The End Is Near!

Berean Baptist on January 20, 2020

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7) 

            I am sure each of you is familiar with the cartoon of a man with long hair and beard standing on a street corner with a sign reading “THE END IS NEAR!” Usually, the sign flanks both the front and rear and some sort of funny caption is placed beneath. The idea is that anyone that thinks the end of the world is approaching is a fool. Every day we wake up to the same sunrise, we head off to work, put in our shift, and then make the drive back home. At night we watch a little TV, crawl into bed and go to sleep. The next morning it starts all over again, and we do this 365 times per year and have done it for every year since we were born. Further, everyone we know has done the same routine with only slight variation and everyone we have ever heard of or read about in the history of the world has done the same. It is no wonder that when someone begins to sound an alarm for the approaching apocalypse, he is considered a fool.

            It has now been 2000 years since Peter wrote “the end of all things is at hand” and no doubt there were many that read his words and said he was a fool. Peter’s reference is to the Second Coming of Christ when God will destroy this universe and all that is contained therein. In his second letter, Peter spoke of scoffers that said “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Are we to consider Peter a fool because Christ has yet to return? Is the Bible’s warning nonsense?

            It is helpful to understand that although New Testament Christians believed in the imminent return of Christ, they were not date-setters. Peter did not imply he was certain tomorrow, or next week, or next month, the world would end. He followed the consistent pattern of New Testament teaching, especially that of Jesus, which said the Second Coming would be a sudden event that would occur without warning. The “end” refers to the consummation of the ages. “At hand” means the day is approaching. Every day we live we are one day closer to the time Christ will return. We are encouraged therefore to live in anticipation of the event. This does not mean to stand on street corners with signs, although we should witness of it in a rational manner. It does not mean to neglect our daily routines and stare at the sky. It means to guard our personal lives so that we are a living testimony of faith. The closer we are to the Lord in obeying His commands the more it speaks to the degree of our confidence in the truthfulness of the scriptures.

            The prophet Amos said, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Years ago, I remember seeing signs along the roadway that said the same. The time of our life is uncertain and at every turn in life’s roadway there is a possible hazard that could end our lives. It is not as crazy as we might think to say, “the end is near.” One way or another we will meet God. It could be at the suddenness of the Second Coming or at our failure to breathe the next breath. No one knows the time of either. Are you prepared? In either event, you can be by placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Chaos in the Pulpit

Berean Baptist on December 23, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            Beware of false teachers. They will destroy your soul.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

Is Your Faith Amazing?

Berean Baptist on December 16, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Thank God for Our Church

Berean Baptist on June 24, 2019

           At times, it seems we hope against hope for our survival as each year presents new challenges to our faith. Gruesome presidential and congressional elections present us with no good options, or at least none we feel we can make without violating every decency of a sanctified conscience. Never have Christian Americans had to vote for such unqualified evil. We are torn between our patriotic duty of voting, and the feeling if we vote we might conflict with our duty as citizens of our heavenly country. How do we vote when evil wins either way? I am thankful Bereans can sit together in church today, and despite our different political opinions, we rejoice as one in the word of God.

            How are we able to do this? It is because our political divisions pale in comparison to our spiritual agreements. We are not divided about the gospel. We have firm unchanging conviction in the saving power of Jesus Christ. No campaign for a different salvation will shake us from our belief in justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

            We are not divided on the Bible. We believe it is the inerrant, inspired word of God that is our constitution of faith and practice. We are not divided on its proper translation. We believe the King James Version is the best translation for English speaking people.

            We are not divided on Christ. There is no other way to the Father but through Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. We believe salvation is exclusively in Him as the author and finisher of our faith. We are not divided on His cross, believing it is the only place for our sins to be forgiven. We are not divided on His death as the atonement for our sins and that Christ died as a penal substitute to redeem us from all iniquity.

            We are not divided about our standing in Christ. We are held safely and securely in the Father’s hand and no power of hell can separate us from the His love. Our perseverance in the faith is assured because He is the defender of His people.

            We are not divided on the work of the Holy Spirit. He regenerated us when we were dead in trespasses and sin and brought us to life in order to hear and believe the gospel. His work precedes our repentance and faith in a secret operation upon the soul. We realize this work only by the fruits it produces. We are not divided on His sanctification of believers which is sealed to us upon our belief. We receive the Spirit in His fullness as an abiding presence when we place our faith in Christ.

            We are not divided concerning the Father’s work of choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world. All benefits of salvation flow out of this sovereign choice founded only in the good pleasure of His will. No blessings are secured to us based on any act of foreseen faith.

            And lastly, we are not divided about the body of Christ, the church of the living God. We are a visible body complete in Him—vessels of mercy made to glorify Him through the preaching of the gospel. Our duty is to bring more of His chosen ones to the throne of His grace.

            We are thankful that human government rules temporally for the good of our society. We have no trust in it beyond God’s stated purpose to be His instrument to restrain evil. Though it often disappoints and causes temporary dissent, it will not dampen our enthusiasm or ruin our faith that God always does all things well. God’s kingdom and His church are great no matter who our government officials may be.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Remove Not the Ancient Landmark

Berean Baptist on November 26, 2018

Proverbs 22:28

There is scarcely a Christian in a fundamental church that has not heard a sermon on Proverbs 22:28. There is no debate over the original meaning of the verse. Landmarks were used to set the boundaries of a person’s property. These were set to designate the ownership of land in recognition of a person’s legal right to a specific part of the land. Often, large stones placed at corners of the property made it obvious to others where the property lines extended. We still use the same basic principles today in less obvious ways. Surveyors set property pins. It is impossible to move the property lines by theft since modern surveying techniques do not depend on physical markers. GPS coordinates take their place. But, in Bible times, to move a marker to increase one’s part of the land and to decrease another’s, was very dishonest and destructive to property owners.

The question about this text is whether it is right to make a spiritual application. I have never heard of a fundamental preacher who said we should not. It is a favorite text for teaching the danger of moving away from the great doctrines of the Bible. These doctrines are the markers of our faith and practice. We cannot go beyond or fall short of them. To do so is to destroy the faith as it was once delivered by the Holy Spirit through New Testament authorship (Jude 1:3). In Jude’s terms, contending for the faith is the defense of these landmarks.

As Bereans, we examine every doctrine to be sure it corresponds to the written word. If it does not, we reject it as an attempt to move the landmark. In two thousand years of church history, many splinter groups have been busy moving landmarks all over the map. They put new ones down while adjusting others or completely removing them. These bogus landmarks should be soundly rejected. If they are not scriptural, they do not come from God. This shows the main positioning pin is vital. This pin is the belief the Bible is the infallible, unchanging word of God.

When others describe our church as a traditional church, some may think this refers to our worship style, such as the types of songs we sing and the way we present them. This is a tradition in one sense, but not the tradition we care to be most descriptive. Rather, we want to be known as a traditional Bible church. We want to be known as those who have no other standards than those found in God’s word. We want no other doctrines than those we can defend with an open Bible. We want no other text of scripture than translations that are faithful to the author’s original intent. We want no flirtation with non-biblical methods of increasing attendance. The church belongs to Christ and He will build it as He sees fit.

Don’t move the landmarks! Every doctrine must fit as God delivered it in His word. We preach nothing more as if to add is to help the word, and we preach nothing less as if to subtract is to correct the word. The word as given is sufficient to furnish us to all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

The Living and Energizing Word

Berean Baptist on July 23, 2018

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

One of the greatest tragedies of the modern church is the failure of both pulpit and people to honor God’s word. There are many that regard the Bible as a stuffy book that was written by ancient men who were overly superstitious and whose opinions are not applicable to the modern world. If the Bible is read in church, it is a version that has been stripped of its original meaning and paraphrased so that it reads like the newspaper or a cheap novel.

Modern Bible translators believe God is incapable of saying what He meant to say. It is therefore their task to put scripture into a more readable form so that anyone can understand it. In doing so, their eclectic translations interpret scripture rather than translate. Their actions deny a fundamental element of Bible comprehension, which is the power of the Holy Spirit to speak to the heart and mind to reveal truth. The Bible is not man’s book but rather as Hebrews 4:12 describes, it is the word of God.

The Bible has special characteristics that make it more than just an “ancient” book. It is “quick” which means it is alive. It does not die like an ancient language. It is as new and fresh to every generation as if it was spoken this morning. It is also “powerful,” which is a word from which we get “energy.” The Bible is constantly active so that it is able to awaken people that are dead in trespasses and sins and give them spiritual birth (1 Pet. 1:23).

The writer also says it is “sharper than any twoedged sword.” We should pay attention to this phrase because this speaks of God’s judgment. Those who do not listen to the word and heed its commands are going to be judged severely by it. It can reveal the “thoughts and intents of the heart.” Those that reject the message of the scripture, the way of eternal life through the gospel of Christ, will be held accountable in the Day of Judgment.

It is not very hard to understand the reason so many churches have abandoned scripture. As churches desire an atmosphere that caters to an unregenerate crowd, the word of God becomes a terrible sore spot because of its exposing and condemning nature. The scripture says that people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. The word of God is a glaring spotlight on an evil generation, so trying to draw a worldly crowd by preaching the truth of the word is an exercise in futility.

At Berean, we are committed to reading and preaching the Bible and are content to let the Holy Spirit work on the hearts of the people. The Bible does expose sin, but the Holy Spirit is able to take the preached word and break down the resistance of the sinner. Clever tactics and manipulation are not our method. We depend solely on the work of the Holy Spirit as He uses the “quick” and “powerful” word to draw sinners to Christ.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Connecting the Dots

Berean Baptist on March 27, 2018

 

Psalm 129

I have often mentioned the importance of Bible study so that we may understand how one place in scripture compares and explains other parts of scripture. Often preachers will search through multiple books of illustrations looking for something that will enhance their sermon points and help capture the meaning of a passage. Sometimes the illustrations are the point and the sermon is built on the illustration rather than using the word of God to speak to us.

Instead of looking for multiple illustrations from other sources, I much prefer to let the Bible speak for itself. The Bible is its own best commentary, but to use it as such, a good working knowledge of scripture is necessary. Psalm 129 is a case in point. This is one of the frequent times scripture recounts the history of the Jewish people who have been oppressed since the day God made them a nation. As the psalmist says, Israel was afflicted from its youth.

The nation grew up in Egypt under cruel taskmasters, and then became a people set apart to God through the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. It seems there is barely a chapter from that point when somebody was not trying to destroy them. The reason is not because Jews have some inherent despicability. I think modern Jews often do not understand this themselves. The real reason is the one who hates God’s people hates because of the one particular person Israel would produce.

If I were preaching this passage, the first place I would go for illustration is the book of Revelation. The first thought that came to my mind was the 12th chapter verses 1 and 2: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” The woman is Israel. The illustration grows with the imagery of sun and moon under her feet and the crown of twelve stars on her head. This is the same as Joseph’s dream when he saw father and mother and brothers bow to him when he became the vice-regent of Egypt.

The chapter goes on to speak of Israel travailing in birth. The birth pains are the difficulties by which the Saviour was brought into the world. Israel suffered because the Messiah was the fruit of her womb and He is the enemy of Satan. He intends to crush the head of the serpent, an illustration taken from Genesis 3.

This causes reflection on the 129th psalm verse 3 which speaks of plowers plowing her back. This is the deep pains of sorrow continually heaped on Israel because of the child that was to come. He too would have His back plowed by the cat o’ nine tails that left Him ripped apart in a mess of mangled flesh.

From point to point to point—dot to dot to dot, the scriptures weave the story of Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, the story of heaven and earth’s hero is told. Do we see these things in scripture as we read, or do we glance over them not understanding how the 129th psalm is one of the stepping stones in the story? Bible study is the only way this book comes alive. I can tell you it is more exciting to discover it for yourself than to have me simply tell it to you. If you try it and stick with it, you will learn this.

If you want the Bible to be your precious book, make it a part of your everyday life. Don’t let a day go by without reaching into it and gathering another of its nuggets of precious truths. If you do, Jesus will be more real to you than you can possibly imagine.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

Distorted Scriptures

Berean Baptist on January 22, 2018

The Bible is the only record we have of the way God works, and so it stands to reason that if Satan wants to confuse people about who God is he would work very hard to distort the only record we have that tells us what God is like.

The scriptures give a very clear description of what happens when people do not have the Bible to tell them what they must believe in order to know God. The knowledge of God’s existence is revealed in the creation, but this revelation is not enough to tell us His plan of redemption. It reveals His transcendence and His providence but does not tell us how we can have a personal saving relationship with Him. When people do not understand this, they have a tendency to transform God into an idol fashioned by their own hands and make Him into things that match even the lowest forms of the created order. This is a conscious effort to push God down. As Paul said, God is made into an image like corruptible man and to birds and four footed beasts and creeping things (Romans 1:23). Though most today do not have a visible idol of God as do the pagans, they still reinvent Him as the invisible likeness of man who thinks and acts like us. In this scheme, God becomes the approver not reprover of our sin.

Conversely, when we have the scriptures, we learn who God really is. As David said in Psalm 119, “I love thy law.” This was not because David had a special propensity for doing what was right, but he saw in the law of God a reflection of God’s true character. He learned to love and trust God because of it. He learned these things while possessing only a small portion of the scriptures. He had access only to the books of Moses and a few of the historical books. How much greater is our ability to know God’s goodness when we have the full complement of the sixty-six books of the canon of scripture?

Before the completion of the Bible and the globalization of it we enjoy today, Satan had to contend with only a very small population that possessed any of the Word. Today the world is filled with copies of the Bible and Satan must work overtime to confuse the minds of those who read it. For this reason, he attacks the Word at its core. He twists not only the concepts of scripture but also the very words themselves. How does he do it? By flooding the marketplace with counterfeit scriptures. He plants mistranslations—even missing translation such as is found in the NIV. Once the words of scripture are changed or eliminated, he has great success at changing the doctrines. When we concede that the Bible has errors, it is only a short step to include men’s ideas of how those errors should be corrected. Thus, we get Bibles with interpretation instead of translation.

This is just one of the many tactics Satan uses in relation to the Word to distort the truth of God’s character. How do we avoid these errors? Without question, the first measure is to stick to a tried and true translation. We have a reliable text that God has used to save the souls of millions of English speaking people. For more than four hundred years, the King James Version has led people to Christ and established believers in the faith. Why change what we know God has approved? Be safe—stay with the Bible of our English forefathers. We are determined to do this at Berean. The foundation of truth must be solid before the faith built upon it can stand. Satan has many avenues of attack. This is one we refuse to allow. We will not let him begin his deception by taking away the true Word of God.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith