I recently read a good article on Advent from Dr. Gombis of Grand Rapis Theological Seminary. Dr. Gombis was one of my professors at Cedarville University. You can see the post at this link:
http://timgombis.com/2013/12/01/the-season-of-advent/
Dr. Gombis also wrote a very good article about the subversive social Gospel:
http://timgombis.com/2013/12/03/that-subversive-social-gospel/
blessings,
Pastor Steve
I wonder if you have ever read Nehemiah??? I just finished reading through Nehemiah again. I have read through Nehemiah many times, but something very awesome about the Bible is that God always will show us something new. God speaks through His Word (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 4:12). Last week I wrote down to write about Nehemiah chapter 13, but I want to start with Nehemiah chapter 8. Nehemiah was known for his prayers. He always went to the Lord in prayer. He was very humble. One can simply look at Nehemiah 1:4 and see Nehemiah going to the Lord in prayer. Nehemiah was a cup-bearer to the king. That is a cool job. Nehemiah’s job was to mobilize the people of Jerusalem to finish rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The wall is finished then in Nehemiah chapter 8 at the very beginning it says this:
“And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel.”
(New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ne 8:1). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.)
Isn’t that great? They stood for hours as Ezra read the law. They wanted to hear that. Question: are you interested in reading God’s Word? Are you interested in hearing God’s Word proclaimed and taught in a worship service? Does God’s Word convict you to worship? Now, some further questions for people like me: suppose that you love learning, suppose that you love hearing God’s Word taught and preached, are you worshiping the Lord? I can love God’s Word for the wrong reasons. I may love hearing a preacher preach. I may think, “What’s he going to say today?” Or, “Who is the preacher gonna slam today?” We may like this just like people will look at a train wreck. Okay, or we like hearing something taught. Maybe we think, “What can I learn today?” I think that is good, but God’s Word should compel us to the truth and convict us to worship. We never, never want to be like those in 2 Timothy 3 who Paul says are always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the Truth. Nehemiah 8:3 says that he read from the book of the law from early morning until midday, that is a long sermon. I think he probably taught it a little and preached it. Here is a link to an article by Dr. Albert Mohler about what is called expository preaching:
http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/albert-mohler-al-mohler-expository-preaching-is-the-antidote-to-anemic-preaching-1741.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20131126
In Nehemiah 9 the people confess their sins. They do this in humility. Then we skip to chapter 13. Look at Nehemiah 13:10-11 (below):
10 I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field.
11 So I reprimanded the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts.
(New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ne 13:10–11). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.)
Something that stood out to me is that Nehemiah reprimanded the people for their sin. You see in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Timothy is instructed to reprove and rebuke with the Word of God. God may use a pastor or lay person preaching the Scriptures to reprimand you, or me. Who is your prayer partner, accountability partner? God may use that person to reprimand you. We think of a reprimand as a negative thing, but that is the grace of God. That should be greatly encouraging because that helps you grow as a person and as a Christian. Proverbs 27:17 says “as iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens his brother.” (or a sisters sharpens her sister) Who is sharpening you? Who keeps you from getting dull. Have you ever tried to cut with a dull knife?
In Nehemiah 13:14 we once again see Nehemiah’s prayer and that is a prayer that we could pray after his example. In Nehemiah 13:17 we see Reprimand the people again. That is now twice in this chapter, but that is something God uses pastors to do, but always with the Scriptures. Then in verse 22 we see Nehemiah’s prayer, again.
“For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.”
(New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ne 13:22). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.)
I think I will end with that. My prayer is that we all read the Scriptures and apply them allowing God to speak to us.
blessings in Christ,
Pastor Steve
So, a few weeks ago I was picking up sticks in my yard. (This is one of my most favorite past times. It is so much fun that I don’t want to keep you from joining in, so if you are ever bored come pick up some sticks. I think Tom Sawyer did something like that.) Anyways, to what is important, I started talking with someone about church. This man does not attend my church though he has visited before. He said that when he first met me he thought I was very serious (I wonder if the Vulcan ears had anything to do with that, sorry no more distractions), but as he got to know me better he realized differently. Anyways, a few days before that, somehow in conversation I said if someone wants to drink a beer, no big deal. That stood out to my friend. By the way he is not younger guy either. He thinks of protestants as prohibiting alcohol but he thought my comment shows that I was understanding our culture. So, that is my way of introducing the topic of alcohol and culture and Christianity.
A few years ago I listened to a sermon by Mark Driscoll on this subject. One thing he said was: “The question is not “is the thing pure?” the question is “Is the person doing the thing pure?” If you are married and have sex than it is pure. if you are an adult having a glass of wine with a dinner than it is pure.” (http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/proverbs/good-wine-glad-hearts March 24th 2002) But I come from a background of churches that expected pastors and church leaders to abstain from alcohol and would encourage everyone to do the same. The first few denominations that I applied for church license with I actually had to sign that I abstained from alcohol. But is that what the Bible teaches? No, not at all. So, when I came to my last church I studied this issue. I studied what the Bible says and I studied it more and more. In addition I asked Christian counselors what they thought as they have to deal with the ramifications of the abuse of alcohol. I wanted to know if as a counselor they thought it helps if Christians prohibit alcohol.
Turns out the opposite is true. According to Gary Collins’ Christian Counseling book the Southern Baptist have the highest rate of alcoholics whereas the Orthodox Jews have the lowest rate of alcoholics. Usually Southern Baptist prohibit alcohol and orthodox Jews use alcohol as part of their religious services.
I talked with one pastor whom I respect and he said that he drinks a beer in front of his kids intentionally so they know that alcohol is not the bad thing. He doesn’t want that to be what they rebel with. So, after my personal study I made a personal policy that I would not have more than one alcoholic drink, as in a serving size during a sitting. Sometimes I have jokingly said that I will not have more than one drink at a time, in each hand. But really, I know that one beer, or glass of wine will not get me intoxicated, nor even close. I have followed that policy for about six years now. But what does the Bible say about alcohol?
Observe the following:
Psalm 104:15 praises God for the wine that gladdens men’s hearts.
Proverbs 31:4-7
It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Here this Proverb is recognizing that alcohol causes the mind to alter. Here the Proverb is saying, “Kings you have a lot of responsibility, don’t drink! You’ll mess everything up!” By the way the later kings did mess everything up causing Israel to divide and later fall.
Application: We must recognize that God created things good, yet we must control these substances. Alcohol is a controlled substance and we must recognize its dangers. If you cannot control it, don’t touch it!
Know that Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. (John 2)
1 Tim 5:23
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
(from New International Version)
Oh, but notice that Paul still gives Timothy a purpose for the wine which is that it is good for the stomach and Timothy has an illness. What illness? I don’t know. Chuck Swindoll made a joke about the stress Timothy might have been under.
Either way clearly alcohol had a purpose in their society. However, the alcohol was watered down. Nevertheless, it was real alcohol. This is more of an American problem. Do you know that C.S. Lewis met with his group called the Inklings in a pub?
One is in grave danger to try to make a Biblical argument against the drinking of alcohol. We can’t use the “don’t make your brother stumble argument.” We can use an extreme caution argument.
Now, having said all that, think about this: a few years ago I was reading statistics while preparing for a youth message, skim through below:
This is from Focus on the Families website: Troubledwith.com
Alcohol causes more deaths among adolescents than any other substance. Alcohol is involved in one third of all traffic deaths for young people aged 15 through 19. Overall, driving under the influence is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24. Alcohol also frequently plays a role in adolescent deaths from other causes: homicides, suicides, drownings and motorcycle and bicycle accidents.
In addition, alcohol plays an important role in adolescent crime, sexual promiscuity and date rape. According to research compiled by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 95 percent of violent crime on college campuses is alcohol related, and 90 percent of reported campus rapes involve alcohol use by the assailant, the victim or both. In one study cited by MADD, 60 percent of college women diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection were drunk when they became infected.
Another sobering reality about drinking is the early age at which it frequently begins.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about one in five fifth-graders has already experienced alcohol intoxication. Four out of ten sixth-graders say they feel pressure from other students to drink. More than 50 percent of eighth-graders and eight out of ten twelfth-graders have tried alcohol at least once. One in four eighth-graders and half of all twelfth-graders have used alcohol within a given month.”
More alcoholic products that specifically appeal to kids are hitting the marketplace. Wine coolers are increasingly popular with younger drinkers, as are a new wave of alcoholic concoctions billed as “thirst quenchers,” often containing lemon or other fruit flavors.
Now, say I were to abstain from alcohol, which I am not, would that solve the above problems? NO! Would it help, maybe, but probably not. We are called to be stewards of our bodies as God has created us in His image and He is the owner. (Genesis 1-2; Psalm 139) We must guard against the abuse of substances that must include alcohol. Drunkenness is nothing to joke about. But we also must guard against the abuse of coffee; french fries or donuts.
Those are some thoughts.
Blessings in Christ!
Pastor Steve
I recently came across a blog post:
http://kyledonn.com/blog/sexy-christianity
my initial response is:
Interesting article. There certainly could be and probably are those that are into some type of pop culture Christianity, but I think that Christianity is not at all popular anymore. He shares true Scriptures about giving it all to Jesus, but I think he is questioning motivations. It is really hard to know motivations, I always pray mine are pure, but God only knows. I believe that Francis Chan, David Platt, Kyle Idleman and others have pure motivations, but there have to be people who agree with them but have the wrong motivations. No one can question the Scriptures Idleman uses such as Luke 9:23. With respect to motivations in Philippians 1 Paul talked about those that preach Christ selfishly and he said that at least Christ is preached. (Philippians 1:15-18)
Looking into this blog and who he is, it appears he leads a missions organization. I think he is right to be frustrated with the pop culture 1 week mission trips. I have read articles about how much harm those trips can actually do. Mission trips should never be a popular thing to do. A way to weed those out is to have steep requirements to serve on a youth mission team. When I was in youth group we were required 18 weeks of discipleship, to take sermon notes, to do service projects and read some books about missionaries. I have, unfortunately known other youth groups that take over 100 students over seas for what they call a mission trip. But it becomes a fad. These same groups have had students smoking pot on the mission trips.
I think time will tell about the radical Christianity, but for the most part it really isn’t radical, it is really going back to the Bible.
Rev. Dr. Jeff Johnson said it well: “We have many believers but not many disciples.” By the way, I have tons of respect for Billy Graham, but with all those who supposedly gave their lives to Jesus at his crusades, why within a generation has America lost its Christian base? I think a lack of discipleship and a lack of clear teaching of what it means to be a Christian. Jesus actually turned people away from following Him. (see Luke 14:26; 21:17; Matthew 19:16-26) In John 6 Jesus lost about 5000 people from following Him. (John 6:60-66)
So, following Jesus is not the easy way. Jesus called His way the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14), but following Jesus is the eternal way.
Below are some of my notes from a 9 Marks conference I attended. They are long but I think very valuable. These come from Greg Gilbert:
Session 6:
Six temptations for this generation:
It is not good enough as a leader to start out well. We have to finish well too.
1) We are tempted to think we can proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ without words.
2) We are tempted to soften Divine wrath. The Bible talks about God’s wrath as terrifying. Unquenchable fire. If the Bible uses phrase after phrase to talk about hell as so horrible. Why do some evangelicals go out of their way to say that hell won’t really be that bad?
3) We are tempted redefine sin.
4) We are tempted to de-center the cross.
5) We are tempted to redefine the cross.
6) We are tempted to think that the main thing the Gospel calls to do is to make our neighborhood and our cities and our world better places to love.
We never know what God is doing in our lives. A few days ago I experiences the perfect illustration of this. Last Sunday we were having a three hour meeting at church. Meagan and I worked out childcare for the meeting. So as I left I grabbed Mercedes tricycle so that she could ride it at the church (she was going to be babysat at the church). Unfortunately, Mercedes saw me take the bike. It was sad for me as I left. She was crying, “My bike! My bike!” As I left with the toy she loves as much as any. As a 25 month old toddler she didn’t understand that my intentions were for her good. I was taking it away for a little while, just an hour, so that she could enjoy it later.
Maybe God does things similarly to and for us, right? God takes things away for a while, but we will enjoy them again. It is even that way in death, God takes people away, but “In Christ” we will enjoy them again. I wanted to cry as I drove away hearing the echo in my head of Mercedes saying, “My bike! My bike!” (I can still hear it) But I knew it was for the better, and though I knew that, I sympathized with her lack of understanding, and Jesus sympathizes with us. Keep that in mind when you don’t understand what God is doing.
See: Romans 12:2; Hebrews 4:15; Genesis 50:20; John 17
Someone sent me this article. I heard a little bit about it and I am saddened that they are trying to mess up the very good Theology of this great Hymn. Sadder still is diluting Theology in general. Of course, this is a deeper issue and problem today when the world is in the church. Like the quote: “When the ship is in the ocean there is no problem, but when the ocean is in the ship, there is a problem.” Or, “I looked for the church, I found it in the world [good], I looked for the world and found it in the church.”
this is a pdf of the paper I had pasted in the previous post.Steve_Rhodes_WO515_01.22.2010
While in seminary I enrolled in a course on worship theology. As part of that course I wrote a paper about baptism. The paper is below. In the paper I write about the different views on baptism. Maybe this will be informative for you. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or have discussion.
This was a word document with footnotes and end notes. If the references don’t come through clearly enough, please let me know. God bless, Steve
Over the past two thousand years of church history people have talked, people have argued, people have divided, people have been thrown in prison and people have been killed all over the issue of the correct age, mode and meaning of baptism. Why? Why is this issue so controversial? Does the Scripture spell out the issue strong enough to make a case for one view or the other? Is one certain view completely unbiblical? That is exactly what the next few pages will be written about. The next few pages will give a brief examination of the major views on baptism. Furthermore, the next few pages will talk about the Biblical reasoning and the church history that developed these views. Lastly, I will switch from being objective to being subjective in that I will write about my personal view with supporting evidence.
Paedobaptism seems to be the dominant way of baptism throughout church history, especially early church history. Paedobaptism means to baptize as an infant. People or religious groups that subscribe to this view will base their belief off of certain Scriptures in the New Testament wherein the text says that the “whole household” was baptized (Acts 16:15, 33; 1Cor 1:16). Gentile converts into Judaism were called proselytes. They were baptized and scholars think the children were also baptized. Beasley-Murray writes in his book on Baptism in the New Testament: “A gentile, who did not observe the Levitical regulations concerning purity, was unclean as a matter of course, and so could not be admitted into Jewish communions without a tebilah, a ritual bath of purification.” Beasley-Murrah does not allow that to settle the issue. He goes on to write about this proselyte baptism as much more complicated. Even so, it is clear that there were certain rules of ritual washing that could have come over to the New Testament Christians. Beasley-Murrah writes later on in his book, “On these grounds it is maintained that the practice of baptizing whole households in the early church makes infant baptism as good as certain.” He further writes, “The role of the head of the house in ancient society had an importance beyond that which pertains in modern society and its application in this particular must be given due recognition. All important questions were decided by the head of the house and his decisions were binding on all…” So based off of that evidence many believe that the head of the house receives a new religion, then the rest of the household will follow. Jeschke seems to think that the New Testament model is of missionary baptism because the New Testament times were full of adult converts. Bridge and Phypers in their work write that the new Christians would have automatically had their children baptized into the covenant. So, that is one possible reason that paedobaptism became popular within the early church. The idea is also that in ancient Judaism whenever there was a covenant the covenant included the children as well. The idea is that baptism replaced the practice of circumcision. Another reason that many hold to this view is based off of Jesus’ invitations for the children to come to Him (Mark 10:13-16).
Even given the evidence above, we cannot know for certain when and why paedobaptism became prevalent in the church. Was it because in the Old Testament a covenant included the whole family? That is possible. Did it have anything to do with the proselyte’s ritual bath? That is possible as well. What we do know for certain is that paedobaptism was prominent within the church by the end of the third century. Origen, an influential teacher, was writing, “the church has received a tradition from the Apostles to give baptism even to little children.” So, no matter how the issues are debated it is fact that by the third century many were practicing paedobaptism. Further evidence is given by those who subscribe to this view by a quote from Polycarp. In AD 156 during persecution he said: “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong: how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me”? So, many think that he is stating fact that he was baptized as an infant. Even if Polycarp was not baptized as an infant, the quote from Origen makes it pretty clear that infant baptism developed in the church pretty early.
Later on, in the fourth century, infant baptism became the standard norm of the church. It would stay this way for just over one thousand years. From about the time of Augustine (354-430) the idea became that baptism saves by itself (ex opera operato). This was about the time that the doctrine of original sin became a held belief as well. Years later, Martin Luther would even say that “in the act of baptism, faith is infused to the infant.” He based this off of Luke 1:40-44 when the text says “the babe leaped in her womb.”
Although for over a thousand years the prominent belief was that infant baptism was salvation, most today do not believe this. The author does not think it is easy to tell where Calvin and Luther stands on whether or not baptism brought salvation to the infant. Pressed on what was the condition of a baptized child, Calvin fell back on the priority of grace: “God… sanctifies whom He pleases.” So, Calvin would go back to his doctrine of God’s grace, in which case baptism would not even matter. Calvin also said, “infant baptism is valid for two primary reasons: 1) God’s covenant includes the children of believers, and 2) Jesus urges believers to bring their children to Him.” Later on Wesley said, “’Lean no more on the staff of that broken reed, that ye were born again in baptism,” His emphasis was on the word ‘were.’ He did not say that there baptism was ineffective at the time but had become since.” Wesley clearly believed that the baptism was a special place of God’s grace that later on had to be acted upon. Wesley wrote: “baptism is necessary because it is one of the ordinances by which the grace of God is ordinarily conveyed.” Further, Wesley taught: “baptism is necessary, for it is, ‘in the ordinary way’, the only means of entering the church or into Heaven…’ this is the way to enter into covenant with God.” Wesley taught that the first benefit of baptism is washing away the guilt of original sin. Wesley argued that infants, too, are in need of baptism because of original sin. Wesley said that baptism alone was not enough to achieve a state of grace. So, Wesley was for infant baptism based off of original sin. Yet, he acknowledged that baptism was not equal to salvation. For as an adult got older they had to follow that up with faith.
As far as the mode of infant baptism is concerned, in the Church of England they would dip in water thrice. Calvin thought local custom should be followed for the mode of baptism, sprinkling in Geneva. Luther practiced immersion and highlighted forgiveness of sins with washing away. So, there are various ways. Just as a note, Sprinkling or aspersion. In the early centuries sprinkling was reserved for the sick or those too weak to receive public baptism by immersion or pouring. Sprinkling was not accepted in general usage until the thirteenth century.
Now, adult baptism is simply as it sounds. This is the practice where one is not baptized until they are old enough to have made a conscious decision to accept the Gospel. Adult baptism is the easiest to understand and accept. All of the explicit New Testament occurrences of baptism are believers. In Acts 2:39 the Scripture says that the promise of the Holy Spirit includes children. To baptize means to “immerse.” Based off of Romans 6 and Colossians 2 baptizing is symbolic of dying with Christ and rising again. According to the Didache, which was written sometime in the first century, they were fasting prior to baptism. They were also instructed to baptize in either running water, or by pouring water on the head. So, by this time in the early church it would seem that they were baptizing adults. There are no instructions in the Didache about baptizing infants. An infant could not fast before baptism.
Of three of the New Testament passages that mention a whole household being baptized, the baptist response is: “If the promise to Cornelius (Acts 10:14) suggests that his infant children received baptism along with him, we must also conclude that they spoke in tongues and extolled God (Acts 10:36-48). If the infant children were baptized with the Philippian Jailor they must have been brought from their beds in the wee hours of the night. (Acts 16:33). If Paul baptized infants in the household of Stephanas they must have been precocious because we later learn that the household of Stephanas ministered to the saints (1Cor 16:15)” This, of course, does not prove that there were not infant baptisms in the New Testament. This simply proves that it is not that “cut and dry.” Bridge and Phypers write, “Many people baptized in infancy will reject their faith. Keep baptism for Christians.” So, from this train of thought is the idea that baptism is for people who have made a conscious decision to accept the Gospel. When infants are baptized this allows many of these infants to grow up not believing the Gospel, yet being members of the church.
It seems that there is ample evidence of the early church baptizing infants, but there is also evidence of the early church baptizing adults. One source, the Didache, was listed earlier. Writing in the second or early third century, the church father, Tertullian wrote a very convincing argument against infant baptism. His argument was that many of these people grow up to reject the faith, or misrepresent the faith. He wanted people to accept Christ on their own. During his time period they needed authentic Christians. Persecution was heavy and one alleged Christian misrepresenting Christianity could harm the image of Christianity.
“Baptism for Justin[Martyr, died about A.D. 163], is the means whereby men and women are dedicated to God and made new through Christ. It is given to as many are persuaded and believe that the things are true which are taught by the church and undertake to be able to live accordingly. It is preceded by prayer and fasting by the candidates and congregation. Then they are brought where there is water and are born again, being washed in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Baptism is administered that the baptized may obtain remission of sins formerly committed. It is followed by prayers and the celebration of communion along with the assembled congregation.”
This view makes it clear that to him baptism was for believers. The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus between the second and third century church of Rome also shows that baptism was for believers. So, there is also ample evidence of this same argument within the early church. It was not until Augustine and his doctrine of original sin that it is almost without argument that baptism is for infants. The reasoning for that was because there was the fear that if an infant died unbaptized the infant would go to hell. Schmemann writes: “Baptism was understood as the means to assure the individual salvation of man’s soul.” So, it is clear that they thought of baptism as the way to salvation.
Later on with the reformation the views on baptism started to change. Conrad Grebel and others started to develop the idea of baptizing adults. This later led to the Baptist and other denominations that believe that baptism is for believers. Later John Bunyan came along and gave his view of why baptism is not to take the place of circumcision: Bunyan said that baptism was initiation and not new covenant equivalent to circumcision. Circumcision was a renewed heart and right spirit. (Romans 2:28, 29; Philippians 3:1-4). This is probably a very popular view today. Adult baptism has probably become the most popular form of baptism. There are 100,000 churches in USA with baptismals This section will end with the statement of Karl Barth. Karl Barth gave the most antipaeobaptism comments in 1943:
Barth in 1943: baptism “is in essence the representation of a man’s renewal through his participation by means of the power of the Holy Spirit in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” His conclusion was that only a mature person can respond to such an image. Baptism is cognitive, not causative. He argued the baptism of infants is necessarily “clouded baptism.” He thought it should be stopped but he didn’t think that those baptized as infants need rebaptized.
Adult baptism can and has been done in various ways. The Anabaptist simply poured water on the individual’s head. The drunkards would dunk the individual three times. Many churches, including the Baptist, simply dunk you backwards in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and then bring you back up. This is symbolic of dying with Christ and rising again (Col 2). It is important to remember the Trinity in baptism. Torrance in his book talked about how much we neglect the Trinity in our worship services: “Bishop Lesslie Newbigin has commented “’The average Christian in this country hears the name of God, he or she does not think of the Trinity.” After many years of missionary work in India among Eastern religions, he returned to find that much worship in the west is in practice, if not in theory, Unitarian.”
At this point it is important to write a little bit more about what baptism signifies and why it is important. Torrance says: “The importance of baptism is not who or how but what it signifies.” On pages seventy through eighty Torrance goes into detail of what baptism signifies. Among them, baptism signifies what Christ did on the cross for us.
Now as I shift to share my view and why, allow me to share some of the Theologian Wayne Grudem’s response to the paedobaptist view. Grudem agrees that there are many similarities between circumcision and baptism. However, he says that “one became a Jew by being born of Jewish parents. Therefore, all Jewish males were circumcised. Circumcision was not restricted to people who had true inward spiritual life, but rather was given to all who lived among the people of Israel.” Grudem goes on to say that one becomes a member of the church by being born spiritually. Before one became a member of the Jewish community by being born in Israel and circumcised. Now we are born of the Spirit. Grudem also responds to the household baptism comments. In Acts 16:32 Paul spoke of the word of the Lord to the Philippian jailer and all that were in his house. Grudem’s thought is that if he spoke the Word of the Lord to all that were in his house, there is the assumption that they were old enough to believe. Also, the household of Stephanas, Grudem makes note of 1Cor 16:15 and how they ministered to the saints, so he thinks they were old enough to understand the Gospel.
I start with Grudem’s summarization because that is the position that I take. There could have been infant baptisms, and that would not hurt my faith. But I do not see enough evidence to say that they were infant baptisms. I believe that since the New Testament always shows baptism follow faith that is the way we should do things today. I see a problem in the Baptist church that baptism doesn’t follow faith soon enough. We make it such a celebration that it is postponed too long. I also see a problem in the Baptist church where people think they are saved because of baptism. That is dead wrong as well.
Too me, Baptism is symbolic of what Christ did on the cross for us. We are dead to our old way. We die with Christ in our baptism and rise with Him in our baptism (Romans 6; Col 2). Baptism is also a testimony that we are Christians. I have heard of stories where a Muslim converts to Christianity and at the baptism his family denies him. The baptism is a testimony. Lastly, baptism is symbolic of washing our sins away. I like Calvin’s writings on God’s grace. But, I do not agree that we baptize infants because of God’s grace. God’s prevenient grace is still active.
We live in a day where many people in Europe are baptized but have nothing to do with the church. We live in a day where Christianity is under attack and we need true Christians. In this case I make the argument that Tertullian made. Let them be Christians and then get baptized. But this should not divide the church. I want to close the paper with a quote from Bridge and Phypers: “God is at work by His Spirit on both sides of the baptismal divide.”
Works Cited:
Beasley-Murray, George R. Baptism in the New Testament. Waynesboro, GA:Paternoster by arrangement with Macmillan & Company Ltd, digital edition 2005.
Didache.
Donald Bridge and David Phypers, The Water that Divides: the Baptism Debate. Downers Grove, ILL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977.
Dr. Stamps, WO515 course notes 01.14.2010
Enns, P. P. The Moody handbook of theology. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press. 1997, c1989.
Grudem, Wayne. Bible Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999.
Jeschke, Marlin. Believer’s Baptism for Children of the Church. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1983.
Naglee, David Ingersoll. From Font to Faith, American University Studies. Series VII. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc, 1987.
Parris, John R. John Wesley’s Doctrine of the Sacraments. London: Epworth Press, 1963
Schmemann, Alexander. For the Life of the World. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1988.
Torrance, James B. Worship, Community & The Triune God of Grace. Downers Grove, ILL: Intervarsity Press, 1996.
White, James F. The Sacraments in Protestant Practice and Faith. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1999.
Introduction:
Why evangelism:
HE RISE AND FALL OF NINE RICH MEN
A popular story recounts a meeting that may have taken place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. There is debate whether the meeting in fact occurred, but what is not in question is the actual rise and fall of the men featured in the story, who were nine of the richest men in the world at that time: (1) Charles Schwab, President of the world’s largest independent steel company; (2) Samuel Insull, President of the world’s largest utility company; (3) Howard Hopson, President of the largest gas firm; (4) Arthur Cutten, the greatest wheat speculator; (5) Richard Whitney, President of the New York Stock Exchange; (6) Albert Fall, member of the President’s Cabinet; (7) Leon Frazier, President of the Bank of International Settlements; (8) Jessie Livermore, the greatest speculator in the Stock Market; and (9) Ivar Kreuger, head of the company with the most widely distributed securities in the world.
What happened to these powerful and rich men twenty-five years later? (1) Charles Schwab had died in bankruptcy, having lived on borrowed money for five years before his death. (2) Samuel Insull had died virtually penniless after spending some time as a fugitive from justice. (3) Howard Hopson became insane. (4) Arthur Cutten died overseas, broke. (5) Richard Whitney had spent time in a mental asylum. (6) Albert Fall was released from prison so he could die at home. (7) Leon Fraizer, (8) Jessie Livermore, and (9) Ivar Kreuger each died by suicide. Measured by wealth and power these men achieved success, at least temporarily. But it did not surely guarantee them a truly successful life.
Many people think of fame and fortune when they measure success. However, at some point in life, most people come to realize that inner peace and soul-deep satisfaction come not from fame and money, but having lived a life based on integrity and noble character.
(From a sermon by Sajeev Painunkal SJ, What Changed Zaccheus? 10/30/2010 )
I recently read the following:
That sainted missionary to India and Persia, Henry Martyn, once said, “The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we must become.” Paul (Saul) and Barnabas had that experience as they ministered in Antioch and were called by the Spirit to take the Gospel to the Roman world.
We are here today because someone or group of people brought the Gospel to us. This month I wish to talk about missions. In order to do this I wish to focus on the book of Acts. In a moment we will look at Acts 13:1-3, first let me ask you a question.
Missions: what is it? Where is it? How is it done? Who does it? Why do it? It seems as though we focus on missions over seas at the expense of missions where we are at. It also seems as though we all too often focus on everything but the gospel. Do you notice that? As we look at missions in Acts we are going to see that Paul and his companions were starting churches and proclaiming the Gospel. They were not persecuted for living a good life. They were not persecuted for sharing their testimony. They were not persecuted for helping meet the social needs of the people. No, they were persecuted because they proclaimed Jesus as Lord. They proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. As we look at Acts we can all agree that the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of missions and I want to go a step further to show that missions is not necessarily always over there, but it begins right here. Let me add that one of the things that we do well is our many ministries in Alliance and there is a movement within Alliance of churches working together to proclaim the Gospel. Praise God for that. My theme is Paul’s Missionary Journey, Our Missionary Journey.
A passage we likely will not look at in great detail, but is important relates to Paul’s attitude with the Gospel: Let’s read 1 Cor. 9:19-23:
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
The point of this is sometimes we must make adjustments in our churches or our own life in order to share the Gospel with people. We need to be able to relate to the person or people group. We will come back to that in the coming weeks.
Please look with me at the beginning of Paul’s first journey.
Let’s read Acts 13:1-4:
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
In Acts 13:1-3 we see the church in Antioch hear God’s call to set aside Paul and Barnabas for God’s mission. They follow through with that. I want to talk about this passage for a few minutes and first I want to show you that the call to missions was heard because they were worshipping and fasting.
I. Let me share some background to this passage. This is a pivotal point in the book of Acts. Paul the apostle was just introduced in chapter 7. At that time he was a young Jewish man persecuting the church.
a. Then in Acts chapter 9 Saul became a Christian. Jesus confronted him.
b. Now, between Acts chapter 9 and Acts chapter 13 around 12 or 13 years passed. Paul was converted in about A.D. 33 and now it is around A.D. 46 or 47. In Acts chapter 13 the focus changes from Peter to Paul. The rest of the book of Acts is predominantly about Paul. Look how it happens.
c. IVP Bible Backgrounds commentary:
i. 13:9. Roman citizens had three names. As a citizen, Saul had a Roman cognomen (“Paul,” meaning “small”); his other Roman names remain unknown to us. As inscriptions show was common, his Roman name sounded similar to his Jewish name (Saul, from the name of the Old Testament’s most famous Benjamite). This is not a name change; now that Paul is moving in a predominantly Roman environment, he begins to go by his Roman name, and some of Luke’s readers recognize for the first time that Luke is writing about someone of whom they had already heard.
d. Verse 1: they are in Antioch. Antioch would be north of Jerusalem in Syria. In Acts 11:19ff we read how they got to Antioch.
e. You see, there was persecution which started in Acts chapter 7 with Stephen being stoned with rocks. This persecution caused the Christians to scatter and many went to Antioch. While in Antioch they preached the Gospel. Paul and Barnabas ended up in Antioch teaching. Then they went to Jerusalem to deliver help because of a famine. Now they are back in Antioch.
f. Verse 1 tells us there are prophets and teachers in Antioch. Verse 1 lists 4 of these specific prophets and teachers. Now prophesy was a spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit would speak through a prophet in order to proclaim God’s Truth. This might be a conviction about sin or some future event.
g. Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were listed amongst these prophets. There is also Simeon called Niger. Niger is Latin for black so it is likely he was from Africa. Lucius of Cyrene is also a Latin name and it is likely he is from an area in Northern Africa too.
h. Then there is an interesting note about this man Manaen. He was brought up with Herod. This is the same Herod who had James killed, mistreated Jesus and others. Apparently Manaen was brought up with him. The Greek wording suggests having the same wet nurse. It is possible that Manaen was the child of one of their slaves. Herod grew up in Rome and it was common for the children of slaves to grow up with the master’s children. The children grow close and the slave is freed when he or she is an adult. Either way, Manaen is now serving the Lord with the gift of prophesy or teaching.
Now verse 1 showed us “who” and now verses 2 and 3 where show us “what”
II. Verse 2 says they were worshipping the Lord and fasting. Isn’t that an interesting intro? What is about to happen, happens while they are coming into the presence of the Lord in worship and fasting.
a. There are other examples of major things happening during worship. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah was called while in the temple performing a priestly duty.
b. To fast means to abstain from food and possibly other pleasures in order to seek God. The people of Antioch were worshipping the Lord and fasting. They were seeking God for input. God is about to give them His guidance.
c. We still proclaim days of prayer and fasting. Back in 2010 heard that leaders within the Gulf coast states called for a day of prayer (Sunday, June 27) in order to receive God’s help from the oil spill.
Also,
4965 Lincoln Proclaims National Fast Day
Abraham Lincoln wrote an address to the nation during the Civil War that was at least as important as the Gettysburg Address.
It was his proclamation for a national fast-day, by which he did designate and set apart Thursday the 30th day of April 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer.
Lincoln wrote: “It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
“The awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people.
“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity, too proud to pray to the God that made us.
“It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
d. Well, they were worshipping and fasting and the Holy Spirit spoke to them. It is likely that the Holy Spirit spoke through one of the prophets. The Lord wanted Paul and Barnabas set aside for His work. This idea of setting aside means to set apart for a special purpose. The Lord wanted Paul and Barnabas set apart for His purposes. Back when Paul became a Christian the Lord said that He would use Paul to reach the gentiles. That is about to happen.
e. Verse 3: is about the churches response. The church obeys. You know, at this point the Lord hadn’t told Paul or Barnabas where they were going. It doesn’t matter. Paul and Barnabas made themselves available. The church gathers together and they laid hands on them. This is comparable to ordination. They were sent out.
III. From Acts 13:4— 14:26 we can read about the missionary journey that resulted from this.
a. Many people heard the Gospel because the church in Antioch was in an atmosphere to hear God. They were worshipping and fasting. Then Paul and Barnabas obeyed. By the end of Acts, Paul had taken the Gospel to all of the known world. He might have taken it as far as Spain. He definitely took the Gospel to Rome. Things happen when you intentionally create an atmosphere to hear God.
b. This happened to Meagan several years ago. She was working at McDonalds at the time. She was spending some time in prayer before work when she heard the phone ring. Now usually we don’t need to interrupt our time with God by answering the phone. But in this instance she received a job offer. This happened during prayer time.
c. Today, my focus has been on the call to the missionary journey, but I encourage you to take the time to read these two chapters. Maybe you have read it before, but I know you will be encouraged as you read about Paul’s missionary journey.
d. As you read you will notice that in the cities Paul went to the Jews first:
i. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says It was necessary that the apostles go to the Jews first for a number of reasons. First, the coming of the earthly kingdom depended on Israel’s response to the coming of Christ (cf. Matt. 23:39; Rom. 11:26). Second, only after Israel rejected the gospel could Paul devote himself to the Gentiles. Third, the message of Jesus is fundamentally Jewish in that the Old Testament, the Messiah, and the promises are all Jewish. (On “the Jew first,” cf. Acts 3:26; Rom. 1:16.)
ii. You will also notice how Paul was able to draw great crowds when he travels from city to city.
1. When famous speakers (e.g., Dio Chrysostom) would come to town, much of the town would go to hear him. Word spreads quickly about the new speaker at the synagogue in Antioch, and Paul, probably originally more comfortable giving expositions of Scripture than public speeches in the Greek style, is billed as a rhetorician or philosopher.
e. Paul and Barnabas took the Gospel to many cities on this journey. I have a map on the screen of the missionary journey and if you wish you can ask for a copy of my sermon manuscript with a list of where he went and what verses that location is listed in:
i. Seleucia (verse 4)
ii. Salamis (verse 5)
iii. Paphos (verses 6-12)
iv. Perga
v. Antioch (verses 14-52)
vi. Iconium (14:1-6)
vii. Lystra (14:6 and 8-19)
viii. Derbe (14:6 and 20-21)
ix. Lysra (14:21-23)
x. Iconium (14:21-23)
xi. The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
f. Thus ends the first missionary journey which lasted between one and two years and in which Paul and Barnabas traversed more than 700 miles by land and 500 miles by sea. But more than that, it demolished the wall between Jews and Gentiles (cf. Eph. 2:14-16). The two apostles had been committed by the church at Antioch to God’s grace (cf. Acts 15:40) and they saw His grace at work (cf. “grace” in 13:43; 14:3).
i. Antioch (14:24)
ii. Perga (14:24-25)
iii. Attalia (14:25)
iv. Antioch (14:26-28)
g. Lastly, remember Acts 1:8 says: but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
i. That verse is happening now. They are following the Spirit’s lead in order to be a witness. Praise God!
This Scripture passage shows us a few things. One is that foreign missions are important. This is Paul’s call and they go far away. Secondly, this text shows how to hear God’s call: by being involved in the spiritual disciplines. These are prayer, worship, fasting, Scripture reading.
When Adoniram Judson graduated from college and seminary he received a call from a fashionable church in Boston to become its assistant pastor. Everyone congratulated him. His mother and sister rejoiced that he could live at home with them and do his life work, but Judson shook his head. “My work is not here,” he said. “God is calling me beyond the seas. To stay here, even to serve God in His ministry, I feel would be only partial obedience, and I could not be happy in that.” Although it cost him a great struggle he left mother and sister to follow the heavenly call. The fashionable church in Boston still stands, rich and strong, but Judson’s churches in Burma had fifty thousand converts, and the influence of his consecrated life is felt around the world.
Judson knew that he was not called to the local mission. Somehow he knew that God had called him to foreign missions and because he followed that call thousands were converted. What is the price of eternal life? Wow!
Now, Adoniram Judson listened to God’s call and many heard about Christ because of his obedience.
But Missions begins at home. You know, while Paul was going around the known world with the Gospel, James was pastoring the Jerusalem church. James the half brother of Jesus stayed home to pastor the church. Missions is important local and foreign.
Close:
Charles Swindoll writes:
Several years ago, a group of boys and girls in Florida decided to lead their parents and other volunteers in a season of intercessory prayer for their town and for our troubled world.
The movement they started turned out to be so dynamic that more than fifteen thousand people showed up to march in support of the plan and to offer aid to the Russian refugees in their area. The young people also raised support for a Russian choir and started a prayer chain to intercede for the people of their “sister city” of Murmansk, Russia.
How many opportunities for selfless service can we find? Maybe I should ask that question another way: How many Christians are willing to improve their service toward God? Or how many acts of Christian love and kindness would it take to change the world?
The opportunities are endless.
In every town, every neighborhood, and on every block, lonely and sometimes unlovely men and women need to experience the love of Jesus.
In every city, children have never known a gentle touch or a loving smile.
In every state and region, God’s people can make a lasting difference.
There are random acts of love and mercy that God has already prepared for you, so that you might share in His joy—so that you might grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Go ahead . . . reach out.
You will never regret it.
What a joy it is to serve people, what a joy it is to share the good news of Jesus with people! It is good news, right.
God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)
Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)
Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)
Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)
Pray
The link below will take you to Randy Alcorn’s blog where there is an excerpt of a book from Theologian J.I. Packer. This is really interesting about the Gospel preached today as opposed to the Gospel that used to be preached. I see it true as well. We are man focused and we miss the worship and glory of God.
Steve Rhodes blog 