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

Seeking the Saviour in the Sacrifices

Berean Baptist on August 19, 2019

The Old Testament is often ignored in many churches without people realizing it holds the key to many New Testament references. At first, the only Bible New Testament preachers could use was the Old Testament. This meant they were continually seeking Jesus in Old Testament texts. Even Jesus referenced the Old Testament testimony of Him. He taught two disciples on the road to Emmaus immediately after He arose from the tomb. He explained the Old Testament text beginning at Moses and the prophets to show them He was the true promised Messiah.

In the New Testament era, God speaks through the living word, Jesus Christ, as revealed in the written word, the Bible. We have no other way of knowing Him in the fullness of His splendor except as we understand Him through scripture. We need not expect any other revelation because scripture testifies to its sufficiency. It tells us everything God wants us to know in this present day. Yet, God spoke in various ways in times past. Sometimes He gave dreams and visions. Sometimes He appeared in theophanies. These were manifestations of His presence through other forms. For example, He spoke to Moses in a burning bush or appeared as a stranger conversing with Abraham. Joshua saw Him as an angel and Jacob wrestled with Him at Peniel. Those were unusual occurrences even for Old Testament times. The more common way of God teaching about Himself was through the pictures of worship.

God gave Moses the plan for the tabernacle, a tent-like structure, made from a pattern of the divine in heaven. Each part of the building, the materials, the articles of furniture, the superstructure, the surroundings, and the priests who served were types of the Lord Jesus Christ. There were also many sacrifices classified as either sweet savour or non-sweet savor.

I am convinced there is no better way to learn the person and work of Christ than to study Old Testament worship. If Jesus used the Old Testament to teach His work to confused people, and if the apostles had nothing but what they learned from the Old Testament to guide them at first, surely an examination of Old Testament worship is time well spent. As the authors wrote the New Testament, it gave life to the types the Old Testament portrayed. The Israelites could not see it as well as we do today. The recognition of a type requires the unveiling of the antitype. We more recognize the types/antitypes because we have a completed Bible. But what good does it do to have the antitype if we do not recognize the type? You see, the dilemma is the same. If you do not know the Old Testament, the antitype is largely unrecognized.

There are many of these in the scriptures. We miss much meaning if we do not take time to study and learn them. As the Old Testament and New Testaments complement each other, so does Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon at Berean. Sunday afternoons are usually the deeper of the two services and affords the opportunity to increase your understanding of scripture. How much you grow in the Lord depends on how much you know about scripture. If you don’t know about the sacrifices of the Old Testament, you are missing important information you really need to know.

Christ taught Himself and the apostles taught Him by using the Old Testament. If the New Testament is all you know about Christ, you haven’t learned enough. Be sure to study the Old to find Him in more ways than you can imagine.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Thy People Shall Be Willing

Berean Baptist on October 30, 2017

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalms 110:3)

At the end of Matthew’s gospel is one of the most familiar of all texts concerning the work of the church. It ends with the commission of world evangelism given to the apostles by the risen Christ. The task of preaching the gospel to the nations was daunting to say the least, and seemingly unreasonable given the nearly wholesale rejection of the Lord’s own ministry. He was despised, rejected, beaten, humiliated, and crucified which was no indication the message He preached would gain widespread acceptance.

There was, however, a very important factor that made the task possible. It was His resurrection from the dead which told the disciples that anything was within His power. He was “declared to be the Son of God with power…by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). If the risen Christ commanded world evangelization, it was therefore possible. Jesus further declared the success of His commission by saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18).

This brings me to the 110th Psalm with its powerful message of the authority of Christ. In verse one of the psalm, David wrote, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” This is a conversation between two persons of the Godhead. God the Father spoke to God the Son promising He would receive all authority in His kingdom. The suffering and death of the cross would result in His exaltation to the right hand as the King of heaven and earth.

This psalm holds the distinction of being the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament. The importance of it cannot be overestimated especially as it relates to the closing verses of Matthew. There are two critical factors for the success of the commission of Matthew 28:19-20 that arise out of Psalm 110:3. The psalmist wrote, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power…” As witnesses of the gospel, the disciples were not much willing as they forsook the Lord and despaired in His death. They saw no hope of a dead Messiah fulfilling His promise of being the King in an earthly kingdom. However, their hope was revived with the resurrection. The power of the risen Christ and His promise to remain with them by the presence of the Holy Spirit gave them the sorely needed motivation for gospel preaching. They were willing to attempt an impossible task because the strength to accomplish it was not their own.

It is wonderful to have courage induced by the strength of Christ, but as impressive as this is, it is not enough to complete the task. This alone will not turn wicked sinners with depraved hearts to Christ. The factor of a willing soul-winner is needed but another factor must also accompany it. The second factor is a willing lost soul. This is equally impossible without supernatural ability because no souls are willing to come to Christ. Man’s will is bent away from Christ and will be forever unless it is changed by the Holy Spirit. This is what the Holy Spirit does in regeneration. He brings dead sinners to life and enables them to choose Christ in repentance and faith. When scripture says, “Thy people shall be willing” we know the gospel will be successful because God makes it so. He empowers the soul-winner with the courage to preach and then guarantees the success of the preaching by empowering the sinner to believe.

This is a topic that requires much more time and space, but it should be noted the word says, “Thy people shall be willing.” No others become willing except those who have been chosen by God to believe the gospel. This powerful combination of enabled soul-winners and enabled lost souls is far more than enough to convert those intended to be reached. Thank God none of this depends on our power. There is no success without God’s power and nothing but success with God’s power.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Will You or Won’t You?

Berean Baptist on March 27, 2017

Psalms 81:13-16

Recently I was asked a question about Matthew 23:37 in which Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” This question concerned the ability of man to make a decision to believe in Christ. Is salvation a matter of the will in making a purely rational decision of the mind, or is a person incapable of choosing Christ because of the depravity of his will? Still another way of asking is, “Was the will of man debilitated by the fall to the extent he is spiritually incapacitated?” These questions are important because they address the ordo salutis (order of salvation).

This is an interesting query that would take quite a bit of time to explore fully. I only mention it today because of our congregational reading in Psalm 81. There is an interesting parallel in this psalm to Jesus’ words in Matthew. The parallelism helps to explain what Jesus meant. His lament over Jerusalem is nearly identical in thought to God’s plea for Israel in verses 13-16: “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”

Notice the parallels: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee.” This corresponds to “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!” How did God speak to Israel? He spoke through the same prophets that Jesus said they killed. Jesus said, “How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” This speaks of His power of protection which is echoed by God’s words, ”I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.”

The response of Israel in both cases was “They would not.” It is clear in the Old Testament that God is speaking of the temporal blessings Israel would have enjoyed in the establishment of her kingdom as the dominant government in the world. In the context of Matthew 23, Jesus speaks the same. The result of Israel’s rejection, specifically the rejection of the religious rulers, was the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of any significant role for Israel until the Second Advent. The kingdom of Christ was not ushered in during the First Advent because Israel rejected the Messiah King.

The importance of this understanding of scripture is to show the will of man in salvation is not under consideration in this passage. It is critical to keep scripture in context rather than wresting it from its context to support erroneous doctrines. It is far better to examine scriptures that without doubt deal with the question at hand. For example John 1:13:  “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Does anyone have an issue declaring this to be a salvation verse? Another is John 5:40:  “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Is salvation a matter of the will? Most certainly and nothing is clearer than “Ye will not come to me.” How can this verse be cast positively to argue that man’s will enables him to come when Jesus said you will not come?

There is not time or space to explore this question in depth. A little reading in John chapter 6 would certainly further our understanding of the matter. These are the kinds of questions we explore in detail in our Fundamentals Class on Wednesday evenings. For now, be sure to keep scripture in context lest you run afoul of its plain declarations.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

The Kingdom Is Real!

Berean Baptist on January 2, 2017

 

Psalm 72

It is remarkable to read the psalms and see how the hope of the Kingdom of Christ continues to be a major topic. We can scarcely believe the Kingdom is a myth or that it is purely mystical or that the references to it are simply metaphors for spiritual blessings. It is readily apparent that both the authors of the psalms and the prophets fully expected God would do precisely as He said and establish a kingdom on earth in which the coming Christ would be its glorious monarch. A most enlightening proof of the literal reality of this kingdom is found in verses 5 and 17 of the 72nd psalm: “They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations…His name shall endure forever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.” The first phrase of verse 17 says, “His name shall endure forever,” while the second says, “His name shall be continued as long as the sun.” These two phrases cannot speak of the same manifestation of God’s kingdom since one is eternal and the other temporal.

The first phase of God’s kingdom is earthly. It is a time sensitive rule which lasts only as long as the current universe exists. We know the cursed creation has a short shelf life as God intends to destroy it and begin anew. Second Peter tells us, “The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). This will, of course, end the existence of the sun and all other heavenly bodies.

We can see how this corresponds to the end of the Millennial Kingdom. It will last until this great cataclysmic event occurs, and at this point Christ’s kingdom on earth will end. However, this is not the end of the kingdom altogether. It is only the end of the temporal form as the kingdom will be transitioned into its eternal form. Thus, the first and second phrases of verse 17 are both wondrously true.

In addition to this noteworthy proof, there are references in the psalm to the dominion of Christ, the servitude of all nations, the righteous character of the government, the economic prosperity, and the abundant provision of food. Each of these are repeated promises in multiple passages of scripture. In none of these is any indication they are purely symbolic.

The last verse of the psalm says, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” This psalm must have been written near the end of David’s life, as the beginning of the psalm says it was written for Solomon. David was relying on the promise God gave him years before that his throne would be established as an everlasting throne. David knew Solomon’s rule would not be everlasting, so we see how the psalm quickly moves from Solomon to another King who has the power of endless life. The final King is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The kingdom of Christ on earth is a real unmistakable event. Its focus is Israel as the fulfillment of the promise made to them. However, it is also a promise for Christians today. We will rule with Christ in this kingdom. The church is not a replacement for Israel—we do not take over their promises. Instead, we will stand side by side with her and praise the glorious King forever and ever!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

The Light of the Nations

Berean Baptist on November 14, 2016

Psalms 67:1, 4

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah…O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. (Psalms 67:1, 4)

Once again in the psalms we are brought to a message about the millennium when our God shall rule the whole earth in a literal, physical kingdom. Verse 4 speaks of this kingdom as one in which all nations will be able to enjoy the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ.

There is a sadness to this psalm, however. It should have been written about the condition of Israel at the time of its writing. Through Israel the world should have already seen that salvation was not only for the Jews and that Jehovah was not just the God of Israel. He is to be worshipped and glorified by all people. When Jesus was taken to the temple for His circumcision, there was an old man named Simeon who was guided by the Holy Spirit to take the baby in his arms and pronounce a blessing. Simeon was overjoyed to see the Christ child and he said: Lord, now lettest thou 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)

At the time of this prophecy, Israel had long been in unbelief. The world had not been influenced by them—and even worse, there were hardly any believers in Israel at all. It is small wonder this should be the case since the nation had previously been in serious idolatry. The northern tribes had been assimilated into the peoples of Assyria and the southern tribes had been oppressed by the Babylonians. Even though the captivity was over, they had never since been free to rule themselves. This was God’s punishment for not guarding their trust to be a light to the Gentiles.

We needn’t think God’s purpose of salvation for all people would fail because of the Israel’s unbelief. Paul explains in Romans that Israel’s failure and their temporary chastisement was the opportunity for the salvation of other nations. As long as the Jewish laws and customs were enforced, they would be a serious hindrance to the gospel. God moved them out of the way, but He never intended to leave them set aside.

During the tribulation, God will resume His work with His chosen nation. He will raise a remnant of Jews that will recognize the Messiah. Under divine protection, they will preach the gospel until a vast company of Israel has received Him as Lord. They will also become a light to the Gentiles until there is a great multitude ready to enter the millennial kingdom. This has been our subject for the past two weeks in the morning sermons and will continue next week as we examine the closing statements of the Olivet Discourse.

We are not to look at these psalms as a message only for the millennium, however. Our job today is to show that Jesus Christ is our God, and only by believing in Him can any people be blessed. If we fail to do this, we are also in danger of being set aside. Without obedience to our duty, we will not be counted among the faithful redeemed. How have we been busy to proclaim the gospel message? Who have you spoken to at work or school or in any place where you regularly encounter the lost? Each person is a potential believer, but they will never be so until they hear the gospel. If we proclaim salvation, God will bless us and cause His face to shine upon us. Only then will the world be saved.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

A Providential Preaching Plan

Berean Baptist on November 7, 2016

 

Psalm 66

On many occasions, I am simply amazed at the numbers of times our congregational readings will interface with the subjects of Sunday morning sermons. Rarely do I choose a reading that purposely corresponds, since we are reading through the psalms each week taking them in order. I find the same coincidences (?) when teaching the Fundamentals Class on Wednesday evenings. I find myself constantly telling the class I do not want to divulge Sunday morning material, but we often tread the same ground without purposely arranging it. I would relegate this to mere coincidence if I did not believe the Holy Spirit is in charge of the entire ministry of Berean. If you wonder who plans these services—God does!

Some years ago, I was speaking with another pastor who was surprised our preaching schedule is planned more than one week at a time. He said he preferred to be “fresh” so the Spirit could speak immediately to the needs at the moment. I would maintain that a God who is omniscient and who chose us and planned our salvation before the foundation of the world is well capable of seeing a month or two in advance. He knows this congregation’s needs and the timing of them without consulting with me!

This be as it may, Psalm 66 crosses over into today’s sermon territory, because I believe it speaks of the praise that will be offered in the millennial kingdom. Our subject for today’s message is the reasons we believe there will be an actual Messianic kingdom on the earth. It delves into the citizens of the kingdom and the criteria of judgment for their permission to enter.

As I read this Psalm, I was reminded of Isaiah 53. This great chapter is perhaps the most well-known in the Old Testament, aside from Psalm 23, and is about redeemed Israel in the millennium as they contemplate the great crime of crucifying Christ in the first advent. They did not realize the wounds they inflicted were for their own salvation. Having come to this understanding and having trusted Him as their only redeemer, they can only reflect with amazement at His willingness to suffer so much for them when they shamefully despised Him and put Him to grief.

Psalm 66 steps beyond this as now they think back to the former days when God showed His mercy to Israel. He performed countless miracles on their behalf to ensure their survival. How sweet are the words of verse 9: “Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.” How different will Israel’s attitude be towards the Messiah when He brings them through the Tribulation and gives them the glorious kingdom promised to their father David: “For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.” (2 Samuel 7:24)  In the first advent, He was not their God: “But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.” (Luke 19:14)  It will be different in the kingdom age when they look on the one they pierced and recognize Him as Messiah King (Zech. 12:10).

It blesses the heart of the preacher when the Holy Spirit so skillfully blends the worship with appropriate songs, readings, and sermons. Praise God He controls the service, and we worship according to His plan, not ours. Give all the glory to Him!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

 

 

The Promise of Peace

Berean Baptist on December 15, 2015

 

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

 Although Christmas is a time of celebration and happiness, the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the coming of Christ were often born out of depressing times. When Israel needed some glimmer of hope because of oppressing conquering armies, God had the prophets remind them that He had not forgotten His promise to them.

I have chosen as the subject for this article a passage from Isaiah that is quoted in the New Testament upon the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. Isaiah 9:2 says, ”The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” This reference is to the land of Galilee where Jesus grew up and spent most of His time preaching, healing, and giving hope to a sin darkened people.

At the time of Isaiah’s writing some seven hundred years before Christ, this area of Israel had been overrun by the Assyrian army and the people were living in a war-torn nation. There was great anguish and distress as we might well expect when people were completely helpless to remedy their ills. The northern kingdom of Israel had been warned by the prophets for many years what would happen if the people did not return to God. God would have protected them from these armies if they would repent, but they did not, and so now they were reaping the just reward of their sins.

However, we must remember they were God’s chosen people and despite their sin, God was gracious to promise restoration. Verses 6 and 7 promised the coming of the Messiah who would deliver Israel from their oppression. These two verses form a sweeping prophecy that encompass both the first and second advents of Christ. A child would be born—this is the first advent—and this child would bring the light of the gospel to Galilee. This is why we find verse 2 quoted in Matthew chapter 4. The prophecy then moves forward more than two thousand years to a date still in the future when Christ shall return the second time to begin a kingdom upon the earth. At this time, the promise to Israel will be fulfilled that a king shall sit on the throne of David forever. King Jesus will be ruler of a kingdom no longer gripped in the throes of war, but one in which peace reigns over the whole earth. Israel’s oppression will be forever ended and God’s people will always dwell in peace and safety.

This is a wonderful promise given by the prophet. It speaks of a loving and gracious God who is willing to forgive sin and restore the penitent to His divine favor. Though these verses are primarily a promise for Israel, we must remember that God has promised to make Gentiles a part of His kingdom. The light has also shined upon us and this is why we celebrate Christmas today.

This is good news for us all because in our deepest despair when there seems to be no hope we can find refuge in the merciful and gracious Saviour. Our hope and prayer today is that you have met your King and surrendered your life to Him. Christmas is far more festive when you truly know the one for whom it is named.

Pastor V. Mark Smith