spirit must fill the heart of men and women to achieve these things… Oh, men and women can force themselves to conform for a while, but if it is not of GOD, it is not sustainable. Conformity, Submission, Yielding and Obedience are all a product of Love and Thankfulness. Only God and the individual know if it’s real, but I can tell you – when it’s real, the joy is deep, long lasting and traverses the worst and vilest of the human experiences. The Joy that Christ provided through The Father’s Grace, penetrates to the very bone of men and women. You see it in their faces even in the midst of crisis, Christ shines through. THAT – Dear ones, is the Liberty in Christ from the bonds of this sinful world!!!

Week TWO – What is the Church?

What is Church?

My Lesson Framework by Alistair Begg

HOW do YOU define Church???

Good Evening – let’s open with a word of prayer…

I want to pick up where we left off last week. If you remember we had just asked a series of questions concerning the testimony of this Church to the surrounding neighborhood and communities…

Please turn there with me to John Chapter 14…

John Chapter 14 verses 1 through 12 is an awesome look into Christ’s Authority through His Father. I love this passage: 1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

In verse 12 Christ told us that WE that believe in Him, shall be enpowered to conduct works of the Spirit as well. Because He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. The Freedom from the bonds of Sin, freed us to conduct works of Love, Compassion, as well as the ability to exercise Mercy and Grace. We must choose to do so, the decision to follow Christ must be total and complete! Period! Remember Laodicea!

In verse 6 of John 14, Christ proclaims His Authority by saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Not only does this statement proclaim His authority – BUT – it also establishes His position as King and gate keeper to any and all access to the Holy and Righteous GOD! NO MAN, NO WOMAN will ever in all eternity get to the Father but by or through CHRIST!

One of my very favorite chapters in the entire Bible is Matthew 7… At the tail end of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ told us not to judge another man’s heart. Christ told us that we should deeply, honestly and truly examines our own hearts and rid it of SIN. He told us not to cast those things that are Holy and Pure among the spiritually vial. He also told us to pray to the Father, and through faith, expecting those prayers through Faith to be answered. Then prior to Christ warning of the false prophets, He made this interesting statement in verses 12, 13 and 14.

12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

“Few there be that find it”!!! Part of the Church mission folks is to help all the people in the world to find it!!! We are not to be selective, we are not to be politically correct, and we are to Teach and Preach the Word of Truth.

That Word of Truth must include God as the Creator, our Fallen Condition since the Garden, and our need for payment for that Sin, which should lead to the Truth of the only acceptable payment in God’s eyes – CHRIST! If we remove the Light that lives within us and fail to live and pursue Righteousness and Godliness – what is so different that the world would want to follow? How is that adding seasoning to the world as a little salt?

Any other Gospel is not the Truth, and this TRUE Gospel should lead to True Repentance, Baptism, fellowshipping around the Lords Table, a sanctifying of ourselves for our Groom, and abstinence from the worlds lusts – but NOT its people. As we grow in the Word – we should love people more and more as Christ loved them. All walks, all creeds, all colors, all classes, all with compassion, sacrifice and service in our hearts. HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR US!!! How could we possibly give any less?

CHURCH is NOT defined by just what happens inside these four walls! Church is defined by the very Heart of Christ, in which He sent to dwell in each and every one of His true followers – The Holy Spirit! Now I want you to think about that Reality for a moment. Almighty GOD in the person of His Holy Spirit takes up residence in the Hearts of men and women that have both Repented and yielded to His Kingship / Lordship in their (our) lives.

THE Church, identifies itself with Christ, whom which identified Himself with God the Father! Who then gave the Church to His Son as His Bride – Blessing from Abba Father to the Son for OBIEDIENCE! As we are learning in our study of Joshua, God blesses many times over His peoples obedience – and just look what is on the opposite side of the obedience…. Judgment comes swiftly and totally to the disobedient!!!

Are we allowing the Light of the Truth that lives in us as a corporate body of believers shine to those around us? Or are we being disobedient? Is this congregation known by its neighbors to be loving, longsuffering, tenderhearted, charitable, kind, neighborly, compassionate, of good cheer, tempered, selfless, reliable, steadfast, and stalwarts of the Truth and the Faith in Jesus Christ? Or have we chosen another gospel message? Do we live and function as a Church in reflection of Christ’s Light to the World? Do we Honor Him and resolve ourselves to HIS Authority in our lives and this Church?

Do our Family relationships reflect the Love of Christ? Are our relationships in this Church, Christ Like, do they have depth, love, commitment and conviction? Or are they shallow, superficial and in some cases just a façade? See if the relationship with Christ is messed up, all our other relationships will be messed up as well. If we don’t Love Him first, then we will love ourselves first, and all relationships will suffer. If this is the case in more than a few in a congregation, the Love of Christ will suffer as well. Simply because you cannot reflect something you do not have in the first place!

Energy and resources are consumed chasing and trying to repair the consequences of SIN! The Pastor cannot focus on Ministries if he is constantly putting out fires due to sin! The Church Leadership cannot focus on building up the Church if there is sin from within that is constantly tearing it down.

Focus is being taken from Christ and our purpose for being here, and is focused on those that choose not to follow the word of God. SO – Growing Disciples, Spiritual Mentoring of the congregation must become a ministry and priority of the Church to build solid foundations on which to launch other ministries – including evangelism or Out Reach!

Now, please turn with me to Acts Chapter 2.

KJV – Acts 2:37 to 40

37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

When these men and women heard the Gospel Message, and the preaching by Peter – their hearts were pricked by the Holy Spirit. They were drawn to repentance – they turned from their everyday lives and willfully, fearfully and obediently took up the Cross of Christ. They submitted to His Authority and were baptized in obedience of the message they just heard Peter preach!

Can anybody here tonight tell me why??? (because as Peter told them, the Holy Spirit came into them to dwell as a permanent fixture to their soul and conscience) This, my dear brothers and sisters – is NOT a result of easy believism! This was a result of Almighty God fulfilling a promise, and the “hearers” of the Word yielding their academic and logical minds to a Higher Power, and exercising FAITH and TRUST! Believing in that which they could NOT see; but could sense the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Alistair Begg taught a message on the 4 distinguishing marks of a Healthy Church. Now there are obviously others marks of a Healthy Church – but; no Church is Healthy without these, and they are as follows:

(1) A Church that is Learning, and then applying what they have learned in Obedient Ministry and Service to our Lord.

(2) A Church that is Sharing, both the Truth that it has learned, and the financial and material blessing that God has provided.

(3) A Church that is Worshiping, God as God, Giving Him Praise, Glorifying Him in an Honoring and Revering fashion that acknowledges His Sovereignty and Supreme Authority in the lives of the people individually and collectively as the Body of Christ.

(4) A Church that is Growing, first and foremost Spiritually, then growing in members as God Blesses the Church doing it right.

Please turn with me to Acts Chapter 2… let’s look at verse 22. Peter is beginning to preach here… Listen to the first part of the verse for me… “Ye men of Israel hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”

The first thing Peter did was proclaim the name of Christ… He established from the very first phrase he spoke to these people JESUS!

In this first preaching, Peter establishes his authority to speak and calls these men and women to “Listen” (hear these words). The next thing he did was establish Christ’s authority as the head of the Church.

Then he confirmed the works of Christ while He had His earthly ministry. Then he established God’s endorsement of His Son even in the midst of them – of Israel.

Peter; started the Church on the right foot by TEACHING them. Thru Peter’s preaching, teaching, application and exhortation some 3000 people came to know Christ. SO – A learning Church submits themselves to the Authority of Christ first, and then to its Church Leadership. They yielded to Christ’s teaching through His apostles – the first Pastors and Elders of the Church. Through that submission – they LEARNED that which Christ through His Holy Spirit would have them to know.

May I please be so bold as to expound this point a bit further? The Lord loves to empower His called / appointed men to teach and preach the Word to people searching. He loves to reveal Himself through the Holy Spirit… This is not a mystery, it is well documented. The Spirit of Lord absolutely loves to enable those that are prepared to say “Listen” and immediately follow it up with JESUS!!! Men and Women LISTEN, I will tell you of JESUS! As those truly seeking God find His Son Looking for them, Christ rushes His Spirit to speak to their hearts and there is a Desire to OBEY! The Church in America is selling a bill of goods, a pig in a poke. They are not teaching Jesus, and they are certainly not preaching His Commandments and Ordinances.

Peter was no different than Pastor Kilian. He was a man seeking Christ’s heart, and yielded to God’s authority and the Holy Spirit that lives within Him. Likewise our Pastor has followed the calling of God, and yielded to that calling, and in this Church hails us to LISTEN and LEARN. BUT – my dear brothers and sisters – WE MUST YIELD to LEARN. We must become a yielding Church – and then apply that which has been taught.

Look with me at Verse 42 – it shows us that they steadfastly continued in the Apostle’s teaching. They heard, they believed, they repented, they obeyed, and they followed Christ through the Holy Spirit that He sent to them. This is basic doctrine folks! It is no Mystery – the Holy Spirit is not evasive! If you truly accepted Christ as Savior and LORD, then you know the Spirit is with you, and your heart and conscience can attest to that fact. IF YOU CAN’T – then you need to go to the Pastor, a Deacon or a Teacher in our Church and have them pray with you and counsel you.

Peter did not stand up and try to sell them the Gospel, he did not pitch it like it was some sort of marketing ploy. He did not hire a minstrel or band to pump everyone up into a “Praise” kind of funk to get them ready for a message to be hit out of the park. He simply preached the message that God provided through His Son.

As a point that Alistair Begg drove home in his series, listen to this… “Christianity does not start with US!!!” “The Gospel does not start with US!!!(un-quote) The apostles never ask the people listening if they wanted something out the message. The Apostles did not ask the people listening if they wanted to get sin out of their lives, or if they needed guidance, or if they needed anything else. Peter started with CHRIST!

Teaching must start with the historical, objective TRUTH about Jesus… We must teach Jesus, people must start with the basics, and LEARN the basics. We are obligated through our bond to Christ to teach HIS message. As our Church LEARNS we can then move onto the Doctrines of the Word, and feed the congregation the real meat of the Word. Babes in Christ must have the milk, faithful Saints must feed on a mixture as Pastors learn to provide to both (or all ) Spiritual levels.

As a LEARNING Church grows, it will begin to take on a new personality, one of Holiness and Godliness. That Spiritual Maturity and Wisdom will then Disciple the newer / younger Christians. Then the congregation through the Holy Spirit becomes reproductive in bringing in new converts and growing them to maturity.

Those activities, then ushers us into the next Healthy Mark of a Church, a SHARING Church. A Learning Church will want to SHARE the gift that Christ has given us through the Holy Spirit. As we become more reliant on Him through FAITH and TRUST, the things of this earth become less important. The size of our house, the age of our car, the toys in the garage all become less important. We see the value in Sharing both the Gospel and the Blessing Christ has bestowed on us. So we find new ways to Share, and Give to our brothers and sisters in Christ. In a heart of Charity to those less fortunate than us, that possibly do not know Christ yet we may share the wealth that Christ has blessed us with...

The amount is not important, it is the obedience of the Cheerful Giver that Christ is looking for. You walk away finding yourself blessed many times over. More importantly, you may have the opportunity to Share Christ, building wealth in Heaven. Remember, what we have learned – JESUS. It is Him that we are sharing through Loving Acts of Kindness, helping the less fortunate, helping the impaired, helping the aged, helping the widows, helping the new young mothers, helping a Pastor’s wife by showing her love, compassion and loving friendship.

Next week we will close this all up by looking at how it all ties into Worshipping, Growing, Leadership and Discipleship. Let us pray that God adds His Blessing to this message and His words, so that we may apply the Learning here tonight and Share it with others.

Let’s close in a word of Prayer…

The Bible(s) I Use In Teaching

Good Morning!

Several of you have asked what Bible am I using, what books do you read, and who are your favorite Preachers / Teachers?

Well, to answer those questions in any real depth, I would have to open up my Testimony and dust it off a bit. So since this week’s post is lengthy like the last couple of weeks I will try to keep this somewhat brief.

First my Bibles! I personally use The New Scofield Reference Bible (KJV) in Church to follow the Pastor in Morning and Evening Service, and sometimes for teaching. For my Wednesday night Prayer Meeting Messages, I consistently use two sources. (1) Bible Resources at the www.bible.com web site, and (2) Quick Verse Bible software, version 2007 sold and marketed by FindEx.com, Inc. When writing 90% of my messages and lessons, I default to the KJV. I have found that in most cases, it is closer to the Hebrew and Greek text, that I also have a complete set of via Quick Verse. If I use any other version, it would be the New American Standard Version, just to add clarity for me to expound a Biblical principle or point that I need to get across.

My library has grown immensely in the last couple of years, mainly because our retiring Pastor donated his entire library to me. I have several new books by Alistair Begg, and two new books to me by Jonathan Edwards, as well as a couple new books to me by John Stott. I also have an entire collection of Charles Spurgeon, who is one of my all time favorites. I have his entire collection electronically, and I have the entire book collection of Charles Spurgeon’s Sermon’s.

My favorite Preacher’s / Teachers…. Well, let me go back to the 1960’s and work my way forward. My first favorite Pastor was John C. Hall, my Grand Father. I was saved in a little Church in Osceola Mills, PA and the Pastor was Reverend Mink. My home Church most of my life as a child was the First Baptist Church of Bellefonte, PA where Pastor Marvin Apple was the Senior Pastor; I attended this Church until I left home for the Marine Corps. While in the Marine Corps, when I came home on weekends or on leave, I attended the Church that my Bride to be attended, The Bible Baptist Church, Pastor Steven Burns was the Senior Pastor.  Over the years, Pastor Burns has become one of my closest friends, and I go to him first with Biblical questions or Spiritual issues. I also follow the work of RC Sproul, Ravi Zacharias and Alistair Begg.  Our new Pastor, Alan Kilian, is a good Teacher, I have only sat under his teaching for a little less than a year.  He Preaches the Truth without reservation or excuse - so he is on the path to becoming one of my favorites as well.

So there you have it, as brief as this “Old Sinner – Saved By Grace” can do it. I love you all, and appreciate all the wonderful encouraging emails, and occasional comments on this Blog Site. It is my prayer that you may find Christ in the pages, Encouragement and Blessing in His Words. May God Bless, Have A Wonderful Day!

Robert C. Hall

Are We A Carnal Church

Are We  A Carnal Church?

Hello Faithful in Christ, I hope and trust that you are in the midst of a wonderful and Godly Day! This post is a little out of the ordinary for me. I had a delightful conversation with my wife while driving this morning – and she offered some insight to my teaching subject of late on “The Church – What is the Church”?

So, I am going to try and take the underlying message in several conversations and apply it to us, the people that make up the Body of Christ, the Church… I have had relative conversations with friends, a couple Pastors and now my wife; they have each provided different unique perspectives that now solidify my resolve in concrete. I truly believe that the Body of Christ in this nation, as well as the local Church is in crisis. Many churches today are guilty of idolatry, putting God in a box, making him in their own image. Many Church services are nothing more than routine – “dressed up religiosity”; we are well on our way to becoming the Church of Laodicea; Dr. Scofield called this the Church in its final stages of apostasy.

The Webster Dictionary defines the word “apostasy” as a “total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, or an abandonment of one’s faith”. In Revelation 3 verses 15, 16 & 17 Christ told John to write of the Church of Laodicea that “15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”. My Goodness People – are we blind? Can’t we see this in our Churches today?

We are so caught up in doing “things” the way they have always been done that we are totally missing the mark??!!! We are to BE THE EMBODIMENT OF CHRIST people, we are to reflect the very Spirit that he sent to us – and that supposedly lives within us!!! I use the word supposedly, because we as a corporate congregation do not reflect the Righteous Godly Souls of days gone by. We resemble those that regularly attend the local bridge club, 4-H meeting or Grange meeting.

Our Talk is of the world, our walk reflects that of the world, once again I must ask my favorite question in times of debate and disdain in Christian circles – “where is Christ in all of this”? Where is He? Do we attempt to bring Him into the middle of our profane conversations, in the middle of our self-centered acts of service? Then attempt to convince ourselves and all those around us – your service is to and for Christ? Please! Spare me the Spiritual heart-ache, and the social embarrassment of witnessing such heinous – hypocritical behavior.

I looked at my wife today, and she said, “you know, I told a friend what our Church needs is a good old fashion revival – but then I thought about it, and realized NO-ONE would come”!!!! This wasn’t me the Bible Teacher – this was my wife, my quiet – loving – tenderhearted wife sees the despair of the situation in our local Church. What does this tell us of the corporate Church in this country? Folks, I want you to understand and believe that GOD – WILL NOT BLESS A CHURCH WITH OPEN APOSTASY AND SIN within its members. He will still work within the individual hearts of men and women that seek His face and strive and reach for Holiness, Righteousness and Godliness. However; He cannot work in the heart of those that do not know Him as Abba Father / Rabboni – which is to say, “MASTER”!

Alistair Begg taught a wonderful series on the Church, in which he smartly proclaims that if Christ is not the ultimate authority in the Church – then there is NO Church!!! You might as well be some sort of social club!!! Well folks, let me embellish that point just a bit further… If you “truly” know Christ as your personal Savior and Master, and are not on your face before Him every day, wanting and pleading with Him to become more like Him – something is wrong… As Paul so eloquently reminded us numerous times in his books – we must “walk in the Spirit”, not in the flesh… We must surrender and submit to His authority and Righteousness for and in our lives.

Pastor Burn used to tell us, you can’t wake up some day, decide you ought to be a Christian! So you reach up and grab God and take Him on your merry little way – still doing all the things that you used to do! That is building an idol in your own image, and has nothing to do with True Christianity! God is not this Big, Soft, Lovey - Dovey Guy up in the Sky – That Just Understands the Way You Are…. He knows that are hearts on our own are desperately wicked, and apart from accepting His Son, we are doomed to hell. That’s as close to understanding you the way you are as we are going to get for this debate.

God knows the heart of man… Adam proved that we choose our way over His way. Man, has not changed in nearly 10,000 years, we are still selfish, self-centered and lustful for the things that bring pleasure to the flesh. It is only when, we recognize our true – sinful nature, and all that we are capable of in “un-righteousness” that we can then turn our “hearts” to Jesus, with true repentance and a contrite heart. Upon accepting that perfect gift of His Blood Sacrifice, Death on that Cross and the first Resurrection of the New Covenant – we can be washed from that sin nature, and have the Holy Spirit take up residence in our hearts!!

Did you get that, His “HOLY” Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. Holiness does not lend itself to profane language, perverse lusts and desires, habitual activates that are dangerous to one’s self and those that we love. We who have Christ living within our heart, approach Him as little Children, wanting to please Him, Loving Him with everything that we are. That through that Loving submission to His authority and yielding to His will, we begin to resemble Him, quite literally, we take on His characteristics. Our demeanor changes, our personality softens, as we grow in His spirit we begin to love others more than we love ourselves.

The transition is the process of sanctification… This is a word and a process that seems somewhat foreign in some Churches today. See folks, as we Love and grow in Christ, we should be letting the old desires of the heart fall off by the way side! We should care more for the people in the world, while caring less for the things of the world. Through His Spirit, we learn contentment in the physical realm, things are less important, and people become more important. Shallow relationships are no longer desirable, we want to know people, love them and serve them in one form or another.

Our Church, The Church – needs Revival!! Those that belong to Him will seek revival for their hearts and desire renewal and change. They will crave to spend more and more time with Christ in Prayer, Reading His Word, and Meditating on the things we learn academically, to allow Him to minister to us. Through that process of devotion and meditation, he takes the academics of the scriptures and cultivates it into heart knowledge and Spiritual discernment and eventually wisdom. He desires the communion with us, He wants the closeness with us, and He wants to show Himself to us. We need only yield to His will, seek His face and Love Him regardless of current circumstances and situations.

Pray with me that God will allow a REVIVAL in the Church today… That if it starts in the hearts of a few that it will become contagious, and we will depart from our carnal ways. Let us be content with Him, and that which He has given us. Then allow us to be charitable with the excess that He blesses us with, and serve our fellow man, where ever Christ would lead us. Sharing both the Gospel Message and the wealth He has blessed us with – no matter how big, or how small. God Loves and Blesses the cheerful giver.

Father – Please start revival in my heart first, and then let it be contagious to all those that You place on my path and in my life. In all things, may I always give You the Honor, the Glory and the Praise, in Christ’s name I pray….. Amen.

What is the Church? - Week One

Week ONE – What is the Church?

What is Church?

***(Some material in this lesson was taken from Alistair Begg's Study "What is Church"?)***

How do you define Church?

Who or what is the church? Some might think there are more pressing issues to address in today’s world, but there’s no question that the word ‘church’ conjures up all kinds of images. Indeed it is a word which is very often misunderstood. Many believe it to relate simply to a building, or perhaps to a certain group of people identifying themselves as members of the clergy. Some view the church as an object of mistrust, a place of hypocrisy, or perhaps just as a place for old ladies or those who like to sing in choirs - in other words an irrelevant institution.

In examining passages from several books of the New Testament including Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, Acts and Luke, we will explore such questions as;

What is the Church’s origin?

How is the church defined in the Bible?

What does it mean to be included in Christ’s church?

Who is in charge of the church?

Where do I belong in the church?

What are the marks of a healthy church?

What are the nature and meaning of baptism and the Lord’s Supper?

What does it mean to be a worshipping and witnessing community of God’s people?

What is effective church leadership?

Whatever our starting point, this series of studies will bring us to realize just how vitally relevant and crucial the church is at the beginning of the 21st century.

===================================

My Opening was by Alistair Begg;
“What is the Church” (series) 10-29-2009

===================================

CHURCH: Many people today think of Church as a specific building, denominational structures, or people in the street dressed as clergy distinctly different than the laity that attends their Churches. In today’s America, Church is viewed in many circles as an object or organization that can no longer be trusted. If you ask them directly you will hear them talk of hypocrisy, dislike or hate. They may even refer to a place that at one point in their life they felt harmed, or marked as a non-conformant. Because of these perceptions of the modern Church, it has been marginalized and removed from relevancy in today’s world. The Church here in the West, has been continuously pushed to the periphery of society and away from having any meaningful impact. Because “The Church” in America has become a reflection of our culture and the world has crept in, there is literally no difference in behavior in the Church, from that of the World. Therefore; there is no relevancy to our progressive culture, who wishes to leave any reference to morality out of the public square. For good reason, because the Churches “actions” for many years of the Post-Modern Era have not reflected the words taught and preached from our pulpits.

The way the Church has been marginalized in this country by the secular academic minds, is second only to the perception of marginalization by the people in this country that refer to themselves as the “faithful”. (ROBERT please elaborate this point!!! Isolationism) To that point, in most Churches in America, the Sunday Morning Service attendance is usually 80% greater than that of the Sunday Evening Service or Mid Week Service. God, no longer has His rightful place in our lives and Churches, nor is His Authority feared or respected.

So what gives, why is all this information about the Church of a negative nature? Is the Church in America really falling from the Grace of God, and lost any relevancy in today’s culture, to where we have no positive impact? Can we no longer provide a moral compass to the communities in this country?

To better understand how we got to this point, let’s turn back the hands of time a few years. Let’s take a peek at the Church from the secular point of view. We will look at where some of this stigma has been rooted in the fiber of our culture. By remembering some of these events, we can better understand where the lost world’s mind is when it comes to Church and organized religion.

Remember in the:

1970’s – Lonnie Frisbee, Pentecostal became an ousted closet gay Evangelist

1970’s – James Hargis, sex scandal destroyed this Radio Evangelist

1980’s – Jim Baker, TV Evangelist, sex scandal and extortion imprisoned him.

1980’s – Jimmy Swaggart, multiple sex scandals brought down this Assembly of God TV Evangelist.

1990’s – Oral Roberts, claim that he would end his life if he didn’t get the money he needed for a project.

2000’s – Richard Roberts, dismissed from the Oral Roberts University for his alleged improper use of funds for personal purposes.

2000’s – Robert Schuler, Debtors begin filing in 2010 for claims in court to receive payment on accounts. The Chrystal Cathedral is in debt beyond $55 Million. The church has now filed for Bankruptcy Protection.

WE are not without current woes today either; there is a US Senate probe / investigation into financial practices of:

Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, and Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton Missouri.

While we here in this Church would keep these people, their teaching and financial practices at arm’s reach. These are the faces of organized religion that “the lost” in this country have seen over the last 30 or 40 years. Is it any wonder that we are trying to climb up the hill of the slippery slope?

We as faithful believers in the one and true Christ, the Beloved Son of God are being deafened by the sounds of the fallen preachers and anti-christs of our age. All this fallout is why I want to take a few weeks and look at the Church, what we think it is, what the world thinks it is and what God says it really is!

We are going to spend a few weeks looking at this subject “What is Church”. We are going to look at the Church origins; we are going to look at its purpose as defined in a few of the apostolic books. We are going to look at the makeup of the Church, past, present and future. We are going to try and understand what is impacting our ability to share the “Good News” in our community and neighborhoods. We are going to look at “gifts” and the inventory of gifts that this particular Church has been blessed with and how we use them to meet the “Great Commission”.

For right now, let’s take a quick look at the first Church…

Turn with me please to Acts Chapter 2:

Acts 2

1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Dear Precious Father, we ask blessing and wisdom concerning these words that we just read from Your Book of Truth. Help us now look at YOUR CHURCH, understand Your desire for it and how we got were we are as a nation. Then teach us Father how not to follow the mistakes of the past, help us Learn from those errors of the fallen pastors and churches of the past. Fill our hearts to overflowing Father so that we Keep YOU in Your rightful place in our lives and in this Church! We pray in Your Son’s name, in Christ we pray – Amen.

In the late winter of this year (Feb & Mar), I taught a six week lesson on the 2nd Chapter of Acts. It was taught in the framework of making ready for a new Pastor. Preparing our minds and hearts for service, was the requested action at the end of that study. For the next several weeks, we are going to use this Awesome passage as a back drop to identify “What Is The Church”. As I read a little outline from Alistair Begg earlier, I asked the question “What do you think / believe Church Is”?

Before we look at where the Americanized Church got off the path, I would like you to think about what your definition of Church is – as it applies to our Church... As it applies to our presence in this community… As it applies to our mission… As it applies to our goals… As it applies to our spreading the Gospel – the Good News to those around this building… As it applies to the RELATIONSHIPS you have inside these four walls… As it applies to the Authority in this Church…

Who is the leadership in our Church? Is it the Pastor? Is it the Deacons? Is it the Congregation? Is it the Teachers? This question and how it has been answered over the last 100 years has laid the path of the corporate Church in America. Now strap yourself in, because we are going to cover a lot of ground in just 3 short weeks, roughly 90 minutes of teaching and dialog to help us answer What is the Church….

At the day of Pentecost, what were some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem at the time? (Acts 5:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under Heaven).

Devout Men, Webster defines devout men as: devoted to divine worship; expressing devotion; with synonyms of earnest or sincere; holy; saintly; intense; serious and fervent…

In other words these men “Feared” God, and Worshipped HIM as the one and only GOD! God was elevated in their hearts and minds as Deity and the Ultimate Authority in their lives. God was most important to them, He came first, hence the word Devout – they were totally devoted to God and His purposes.

These men were gathered at Jerusalem, for Pentecost or Shavouth, the feast of weeks, a festival, celebrated on the sixth and seventh days of Sivan by Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside Israel but only on the sixth day by Reform Jews and Jews in Israel, that commemorates God's giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai to Moses. So these men were already in town for Religious / Spiritual Reasons, they were already “devout” followers of GOD.

God’s timing is absolutely amazing, for He sent the Holy Spirit at the time when there were men of God that would make wonderful converts from Judaism, and follow Christ. These men understood devotion, commitment, sacrifice and trust. They would make good disciples of the teachings of Christ, and would spread the Gospel of Christ to each of their native lands. The first Church had been built and formed of devout, Godly, Holy men that eventually became the Churches first missionaries.

God – wants our devotion, He wants our dedication and commitment to Him. We must train our hearts and minds to seek Him first. TRUST – means nothing if we don’t practice or exercise it. FAITH in word only produces absolutely nothing. These men at Jerusalem in Chapter 2 of Acts were Godly, Righteous, and Holy minded men. The Church in the West has lost that sense of Holiness. We have become lazy, laid back and lacks in our Spiritual, Emotional, Academic and Physical disciplines. It seems that in today’s Church, anything goes, once you verbally claim Christ – your good!

If you took the time to look at and investigate some of the “Main Line Denominational Churches” today, you may have your heart set back a pace or two. For these Churches that were once Rock Solid stalwarts of the Faith, are barely recognizable any longer. Today’s Churches reflect an organization that is more in line with a “Religious Social Club” than it is of a house of Worship, Teaching and Praise! See people have forgotten the basics! We have lost track of what it’s all about!! We as the corporate Church of the West, truly Lost sight of out 1st True Love for Christ. If we as the Church truly believed He is who we say he is we would be trembling in fear of His judgment of the Church of Laodicea. We are no long on fire for Him, while we as the Church would not openly disclaim Him, our actions do…

The Bible says the Church owes its origin not to man, but to Almighty GOD! There would be no such thing as the “Church” were it not for the fact that God planned from all eternity to have a people of HIS very own. To that fact, the solidarity and corporate distinctiveness of the people of God, is distinctly apart from all other communities and can be tied to only one thing – that being the Call of God!!! Called of God!!! More importantly, called apart from the World, to Love ONLY Him, to Save Ourselves for Him as His Bride. But we as a Corporate Church have prostituted ourselves to the world and it’s lusts.

The TRUE CHURCH is TRULY of GOD – Period… Anything more or anything less is not of His Calling. That calling is come out of the sea of humanity and to be counted among His own. To be Different. To be Holy. To be Righteous. To be filled with HIS Spirit. To Learn and be filled with His Truth. To Be HIS!!!

In closing tonight I want to digress just a little bit, and ask your indulgence in this little story, a small piece of my testimony….

When I was a little boy, my dad was the local police chief in a small Pennsylvania Township. He made all of $5,700 per year. So we did a lot of things to conserve resources. One of which was my father became an avid hunter to provide food for his family. He learned and became very proficient in reloading his own rifle casings and shot gun shells.

My dad was always my Hero, regardless of how much discipline was applied to the seat of learning – he was bigger than life to me. So we spent a lot of time together. I would stand or sit by his side while he would load shells for hours. To help him pass the time, he would play his favorite 8-Track Tapes  We listened to the Blue Ridge Quartet, the Blackwood Brothers, and a bit of a twangy group called The Happy Goodman’s. Their lead singer was “Rusty Goodman” long time deceased now. Rusty sang this song titled “The Lighthouse” that at the tender age of 10 or 11 gave me goose bumps. Listen to these lyrics:

There's a Lighthouse on the hillside, That overlooks life's sea

When I'm tossed it sends out a light, That I might see

And the light that shines in darkness now, Will safely lead us o'er

If it wasn't for the Lighthouse, My ship would be no more

And I thank God for the Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him

For Jesus is the Lighthouse, And from the rocks of sin

He has shown a light around me, That I could clearly see

If it wasn't for the Lighthouse (tell me), Where would this ship be?

Everybody that lives around us, Says tear that Lighthouse down

The big ships don't sail this way anymore, There's no use of it standing round

Then my mind goes back to that stormy night, When just in time I saw the light

Yes, the light from that old Lighthouse, That stands up there on the hill

If it wasn't for the Lighthouse (tell me), Where would this ship be?

In my mind and heart I tied those lyrics to both Christ and His Church, and the mission of the Church to spread the Light of Christ in our communities and neighborhoods. There are some today that still believe that is one of the defining traits of the Church. Some Churches still believe that we are to evangelize the world one person at a time, one family at a time and one community at a time. That old Lighthouse is the Church, it is this Church in this community. WE ARE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST FOR THESE PEOPLE TO SEE!!!

I have listened to men pray in this congregation – “Lord help us be a beacon” or “Lord help us share the light”. When we pray these action words – are we sincere and ready to put our words and petitions to Almighty God into action? Are we ready for His help in these areas, or are we waiting for someone else to do it? Are we praying these words with no intent to reach others for Christ. Do we really believe we are living in the end days, or are we just allowing ourselves to be blinded by Satan’s subtle moves to remove our relevancy here in Warriors Mark, Tyrone, Bald Eagle, Water Street and Stormstown?

Is this Church – the Bible Baptist Church of Warriors Mark truly a Lighthouse for God in the surrounding area? See this isn’t a message of chastisement or a rebuke, this is a message of encouragement and a reminder as to who we “say we are”! A call to the entire congregation not just the members, not just the Wednesday night regulars, this is a call for all attendants of this Church to get on our faces before our Abba Father and pray collectively “here am I Father, send me”. Help me be the beacon, help me be the light, help me be Your eyes, help me be Your hands, help me be Your LOVE to this part of Your World. MAKE US YOUR CHURCH DEAR FATHER!

Are we allowing the Light of the Truth that lives in us as a corporate body of believers shine to those around us? Is this congregation known by its neighbors to be loving, longsuffering, tenderhearted, charitable, kind, neighborly, compassionate, of good cheer, tempered, selfless, reliable, steadfast, and stalwarts of the Truth and the Faith in Jesus Christ?

Do our Family relationships reflect the Love of Christ? Are our relationships in this Church, Christ Like, do they have depth, love, commitment and conviction? Or are they shallow, superficial and in some cases just a façade? See if the relationship with Christ is messed, all our other relationships will be messed up as well. If we don’t Love Him first, then we will love ourselves first, and all relationships will suffer. If this is the case in more than a few in a congregation, the Love of Christ will suffer as well. Energy and resources are consumed chasing and trying to repair the consequences of SIN! Focus is taking from Christ and our purpose for being here, and is focused on those that choose not to follow the word of God. SO – Growing Disciples, Spiritual Mentoring of the congregation must become a ministry of the Church to build solid foundations on which to launch other ministries – including evangelism or Out Reach!

John Chapter 14 verses 1 through 12 is an awesome look into Christ’s Authority through His Father. I love this passage: 1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

We will look at this passage more in depth next week. As we will see next time, CHURCH is NOT defined by just what happens inside these four walls! Church is defined by the very Heart of Christ, in which He sent each and every one of His true followers a piece of through the Holy Spirit! Church, identifies itself with Christ, whom which identified Himself with God the Father! Deeper look next time.

Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for the opportunity to open Your word, reveal to us over this next week Father. Help us see Your hand, chasten us to seek Your Face. When we pray to You Lord, make us ever mindful of the meaning and purpose of being ushered into Your throne room. Remind us of the Holiness of this act, and to choose our words wisely, for we will be held accountable for them. Be with us now through the remainder of the week, bring us back safely Sunday morning the Lord’s day. In all things we say and do Father , let them bring Praise, Honor and Glory to You, in Christ’s name we pray - Amen...