Author: Berean Baptist

A few days ago, I sat in my office at home working on an upcoming sermon. Variations of this duty fill most of my days. It takes time to prepare sermons and make all the peripherals of the sermon come together for the Sunday morning service. The material for the printed outlines, the PowerPoint presentation, choice of scriptures for our readings, writing the bulletin articles—these are just a few of the necessary parts for conducting the service. As you can see, the tasks at hand will not allow my mind to stray too far away. Each day plants me squarely in the middle of scripture.

On this day, it was cool enough to leave the window in my office open. It was shortly after the local schools dismissed their students in the afternoon when I could hear the conversations of these young people as they walked along the sidewalk in front of my house. Their conversations are at times breathtaking. In my day, we used to comment that some people “curse like a sailor.” We understand the expression despite some sailors do not curse. Jarred rudely from my concentration in my studies, this is what came to mind. What I heard was not the filthy talk of sailors but some of the worst language I have heard any adult speak. These were school children in their normal conversation. There was no anger. No one was fighting. It was their regular fare, just their normal vocabulary.

As I thought about the sermon for this week, the evil speech of the scribes in Jerusalem constructed parallels. They were part of the religious ruling class of Israel who used nothing less than the worst language imaginable. Their comments were not about ordinary affairs but directed towards the activities of Jesus. Our English translation spares us from the details of intended meanings. However, make no mistake the original readers of Mark’s gospel well understood their intent.

In today’s message, I will tone it down to the G-rated version. These comments were against the Holy God whose purity defies our ability to understand. To compare the Christ to demons or working with the power of demons is beyond the depths of our minds. We do not know the nature of our crimes if we take part. This is so deep in the well of mire and filth that no daylight exists. Indeed, Jesus said there is no forgiveness for it.

Returning to the speech of the school children, I dare say they speak what they know by watching television, listening to their music, buried in their phones, and yes, hearing their parents in their normal conversation at home. Neither parents nor child knows the weight of sin contained in their speech especially if God’s name is there. The third commandment prohibits this language. I find it hugely interesting that in Mark 3, Jesus mentioned the Holy Spirit. The speech of the scribes offended the Holy Spirit. Listen to Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice…” (Ephesians 4:29-31).

Many Christians have no clue what they do when they lace their conversations with filthy language. What comes out in speech is the same as thoughts lodged in the heart. Read Mark 7:20-23 in conjunction with these thoughts. We hear so much filth every day from Christians and non-Christians that we consider it normal speech. God does not. It is the territory of the unforgiveable. Think carefully before you open your mouth. Speak no evil.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Today’s message from the Gospel of Mark delves into questions about the way Jesus treated His family. Our text in chapter 3 at first appears that Jesus showed disrespect to His mother and brothers. While Jesus was addressing the multitudes of people always following Him, His family came asking others to inform Him they were outside waiting to talk to Him. Upon hearing this, Jesus said, “Who is my mother, or my brethren?” In our English translation, it appears as a curt, disrespectful answer. Would Jesus show such insolence, or would He always keep the commandment to honor His father and mother?

For those who want to find fault in Him and thus disqualify Him from being the sinless Messiah, any port in a storm will do. The truth is that Jesus would never break any of the commandments especially one that stands at the head of the second table of the law. This is the fifth law that commands us to honor our father and mother. This commandment is the first relating to societal order which takes up the duty of believers towards our fellow man. The second table begins the fulfilling of the second greatest commandment which is to love our neighbor as ourselves. If there is a social gospel, this is it. The true social gospel is faith in Christ that works outwardly towards the treatment of our fellow man with love and respect, and to honestly wish his best welfare. God loves people, and to be like Him we must love them too.

I speak this cautiously because loving souls is different from saying we must be tolerant of evil lifestyles and to live and let live. We do not love our neighbors if we do nothing to correct them. We do no favors for anyone by letting them continue in a lifestyle that is against the Holy Word of God. We are to warn offenders about the wrath to come.

I wonder sometimes what people think the warnings of God’s word are for if God says we are to keep quiet and tolerate every evil perversion. What could we warn people against if there are no consequences for their behavior? How could we love anyone that we care too little about to warn them that sin brings destruction and eternal death in the fires of hell? To love a person is to bring him to Jesus Christ. To love him is to tell him to turn from his sins, to repent of them, and to trust Christ who is the only one who can save him. To love him is to teach him to worship God in spirit and in truth. This means forsaking sinful lifestyles that God so clearly says are against His holiness.

The social issue that Christians are most concerned with is our action towards the lost unbelievers of this world. It is not our judgment that counts. It is God’s judgment, and the word shows us how to judge righteous judgment. It not only shows us; it demands that we do it. God does not tell us to tolerate sin but to purge it from us. It is not governmental action that will do this. Its solution is to plead with the heart through the grace of God for repentance and faith.

The sum of this is that rejection of God’s commandments is rejection of God. There is no peace and prosperity in the rejection of God. There is only this—the bypassing of the blood of Christ and trampling beneath the feet His holy sacrifice. We will not circumvent God’s righteous retribution by preaching tolerance. To live and let live is a fantasy. It is live and let die if we do not fight for the justice of the commandments. Leaving people alone to die in their sins is not love. When most say peace and love, understand they mean let everyone do their own thing. To do so without intervention is to condemn lost souls to eternal hell.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

In last week’s article about the apostle Paul, I mentioned the dust-up between him and Peter over Peter’s hypocrisy among the Galatian churches. I am sure you did not think too much about this, but I am concerned I could have left the wrong impression about Peter’s faith. At no time were Peter and Paul in disagreement over the doctrine of justification by faith.

It is important to understand this because both Peter and Paul received the call of apostleship directly from our Lord. Their steadfast faith was critical for the establishment and indoctrination of local churches. All Christians can be sure that arguments among the apostles were not signs they were unsure of their own faith in Christ or of the clarity of the gospel. It is tempting to make Peter and Paul adversaries and call this conflict. It did not rise to the level of two Christian leaders in a debate about doctrine. The problem was Peter’s dissimulation in treating Gentile Christians differently than Jewish Christians. The method of their salvation was not in question. However, Peter’s actions could have easily led to the misconception that Gentiles must conform to Old Testament law in the rite of circumcision before acceptance into the fellowship of Christian churches.

If you were to question Peter on this matter, he would not hesitate to state and even to elaborate on the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone—plus or minus nothing. Peter was the first apostle to preach the gospel to Gentiles when after a vision he went to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea. When salvation came to this household, Peter reported to the church in Jerusalem that the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles when they believed. There is no mention in the text that any other requirements were necessary or met for their baptism. Neither did the church in Jerusalem ask, “What about circumcision?” Later, the apostles settled and sealed this matter when confronted by a certain group, we now call Judaizers. These were Jews who claimed salvation by grace through faith but were still holding on to the custom of circumcision and other Old Testament laws as qualifiers for identification with the people of God.

The apostles hashed this out in Acts 15 after Peter’s testimony before them of his personal experience in the conversion of Cornelius. In Acts 15:8-9, Peter explained: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” This leaves no uncertainty where Peter stood or of his consistency in the clarity of the doctrine of justification by faith.
In the Galatian passage, Paul wrote another confusing statement. He said the problem with Peter arose when certain men came from James. The wording appears to say James entered the disagreement by sending representatives from the Jerusalem church to correct the Galatians and turn them towards a more Jewish path. And yet, we read in Acts 15 that James, the spokesman and pastor of the Jerusalem church, specifically commanded there should be no burden of circumcision placed on Gentile converts. James spoke this in consideration of the ministry of Paul and his companions who preached among the Gentiles (Acts 15:13-29). This matches the language in Galatians 2:12 that “certain came from James.” Obviously, James did not send them. They were Judaizers who before were contentious in the Jerusalem church.
We need not fear that those we trust most in scripture were doubtful or were less than stalwarts of the faith. They never gave an inch to false doctrine. We must, however, acknowledge they were not perfect men who never made mistakes, although there is no mistake in their Holy Spirit inspired writings. How we respond when confronted with our mistakes is also important. Peter did not get angry nor shake his fist at Paul. He owned the rebuke and wrote that Paul was a brother in Christ. This is a lesson for us. Give up our stubbornness and examine ourselves closely. Make sure we hold the truth without compromise.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

              In the past few weeks of our study in Mark’s Gospel, I have taken our sermon time to describe Jesus’ selection of the twelve apostles. We are nearing the end of this interlude and will finish with the one disciple who was notorious and never converted to believe in Jesus. We finish next week with Judas Iscariot, who is probably the most infamous person in history.

           In this article, I want to speak briefly of the most famous apostle and yet was not chosen at the same time as the original twelve. This is Paul, the converted Benjamite from the city of Tarsus. Five hundred words is a pittance to spend on him but permit me to make a few brief comments. Paul wrote more of the New Testament than any other author, and except Jesus, is the most quoted character in the Bible. The proof of many of our doctrines of the Christian faith relies heavily on the epistles Paul wrote. Today, on our bulletin cover is Galatians 6:14, a verse that summarizes Paul’s ministry: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” While this verse stands representative of Paul’s passion for his life and could be attached to any of his letters, it has specific meaning within its context.

              In the first part of Galatians, Paul defended his apostleship by stating his commission was given directly by Christ, who in a post resurrection appearance called him to preach the gospel. His office was not conferred upon him by the consensus of the apostles but by Christ Himself. After establishing his credentials, he goes on to confront the insidious growth of a false doctrine impressed upon the Gentiles who were taught by Jews among them that for them to be saved and a part of the church, they must submit to the Jewish rite of circumcision. Curiously, Peter was caught up in this as he hypocritically withdrew fellowship from Gentiles fearing reprisals from Jewish leaders who came from Jerusalem. Though Peter was not held in unbelief, he stumbled and failed to maintain a firm grip on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Favoring circumcision as a condition added to the singular work of Christ for the salvation of the soul, denies the finished work of Christ on the cross. Paul began Galatians by emphasizing this is not the gospel of Christ.

              From the point of Paul’s rebuke of Peter, he goes on to make a defense of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. This defense is one of the most significant undergirding of this cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith. In conclusion of the matter, Paul wrote Galatians 6:14. While others may boast of the work they do for Christ or seek to commend themselves to salvation by these good works, Paul rejects any claims of reliance upon self and gives all glory to Jesus Christ.

              This theme resounds throughout Paul’s writings. He is never shy of self-deprecation if it serves to exalt Christ and hide himself behind the cross. Such statements are humbling and yet abhorred by today’s Christian leadership. This is the day of celebrity. With media opportunities that trumpet the names of favorite preachers, the competition for recognition exceeds the determination to glorify Christ and Him alone.

              I have mentioned several times in this series how the apostles would be appalled at worship directed towards them. Statues and patronages were no part of any of the apostles’ objectives. They were Christ’s men who were not fed by their egos. Do we wish to make a name for ourselves, or do we want to glorify Christ? If we learn all there is to know about the apostles and miss this about them, we know nothing at all.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

               A few weeks ago, in my introduction to the apostles, I spoke of Peter’s impertinent question posed to Jesus. Our Lord finished a conversation with the rich young ruler telling him that his salvation was dependent upon keeping the commandments, selling all his earthly goods, giving the proceeds to the poor, and finally, coming and following Him. This is quite a list and fulfilling it would not guarantee a better earthly return above what he surrendered. Peter heard this answer and in turn asked the Lord, “What shall we get?” In other words, Peter and the other apostles believed they had forsaken all and honored the required list. Peter wanted to know what the benefit would be of doing exactly what Jesus told the rich young ruler to do.

               Again, the answer Jesus gave to Peter had no promise of immediate gain. The promised reward was in the future kingdom which He termed the regeneration. Two thousand years later, the kingdom is still an unfulfilled promise although in the interim, the apostles no longer ask, wonder about, or doubt the promise. Their presence in heaven awaiting the resurrection of their bodies is complete satisfaction. Time means nothing to them now and waiting is not an adverse consideration.

               With their understanding of the promise secured, what was their present experience? It was to forsake houses and lands, to endure the rejection of family and friends, persecution from their enemies, and for most of them, martyrdom. They were not to consume themselves with promised thrones in the millennial kingdom but with what Jesus required of them now. This was service to the present kingdom, a kingdom that by faith was in their hearts.

               Jesus told them they were to serve Him and others. This life of service would secure greatness in the future. Greatness is a common pursuit for most of us and it was for the apostles. I do not want to be a mediocre preacher—I want to be a great preacher. We all know I am not, but you would surely find disappointment if I told you I put no effort in my sermons because it does not matter, and I do not care if you groan at them or gain by them.

               When James and John showed Peter-esque impetuousness, they asked for seats on either side of Christ’s throne as a demonstration of their greatness. Their ask was inappropriate, but Jesus did not rebuke their desire. Greatness should be our aspiration yet not to aspire it merely for our benefit. Our objective must be to glorify God in the best way possible. Thus, being a great preacher is a worthy goal if the purpose is for people to learn more of the glories of Christ. The result of Peter and John’s bold preaching was recognition they could have preached no great sermons if they had not been with Jesus. All attempts at greatness should be for the better advancement of the Kingdom in which we now live. Be great on your job, regarding it as service to the Lord (Colossians 3:22-24). Be great as a parent, be great as a husband or wife, be great as a church member. Serve Christ now as a great servant who will receive a hundred-fold more in the future kingdom of God.

               Years ago, there was a song in which the author asked the Lord for just a little cabin in the corner of glory land. There is not much aspiration for greatness there, and less understanding of the blessed, unimaginable inheritance of the saints.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

               These past few weeks, and with still more to come, we have studied Jesus’ selection of the apostles. There is no fair argument from scripture that the words of the apostles are any less authoritative than the words of Jesus. Despite this, there is no shortage of arguments claiming that Jesus deserves more trust than the men He chose to author His story. This is especially true of Paul, the apostle chosen out of due time. He became a Christian after the crucifixion and is the most well-known defender of the Christian faith.

               We read of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 while he travelled on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus. A bright light shined on him, and Jesus in His glory spoke to him. The resurrected Christ appointed him as a preacher of the gospel especially to the Gentile nations. This appointment vested Paul with no less authority than the original apostles chosen during Christ’s ministry (Galatians 1:11-17; 2:6-9). God has His purposes, and we are at loss to determine the reason most of the apostles wrote nothing recorded as scripture while Paul wrote more of the New Testament than any other. Jesus and Paul are the two most prominent people in the New Testament. Luke who wrote his gospel account also wrote the Acts of the Apostles in which Paul dominates after chapter 12. To pit Jesus against Paul is to make warring factions that would destroy the unity and credibility of the entire New Testament.

               Peter who was the central figure of the original apostles declared the letters of Paul were scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). When Jesus commissioned the apostles, He said to his disciples: “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me” (Luke 10:16). Jesus did not personally record any of His sermons, He never made a note of them, He never wrote about His birth, death, and resurrection. Neither did He record the everyday conversations with His apostles or with the common people. Every statement He made to the religious leaders and to any person—every piece of information we have about Him comes from the apostles whether in the gospels, the epistles, or Revelation. The source materials for both Mark and Luke are the remembrances of the apostles. Thus, we understand that if the apostles are incorrect about any information, the are suspect in their entire Christology.

               The most often attacked apostle is Paul. There are those who say they love Jesus, but Paul is a different story. Their objection arises from their misunderstanding of both. Their Jesus is malleable to conform to whatever they wish Him to be. They speak of His love and compassion without knowledge that love without justice is not only meaningless but exceedingly harmful. There is no love in God without the accompaniment of all His attributes. God is love (1 John 4:8), therefore He exercises justice in love. He exercises punishment in love. It sounds contradictory, but without it, His people suffer bad company forever.

               Paul gets his bad rap mostly for his rigid posture on social issues—feminism and homosexuality being the top two complaints. To rid ourselves of Paul’s teachings on these subjects is to oppress women and elevate the most heinous crimes found in scripture. The abandonment of the divine order of our social structure and God’s design for human relationships causes the hastening of the justice of judgment (Romans 1:28-32).

               Read the Bible with the understanding the authors spoke under the authority of the divine author. Their words are His words for acceptance and obedience without question.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

               Today I was thinking back on last month’s observance of the Lord’s Supper. In these observances, I often mention the communion is not a sacrament but a memorial ordinance. Jesus told the disciples, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, do it in remembrance of me.” The Lord told us to remember, which is a good exercise for every Christian.

               It is good when we think back on the marvelous change God made in our lives when He revealed Christ to us in the gospel. Many of you have much more vivid remembrances than I because my salvation came early in life as a child. I had no overtly sinful behavior that harmed others or me. This is not to say I was not a sinner but to express my lesser experience with the world than teenagers or adults. This does not affect my salvific worth for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It does speak to the absence of compelling testimony that some others have of salvation from a lifetime of crimes against God. My testimony would seem far less spectacular than many I have heard.

               As I write this, I sense I may dig too deep a hole to climb out of if I continue in this vein. I do not want to appear better than anyone no matter what your background. We were all sinners condemned to Hell. I am better to return to my original thought. It is remembrance and the value of it in our Christian lives. When we do not remember what God did for us, we become complacent, ungrateful, and prone to think we have come this far by a product of our own efforts. We do not acknowledge the providence of God who always superintends every action.

               Often in the Psalms, the psalmists mention God’s providence and thank Him for the works He does and those He did. How many times are the exodus and wilderness wanderings mentioned in scripture? Praises for God’s mighty works often follow. Many psalms are prayers, and we would do well to learn from them how to approach God properly. The popular ACTS acrostic for prayer begins with A—Adoration. Adoration speaks of God’s wonderful providence in the present and in the past. It may include God’s plans promised for the future. These are all in the form of remembrances since the authors wrote them before you and I were born and are still yet future. In other words, remember what He did, what He does, and what He will do.

               My remembrance this week is think of God’s providential work in bringing me to Berean. The story has many twists and turns and is too lengthy to discuss here. None of it was predictable in my power, but looking back, remembering, I see how God perfectly put the pieces together to give support to unimaginable processes. It would be good for you, for just a few minutes, to stop and reflect, to remember where you have been and how far you have come. Why are you here at Berean in this year 2023? I am sure if you observe the big picture of your life, there are no by chance happenings. God moves, He orchestrates, and you may not see it in the immediate. It is only as you carefully survey your memory that you see He works all things for your good.

               This is to say this part of your life might not seem too good now, but someday you will remember it was a piece of the entire picture God perfectly, providentially worked for His glory and your good.

Paster V. Mark Smith

               This week in our sermon series in Mark, we continue our study of Jesus’ selection of His apostles. These were the men who were the charter members of His church and charged with laying the foundation of church doctrine. Paul refers to this in Ephesians 2 by saying the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church. Jesus is the chief cornerstone upon which the building is fitly framed, and it was in the development of Christ’s teachings that the apostles built this framework.

               Teaching others to do His work was the reason for the three-year ministry of Christ. Without this, Jesus might well have shortened His stay to a few months and then hastened to the cross. This would make sense if He intended the Kingdom on earth would come quickly after He arose from the dead. The earthly Kingdom did not come quickly. Rather, we have this long interval of the church age in which we wait for Christ to return. During this time, Christ’s work continues by others. Primarily, these others are the preachers of the gospel, and in particular, the pastors of the Lord’s New Testament churches. Though we all should be involved in church ministry, it is peculiarly the pastor’s job to perfect the saints and strengthen the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11).

               I have often wondered how a sermon from the apostles would sound. Today we have preaching schools that develop preaching skills (homiletics) as well as in-depth instruction in the scriptures. The apostles did not attend preaching school. The only school they had was three years of Jesus’ teachings and example. And yet, none of us would say their Bible education was inferior. However, preaching skill is more than knowing the word. We must communicate the word. Paul claimed others complained he was not much of a communicator. Others were not much impressed with his technique. His preaching was efficacious because he depended on the Holy Spirit to make the word effectual to the hearer. This is the most deficient feature of today’s preaching. We are concerned with style and certain engaging factors that are no part of Jesus’ processes. Minus the Holy Spirit, our sermons are corporate TED talks that have no power to move the hearer beyond emotional responses.

               None of this is to say technique does not matter. Paul skillfully managed the word with logic. While preparing my sermon a few weeks ago, I read an article which gave unconventional preaching advice. I will not run you through thirteen points made, but rather mention two that are good for our congregation. The first is to preach as if there are non-Christians present when there are none. We find ourselves there too often. Despite this, it is good for me to preach as if you know less than you do. You may track with me on every point but what good is it for me to preach if I believe you could preach back to me the same information? Many Sundays I might as well not come. Remember the importance of repetition as you read the gospels. Why three synoptic gospels and why New Testament epistles that mirror each other? It is good to hear what we know to reinforce it in our souls.

               The second piece of advice is that points are a good thing. It is popular today to preach without them (pointless sermons?). Several months ago, one of our members that moved away returned for a service. The gist of her comment was the enjoyment of hearing a sermon and following logically point by point until reaching the right conclusion of its beginning premise. Yes, someone really does like filling out blanks.

               I said two pieces of unconventional advice, but I believe a third is in order. This one you will accept without hesitation. CUT 10% OF THE WORDS FROM THE SERMON! I do not think so. Bad idea. Not me.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

This week and last, we are in a study of Jesus’ selection of His twelve disciples. Most of them we know extraordinarily little about but understanding the religious and political climates of their day, surely shows anyone who stayed with Jesus must have had a unique call and gifting to endure what He promised was coming. Mostly, He dealt with the trials and tribulations fostered by the world’s hatred of them. Treated as outcasts, and targets of the same hostilities against Him (Matt. 10:22; 24:9), their lives were nothing less than tumultuous. We are not privy to the many conversations that happened over the course of three years. The gospels are brief concerning the few we have, but we know there must have been many more when they asked hundreds of questions—some answered, some not.

               The key to hanging in with Jesus through the tough discussions must have been many more hopeful ones with promises that convinced them that staying was more profitable than leaving. The salvation of their souls was the beginning of their confidence. Salvation changes our heart, and the mind sets its affection on the heavenly rather than the earthly (Col. 3:2). This kept the disciples from placing too much value on temporal gains of which Jesus promised little to none. This does not mean there was nothing significant in their salvation to look forward to in this present life. There is peace that envelopes our souls, a peace the world does not understand. There is contentment even though we may have little of what the world offers. There is sweetness and calmness in life’s troubles that might otherwise depress and make us think life is not worth living.

               Amongst all Jesus’ warnings of what would befall them by staying faithful to Him, was an occasional glimpse of the glory they would share with Him. None could be greater than what He said about the regeneration. They would sit on thrones as judges of the tribes of Israel. Jesus spoke of His millennial kingdom when the entire world focuses on Jerusalem and the tiny nation of Israel. Tiny no more, Israel will dominate across the entire globe with King Jesus on the throne. Righteousness will reign and prosperity will abound.

               Overlooking and aiding will be the apostles of the King. They are the chief princes of His kingdom. Their faithfulness is the foundation of the church, the bride, built upon the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ. When Jesus showed them this, still being human and still with their sinful nature, the news began to dominate their thinking. “When is it coming? When is it coming?” was their constant repetitious question. Even when ascending back to His Father, they could not resist and let Him go without asking one more time (Acts 1:6).

               What a great promise to know in the millennium, their earthly poverty would turn to earthly prestige—prestige without sinful influences but with a fully regenerated mind. At the time of Jesus’ ascension, there was another promise yet unknown to them. Only the apostle John would learn this before his death. The unveiling of this promise comes at the end of the Revelation. As the Bible records the names of the foundational men of the church, so the dazzling city walls of the New Jerusalem has foundations that record the names of the apostles of Heaven’s Lamb of Glory.

               Is it worth it to stay with Jesus? Is it worth it to devote your life to Him? Is it worth it to be a pariah because of your faith in Him? Trust Him, believe Him, stay with Him, and one day you can ask the apostles, “Is it worth it?” You will not need to ask. Your faith will end in sight.Pastor V. Mark Smith

               Today, and for the next several weeks, the theme of the messages is Jesus’ choice of twelve men who would assist Him in gospel ministry and would continue His work after His death, resurrection, and ascension back to His Heavenly Father. They were remarkable men, although not recognized by anyone in their time as such. At least not until God demonstrated His power in them, they had nothing to claim in education, wealth, or worldly wisdom.

               The apostle Paul would later write, “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.” (1 Corinthians 1:26b) These twelve fit the description exactly with one of them being a traitorous, selfish, and contemptuous individual. What the Lord did with the others was not this one’s character. Jesus made the others wise, mighty, and noble in the only way these traits count—in the service of the Lord of lords and King of kings. After Jesus left them to continue His ministry, their opposition recognized them as all the above, as men who had been with Jesus. There was no explanation for their courage and abilities except that from Him they inherited the power to do as He did (John 14:12).

               From these gospel accounts, the New Testament goes on to reveal a specialized calling of others to continue the works of Christ. The period of supernatural acts is over—at least in a physical sense. We do not need them today and must concentrate on the knowledge of the word and its power to accomplish everything God desires. If we miss the truth that the word is all sufficient, it will lead us into mistakes made by many who ignore the scriptures while they look for the next miracle. The scriptures are clear that they alone are sufficient to make us fit, completely equipped for any work God calls us to do (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Each week as we explain the scriptures verse by verse, we obey the Bible’s command to put on the whole armor of God. Each piece finds its foundation in the knowledge of scripture. It is the fool who does not hide the word of God in his heart and remains unprepared for the spiritual battles we face each day.

               My point is that we do not need the formal calling of apostleship to accomplish the same end of the work as they did. We only need to be faithful to read the word, know the word, and apply the word. God does mighty works through it, and only through it. It is His method for the current world and shall preserve His people for eternity. I find it remarkable that heaven will apply God’s word continuously for the peace, safety, and eternal preservation of God’s people. Are you not amazed that God left us with such an incredibly powerful otherworldly tool to use for our aid and comfort, and yet for most, it lies gathering dust throughout the week?

               Should we expect to experience the power of these apostles without their source? Their wisdom did nothing for them. It was not their natural abilities that caused their selection. It was what Jesus would speak into them as He taught them His words. This much, we still have. The necessary words—all the necessary words—preserved in the book we preach each week. As the Lord’s church, we are each chosen to be messengers of the truth and of the power it miraculously speaks. Use it and see the difference it will make in your life.

Pastor V. Mark Smith