Thinking Biblically

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Commit to the Church: Submit to God’s Word

October 11, 2022 /
Sermon Series Graphic

I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the fifth sermon in that series, which unfortunately was not recorded due to technical difficulty.

Sermon Text: Acts 2:42; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 3:15; Rom 12:1-2

Our attitude toward God’s Word has eternal consequences. I want to begin this morning by reading two passages. One is from 2 Tim 4 and the other is from Acts 17.

2 Tim 4:3-4

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Acts 17:10-11

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

I would submit to you that these two passages illustrate the difference between true and false churches. True churches love the Word of God. False churches turn away from sound teaching.

Brothers and sisters, like those in the early church, we have a choice. We can turn away from sound teaching and find false teachers who will coddle us, or we can be careful students of the Scriptures who know and love the Word of God. If we as a church choose to not endure sound teaching, then we will cease to be a church. If we as a church will submit ourselves to God’s Word, then we can be used of God to further His kingdom.

If a church chooses not to endure sound teaching, then it ceases to be a church.

Today, we continue our sermon series on biblical church membership. We started our sermon series in Acts 2 and I want to again look at a couple of verses from there. If you would, turn to Acts 2.

If you’re reading this, I want you to know that the bulk of my preaching is expositional in nature. That is, my preaching aims to make the main point(s) of the message based the main point(s) of the passage. It is also my normal practice to preach through books of the Bible. I say all of that to give you all time to get to Acts 2 and explain that I’m not being hypocritical since I’ll be advocating expositional preaching today even while preaching and blogging in a more topical way. Let’s again look at Acts 2:41.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

This verse summarizes the response to Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost, which occurred a few days after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. Those present heard the gospel. Many responded by receiving Peter’s message, repenting of their sins (Acts 2:38), and trusting (believing) in Jesus. After trusting in Jesus, they were baptized and added to the church. So, what happened next? Look at verse 42.

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers

We’re not going to read the rest of Acts 2, but Acts 2:42-47 show how the early Christians committed themselves to one another. This is the paradigm we see in the rest of the New Testament – conversion, baptism, committed church membership.

Last week, we looked at the importance of regularly gathering with other believers to worship God and encourage one another. Today, we are going to look at the importance of submitting to God’s Word.

Look at the first phrase of Acts 2:42 again. It says that the early Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” The apostles were those who had been set apart by Jesus for ministry. Jesus had given the apostles His authority in Matthew 16:18-19 and Matthew 28:18-20. Ephesians 2:20 says that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

So, when the text says that these early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, it means that they were devoting themselves to the authoritative teachings of the apostles, the authoritative teachings of Christ, and the authoritative teachings of the Old Testament.

Today, there are no apostles. Instead of modern-day apostles, we have the completed canon of Scripture written down. We have the teachings of Christ, the apostles, and the Old Testament. They are found in our Bible, which is one book that is composed of 66 books – 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT.

Just as these early believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, we should devote ourselves to God’s Word. Said another way, we are to submit to God’s Word.

BIG IDEA: We must submit to God’s Word both as a church body and as individuals.

We must submit to God’s Word both as a church body and as individuals.

Why is this so important? In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul calls the church a pillar and buttress of the truth. One application of this text is that the church is called to proclaim the truth and to protect the truth. As I preach today, I stand here as one who believes that the Bible is God’s Word – that all Scripture is God-breathed and authoritative for life and ministry (2 Tim 3:16-17).

To be a faithful church, we as a church must submit to God’s Word. To be faithful church members, we must personally submit to God’s Word.

As a church, we must corporately submit to God’s Word (Col 1:18)

What does it mean to submit to God’s Word as a church? To submit to someone means that you are yielding to their authority. A church that submits to God’s Word is a church that is therefore ruled by God’s Word.

Col 1:15-18

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Colossians 1:18 says that Christ is the head of the church. Therefore, as a church, we are not ruled by a pope. We are not ruled by pastors. We are not ruled by deacons. We are not ruled by church members. Ultimately, we are to be ruled by Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church and Jesus rules the church through His Word.

The only authority we have as a church is from Jesus himself. He is the one who purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He is the head of the church (Col 1:18). The apostles had been called and equipped by Jesus and that is why the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).

The apostles had been sent out with the authority of Jesus to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). The early Christians took the apostles seriously because they took Jesus seriously. They knew that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh. On multiple occasions, Jesus prophesied His own death and resurrection. Only God can do that!

If Christ rules the church and He rules it by His Word, then how can we as a church be submitted to His Word?

(1) We submit to God’s Word over tradition

This was the point of the Protestant Reformation. Not only did the reformers seek to recover the gospel – that salvation came not by good works but by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. They also sought to regulate the church according to God’s Word – not the pope, the Roman Catholic Church, or any other tradition.

We must do the same. Every church has traditions. The point is that if our practices and traditions contradict God’s Word, we must submit to God’s Word.

(2) We submit to God’s Word in our teaching and preaching

We teach and preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). In my preaching ministry, I seek to mostly preach expositional sermons, where the main point of the biblical text is the main point of the sermon. Topical sermons and series are okay from time to time, but context is still important.

In every teaching ministry of the church, we need to be faithful to God’s Word. Sunday school and Wednesday night teachers should be prepared to teach.

This also includes our music ministry. We teach by the lyrics of the songs we sing as well as our approach. We sing to honor God and encourage others, not to entertain and attract lost people.

We are called to teach and preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). We do not water down the truth or apologize for it. If you’ve read the New Testament, you know that Christians were at odd with the culture (see for example Mark 6:14-29). The same holds true today but we must not fear those who can destroy the body – rather, we are to fear the one that can cast our souls into hell (Matt 10:28).

(3) We submit to God’s Word in our polity and governance

God has given us His Word to show us how the church is to be governed. The church is to be ruled by Jesus. The church is to be led by pastors (elders). The church is to be served by deacons. And finally, the church is to be governed by the congregation.

Our pastors and deacons should meet the qualifications of Scripture. We should have biblical standards for church membership and be willing to administer church discipline to those who are in ongoing, unrepentant sin (Matt 18:15-20).

Our constitution and by-laws should reflect God’s Word. Our decision-making processes should seek to be faithful to God’s Word.

(4) We submit to God’s Word in our statement of faith

Our statement of faith should be based on God’s Word. If you don’t know, our statement of faith is the Baptist Faith and Message (2000).

(5) We submit to God’s Word for our mission

Jesus has given His disciples a task – to make disciples by evangelizing, baptizing, and teaching (Matt 28:18-20). We must never deviate from evangelism and discipleship. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. While we care about social issues, the way we address social issues is mainly through evangelism and discipleship.

We also help fulfill the Great Commission through our giving. We give to international missions through the IMB. We give to church planting, college ministry, disaster relief, pregnancy centers, jail ministry, theological education and more though the Cooperative Program of the SBC.

Obviously, we could go on and on. A true will church will hold fast to God’s Word. Therefore, as a church body, we must submit to God’s authoritative Word over our traditions, our culture, and our denomination if it comes to that.

Not only should we submit to God’s Word as a church, but we must also do this as individuals.

As individuals, we must personally submit to God’s Word.

Once again, to be submitted to God’s Word means that Scripture is the authority for our lives. We recognize that the Bible is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching us, rebuking us, correcting us, and training us to live in a way that pleases God.

A church will only hold fast to God’s Word if its members are committed to God’s Word. So, how can we as individuals commit ourselves to God’s Word? The answer is actually quite simple. We must know God’s Word and we must obey God’s Word. We could turn to many passages of Scripture, but I’ll limit myself to one.

How can we as individuals commit ourselves to God’s Word? The answer is actually quite simple. We must know God’s Word and obey God’s Word.

Rom 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In this passage, Paul appeals to the Roman church to live holy lives because of God’s mercy. Paul gives the basis for holy living – God’s mercy. Then he gives us a plan for holy living:

  1. Do not be conformed to the world. (holy living, obedience)
  2. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (knowing God’s Word)
  3. By having our minds renewed with God’s truth, we’ll be able to discern God’s will. (holy living, obedience)

Don’t be conformed to the world. Renew your mind. Discern God’s will. In other words, know God’s Word and obey it.

Quickly, I want to give you three ways you can know God’s Word and obey it.

(1) Grow in your knowledge and obedience of God’s Word through personal study

This is easy to say but harder to do. If you want to live a life that is pleasing to God, you must study the Bible for yourself. Get a good study Bible. I prefer the ESV Study Bible, but there are so many good ones out there. If you need help picking one, let me know and I would be glad to help.

Get a Bible reading plan. If you’ve never read the New Testament, start there. Eventually, read the whole Bible. I’ve also found it very fruitful to read books of the Bible repeatedly for a certain amount of time. One great book on how to do this is a book called How to Eat Your Bible.

(2) Grow in your knowledge and obedience of God’s Word through small groups

It’s great to study the Bible in your personal life. It’s also very helpful to study the Bible in small groups. We do this in Sunday school. We do it on Wednesday nights. You can also do this with men’s and women’s groups. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” We need each other’s help to understand God’s Word and we need others alongside us to help us obey it.

(3) Grow in your knowledge and obedience of God’s Word through listening to biblical preaching

I spoke earlier of our church’s responsibility to teach and preach the Word of God. But it’s not just my responsibility to preach the Word. It is your responsibility to receive it. On at least one occasion, Jesus told His audience to be careful how you hear (Luke 8:18).

When you come to church, expect God to speak through His Word. Have you thought about that? If the preacher is preaching the Bible correctly, then God is speaking through His Word. Therefore,  listening to preaching is an act of worship. As you listen, expect the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin.

Before you come to church, pray for the preacher. Pray for yourself, that you would have ears to hear God’s Word. Get enough sleep Saturday night and eat enough breakfast so that you can better focus on the message instead of your growling tummy.

The regular preaching of God’s Word does more for your soul that you realize. I’ve heard the preaching of the Word compared to the growth of children. I don’t notice my children growing every day, but I can look back at pictures and see how much they’ve grown. You may not realize that you’re growing in God’s Word each day, but over time I hope you can see how far you’ve come.

When you put all three together – personal study, small group study, and preaching, you have a recipe for spiritual growth. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).

Is that you? Are you submitted to God’s Word or are you starving yourself of its lifechanging power?

Conclusion

True churches love God’s Word. False churches turn away from it.

True believers love God’s Word. False believers turn away from it.

We saw in Acts 2:42 that the early believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. Likewise, we should devote ourselves to God’s Word.

The church is to be a pillar and buttress of the truth. We are called to proclaim and protect the truth of God’s Word. If we’re to be faithful to this task, we must devote ourselves to God’s Word both as a church and as individuals.

We must give God’s Word its proper authority over us and submit to it gladly. Let’s be committed Christians and church members by knowing God’s Word, loving God’s Word, and obeying God’s Word, all to the glory of God.

Commit to the Church: Attend Regularly

October 4, 2022 /
Sermon Series Graphic

I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the fourth sermon in that series, which you can watch here.

Sermon Text: Acts 2:46-47a; Heb 10:24-25

Introduction

You had to admire his commitment. He made the decision to attend. He would not miss it. The weather was terrible that day—steady rain, temperature in the forties. He still got out in that weather.

Because of the bad weather, he did not quite make it on time. It was difficult to get to his seat as well. But he persevered. His seat was not comfortable, but he neither left nor complained. His presence vividly demonstrated his love and commitment.

He was joyous the entire time. He enjoyed the presence of fellow believers. His attitude, his attendance, and his enthusiasm all reflected his deep and abiding commitment.

He was at a college football game on a Saturday afternoon. By the way, he did not attend church worship services the next day. He was tired from the ball game. And there was a 40 percent chance of rain.[1]Thom Rainer, I Will!, 25.

A few weeks ago, I began a new sermon series called Commit. This sermon series is on the importance for us as Christians to commit to Jesus by committing to a local church. So far, we’ve looked at the importance of baptism and church membership.

The rest of our Commit sermon series is about how we can be faithful church members. Of course, first and foremost we are to be dedicated followers of Christ. We are followers of Jesus first. But, as we’ve seen so far, faithful followers of Christ also love His people.

Having your name on the membership roll of a local church doesn’t save you from hell, but the fact remains that you cannot be faithful to Jesus apart from a local church. Remember our paradigm from Acts 2:41.

Acts 2:41

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Jews spoken of in Acts 2 had heard the gospel. They received Peter’s preaching, repented of their sins and trusted (believed) in Jesus. They were then baptized and added to the church. Acts 2:42-47 show how the early Christians committed themselves to one another. That is the paradigm we see in the rest of the New Testament – conversion, baptism, committed church membership.

After joining a church, what is the most obvious way to express our commitment to the local church? It’s by regularly attending. Just show up! We see this in Acts 2:46-47. These newly converted Christians attended the temple and broke bread in their homes.

Acts 2:46-47a

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people.

Of course, Christians outside of Jerusalem could not attend the temple and we know that the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.

New Testament Christians primarily met in homes. We know this from church history as well as Scripture itself. One example is Philemon 2, where Paul refers to the Colossian church meeting in Philemon’s house.

In our American context, most churches typically gather in a church building. In many other parts of the world, due to persecution and other factors, many Christians still meet in homes. Some churches do both, meeting together for Sunday worship in a building and meeting in smaller groups in homes.

The principle that is most important is that Christians regularly come together. The word translated church in our English Bibles is the Greek word ekklesia, which means an assembly or a gathering. In other words, a church that doesn’t ever gather is not a church in any sense of the word. There is no such thing as an online church.

Today, I want to first show you that we are required by Scripture to gather with the church. Second, I want to show you why we gather with the church. And finally, I want to give you some practical advice for gathering with the church.

Here’s what I want us to see:

BIG IDEA: After joining a church, we are to commit to regularly gathering with that church.

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We gather with the church because God commands us to (24-25)

In verse 25, the author of Hebrews says that Christians are not to neglect to meet together. The author is referring to the public meeting of the church body. He tells believers not to forsake the regular meeting of the church.

The author of Hebrews is pointing out something that we all know. Until “the Day” comes (the day of Jesus’ return), it will be difficult to follow Christ in this world. As we anticipate His return, there will be false teachers and persecution. The world will hate us if we speak the truth of God’s Word because the darkness hates the light (John 3:19).

When Hebrews was written, these early Jewish Christians faced persecution and possible imprisonment. The author of Hebrews was concerned about those who were neglecting to meet with the church.

Friends, when someone quits attending church, it’s one of the first signs that they are in grave spiritual danger. If you quit attending church, you in danger of drifting spiritually. It makes sense. When you are not hearing the Word preached and being prayed for and encouraged by others, you’re going to start drifting. To be clear, I’m not talking about homebound folks. I’m talking about those who are perfectly capable of attending but refuse to do so for whatever reason.

If you quit attending church, you in danger of drifting spiritually.

The author of Hebrews says that we need to meet together. We meet to “stir up one another to love and good works.” We are not to neglect meeting together, but rather are to “encourage one another,” and “all the more” as we see the Day of Christ’s return drawing near.

I am going to say this as clearly as I can. Gathering with the church for corporate worship should be the highest priority in your life.

Gathering with the church for corporate worship should be the highest priority in your life.

As Christians, we are commanded to make weekly attendance a priority. Men, I want to speak to you for a moment. It is your responsibility as the head of your home to set the tone for your family in this area. If you can watch football for hours on Saturday but not make it to church for a couple hours on Sunday, then your priorities are wrong.

Brothers and sisters, make church a priority. Don’t just go to church when nothing else is going on. Don’t just go when you happen to be in town. Cut your weekend trips short so you can be back in time for church. I’m not trying to be legalistic here. Church attendance doesn’t save us. What I’m saying is this – we need fellowship and encouragement more than we know and we need it every single week of our lives.

We need to build our week around the Sunday and not the other way around.

We need to build our week around the Sunday and not the other way around.

So, we gather with the church because God commands us to. But we shouldn’t just go out of a sense of duty! Another reason that we gather with the church is to love and encourage others.

We gather with the church to love and encourage others (24-25)

So often, when we think of church, we think of our wants. I want to hear the songs I like. I want the pastor to preach only 30 minutes. I want the pews to be softer and the temperature to be cooler or warmer.

The truth is that we don’t come to church to get our needs met. We don’t come to church to be entertained. Instead, we come to church to worship the one true God and to love and encourage others. I’m not saying that you won’t be encouraged. I’m saying that shouldn’t be your sole focus.

Notice again what the author of Hebrews says in these verses:

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We are to consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds. We are to encourage one another. As we gather to worship God, we are also to build one another up.

Howard Marshall says the worship gathering is like a “service station” where Christians are “serviced” so that they may serve God better and to worship Him with all of their lives.

In NASCAR, the cars have pit stops every so often. If the the cars are not serviced with fresh tires and fuel then they will not finish the race. How many professing Christians are in danger of hell and will not finish the race in part because they refused to meet together with other Christians?

I mentioned Hebrews 3:13 last week. It says that we are to exhort one another so that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

When people neglect the worship gathering, they become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. They are not receiving the encouragement and accountability from other Christians and the teaching of God’s Word.

Thus, the author of Hebrews says that we are not to neglect the corporate worship gathering. If someone consistently neglects the corporate worship gathering, that is sin. If they continually neglect it for an extended period of time, they need to be contacted and encouraged to attend. If that fails, then they need to disciplined by the church and eventually removed from membership.

When you refuse to meet with the church, you are not being filled up to worship God with your whole life. You are not serving others. At best, you are spiritually dry. At worst, you may not even be a Christian at all.

The great preacher Adrian Rogers said it like this: “If your faith can’t get you to church on Sunday, I doubt if it will get you into heaven.”

“If your faith can’t get you to church on Sunday, I doubt if it will get you into heaven.”

Adrian Rogers

No one should have to beg you to come to church if you’re truly a believer. If you are a true believer, you will want to worship God and encourage others more than anything else.

We gather with the church because God commands us to. We gather with the church to love and encourage others. Finally, we should prepare to gather with the church.

We (should) gather with the church in a deliberate manner.

Before we go, I want to give you some practical tips for gathering with the church. The tips I’m giving will focus mostly on our Sunday worship service, but Sunday school groups, Wednesday nights, and business meetings are important as well.

1. Spend time with God during the week.

Spend time in God’s Word and in prayer. Listen to music that glorifies God. Worship with your family during the week through Bible reading, prayer, and singing.

Matt 4:4

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

2. Rehearse the gospel.

Meditate on God’s love, mercy, and grace. As we think about God’s gift of grace through Jesus, we are reminded of God’s love. We are also reminded that we should forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. This will help us to love others in the congregation. It’s hard to be mad at someone when you see how gracious God has been to you.

3. Make corporate worship the highest priority of your life.

Men lead your wives and family in this. Do not wait until Saturday night or Sunday morning to make the decision to come to church. To consistently neglect church is to disobey God. We are not to neglect meeting together.

4. Eat breakfast and show up early.

You may have heard it said, “Attending church on Sunday is a Saturday night decision.” Go to bed early enough to wake up, eat breakfast, and get ready. Make sure you give yourself enough travel time. If you get here late, you’ll be stressed and anxious and you probably won’t be as encouraged as you would have been. You will have missed fellowship before the service. Arrive early and stay late to encourage others.

5. Pray for the service.

Pray that you will hear God’s voice through His Word and experience the love of God through His people. Pray through your church’s membership directory. Pray that those who attend (including yourself) would have ears to hear from God’s Word. Pray for the preaching of the Word and for souls to be saved.

6. Come ready to hear from God’s Word.

If your church provides the upcoming biblical texts for sermons, read through the biblical text in advance. Come ready to take notes.

7. Seek to serve.

Seek to build others up. We come together to stir one another to love and good works and encourage one another. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to us to build up the body of Christ (1 Cor 12-14). When you come to church, seek to serve someone.

8. Seek to respond.

Reread the sermon text and your notes after the service. Discuss the sermon with your spouse and family.

John MacArthur: “If the corporate worship in the church leaves people unchanged, the church is not really worshiping. If what goes on in the church service does not propel the saints to greater obedience, call it what you will, it isn’t worship. Worship always results in transformation, and the church is edified by it.”

James 1:22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, have you committed to the local church?

Where does church attendance rank on the list of your weekly priorities?

Are you shaping your week around Sunday or are you giving God the leftovers of your time and energy?

Often, we are tempted to believe there is something better than meeting together to worship God with His people.

We are tempted to do many things on Sundays:

  • We are tempted to sleep in.
  • We are tempted to study for a test.
  • We are tempted to play golf.
  • We are tempted to go to the lake or the river.
  • We are tempted to go to a ball tournament for our kids or grandkids.
  • We are tempted to catch up on housework.

Folks, don’t believe that these things are more important than gathering with your local church. There are no normal Sundays. Every Sunday is an opportunity to behold the glory of God and to be transformed by His grace.

References

References
↑1 Thom Rainer, I Will!, 25.

Commit to the Church: Join a Church

September 27, 2022 /
Sermon Series Graphic

I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the third sermon in that series, which you can listen to here.

Sermon Text: Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; Heb 13:17; others

Two weeks ago, I began a new sermon series called Commit. This sermon series is on the importance for us as Christians to commit to Jesus by committing to a local church. Last week, we saw that baptism is the first step of obedience for a new believer and is a prerequisite for church membership.

Today, I want to speak on the importance of joining a church. When I say that you need to join a church, I do not mean that you attend a church. I mean that you formally become a church member. If the church has a church covenant and you agree with it, then sign it and join.

Church membership has in some ways fallen on hard times. Many people have begun to question whether church membership is even biblical.

As I mentioned in the first sermon of this sermon series, there are several factors that have contributed to a low view of church membership. I want to briefly remind you of three – easy believism, emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus, consumeristic view of the church.

Easy believism is the unbiblical view that salvation is a one-time decision and thus there is no need for personal holiness or good works. This essentially makes church membership irrelevant because salvation is simply a decision with no need for a changed life. Jesus is simply fire insurance.

Others are apathetic toward church membership due to an emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus. Some people are so tired of church conflict that they’ve given up on the church and instead believe that personal Bible reading and perhaps listening to a TV preacher are sufficient means to grow spiritually.

And finally, some people view church like consumers view a shopping mall.[1]For more on this, see Franchising McChurch by John Mark Yeats and Thomas White. They only attend the church when they think it can give them something (e.g. encouraging sermon, good music, fun youth group). These folks attend services with no sense of commitment. They don’t care to be known to be known by anyone and they contribute nothing to the church. Many of these people dropped off during Covid and have not returned.

Thom Rainer writes the following in the Foreword of Membership Matters:

“Most churches view their constituencies in one of two ways. One group of churches has minimal expectations of its members, if any expectations at all. Membership is meaningless in terms of commitment and accountability. These churches typically see significant fallout of members to inactivity. When membership does not matter, the members will care little about their levels of commitment. Another group of churches does not even encourage attenders to become members. For them, membership is an unbiblical concept that they refuse to impose on the local church. This group of churches also sees low levels of commitment among those who regularly attend.” (p. 12)

Thom Rainer, Membership Matters, 12

If you have low expectations of your members, you’ll get low commitment. Neither of the two positions mentioned in Rainer’s quote above are biblical. Jesus calls us to follow Him. The New Testament calls us to join a church and commit to it. We must recover a biblical view of church membership and we as Christ followers are called to glorify God through a local church.

In another book, Rainer writes, “I [believe] that congregations across America are weak because many of us church members have lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.”[2]Thom Rainer, I am a Church Member, 5

Today I want to do four things. First, I want to convince you that committed church membership is in fact biblical. Next, I want to tell you why you need to formally join a church. Third, I want to help you know what to look for in a church. Finally, I want to help you know how to be a faithful church member.

While there is no command that says, “Thou shalt join a church,” church membership is implied and assumed throughout the New Testament. I want to give you three reasons that church membership is biblical.

(1) Church membership is biblical

First, we see the pattern of the early church.

Reason One – The pattern of the early church (Acts 2:41-47)

Let’s once again return to Acts 2. After Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, recall Acts 2:41, which is kind of a summary verse that we’ve read several times already in this sermon series.

Acts 2:41-42

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Here’s the paradigm we see.

  • Those who heard Peter’s preaching about Jesus (vv. 14-36) repented of their sin and trusted in the person and work of Jesus.
  • These same folks were baptized and then “added” to the church (v. 41).
  • Verses 42-47 show how these new believers “devoted” or (committed themselves) to one another.

Acts 2:41-47 is enough for me to see the importance of church membership, but I will give you two more reasons why church membership is biblical.

Second, the practice of church discipline assumes church membership.

Reason Two – The practice of church discipline assumes church membership

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul condemns the Corinthian church because they are associating with a sexually immoral man.

1 Cor 5:9-13

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Notice in verses 12-13 that Paul differentiates between those who are inside and outside the church. There are plenty of people in the world today that are living in sexual immorality. But Paul says that we aren’t to judge outsiders, meaning that we should expect those outside the church to be living in sexual sin. Rather, Paul says we should judge those inside the church, because they should be living holy lives in obedience to Christ.

You cannot remove someone from the church unless they belong to the church in the first place. It seems obvious that the Corinthians knew who was a church member and who was not. Church discipline assumes church membership.

Third, we see that the relationship between pastors and the flock assumes church membership.

Reason Three – The relationship between pastors and the flock assumes church membership

Elders (or pastors) are called to shepherd certain people. In 1 Pet 5:2, Peter tells the elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight.” As a pastor, I am commanded to shepherd the flock of my local church. I am not commanded to exercise oversight over every Christian in my town or my county. Rather, I am called to shepherd FBC Harrisburg. In the same vein, Christians are called to submit to their leaders.

Heb 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Christians can only obey this command if they know who their leaders are. Obviously, we could say more about this verse, but the point is that Christians know who their leaders are. Donald Whitney writes, “A flock of sheep isn’t a random collection of ewes, rams, and lambs. Shepherds know their flocks. They know which sheep are theirs to care for and which are not.”[3]Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 48.

Pastors are called to shepherd the people in their specific flock. Those in the flock are called to submit to the leadership of their shepherd-leaders. This relationship only makes sense when pastors know which Christians are members of their flock.

By now I hope you see that formal church membership is indeed a biblical idea.[4]For more, see Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman. Consider once more:

  • Church membership can be observed in the early church throughout the book of Acts.
  • Church membership is assumed in the practice of church discipline. You cannot remove someone from the church if they were never inside the church.
  • The relationship between pastors and the flock assumes that pastors know who they are supposed to shepherd and members of the flock know which leaders to follow.

(2) Why should you join a church?

When you join a church through formal church membership, what does that mean? For most congregational churches, it simply means that you get a vote at business meetings. But biblically, does it mean more?

Put simply, church membership means that a local church takes responsibility for you and you are take responsibility for others within that local church. The church commits to helping you grow as a disciple of Christ, and you commit to helping others in the church grow as disciples of Christ. We are taking responsibility for one another’s spiritual growth.

When you join a local church, you are responsible to the other believers in that local church in a way that you are not responsible for other believers that you know. We could think of it like the county police. Poinsett County police has jurisdiction in Poinsett County but not in Craighead County. Both are county police departments. Both have the same function. While the Poinsett County Police is concerned about the safety of Craighead County, it’s ultimately responsible for promoting safety in Poinsett County.

Similarly, while we care about Christians in other churches (even in our own town), we are formally responsible only to those Christians in our local church. Even if we see someone living in unrepentant sin (such as adultery), we only have jurisdiction over members of FBC Harrisburg.

Five Reasons to Join a Church

  1. When you join a church, pastors watch over your soul. (Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:2-3)
  2. When you join a church, other believers help you to not be deceived by sin. (Heb 3:12-13)
  3. When you join a church, you have other believers to regularly assemble with. (Heb 10:24-25)
  4. When you join a church, you can build others up with your spiritual gift(s). (1 Pet 4:10)
  5. When you join a church, you commit yourself to “one another” ministry. (For example, see Rom 12:10; 14:19; Gal 5:13; 6:2; Eph 4:15, 25, 32; Col 3:13; Jam 5:13; 1 John 4:18-19.)

So far, we’ve seen the biblical case for church membership and that joining a local church helps us grow in spiritual maturity. In the rest of my post, I want to briefly explain what to look for when joining a church and how to be a faithful church member.

First, what should you look as you seek to join a church?

(3) What to look for in a church[5]Also see these articles from G3 and 9Marks.

Obviously, what to look for in church could be a sermon or even an entire sermon series. I want to boil it down to three non-negotiables.

First, join a church that submits to the Word of God. By this, I mean the church draws a line where Scripture draws a line. The church will be marked by expositional preaching through books of the Bible. The church knows and preaches the gospel. The church has a clear statement of faith. The church’s music is faithful to the Word of God.

Second, join a that has biblically qualified pastors (elders) who will shepherd you. After attending for a period of time, get to know the pastor(s) and their families. As best you can tell, do they meet the pastoral qualifications found in Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7? Pastor(s) should be approachable and willing to care for you.

Third, join a church that will help you grow in spiritual maturity and equip you for ministry. We are called to grow in spiritual maturity (Col 1:28). We are called to be actively ministering to other believers as well as nonbelievers (Eph 4:12-16; Matt 28:19-20).

I’m begging you, don’t choose a church because your kids like it. Don’t choose a church because the music is hip. Don’t choose a church because you think the pastor is funny. Choose a church that is faithful to Christ and His Word!

I want to finish today by giving you some encouragement to be a faithful church member.

(4) How can you be a faithful church member?

Once again, in Acts 2:41 we saw that after people were converted and baptized that they were added to the church. After they were added to the church, we saw in Acts 2:42-47 that these new believers devoted themselves to one another.

That’s what church membership is in a nutshell. You are committing yourself to Christ and His people. I’m not going to spend a ton of time telling you how to be a faithful church member because I’m going to do that the next several weeks in this sermon series. However, I will quickly go over several ways to be a faithful church member.

First, you must be a follower of Jesus. Church membership means nothing without a personal devotion to Christ. Church membership does not save you. Christ does.

Second, you need to be baptized. Baptism is the first step of obedience for a Christian. For more, listen to my sermon from last week.

Third, be involved. So often, our lives are oriented around the wrong things. Our lives revolve around our work and our leisure time. It’s been said that, “We worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship.” Brothers and sisters, this should not be. In Acts 2:42-47, we see the early believers oriented their lives around Christ and His church.

Acts 2:42-47

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We need to recover this. Our lives should give priority to Christ and His people. Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). Our big houses, nice cars, academic achievements, and sports trophies won’t mean anything in eternity. C.T. Studd said, “Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Give yourself to the local church!

How do you prioritize the local church?

  • Attend regularly.
  • Be a student of God’s Word
  • Pray fervently for the church and its leaders.
  • Give generously to God’s kingdom work.
  • Serve faithfully.
  • Fellowship joyfully with others in the church.
  • Rescue lovingly those who are being deceived by sin.
  • Promote unity.
  • Disciple younger believers to maturity.

Did you catch the last phrase of Acts 2:47? And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Perhaps the reason we don’t as see many people saved as we used to is because we’ve given our lives to other things. Our calendar revolves around our work and children’s sports and activities. Friends, if you want the church to grow, commit to the church. Get built up in the faith so you will be equipped to share the gospel.

  • When was the last time you attended church Wednesday and Sunday in the same week?
  • When was the last time you attended Sunday School?
  • When was the last time you hosted other church members in your home?
  • When was the last time you prayed for the church?
  • Do you regularly support the church through giving?
  • When was the last time you lovingly confronted someone in their sin?
  • When was the last time you reached out to someone to see how they were doing?

Are you in Christ? If not, repent of your sins and trust in the person and work of Christ.

Have you joined a local church? If not, find a biblical church to join. See the articles I linked below for more help.

Are you prioritizing the local church? For more, see Donald Whitney’s book linked in the footnotes.

References

References
↑1 For more on this, see Franchising McChurch by John Mark Yeats and Thomas White.
↑2 Thom Rainer, I am a Church Member, 5
↑3 Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 48.
↑4 For more, see Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman.
↑5 Also see these articles from G3 and 9Marks.

Commit to the Church: Be Baptized

September 20, 2022 /
Sermon Series Graphic

I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the second sermon in that series, which you can listen to here. I was helped by two books as I prepared this sermon: Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson and Going Under by Jim Elliff.

Sermon Text: Various Scriptures

In our last post, I argued that the local church is not optional for a believer and that we are required by Scripture to join and commit to a local church. We saw this paradigm in Acts 2:36-47.

We saw that the preaching of the gospel creates the church. As the gospel is preached, it demands a response. Those who are convicted of their sin are commanded to repent of their sin and trust in the person and work of Christ. After trusting in Christ, these new believers receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized. Those who were baptized were “added” to the church’s membership.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

After trusting in Jesus, the first step of obedience is to be baptized. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

BIG IDEA: The first step of obedience to Christ after salvation is to be baptized.

In my post today, I have three objectives. The first, is that if you are a professing Christian but have not been baptized, then I want to show you from the Scriptures that you need to be baptized. The second objective is to help all of us better understand what baptism is and why it’s required for church membership. Third, I want you to be able to understand when baptism isn’t really baptism.

We must be baptized because Christ commands it (Matt 28:18-20)

Matt 28:18-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

After Jesus was resurrected and sometime before He ascended back to the Father, He gave His disciples what we call the Great Commission. First, He told them that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him (v. 18). Then, He commissioned them to make disciples by going with the good news of the gospel, baptizing those who respond in faith, and then teaching them to obey the commands of Christ (vv. 19-20).

Surely anyone can read this passage and see that the first act of obedience for a new convert is to be baptized. After a new convert is baptized, he is to be taught (or discipled) to obey Jesus in all of life for the rest of life.

Throughout the book of Acts, we see the apostles obeying this command of Christ. They spread the gospel and as they see people converted to Christ, those people were baptized. That’s exactly what we saw last week in Acts 2.

Acts 2:38 – Peter to those Jews gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

If you read the rest of Acts, you’ll see this same pattern:

  • The gospel is proclaimed.
  • People are converted.
  • These converts are baptized.
  • These new believers are organized into churches.

So, the first thing we see is that we are commanded by Christ to be baptized. Next, I want to teach you about baptism.

What Baptism Is – A Definition of Baptism

What is baptism? Here’s a definition of baptism from a book called Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson:

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

Bobby Jamieson, Understanding Baptism

What I’m going go to do for the rest of our this post is to unpack this definition and hopefully help you more fully understand baptism and its importance for individual Christians as well as the church.

What if you were in a swimming pool and your friend came up and dunked you in the water and said, “You’ve been baptized.” My guess is that you would probably have some reservations. You would rightly suppose that your friend is wrong. But why?

The first part of our definition says that baptism is a church’s act.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

Typically, we think of baptism as more of an individual act – “You need to get baptized in order to publicly identify with Christ.” Baptism is not something that you do to yourself. There are two parties involved and both parties proclaim something through the act of baptism. Certainly, baptism is a believer’s act, but it’s also a church’s act.

Matt 16:18-19

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus tells Peter and the rest of his disciples that he will build His church upon them. Ephesians 2:20 says that the apostles are the foundation of the church. But notice also, that Jesus gives the keys to the kingdom to his disciples. He goes further and says that whatever they bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever they loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

What Jesus is doing here is giving authority to his apostles (and by extension, true biblical churches). Jesus is in heaven right now, but the apostles, and later local churches have the authority to make judgments based on the Word of God. Said another way – Jesus governs the church through His Word and churches are to be faithful to follow Jesus’ words.

In shorthand, Jesus is saying that local churches have authority from Him to bind and loose. One decision that churches make is who to baptize.

Churches have been given the authority to baptize, not individuals.

The main point here is that churches have been given the authority to baptize, not individuals. The only exception is when you are a missionary on the mission field, and you are the only Christian in a particular area. This is what we see in the case of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.

Even though baptism is performed by an individual such as a pastor, he is acting on behalf of the local church and under their authority.

So, baptism is a church’s act.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

When a church baptizes someone, the church is affirming a believer’s profession of faith in Christ. As far as they can tell, the person being baptized has truly repented of his or her sin and placed his or her faith in Jesus.

Very few if any church gets it right 100% of the time. There will always be goats among the sheep and tares among the wheat. But Jesus knows who truly belong to Him and He will sort them out at the final judgment (Matt 25:31-46). As a church, we should do our due diligence to discern whether or not someone has truly been united with Christ. Therefore, as your pastor, I will personally meet with anyone before baptizing them.

So, the church affirms a believer’s union with Christ through baptism. In addition, baptism portrays a believer’s union with Christ.

Rom 6:3-5

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

In this passage, Paul is saying that believers, because of their union with Christ, experience their own death and resurrection. As Christ died for sin, we have died to sin because we are in Him. As Christ was resurrected, we are raised to walk in newness of life.

Does this happen because of baptism? No. It is our spiritual union with Christ that brings about these benefits, but water baptism provides an outward sign of an inward reality.

Water baptism provides an outward sign of an inward reality.

Because we have come to know Christ, we have died to sin (Gal 2:20). Because we have been united to Christ, we have new life and one day we will experience a physical resurrection. By going down into the water, we act out the death and burial of our old selves. By coming up out of the water, we act out our being raised to new life in Christ. This beautiful picture is lost by those who sprinkle rather than immerse, which is our next topic of discussion.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

Why do we as Baptists believe that immersion, rather than sprinkling or pouring, is required for baptism?

Three Reasons Baptism Requires Immersion[1]Jim Elliff’s book Going Under helped me here.

First, there is the meaning of the word “baptize” in its original language (Gk. baptizo). Baptizo has been transliterated instead of translated. The word baptizo means to immerse. So why was baptizo transliterated instead of translated? The reason is that when the Bible was translated into English in the 14th and 16th centuries, too many powerful people (one being King James) had already been sprinkled. Therefore, the translators didn’t want to offend King James, who paid for the translation into English.

John Calvin, a leader of the Protestant Reformation (and supporter of infant baptism) said this about the word baptizo:

The very word baptize, however, signifies to immerse; and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient Church.[2]Allen translation of Calvin’s Institutes, p. 599.

It wasn’t until 1311 that the Catholic Church officially changed the form of baptism from immersion to sprinkling and it wasn’t until 1644 that the Presbyterians approved sprinkling instead of immersion. Even when they approved the change, it only passed by one vote (25-24).

The very first act of sprinkling on record happened in A.D. 250. A man was on his deathbed and wished to be baptized. Since he was too sick to be immersed, they poured a bunch of water on him. They didn’t just sprinkle, the poured water over him profusely.

So, the first reason we immerse is because of the meaning of the word baptize, which comes from the Greek word baptizo.

Second, we see clearly that immersion is what happened in the New Testament.

Much water was used (John 3:23)

John 3:23

John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized.

People came to the water (Acts 8:36).

People went down into the water (Acts 8:38).

People came up out of the water (Mark 1:9-10; Acts 8:39).

Acts 8:36-39

And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Mark 1:9-10

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

Third, immersion rightly pictures what has happened to the believer spiritually.

This is what we just talked about when we discussed Romans 6. Baptism by immersion is a picture of us dying to sin and being raised to walk in newness of life. This picture of a death and resurrection is only possible through immersion.

So, baptism is done by immersion. We previously saw that baptism is a church’s act. Now, we see that baptism is also a believer’s act.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

Baptism is only for those who believe in Jesus. It is the first act of obedience for a new Christian. Some churches teach that you are not saved until you are baptized. Friends, baptism does not save you. Water baptism has no power to change us spiritually. I want to show you quickly that in the New Testament, believers were baptized.

Matt 28:18-20 – Once again, we’re told to make disciples by going with the gospel and then baptizing those who respond.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Those gathered at Pentecost who repented (Acts 2:38) and believed (“received his word”) were the ones who were baptized.

Acts 9:17-18

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;

Before Paul was baptized, he was called brother and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:44-47 – Gentiles are converted and receive the Holy Spirit.

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

We see the same thing we see in Acts 2. Peter preached the word. The Holy Spirit fell on these folks and they were converted. Here in Acts 10, Peter and the rest of the Jewish believers were astounded and immediately recognize that these are new believers. Therefore, they should be baptized!

The consistent witness of the New Testament points to the fact that believers in Jesus are the ones being baptized. You don’t get baptized to become a believer. You get baptized because you are a believer. The physical act of baptism doesn’t save us, but the mercy of God. Look at Titus 3:4-5.

Titus 3:4-5

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Baptism doesn’t wash away our sins. Regeneration of the Holy Spirit does. Baptism pictures outwardly what has happened inwardly.

Baptism is a believer’s act. But what does baptism accomplish for the believer? That’s the next part of our discussion.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

When a believer is baptized, he is going public with his faith. When a big-name professional athlete signs with another team, the first thing that happens is the team has a press conference and gives him a jersey with the team’s name on it. That’s what is happening in baptism.

Baptism is a believer’s public declaration that he belongs to Jesus. Friends, there are no secret disciples of Jesus. We are to follow Jesus in plain sight and the world should know who we belong to. Baptism is where we publicly declare and commit to Christ and his people.

Baptism is one way that we acknowledge Jesus before men in obedience to Matthew 10:32. When we are baptized, we are in a sense swearing an oath of allegiance to King Jesus. Recalling the Great Commission, we have heard the gospel. We have received the gospel. We have been baptized. Now, we are to observe (obey) all that Jesus has commanded.

Notice also, that we are not just committing to Christ. We also are committing to his people.

Recall once again Acts 2:41.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

To be united to Christ is to become a member of His body. To join ourselves to Jesus is to join His people and commit to loving, serving, and submitting to them. Baptism is where a believer publicly commits to Christ and his people.

Finally, through baptism, believers are united to the church and marked off from the world.

Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.

When someone is baptized, both the believer and the church are making a statement. The believer is declaring that he belongs to Christ and he is willing to submit to Christ’s people. The church is declaring that they believe that the person being baptized is truly a Christian and that based on that credible profession they are receiving him into their membership.

As a church baptizes a new believer, he is marked off from the world. When the church baptizes a believer, they are saying to the world, “Look here! This one belongs to Jesus!” He is given the jersey of Christ. He no longer belongs to the kingdom of darkness. He has joined the kingdom of light. He belongs to Jesus.

Conclusion

This morning, we’ve seen that baptism is commanded by Christ for believers. If we profess faith in Christ, then we’re commanded to be baptized.

I’ve given you many Scriptures to give you a biblical view of baptism.

As we conclude today, I want to give you some examples of when baptism isn’t really baptism.

The first is if you were “baptized” as an infant. We’ve seen that baptism is by immersion and is for believers. Even though churches might use the word baptism, by definition, it was not a baptism.

Second, perhaps you were “baptized” before you truly became a Christian. Some people were “baptized” at a young age but later come to realize that they were not saved when they were baptized. Remember, only true believers are to be baptized. Therefore, if you were not a Christian at the time of your “baptism”, your “baptism” wasn’t baptism. But you should only be “re-baptized” if you are strongly convinced you were not a Christian when you were baptized.

Third, perhaps you were baptized at a church that does not preach the true gospel. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If you were baptized at a church that doesn’t preach salvation by grace through faith, then a “baptism” by a gospel-denying church is not really baptism.

The fourth example is when your baptism has no connection to a church. Where there are gospel preaching churches, new believers should be baptized in connection with one of those churches. The location of the baptism, whether it’s in a church building or a pool or a river isn’t important. What is important is that the gathered church is affirming this believer as a Christian and that the believer is making a public profession before the believers he will be committing to as a member.

If one of these four scenarios fits you, then I would encourage you to visit with your church’s elders (pastors) and receive their counsel.

In closing, baptism expresses several truths.[3]Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 35-39 When we’re baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are proclaiming that God is triune and that all three persons of the Trinity share in the work of salvation.

When we are baptized, it is a visible picture that our sins have been washed away. The water that washes the body is a picture of the cleansing that the soul has experienced.

When we’re baptized, it is a picture of our union with Christ. We have been united with Christ in His death and His resurrection. It’s a picture of the new life we have in Jesus. We have died to ourselves and we have been raised to walk in newness of life.

Have you trusted in Christ?

Have you publicly committed yourself to Christ and His church through believer’s baptism?

As a church, we need to take great care regarding who we baptize.

References

References
↑1 Jim Elliff’s book Going Under helped me here.
↑2 Allen translation of Calvin’s Institutes, p. 599.
↑3 Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 35-39

Commit to the Church – Acts 2:36-47

September 12, 2022 /
Sermon Series Graphic

I recently began a new sermon series at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. To see the posts based on that series, click here. This post is based off of that sermon, which you can listen to here.

Sermon Text: Acts 2:22-24, 36-47

In this sermon series, I’m going to make this argument: being committed to a local church is required by Scripture. During our this series, we’re going to look at what biblical church membership looks like.

What does it look like to be committed to Christ by being committed to other believers?

How can we be faithful to Christ by loving and caring for our brothers and sisters?

Maybe you’re asking, why do we even need a series like this?

The church I pastor is like many others. There are many people in the church that have a very low level of commitment to the church. Here are six reasons I came up with about why my church needs a sermon series on church membership.

Six Reasons Why We Need a Sermon Series on Biblical Church Membership

(1) Easy believism

Easy believism is a doctrinal view that salvation is a one-time decision and that there is no need for personal holiness or good works. Adherents believe that because they cited the sinner’s prayer and were baptized that they are okay with God. They dismiss the need to follow Jesus as Lord.

(2) Emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus

In America, many have so emphasized the need to have a personal relationship with Jesus that they’ve essentially downplayed the need for committed church membership. Some of these people sit at home every week, reasoning that they can read their Bible and listen to preaching in the comfort of their home.

(3) Covid

Most churches, including ours, shut down for a period of time. When they re-opened, many did so in a limited way. Covid has no doubt had some negative effects on many churches. Many folks have been slow to return to church or if they have they are even less committed then they once were.

(4) Prosperity

Material prosperity has hurt the American church. Because we can afford to travel and have fun, church is put on the backburner. You could lump travel sports, vacations, lake houses, and more under this reason.

(5) A bad ecclesiology (a misunderstanding of the church)

Here’s a statement some might make: “I am going to church.” Someone might use that phrase to mean they think of church as a place or a building. Others think of the church as an event that they attend. Both groups are likely to compartmentalize their Christian lives. They live like Christians for an hour on Sunday, but they don’t live for Him the rest of the week.

(6) A consumeristic view of the church

Some people think that church is like a religious shopping mall. Donald Whitney says, “[These people] attend services as religious consumers who feel no more sense of commitment to the church than does a consumer to a mall.”[1]Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, 13 They are not committed to the church in any way except perhaps they give a small amount of money because they feel obligated to do so.

Summary

Perhaps you or someone you know isn’t committed to the church because of one of these reasons. Here is the underlying assumption with these six reasons: The church is optional for my relationship with Jesus and my spiritual growth.

Thom Rainer writes, “I [believe] that congregations across America are weak because may of us church members have lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.”[2]Thom Rainer, I am a Church Member, 5

The reality is that church is not optional. Being committed to a local church is required by Scripture and it is essential for our spiritual growth as believers. In this series, we’re going to look at what biblical church membership looks like.

As I get started today, I’m going to begin in Acts 2 with the formation of the early Christian church. Before I do, I want to give you a little bit of context.

Acts 1:1-5 – Jesus tells the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:6-11 – Jesus commissions his disciples to be his witnesses a final time and then ascends back to heaven.

Acts 1:12-26 – 120 Christians were devoting themselves to prayer and Matthias was selected to replace Judas.

Acts 2:1-13 – The 120 Christians received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The day of Pentecost, also known as the Festival of Weeks, was 50 days after the Passover. At this festival, God’s people celebrated the first of the wheat harvest. Because of the festival, many Jews from all over the known world had traveled to Jerusalem. We see this specifically in Acts 2:5.

Acts 2:14-36 – Peter preaches a sermon at Pentecost to the Jews who are gathered for the festival. He discusses three Old Testament texts – Joel 2:28-32, Ps 16:8-11, and Ps 110:1. Peter uses the two texts from the Psalms to present Christ as the Messiah.

Through Peter’s preaching and the work of the Spirit, the Christian church was born. We’re not going to read the whole sermon, but I want to share some of it with you and see what happened at Pentecost and how the early Christians committed themselves to one another.

Sermon Text: Acts 2:22-24, 36-47

The reason I chose this text to begin our series is because this text gives us a paradigm of commitment to Christ and His church.

The first thing we see is that the preaching of the gospel creates the church.

The preaching of the gospel creates the church (14-36)

There is no church without the gospel. There is no church without gospel preaching. In Peter’s message, he showed that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Anointed One of Israel. Look again at Acts 2:22-24.

This gospel didn’t originate with man but was according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God (v. 23). And God raised him from the dead, for death could not hold him (v. 24).

In case there was any doubt, Peter concludes his sermon (v. 36) by definitively declaring that Jesus is the Christ, and he shows them their guilt (“whom you crucified”).

There is much more we could say about Peter’s sermon and one day I will when I preach through Acts. But today I want us to simply see that Peter preached Christ. Notice how they respond (v. 37)

The preaching of the gospel produces conviction of sin (37)

37 – Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

The text says that “they were cut to the heart.” That’s conviction.

This is what gospel preaching does. When God’s Word is preached correctly, it cuts our hearts if we are living contrary to it. Paul calls God’s Word a sword (Eph 6:17). Just as a sword is used to cut flesh, the sword of God’s Word cuts our hearts. It’s only when we’re cut down by God’s Word can we be healed by the gospel message. Until we understand our sin, the cross of Christ doesn’t make sense.

Friends, every one of us here this morning has sinned against a holy God. We all deserve God’s judgment. While we were not the ones who physically put him on the cross, He died for our sins just as much as anyone who was there. After these Jews were convinced of their sin and were convicted of it, they ask the apostles a question: “Brothers, what shall we do?”

The preaching of the gospel demands a response (38)

38 – And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The first thing Peter told them to was to repent. Repentance is often lacking in American churches because some “churches” don’t speak of sin. But friends, the gospel message demands that we repent. Repentance means to change your mind. Our minds need to be changed and renewed according to God’s Word (Rom 12:2). To repent of your sin means that you have remorse for your sin, and that you are choosing to turn to Christ.

We are to repent of our sin and be baptized into Jesus Christ.

Peter continues: “be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.”

There’s much we could say about this verse on baptism. Those in the Church of Christ use this verse and a few others to say that you are not saved until you’re baptized (this is called baptismal regeneration). I don’t believe that’s what this or any other verse teaches and that is not the focus of this sermon. If you want to know more about baptism, then come back next week.

While baptism doesn’t save us, we are still commanded to be baptized. Baptism is where we “go public” with our faith.[3]For two readable books on baptism, see Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson and Going Under: Discussions on Baptism by Jim Elliff. When we’re baptized, we are proclaiming the new life that we have in Jesus Christ. Our old self has been crucified and buried with Christ. We are raised to walk in newness of life. Baptism is a picture of the cleansing of sin that has taken place within us at conversion.

In verse 38, we see that the preaching of the gospel demands a response. We respond in repentance of sin and place our faith in Christ. After trusting in Christ, we are commanded to be baptized as we identify with Jesus.

The reception of the gospel leads to forgiveness and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (38-40)

38-40 – And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

When someone receives the gospel, their sins are forgiven. That can be you as you read this blog post. If you’ve never repented of your sin and trusted in Christ, then you can. If you do, you’ll have forgiveness of sins.

Not only will you have the forgiveness of sins, but you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (v. 38). The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, comes to live inside believers in Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, guides us in truth, and helps us to live for Christ.

Here’s the beauty of the gospel of message that is becoming evident in Peter’s sermon. This message is not just for Jews. The gospel is “for all who are far off” (39). In verse 40, Peter continued to exhort those who were present to be saved.

So far, we’ve seen that the preaching of the gospel creates the church (14-36). The gospel creates the church by producing conviction of sin (v. 37) and demanding a response (v. 38). The reception of the gospel leads to forgiveness and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (38-40).

After receiving Christ through faith and being baptized, what happens?

Those who respond to the gospel and are baptized are added to the church (41)

41 – So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Verse 41 is a summary statement.

  • “Those who received his word” – believers (those who believed Peter’s message about Christ in vv. 14-36)
  • “were baptized” – baptized
  • “added” – added to the church in Jerusalem

Someone must have been keeping records because Luke writes there were “about three thousand souls.”

One thing we’ll see in a couple weeks is that church membership defines who is a member of the church and who is not. Having a membership roll is a biblical practice and we’ll see that in our sermon on church membership.

Finally, we see that those who were added to the church committed to one another.

Those who are added to the church commit to one another (42-47)

42-47 – 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Again, in v. 41 the new believers were baptized and added to the church. Look at the very next phrase, found in v. 42.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Friends, these Christians didn’t just walk an aisle, make a profession of faith, and call it good. On the contrary, they devoted (committed) themselves to the church. They committed to its leaders (the apostles) and its members.

Look at the early church in vv. 42-47.

  • They were committed to the apostles’ teaching.
  • They were committed to fellowship.
  • They were committed to breaking bread together.
  • They were committed to prayer.
  • They were committed to hospitality.
  • They were committed to giving to others.
  • They were committed to worshiping together.
  • They were committed to loving one another.
  • They were committed to seeing the gospel go forward.

Here are the sermon topics for the next 11 weeks.

  1. Commit: Be Baptized
  2. Commit: Join a Church
  3. Commit: Attend Regularly
  4. Commit: Submit to God’s Word
  5. Commit: Pray Fervently
  6. Commit: Give Generously
  7. Commit: Serve Faithfully
  8. Commit: Fellowship Joyfully
  9. Commit: Rescue Lovingly
  10. Commit: Evangelize the Lost
  11. Commit: Disciple the Saved

Friends, that’s what this sermon series is all about. We all want the church to grow, but it starts with us. It starts by us looking in the mirror. We need to first of all examine ourselves and make sure that we’ve truly committed to Jesus Christ (2 Cor 13:5). After that, we need to examine if we’re committed to Christ’s people.

As I said in the introduction, being committed to a local church is not optional for a follower of Jesus.

Have you been slacking in your commitment to Christ?

Have you been slacking in your commitment to the church?

I’ve heard it said, “The church is God’s plan A and there is no plan B.”[4]I’m not sure the source of this quote.

Have you made the church optional in your life?

What is more important that Jesus?

Is there something you’re committed to more than God’s people?

If so, repent confess your sins to God and then build your life upon the church, which will never be defeated (Matt 16:18).

References

References
↑1 Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, 13
↑2 Thom Rainer, I am a Church Member, 5
↑3 For two readable books on baptism, see Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson and Going Under: Discussions on Baptism by Jim Elliff.
↑4 I’m not sure the source of this quote.

Gospel Work Requires Sacrificial Giving – Philippians 4:10-23

August 16, 2022 /
Philippians

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to it here.

So far in Philippians, we’ve seen that Paul is concerned about two main things:

  • External opposition (Phil 1:27-30; 3:1-2)
  • Internal division (Phil 2:1-4)

Paul has told the Philippians that because of the gospel, they can overcome these challenges. Despite these challenges, they can have unity, humility, and joy because of Christ and the gospel.

In my last post, we saw that we can have contentment in any circumstance through the power of Christ within us.

Today, we finish the book of Philippians by looking at the importance of giving sacrificially to gospel work.

I told my church that I had no axe to grind and was not after their money. This is one reason why I preach through books of the Bible. You can preach on difficult topics and church members don’t have to wonder who I’m preaching to.

Sermon Text: Phil 4:10, 14-23

BIG IDEA: We should give sacrificially to gospel work as we trust God to meet our needs.

When I use the term gospel work, I’m referring to any work that advances the gospel of Jesus Christ. The first thing I want us to see is that we should provide for the needs of gospel workers.

We should provide for the needs of gospel workers (14-16, 18a)

14-16 – Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

The Philippians had partnered with Paul to advance the gospel (Phil 1:5). Gospel workers should get their living from the gospel. Sometimes we think that pastors and missionaries should get “real jobs.” There were times when Paul made tents to support his work. However, the clear teaching of Scripture is that we are to provide for the needs of those who help meet our spiritual needs.

1 Cor 9:9-14

9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

This is why our church partners with Southern Baptist mission work. Just as Paul was advancing the gospel in his time, we have NAMB and IMB missionaries doing the same thing today.[1]I’m aware of the problems within the SBC and am definitely concerned about a lack of transparency and accountability. The focus of this post is more about giving to gospel work than debating … Continue reading

I am thankful that our church gives to missions and we should continue to do so. If the church ever gets to a point where we can’t give to missions, then we should just close our doors, because at that point we will have forgotten what it means to be a church.

But I know there are some of you that come to church and never give or perhaps you give a token gift to ease your conscience. This passage implies that if someone isn’t giving then they aren’t partners. They are customers or consumers. I implore you, don’t be a consumer. Instead, be a faithful giver to God’s kingdom work through our church and beyond.

Tony Merida writes, “When a person is receiving sound instruction, which leads to life and godliness, and when a person is receiving pastoral care, they have the privilege and the responsibility of giving to support the mission of the church.” [2]Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Philippians, 193

Gospel workers rejoice when they are cared for (10, 14)

10 – I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

Paul doesn’t say why the Philippians had not given. Perhaps it was due to their poverty or because they simply didn’t know where Paul was. Paul says that though they lacked opportunity, they never lacked concern.

Missionaries need to know that they are not alone. Today, we can communicate instantly via technology. We should be faithful to pray for, communicate with, and support missionaries and other gospel workers.

14 – “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.”

We are called to bear one another’s burdens and the burdens of gospel workers are often great. Let us lift them up in prayer. Let us care for them well.

Sacrificial giving reaps eternal rewards (17)

17 – Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

I love this verse because Paul wants the Philippians to know that he’s not trying to get rich. Rather, he is happy because he is seeing the fruits of the Philippians’ faith. The same is true for me. I would love for everyone in my local church to give generously but I don’t want them to do that just so the church has a lot of money in the bank. Rather, I get more excited about a generous heart, because this is the fruit of a person who is growing in spiritual maturity. That is the main goal!

A generous heart is the fruit of a person who is growing in spiritual maturity.

Are you bearing fruit in this area? Are you giving sacrificially?

An additional benefit to generous giving is that those who give to gospel work are storing up heavenly treasures (“the fruit that increases to your credit”).

How awesome is that? Not only do we get to give to gospel work and see it bear fruit, but we are storing up heavenly treasures when we do! When we give sacrificially, we are laying up treasures in heaven.

Look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-21:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

While it’s surely a good idea to have an IRA (individual retirement account), it’s even better to have an IEA (individual eternal account). If you have an IRA, you may have it set up for automatic contributions. You probably know around how much is in it.

What if I were to ask you about your individual eternal account? How much have you given? Do you prioritize kingdom giving? When was your last contribution?

In December, our church will be collecting money for the International Mission Board’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Every dollar that we give goes straight to funding international missions. What does it say about our priorities if we buy hundreds or even thousands of dollars of Christmas presents and give little to nothing to international missions? It says that we treasure material goods over human souls.

Material things will pass away, but can you imagine the joy you will experience in heaven when you meet someone that came to Christ because you gave to missions?

Sacrificial giving is an act of worship (18b)

18 – “I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”

When we give sacrificially, with the right motive, it is a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord (Rom 12:1).

We give sacrificially because Jesus sacrificially gave His life for us!

We give sacrificially because Jesus sacrificially gave His life for us!

Do you want to please the Lord? One way to do that is to give sacrificially.

As we give, God will continue to provide for us (19)

19 – And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Many of the Philippians were not rich people like us. And yes, we are rich. We live in the most prosperous nation in the history of the world. If you make $25,000 per year, you are in the top 23% of income earners in the world. If you make 50,000 per year, you are in the top 10%. If you make $75,000 per year, you are in the top 6% of income earners in the world.[3]You can see those numbers at https://howrichami.givingwhatwecan.org/. They were current as of August 11, 2022.

Look at this passage where Paul describes the Philippians’ giving:

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia [the churches of Macedonia were in cities such as Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea], 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

When we give, Paul says, “God will supply every need of yours, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.

You’ll never give sacrificially if you don’t trust that God will provide for your needs.

The aim of sacrificial giving and gospel work is God’s glory (20)

20 – To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Through Paul’s ministry, God had done a work in the heart of the Philippian church (Phil 1:6; 2 Cor 8:5). When you become a Christian, the Bible says you are a new creation. Only then will you live for God’s glory and have a desire to make a difference through sacrificial giving.

We share a common bond with other Christians (21-23)

21-23 – Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

In verse 22, Paul mentions the saints “from Caesar’s household.” This probably refers to those who served in various ways in Caesar’s home. This reference reminds us of the power of the gospel. Even those in the most powerful household in the world were coming to faith through the powerful gospel (Rom 1:16). This must have been encouraging for the Philippians as they were encountering opposition from local authorities and the Judaizers.

Friends, God is at work in our church, our community, our state, our nation, and our world. Let’s thank Him for the good gospel work that is being done in our community and around the world.

References

References
↑1 I’m aware of the problems within the SBC and am definitely concerned about a lack of transparency and accountability. The focus of this post is more about giving to gospel work than debating the validity of the SBC. Maybe that will be the subject of a future post.
↑2 Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Philippians, 193
↑3 You can see those numbers at https://howrichami.givingwhatwecan.org/. They were current as of August 11, 2022.

Content in Christ – Philippians 4:10-13

August 10, 2022 /
Philippians

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. Unfortunately, the sermon did not get recorded.

“I can’t get no…satisfaction.” The famous song by The Rolling Stones reflects the mindset of most people. No matter how hard they try, there is no such thing as lasting satisfaction.

Instead of “I can’t get no satisfaction,” we might say, “I cannot find contentment.”

If someone says that they are content, it really means that they are satisfied. If we’re honest, contentment is hard to come by.

Consider this:

  • Most kids want to get older. Most older people wish they were young again.
  • Many single people wish they were married. Many married people wish they were single.
  • Many without children desire to have them. Some with children wish they didn’t.
  • Most poor people stressed because they don’t have much. Many rich people are stressed because they have too much stuff.

If we’re not careful, even as Christians, the difficulties of life can keep us from contentment. When we are not content, the word for that is discontentment.

Jerry Bridges says, “Discontentment arises from ongoing and unchanging circumstances that we can do nothing about.”[1]Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 71

There are sources of legitimate discontentment. For example, we should be discontent with our spiritual growth.

Discontentment is something that affects my relationship with God. Lacking contentment results in resentment or bitterness toward God or other people. [2]Bridges, Respectable Sins, 73

In our text this morning in Philippians 4, Paul shows us how to put off discontentment and instead how to be content in all circumstances.

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:10-13

BIG IDEA: True contentment is only found when Jesus is your highest treasure.[3]See Philippians 1:20-23,29; 3:3,7-14, 4:4,11-13.

Background/Setting

As we read Paul’s words, we need to remember his circumstances are anything but good. He is (likely) imprisoned in Rome, chained to the elite Roman soldiers. He is awaiting trial before Caesar, and he could be put to death. He is under house arrest and unable to go anywhere.

He has been in this situation for two years. To make matters worse, there were preachers in Rome who were envious of Paul and smearing his name (Phil 1:15). Paul’s reputation was taking a beating as he awaited potential execution for simply preaching Christ.

Paul was experiencing hard times.

Are you having a hard time right now?

  • Do you have an unhappy marriage?
  • Are you struggling with infertility?
  • Are you having financial trouble?
  • Do you have some broken relationships, perhaps with children?
  • Have you received a bad diagnosis?
  • Do you wish you had a better job?
  • Are you single and wish you were married?
  • Do you have a physical disability or chronic health problems?

As I said, Paul was in a tough spot. However, as we read Paul’s words, we don’t hear grumbling from a man who was falsely accused and imprisoned. He was not defeated but instead was a joyful man who was writing to encourage others. While in prison, Paul wrote to the Philippians to express his gratitude for their generosity (Phil 4:14-20).

Amazingly, Paul was not being crushed by his circumstances. Rather, he was a man who was truly content. Friends, Paul had suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, but he wasn’t shaken. And in these verses, we will see Paul’s secret to being satisfied; to having true contentment.

I’m going to point out three main things from this text. Then I’ll give some practical applications for finding contentment.

(1) To be content, you must trust in God’s sovereignty (10)

10 – I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

When Paul states, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly,” he is saying that the Lord is His source of joy. He knows that God is causing all things to work together for good— even this imprisonment (Romans 8: 28). Paul knew that though life’s circumstances are always changing, the eternal purposes of God never change. [4]Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2851-2856). The Good Book Company.

Paul was glad that the Philippian church had revived their concern for him. If you remember, about ten years had passed since Paul had planted the Philippian church in Acts 16. After planting the church, the Philippians church initially supported Paul’s missionary endeavors. However, verse 10 makes it clear that it had been a while since they had given. Paul notes that it wasn’t because of a lack of concern, but a lack of opportunity.

Paul could’ve been angry that the Philippians hadn’t given to his ministry in a while. Instead, Paul was confident in God’s timing. He was not in a state of panic, and he was not trying to manipulate anyone. Rather, Paul rested in God’s perfect timing. Paul knew that God would provide for his needs as they came.[5]MacArthur Jr., John. Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study) (p. 134). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

What about you? Are you confident that God will provide for you as you have a need?

Until we learn that God is in control (or sovereign) and that He cares for those who love Him, we will never be content. The fact is that you can’t control everything. When you start trying to get your life in perfect order, you’ll soon realize that you can’t do it. The sooner you figure that out, the better. I’m not advocating fatalism or an attitude that says, “It doesn’t matter what I do.” We should, like Paul, work hard and trust God for the results (1 Cor 3:6-7).

If we’re to be content, we must be confident in God’s providence (10).

(2) To be content, you must shift your focus away from your circumstances (11-12)

11-12 – Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Typically, we think of contentment like this: if things (marriage, kids, job, house, health, etc.) are going well, we can be content. We’re happy.

We see in verse 12 that Paul had had some good times. Look at the phrases he uses in v. 12 (“how to abound”, “facing plenty”, “abundance”).

Paul had been on the mountaintop. He had seen many people come to faith in Christ and had planted many churches. However, he had also experienced many trials while advancing the gospel. He had seen people abandon the faith and suffered greatly for Christ.

Look at 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.

2 Cor 11:24-28

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

I would say that most of you reading this are better off materially than Paul was when He wrote Philippians. He had limited resources, physical pain, restricted movement, and limited food.

It’s no secret that difficult circumstances make it hard to be content. When something bad happens, we tend to throw up our hands and wonder what God is doing. However, it is possible for us to be content in any situation in life. Look at what Paul says again:

Through it all, Paul says…“I have learned” (2x)

  • 11 – “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
  • 12 – “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”

What was it that Paul had learned? What was his secret? Paul’s secret was this:

Don’t focus on your situation. Focus on your Savior!

Paul knew that true contentment is not by fixing your circumstances. Rather, true contentment is found in knowing Jesus.

(3) To be content, you must have a deep relationship with Jesus (13)

13 – I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul had learned that no matter how hard life gets, that every Christian has a source of spiritual strength – the power of Christ that sustains us.

We need to be careful here. All things is not whatever we want to insert. Context still matters. This verse is not about winning a sporting event or performing miracles. We are abusing the author’s intent when we say we can win this game or make a lot of money or overcome this illness or whatever it is we try to make this verse means.

All things refers to what Paul has mentioned in vv. 11-12. All things is about being content despite difficult circumstances, especially material poverty. Paul was saying that when he had come to the end of himself, there was the power of Christ to sustain Him.

Do you know how a pacemaker works? The pacemaker is put into someone whose heart isn’t working like it should. If the heart skips a beat, the pacemaker kicks in.

When you’re at the end of yourself, like a pacemaker, the power of Christ can sustain you. When you are weak, then you are strong.

The unbearable weight of our circumstances forces us to find strength and contentment in Christ alone. The hard truth is that the only way to learn to be content in suffering is to go through suffering.

The hard truth is that the only way to learn to be content in suffering is to go through suffering.

When life seems unbearable, there are two options:

(1) You can grumble and complain and sink into a pit of despair and depression or (2) You can run to God.[6]Stephen Altrogge, The Greener Grace Conspiracy, p. 82.

When you’ve stood on the brink of death. When you can’t fix your marriage or your kids or can’t get a better job or fight off the disease in your body, then you can learn contentment. You’ll learn contentment when you turn to God for strength to get through the situation. When you are weak, then you are strong.

Before I finish, I want to give you a few practical steps for finding contentment.

Practical Steps

(1) Acknowledge the differences between needs and wants.

Our needs are simple: food, clothing, shelter, and God’s forgiveness.

John MacArthur says that typically the most unhappy people you’ll ever meet are very wealthy people. The reason for this is because they assume that their wants are actually needs.[7]MacArthur, Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul, p. 136.

(2) Be thankful for the grace of God.

Paul had learned that he deserved nothing from God. Once we realize this, we will no longer be so focused on the things we don’t have. Rather, we’ll be thankful for the gospel of grace.

If you’re here today and you don’t know Christ, then your greatest need is salvation.

We can find joy and contentment in the midst of sorrow and grief by taking joy in the God of our salvation, the God who loves us and purchased us with the blood of Jesus. The cross reminds us that God is on our side (Rom 8:31-32).[8]Altrogge, The Greener Grace Conspiracy, p. 89.

(3) Live for the mission of God.

The more you focus on the mission of God, the less desire you will have for material things.

As you follow Jesus, you learn what really matters in life. If your focus in life is fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), then you won’t need much to be content. But, if your focus in life is your own pleasure and happiness, then there is no end to what you will want and you will never be content.

(4) Focus on eternal things.

In America, we are thankful on Thanksgiving, but that night or the next day we run to the stores to buy more, more, more!

Every commercial’s message is that you need this product or service to be happy (If you buy this product, your life will be better). But Scripture says that if you have Christ, you have everything (Phil 3:7-11).

Are you discontent because you don’t have something you want? What do you think you need? Is it a new phone? A new vehicle? A new TV? A bigger house?

Listen to Jesus in Luke 12:15: “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus, Luke 12:15

If you always think you need more ask God to remove that desire and to teach you contentment.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Every circumstance you face is temporary. One day, Jesus will wipe away every tear.

(5) Meditate on the Word of God

Find strength in God’s promises. Here are three:

  • God doesn’t waste our suffering (Rom 8:28-29).
  • God supplies everything we need (Phil 4:19).
  • God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5-6).

We live in a fallen world. We all go through difficult circumstances. You’re either going through one or about to head into one.

Through it all, we can have joy and contentment if Jesus is our highest treasure.

BIG IDEA: True contentment is only found when Jesus is your highest treasure.

In Christ, you have all you can ever need, and through Him, you can find the strength you need.

References

References
↑1 Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 71
↑2 Bridges, Respectable Sins, 73
↑3 See Philippians 1:20-23,29; 3:3,7-14, 4:4,11-13.
↑4 Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2851-2856). The Good Book Company.
↑5 MacArthur Jr., John. Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study) (p. 134). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.
↑6 Stephen Altrogge, The Greener Grace Conspiracy, p. 82.
↑7 MacArthur, Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul, p. 136.
↑8 Altrogge, The Greener Grace Conspiracy, p. 89.
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