Author: Berean Baptist

…depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:23b)

I realize I may be taking a risk by starting a Sunday morning with a subject most preachers dare not discuss. I promise, though, by the time I reach the end of this article you will be glad I did. The scripture quoted above is from the Sermon on the Mount and was spoken by Jesus as part of the conclusion of His greatest discourse. It is a warning against false professors who claim to speak in His name and do many wonderful works for His kingdom. In this short article, I do not have space to develop the entire theme therefore I have to get straight to the point. This is a warning about hell. Jesus, the great righteous and holy Judge of the universe announced the final sentence that will be declared upon those who profess to know Him but have never truly received Him as Saviour.

The awful terror of hell is a subject that Jesus often expounded. He did not leave us to speculate what it may be like. He described it clearly in Matthew 25:41 as a place of everlasting fire. Lest anyone should misunderstand, He illustrated by speaking the parable of the tares in the 13th chapter (vv. 24-30). He explained the tares represent false professors that will be burned in a furnace of fire at the end of the world (vv. 37-42). This is the bad news that most preachers today are unwilling to tell. It is not a popular theme; and amongst a feel-good, self-assured congregation it will not be awarded favorable stylistic points.

Set over against this, however, is the good news. The good news is the gospel of Christ which never shines as brightly as it should unless it is contrasted with the stark reality of its opposite. The gospel is that Christ died for iniquity, was buried in a tomb, and then arose again for our justification. On the cross, He suffered hell for those who believe so that one day He would not have to say to them “Depart from me.” The full fury of God’s wrath against sin was poured out upon Jesus while He hung on the cross. God’s wrath was expended, exhausted upon Christ as He took the punishment that sinners deserve. This was the supreme demonstration of Christ’s love in that He willingly offered to take this punishment in our place. There is no conceivable way His love can be understood without the backdrop of the eternal punishment of hell. A message that begins and ends with “Smile, God loves you,” with no intervening information about the depravity of man and the consequences of his depravity is virtually meaningless. No wonder the false professor does not “do the will of the Father” (Matt. 7:21). He has no sensibility of what God did for real believers to secure their obedience.

Be thankful that you read and hear this message in Berean Baptist Church this Sunday morning. Come to church with joy in your heart that God has delivered you from such an awful place! Worship Him for He is great and worthy to be praised!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Matthew 7:22)

To me, Matthew 7:22 is one of the most remarkable verses in scripture. We have learned in our study of Matthew 7:21-23 there is a solemn warning concerning self examination so that we are not self deceived thinking we know Christ when we actually do not. In preaching on this subject, I have made a general application of this passage to all Christians, which is certainly proper since the Bible clearly states that each believer should apply tests to his profession of faith to see if it is real. The apostle John teaches this in 1 John as he gives three tests that can be applied. There is a doctrinal test—what do you believe concerning the doctrines of the Bible; there is a moral test—do you respond in obedience to the commands of Christ; and finally a social test—what is your relationship to others as commanded by Christ; in other words, do you love your neighbor as yourself?

Although it is proper to apply Matthew 7:21-23 to every Christian, we must not forget these verses link directly to the preceding ones concerning false prophets. What makes verse 22 so remarkable is the lack of denial by Christ that these false prophets have actually cast out devils and done many amazing works. Here is where we find the devil in the details. Satan is able to transform himself into an angel of light and his ministers often appear to be preachers of truth (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Many people are deceived by false preachers because they falsely assume all spiritual activity within churches is Holy Spirit activity. This is terribly untrue. Much of what goes on in charismatic churches and others is not the work of the Holy Spirit. If you attend a church where the Bible gets little play, you can be sure the Holy Spirit is not there. God works through the Word, and where there is spiritual activity without it, the devil is at play not God.

It is further remarkable that God does at times use false prophets for His purposes. This seems like an incredible statement, but nonetheless it is true. It certainly does not make the false prophet personally acceptable to God, but we must never forget nothing takes place in God’s universe that He does not control. In the Old Testament, the prophet Balaam spoke truth, but according to the New Testament he loved “the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Pet. 2:15, Jude 11, Rev. 2:14). Caiaphas the wicked high priest charged Jesus with blasphemy (Matt. 26:65), but also spoke truly, albeit in ignorance of the import of his own words, when he said that Jesus would die for the nation of Israel as well as Gentiles throughout the world. This prophecy was not his own but was given by God (John 11:49-52).

Surely, no greater evidence can be given that prophecies and miraculous works are not the final indicators of true belief. Signs and wonders and gifts and healings are not the ways we find assurance of salvation. The devil can do spectacular things. Jesus gave us the means—we must do the will of the Father (v. 21). Purity of a regenerated heart which produces continued obedience to Christ is the foundation of assurance. Are you really a child of God? Good trees do not bear evil fruit! (Matt. 7:18)

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

The past several months of studies in the Sermon on the Mount have been some of the most enlightening in my ministry at Berean. Perhaps you believe the preacher knows about as much as he can learn and what is left is for him to distill Biblical information and disseminate it to you. Every day I find out how much I don’t know, or if I did know it, how poorly I have practiced it. The Sermon on the Mount is sobering. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Phi. 3:12). Paul was a specially called apostle and an inspired writer of scripture. After teaching and preaching with near flawless precision, he still reminded himself and others that he had not yet reached all he wanted to be in Christ.

I wonder sometimes if there are Christians that have actually attained all they want to be in Christ. Is there any struggle in their lives to push upward for Him? In scripture, living for Christ is often described as a battle; it is warfare. Jesus said it is a road of self denial and of cross bearing. I don’t think we see much of this in churches. I am afraid there are many in our own congregation that are just holding their position, which all in all, is one not much worth defending. Satan is no real trouble to them because they have been chummily sitting around his campfire. Matthew 7:21 is a wake-up call. This is reveille for complacent self assured church members.

In the past few weeks, I have been working on sermons for Matthew 7:21-27. I have been shaken down to the foundation of my faith (Matt. 7:24). Jesus warned against false prophets that may deceive you, but I believe He reserved the most frightening words for those who are self-deceived. Is the preacher absolutely sure of his salvation? I found I could not be until I was willing to examine my motives, my desires, my beliefs—and just as importantly, the sin that I allow to lurk in my heart without enough anguish to do anything about it. It is easy to preach against the “big sins,” ones that most likely I would never commit. But what about the ones that hardly ever show outwardly and are only discernible by me?

This concerns me; and yet I have found that true concern over it is evidence the Holy Spirit is working within. I needed the wake-up call of Matt. 7:21. I think many of you do too. Sadly, some of you will not hear the ring. You claim to know Christ, but there is much evidence to prove otherwise. Profession is not enough. Saying “Lord, Lord,” is hypocritically blasphemous if you do not “do the will of the Father.” There are various ways to make the discovery if you have the sensibility to make the effort. I will give you just one today that in our modern world sounds the bells of the heart like a towering church spire. Perhaps God has blessed (?) us with a new tool of discovery. Start with this: take a look at your social life. What can others (maybe even me) learn about you on Facebook? It may just be another tool to expose false professors.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

This week we continue our study of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” I am acutely aware that most people are alarmingly unaware of the insidious danger lurking in the pulpits of America’s churches. The devil is such a deceitful mastermind that those who attempt to expose his preachers are the ones shunned and branded as the real threats to the gospel of Christ. Most people in Christian churches know so little about the Bible that they haven’t a clue as to what is truth and what is not. They have no way to discern the false from the true because the Bible is the only place this information is found.

The apostle Paul warned the Ephesian church what would happen if there weren’t strong leaders in the church sticking close to the word of God and using it skillfully. The result is people that are “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14). The false preacher perpetuates himself by abandoning scripture and replacing it with personal anecdotes, inane object lessons, self-help psychology, and multitudes of worldly wisdom. He is perpetuated because the more people are kept in the dark the more darkness seems to be natural and right. And why wouldn’t it? Jesus said people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). Preaching that is not sin-exposing and spiritually enlightening is tailor-made to please the crowd and help the preacher keep his job. The people become as spiritually weak as the pastor and are as indifferent to the Word as he is. Preaching that constantly deals with self esteem and meeting every felt need never impresses people that worship is for the glory of God. Thus they go to church first for them and not for God.

The message preached by Jesus and the apostles was not tailored to be a crowd pleaser. Jesus was not an entertainer. He was not the emcee of “The Gospel Show.” He didn’t promise prizes for sowing “seed faith money.” He guaranteed that a life of commitment to Him would cause His followers to be “hated of all men” (Matt. 10:22). The apostles learned this lesson well because all of them were martyred for their faith. John was the only exception and he was exiled to a rocky barren island after being boiled in oil.

We do not seek to be offensive with our preaching; we don’t have to. The preaching of the cross is naturally offensive. It is made to move people out of their comfort zones not to help them settle in. Those that are convicted of their sins, repent, and turn to Christ, are no longer offended by the cross. They take up its reproach and bear it gladly for God’s glory (1 Pet. 4:13-14).

Pastor V. Mark Smith

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8)

The book of Nehemiah is the story of the rebuilding of the city walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonians had destroyed them and taken Judah into captivity. Nehemiah was a Jew that had risen to prominence in the kingdom of Persia. When news reached him of the poverty and deep affliction of his people in Jerusalem, his heart was broken so that he wept and prayed that God would forgive the people of the sins that had led to their devastation. Nehemiah recognized God’s promise that if His people would repent God was able and more than willing to restore them.

Nehemiah petitioned the Persian king to allow him to return to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the walls of the city. God was gracious to inspire the people to work, and astonishingly the walls and gates of the city were repaired in only 52 days. After the wall was finished, a great celebration was held in order to thank God for His providence in enabling the people to overcome the many obstacles that could have ruined their efforts. This brings us to this important verse in chapter 8.

Ezra, a scribe and priest, along with 13 prominent Levites, mounted a wooden platform that was built for the occasion. Ezra opened God’s holy word and as he did the people rose to their feet in reverence. He began to read the Word and explained very clearly to the people the meaning of the scriptures. The result of this reading and explanation was a national revival that caused the people to weep for their sins.

I related this story to you today to help you understand the profound effect the word of God has for the salvation of souls and the growth of God’s people. The apostle Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:16). He also said the holy scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). Peter said we grow by the word of God (1 Pet. 2:2). These are just a few of the statements made in scripture about the power of God’s word through the gospel.

It is the sacred trust of true ministers of the gospel to faithfully expound the scriptures just as Ezra did in the book of Nehemiah. The scriptures demand repentance, faith, and full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. How will this be accomplished if churches do not declare the whole counsel of God? The gospel shows our sinfulness; it declares the penalty for our sins, which is hell; it proclaims the only remedy for sin, which is the bloody sacrifice of Christ; it demands our faith in Christ’s sacrifice, and then evidence of our faith in holy, righteous living.

Sadly, Nehemiah’s and Ezra’s method is not the method of the modern church. The gospel has been abandoned for a message of self-esteem, self-help, and felt needs. The message of repentance and deep contrition for sin has been buried under the performance stage and drowned out by pulsating rock music. Preachers are as Isaiah described, “…blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” (Is. 56:10).

Today, in our worship service, we will stand in reverence for the reading of God’s word. We will respect the holiness and glory of God; we will sing old hymns of the faith; we will pray with conviction; and we will preach the timeless gospel from the timeless Bible. Nothing less will do. Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

During the months of July and August we are hitting what I would call a “rough patch” in our ministry. I am not speaking of the summer doldrums that hit most churches as well as ours. The summer is difficult with many of our people on vacation and occupied with other things. The work load increases on the few that do most of it anyway, and the offerings slip as well because vacation drains off tithes and offerings that are used to carry on the ministry. These issues make for rough riding in the ministry.

These are not, however, the makeup of the rough patch of which I speak. In our studies on both Sunday mornings and Sunday nights, we are discussing unpopular themes for most of the “Christian” world. On Sunday mornings the theme is the warning given by Jesus in Matthew 7 to beware of false prophets. The warning is not that some wildly heretical blasphemous people are attempting to tear down everything we hold sacred. The warning is not that atheists and agnostics are knocking on our doors trying to shut down the work of the church. The warning is that there are those that call themselves Christian ministers, which purport to be ministers of the gospel, which claim they are doing the work of God, but really are ravening wolves that make shipwreck the doctrines of the faith (1 Tim. 1:18-20). We are charged with the responsibility of identifying them and rooting them out. The “rough” character of our work is unacceptable to many because they believe in unity—at all costs, unity. Doctrine doesn’t matter to most people especially if it gets in the way of having a good time and ruining the party atmosphere of their church. Jesus warns against this by saying “broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.” The only basis for unity is truth and when the truth of God’s word is not spoken we must separate and be as divisive as true doctrine requires.

Coupled with the Sunday morning sermons is our study on Sunday nights in the book of Revelation. Has God providentially worked this out that after two years of teaching in two different books of the Bible that we should suddenly hit an exact parallel course? We are studying the 17th chapter in the Sunday night series that warns of the conglomeration of the world’s religions that make up ecclesiastical Babylon, the religious empire of the Antichrist. At the forefront of this religious system is compromising apostate Christianity that also seeks unity at all costs. Our firm stands on Biblical doctrine, our unwillingness to compromise, and our willingness to expose those who do will not make us popular. Our “rough patch” is the bumpy road we encounter when we teach systematically through the Bible. If the Bible says it, we teach it, because it is God’s word on which we stand. If it makes some uncomfortable, praise God, because it evokes the reaction Jesus promised it would (Matthew 10:17-40). If what we preach is easily acceptable to all people, we have missed the truth. Stick around to hear it all and rejoice that God has given you a church that still “contends for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [8] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Several years ago, a popular Christian author wrote a book about prayer that began with a bold statement. The preface of the book began “Dear Reader, I want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers.” Some of you may recognize these opening words as belonging to Bruce Wilkinson the author of the bestseller “The Prayer of Jabez.” This book was given to me by a Christian friend who was gushing with excitement as if he had just found a long buried treasure in his back yard. Bruce Wilkinson apparently thought the same as he claimed, “One sentence with four parts…tucked away in the Bible…contains the key to a life of extraordinary favor with God.” The one sentence this author refers to is found in 1 Chronicles 4:10. “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!”

It is not my purpose today to write a review of this book. It has now been ten years since it was written and others have done a good job of critiquing it (hint—the bad reviews are right!). Instead, I want to note that many believe it is possible to simply ask God and God is obligated to give. Some believe they have hit on the formula—not found in the Old Testament, but in the New—Matthew 7:7-8. This is their key to extraordinary favor with God. It is simply “I believe in God and therefore I demand what I want!” These verses like most in the Bible do not stand alone without qualification. The larger context is the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus has already given extensive teaching on the subject of prayer. We needn’t think that God will answer any prayer unless the guidelines of the model prayer in Matthew 6 are observed. I have to believe that in the word “ask” there is full intention that all of the teachings of the Lord’s Prayer have been received. It must be further noted that these verses follow immediately upon Jesus’ demand for close personal scrutiny of our lives (Matt. 7:5). While we are seeking answers from God, we must also hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6).

If Matthew 7:7-8 does not seem to work for you, maybe you haven’t considered what Jesus said before this. The apostle John explained it well: “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (1 John 3:22) This is the real key to extraordinary favor with God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Several years ago, one of the members of the church gave me a book entitled “This Day in Baptist History.” The book is a devotional which contains a story for each day of the year about some event that took place in the life of a Baptist believer. I would say that it is remarkable that many of the entries contain stories of persecution. However, if you know anything about Baptist history you know its pages are filled with long centuries of cruelties. A period of rest for our Baptist people such as we are experiencing now is actually quite uncommon. It may be that our period of relative ease is due to the sad compromise of doctrinal truths. The devil is most happy to accommodate us if we are no threat to his kingdom.

Berean Baptist has been blessed in these past few years to see the community grow up around this church. We started in a cornfield over forty years ago and now our location is one of the most prominent in the city. Our location makes us a place of curiosity for those looking for a church in this area, and we often have visitors that stop in just because they saw this church before seeing another. When people visit, most of them find something they are not expecting. We still have a traditional service; we sing mostly old time hymns, and we preach nothing other than the old time gospel from the same Bible our Baptist forefathers used. The most important part of Berean’s ministry is not our programs. We love children, we love fellowship, we love activities—but the most important ministry is always the preaching of God’s word.

We make no apologies that the preaching harkens back to the same doctrines that got our Baptist forefathers into so much trouble. Today, we enjoy the protection of a government that allows us to do this, but should conditions arise that are no longer favorable to preaching the truths of the word, we would without hesitation gladly join the ranks of those who have been persecuted and have even died defending what was taught by our Lord Jesus and the apostles. The apostle Paul said the world considers our preaching offensive and foolish. The cross has never been popular and when truth is spoken in the same straight forward manner it will be no more popular for us than it was for him.

Perhaps someday someone will write another volume of “This Day in Baptist History.” It may well contain a story about us and our determination not to give in to the popular social agendas that shape the cities around us. We pray that God will help us to continue with the same spirit that enabled our forefathers to stand the test of uncompromising faithfulness. The gospel is worth fighting for!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

In over seven years as pastor of Berean Baptist Church, I have made one goal the primary purpose of my ministry. Most of you know what the goal is because you have heard it over and over again in the sermons. The goal is the glory of God. Every part of the ministry must focus on God’s glory. I do not see how we can reach this goal unless we are very careful to do God’s work God’s way. Many people think they can substitute a better plan; they can serve God their way and the end result is still pleasing to God and will glorify Him.

King Saul used this reasoning when he disobeyed God in the matter of the destruction of Amalek. Saul was told very specifically through the prophet Samuel that he was to completely obliterate every living thing that belonged to Amalek. The entire population of men, women, and children were to be destroyed including even their livestock. Why such a command was given is a subject left for another day, but it is sufficient to say the incomplete obedience of Saul nearly resulted in the complete extinction of the Jewish race a few hundred years later. Saul decided that it was in the best interest of God not kill the king of Amalek, nor to destroy the best of the livestock. Instead, these would be used for sacrifice and thereby Saul could show his supreme devotion to God.

The plan seemed reasonable enough, but it was contrary to God’s commandment. This led to those famous words from Samuel, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” God knew the outcome of this disobedience and as just mentioned if not for God’s hand of protection Israel would later have been destroyed. Saul tried to do God’s work, but he didn’t do it God’s way.

I see many Christians that try to do the same. They try to glorify God with alternate methods that seem good on the surface. At first those methods might even produce good results. But in the end doing God’s work God’s way is the only method that will glorify Him. I can relate this to church attendance, to worship styles, to prayer, to preaching, to relationships between members—there are multitudes of ways that seem good at first, but in the end they are harmful because they are not God’s way. We must return to strict obedience to God’s commandments. Jesus said that those who love Him are those that keep His commandments.

Take a look at your service. Are you ignoring the plain simple commands of God’s word?  Have you found what you believe to be a better way? Obedience is the only way to glorify God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have Jesus visit your house, to sit down with Him at the dinner table and have a frank conversation about His view of what is going on in the world today? I am afraid the conversation would go quite differently than most people expect. The world has constructed a picture of Jesus that is much different than the one given in the Bible. This is quite odd since the only source we have of Jesus’ teachings is what has been preserved in the pages of Holy Scripture. If I handed you the only book in existence that recorded George Washington’s opinion of the American government, would you have any credibility if you changed his words to make them agree with your opinions? Certainly no serious historian would attempt to do so. And yet when it comes to the historical record of Jesus, no one seems to have a problem changing what He said.

One of the most common misconceptions about Jesus is that He was a very tolerant person. There was never an individual He wouldn’t embrace; there was never a lifestyle He wouldn’t accept; there was never a religious viewpoint that was not equally valid with His own. All we need do is read the real accounts to find out otherwise. Matthew 7:6 is one of many incidents in which Jesus rejected people. He had favorite words for some, among which were “dogs,” “swine,” “vipers,” “children of hell,” “hypocrites,” and the like.

He was no fan of sinful lifestyles. He called on people to repent of their sins or else they would perish. To the woman who was found to be adulterous He said, “Go and sin no more.” After healing an impotent man, He told the man to stop sinning or else something worse would happen to him. Neither was He tolerant of every religion. He said, “I am the way the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father but by me.” Jesus was very narrow and He even stated this as well. “Enter 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 thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

If you were able to sit down for a talk with Jesus, how much of what you do would He approve? How many of your friends would He be willing to chat with on Facebook? Would you be ashamed to have him read some of the things you have written? A little face time with Jesus would certainly alter the opinions of many people. Too bad many of them would claim to be Christians.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

The extraordinary depth of Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount is exemplified in no greater way than to see the numbers of times the apostles give further exposition of the principles He taught. In Matthew 7, Jesus taught against hypocritical judgment by saying “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” The background for Jesus’ statement was the hateful, self righteous attitude of the scribes and Pharisees that could easily see the minor faults of others but could never see the glaring inconsistencies in their own lives. It may be true that another person has faults, but hypocritical judgment will never help them. Does this mean there is no allowance to approach another person to help them when they have entered into sin?

This is where the apostles’ expansion of Sermon on the Mount themes is so important. It is possible to speak to others about their sins in order to help them, but not before some very strict guidelines have been observed. Jesus touches on this when he says “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Paul states the same premise in another way, “Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” The guideline for approaching others is meekness and humility understanding that if not for the grace of God you could be guilty of the same sin.

Another important aspect to consider is the real purpose for your approach. There is a key word in Galatians 6:1 that should not be overlooked. Paul says “restore such an one.” The word “restore” originally meant to “set a broken bone.” The object of our approach should never be to heap condemnation on the one who has offended, but to gently and lovingly nurture the person back to spiritual health. When a bone is broken in the arm, the first option is not to cut off the arm. As carefully and precisely as possible the doctor will set the bone so it heals properly. This should be the attitude at all times when we approach someone about their sin. Our purpose is not to be harsh and sever them from fellowship, but to mend them spiritually so they return to the place of God’s blessing. With this in mind, criticism is constructive rather than destructive.

Far from teaching there are no circumstances under which we are allowed to confront sin in the church, the combination of Jesus’ statements in the Sermon on the Mount and those of Paul to the Galatians, are encouragement for all of us to weigh the quality of our devotion to the Lord before we are qualified to address the sins of others. If you are careful to do this and you approach others in the spirit of meekness, the help is more likely to be appreciatively received.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

As many of you are aware, I have had the privilege through the years of taking several short-term missionary trips to numerous foreign countries.  Each one of these experiences has been absolutely inspiring and enlightening.  In the process, I have made many observations, developed enduring friendships and witnessed the power and love of God in the lives of many people including the missionaries themselves.  At least two missionaries I have had the honor to meet have expressed the thought:  “Sometimes we feel totally abandoned by our church and believers in our homeland.”   Of course they are thankful for the financial support they do receive, but many have expressed the feeling that many believers seem to think that by depositing a couple of dollars in the offering now and then will fulfill our obligation to honor the Great Commission – the spreading the Gospel to all nations (Matt. 28: 18-20 ).   While it is true that the great work of the spreading of the Gospel needs financial support from all of us, there is so much more we can do to encourage this work and the individuals who do it.  Let’s look at some of the ways we can edify our missionaries and the important work they do in the name of the Lord

1. Write to them.  With the advent of email and the internet, it is incredibly easier to dash off a note of concern and encouragement.
2. Invite them to your church while they are on furlough.
3. Visit them.  Not all of us have the funds, but those who do can show our concern and support by taking direct interest in the work and by even participating by sharing our talents and/or testimony.  The personal connection is so important.
4. Give – increase your giving to missions and be consistent in regular donations.
5. Send “Care Packages”.  Shipping costs can be prohibitive, but in some instances you can send them through the Mission Board or Sponsoring Church to minimize the cost.
6. Pray for them – their own family life; their physical and spiritual health; their safety; their successful evangelism; their relationships with the people; and their perseverance (“I do not cease to pray for you…that you might be strengthened…unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” –Col.1:9-11).

May each of us make every effort to enhance the spread of the Gospel by deepening our relationships with the Lord and with the missionaries we are honored to support.

Gary Moline

“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)

A few years ago, Dr. John MacArthur wrote a book entitled “Twelve Ordinary Men,” in which he gives a brief biographical sketch of the twelve men Jesus chose to be His apostles. The book is a very interesting read as MacArthur scours the scriptures looking for every detail he can find about their lives. The book saw such success that MacArthur was approached with the idea of writing another book in which he would choose twelve women from scripture and write how their lives were an important part of Bible history. This book has the title “Twelve Extraordinary Women.”

This year I settled on a theme for Mother’s Day in which I would examine the story of Mary and Martha found in Luke chapter 10. I did a lot of research into the subject reading from several different authors including Dr. MacArthur’s book. Since this is a very familiar Bible passage, you would expect many of the authors would have the same perspective on the story. This is often the case in reading commentary and we would expect it to be so since everything in the Bible has been preached over and over for centuries. However, MacArthur’s book has a little different flavor because it is meant to be biographical rather than straightforward exposition.

In the message today, I want to speak mostly on two areas that MacArthur emphasizes: the relationship between work and worship, and the need to focus intently upon Jesus. In the process, we will look at the personalities of Martha and Mary and how Jesus related to these two women that He regarded as close personal friends.

I am especially struck by Jesus comment in Luke 10:42 in which He says, “But one thing is needful…” There are various interpretations of this statement. Some take it to refer to the meal that Martha was preparing. Jesus says that He and his disciples do not need elaborate meals, but one course is good enough. I find this interpretation far beneath the profound implications of the passage. Others say the one thing needful is Christian piety. Still others say it is religion. I believe Jesus is speaking of His own words. The “one thing needful” is to listen to the teachings of Jesus. All else is secondary. There is nothing we should take more care to do than to listen to the words of Holy Scripture.

Remember, the context of this passage is an event that happened in the home of two women. This was not in a church building; this was not a Bible conference, or a women’s retreat. This was the home. In this home, listening to Jesus was more important than any work that needed to be done. We don’t expect Jesus to come physically to our homes, but this does not mean He doesn’t speak to us. He speaks through the pages of the Bible. The scriptures are God’s words to us and they are still “the one thing needful.”

How much is the Bible a part of your home? Are you too busy to listen to Jesus? Keeping a nice clean home, cooking meals, doing laundry, taking care of the children—all of this is important but none of it ranks higher than listening to Jesus. I encourage you to make the Bible central in your home. Then like Mary, you have chosen the good part that will never be taken away.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” (Ephesians 2:19-20)

As a minister, one of the frequent questions I am asked is “Why are there so many different denominations? Aren’t they all basically the same?” The answer is “yes.” Coming from me, this answer might surprise you somewhat because Berean Baptist is definitely not the same as most churches. Strictly speaking, we do not even belong to a denomination. We are an autonomous, independent church with no other head than the Lord Jesus Christ. We are quite different because we still hold to historic Baptist doctrines that have been faithfully taught all the way back to the time of Christ. We do not claim to be Protestants because we predate the Protestant Reformation. We certainly do not claim to be Catholic because our history goes back to Christ, not to the wedding of apostate churches to the secular government.

This makes us very different because in the past 150 years not only have Protestants retreated from the doctrines that made them so different from Roman Catholicism, but most Baptist churches have as well. The result is a melding of doctrines to the point denominational lines are blurred which has produced generic Christianity that looks very much the same no matter what the name over the door. Now, there is unity, which many have strived for, but the unity is much different than the desire expressed by Jesus and the apostles. The basis for unity according to scripture must be correct doctrine whereas the modern church movement seeks to remove any doctrines that would divide.

Berean Baptist is not opposed to unity. However, we are opposed to unity if the price is the truth of scripture. To us, the name “Baptist” means something. We maintain the historical doctrines of the faith. Our name “Berean” is a scriptural name taken from Acts 17:11 and those people in the city of Berea who searched the scriptures daily to determine whether doctrines taught by Paul were actually true. When they had examined scripture and found that Paul spoke truth, they gladly believed. We seek to do no less at Berean. We test every teaching by the Word and if it does not match we go no further. If this makes us different, so be it.

So, who is right and who is wrong? This can only be determined by the Berean method of Acts 17:11. Anything less may turn out to be a fun fellowship, but it is not the same as the church built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

In September 1885, the great English Baptist pastor, Charles Spurgeon, preached a message on the text of Matthew 6:33. The venue for his message is quite interesting because the occasion was a monthly meeting of the London Banks’ Prayer Union. Spurgeon was asked to give a speech to this group, and in reading his opening remarks the reader is struck by his humor. He laments that his weakness is that he cannot give a speech without turning it into a sermon. In itself, this is not so remarkable because Spurgeon was the most prolific preacher of the last two thousand years. His sermons are a staple with any conservative Bible believing preacher and he is quoted by many liberals albeit without understanding the man and the importance of his theology. The sermon form is quite understandable but the venue for his address surely escapes most of us today.

I cannot even entertain for a moment the thought that a conservative, Bible believing Baptist preacher would be asked to speak at a meeting of bankers. Further, I cannot imagine that the CEO’s of JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank and others would ever get together to hold a prayer meeting! Such is the difference 125 years of history makes.

The title of Spurgeon’s sermon was “First Things First.” I do not know the true spiritual condition of the bankers present on that day, but Spurgeon must have had some insight when he began his message thusly: “Possibly I address myself to some who have hitherto lived at hap-hazard; and if so, I invite them to a more hopeful method of living. To have a great many aims and objects is much the same thing as having no aim at all; for if a man shoots at many things he will hit none, or none worth the hitting. It is a grand thing to know what we are living for, and to live for a worthy object with the undivided energy of our being. Shall we, when the end comes, have made a success of life? Has our object been a right one, and has it been wisely pursued? Are the results of our conduct such as we shall wish them to have been when the conflict of this mortal life is over? These questions deserve consideration at once.”

From this statement, Spurgeon launched into his sermon showing that the most important pursuit of life is God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Spurgeon’s sermon is flavored with brilliant commentary, such as: “Hypocrites swallow religion in lumps, inviting all to admire the quantity; but sincere seekers after righteousness quietly dissolve their godliness in their lives and sweeten all their common relationships therewith. The real saint flavours his ordinary life with grace, so that his wife, and his children, his servants and his neighbors, are the better for it. Mr. Rowland Hill used to say that a man was not a true Christian if his dog and his cat were not the better off for it. That witness is true. A man’s religion ought to be to him what perfume is to a rose, or light to the sun: it should be the necessary outcome of his existence. If his life is not fragrant with truth, and bright with love, the question arises whether he knows the religion of our Lord Jesus.”

How blessed it would be if our Baptist pulpits were graced with such eloquence, and that we would once again have Spurgeon’s opportunity to preach in such places. There was no fear to speak truth straight from scripture no matter who was in attendance. Spurgeon called men to holiness, to live the religion they professed. Bankers need to heed the message, but how much more is this message needed for members of Berean Baptist Church! Christ not only expects this from us, He demands it!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Today I want to relate to the entire church the importance of the spiritually uplifting experience I had in participating recently in the recommendation of a young man to be ordained to the ministry. On Saturday, April 10th, Bro. Lino Zamacona and I traveled to Modesto as guests of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church to sit on an ordination council. Since I know the pastor of this church, I expected that the young man being ordained would have a fair grasp of the scriptures and would be able to defend his beliefs. Previously, we had been supplied with his doctrinal statement, which I thought was well written and fairly expressed the correct doctrinal interpretations of scripture.

One of the interesting aspects of an ordination council is the variety of preachers that attend, each coming with some interpretation that may not be agreeable to all present and especially not agreeable to the candidate for the ministry. This means the candidate will have to answer questions that come from a different theological bent and in so doing he must be so well versed in his own beliefs that he is able to refute a different interpretation. This is often the downfall of many ministerial candidates. An unprepared candidate and one that has simply memorized his own statement of beliefs cannot bluff his way through opposing arguments especially when the questions are unforeseen.

This is one purpose of the council. Does the candidate really have such a grasp of the scriptures that he can skillfully use them and substantiate his interpretations of scripture? In this case, the answer was a resounding yes! I have been distressed for quite some time about ministerial candidates that come out of independent Baptist schools with an inadequate grasp of necessary theological concepts. This candidate could very well articulate the importance of justification by faith alone and the correlation of the imputation of Adam’s sin to the human race and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to those who receive Christ by faith. Going beyond this, there was discussion about regeneration and why repentance and faith are fruits of regeneration and not the cause thereof. The scriptural proofs of this are not for novices.

These are only a very small part of the four and one half hours of examination. But perhaps the most telling part came in the very beginning. After this, we knew we were in for a treat. This young man started his doctrinal statement with a doxology in which he proclaimed his absolute surrender to the sovereignty of God. He expressed that salvation was not first intended for us but for God’s glory. This was especially refreshing since there is so much coming out of schools today that ignore this and give man primary consideration in salvation. A person’s viewpoint of the sovereignty of God will permeate his entire doctrinal outlook. Is regeneration monergistic or is it synergistic? Clearly this young man gave all glory to God alone.

So, this is my praise for this week. Thank God that He is still raising young men to preach the Doctrines of Grace and to lead a new generation of Christians in the truths of God’s Holy Word.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

This week I begin a series of three messages on the subject of worry. I can’t think of a more appropriate time to speak on this issue since there are so many in the congregation that have been affected by the economic downturn. It seems that each week we are getting new prayer requests for people that have lost jobs, and so the tension and anxiety levels are building until it appears there is nothing other to do than worry. The Lord knows how prone we are to this; it is a natural human trait. And here is the key—it is a natural trait, and what Christ came to do is to change our nature.

I don’t know how to put this any other way; I would like to be delicate, but our Lord is not delicate when He deals with this issue. Worry is sin because it grows from lack of faith. Worry impugns God’s character because it denies the veracity of God’s promises. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is gentle enough to use logical arguments to impress upon us the foolishness of worry, but He does not stop short of calling worrywarts people of little faith.

Worry is not trivial because it has such great power to alter your personal peace and to destroy the effectiveness of your testimony. Worry invites the troubles of tomorrow to invade your world today, and if you are too powerless to take care of the present how will you ever influence the future? Most people will enter into sin because they derive some momentary personal pleasure from it even though they know it will have disastrous consequences later. Perhaps in the stupidity of our hearts we can rationalize sin for momentary pleasure; but worry is a sin that defies all rationalization. There is no pleasure in it today and there is none tomorrow. The almost eager propensity to worry defies any logical explanation.

As we will see in these next three weeks, Christians have been released from anxiety by a Father who truly loved us enough to send His own Son to die for our sins. As the apostle Paul said, a Father who would do this would not withhold any lesser gift. If Christ died to redeem you, would He then turn and abandon you? We may be so foolish, but let us never accuse God of such irrationality.

It is Jesus’ intent in His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount to destroy the personal demons that hinder our service to God. People with little faith do very little. This is why Jesus so carefully illustrates the rationale behind releasing your troubles into the care of God. Never forget that natural traits are always trumped by the supernatural God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”

(1 Corinthians 11:26)

This week we have the rare opportunity of celebrating Easter on the same Sunday that we observe the Lord’s Supper. The scriptures do not give an imperative command concerning the frequency of the Supper, so we are in no way obligated to partake of the Supper in conjunction with Easter. Neither do we consider the celebration of Easter an imperative since the scriptures do not command us to preserve one Sunday per year to be especially dedicated to remember the resurrection of Christ. Rather, every Sunday is a commemoration of the resurrection and was denoted so by the apostles as the specific day of the week to gather for corporate worship.

As a matter of solemn importance, the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to be a memorial of His death on the cross. Each time we take the Supper we remember His body that was bruised and broken and His blood that was poured out for our redemption. The nature of the Lord’s Supper precludes the participation of anyone that has not received Christ as Lord and Saviour. Those who partake do so because of their love, allegiance, and obedience to the Saviour. Since the Supper was given to the church as an ordinance, only those who have received Christ by faith and have joined themselves to the local, visible New Testament Church may participate. We believe the communion is for those who are in close fellowship with the church which can only be judged by those who have committed themselves to the same local body. Therefore, the Berean Baptist Church invites only members to participate and expects that members of other churches will be present to observe the Supper with their own congregations. We believe church membership is vitally important and we therefore teach accordingly.

We realize this interpretation of scripture is not popular. However, this has been the practice of Baptist churches up until the last generation when the ordinances of the church began to be reinterpreted. We see no scriptural reason to change this doctrine which is biblical and comes from the original institution of the Supper and from the heritage of our Baptist forefathers. This evening, before the church observes the Supper, the message will concentrate on explaining these doctrinal considerations. If you are not a member of this church, we invite you to come for instruction.

It is the desire of our church to keep the commission of Christ. We preach the gospel for the salvation of lost sinners; we baptize for identification with Christ and for church membership; and we teach believers to observe the commandments of Christ. Paul said to redeemed, baptized church members, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:19a, 20a)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew today, we begin a new section of the Sermon on the Mount. It is amazing how intensely practical this sermon is as we find the issues Jesus talked about two thousand years ago are still applicable to society today. Often we are told the Bible is an antique. It is terribly outdated and is not really useful in our high paced technologically savvy world of today. How far this is from the truth! People are still people; thousands of years of human history have not changed the nature of the human heart. For all of our advances in science, technology, and general knowledge, man has yet to be elevated from the selfishness of the Garden of Eden. Adam thought his way was better than God’s way; his way satisfied self much better than God’s directive.

Man’s selfishness bleeds over into every area of life. We are great promoters of self and this is especially true when we speak of material possessions. From the earliest of times, men have been trying to figure out how to get more and more stuff. Material possessions are the sign of success, or so we think. God has never looked at man’s earthly possessions as the measurement of his true worth. The person who is useful and of value to God is the one that invests in His Kingdom. This means that we take from our resources what is necessary for our needs and then use our abundance to increase God’s Kingdom. Selfishness begins to deteriorate when we bless others with the gift of life. As you give faithfully to your church, you cease to promote self and begin to promote others because the support of the gospel helps bring people into the Kingdom of God. When people are saved, they share in the wealth of God’s bountiful resources.

When Jesus said to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, He was speaking of the great eternal rewards that are given for faithful service. Part of the reward is the faithfulness of stewardship. When we give our account to God, He will check our stewardship. What did we do with our provisions? Did we selfishly use it all on us or did we selflessly invest it in His Kingdom? This is the practicality of this section of the Sermon on the Mount. In tough economic times it is easy to hold back, to horde our resources as if it is our responsibility to take care of tomorrow. God already has tomorrow in hand. Our duty is to take care of what God says to do today. Consider now how you will answer His question: “What have you invested in My Kingdom?”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me…” (Genesis 16:14a)

It has been a wonderful blessing to have the opportunity to preach these past few weeks on the topic of prayer. Our method of preaching is to take the scriptures verse by verse and in the course of our study in Matthew, we progressed slowly and methodically until we came to this wonderful section in Matthew 6 where Jesus gave an astoundingly complex model prayer that contains every essential element necessary for prayers that glorify God.

A cursory reading of the prayer does not reveal the importance of these short sentences comprised of only sixty-six words. Prayer is most often consideration only of material needs, or worse yet, selfish wants. But when Jesus gave these instructions, He went far beyond the physical. Here we find the necessity of the new birth; here is teaching about God’s holiness; we find evangelism, repentance, sanctification, and best of all worship. Prayer is worship to God and the ending phrase of the prayer takes us back full circle to the original purpose: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Prayer begins with God and ends with God. “Our Father which art in heaven…thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory.” If only we would live, and move, and have our being in those first and last phrases! Never would we have to argue again for God’s sovereign unconditional election, His purposeful particular redemption, His enabling efficacious grace, and His power of preservation of those who were once helpless, undeserving, incapacitated, dead sinners now made alive by the regenerating operation of His Holy Spirit. There is no room from beginning to end of the Lord’s Prayer for the assertion of my worthiness and my right to make demands of God. Even when Jesus allowed room for personal petitions, He began with “Give us.” This is acknowledgment that God alone is able to provide and anything He should choose to “give” comes only from His benevolent heart of mercy, love, and grace. The exposition of the Lord’s Prayer brings us face to face with God’s demand to be worshipped and His right to expect it. The apostle Paul said rightly “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17).

So, we come to the end of the Lord’s Prayer bowing to God’s majesty, praising His Holy name, and ever grateful that He should care for us and allow us the privilege of His company. If you are His child by grace through faith, the thought “Thou God seest me; God hears me!” should so astound your sensibilities that you can’t help but cry “Guilty, vile, and helpless we; Spotless Lamb of God was He; ‘Full atonement!’ can it be? Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Today I am away from the pulpit after attending the Shepherd’s Conference in Sun Valley, California.  I have very much enjoyed the opportunity to hear some good solid preaching from God’s word and am blessed to know there are still men around the country that believe God is sovereign in all His works and all glory should go to Him for the salvation of souls. I am also pleased to report that in this conference God is continually exalted so that we come away with a great reverential fear of Him and truly respect how we must bow to His majesty. Unlike many conferences I have attended, this is not about personalities. There are no platform squatters here!

Throughout my Christian life, the glory of God has been pressed down deeply into my soul. I never want to fail in my preaching to stand in obscurity behind the cross and let all the glory shine on the Saviour. I am not interested in techniques and marketing ploys to fill the church. I am not interested in entertainment which is falsely substituted for and called worship. I am not interested in theology that says the sinner must meet God half way and through man’s cooperation God is given permission to save him. I am only interested in the Holy Spirit that conquers man’s resistance to the gospel; a Spirit that regenerates and quickens to life enabling the sinner to trust Christ. I want to preach a Saviour that never failed to accomplish everything He intended; a Redeemer who really does redeem; a Substitute who really does infallibly secure salvation for those He intended to sacrifice Himself for. I want to preach the Christ that demands repentance from sin and submission to His Lordship.

This view of God is biblical and should be so fundamental to our teachings that we wouldn’t believe anyone could possibly teach otherwise. These are foundational teachings that stretch back to Jesus and the apostles and were boldly proclaimed by our Baptist forefathers. And yet Baptists today that still preach these doctrines are so few and far between that a diligent search must be launched to discover where they may be. Thus you have the reason why you find me at the Shepherd’s Conference instead of in conferences held by most fundamental Baptists.

Our Baptist brethren seriously need to be recalled to these essential doctrines of the faith. There needs to be recovery of a soteriology that is God centered instead of man centered. It is horribly shameful that the landscape must be scoured to find someone who still preaches the old gospel truth, and when it is discovered the label too often is something other than Baptist. If we can get our eschatology right and our ecclesiology right, why must we fail in our soteriology? It is way past time to get the central focus of our purpose back on track. We must preach salvation to the glory of God!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23)

Many and varied are the troubles that face our church in bad economic times. Christians are no different from others in respect to the interaction we have with the world in physical matters. Although we do understand that God is in control of the economy and nothing is beyond His abilities, yet we also see that the church has never been isolated from the woes that are common to all. In the Middle Ages, Christians died of the plague just like the godless. In the Great Depression, Christian families suffered from the droughts and their bank accounts failed like everyone else’s. It is a myth to think that Christians are insulated from such problems because we are the people of God. However, this is not a sign that God does not care or that God cannot help.

There is much testing that goes on with God’s people that helps to strengthen us and move us away from any thoughts that our joy should be dependent upon the material things we possess. This is a very hard lesson to learn especially in a nation that thrives on personal wealth and measures every person by the brand name on his automobile or the label on his jeans. If you consider this from God’s perspective, if a bad economy ruins your faith, how much less will you be able to stand when things that really count go wrong? The truth is our inability to buy all the toys we used to have or to own the home that gives status will help us to focus more inwardly on things that really count. Some of the greatest stories that you’ve heard your grandparents tell about the depression of the 30’s and 40’s are not stories about recovering wealth when it was all over. The most meaningful stories to them were how their families were brought together and they began to trust God even more than ever before. You don’t really learn to trust God until you learn that you must trust God.

No person ever became a great person of faith in one huge fell swoop. Sustaining faith is built in increments. The economy may just be one of your stepping stones in the accomplishment of great faith. How are you standing the test? Some Christians will keep chasing the economy looking for a brighter future, but they will never rise to a level that will keep them from being crushed when the very worst happens. The brightest future might be right here in your church where your family can grow spiritually and eventually be knit together more closely in the home. When your kids leave home, what will they remember to tell their grandchildren? I hope their stories will be of faith and love and not a 49’er tale of chasing a gold mine.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, the heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:16-17a)

Every morning when I get up, I follow the usual routine of getting dressed for work and then heading downstairs to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a few bites of shredded wheat. I then take my issue of Tabletalk, read the daily devotion, and then spend some time in Bible reading and prayer. I used to also take a few minutes to glance at the morning paper but I’ve stopped doing this because it leaves me in too bad a mood for working on sermons later in the day. But some time or another before the day is over I do look at the paper to read the latest woes of crime and the economy. Sometimes I think the crime is the economy and how America has squandered so many of God’s blessings by greed, corruption, and ignoring the source of our resources (see last week’s sermon).

Crime and the economy are two very important issues to Americans, and they are important to God. However, with God their importance is on a deeper more spiritual level than failing bank accounts and gang activity in Santa Rosa. The issue with God is the crime that all are guilty of by our personal sins and the debt we owe to God because of this sinfulness. America may find a way out of its economic duress and the economy may become robust again, but when it comes to our debt to God there is none of us that will ever be able to pay it. The debt keeps mounting up day after day because there is not one day that goes by that we do not sin.

The newspapers tell us that houses are being foreclosed on in record numbers and the bankruptcy rates keep climbing. Many probably wish there was some great benefactor that would sweep in and pay up all their debt, give them an inheritance, and let them live on easy street from now on. A personal bailout would really be nice, wouldn’t it? I don’t know if that will happen to you; most likely it will not. But I can tell you something far more important. God has provided a way to solve your personal crime problem and He can take care of the debt against Him that you have accumulated since the day you were born. He will pay it all up and give you an inheritance richer than beyond your greatest hopes and dreams.

How does God do this? He paid the debt of sin by giving the life of His Son, Jesus Christ, as payment. Christ’s death on the cross is the only payment that God will accept for this great debt we owe. By faith in the blood of the cross, sins are forgiven and the debt is paid. This is wonderful news, but it gets even better. Faith in Christ brings us into a relationship with the Heavenly Father in which we become His children and receive rights to everything God owns, which is EVERYTHING! But wait, I still haven’t told you the best news of all. Even though it comes at great cost to God, it is totally free to you and me.

So, tomorrow before you pick up the newspaper, pick up the Bible because all of the information you need to receive this gift is written in God’s Holy Word. Then, it’s off to work you go free and clear!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) Philippians 3:18-19

Last week in my article I dealt with the irony of Christian programming. There is a lot of junk on television and radio that purports to speak in the name of Christ but is really nothing more than preaching from those whose God is their belly (Phil. 3:19). As Paul states in this verse, there are many who are far more concerned about earthly things rather than heavenly. Often in my preaching I give warnings about the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel which is not really the gospel at all. However, I don’t want you to think that God has no concern for the material. If we think so, we have missed the truth of the word nearly as much as the “go for the gold” prosperity preachers.

The truth is that God is concerned about the material. In the Lord’s Prayer, the first “our” petition is not about the spiritual but about the material. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The wisdom of Christ is always perfect because God knows you can never be of use to Him if you cannot survive. What use has God for great spiritual people if they are dead? Jesus said before the instructions in the prayer, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” God has committed Himself to care for us so that we don’t have to be anxious about our next meal (Matt. 6:26).

Caring for the material in this way, however, is vastly different from what is taught by the prosperity gospel. In the prosperity gospel, the focus is moved away from our spiritual benefits to the material which becomes king. But, God provides for us for one purpose—that we might glorify Him. Do you have to be rich to glorify God? If so, you have denied scripture’s teaching that we should give God glory in all things and thank Him for all things (1 Thess. 5:18). Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This teaches us to depend on God to supply on a daily basis rather than hording up so that we forget God.

The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel does produce rich people. The riches are raked in by greedy preachers who have duped greedy followers into “sowing their seeds of faith.” Interestingly, when Jesus gave the great parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-23), there is not one mention of money. Jesus sowed the gospel of salvation that changes dead sinners into living saints. The prosperity of heaven gained is the only prosperity found in the gospel.

Jesus is concerned about the material insofar as it sustains your ability to sow the real seeds that He wants sown. Consider that you are kept alive for God’s purpose, to honor and glorify Him by being a witness of the life-changing gospel of salvation.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Many of you have asked what kind of Christian programming I listen to via radio or watch on TV. My standard answer is that I only listen to the radio for about 10 minutes on Sunday morning while driving to church. I have found one program that is fairly straight in its teaching, but I won’t advertise it here because I only get a 10 minute snippet which is by no means a fair evaluation. As far as TV is concerned, I occasionally tune in to a “Christian” channel just to see what kind of ridiculous doctrines are the latest fad being touted as “Holy Ghost” inspired. When I really need a good laugh (cry?), I watch a little bit of Osteen because I am always impressed by Satan’s latest machinations. Little does Osteen know how much he really proves scripture is true. Paul wrote: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (1 Tim. 4:3-4). I suppose we should be grateful for Osteen because practically nobody has proved the validity of this statement like him! But, lest I give Osteen too much credit, there’s always Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Jessie Duplantis, Creflo Dollar (what an appropriate name!), T.D. Jakes, and on and on and on it goes. Maybe you should also be thankful for cable TV and satellite with its hundreds of channels with programming that proves the apostle’s point.

I stay away from “Christian” programming because you usually have to wade through mountains of trash to find something good. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been one to do much searching in garbage cans. Having said this, I know there is some good out there. If you have found it, God bless your efforts. I can only advise you to be very careful and check everything you hear by your own diligent study of the Word. I will also advise you that listening to the radio, watching TV, or ordering CD’s from somebody’s ministry is not a substitute for your church. The church is a body of believers that has covenanted together for fellowship and propagation of the gospel. It is a local assembly (Heb. 10:25) and has the unique love and favor of Christ upon it (Eph. 5:25). There is no such thing as a TV or radio pastor. Likewise, neither Billy Graham, Rick Warren, nor any other preacher is “America’s Pastor.”

So, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, thank God He has those out there who prove He knows what He is talking about. Now that you know, be careful where you step and reject these heretics!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” (1 John 3:22)

Many of you have heard the story of how this verse became one of my favorite verses in scripture. Nearly twenty-five years ago I was facing a crisis in my life that was so perplexing that I didn’t know which way to turn. Space in this short article prevents me from going into detail, but it was one of those times when no matter which direction you turn there appears a good outcome. Many of you have experienced this and with the economy in the shape it is now, this may especially be true for you right now.

I have always believed that the best place to go to find God’s will is in the pages of scripture. I knew that God had the answer for the way I was feeling because as one of His children I always had His abiding promise that He would take care of me. One day I was determined to read scripture until I found something that would settle my heart and take the anxiety away. This is when I turned to 1 John 3:22. I had read this scripture countless times before but it never spoke to me at any time like the way it did on that day.

This verse dovetails perfectly with the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray, “Thy will be done.” This refers to God’s will of precept, which means the keeping of His commandments. Never think that God is disposed to answer prayer when the one that asks has not been careful to observe the commandments. I was determined in my difficult time that if I just took the Word and measured my life by what God commanded me to do that God would answer my prayers and show me how He would lead me through my troubles.

Through the years, I have always advised people that it is very difficult to find help from God when the person does not observe the most obvious of God’s commands. We usually check off the commandments and say, “No, I don’t steal. I’ve never killed anyone. I haven’t cheated on my wife/husband,” etc. But do you remember what Jesus taught concerning these issues? Unrighteous anger is murder in God’s book. A lustful thought is adultery according to Jesus. And then, what about New Testament commands? The scripture says that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Where are you when your church meets for worship? Do you feel you may speak with God and defend your half-hearted devotion? These are issues that must be resolved before God answers prayer. John states it clearly; we receive because we “do.”

Learn the lesson that prayer is linked to the commandments. You will not march through life ignoring God’s preceptive will and then expect Him to rush to your aid to bail you out when you get in trouble. Remember, God is your God all of the time!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for his dedication. When they entered the temple area, a man named Simeon, who was a true believer in Jehovah God, approached them and took Jesus up into his arms. With a powerful message from the Holy Spirit, he proclaimed, “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” This was confirmation of Jesus’ name which means “Jehovah saves.” Jesus is Jehovah, the One who saves.

How appropriate that in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus should include a petition that speaks of salvation. In the words, “Thy kingdom come,” we find a wonderful evangelistic message. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He proclaimed, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). When He instructed the disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come,” He was teaching that prayer should include the request that the gospel would reach those who are lost in sin.

Every person in the world needs this message because all of us have been born into a kingdom of darkness. Satan who is the god of this world has blinded the hearts of men so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4). In order for people to be saved, they must be told the gospel of Christ and the Holy Spirit must open their hearts to understand the good news of salvation. When the Holy Spirit opens the heart through regeneration, at that point a person is capable of expressing faith. This is equivalent to Jesus’ words about seeing the kingdom of God. Thus we see that when Jesus instructed with the words “Thy kingdom come,” He was expressing most vividly the work that He came into the world to do. “Jehovah saves” is His mission. Man is truly blessed when His heart is conquered by the King of all kings and then by faith he is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious light of the kingdom of God.

This aspect of the kingdom must be proclaimed by those of us who are now in the kingdom of God. In other words, Jesus instructs you to pray for the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. This means He intends that you should have a part in helping the kingdom come. Your prayers and your efforts in witnessing are the methods by which the kingdom is increased. If you are not a part of the program to bring in the kingdom of God in this way, then you certainly cannot pray the next petition, “Thy will be done.”

The Lord’s Prayer begins with God’s program which is the “Thy” petitions. Following these are the “our” petitions, which are really the basic necessities for us to be able to carry out the “Thy” petitions. God’s kingdom comes when we recognize that both “Thy” and “ours” are for God’s glory and His alone.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:12)

A few days ago I was driving down Expressway towards Highway 101 when I heard behind me a loud thumping noise. As I neared the traffic light and slowed down, there was a car with tinted windows that pulled alongside and it was vibrating as if an explosion was about to occur. The noise I heard was the pulsating beat of the bass on a car stereo playing music (?) that from a distance was unintelligible. When the car pulled to a stop beside me, I could then hear the lyrics of a disgusting profanity laced rap song. Nearly every word was unfit even for the gutter, but the worst of it was when it included the name of God.

These scenes are repeated day after day all across our city and sadly even in the homes of many Christians. I have spoken with people that are so used to hearing profanity that it unconsciously slips into everyday conversation without people even realizing what they have said. I have sat in my office across from people that have problems and as they explain some difficulty they will curse right in front of the preacher and don’t even realize it!

There is no way we can condone the degeneration of vocabulary in our society and much less can we overlook the inclusion of the holy name of God used in common speech as if we were speaking of a dog. The third commandment given by God restricts the use of His name. God’s name is holy and is to be revered. It is not to be spoken in normal conversation unless it is for the purpose of giving it all due respect and reverence. I often hear expressions like “Oh, God,” Oh, Lord,” “Christ” or “Jesus Christ” spoken by church members as terms of exclamation. God’s name is not for exclamation; it is for exaltation.

God’s name is not merely a designation that distinguishes Him from Harry or John or Steve. God’s name represents His person and nature. It is an expression of His attributes and includes everything that makes Him what He is. God’s name represents omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, righteousness, mercy, grace, justice, benevolence, loving kindness—and lest we forget it—wrath. If you are ready to speak His name, be sure you are aware of the consequences. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9)

Today we continue our in-depth study of the most important form of worship found in scripture. This is the privilege we have of going to our Father God to speak with Him, to revere Him, to recognize His sovereign right to rule our lives, and then to humbly entreat Him for all our desires that conform to His will.

Jesus was very specific in His instructions about how to approach God. The Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 is a model prayer that was used to correct the corrupt form of worship in prayer that was the common practice of the religious leaders of the time. Every piece of this prayer is vitally important, but surely the most important of all, the only reason why we can approach God, is because of relationship. Jesus began the first instruction with the address of prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven.” The term “Father” denotes relationship for surely none of us would call anyone “Father” when no such relationship exists.

And yet, the prevailing opinion about God is that He is everyone’s Father. Most assume that every person has a relationship with God so there is no trouble to call upon Him and ask for the most pressing need at the time. The problem is that this is merely assumption and it comes mostly from those who have never read the Bible. Scripture is clear that no such relationship exists for all people indiscriminately.

For example, when speaking to the wicked religious leaders in John 8, Jesus said very bluntly that Satan was their father. If God were their Father, they would have received the testimony of Christ rather than rejecting Him (John 8:44-47). This means there is demarcation between two types of people. Some are spiritually related to Satan while others are spiritually related to God. The distinction is determined by true faith in Christ. Those who may call on God as Father are only those who have become sons of God by faith.

The distinction is proved very clearly by the prayer itself. Following “Our Father” are “hallowed be Thy name,” and “Thy kingdom come,” and further, “Thy will be done.” Those who have not trusted Christ do not reverence His name, they do not desire the advancement of God’s kingdom which includes the salvation of souls, and they cannot pray for God’s will because they have ignored the command to repent of sin and place faith in Christ. To approach God ignoring the relationship is not commendable; it is very close to, if not, blasphemy.

Is God your Father? This is determined by faith in the blood of Christ that was shed for your sins. This is the way you become a child of God and is the criterion for the relationship. Without it, you have no right to speak to the Father.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:1)

This past week I was thinking back on the first New Year’s sermon I preached after becoming pastor of Berean Baptist. A few weeks prior to that sermon we had a nursery presentation with many pictures of the children that were then in the nursery. I remember that Benjamin and Samuel Petro were there; Maggie Chamblee, Tate Jarrell, Alexander Brown…Now, those children are much older and hopefully they don’t require the same kind of care and attention that newborns and little toddlers require.

These children have grown physically and mentally and should they look or act like they still require nursery care, we would be alarmed and would not hesitate to get them to the doctor to find out what is wrong. We understand this principle very well when it comes to physical growth, but why don’t we understand it spiritually? According to the scriptures, Christians should experience continual spiritual growth. And yet we find the apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church with near exasperation because he had to go over and over the same things time and time again. He said he could not feed them with the meat of the word because they were still like newborns requiring milk.

How do we tell when Christians in our time are not growing properly? Paul noticed something in the Corinthian church that tipped him off. There was a lot of strife and division in the church. There were little spats going on and there was a great deal of selfishness. He noticed the same in the Philippian church. In a congregation that otherwise seemed healthy, there were two ladies involved in a dispute. Their differences hurt the harmony of the church. The Philippian letter contains some wonderful doctrine, but it seems to have been prompted by Paul’s correction of these two ladies’ problem.

The same types of issues tell me as pastor that some are not growing as they should. At the risk of sounding self-serving, I don’t think the problem is with the lack of doctrinal teaching. I believe the meat is there and enough has been provided that everyone should be growing properly. However, the unwillingness to eat and drink what has been provided will not result in growth.

Thankfully, Berean is not like many Baptist churches of our day. I am somewhat preaching to the choir because this is not a major issue with us. But as we start this New Year we should evaluate last year’s spiritual growth. If you are not closer to the Lord now than you were at the beginning of last year, where should you place the blame? If others are growing and you are not…need I say more? If there is no spiritual growth, you should be as alarmed as if one of your children was seven or eight years old, and yet instead of putting them in classes with children their age each week, you had to put them in the nursery to be cared for.

Set your mark of spiritual growth this Sunday. Check it each month to see if you are growing. If you have not grown in spiritual stature, go the Great Physician and ask why!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 4:17)

The end of 2009 is now upon us and as we look back on this year in the church there have been many challenges. The economic downturn this year has created a general malaise throughout the country and it is not surprising this can affect the church as well. We were saddened by those who lost jobs and consequently left the area seeking other employment. It is our natural reaction to be frustrated and disappointed when such things happen, but it can also be God’s will that those who have been taught correct doctrine should move out into other areas where they can be an influence on another church or community that needs good solid biblical teaching. This could be the Lord’s will if that person has in the past genuinely applied himself to Bible study and has shown a desire to share his knowledge and teach others.

I am afraid that in most moves this is not really the consideration. Rather, the economic opportunity presents itself and Christians pick up and go with little consideration for the way it will affect their families spiritually. I have met with many people who have said, “I believe it is the Lord’s will for me to leave,” when I know from observing their spiritual lives they are not really in a position to discern the Lord’s will. When someone is ready to move and they have not brought the matter to the pastor and the church for prayer, both their motives and their discernment are suspect.

I do not believe it is the pastor’s job to determine the Lord’s will for another person. The Lord is well capable of revealing His will to His children without an intermediary. Pastors who seek to do more are little different from priests who pass on “blessings” and grant absolution from sin. However, a pastor may observe a person’s life, help them pray about their decisions, and then give advice based upon already established principles of God’s word. A good pastor is generally apprised of the spiritual welfare of the flock and can help guide when members are confused.

As we look at the economic difficulties encountered this year, we must not panic when resources are low and take it as an automatic sign that God is moving us on. I do not believe that God moves anyone for a paycheck alone. If you are in a good church that preaches the truth and enables you to grow spiritually, don’t trade it for a new area where there is uncertainty and where you know your main purpose is the paycheck and not helping others realize the truths you have learned. God will sustain you where He wants you. Discerning His will is not so difficult when you evaluate your true motives.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Without doubt, December is the busiest time of year for our church. In addition to our many duties at home, there are Christmas plays in the school, holiday dinners for adults and teenagers, there are decorations to be put up, not to mention that we are ending the church fiscal year which means a new budget to formulate and elections for new officers for 2010.

It becomes a bit overwhelming trying to juggle all of this and have enough time to relax and enjoy one of the most blessed times of the year. In today’s message, I want to take a look at the remarkable change that has come to the world because of Christ. Everything we do in December happens only because of Him. Without His birth, December would be as mundane as any other month. I suppose then that some would seek to blame Christ. We wouldn’t go through this if not for Him. And thus we see how badly the world really needs Christ. Complaints about Christmas are about our inconvenience, which just show how badly we needed Christ to come and take away our inordinate focus on self. Should we complain that the world should be saved at the expense of our convenience?

Each year we complain more and more about the commercialization of Christmas. It used to really bother me, but then I began to realize that a false view of Christ and the false worship of Christ that goes on in so many churches are far worse than commercialization. If you sit in church and worship a false Christ by bowing before a crucifix or praying to the Virgin Mary, you would be far better off spending your time fighting the crowds in the aisles at Wal-Mart! The trip to hell from a church pew can be faster and with more fury than from ignoring church altogether and arguing over a Barbie doll in a department store.

I think we need to redirect our efforts from putting Christ back in Christmas to putting Christ back in hearts. The gospel must be preached in truth or else Christ was never in that type of Christmas. We are saved by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone. Christ was never in anybody’s Christmas who believes otherwise.

No matter how much we are inconvenienced by the busyness of the season, the cost is worth it because at no other time do we have such opportunity to give the message of Christ. We will not let the opportunity pass us by. Today, we will preach the real Christ; the Christ of the Bible—He and He alone will save.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

In the past few weeks, I have been preparing two messages on the subject of fasting. As you know, the method of preaching in the pulpit ministry at Berean is to take the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. We have been studying the Gospel of Matthew on Sunday mornings for over one year and it is likely that next year and the year after we will still be in Matthew’s gospel. The progress is slow and there are times when you may not think the subject matter of the sermon is all that important.

I am determined that we will not skip any part of the scriptures, so we will continue as we have and take whatever subject that comes as we go through each chapter. We have now reached a place in the Sermon on the Mount that most people are very unfamiliar with. The subject is fasting and it is not spoken of often in churches and what is said is, quite frankly, mostly wrong. Just to simplify the matter without too much explanation, whenever a preacher stands in the pulpit and declares a church-wide fast, for whatever reason, he is not following the practice of the New Testament.

Fasting is an intensely personal matter. It is not something you announce; it is not something that churches can demand, for nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to fast. Much is said about commands for giving and there are many demands concerning prayer, but neither Jesus nor the apostles insisted upon fasting. I have learned in my preparations that there is a wide diversity of opinions about fasting. Some say fasting applies only to food, others say the principle is the most important thing and so it can be applied to any area of life that we decide to deprive ourselves for a time so that we can more fully concentrate and devote ourselves to God.

I tend to believe the principle is the most important part of it because it seems this is the way Jesus presents the subject in Matthew 6. Fasting represents personal devotion. What is our worship to God like in relation to self? Are we putting on a religious show or do we truly have deep conviction in our hearts that we desire to serve God? Are you here on Sunday morning to keep the preacher off your back, or is it because you can’t wait to offer corporate worship by singing, praying, and contemplating the preached word of God? The pastor can usually weed out the two attitudes very quickly. The complainers have one motive and the consecrated have another. Which are you?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

This past week we were privileged and blessed for the safe arrival home of Brother Eric Hill.  Eric has been serving in the war in Afghanistan for most of this year. I had the opportunity to sit down with Eric during the first part of last week, and it was truly amazing to hear stories of the conflict going on to protect our country from terrorists’ attacks. Each of us knows the dangers our soldiers face and we sometimes feel helpless to do anything. When loved ones are called to duty, some just hope for the best and say “Good luck” as they watch friends or family members board the plane and head off into the unknown.

I am thankful that I do not have to send a soldier off with a wistful pat on the back and a tear in the eye as if there is nothing to be done to ensure his safety. I believe we serve a sovereign God that works all things after the counsel of His will. He has given me the privilege of prayer so that I can speak with Him and implore Him for the watch care of those I love. When I pray to God, I can follow the model of Jesus who said, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” When God is determined to protect, there is no might or force that can break the impregnable shield that surrounds us. There were times when Eric spent thirty to forty days without a break combing the mountains of Afghanistan searching for and fighting against the Taliban. There was an imminent threat every day, but Eric’s testimony was not one of fear. He felt God’s protection.

In the months that Eric was gone, I had a few conversations with him by phone. Most of the time he was extremely busy without much down time, but when we did get to speak, he never missed the opportunity to thank this church for our prayers. He is convinced that the prayers of God’s people helped keep him safe in dangers that we can only imagine.

We are very thankful that our great God kept Eric safe and brought him home to us. Take some time to speak with him and thank him for his service to our country. He is not one to seek praise, but that should not deter us from expressing gratitude for his willingness to serve our country with valor. While you thank him, praise our Heavenly Father for answered prayers!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Today’s message from the Sermon on the Mount is about an area of worship that many Christians would rather forget. If you are accustomed to listening to Christian radio or watching Christian programming on television, you are constantly hit with a recurring theme—sow your seeds! Plant your money! Send in your offerings! With each of these pleas, there is a promise of reward, and usually the reward is your guaranteed prosperity.

We have heard these messages so often that many people are convinced that Christianity is all about religious hucksters that are trying to make a fast buck. There is certainly prosperity in their preaching, only it is their prosperity not yours! The prosperity gospel is a terrible bane; it is blight on the true gospel of Christ that causes people to focus entirely on the wrong reasons for giving. Giving is not for the purpose of getting—it is for the purpose of worship. Giving is one of the centers of worship described in Matthew 6:1-18. Giving is how we worship God in relation to others. There is certainly a return promised for giving, but the value of the return is entirely dependent upon the spirit in which the gift is given.

If your purpose for giving is because someone told you that you could add to your rich storehouse of personal possessions and pleasures, then you have been duped with a false reward. God never intended that we should use anything that He gives for mere personal consumption. The richness of our treasures in Christ is primarily for the purpose of doing God’s work and blessing others with our resources. When God abundantly blesses us, He intends that we should abundantly bless others. As we do so, He keeps cycling more blessings our way which in turn are to be recycled their way.

The scriptures do not teach that you must live in poverty in order to worship God. Some are guilty of going the opposite way and they take vows of poverty because they believe this is a more virtuous life than living with much material goods. It sounds good, but for God’s work it is self defeating. If all Christians took vows of poverty, very little would be accomplished around the world for Christ. The poor must be fed; the sick must be treated; the gospel must be preached everywhere. Missionaries, pastors, churches—none of them can operate without money. God intends that we should be industrious and we should do our best to work hard and make money. What is the purpose? It is that we may worship God by doing His work. Withholding the increase and refusing to give is refusal to worship God in one of His vital centers of religious activity. Consider your gifts and give to the glory of God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

In my years of Bible study, I have had the opportunity to read through the Bible many times. The practice, I think, is very helpful because it acquaints us with the cohesiveness of the Bible’s content. From Genesis to Revelation, there is a singular outstanding theme that weaves its way through scripture. This is the love that God has for His people. Love is a consistent theme that is brought out through the many promises that God has given. To contemplate God’s love is to send our hearts soaring into the heavens as we wonder why the Almighty God of the universe should take notice of us, much less love us.

The key to our amazement lies in another consistent theme that runs throughout the Bible—man’s sinfulness. Just a few pages into the Holy Writ, we are introduced to Adam, the first man, who disobeyed God and fell from his state of innocence. Theologians refer to Adam as the federal head of the human race. This means that Adam stands as our representative. Scripture declares that in Adam all die, meaning primarily that spiritual death has passed to all men through Adam. Adam sinned and the whole human race that proceeds from Adam is now born in sin. Our sinfulness has caused a serious rift with God. We are naturally opposed to Him; we are at enmity with Him. Scripture says that we are haters of God (Rom. 1:30). This is what makes God’s love for man so amazing. God loved us not when we were pure and innocent, not when we were saintly and sanctified—God loved us when we hated Him. Because we are born in sin, none of us are pure and innocent, saintly and sanctified.

If you wonder how the cross got into the picture, here is the reason. In our sinful condition, we are unholy and unjust. God is pure holiness and perfection; He cannot allow sin in His presence because it is defiling. Therefore, God must remove sin from us and make us holy. But God does not do this as a matter of caprice. His justice must be satisfied. His righteous law has been broken and a holy God cannot allow sin to go unpunished. Thus there is a cross, an instrument of punishment. The most outstanding facet of God’s love for the sinner is that Jesus Christ was willing to take our punishment for us. The cross is the satisfaction of God’s divine justice. The cross is the most glorious display of God’s love.

The next time you read through the Bible see how many times it speaks of sin and then count the times that God’s love is connected to sacrifice and the cross of Christ. Thank God for the cross for we could never know God’s love without it!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

This week we look into our third lesson entitled “The Gospel According to You.” Since every Christian is a living, breathing gospel, it is very important that we guard our lives in every area that could be a potential reproach upon the name of Christ. In the last part of Matthew chapter 5, Jesus is dealing with the second division of the law that is undergirded by the command, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” In the New Testament epistles, we find this command repeated three times. In Romans 13:9, Paul says this command is a compendium of all commandments that govern our interrelationships. In Galatians 5:14, he repeats this while enjoining us to serve one another. James calls this the “royal law” (Jas. 2:8) because this is the law of the King of kings and those who would reign with Christ must obey this law without hesitation.

Our relationship with others can be summed up into three areas: (1) How we speak to one another; (2) How we act towards one another; and (3) How we entreat for one another. Interestingly, Jesus addresses all three areas in Matthew 5:44: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” The later teachings of the epistles also emphasize the same components of testimony and give warnings as to the damage our testimony undergoes when we fail in any one of these vital areas.

Paul and James are both particularly concerned with divisions that occur in the church when we fail to obey the royal law. Paul says, “If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Gal. 5:15). James speaks of envy and strife (Jas 3:14) and the poison that can be inflicted by an unruly tongue, stating that our tongues can be “a world of iniquity” (Jas. 3:6).

If our lives truly are an open book, then we must be very careful with every word we say. The same mouth that we use to praise God and speak His word should not be used for cursing and bitterness (Jas. 3:10-12). The gospel according to you may reflect the highest principles of the Kingdom or may reflect the basest elements of an unregenerate heart. There is great cause for personal concern if your life is characterized by the latter instead of the former. Essentially, Jesus is ruling out false professors who claim to be citizens yet have no proof of their citizenship.

What is the gospel according to you? Look at your attitude over the past week. Does it reflect the royal law? Constant self-examination will reveal if you are progressing in Christ-likeness. No progress equals no citizenship. If Christ truly lives in your heart, the gospel according to you will be the same as the gospel according to Him.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

One of the hardest commands of scripture is found in Matthew 5:44. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” If you were present on the day that Jesus spoke these words, you would have been acutely aware of the particular word that Jesus used to describe love for one’s enemies. Jesus could have used any one of four words for love. Unlike the English language which has only one word “love,” the Greek language has four different words. We determine the meaning of the word “love” by the context in which it is used. The Greek language is much more precise so that the meaning of the word can never be mistaken.

Without going into the four different words, let me just say that the one Christ chose is a word that means determination to kindness, benevolence, and respect. It is love of choice meaning that it is a conscious decision that one makes that is ungoverned by emotion. It is a decision to treat another person in a way that is best for their welfare. Christ does not expect you to have an attachment to your enemy like you would to your family. He certainly does not expect you to have romantic love for that person. Jesus chose the word He used because a person’s mind that has been changed by the gospel can make the determination to treat all people as they want to be treated.

Every day we come in contact with people that are mean spirited and antagonistic. We meet people that are very much opposed to our faith. The best that we can do for them is to give them what was best for us. No doubt the very best thing that has happened to us is the day we met Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ took away our enmity with God and saved our souls from an everlasting hell. Christ wants us to make the conscious choice to love the lost of this world and to convert them from their hatred of God. When we do this, we turn our personal enemies into brothers and sisters who think as we do and love Christ as we do. The common bond of faith unifies us unto one purpose—to glorify God.

To obey Christ’s command to love our enemies is to turn from our own selfishness. We tend to believe the opposite of love is hate, when in reality the opposite is selfishness. The kind of love Christ speaks in this verse causes us to ignore personal affronts so that we might do what is best for others. This is the character of Christ who when He was reviled, reviled not again (1 Peter 2:23).

The grand object of the gospel accounts is to reveal the character of Christ and to learn of His redemptive purpose. Christ’s sermon is nothing more and nothing less than the revelation of His righteous character. The following verse (Matt. 5:45) says those who do this are children of the Heavenly Father. Are you truly a child of the Father? If you are, you will love all people and give them the gospel of Christ.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor…(Matthew 5:43a)

Today we begin a four part message on the last of six examples in Matthew chapter 5 that Jesus gave concerning Pharisaical misinterpretations of God’s law. Five examples have already been discussed which leave no doubt that the righteousness produced by the religion of the scribes and Pharisees fell far short of God’s standards. It seems another example was not really needed because the point had been driven home time after time.

However, Jesus saves the most damaging for last and nails the coffin shut on every person’s claim to self righteousness. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Lev. 19:18c) is the summation of the last six of the Ten Commandments. The best of the very best have never fully lived this command because we can never empty ourselves completely of self interest so that we take care of our neighbor in every way as we do ourselves. The only one fully capable of this was Christ who emptied Himself to become God’s perfect sacrifice for sin (Philippians 2:5-8).

The four gospel accounts are the story of Jesus’ life and death. The four different writers each approach the life of Christ from a little different viewpoint. Matthew focuses on the kingship of Christ. Mark speaks of His life of service. Luke focuses on His humanity while John declares His divinity. The conclusion of each is the same. Christ is perfect in every detail; He is the righteousness of God; He is exemplary in His love for God and His love for man. Thus, Christ is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5:17).

For two thousand years, we have had these gospel accounts. After the invention of the printing press, the gospels became readily available to most of the world. Yet, many have not read them. Many are uninterested because they have read another gospel that unfortunately is far more real to them than the pages of the New Testament. They have read the gospel in the lives of Christians, and sadly it is not harmonious with the four accounts of the Bible. People read your account every day. They decipher it from your actions towards them and others. They hear it in the inflection of your voice and the topics of your conversations. Every move you make distills into an informational biography not only of you, but of Christ. What is the gospel of Christ according to you? Read the Sermon on the Mount over and over. Read the life of Christ in the gospels again and again. I surely hope they do not drive nails into the coffin of your testimony!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“…an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” (Matthew 5:38)

Today’s message from the Sermon on the Mount concerns Jesus’ exposition of a very familiar saying. All of us have heard “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” although we may not have been aware that it is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This saying is about justice. There is an ancient code of justice called “lex talionis” that actually predates the Mosaic Law, which simply states that punishment should fit the crime.

Many believe that Jesus refutes the Old Testament law concerning retributive justice and in effect “outlaws the law.” Jesus does no such thing because He would never oppose any law that He, the lawgiver, gave. Since Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament, changing this law would deny the immutability of God and the goodness of God’s law. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). There is nothing wrong with the law although there may indeed be something wrong with our application of the law. The teaching in Matthew 5:38-42 is that we are not to take the law into our hands and seek personal revenge. “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is the responsibility of the courts and not the individual.

Another principle that we may not think about is that God is bound by His law. In other words, God obeys His own law. God is the court, so to speak, and He applies this law when dealing with each of us. Our punishment must fit the crime. The crime is sin and the punishment for sin is the everlasting fires of hell. Since God is perfectly just, there must be a corresponding penalty for sin and God never applies grace to the law. The two are incompatible and this is easily demonstrated by our courts of law. We do not let murderers go free because we want to be gracious!

God’s law must be upheld. Therefore, God does not excuse sin because He is gracious. God’s grace is applied to the sinner through the sacrifice of Christ. Christ bore the punishment of our sins upon the cross, thereby upholding God’s law of retributive justice. God’s grace allows this payment for sin to be applied to us through faith (Eph. 2:8). The enormity of our crimes cannot be satisfied in any other way.

The Sermon on the Mount reinforces this theme over and over again in Matthew chapter 5. We cannot satisfy the demands of God’s law by any personal effort. Our hope is in Christ alone. Thank God for Jesus Christ!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce the addition of a new permanent youth minister to our church staff. Jared Smith will assume the leadership of our youth department effective November 1st. For some time, we have been praying that the Lord would lead a good young man to our church with experience in youth work. Bro. Dalton Abshire has done a wonderful job leading our teens for the past few years, but Bro. Dalton accepted the position on a temporary basis with a view towards replacement as soon as a qualified candidate could be found.

The Lord has richly blessed us in sending Jared to Berean. Jared has always had a burden for our youth, but only until recently has the Lord enabled him to have a job that would allow the time commitments that are required. I would like to briefly list some of Jared’s qualifications to show how the Lord has exceeded our expectations. Jared began his college career at the prestigious Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. Here he was enrolled in ministry courses along with his other studies. He was a participant in the Georgetown College Baptist Student Union, Georgetown College Campus Ministries and was a College Missions/Revival Team Member. He was also involved with the University of Kentucky Baptist Student Union and the Somerset Community College Baptist Student Union. Jared spent his summers as a missionary with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and used his spring breaks to witness to college students.

The following is a list of other ministries Jared was involved with: Kentucky Baptist Convention Son Bound Team Member, More than Gold Ministries (1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta), Jonathan Creek Camp Staff, Cedarmore Baptist Assembly Staff, Kentucky Baptist Convention State Conference Small Group Leader, Campus Crusade Small Group Leader, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and 21st Century Skills (after school program for youth). Jared was also in charge of a church youth group in Highland, Kentucky and an assistant youth leader in Richmond, Kentucky.

Jared has also been a good ambassador for Christ in taking part in his local community. Among his civic responsibilities were: Kentucky High School Athletic Association Certified Soccer Official, Boyle County Parks and Recreation Basketball Official, Crab Orchard Little League Basketball Coach, Lincoln County High School Assistant Soccer Coach, and Lincoln County Assistant Archery Coach. As you can see, Jared’s life has been dedicated to working with and building the youth of our country.

Having said all of this, Jared did not come with pride, touting his qualifications. He humbly asked if there was some place he could be used of the Lord in our church. He came to California principally to be a part of this church so that he could reinforce his commitment to Christ and become more solidly grounded in the word of God. God has led him here with a purpose, and we are blessed to have him.

Please welcome Jared to our staff; tell him you will pray for our youth ministry, and give him your support!

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes…  (Psalm 101:3a)

Over these past few months in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we have seen Jesus’ remarkable teachings concerning the lives of Kingdom citizens. The gospel is not an addendum to the life of a Christian; it is his life. It is a remake of the very core of our being, and this is why we refer to salvation as the new birth. It changes our relationship to God, our relationship with those around us, and gives a new view of self.

The Sermon on the Mount describes the characteristics of one who has been born of the Spirit of God. It teaches how God’s commandments can be kept not through self righteous efforts but through the power of Christ who lives within. A revealing factor of Jesus’ teachings is that the Ten Commandments were good enough all along to teach us how to love God and love one another. We don’t need a new list of commandments, we don’t need new regulations, and those who seek some new concept in Jesus’ teachings will not find it.

The gospel of Christ does not include with it a code of conduct any different than you will find in the Law given from Mount Sinai. When the gospel reaches the heart and converts the sinner, a forensic declaration takes place immediately. We are cleared from the guilt of our sins and we are justified before God. But this is not the only result. We are also sanctified and set apart to live holy lives.

As members of the Lord’s church, we affirm the sanctification of the believer. We don’t offer new rules to live by, but we expect the gospel will produce lives characteristic of those who are Kingdom citizens. Some of these expectations are expressed in our Church Covenant. I quote from one section of our Covenant which reads: “We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; and to abstain from the use and sale of intoxicating drink as a beverage and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.”

The membership of Berean Baptist has covenanted together to make this our code of conduct. It is nothing more or less than what is expressed in the two divisions of God’s law—love God supremely and our neighbors as ourselves. Do you abide by the covenant? Kingdom citizens will do so gladly!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

…exhort and rebuke with all authority… (Titus 2:15b)

One of the most unpleasant subjects that a pastor has to deal with is the issue of divorce. If I could ignore the subject altogether and go merrily on my way preaching my favorite topics and those alone, surely I would. Some have taken that tack because it is so much easier not to awaken this sleeping giant. Divorce is such a pervasive problem even among Christians that it upsets the congregation when you talk about it.  But preachers are called to expound the whole counsel of God’s word and the truth of scripture is that it meets us right where we live.

The apostle Paul wrote some of the hardest scriptures you can find on deep doctrinal subjects. Even Peter said some of the things Paul wrote were hard to understand, and when you get into topics such as election and predestination, you understand why. We notice, however, that sometimes after speaking of weighty theological concerns, Paul will settle down to what most consider mundane subjects in order to instruct on issues of everyday living. Preachers today are called to balanced ministries where we do not fail to deal with deep doctrinal subjects, but we also do not fail to speak on the issues of everyday life.

This is why we are committed at Berean to preaching the word of God chapter by chapter and verse by verse. We must deal with every subject whether we like to talk about it or not. As you read the word of God, it won’t help you very much if you don’t let it instruct you when you are wrong as much as affirm you when you are right. So, we must speak about divorce and we must let God’s word correct us. If preachers of the past had been as forceful as Jesus on the subject and as faithful to preach it as they should have been, we would not face a divorce statistic among Christians that is no different from the world around us. Further, if churches enforced proper disciplinary measures to retain an unleavened church membership, we would have people that consider much more carefully the moves they make in marriage.

Having said this, divorce is not the end for a Christian. No marriage ends in divorce without a serious sin on the part of one or both marriage partners, but God is a forgiving God. When we admit our sins and confess them, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The best thing to do when the preacher is following the text of God’s word and he hits you head on with your sin is not to get mad, but to get glad! He may have aroused the sleeping giant, but now you can slay him and be returned to fellowship with God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Recently, our country celebrated its two hundred thirty-fourth year of independence. I am sure that everyone in attendance today is proud of our country’s heritage and you are thankful that you have the freedom to come to church and worship the Lord according to your faith and conscience. Religious freedom is one of the hallmarks of our independence.

As we look back on the founding of our country, most are aware that our forefathers were “Christianized,” if not in fact Christian. Among our founders were Deists and Universalists and some were agnostics, none of which are truly Christian, and yet nearly to a man the founders understood the value of the Bible and the importance of moral values. The Ten Commandments were accepted as a moral code and the foundation of all laws especially of our Constitution.

But the question remains, “Are we a Christian nation?” Most Bible believing evangelicals immediately take up arms when anyone suggests otherwise. If you take a closer look at Revelation 11:15, the implication of scripture is that there are no Christian nations. Every nation is against God and is under the domain of Satan who is the god of this present world. The world is waiting for the time when it is redeemed from the curse of sin and then all nations will surrender to the power of Christ whether willingly or reluctantly.

We may like to call ourselves a Christian nation and perhaps we are still “Christianized” like our forefathers, but a visit to the halls of Congress and even to the office of the president himself will reveal that we are nothing like what the Bible terms as Christian. With an agenda that supports nearly everything immoral and indecent, how can anyone say we are Christian?

The United States is fundamentally in its heart like all nations of the world. We have set ourselves against God and His Christ and there is no changing unless the Holy Spirit of God convicts the heart and turns our people to faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. In the consummation of the ages if this country still exists, it will be forced to bow the knee to Christ. Then and only then will it become a kingdom of our Lord.

Meanwhile, you and I who are born again believers in Christ are already a part of His kingdom. We are in His spiritual kingdom which one day will become a physical kingdom where Christ rules in perfect righteousness. It is our work to call all people to repentance and faith in Christ so that they may become a part of His spiritual kingdom, for this is the only real Christian nation.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:2)

Years ago in our church in Kentucky we used to sing a hymn that began this way:

“Free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus hath bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, Grace hath redeemed us once for all.”

I haven’t sung that song for years, but it comes to mind each time I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:17: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Is there a contradiction when Paul says we are free from the law and yet Jesus upholds the law? These are not different viewpoints, but complimentary viewpoints.

Christ speaks of the law in terms of its high demands in reflection of God’s righteous character. The law is against sin; whatever is opposite the law represents the commission of sin. John wrote, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Since sin is the transgression of law, sin brings the condemnation of God’s justice. There must be a penalty for breaking the law, and that penalty is death. Jesus Christ is God so He can do no less than to keep all of God’s laws perfectly. This He did through His sinless life.

Now we see where Paul’s viewpoint compliments Christ’s statement. Because we cannot keep the law perfectly, we are under God’s righteous condemnation. However, God in His grace has allowed the life and death of Christ to become our righteousness. Through our faith in Christ, His satisfaction of God’s law becomes our satisfaction. His death for our sins makes us free from the law’s exacting demand which is the penalty of death. Christ’s blood paid sin’s penalty. When we trust the sacrifice of Christ for the payment of our sins, Christ transfers His righteousness to us and we stand perfectly justified before God.

The old hymn also says, “Grace hath redeemed us once for all.” Christ’s sacrifice is all that is needed. We are eternally justified by faith so there is no possibility of falling and coming under the condemnation of God again. This is why Paul says we are free from the law of sin and death.

Have you been set free from sin’s penalty? Have you received God’s full and free pardon? You can be free today through faith in the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Then you can sing, “Free from the law, O happy condition!”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

Immediately after Jesus spoke the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, He began to speak about the disciples’ obligation to the world. The Christian life was never intended to be one of isolation and solitude, but it is to be one that is an open book for the world to see. Most of you have heard the saying, “Too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good,” and this is the way some approach Christianity. They think so much about heaven that they forget about their duty to their fellow man. This has led some into monasticism which isolates the Christian from the world.

This is against the teaching of the scriptures because Christians are here to influence the world. We cannot withdraw into a shell and have no contact because in that way we have no influence. But we must also be aware that if our lives are an open book, they mustn’t read like a dirty novel. We must be pure and clean. We must influence in a godly way.

Jesus used two similitudes to express this. In the first, He addressed the passive side of our lives. He said we must be like salt. As salt preserves, so Christians retard corruption by living holy lives. But then He followed with the active side. We must be light. We must shine out, reach out, speak out the gospel and turn hearts to the Lord. The passive side is sometimes called “relationship evangelism” while the active side is termed “confrontational evangelism.” Both are needed if we are to make a difference in our world.

When Jesus was on earth, He said, “I am the light of the world.” He is the one that illuminates the darkness of the soul and turns spiritual blackness into the light of salvation. But He also said in Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world.” He is the light source and we are light reflectors. Some use the relationship between the sun and the moon as a way to explain this. The moon is not a light source, but it shines because it reflects the sun’s rays.

How well do you reflect the Son of God? Have you pulled a curtain across your life so that no one sees Christ in you? Sin veils the majesty of Christ. Let your light shine through a life of good works. The best you can do for anyone is to give them the light and life of the gospel.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (Matthew 5:13)

Today in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we transition from the Beatitudes to the practical application of living in the world as citizens of Christ’s heavenly kingdom. Each of us that have received Christ as Saviour has been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. A change has taken place in which we have been raised from our spiritual death in the corruption of sin to spiritual life in the holiness and righteousness of Christ.

This change affects our relationship with the world. According to the last beatitude, it invites persecution because there is a vivid contrast between our way of living and the world’s way. Jesus depicts this contrast in Matthew 5:13 through a similitude. He compares Christians to salt. Salt is a savory substance that changes the way food tastes. It improves the taste; it takes what is bland and unsavory and makes it palatable.

Similarly, Christians are to influence the world for good. We can help retard the corruption of the world by seasoning it with righteous living. One more sinner saved is one more sinner that no longer adds to the world’s corruption. At least this is the way it should be. But sadly, there are many Christians that lapse into sin and lose their godly influence. They live like those who are unregenerate and in so doing they lose their savor. They lose the contrast and thereby the gospel is hindered.

If salt is not salty, what good is it? Why use it if it makes no difference? These verses are intended to alert us of the need to maintain a good testimony. We are the only witnesses God has. He has chosen no other means to spread the gospel. If we lose our ability to be effective with it, who will win the lost? If we are not salt, who will be? Examine your life and determine the quality of your influence. Are you making the right kind of difference?

Pastor V. Mark Smith