A Response Concerning Baptism

I decided to move my response to several questions concerning baptism to a new post. If you would like to read the sermon and dialogue that generated this response please click here.

Shawn and Bruce,
Thank you for your comments. It is clear that you want to hear God’s word, understand it, believe it, and follow it. I love that. I need to do that more. By way of response to your questions here goes:

What you have read here is an expository sermon of John 3:1-8; an attempt to do biblical theology. You appear to be responding from the perspective of systematic theology. Since I am arguing from the small to the large and you are arguing from the large to the small we will have disagreements simply because we’re trying to emphasize different things. It appears that you are defending water baptism while I am attempting to understand what it means in John 3:5 to be born of water and the Spirit. Now, John 3 should be systematized but we have to understand it for what it says before we systematize it.

This, I would argue, is precisely what you have not done. You are reading Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38 into John 3:1-8 too quickly. They do go together and compliment one another in wonderful ways. However, they emphasize different things.

Next, you are also assuming things of me that are simply not true. Your first question claims that I believe baptism is of no importance for salvation. I do not believe or teach that baptism is of no importance for salvation. What I believe and strive to teach is what God says about baptism and salvation. My desire is to let each passage speak. Let each passage stand on its own and then when I understand that passage I try to systematize it.

Let me make 5 affirmations that may help the discussion. Please scan through those 5 headings before reading the explanations.

1. Water baptism and salvation are not the same things.

Ephesians 2 helps here. We’re saved by grace not by water baptism. We are not saved by grace plus water baptism. 1 Peter 3:21 is a great passage that argues against any power in the water. I don’t think you are arguing for baptismal regeneration but what you have written so far could easily go there. So, how do you keep away from baptismal regeneration? Or do you?

2. Being saved and being born again are not the same things.

Being born again is something that happens at a point in time while salvation can be described as a past, present, or future event. Being born again is a one-time event much like physical birth.

What it means to be born again or born from above is what Jesus is talking about in John 3. Jesus is not talking about water baptism in John 3 but the spiritual cleansing promised in Ezekiel 16 and 36. Don’t hear me say that Jesus is denying water baptism in John 3 either. John 3 needs to be systematized concerning baptism like John 6 needs to be systematized concerning the Lord’s Supper. However, John 3 is not about water baptism and John 6 is not about the Lord’s Supper.
The burden is on you to prove that Jesus is talking about water baptism in the reference to “born of water” in John 3. To do this you must prove that Nicodemus as a teacher of the law should have understood water baptism and not spiritual cleansing. Titus 3:5 helps us here by making spiritual cleansing the main thing. Titus 3:5 says with my comments added in parentheses, “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness (which would include water baptism), but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration (born of water) and renewal of the Spirit (born of the Spirit)”. Physical water is there but it plays a supporting role to spiritual cleansing. John 3, Titus 3, and Ezekiel 16 and 36 are saying the same thing: You need to be washed by the Father. This is a spiritual baptism that is later imaged in a physical baptism.

3. Being baptized into Christ and being baptized into water are not the same things.

I would argue that water baptism is allegorical. It appears you would disagree. Is that true? Water baptism is a confession of faith. Water baptism is not faith. The person being baptized is proclaiming that he has been crucified with Christ by faith, he has died with Christ by faith, he has been buried with Christ by faith, and he has been empowered by the Spirit to follow the pattern of Christ by faith. Therefore, he is being baptized. The richness of Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 2:8-15, and 1 Corinthians 12:13 connect baptism into Christ, baptism in one Spirit, baptism into one body, and water baptism. These are inseparable but they are not identical.

4. A person cannot stubbornly refuse water baptism and claim to belong to Christ.

Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38. Remember, however that water baptism is not the gospel. Think  indicative and imperative. The gospel is the indicative. Water baptism is the imperative. First comes gospel then comes baptism. They do not come at the same time.

5. The baptism of John and baptism in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and being baptized in one Spirit are not the same things. In God’s economy they are inseparable but they are not identical.

Acts 19:1-7

Also, John the baptizer did not preach baptism. Jesus did not preach baptism. The apostles did not preach baptism. John preached repentance and belief in the One to come and then commanded baptized. John himself admitted that it was just water and Jesus’ baptism would be different (Luke 3:16). Jesus and the apostles and us preach the gospel then command baptism. The order is essential and has always been there. One must believe then be baptized. Baptism is a work of righteousness that does not save. Instead, baptism is a work of righteousness that comes out of the fact of salvation. Again let me beat the drum. Salvation and baptism are inseparable but they are not identical.

The Supremacy of God; Romans 11:33-12:1

12/26/2010

Thesis: God is great and great in mercy.

I find it amazing that we are only 6 days away from the year 2011. I, for one, enjoy the new year. It provides me with the opportunity to think back over the past year.  This means repentance for my sins as well as thankfulness for God’s grace. A new year also provides me with the opportunity to look ahead: what should the focus be next year for my self, my marriage, my family, and this church?  Ask yourself: Am I headed in God’s direction? If not, what needs to change? If so, where could you be tempted to deviate from God’s ways?

It is out of this sense of opportunity that every year I endeavor to preach a short sermon series focusing on the 6 biblical core values of this church. We need to be regularly reminded concerning who we are, what must be central, and what we should be doing. Beginning this Sunday and continuing through January we will look at the 6 core values of Mambrino Baptist Church.  Here are the 6 things that should define us and shape everything we do: the supremacy of God, the authority of Scripture, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, prayer, the Great Commission, and biblical fellowship.   Lord willing we will take each of these in turn.

Today we take up the supremacy of God as our topic. Simply put we are a people who cherish the value of God over the recognized worth of every person, institution, and thing.  There is no one and no thing greater than the Triune God, nothing more satisfying, nothing more meaningful, and nothing more powerful.  Though our sin once separated us from him, now because of Jesus we can know and enjoy this great God.

From Romans 11:33-36 I want to remind you that our God is supreme; He is great and great in mercy. It is my hope that a fresh reminder of His greatness will stir you to worship Him with your life from this day forward.

Read Romans 11:33-36

I. Our God is deep (33)

A.  In response to God’s mercy we stand amazed

In verse 33 the Apostle Paul begins a time of worship. He writes the emotionally charged word ‘oh’. This isn’t an ‘oh’ like when you step outside to discover a snake on your doorstep. This is an ‘oh’ like when you discover something far better than you imagined.  And what is Paul amazed by? He’s amazed by the mercy of God by which all people may be saved.

In verse 32 Paul summarizes the message of judgment, righteousness, and salvation that he has discussed throughout chapters 1-11. Verse 32, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” God exposes sin in order to rescue and redeem the sinner. There are many places we could go to see this message but let’s take one: Romans 3:22-25

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

God, in his great mercy sent his Son Jesus to rescue and redeem his sinful and broken people.  We should be given condemnation but instead we are given love. We should be punished but instead through the promised righteousness of Christ we become partakers of the divine nature. We have the righteousness and life of Jesus Christ. We are saved. We are children of God.

‘Oh’ seems like an insufficient word for all that but maybe the word isn’t the problem. Maybe we’ve forgotten about the love of God for us that he would send Christ for us. Maybe we should use words like ‘oh’ more when we talk about God. Our passage gives us three reasons to say ‘oh,’ three reasons to glorify our God who alone is supreme

B.  Glorify him for the depth of his riches

Verse 33, “Oh the depth of the riches of God.”

Think about the riches of the United States. Our collective worth is tied to the economy. If our economy is strong, meaning sales are strong creating stable jobs then our riches increase. The riches of any person or country are tied to the sale of services and goods. But what about the riches of God? What does God need in order to make something? God creates out of nothing.  All that God needs in order to make is nothing and there is an abundant supply of nothing. God can make as much as he wants of anything he wants anytime he wants. God’s riches are deep because he is the Creator. And God’s riches are deep because he owns everything.  Psalm 95:3-5 tell us

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

In Psalm 50:10-11 God tells us: “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.”

The riches, fullness, and abundance of God are exceedingly great. But don’t fool yourself into believing this means that God will give you financial or material riches. God might but he doesn’t promise you that. What he does promise you is far greater than money. He promises you the riches of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Look at verses 11-12. “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean?”

“Oh the depth of the riches of God” is a shout of joy because of the forgiveness of God secured in Jesus Christ. There are fresh starts because of Jesus.  What have you done? What weighs on your mind in the quietness of the night? What do you regret? What are you ashamed of? Whatever it is it is not deeper than the riches of God’s mercy secured by Jesus. Praise our great God. Praise the One who forgives. Glorify him for the depth of his riches of grace.

C.  Glorify him for the depth of his knowledge

Knowledge is basically knowing the right thing to do; this is right and this is wrong.  Knowledge is related to discernment; being able to distinguish between what is good and what is evil, what is beneficial and what is harmful.  Knowledge determines what to do and what not to do. Our God has all knowledge. He always knows the right thing to do.

D.  Glorify him for the depth of his wisdom

If knowledge is knowing what the right thing is then wisdom is knowing how to do that right thing.  Imagine that something has gone wrong with your car and it will no longer run.  Knowledge relates to identifying the problem and wisdom relates to choosing the right way to fix it.

When the Apostle Paul rejoices over the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God he is encouraging us to praise and trust the Father, Son, and Spirit. In God there are always answers. In God there is always direction. This is true because God always knows what needs to be done, God always knows how to do it, and God always has the resources to fulfill his plan.  Is God capable of identifying the perfect plan even for fallen creation? Yes. Is God capable of realizing that perfect plan in spite of the rebellion of his creation? Yes.

And here is where we trust God and remain humble. God is capable and He is realizing his plan throughout all of creation. That’s what we trust. And here is humility:

E.   It is impossible for us to grasp the intricacies of God’s plan

Look back at verse 33. Because of the infinite riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God, Paul writes, “How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

The judgments of God are the decisions of God. It is impossible for us with our finite selfish minds to understand why God does what he does. His judgments are unsearchable.

The ways of God are the means or avenues by which God does what he does. His ways are impossible for us to fully comprehend. Simply put the will and ways of God are so deep and complex that grasping them is a task outside of our abilities.  When we attempt to grasp all that God is doing and the intricate reasons for doing them that particular way it is like trying to swallow the Pacific Ocean. None of us are capable of handling those depths. Oh the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.  Our God is deep. Glorify him by worshiping him and trusting his wisdom revealed in his world.

II. Glorify the God who is greater than us (34-35)

Verses 34 and 35 give us reasons why it is impossible for us to understand the ways and goals of God. So these are additional reasons to glorify God; these verses humble us under the supreme God.

A.  You don’t know what God is thinking

Verse 34, “For who has known the mind of God?” Which one of you knows what God is thinking?  Who in this room knows why God causes the rain to fall where it does and when it does? Who can explain why you were born in America and not in Argentina?  Who can tell me why the holocaust and 9.11 and the Tsunami of 2006 occurred? God can. God knows and is sovereign over the greatest blessings and painful tragedies.

Now we know the goal of his plan. He told it to us in Ephesians 1:10. God is going to bring everything together through the power of and for the glory of Jesus Christ. We know the big picture but concerning how everything fits into that plan we must confess our ignorance. But do not fear. We are loved and protected by the merciful God who knows everything.

Remind yourself that you do not know what God is thinking and

B.  God doesn’t need your advice

In verse 34 we are asked, “who has been the Lord’s counselor?” Who in this room does God go to when God needs advice?  When God phones a friend who does he call? Who here has sat God down and set Him straight? That’s blasphemous to think. No one has ever counseled God or informed God or educated God.

Stand in awe of the God who needs no advice. God never says, “I’m sorry I didn’t have all the facts.” God doesn’t need and God doesn’t ask for your advice. That has some ramifications for the way you pray.  Do you pray so that you can tell God what to do? Or are you praying as one who is dependent? Do you pray as one who trusts? God doesn’t need your counsel nor has he asked for it. God needs nothing from you.  Glorify the God who gives because he His merciful and loves because He’s loving.

Glorify Him because God needs nothing from you but gives you everything. And glorify Him because

C.  God will never owe you anything

Verse 35 asks us, “who has given a gift to God that he might be repaid?” Who in this room is holding an I.O.U from God? Who by their goodness or good looks has the right do demand anything from God? Who because of suffering or difficulty has been given a free pass? Verses 34 and 35 really should shape the way we think about the past and pray about the future.

We do not know the details of God’s will.  We don’t understand but God does.  This frees us. God doesn’t expect us to figure it all out. God calls us to trust Him. Trust the One who knows, works, and will always do what is right.  Don’t make demands of him; that’s just pride. Besides you don’t know what you need. Your riches, wisdom, and knowledge are shallow at best. Your judgments and ways are tainted by sin and driven by selfishness.

Paul Tripp was right when he said the best thing to happen is for God to write our stories because if we held the pen we’d write ourselves straight into hell. Trust the God who is rich in mercy and knows exactly what you need. Glorify Him. He is greater than us.

Glorify God because he is deep. Glorify God because he is greater than us. And one more

III. Glorify God because he is the creator, sustainer, and owner (36)

Verse 36 tells us the reason why we can’t advise God or put him into our debt. You can’t sway God. Here’s why

A.  You can’t sway God because he created everything

Verse 36 tells us that all things are from Him.  You can’t bribe the God who created and owns everything. You can’t control the God who controls everything. You can’t tempt God by offering Him his stuff.  Your life is His. Your worship is His. Your love is His.  You gain no power over God by giving them to Him.  God owes you nothing. You can’t sway God because he created and controls everything and

B.  You can’t sway God because he sustains everything

Next, verse 36 tells us that all things are through Him.  Creation depends on Him and continued existence depends on Him. Your heart is beating right now and your lungs are expanding and contracting because God exists. It is the height of foolishness to think that we can threaten God by withholding anything.  You can’t sway God because he sustains everything and

C.  You can’t sway God because he owns everything

Verse 36 says, “to God are all things.” Every person and every rock and every neutron is headed toward God. Why is it that no one can give a gift to God? Because everything is God’s. Everything. Bow the knee before the glorious sovereign ruler of everything. Not because he is an ego-centric tyrant who longs to exploit you.  Bow the knee because he is glorious and he loves you and has redeemed you. Bow the knee because he has given Christ for you. Worship the merciful God.

The humble realize that I can’t give God anything but I stand to gain everything from him. What then should we do? Should we do nothing and ask nothing and try nothing because God is supreme?

IV. You exist to glorify the God who is supreme

A.  To him be the glory forever

When a Christian personally begins to understand who God is, what God has done, and what God is doing the response is always worship. We don’t worship because we like the music. We worship because we see God more clearly.

This is why Paul ends this paragraph with these words in verse 36, “To him be glory for ever. Amen.” Look at who God is. Look at what God has done through Jesus Christ. Look at what God continues to do in you and in the nations.  Glorify him.  Worship him. Make him known. And don’t stop.  Keep on treasuring God. Give him the praise and honor that God deserve forever. And then the Apostle Paul ‘amen-ed’ himself.

Paul saw the greatness and mercy of God and it overwhelmed his heart. He sealed his words of praise with agreement. ‘Amen’ means it’s true.  That’s right. This is glorious fact. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are worthy of all praise.

Obviously this has implications for our worship gatherings. We must come together to celebrate, worship, and glorify our great God through faith in Jesus Christ according to the wisdom and power of the Spirit.  We will worship God to the extent that we see God for who he truly is. We must be Christ-centered.

And the glory of God has implications for more than our worship gatherings.

B.  God must be the reason for everything we do.

This is the conclusion. This is what we do because of who he is, Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

You are alive today because of the Father’s mercy. Your sins have been forgiven because of the Father’s mercy. You’re going to go eat lunch today because of the Father’s mercy. We celebrate Christmas because the Father is merciful.

In response to the mercy of God what should we do? Worship God by doing everything out of faith in this God and for the glory of this God. God is so glorious he must be the reason for everything. Everything else is idolatry.

Sit in the pew and remind yourself, “God is worthy. This is for Him.”  Sit in your car on the way to work and remind yourself, ‘God is worthy. This is for Him.” Set at your table and remind yourself, ‘God is worthy. This is for Him.” Work and love and breath and serve and worship because God is worthy of our everything. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  Do you understand what is truly going on? Do you understand what this world and your life are truly all about?

We must cultivate an awareness of God’s greatness. Read the bible looking for the greatness of God.  Read the bible searching for the revelation of God’s mercy.  Read the bible broadly and study the gospel particularly. Jesus is the visible display of the invisible God. Study Christ.  Jesus is the exact representation of God. Make mastering what has been revealed about Jesus Christ your aim.  We must fight to make Jesus central to every day otherwise we will waste every day.

May God shine the light of his glory into our hearts today. May God show us Jesus Christ such that we honestly believe that God is worthy of every task and every thought in every minute of every day.

Does the Covenant Matter?

Text: Various                                                                   9/28/08 a.m.

Thesis: Because we are a New Covenant people we are a people who can benefit from a church covenant.

 

Intro: Tonight we continue our look at the church covenant. Hopefully you have read that covenant and are prepared to do some thinking about that covenant tonight and next week.

Tonight I want to tackle the issue of the importance of a church covenant and it’s theological basis.

Next week I hope to cover the particulars of our covenant as well as a brief history of where our covenant came from.

It is safe to assume that the majority of Baptist churches out there have a covenant and it is safe to assume that the majority of Baptist church members out there could not tell you what it says or why it says it.

Most Baptist pastors could not tell you what the covenant says.

Is the church covenant a thing of the past? I hope not but if church culture does not return to its roots then the church covenant will soon be forgotten.

Tonight I want to make the argument that God’s people have always been a covenant people. Ever since the covenant was initiated between God and Noah there has been a string of important covenants.

Because we are in a covenant relationship with God; it is a helpful expression of our unity and direction to be in covenant with one another.

Let’s start with and spend most of our time understanding the covenants.

 

I) Overview of the covenants

a)      The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 8&9)

i)        There are generally two parts to the covenant; one part is the promises or commitments of the parties in involved and the other part is the ramifications for either keeping or breaking the covenant.

ii)      Let’s read Genesis 9:1-17 and I’ll show you what I mean.

iii)    Verse one tells us what the families of Noah are responsible for: fill the earth.

iv)    God’s part is that he will give them animals and plants to eat.

v)      They are not to eat meat with the blood in it and God will require the life of any person or beast that takes the life of human.

vi)    God then promises in verse 11 to never again destroy the earth by flood. He then gives them and us the covenant sign; the sign of the rainbow

vii)  The Noahic covenant is essentially God’s promise to protect and provide for humanity and humanity in return promises to fill the earth with babies and not kill each other.

b)      The next covenant is the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12-17)

i)        What is interesting is that with Abraham we see an unfolding of the covenant over time. It’s not a one time pronouncement or commitment service.

ii)      Read Genesis 15:17

iii)    Here is God’s one sided promise to give Abraham offspring and give those offspring the land.

iv)    Turn to Genesis 17. Here again God is dealing with Abraham and the covenant between them.

v)      Chapter 17 opens with God’s command that Abraham walk before him and be blameless; God requires holiness.

vi)    Verses 2-8 unpack God’s promise to multiply the offspring of Abraham and give them the land.

vii)  Verse 9 picks up with Abraham’s side of the covenant

viii)            Read 9-14. The sign of the Noahic covenant was the rainbow and the sign of the Abrahamic covenant was circumcision.

ix)    The rainbow signified God’s protection and provision over all the earth as well as man’s calling to fill the earth.

x)      Circumcision signified God’s promise of offspring to continue not through all humanity but to continue through the line of Abraham.

xi)    God’s covenant people were circumcised people not all the people of the earth.

xii)  Chapter 17:21 gets very specific. It’s not Ishmael; it’s not all of Abraham’s offspring but only those through Isaac.

xiii)            Now let’s look at some interpersonal covenants; covenants not between God and man but covenants between men.

c)      The covenant between Abraham and Abimelech

i)        There was a struggle over a well. God was obviously blessing Abraham and the surrounding people recognized that.

ii)      When the dispute arose it was settled by Abraham and Abimelech making a covenant.

iii)    Read 21:25-31. The covenant was a sworn oath that the two men would recognize each other, deal kindly with each other, and Abraham gets the well.

iv)    The sign of the covenant was 7 ewe lambs.

v)      What I’m telling you is this covenant is a description of expectations between people.

vi)    Later in Genesis 26:28, Abimelech repeats the covenant promises with Abraham’s son Isaac.

d)     In Genesis 31 we have the account of Laban and Jacob forming a covenant between each other.

i)        Read Genesis 31:43-54

ii)      The sign of their covenant was a pile of rocks.  Jacob had to promise to take care of Laban’s daughters and the pile of rocks would be the boundary between the two men.

iii)    Jacob shouldn’t cross the rocks to Laban and Laban shouldn’t cross the rocks to Jacob.

iv)    If you break the covenant; God will get you. Clearly covenants were a normal part of relationships for God’s people.

e)      In the book of Exodus we see the reminder of the Abrahamic covenant as well as the introduction of the Mosaic covenant

i)        Read Exodus 2:23-24. Clearly God’s actions in Egypt were a product of his covenant with the circumcised people descended from Abraham.

ii)      In Exodus 6 God grounds his command to deliver his people on the Abrahamic covenant. That is explicit in Exodus 6:5&6 if you are keeping score.

iii)    After the Exodus, in Exodus 19, God comes to his people again to initiate the Mosaic or some call it Sinaitic covenant.

iv)    Read Exodus 19:5&6

v)      If they obey and keep covenant they will be God’s treasured people; a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

vi)    The ten commandments and the law of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy spell out the requirements of the Mosaic covenant.

vii)  What is interesting is seeing the basic place that circumcision plays even with Moses.

viii)            Before Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh listen to what has to happen. Read Exodus 4:24-26.

ix)    Abraham’s covenant continues so circumcision continues but with the Mosaic covenant comes a new sign or an additional sign.

x)      Read Deuteronomy 9:9-11. Now you know why it is called the Ark of the Covenant; because it contained the two tablets of stone; the sign of the covenant.

xi)    The sad news is the Mosaic covenant was broken. God even saw this coming.

xii)  Read Deuteronomy 31:16; 20

xiii)            That’s bad news.

xiv)            And the last covenant before we get to the New Covenant is

f)       The Davidic covenant

i)        In 2 Samuel 23:5 David mentions a specific covenant made between him and God. David said, “For he has made with me an everlasting covenant.”

ii)      The details of that everlasting covenant are found in 2 Samuel 7. In essence it is the promise that Solomon will build the temple but more than that it is the promise an eternal kingdom, son-ship, and steadfast love.

iii)    2 Samuel 7:16 says, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”

iv)    It is from David’s line that Jesus came. The birth of King Jesus and the coming of his eternal kingdom are the fulfillments of the David covenant.

v)      This moves us into the promise of the New Covenant.

II) We are a New Covenant people

a)      The problem with every previous covenant is that they were made with men who are liars and love themselves more than God. Those covenants involved men just like us.

i)        The problem is not with God or with the words of the covenant. The problem is with us.

ii)      This is precisely why we need to be forgiven, we need the law written on our hearts, and we need the power to obey.

b)      The New Covenant promise of Jeremiah 31 promises forgiveness and the New Covenant promises to write God’s requirements on our hearts.

i)        The New Covenant is an internal covenant not an external covenant on skin or stone.

ii)      Read Jeremiah 31:31-34

iii)    That is good news for us.

c)      The New Covenant promise of Ezekiel 36 promises the Holy Spirit’s power to obey.

i)        Read Ezekiel 36:27

ii)      So the New Covenant is the promise that God will forgive us, God will make his commands an internal part of who we are, and God will give us the power to obey.

iii)    It is encouraging to note that even Moses saw this day coming. This has always been God’s plan.

iv)    Deuteronomy 30 speaks of repentance and restoration after the people break the Mosaic covenant and return to God.

Deuteronomy 30:5&6, “And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. ⁶ And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

v)      There is the promise of land, offspring, and circumcision of the heart. We will love and therefore obey God. What was promised to Abraham finds it’s fulfillment in Christ and his new covenant.

vi)    I say it’s Christ’s new covenant precisely because it is based on him and inaugurated with his blood.

d)     Through Jesus all preceding covenants are fulfilled and the New Covenant is inaugurated.

i)        Read 1 Corinthians 11:25

ii)      Read Hebrews 13:20-21

iii)    It is through the blood of Christ that we are forgiven. It is through the circumcision of the heart that we learn to love God and neighbor.

iv)    When Christ sent the Spirit he sent the power to obey.

v)      It is only because of Jesus that we become new covenant people blessed with forgiveness, hearts that love, and the Spirit who leads us to obey.

vi)    In the New Covenant the problem of the people is solved not by adding new rules or giving a new sign.

vii)  The problem of the people is solved by the radical death of Christ for sins and the pouring out of the Spirit into our hearts.

viii)            In the New Covenant God promises to do our part for us.

III) That’s a big introduction but I think necessary so that I can tell you that we are a covenant people.

a)      We don’t have a church covenant because God said we should have a church covenant.

i)        We have a church covenant because we are God’s people formed by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

ii)      Let’s return to 1 Corinthians 11:17-22.

iii)    The gathered church has a responsibility to care for each other.

iv)    Did you know that there are 30 “one another” passages in the New Testament?

v)      30 times God tells his New Covenant people to take care of one another.

vi)    Romans 12:5 tells us that we belong to each other.

vii)  1 Corinthians 12 and particularly verse 21 show us that we need one another.

viii)            The church is not secondary or optional for New Covenant people. The church is primary.

b)      Let me close with the illustration of marriage

i)        You know that the husband/wife relationship is a picture of the Christ/church relationship.

ii)      Any surprise then that we call marriage a marriage covenant?

iii)    Inside that marriage covenant expressed on a wedding day are pretty little things called wedding vows.

iv)    Did God tell us thou shalt have wedding vows? No he didn’t. In the covenant of marriage God told husbands to love and wives to submit.

v)      The wedding vows are the personal commitment of the husband to do all that God commanded and vise versa.

vi)    The church covenant is to church members what wedding vows are to a marriage.

vii)  They are the expression of commitment; I will do for you all that God commands that I do for you.

viii)            God does not command that we have a church covenant. The church covenant is a personal expression of commitment to fulfill all that God commands.

ix)    So we also need to understand that a church member unwilling to express his commitments to the church is like a husband unwilling to make vows to his wife.

x)      Next week as we look at our covenant let us pray that God would see fit to raise up men and women who love the church the way God calls and equips us to love the church.

The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

Text: Ephesians 2:21&22                                                10/5/08 p.m.

Thesis: God indwells his people by the means of the Holy Spirit

 

Intro: Tonight we look at the biblical truth that the church is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Then, as we have done the past two Sundays, we’ll look at the specific implications of this truth for the life of Mambrino Baptist Church.

Here’s the thesis: God indwells his people by the means of the Holy Spirit.  Here’s the text:

Read Ephesians 2:11-21

 

I) The church is a building but it’s a spiritual building

a)      Christ promised he would build his church (Mt 16:18)

i)        The church takes work and since it is a spiritual building that means the church takes spiritual work.

ii)      There must be the spiritual work of redemption whereby we are reconciled to God.

iii)    There must be the spiritual work of sanctification whereby we are made to look more and more like Jesus.

iv)    Jesus has promised us that he would build his church. He is foundation of our salvation and our sanctification.

v)      The church’s work may include bricks and mortar. The carpets get cleaned. Floor joists get eaten by termites. Buildings get old and buildings get replaced.

vi)    This is true but this physical property side of what the church does must always be secondary to the spiritual personal side of what the church is.

b)      It is the Spirit’s presence that makes us a spiritual building (1 Corinthians 3:9-17)

i)        I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone to know that the repeated use of the word you in verses 9, 16, and 17 are all in the plural.

ii)      So what is it that makes us God’s field that produces fruit or God’s building in which he comes to meet with us?

iii)    Is it the work each of us does? Verses 10-15 make it clear that we are all expected to give ourselves to the cause of building.

iv)    But verse 16 makes it clear that it is the Spirit’s presence within us that makes us God’s temple.

v)      In when Scripture refers to us, the church, as God’s temple we are being told that there is something about the church gathered together that is impossible for the individual Christian segregated by him self.

vi)    So, if the Spirit is not there then the church is not there. The church is a spiritual Holy Spirit-filled building or it is no church at all.

vii)  That leads us to the importance of the heart of each Christian if we are going to be a spiritual building.

c)      Each believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17-20)

i)        How little do we enjoy and experience this truth?

ii)      We become one spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ because of the Spirit’s presence in our lives.

iii)    We are one with Jesus. We are given the right to become children of God.

iv)    These physical bodies some big and some small, some mature and some young, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

v)      As a Christian God has taken up residence in you. It’s not simply that you are now a spiritual being. It means you are now reconciled to God.

vi)    The Spirit’s presence in you through the new birth, your receiving of Christ, and your belief in Christ makes you the place where God dwells.

vii)  Clearly we are no longer our own. The infinite price of Christ to give us his Holy Spirit means we must all glorify God with these bodies.

viii)            We the church do not become a spiritual building when we meet together and then cease being a spiritual building when we drive off premises.

ix)    We are always the temple of the Holy Spirit. We must always live for the glory of God pointing to the person of Jesus Christ.

x)      But as I mentioned earlier there is something different about the church, something bigger and greater about the church, that is not possible for an individual believer by him self.

II) The church is the place of God’s dwelling

a)      We are the temple of God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

i)        I hope you are seeing that my emphasis on the plural is not some side or small issue in Scripture but the plural pervades Scripture.

ii)      Every where we come across the promises made to you all, to us, and to them.

iii)    When we gather as the church to worship God, encourage one another, serve one another, or even to do the loving work of church discipline then we should expect in a real and powerful way for God to make his dwelling among us and for God to walk among us as our God and we as his people.

iv)    Jesus promise in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them” was not a promise given to encourage us when turn out is low in Sunday School or prayer meeting.

v)      Jesus’ promise to be among us is a promise given in the context of church discipline.  Sure, it applies to Sunday School and prayer meeting but we miss experiencing the real presence of God the Father and Son when we refuse to practice church discipline.

vi)    2 Corinthians 6:14-18 also points to God’s real presence in the church specifically in church discipline.

vii)  Don’t be unequally yoke does apply to dating and marriage but the context of the passage is the church.

viii)            Go out of their midst doesn’t mean stop sharing the gospel or meeting people’s real needs or doing missionary work.

ix)    Go out of their midst is the real call to stop babying people in the church who live like hell then give lip service to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 says, I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

x)      If we are God’s people then we must live holy lives. If we are God’s temple then we must actively pursue holiness in ourselves and in our brothers and sisters.

xi)    Here’s a different way to put it

b)      We are a Trinitarian temple (Ephesians 2:19-22)

i)        We, the whole structure, are being joined together and growing into a holy temple in Jesus Christ.

ii)      It is by being in Jesus that we are a fit dwelling place for God. This occurs because we have the Holy Spirit.

iii)    We’ve got to be in Jesus or we don’t get to God. We’ve got to be given the Spirit or we cannot be in Jesus.

iv)    When the perfect work of God comes about in our lives through the Spirit in the Son and for the Father the miracle of salvation occurs and the church is built.

III) What does all this mean for Mambrino Baptist Church?

a)      The church must be preeminently a worshiping people (1 Peter 2:5).

i)        The thing we should do the best is not evangelism or service to our community.

ii)      The thing we should do the best is worship. Worship is what we will do throughout eternity.

iii)    I want you to notice as well that no where in the New Testament are pastors/elders/bishops ever referred to as priests.

iv)    We all are priests together. We all must lead each other in worship. Dale puts it together. Ann plays and Mary plays. But it is your calling as a Christian to lead the congregation in worship.

v)      Dale and I give focus to the service. We give leadership and direction to ensure we are all headed in the right biblical direction but it is you that must lead out with your voice and with your life.

vi)    The number one thing we should do well as a church is worship. And I don’t mean slick or professional.

vii)  I mean worship through the Spirit in the Son for the Father.  I mean passionate. I mean filled with Scripture. I mean filled with emotion. I mean filled with truth.

viii)            Come ready to worship on Sunday by worshiping Monday through Saturday.

ix)    Do the work of the Holy Spirit temple out there so we can be the temple of God and experience his presence together.

b)      The church is the particular place for God to meet with his people (Romans 8:9-11)

i)        The purpose of the tabernacle and later the temple in the Old Testament was to portray God’s dwelling among his people, not just to receive their worship but to bless them and to show his desire for relationship with them (Hammett, 47).

ii)      The tabernacle was often called the tent of meeting.

iii)    The work of worship is offering ourselves to God for each other throughout the week (Romans 12:1-2).

iv)    Because we do not do the work of worship we do not experience the presence of God.

v)      But imagine the day that is coming when we understand and value the church like the Father, Son, and Spirit do.

vi)    Imagine that day when we part after worship and the only thought on our minds is “we’ve been with God.”

vii)  That is what the church is intended for. We must desire him. We must expect to meet with Him. We must do the work of worship.

viii)            When we do we will experience relationship with God like never before.

c)      The church is meant to consist of relationships between the members

i)        Ephesians 2:21 tells us that it is in Christ that the whole structure is joined together and growing into a holy temple in the Lord.

ii)      We must be concerned about each other. What is true for the body of Christ is true for the temple of the Holy Spirit is true for the people of God.

iii)    We are eternally in this together. When we do it God’s way we experience God’s blessings of his real presence and real Christ-centered Spirit-filled relationships.

iv)    It is the Spirit that brings us together. We must pray for the Spirit to unite us in Christ. We must pray that we would love each other like Christ loved us.

v)      We must come together.

IV) Let me close with this question

a)      Are you committed to this church?

i)        You’re here right, on a Sunday night even, isn’t that proof enough that you are committed to Christ’s church?

ii)      Commitment to this church is commitment that runs Sunday to Saturday not just at 6 on Sundays.

iii)    It’s the commitment to pray for each other. It’s the commitment to love each other and do what is best for each other.

iv)    This commitment is expressed in our church covenant. When you become a member you agree to live by what is expressed there.

v)      I’ve got some guys ready to pass out a copy of the church covenant to each of you.

vi)     I want you to take it home, read it over, and think through all that is expressed there.

vii)  And I want you to ask if you are committed to the church the way this church expects you to be committed.

viii)            If not, what needs to change? If so, how can you raise someone up to be committed like you.

ix)    Let’s be the church; let’s be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Church as the People of God; 1 Peter 2:9-10

Text: 1 Peter 2:9-10                                                         9/21/08 p.m.

 

Intro: The plan for tonight is to first show you from Scripture that the church is the people of God.

Then building upon that biblical truth I want to draw out some implications.

The assumptions that I am working with are these: 1. First Peter was written to Christians who formed a church. Both Jews and Gentiles were included as recipients of this letter.

2. The church was going through a great difficulty so these truths rightly understood are meant to bring hope and stability to those who were struggling. No sterile laboratory environment; this is real world stuff.

3. What is true of and for the church then is true of and for the church today.

Let’s start with Scripture.

 

Read 1 Peter 2:1-10

 

I) Exposition of 1 Peter 2:9-10

a)      You are a chosen race

i)        The word chosen emphasizes the status of the church as those who have been called out.

ii)      The word for church is eklesia. The word here for chosen is eklektos.

iii)    1 Peter 1:1 opens with the words, “Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

iv)    The church is a chosen race. Selected by God and called out by God to be different.

v)      The church is chosen out of the mass of races to be God’s chosen race. A race not built upon skin color or family lineage but a race built upon God’s choice.

b)      The church is a royal priesthood

i)        The church is royal not because of our physical births but because of our spiritual births.

ii)      Because God chose us we are his children. Because the King dwells in our midst we are royalty.

iii)    And we are not royalty so we can be served by the help. We are royalty so we can serve. We are priests called to minister to those who are around us.

iv)    Every Christian is a priest who ministers to the church and the world under the priesthood of Christ.

c)      The church is a holy nation

i)        These phrases become more and more difficult for a Jew to swallow knowing they are being applied to Gentile believers.

ii)      How can a church that doesn’t have geographical boundaries be a nation?

iii)    Israel is God’s holy nation right? We’ll get to that in a moment. What needs to be seen now from the text is that this letter written to the church addresses the church as a holy nation.

iv)    God’s nation set apart for himself and his purposes.

d)     The church is a people for God’s own possession

i)        The church is not a hodge-podge of different peoples. The church is one people set apart and owned by God.

ii)      The church is not for an individual. The church is not for a group of individuals. The church is God’s possession.

iii)    Because God chose us, redeemed us, called us out, and gave us the new birth we are his possession.

e)      From verse 10 the church is God’s people

i)        Once you were not a people. Once you were not a Jew but an outsider. But now you are God’s people.

ii)      You were Scottish or German or Indian or Asian or American. You were not God’s people.

iii)    But as a part of the church you are a part of God’s people.

f)       And you have received mercy

i)        God’s favor, God’s forgiveness, God’s fatherly love are only for his people.

ii)      As Americans or French or Italian we did not receive mercy. But as God’s people we receive mercy.

g)      These are all for a reason. So that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

i)        The true church is not made up of those who walk in darkness and those who walk in light.

ii)      There are lost people, people of the darkness on our church roles. But being on a church role doesn’t make you a part of God’s people.

iii)    It is God’s calling that makes you a part of God’s people; the calling out of darkness and into the light.

iv)    Catch this; God didn’t save you to keep you out of hell. God saved you so that you would tell others how amazing God is.

v)      This is worship and evangelism.

vi)    Worship is telling God and telling others that God is excellent.

vii)  Evangelism is telling others that God is excellent and through Christ our sins are removed and we are reconciled to God.

viii)            Through faith in Christ’s atonement we can experience the excellencies of God.

ix)    So why does the church exist? To proclaim the excellencies of God. The people of God, the church, exist for worship and evangelism.

II) Theological significance of the church as the people of God

a)      I want you to see the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.

i)        We’re going to look at some Old Testament passages to see God bringing together his people.

b)      Exodus 19:5-6

i)        Here you see three important phrases used to describe the Hebrew people if they will obey God’s voice and keep his covenant.

ii)      Treasured possession, kingdom of priests, and holy nation

iii)    In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, these three phrases in Exodus 19:5-6 are almost identical to what is found in 1 Peter 2:9-10.

c)      Isaiah 43:16-21 (Deuteronomy 4:20; 7:6)

i)        Here you see three more important phrases used to describe this new thing God will do among his people.

ii)      Chosen people, people whom I formed for myself, and here’s the reason why, so they might declare my praise.

iii)    Where do you think Peter was getting these phrases he was applying to the church in 1 Peter 2:9-10?

iv)    Peter was being led by the Spirit to apply Old Testament promises to the nation of Israel to the church.

d)     Hosea 2:18-23 (1:10; Jeremiah 31:33)

i)        Where did Peter get the phrase once you were not a people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy?

ii)      Peter got it straight out of Hosea and God’s new covenant promise to Israel

e)      Now for one New Testament text, Revelation 21:3 (ca Matthew 1:21

i)        What I am saying is that it has always been God’s plan to form one nation from all the nations of the earth.

ii)      This one nation, people, or race is to be God’s treasured possession. Not a nation of geographical boundaries. Not a people who govern themselves. Not a race of one skin color.

iii)    God’s plan has always been to call out a people for himself.

iv)    The plan began with Abraham, worked through the people of Israel, and this plan finds it’s fulfillment in Christ.

v)      Ephesians 1:4 tells us that we are chosen in Christ.

vi)    Does God have one plan for Israel and a different plan for the church? No, the plan is to form one people called out by God and redeemed by Jesus Christ.

vii)  Does the church replace Israel? No, I believe there are physical promises to Israel that will be realized by those who trust in Christ and are alive at the time of fulfillment.

viii)            The bigger point is that Christ is true Israel and all those that are in him will enjoy the spiritual and physical promises made to Israel.

ix)    2 Corinthians 1:20, all the promises find their yes in him (Romans 15:8).

x)      Are there physical promises to be enjoyed by God’s people? Yes. Will they be enjoyed by both believing Jews and believing Gentiles? Yes.

xi)    All those who are in Christ Jesus are the people of God. All those who are in Christ Jesus are a part of the church.

III) Now, the practical implications for being the people of God

If we are God’s people called out to proclaim his excellencies through worship and evangelism how should we do it?

a)      Since we are the people of God the church should be holy

i)        Look at 1 Peter 1:13-16 (ca. 1 Corinthians 1:2; 14:33 Romans 1:7)

ii)      God expects his people, the church, to be holy in all their conduct. In all your conduct means in all your conduct.

iii)    God expects us to be holy at work, at home, on vacation, at Wal-mart, and even while we drive.

iv)    The next question we have to ask is what means did God leave to the church to pursue this holiness?

v)      Did you know that the word “church” is found only twice in the gospels?

vi)    4 gospels and only 2 times does Jesus use the word church. Both of them are in the book of Matthew.

vii)  There’s Matthew 16:18, the promise we looked at last week that Christ will build his church.

viii)            And there is Matthew 18:15-17 (read it)

ix)    God has given church discipline to his body in order to protect and pursue holiness in the lives of each other.

x)      The holiness God demands of his people is meant to be obtained and preserved through the loving use of biblical discipline.

xi)    Because of love God disciplines his children. Because of love godly parents discipline their children. Because of love a godly church will discipline it’s members.

xii)  Compare this to 1 Corinthians 5:12&13

xiii)            Pursue reconciliation, pursue restoration, pursue repentance, love and pray deeply, but when a person refuses to pursue a holy life that person should not be counted as one of God’s people.

xiv)            That person should be removed from the church. Since God is holy we must pursue holiness there are no other options.

xv)  The church brings reproach on God and the gospel of Jesus Christ when that church refuses to live holy lives.

xvi)            Since we are the people of God we should be holy and

b)      The church should love- 1 John 3:10&11

i)        (ca. Matt 22:37-39; John 13:34-35; 1 John 2:9-10)

ii)      If we do not love each other than we are not Christians. A passionate, personal, forgiving, and joyful love for one another is what separates the people of God from the world.

iii)    The church is not a place of pure white perfection and the church is not a place of zero divisions or disagreements.

iv)    The church is a people who love each other enough to be gracious and understanding.

v)      The church is a people who love each other enough to listen and not jump to conclusions.

vi)    It is impossible to love God and hate his church. It is impossible to love God and be indifferent about his church.

vii)  To be a part of Mambrino Baptist Church is to commit to loving each other.

viii)            You cannot be a part of God’s people and not love the church.

c)      And finally, the church should be a family

i)        Galatians 4:4-5(John 1:12; Gal 3:26; 1 Thess 1:1)

1 Tim 5:1-2 says, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, ² older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.”

ii)      When you become a member of this church you make a covenant commitment to the people of this church.

iii)    A covenant commitment that is very similar to the covenant commitment between a husband and wife.

iv)    A covenant commitment to a church family is different than the one between a husband and a wife because the covenant commitment between a husband and wife ends at death.

v)      We will not be married to our spouses in heaven (Matt 22:30).

vi)    But you will still be a part of the church in heaven. When you become part of the family of God you become a part of that family forever.

vii)  It is God’s calling on us to treat each other like family. We must seek holiness through discipleship and discipline. We must love each other with all grace and endurance. We must be committed to each other and we must pursue what is best for each other.

viii)            We must act like the people of God.

Introduction for our new series on the church

The question we’ll be asking is this: What is the church and does it matter?

 

Since we’ve been going through the Apostles’ Creed for the past several weeks I thought it would be helpful to look at the Baptist Creed; the Baptist Faith and Message. Remember, we defined a creed as a statement of belief.

 

In the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 article six on the church states:

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

The plan is to look at the church in relation to our Triune God. We’ll tackle the truth that the church is the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Then we’ll work through what the bible says concerning relationships inside the church. This will be done under these statements. The church is called out by God. The church is called by God to glorify/worship him. The church is called to be a holy and loving family.

The goal for this series is for members to understand, buy into, and experience the blessings of being a part of the church.

 

We’ll put special emphasis on church membership, caring for each other in grace, and restoring those who struggle.

 

There are two books I’d like to recommend to you if you are looking for a little more. One is titled What is a Healthy Church Member and the other is Understanding the Baptist Church. There will be a copy of each in the library for you to check out.

 

In our last members’ meeting I encouraged you to pray through the role and identify those members that for whatever reason no longer attend Mambrino Baptist Church. The plan was to identify them and pray specifically that God would give you a love for them.

 

So the plan for our Members’ Meetings from here on out is to open with a time for member care. This is not a gossip session this is a time when we pray specifically for the needs of our church family. So, what are the needs in your life and our family’s life that we need to be aware of?