Walking with the Dead

Berean Baptist on December 30, 2019

In the beginning of Revelation 3, the Lord had a letter delivered to the church at Sardis. Using comparative terminology that most people understand, we might cautiously call this church the Zombie church. I use the term only to emphasize the point with a contemporary reference. They had a reputation of being alive, and yet in the Lord’s estimation they were dead. Their reputation of life might well have been their many social works and their benevolent programs practiced without the power of the Holy Spirit.

            I believe the issue in Sardis was their attempt to be Christian without knowledge and belief of Christian doctrine. Although some in Sardis were faithful and were not defiled with sin, it seems they were in the minority. The church at one time must have been filled with the faithful, but over time unbelievers became dominant. Membership in the church made them appear to be believers, but they were living a false profession.

            How do we know they were not believers? The best indication is the use of the word dead to describe them. The Lord never speaks of His people as being dead. To be spiritually dead is to be without faith in Christ and thus without life in Christ. It is the living (believers) versus the dead (unbelievers). Dead is the often reference in scripture to those still depraved in heart and still in their natural condition apart from God (see Ephesians 2:1-5).

            Since the church at Sardis is used as an example of churches across all ages, we conclude there are active churches doing many works without the knowledge of doctrine that proves they are God’s people. I have addressed this issue from this pulpit many times as the reason the Berean Baptist Church does not fellowship with many churches nor care to join with them in cooperative efforts. We have only one method of cooperation—a common belief in the true gospel of Jesus Christ. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. This is the basis of Christian unity—it is doctrinal not emotional. We must be compelled by more than common compassion to work together. It must be doctrinal unity in the faith of Jesus Christ.

            We encounter many churches that have a zeal for Christ, but their zeal is not according to knowledge. Ask them about their doctrinal positions and you are greeted with either blank stares or this response, “Does it matter?” It matters because we cannot glorify Christ without knowledge of His ways and works. These are found in scripture encapsulated in the doctrines of the faith. For example, does it matter if you believe Christians are safe and secure in their salvation, or if you believe salvation can be lost? Yes, it matters. The first displays dependence on faith in Christ alone, while the second is dependence on self. One affirms justification by faith and the other justification by works. The first upholds the promises of Christ and gives glory to Him for salvation, while the second glorifies self and our ability to do enough good things to be saved. If salvation can be lost because of doing evil things, it can be gained by doing good things. One ratifies the doctrine of scripture—the other blasphemes the God of heaven.

            When we join with churches that are muddled in their doctrine, are unsure of their doctrine, or have no sense of Christian doctrine, we link arms with the dead. We cannot do Christ’s work without the vital connection of life through the belief of the truth. The living in Christ have no business in the graveyard of the dead.

            What will we do? Continue to walk in the light of Christ’s truth and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. To do otherwise, to work with unbelievers, is to shame the name of Christ.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Chaos in the Pulpit

Berean Baptist on December 23, 2019

In Revelation 2, Jesus rebuked the church at Thyatira. This church had many characteristics of modern apostate churches. One of these is leadership and exemplifies how dangerous it is for churches to depart from the standard in God’s word for choosing leaders.

            The Bible is clear on this subject, but largely ignored by those who ordain women into the office of pastor. This is not God’s intent as Paul wrote women must keep silent in the church. They are not permitted to instruct the assembly. They must be in submission according to the creational principle established when God made Adam first, and then rather than making a helpmate from the original ground, He took Eve from Adam’s side. She was taken from his side to show she could not be head over him.

            Our culture counters this with feminism and demands equality in every venue. The Bible is not against equality. Men and women are equal but serve in separate roles. Each is valuable in their sphere of influence but are chaotic outside of it. When women are chosen as pastors, it upsets God’s order and teaches people wrongly contributing to their misunderstanding and disobedience to scripture. Thus, this progressiveness (?) does not help but hinders. It degrades and destroys society.

            The teaching that women can fill the office of pastor feeds into the second problem at Thyatira which is dilution of doctrine. The choice of men as pastors is Bible doctrine, while subverting it is the doctrine of Satan. When the wrong person is in leadership, a plethora of bad doctrine ensues. Practically nothing is sacrosanct in the Christian faith, and all is subject to change according to time and culture.

            This could never be because God is unchangeable. If we admit to a change in doctrine, we are not safe. We must know correct doctrine to be saved, so where will we find it? Is it subjective according to a half-baked preacher who said he spoke to Jesus last night? What happens when another comes along and says, “No, Jesus spoke to me and said something different. Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak to thee?” (1 Kings 22:24). Do you see the problem? There are many battling prophets vying for the attention of the church with horribly bad doctrine. They say God spoke to them when God has not spoken (Deuteronomy 18:22).

            What is the solution? It can only be the objective infallible word of God. The Bible does not change. Since it was completed two thousand years ago, not one word has changed. This prevents changing doctrine. It prevents salvation by multiple means depending on the day of the week. No, God is consistent from day one. His word is settled forever in heaven.

            This church does not ignore the Bible nor tolerate those who do. Change in doctrine invites rebuke from the Lord. The modern church will stand in judgment for their perversions because each one keeps the truth of salvation from the ears of the people. The problem for them is they are not true churches. If you see a woman in the pulpit, you are looking at a deceitful imposter. These are counterfeits and are wicked at the highest level. They stand in pulpits in sanctuaries, a place that is trusted. Their lies will send people to hell.

            Beware of false teachers. They will destroy your soul.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

Is Your Faith Amazing?

Berean Baptist on December 16, 2019

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. (Matthew 8:10) 

            Matthew records several specific miracles that demonstrated the power and authority of Jesus. The second one is unique in its emphasis on faith. There are only two instances in scripture where it is said that Jesus marveled, or was amazed, and both concern faith. This one is because of the presence of uncommon faith and the other is because of the absence of expected faith. In the first instance, it was because faith came from a man without the external privileges of God’s revelation. In the second, it was lack of faith from those that had been blessed with every opportunity, with every privilege, with easy access to God’s word, and yet it did not develop into full dependence upon God.

            Matthew 8:5-13 describes the faith of a Roman centurion, a Gentile, who was not born into one the families of God’s chosen nation. He was an outsider, one whom Paul would describe as one of the “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise” (Eph. 2:12). This means he had none of the external privileges of Israel. He had not grown up learning what they learned about Jehovah God. He had not partaken in the lifelong rituals of Judaism that were intended to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah. And yet when He heard of Jesus, he recognized the power of God was in Him. He recognized His authority as the Son of God and His transcendence over the creation. He recognized the power of His words; with His word alone, His will would be done. This recognition amazed Jesus.

            In the second instance (Mark 6:6), Jesus marveled at the unbelief of the Jews. They had every advantage. Paul said, “unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:1-2). The first promise of the Messiah was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15). The promise was renewed with Abraham, and then with Isaac and Jacob. Finally, God’s greatest prophet Moses was given the Law contained in “divine ordinances” that found their fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:1). In contradistinction to the “alien” centurion, the ones with all the unique privileges did not recognize the Messiah when He came. They rejected His teachings, miracles, and authority; they claimed He was from the devil (Matt. 12:24) and then crucified Him. Jesus was amazed at their shameless rejection.

            As I think on this story, I wonder how God views lack of faith in His chosen church, by which I mean those who have been elected to salvation, given the privilege of faith in Christ, and have become members of His body on earth. What about your blessing of being in a church that preaches truth, that still believes the Bible, that is unafraid to declare the whole counsel of God when opposed by false Christianity? What about you who are members of a church unlike any in our area? What about you that hear the same doctrines preached as from our Baptist forefathers? How much faith do you have in God?

The answer can be found in how you support your church. It can be found in your attendance, in your tithes, in your witnessing, and in your lifestyles. If Jesus came to our services, would He say, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in America?” Is your faith so uncommon that it would amaze Jesus?

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

MORE ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Berean Baptist on December 9, 2019

In last week’s article, I spoke about the need for Christians to be part of a Bible believing church. In the New Testament, the apostles were busy about the business of winning souls to Christ and then teaching the new disciples to band together in local assemblies. These assemblies are the same as what we call churches. Thomas Paul Simmons wrote in his systematic theology, “When one is saved, the next consideration that should claim his attention is the church. Gratitude to God for salvation should make him as conscientious about church affiliation as about matters pertaining to salvation.”

I believe this is an accurate assessment of the value placed upon church membership by the apostles in two ways. As Simmons states, we should be conscientious about affiliation. His primary meaning is that each Christian should carefully choose a church that is faithful to New Testament doctrine. To this we would add, a Christian should be conscientious about becoming a church member at all! Neither the apostles nor Simmons would imagine a Christian not being a part of a church.

In the Great Commission, the apostles were told to preach the gospel, to make disciples, to baptize them, and teach them to observe the commandments of Christ. Thus we find another great reason to become a part of the Lord’s church. The church is the place for the teaching of God’s word. Paul explained in Ephesians that God put pastors and teachers in the church for the purpose of building the faith and knowledge of His people. Contrary to the thinking of many, the church is not primarily a place for evangelism. Teaching those that have already received Christ is our primary mandate. Since God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of Christ, He gave His church as a place for us to receive instruction that we might come “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

Additionally, the church is a place for Christians to gather to encourage one another. Hebrews says, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another…” (10:25). Church membership identifies you with other Christians and is acceptance of the responsibilities of your faith. Church membership is commitment to the cause of Christ and accepting the personal responsibility of carrying out the commission that Christ gave to His disciples. The Great Commission was given to the apostles as they comprised the first church. They were commissioned as a church for the perpetual work of evangelism. It is your responsibility as a child of God to assist in carrying out the commission through the work of the church.

The New Testament is filled with instructions for the church. Nine of Paul’s epistles were written specifically to local congregations. Three were written for instructions to pastors and deacons and for church order. The Revelation written by John begins with a message for seven local churches. Acts is the history of the growth of the church in the first century. These books along with the gospels and the general epistles are centered on the church. We cannot deny the local church is God’s plan His people today. I encourage you to join a true Bible believing church and serve God faithfully by committing yourself to its ministry. Be very conscientious about your choice of affiliation. Be sure your choice is a church that is committed to sound doctrine. I can think of none better than Berean Baptist Church! Join with us as we minister to this community and send the gospel around the world.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

Christ’s Love for His Church

Berean Baptist on December 2, 2019

Next month is our quarterly observance of the Lord’s Supper. Thinking of the Supper, I was prompted to write this article about the great salvation we have in Christ and the wonderful blessing of being a part of the Lord’s church. The observance of ordinances plays a critical role in the expression of our belief in Christ and the appreciation we have for what He has done for us.

Our study in the second and third chapters of Revelation concerning the seven churches of Asia should be a reminder of how important the church is to the Lord. His work in this world is done only through New Testament churches, as no other organization is ordained to preach His gospel. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), which helps us understand why the Lord took care to dictate seven letters to the apostle John about the faithfulness of these churches and the problems that needed to be addressed.

It is impossible to ignore the significance of membership in the church. The essence of Christianity is the church because it is Christ’s body on earth. To explain how intimate Christ is with His church, I would begin with Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:25: “…Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.” This informs that the church is extraordinarily important to the Saviour. While the scriptures never say our salvation is dependent upon our membership in the church, we cannot miss the significance of this statement. The church is special to Christ and whatever is special to Him should be very special to His people. Many of the New Testament epistles were written specifically to churches. In fact, over 95% of the time the word church is used in the New Testament, it references the local assembly.

One of the best arguments in favor of membership is the administration of church ordinances. These are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached a stirring message in the power of the Holy Spirit which resulted in the conversion of three thousand people. These converts were immediately baptized and added to the church. From this scripture, Baptists have taught that water baptism is an act that signifies our faith in the gospel and our union with Christ in His church. Baptism was given to the church as this sign and is administered only under her authority. The commitment to the gospel demonstrated by baptism is expected of every believer. It is not an optional command because it is our public identification with Christ. Since the church is the only authority for baptism and it is the entrance into the church, membership is automatic upon reception of the ordinance.

Likewise, the Lord’s Supper is committed only to the church. It is a special privilege reserved for those who are members of each individual body of Christ. We certainly could not condone the reception of the Supper by those who have refused the command for baptism and thereby disobeyed the apostolic precedent for church membership. This would be in direct conflict with Paul’s command that each participant examine himself so as not to partake of the Supper unworthily. Refusing obedience to Christ’s command renders a Christian unworthy to partake of the symbol of His suffering. In New Testament times, an unbaptized, unchurched believer was unheard of. Paul also stated the church is to observe the Supper until Christ returns (1 Cor. 11:26). A Christian that ignores church membership is missing the great privilege of honoring Christ’s death as a sacrifice for our sins.      

If you are a Christian and you are faithfully attending church, please carefully consider your obedience to Christ in commitment to a good Bible believing church. Next week, we will observe His ordinance which shows His body and blood given in sacrifice for our forgiveness. Christ loves the church and so should you!

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith