Category: Bulletin Articles

“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

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

In today’s message, we come to the last of Jesus’ eight dynamic statements called “The Beatitudes.” These sayings are the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and they are descriptions of kingdom citizens. Christ’s kingdom is one of happiness and thus “beatitude” means happiness, for those who possess these qualities have found joy in the salvation of Christ.

No one comes by these qualities naturally. They are begun in the Holy Spirit as He moves upon the heart through the gospel of Christ. In each beatitude, whether poverty of spirit, meekness, mercy, purity of heart—each one requires a special work of God’s Spirit. The last beatitude is perhaps the most difficult because we can never imagine how happiness comes from pain and suffering.

And yet, nothing was modeled more convincingly as a means to happiness than Jesus’ suffering. Hebrews says that Jesus endured the shame of the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. Isaiah wrote, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).

Christ’s joy was in the redemption of His people. It could not come without the suffering and death of the cross. It is impossible to imagine with an unregenerate heart how this could ever be. However, the apostles who lived it affirmed it. They counted it joy to suffer for Christ (James 1:2). There was pleasure in it (2 Corinthians 12:10). There was rejoicing and glory in it (Acts 5:41, 1 Peter 4:13-16).

This is the product of a heart made new like Christ and a mind renewed in the spirit of holiness. Those who have not been changed will not hold up in times of testing. If faith is not genuine, it will fail. Thus, enduring trials and persecutions is evidence of saving faith. Joy comes when we feel God’s strength surging through our veins.

The tendency of those who are not real in the faith is to shy away from declaring their faith in hostile situations. If you are able to stand strong, if you don’t waver, if you feel God’s power, rejoice! God has just claimed you as one of His own!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Our study today brings us to the Sermon on the Mount’s seventh beatitude. I have chosen the title “The Pacific Beatitude” for today’s message which may be somewhat confusing to many of you. The word pacific simply means “promoting peace.” It seems somewhat ironic that Ferdinand Magellan the great Portuguese explorer named the largest of the world’s oceans, “The Pacific Ocean,” meaning “the peaceful sea.” The mighty Pacific has claimed the lives of thousands, and many of the early explorers were never able to cross its expanse without losing their lives.

The world today can be compared to the Pacific Ocean because there are days when we can travel to the beaches near here and gaze out over the beautiful, serene, deep blue sea and whisper to each other, “How lovely, and how peaceful.” There is a quiet and a calm that can lull us into thinking that every day will be peaceful and calm. But those who sail the seas know far differently. There is no lasting peace on the sea. A peaceful day can very quickly turn into a raging storm.

Likewise, there is no lasting peace among the people of the earth. Politicians promise they can achieve it. Groups and committees are formed to promote it; nations join together in bodies like the League of Nations or the United Nations; but in the end, every peace that is forged breaks down into hatred and strife. It is simply not in the heart of man to be at peace because in all of us evil lurks. A storm is waiting to break out and given enough time, it always will. We can no more tame the human heart than we can stop the wind from making waves on the sea.

Why then does Jesus say, “Blessed are the peacemakers?” It seems He promises an unachievable blessing. Not really—for the one who is able to calm the seas is the one who can give a new heart. He can change our hearts through the gospel. Real peace will never come with the efforts of any Nobel peace prize winner or any human government. Only Christ can bring lasting peace. So, Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers.” These are those who herald the life changing, heart cleansing gospel of Christ. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Today as we look into the sixth beatitude, we come to the apex of these eight sayings of Christ. All of these sayings are critical, they go together, and are present in every true believer. This one, however, is the blessing from which all other blessings flow. We cannot possess any of the others inwardly or outwardly without purity of heart.

This beatitude speaks to the change in nature of the believer. We are all born in sin; we have a sinful nature that was passed on to us by our earthly father, Adam. This nature prevents any of the beatitudes from being a natural characteristic of humans. To realize poverty of spirit, to mourn because of it, to be meek and humbled by it, to seek to remedy it by pursuing righteousness, and to demonstrate with mercy that we have been changed from it, requires a new heart, a new nature that comes only from God above.

It is also a pure heart that enables believers to be peacemakers. We do this by giving others the only thing that will bring peace—the gospel of Christ. Strangely enough those with pure hearts are persecuted for it. It is precisely because our hearts are changed and we are different from the world that we are persecuted. Men need peace because their hearts are not pure, but they seek it in all the wrong ways for this very reason—they are not pure in heart. Do you see why this is the cardinal beatitude?

A pure heart is one that is as God, meaning it has been purified by the washing of regeneration by the Word of God. This is a heart that has been given the perfect righteousness of Christ through faith in Him. Essentially, we can say this is the person that has been justified by faith in Christ alone.

“They shall see God.” They see Him now in the Word. They realize His presence by faith, but they shall see Him face to face. As the hymn writer said, “And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace!” If you have a pure heart, one cleansed by the blood of Christ, you shall see God!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

In my life, I have had the privilege of visiting nearly every part of the United States. I have visited every state but Alaska, which is on my agenda sometime before I end up on the wrong side of the grass. I love to travel and I find beauty in every type of landscape. I like mountains and I like the desert. I like oceans and I like forests. But perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of the country to me is the wheat fields of Kansas.

My family is originally from Kansas and as a child I loved to visit there. I especially liked the time of wheat harvest because when the winds blow across the plains, you can really see the “amber waves” as they ripple across acres of ripened grain. The plains states are known as America’s “breadbasket.” We produce food in abundance and we feed ourselves as well as many other places of the world.

While very few in this country actually go physically hungry, there are millions who are starving spiritually. Although spiritual hunger pervades our society, there are very few that are looking to satisfy this hunger. People die every day never having tasted the righteousness that will satisfy their souls. Jesus asked, “What are we profited if we gain the whole world and lose our souls?” He promises that those who seek to satisfy their spiritual hunger with His righteousness will receive not just some righteousness, but all righteousness. They will be filled and their souls will be saved.

But satisfying this hunger is not done by your personal efforts. You can seek it, but you cannot satisfy it. You cannot feed yourself; only Christ can feed you. Do you recognize “the hole in your soul” that needs to be filled? Jesus will fill it if you give up on self and seek Him alone. Perhaps America does not have the resources to feed all the physically hungry in the world, but God certainly has the resources to feed all the spiritually hungry. His word says, “He hath filled the hungry with good things.” If you seek Him, you too shall be filled.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Most people have the idea that Jesus is speaking about taking a vow of poverty. They give this beatitude the sense that there is some holiness attached to forsaking all worldly goods and living a meager existence. A vow of poverty can actually be antithetical to Christian teaching especially if it robs us of industriousness or the ability to earn money to be used in the service of God. If Jesus were speaking of material poverty, there would never be any hope for sending out missionaries, supporting pastors, building church buildings, conducting Christian schools, or any benevolent works. The simple truth is the poor cannot feed the poor, missionaries cannot travel without money, pastors cannot physically live on prayers and good wishes, therefore if everyone tried to be blessed by being poor many of our Christian works would never be accomplished.

Holiness achieved by poverty would actually rob the richness of the true meaning of this beatitude. Jesus is speaking of spiritual bankruptcy. We are depraved, vile creatures with no personal worth that commends us to God. It is only when we recognize how destitute we truly are that we are driven to the cross of Christ. We have no hope but in Him. We cannot achieve holiness by giving up anything because we don’t have anything to offer God. “In my hand no price I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling!”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (Ephesians 5:23)

One of the most difficult principles for marriages today is the biblical command for a wife’s submission to her husband. Most husbands gladly seize upon it without understanding the tremendous responsibility it places upon them. Before a wife is willing to submit, she must have a husband who is willing to lead in a loving, Christ-like manner. Ephesians 5:22-33 has 2 ½ verses dedicated to submissive wives and 8 ½ verses dedicated to how the husband should lead his wife.

Among these verses is a very interesting statement made in verse 23. The husband is the head of the wife and he stands in relation to her as Christ does as the saviour of the body, His church. The wife submits to her husband because he is her saviour. Does that statement blow your mind? The husband is the saviour of his wife? How is that possible?

We have to look closely at the word “saviour” because this does not mean saviour as in the sense of personal salvation from sin. The word here means “preserver.” Paul uses “saviour” similarly in 1 Timothy 4:10: For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Some would love to argue universal atonement from this verse meaning that Christ’s atonement is intended for every person without exception. But the last phrase, specially of those that believe, would make no sense if the atonement is in view. Universal atonement logically infers universal salvation. Since there is no universal salvation, this verse must be interpreted in the sense that Christ shares benefits with believers and unbelievers. The only explanation for this is God’s common grace.

The Bible says God sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Whether you are saved or lost you receive benefits from God because He is the one who gives “life, and breath, and all things.” In 1 Timothy 4:10, “saviour” means that Christ is the preserver of all men in sustaining their physical life, but He is the saviour of those who believe in a much greater sense in that He gives them not only physical life but spiritual life.  The first sense is what the husband is for the wife. He is her protector and preserver. Because he is the one protecting, she should offer submission to him.

So, the idea of submission is a godly principle. It is a Christian principle, a creative principle, and a church principle. It is taught in scripture; it is to be obeyed; and a woman who seeks the filling of the Spirit will gladly put herself in her God given role as a submissive wife. Do it because it glorifies God; and when you do, it will be a blessing to you.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25)

In our studies of the Sermon on the Mount, there is a recurring theme of the inability of any person to become righteous with God on the basis of his own merit. When Jesus expounded the Old Testament law, He clearly confronted the people with their shortcomings in how they had failed to reach the perfect standard of righteousness that God requires. Every command spoken by the apostles as they taught New Testament Christians was in effect a command of God. They spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit so that every word spoken under inspiration is as if Jesus had spoken the words Himself.

As Paul gives this command in Ephesians 5:25, it is the Holy Spirit telling us one more time that in the power of the flesh we are helpless to please God. How can we keep this command? We cannot even fathom the depths of the statement much less fulfill it with our sinful heart. I cannot explain to you how much Christ loved the church. Paul steers us in the right direction by saying that Christ was willing to die for His church. Theologians and preachers spend their lives declaring this sacrificial love but none of us can ever touch the bottom of its meaning.

And yet, this kind of love is what Christ demands of husbands. It should be immediately apparent that Paul can only be addressing redeemed, born again believers. No husband that has never received Christ nor known His love would have a clue where to start. But for those of us, who have been touched by the saving grace of God, we know where to begin and we know the one who gives the grace to fulfill it.

The duty of a husband is to be a Spirit filled man. As we become closer and closer to Christ in our daily walk, we learn more about Christ’s love. We reach higher levels of understanding of His love and this knowledge teaches us how to obey the command. Husbands, your ability to love your wife as Christ loved the church is in direct proportion to your spirituality. The conclusion—if you want a happy wife and a happy marriage, spend more time working on the spiritual man!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? (Matthew 19:4-5)

Today in our study of Matthew, we begin a multi-part series on the biblical doctrine of marriage. I have used the term “biblical” to describe this teaching because there is so much confusion about what marriage is, who can be rightfully married, and the proper parameters for a marriage that is God honoring. I do not intend to focus as much on the perversions of marriage as I want to deal with issues that will make our marriages conform to biblical principles.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus addressed the lowered standards and expectations of the scribes and Pharisees as He dealt with God’s law in connection with the problem of divorce. Divorce would not have been an issue then nor would it be today if we only applied the real meaning and intent of the Ten Commandments. The Commandments are not merely a list of “do’s” and “don’ts.” They are meant to be a regulation of our relationships. Jesus said the entire law rests upon two commandments—love God, and love your neighbor.

Loving God is expressed in commandments one through four and loving your neighbor is expressed in commandments five through ten. I believe in one sense we understand the first four and their relationship to loving God better than we understand the last six and their relationship to loving man. It is easy for us to say “I love God,” because even though He is near us and we can feel His presence, we don’t actually see Him. We see other people and we interact with them regularly, and it is much harder to love them when we see all their faults and blemishes. It is especially harder when those people disappoint us. And yet, fighting through those disappointments and loving others is the thrust of the second division of the law. The apostle John wrote: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

The second division of the law is dependent upon the first. If we love God as we should, we will love our neighbor. This is really the key to a successful marriage. Any marriage in which loving God is the focus is one that could never crumble into divorce. If there are issues in your marriage that are tearing it apart, ask this question first: “Am I fully surrendered in my love for Christ?” There is no need to run to the bookstore or to a secular psychologist for the latest advice. Just turn to Jesus’ exposition of the commandments. Love God supremely and you will resolve your conflicts.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

…for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29b)

Just before the presidential election of 2008, the financial markets on Wall Street were stunned when Merrill Lynch one of the oldest brokerage businesses in New York agreed to sell the firm because they were in near financial collapse. Another respected firm, Lehmann Brothers, was forced to liquidate because of bad investments. What followed could most nearly be equated to an economic earthquake as major brokerage houses, insurance companies, banks, and corporations were on the verge of destruction.

As we all know, this led to a massive monetary bailout by the Federal government. These institutions in which people put their money, their livelihoods, their hopes and dreams were failing. Most believed their futures were safe and sound and all they need do was sit back and watch the dollars roll in. The hard cold reality is now upon us. None of these institutions is safe and some are predicting the Federal government itself cannot long withstand the deficits and financial pressures that it has incurred.

As I think about how this will affect many Americans, I am reminded of the truthfulness of Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). Jesus pits time against eternity. What is most profitable? Astute investors are always looking for a good return, and yet most people are so short sighted that they miss the best investment of all.

Many Christians are working hard to ensure retirement. They put all of their time and energy into brokerage accounts, savings accounts, real estate, or whatever in hopes they will accumulate enough to make their future secure. The Bible definitely teaches the wisdom of financial preparation, but at the same time it teaches that more and more of our wealth should be going into eternal treasures. God gives the ability to work and earn so that His work can be blessed. As we make more and more money, how much have we increased our giving to God?

Profitability in Matthew 5:29, however, is not primarily about money. This is encouragement to consider every part of our lives. Anything that distracts from holiness and righteousness is not profitable. Sin is a bad investment with only negative returns. Negative returns come from any departure from Christ’s sound investment advice. This means in your personal life, your family, your work—if you choose against Christ in any area, you have made an unprofitable, unwise investment.

How is your future adding up? Jesus had little concern for bank accounts because He declared that He must always be about the business of His Father. Believe me, if you want to invest in any kind of business, make it the Father’s business. His business will never fail and always yields the best returns!

Pastor V. Mark Smith