Month: September 2015

Calvinist Calvinism Explain and Links

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Most of the Fundamentalist, Premillennialist, Hell-Fire, Legalist, Arminianist, KJV onlyist preachers are so good at making blank statements that express just what they believe is truth as if they were the pope.

Most are not Calvinist, they may be a one pointer,  or not any way like the Reformed guys, what is monergism they don’t know, and could not tell you what the five solas of the Protestant Reformation are because they are Baptist.

The Five Solas of the Reformation

The Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation, while not unique to Calvinism, are integral to a Calvinist theological perspective and therefore bear restating here:

 

Calvinism is the theological system associated with the Reformer John Calvin that emphasizes the rule of God over all things as reflected in its understanding of Scripture, God, humanity, salvation, and the church. In popular vernacular, Calvinism often refers to the Five Points of Calvinistic doctrine regarding salvation, which make up the acrostic TULIP. In its broader sense, Calvinism is associated with Reformed theology.

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Background

Background

Calvinism is named after 16th century Reformer, John Calvin whose overall theology is contained in his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559). Sometimes Calvinism is referred to by other names such as “Augustinianism” because Calvin followed Augustine (A.D. 354–430) in many areas of predestination and the sovereignty of God.

In a broad sense, Calvinism can be virtually synonymous with “Reformed Protestantism” or Reformed theology, encompassing the whole body of doctrine taught by Reformed churches and represented in various Reformed Confessions such as the Belgic Confession of Faith (1561) and the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647).

Scripture

The principle of Calvin’s system can be expressed by the term Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone). This principle of the Reformation demonstrates the conviction that the Bible is the Word of God and therefore the final authority in belief and practice. A common mistake is made when Sola Scriptura is understood as the Bible “alone.” Calvin and the Reformers, believed strongly in church tradition, e.g. Calvin consistently and often cites the early church fathers. However, Scripture had the final authority and tradition was given a subordinate role. The authority of Scripture was not through rational argumentation or proofs, but through the witness of the Holy Spirit. [1]

See main page: Scripture alone, Authority of the Bible

God

Calvinism affirms and confesses the historic doctrine of the Trinity: God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is perfect in all his attributes, and is self-sufficient. Therefore, God is not subject to time or other beings, nor is he reducible to matter or spatial categories available to human reasoning or examination.[2] God is also mysterious, or hidden, except as he chooses to reveal himself to men, which He has done in the Scriptures.

Salvation (Five Points of Calvinism)

The Calvinist doctrine of salvation is summarized in what is commonly called the Five Points of Calvinism, or the Doctrines of Grace, known by the acronym TULIP. These five points are a summary of the Canons of Dort which in turn was the judgment of the Synod of Dort (1618–1619) against related Arminian teaching. These five points are not intended to be a comprehensive summary of Calvinism or Reformed doctrine, but an exposition of the sovereignty of God in salvation — arranged to address the particular points in dispute raised by the Arminians of that day.

Note: The summary wording below is adapted from the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics

Total depravity

Calvinism teaches that humanity is totally depraved. Due to the Fall, the original relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God was severed by sin. This affected the entire human race, corrupting the heart, mind, and will of every person born. Thus, people’s natural actions and affections, whether viewed by man as bad or good, are never pleasing to God. The Calvinist understanding of total depravity does not mean that people are as evil as they possibly could be. People still make good choices (from a human perspective), but no matter how good they may be, they never gain favor with God. While total depravity is commonly associated with John Calvin, this theological viewpoint is based on the theology of Augustine (b. 354).

Unconditional election

Unconditional election is the doctrine which states that God chose those whom he was pleased to bring to a knowledge of himself, not based upon any merit shown by the object of his grace and not based upon foreseen faith (especially a mere decisional faith). God has elected, based solely upon the counsel of his own will, some for glory and others for damnation (Romans 9:15, 21). He has done this act before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4–8).

Limited atonement

Limited atonement (also known as “definite atonement”) is a doctrine offered in answer to the question, “for whose sins did Christ atone?” The Bible teaches that Christ died for those whom God gave him to save (John 17:9). Christ died, indeed, for many people, but not all (Matthew 26:28). Specifically, Christ died for the invisible Church — the sum total of all those who would ever rightly bear the name “Christian” (Ephesians 5:25).

See main page: Definite atonement See also Atonement of Christ and Penal substitutionary atonement

Irresistible grace

The result of God’s irresistible grace is the certain response by the elect to the inward call of the Holy Spirit, when the outward call is given by the evangelist or minister of the Word of God. Christ, himself, teaches that all whom God has elected will come to a knowledge of him (John 6:37). Men come to Christ in salvation when the Father calls them (John 6:44), and the very Spirit of God leads God’s beloved to repentance (Romans 8:14). What a comfort it is to know that the gospel of Christ will penetrate our hard, sinful hearts and wondrously save us through the gracious inward call of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 5:10)!

Perseverance of the saints

Those called and justified will certainly be glorified (Romans 8:28–39). The work of sanctification which God has brought about in his elect will continue until it reaches its fulfillment in eternal life (Phil. 1:6). Christ assures the elect that he will not lose them and that they will be glorified at the “last day” (John 6:39). The Calvinist stands upon the Word of God and trusts in Christ’s promise that he will perfectly fulfill the will of the Father in saving all the elect.

The Church

Theology of the sacraments

Calvinists regard the sacraments as gracious gifts from Christ to his church, the substance of the sacraments being Christ and their benefits being appropriated by faith. They are memorial and symbolic in nature, but not simply memorial and symbolic, as Jesus is faithful to his promise. Thus, if a thing is signified by a sacrament, he will certainly bestow the thing so signified on a faithful participant, and indeed he himself will accompany the sign. Consistent with Protestantism in general, Calvinism acknowledges the two sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as being specifically instituted by Christ for the church.

The Five Solas of the Reformation

The Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation, while not unique to Calvinism, are integral to a Calvinist theological perspective and therefore bear restating here:

Notes

  1. ↑ Cf. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, book 1, section 7, chapter
    1. See also book 1, section 8, chapters 1-13.
  2. ↑ W. S. Reid, “Calvinism”, p. 202 in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, ed. 2nd ed. (Baker, 2001)

See also

Further Reading

Favorable
Critical

External links

Introductions
Favorable
Critical

 

How A Believer Is to Respond To Our Culture

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1 Peter 3:13-17 Commentary

1 Peter 1 13 How to gird today
Survival and Suffering; Witness While Suffering,
The Christians’ Securities Against A Hostile World (MacArthur)
Finding Security in This Troubled World
Practicing The Lordship of Christ 3:13-17
When we practice Lordship, we turn suffering into a witness and bring glory to Christ. http://sermons.pastorlife.com/members/UploadedSermons/sermon_471.pdf

Charles 01 11 2015 pm a
Pastor/Teacher/Expositor: Charles e Whisnant
===========================
1 Peter 3:13  Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?  (NASB:
Greek: Kai tis o kakoson (FAPMSN) humas ean tou agathou zelotai genesthe?
Amplified: Now who is there to hurt you if you are zealous followers of that which is good?
KJV: And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?  (NLT – Tyndale House)
After all, who in the ordinary way is likely to injure you for being enthusiastic for good?
Young’s Literal:  and who is he who will be doing you evil, if of Him who is good ye may become imitators?
—————–
OUTLINE: First Peter 3:13-17
Promise: 13a
Passion: 13b
Persecution: 14
Prosperous: 14b
Protection: 16
A Defiled Conscience    Titus 1:15
A Seared Conscience  I Timothy 4:2
A Evil Conscience    Hebrews 10:22
Possibility: 17
=================
Francis Schaeffer wrote this in the 1970;s
In ancient Israel the nation had turned from God and from His truth and commands as given in Scripture, the prophet Jeremiah cried out that there was death in the city. He was speaking not only of physical death in Jerusalem but also a wider death.  Because Jewish society of that day had turned away from what God had given them in the Scripture, there was death in the polis, that is, death in the total culture and the total society.

In our era, sociologically, man destroyed the base which gave him the possibility of freedoms without chaos.  Humanists have been determined to beat to death the knowledge of God and the knowledge that God has not been silent, but has spoken in the Bible and through Christ – and they have been determined to do this even though the death of values has come with the death of that knowledge.

We see two effects of our loss of meaning and values.  The first is degeneracy. Think of New York City’s Times Square – Forty-second and Broadway. 

IF one goes to what used to be the lovely Kalverstraat
The Kalverstraat is a busy shopping street of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It is named after the kalvermarkt (“calves market”) that was held here until the 17th century.

The Kalverstraat is the most expensive shopping street in the Netherlands, with rents of 2200 euros per square meter (2007).[1] In 2009 it was the 17th most expensive street in the world measured by rent prices.[2] The Kalverstraat is also the most expensive street in the Dutch version of Monopoly.

in Amsterdam, one finds that it, too has become equally squalid i.e.  foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy.

The same is true of lower old streets in Coperhagen. Pompeli has returned . The marks of ancient Rome scar us: degeneracy, decadence, depravity, a love for violence’s sake. The situation is plain. If we look, we see it, If we see it, we are concerned.

But we must notice that there is a second result of modern man’s loss of meaning and value which is more ominous, and which many people do not see.  This second result is that the elite will exist. Society cannot stand chaos. Some groups or some person will fill the vacuum.  An elite will offer us arbitrary absolutes, and who will stand in the way! 

How Should we then live! The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture
As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. In this brilliant book he analyzed the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God’s revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible’s morals, values, and meaning.

How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture is a major Christian cultural and historical documentary film series and book. The book was written by presupposition list theologian Francis A. Schaeffer and first published in 1976. The book served as the basis for a series of ten films. Schaeffer narrated and appeared throughout the 1977 film series, which was produced by his son Frank Schaeffer and directed by John Gonser.[1] In the film series, Schaeffer attacked the influences of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and Charles Darwin. The films were credited with inspiring a number of leaders of the American conservative evangelical movement, including Jerry Falwell.[2] The complete list of materials that the Schaeffers produced under the title “How Should We Then Live?” include the initial book, a study guide for the book, the ten-episode film series, and study aids for the films.
Overview[

According to Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live traces Western history from Ancient Rome until the time of writing (1976) along three lines: the philosophic, scientific, and religious.[3] He also makes extensive references to art and architecture as a means of showing how these movements reflected changing patterns of thought through time. Schaeffer’s central premise is: when we base society on the Bible, on the infinite-personal God who is there and has spoken,[4] this provides an absolute by which we can conduct our lives and by which we can judge society. This leads to what Schaeffer calls “Freedom without chaos.”[5] When we base society on humanism, which he defines as “a value system rooted in the belief that man is his own measure, that man is autonomous, totally independent”,[6] all values are relative and we have no way to distinguish right from wrong except for utilitarianism.[7] Because we disagree on what is best for which group, this leads to fragmentation of thought,[8] which has led us to the despair and alienation so prevalent in society today.[9] Another premise is that modern relative values are based on Personal Peace (the desire to be personally unaffected by the world’s problems) and Affluence (an increasing personal income.)[10] He warns that when we live by these values we will be tempted to sacrifice our freedoms in exchange for an authoritarian government who will provide the relative values.[11] He further warns that this government will not be obvious like the fascist regimes of the 20th century but will be based on manipulation and subtle forms of information control, psychology, and genetics.[12]

Believers in Peter’s time lived in the Roman Empire. Schaeffer referred to, facing all the same kind of degeneracy and depravity that assaults today’s church.  But they faced more frequenct and overt hostility and persecution than believers in today’s culture face.

In some parts of the world, however, there is direct persecution of believers, and it is likely that in the coming years Christians everywhere will face increasing hostility, both from civil authorities and from unbelievers at the personal level

This passage speaks to all who would live godly lives in the midst of a hostile, ungodly culture.

John MacArthur lays out five principles believers need to embrace to equip and defend themselves against the threats of an unbelieving, hostile world:


a passion for goodness
a willingness to suffer for wrong and for right
a devotion to Christ
a readiness to defend the faith
a pure conscience

Exegesis is

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There are two things on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the process of discovering what we need to learn, and the process of presenting what we have learned. (Augustine)

Exegesis is listening carefully to a text in order to grasp its intention and experience its impact. In one sense, an exegetical procedure asks questions of ancient texts so that they might once more speak with clarity and coherence. Exegesis “slows down” the reader and fosters patient, attentive listening to the text so that its inner movements and intended effects can be observed. In this way, a sort of dialogue between text and exegete is established.

The purpose of exegesis is to reach a critically informed and theologically sensitive understanding of the text, appropriate in and for the life of the church in its engagement with the world. The goal is not to establish the once-and-for-all-time meaning of the text, but to discern the message of the text for a particular occasion and context. As Hayes and Holladay observe: “Exegesis does not allow us to master the text so much as it enables us to enter it” (Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook, 3rd ed. [Louisville; London: Westminster John Knox, 2007], 22).

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It’s hard when people leave a church.

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It’s hard when people leave a church.

Bible and pen
Over the years that I have pastor a church, from 1971 to the present, people have always quit coming to the church.  If it was not for the fact that every church has the same problem, I would quit been a pastor. But it always happen, people quit all the time.  It does not make it easy at all.  But it happens.

Most every pastor could have written this because it expresses what most preachers and pastor feel and think about people who leave the church

It’s hard to leave. It’ hard being left.

Most who leave don’t make that decision lightly. They deal with some serious pain when they finally make the decision to go.

If you’ve been a pastor for several years, you’ve had to deal with your share of such departures. Each one hurts. It’s especially hard when those leaving are long-term members.

The collective pain of all those departures over a long period of time can wear a pastor down.

Even if the church is growing, it can be hard when people leave. But when the church is small, each loss is that much more painful.

First, there’s the math. The percentage loss is much higher than in a bigger church. Losing one family can mean massive changes in entire ministries.

Second – and most difficult – it’s not just a drop in attendance, tithers or volunteers. It’s the loss of people we know. People we’ve invested in. People we’re friends with.

No Answers, But Maybe Some Solace

It’s taken me a long time to hit “publish” on today’s post because, when I raise an issue, I like to provide solutions or alternatives. But I don’t have a solution to this one.

So today’s post is not about answers. It’s a public recognition of our shared private pain.

With the hope that we can find some sort of solace by knowing we’re not alone in these feelings.

Here are some painful truths many of us have felt when people leave our churches.

1. It Hurts When People Leave the Church
There are two realities about pastoral ministry that we cannot change:
People will leave our church
It will hurt when they leave
We can deny it or admit it.
Denial gives it power over us and allows it to surprise us the next time it happens.
Admitting it… well, at least we can remove the weapon of surprise from this nasty beast.

2. It Hurts When It’s Someone We’ve Invested In
Sometimes it seems like the people we’ve spent the most time with, helped through the hardest trials and seen the most progress in are the most likely ones to leave.

I understand that people need a fresh start after they’ve been through some emotional and/or spiritual trauma. But it still hurts to invest all that time, energy, emotion and compassion only to hear them say buh-bye after you’ve helped them get healthy again.

3. It Hurts When They’ve Been Friends
No, not everyone in your church needs to be your friend. But some should be. Yet a lot of pastors resist having friends in the church because when they leave, it’s really painful.
Ellen Jacobs addressed this issue poignantly from the perspective of a pastor’s wife in her blog post, It’s Hard When Friends Leave. Here is some of what she wrote.

Whether the reason for leaving is bad or good, it leaves a wound behind.

So what do we do? I think we mourn for a while, perhaps a long while if needed. We ask God to dress our wound. We process, we pray, and time goes by.

And you know what we don’t do? We don’t write that person off. We don’t forget all the good that existed in that friendship. We don’t subconsciously (or consciously) vow to never open ourselves up to people again.

4. It Hurts When They Leave Without Telling Us Why

Church consultants recommend doing exit interviews to help us understand why church members left. That’s a great idea. In theory. And it works well in larger churches because the person conducting the interview probably doesn’t know them personally. But it’s one of those principles that doesn’t transpose smoothly into the smaller setting.

When people leave a smaller congregation, who should conduct the exit interview? The pastor they had a disagreement with in the first place? The deacon they’ve been gossiping with for years? The new family who barely knows the church and the issues involved?

No. In a Small Church, the pastor calls and/or emails the person or family they haven’t seen in a while to ask if anyone’s been sick or on vacation. Even though we have a strong suspicion of what’s really going on. If they answer the phone or return the email, that’s our exit interview. And it can be very awkward and painful – for both sides.

If they don’t return emails or phone calls – which happens quite often – there’s nothing to do but feel hurt for a while, then soldier on. The silent, unanswered departure is never easy.
Since this post is about making private pain public, here’s a hard truth that I’ve heard some Small Church pastors admit to each other. We don’t always make that call when we know what the answer will be. We know we should, but we can’t always handle the rejection.

So, to all the church consultants berating pastors for not following up when members leave, we get it. We know we should make those calls. But it’s not always because we don’t care. It’s because we care too much.

5. It Hurts When They Bomb Us with Every Reason Why

This is the other side of the silent departure. The pastor gets a “we need to talk” call.

The truth is, we want to know why people are leaving and why. We really do. But these final talks are often a great source of additional pain to us. Especially when the problem is with something we did – or failed to do.

In my three-plus decades of ministry, these have been some of my toughest moments. People who I thought were doing well and were happy in the church sit down with me and pull out a piece of paper listing all the offenses they feel they’ve endured over the last few years. Some are legitimate. Some are really not. All of them are painful to hear.

But the most frustrating thing about the “here’s every reason why I’m leaving” conversation is…

6. It Hurts When They Don’t Give Us a Chance to Make Things Right

I wish people would tell me about their problems when there’s still a chance to make things right!
I’ve been through too many meetings where
I didn’t know there was a problem until now
The problem would have been fixable if I’d known

It was just a misunderstanding that we could have easily resolved

But it’s too late now. They’ve already made their minds up to leave.

7. It Hurts When They Leave for Another Church
It’s especially hard when they leave the long-term, healthy, faithful, smaller congregation for the flashier, new, big church. But it could be worse…

8. It Hurts Even More When Don’t Go to Any Other Church

To lose someone from our church is hard. To know they’ve left the church entirely and that we’ve possibly lost them from the body of Christ is unspeakably heartbreaking. (Please, no eternal security comments. This is not about that.)

9. It Hurts When They Avoid Us Later

Many Small Churches are in small towns, or in tight neighborhoods where people run into each other in the store or at civic events.

If I could give one word of advice to church members who leave, it would be this. You don’t have to look away awkwardly when you run into your former pastor or one of their family members on the street. Our relationship may have changed when you left. But just because we’re no longer your pastor doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends.

How To Know If You Have A Bad Bad Preacher/Pastor

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Charles 04 09 15 study at table

One of Jesus’ favorite metaphors for spiritual leadership, one He often used to describe Himself, was that of a shepherd–a person who tends God’s flock. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects–responsibilities that belong to every church leader. In fact, the word pastor means shepherd.

God wants us (His people) to understand what the ministry of oversight is all about, and to make sure that those who are in a position of oversight fulfill their God given duties FAITHFULLY. We can discern from God’s word what would amount to a serious warning if the spiritual leader steps out of line.

Ezekiel 34:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. 11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

This passage of Scripture was written for the Old Testament leaders of God’s people. It is written specifically against “the shepherds of Israel”. “Shepherd” is the same word as “pastor”. This would define what the concept of shepherd or pastor is, as God sees it. Failure to fulfill this task brings railing condemnation against that pastor. From this we too can learn much about New Testament church oversight (i.e. pastors).

Beware when your pastor …

1. Is overly concerned about remuneration and his own life style instead of his preaching. Ezekiel 34:2

The first and great overriding condemnation by God is that the pastors feed themselves instead of feeding their charge, the flock of God. We must admit that God’s principles are that the local church is to give the pastor a livable wage or salary, and they are to even give him “double honor” if he ministers well, and the pastor is to live of the gospel. But when the balance becomes to great towards “feathering his own nest” instead of tending to his charge, then the pastor is not what he is supposed to be.

The charge of God to the pastor is the same as the owner of sheep in Palestine to a shepherd of sheep, “whatever is wrong, fix it.” What this means is that the pastor should confront all problems and resolve them however it is necessary to do so. A pastor who by-passes and ignores problems in the local church is not doing his job. We must give time to many matters, and we must labor over them in prayer, but some matters need to be confronted and dealt with instead of being prayed over. For example God rebuked Joshua in Joshua 7 because he was praying instead of rooting out sin in the camp. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul rebukes the church for not confronting sin in their midst. Paul’s comparison is that this is like kneading a lump of dough with leaven in it, soon it will saturate the entire lump if not stopped quickly and decisively.

The preacher should preach, and he should do that well. Preachers that do not spend a lot of time preparing, and that includes study, prayer, and meditation, just are slighting their duties. Even the most scholarly preachers still spend many hours on a sermon if it is to be a good, effective sermon. Moreover, when a preacher spends a large portion of his time in other things (such as administration of a Christian school, counseling, writing, fellowship, or entertainment concerns) be careful. A person’s priorities are reflected by his attention to that things, i.e. what he spends the most time, energy, and resources on is his highest priority.

Beware when your pastor …

2. Hurts more people than he helps. Ezekiel 34:2

The sense of “the diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken” is that he should be building up the flock so that they are not crippled by spiritual disease or sickness. The broken perhaps refers to the difficult crises of life that cause a person to become disabled or unfruitful and unproductive.

Focus on our task as Christians. We must ask ourselves, “what should the sheep be normally doing that these diseases, sicknesses, and crises (brokenness) would hinder?” The answer is very simple, sheep are supposed to roam around after the pastor eating and feeding all they can get, and they are to reproduce more sheep, and give fruit (wool and milk). Christians then are supposed to go to church and feed on the Word of God that the pastor feeds them with. This Word of God explained (feeding grounds) is supposed to promote the Christian to bear spiritual fruit and to reproduce (evangelism). This evangelism is the mission of the church (Matthew 28:19-20). It is a single mission that must all come under the focus of the local church. The local church must evangelize the lost, baptize them (membership – integration) into the local church, and teach them all God has commanded us (discipleship so that they are just like the rest of the church). This is the work of God, and the sheep are supposed to be doing it, and the pastor is supposed to promoting it, making it happen.

Moreover the Christian is to bear spiritual fruit. Let us mention what the Christians should be moved to produce from their “church experience”.

Gal 5:22-23

Love – The practice and attitude of placing somebody else before their own self. Seeking the benefit of another before your self.

Joy – Happiness (well being) that is not necessarily linked to physical well being. Comfort or thoughts that overwhelms the person even if that person finds himself in conflict, affliction, distress, anguish, agony, or pain.

Peace – The absence of conflict in the soul, even though outwardly the person may be in great conflicts.

Longsuffering – Suffering long, waiting and having patience even though the events and pressures of life would force the person to immediate response, vengeance, attack, rebuke, conflict, or improper speech.

Gentleness – Treating others softly instead of harshly and brutishly. Gentleness means not seeking to hurt others even when it is fully possible.

Faith – Faith is belief. But much more than some doctrinal point somebody ascribes themselves to, faith is spiritual force to wait or go forward when the evidence before ones eyes is to the contrary.

Meekness – This is to approach others as though you believe them to be better and superior to yourself. While it may not be so, still the meek person will treat others with this respect and dignity even though he himself may be a king.

Temperance – Self-control. A control over one’s self so that one does not indulge in sins and excesses of life. This is a strong control over oneself, or perhaps better put, it is a complete rendering of one’s self to the control of God to decide and guide their life, actions and speech so that what a person does is God’s will.

KJV Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

The Christian is supposed to have his life full of all goodness and righteousness. Good is free from the element of sin. Righteousness is the opposite of sin. It is what we are supposed to be doing instead of sin. Truth is God’s banner (identifying flag) over us. We are supposed to be champions of the truth. Beware when people claim to be Christians and tell lies to protect or promote their version of Christianity. No obedient Christian will use Satan’s methods to do God’s work. It just does not work.

Beware when your pastor …

3. Drives away people instead of gathering them. Ezekiel 34:4

KJV Ezekiel 34:4 brought that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost

The biblical pastor will be active in evangelism. Any church or pastor that slights evangelism is making light of the verse heart of God. “For God so loved the world He sent …” Evangelism is hard and discouraging, but it is the essence of God’s work. We cannot get around it. We cannot use the world’s methods, especially not Madison Avenue’s methods to do God’s work. We must use God’s methods.

Some pastors drive away and scatter the sheep instead of gathering them. This is seen by the pastor doing and saying things that drives people away from the Lord for unbiblical reasons. God’s purpose is to change people so that they obey the will of God. When a pastor preaches the will of God, then at times he will drive disobedient people away from the Lord because they will not obey God’s word. This is normal and not what we are talking about here. (Christ said he came to bring a sword into this world). What is a bad sign is when the pastor delights or accepts driving people away when there is no need to do so. For example, the pastor is sarcastic or bitter or sharp with his words when he could have said the same thing in a different way and not offend. The offense must always be between the individual and God, not the pastor and the individual. The pastor shows them God’s word and they may get offended or repent and follow God’s will.

Another aspect of a good pastor is that he seeks the lost. This goes beyond evangelism. It goes to the pastor’s relationship with his own sheep. When the pastor offends somebody, or somebody just stops coming or distances himself from the church, the good pastor will go out and seek that person seeking to “fix what is wrong” and restore that person into the fellowship as an active and fruitful member.

Beware when your pastor’s …

4. Leadership style is marked with cruelty and force. Ezekiel 34:4

KJV Ezekiel 34:4 with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them

“Force” here means excessive force, vehemence, might, strength. “Cruelty” means to break apart, to break down, to fracture, to use severity or cruelty, rigor. The idea is that the bad pastor is somebody who gets his will done no matter what. He is very forceful, and reserves all right for himself. Seldom is he ever wrong (in his own eyes), and even when he is wrong, he will ignore it and wants all others to ignore his errors, adhering absolute loyalty to his “always right” way.

Beware when your pastor …

5. Decides not to give pastoral counseling and get involved in correcting people’s lives. Ezekiel 34:5

One of the most important points to understand about pastors is that they government the sheep. That “government” simply is that they make executive decisions for the welfare of the sheep. The word for shepherd (ra’ah) means and is translated on occasion, “to govern”. They are personally responsible to God for their charge (Hebrews 13:17). This governing takes a public form in guiding the decisions of the local church, and a private form in personal one on one counseling.

Public guiding of the church is done by preaching and teaching, setting the norms, understandings, and standards of that local church. Also he has the burden of biblically expositing the direction, activities, and work of the local church to set its course. He does not make these decisions privately, and the church simply obeys him, but rather he exposits biblically why and how we are to do what we do, and the church follows his leadership. His “validity” is not found in his authority (position) but rather in his right to “have the ear of the church”. He feeds them daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, with information from God that illuminates the church, and is the pastor’s principal means of governing.

When a pastor comes to a person position in his own life in which he is not willing or able to “risk” giving counsel and getting involved in correcting the wrong in people’s lives and in the church in general, he must be removed, either voluntarily or by the people of that church for failure to fulfill his primary work burden.

Pastors today think that they can split and divide their work such that they personally do not have to do the “dirty job” of dealing with people’s problems. This is the primary burden for the pastor. He gets his validity in everything else because he has helped the personal problems of his people and church.

Bottom Line: Whatever is wrong, the pastor has to fix it however it has to be done.

http://www.davidcox.com.mx/usa/our_promo/guidelines_for_discerning_a_bad_pastor.htm

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Why Members Leave the Church Part One

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In first-century Jerusalem, if you didn’t like the music, the pastor or the amount of perfume Sister Bertha wore, you had to stay and work it out. Where else would you go?

Today in 2015 there are 300 churches one can go to.

Each week brings a new challenge for sure.  This past week another family walked out of the church and came back in and gathered all the stuff that they let the church BORROW while the were coming.

One of the oldest members of ROJBC who was in the hospital at the time that the mother and daughter and son walked out of the building.  They walked out talking under there breath as they left the building.

Now you might ask why did they choose to walk out of the building on a Sunday morning?  Good question.  Why would any person who say they are Christians just get so mad that they walk out of the building?

Personally I have myself got so mad that I quit over things that I wanted to just quit the minilstry all together.  As a matter of back I could write a number of post on this subject.

But usually I have got fired and ask to leave the buidling, at least in a church setting I was giving a few weeks to clear out my stuff.   In the secular world when I was fired I was ask to leave the building with a guard.

Now back to the churches where I left the bulding so mad that I said I will never come back to that building.  Most of the time I was so hurt over the treatment that I received by the pastor that the time was right to leave the church. But I ways told the pastor what I was doing.  You might ask were you really mistread or was that what you felt was happening to you? Good question to ask.  I don’t think the pastors were really trying to hurt us, or mistreat us at all. What I do believe thought, they felt that maybe we were a threat to their ministry, and they wanted us to leave before we took over the ministry. They ask us to leave by saying “I beleive you really need your own church to pastor, so why don’t you do that!””

Now back to our current church at ROJBC.  Should I go back to the very beginning in August 2008.  I almost hate to revisit those days.  Why people walked out of the building.  Before I came to families who were the backbones of the church walked out and to my understanding as of today they are not in church at all.  I was not the casuse of the leavning the church.  All I know that over 150 people were no longer in the church when I came in July 2008.  How many of those are in a church today I could not answer that question at all.

But I can say many of those who have left since I have been at ROJBC are in church somewhere, and for that I am very glad.  This is to say they got mad  the pastor and left but not necessary mad at the church or the Lord, and that is good.

There are a number of reasons why people have left the church:

One:  They didn’t like been told that they should be in the worship serivce rather than in children church.

Two:  One family left because the man didn’t think that I was conducting the services to his liking and he took his famly out.

Three.  One family who took all this famiily with him, got mad becasue he just didn’t like what I was teaching, along with a dozen other things he didn’t like.

Four:  Some have moved one to aother church becasue the moved.

FIve:  Some said they were looking for a church that had a good children ministry.

Six:   Some left because they felt that I was unfair, uncompassionate toward them.

Seven: Some have left because I was really to hard on them. I admit that I was.

Eight:  And of course the number one reason for leavng the church is that I am too hard on their chlld, or children.  (Which usually is correct.)

Keep My Thoughts on the Word While I am Preaching

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Church why does it matter

Let me let you in on one of my secret thoughts while I am preaching: I am praying while I am preaching (and it seems I am not doing a very good job) that the Lord would help me keep my thoughts on the message that is before me. There are a few distraction that occur while I am preaching, have you notice. Lord, please help me keep my thoughts together on the message that is before me, Lord hold my mind , keep my words on the text before me. I want to do the best job possible of teaching the most wonderful of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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The principle of submission in presented in many different ways in the New Testament.

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  1. – Jesus submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51).
  2. – Demons submitted to the disciples (Luke 10:17).
  3. – Citizens should submit to government authority (Romans 13:1 and 5, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13).
  4. – The universe will submit to Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22).
  5. – Unseen spiritual beings submit to Jesus (1 Peter 3:22).
  6. – Christians should submit to their church leaders (1 Corinthians 16:15-16 and 1 Peter 5:5).
  7. – Wives should submit to husbands (Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:5, and Ephesians 5:22-24).
  8. – The church should submit to Jesus (Ephesians 5:24).
  9. – Servants should submit to masters (Titus 2:9 and 1 Peter 2:18).
  10. – Christians should submit to God (Hebrews 12:9 and James 4:7).

.”Submission involves at least four things.

  1. First, it begins with an attitude of entrusting oneself to God The focus of our life must be on Jesus Christ.
  2. Second, submission requires respectful behavior (1Pe 3:1,2). Nagging is not respectful behavior.
  3. Third, submission involves the development of a godly character (1Pe 3:3-5
  4. Fourth, submission includes doing what is right (1Pe 3:6). It does not include violating other Scriptural principles. Submission is imperative for oneness in marriage. (Expository Notes)

The Purpose of Submission in First Peter 3

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1-Peter-1-2 Give Attention to Reading1. In our culture, does the word “submit” have a negative or a positive connotation?
2. How should knowing that Jesus “submitted” to the Father, change our understanding of the word “submit?”
3. (V.1) What reason does Peter give for wives submitting to their husbands even if their husband do not obey the word?
4. (V. 2) What does “respectful and pure conduct” look like?
5. (V. 3) Some focus on external beauty seems to be okay, but what or where is the line that Peter does not want us to cross?
6. (V. 6) What were some of Sarah’s qualities that women would admire?
7. (V. 7) What does it look like for a Husband to show honor to his wife?
8. (V. 7) What does Peter mean when he refers to the woman as the “weaker vessel?”
9. (V.7) What does Peter mean when he talks about prayers being hindered?
10. (V. 8) What does a “tender heart” and a “humble mind” look like in practice?
11. (V. 10) What does it mean to “love life” and “see good days?”
12. (V. 12) Why should the fact that the “eyes of the Lord are on the righteous” comfort us?
13. (V.13) What does it mean if “the face of the Lord is against” someone?
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1A. THE DUTIES OF WIVES (1-6)
1. Be submissive to your husbands

a. That you might win those who are not believers
b. As they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear

2. Adorn yourselves properly

a. Not merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold,
putting on of fine apparel
b. With the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
precious in God’s sight
c. As holy women in the past who trusted God

1) Adorned themselves
2) Submitted to their husbands

d. As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord
1) Whose daughters you are
2) If you do good, not afraid with any terror

B. THE DUTIES OF HUSBANDS (7)
1. Dwell with your wives with understanding
2. Give honor to your wives

a. As to the weaker vessel
b. As being heirs together of the grace of life
c. So your prayers may not be hindered

II. OUR DUTIES AS BRETHREN (8-12)

A. OUR DUTIES TO EACH OTHER (8-9)

1. Be of one mind
2. Have compassion for one another
3. Love one another as brethren
4. Tenderhearted, courteous
5. Not returning evil for evil, or reviling for reviling

a. On the contrary, respond with a blessing
b. Knowing that you were called to this, that you might inherit
a blessing

B. MOTIVATION TO FULFILL SUCH DUTIES (10-12)

1. If you would love life and see good days

a. Refrain your tongue from evil and lips from speaking deceit
b. Turn from evil and do good
c. Seek peace and pursue it

2. If you would desire the Lord’s favor

a. For His eyes are on the righteous
b. For His ears are open to their prayers
c. But His face is against those who do evil

III. OUR DUTIES AS SUFFERERS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE (13-22)
A. THINGS TO REMEMBER (13-17)

1. Who will harm you if you do what is good?

a. Even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are
blessed
b. So don’t be afraid of threats, nor be troubled

2. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts
3. Always be ready to give a defense

a. To everyone who asks
b. For a reason for the hope that is in your
c. With meekness and fear

4. Maintain a good conscience

a. That when others may defame you as evildoers
b. Those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed

5. It is better, if it is the will of God…

a. To suffer for doing good
b. Than to suffer for doing evil

B. REASONS To REMEMBER (18-22)

1. Christ also suffered once for sins

a. The just for the unjust
b. That He might bring us to God

2. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit

a. By whom He went and preached to the spirits in prison who
were formerly disobedient
1) During the longsuffering of God
2) In the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared

a) In which eight souls were saved through water
b) Which was a type of baptism which now saves us

1] Not the removal of the filth of the flesh
2] But the answer of a good conscience toward God
3] Through the resurrection of Christ

b. Who has gone in to heaven

1) And is at the right hand of God
2) Where angels, authorities, and powers have been made
subject to Him

First Peter 3 Questions

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LIVING WITH A DIFFICULT HUSBAND in a right manner for the glory of god and the example of Christ
Charles e Whisnant, teacher
First Peter 3:1-6
What Does It Mean To Be A First Peter 3 Wife?
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REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
– Our duties as wives and husbands (1-7)
– Our duties as brethren (8-12)
– Our duties as sufferers for righteousness’ sake (13-22)
2) What are wives told to be in regards to their husbands? Why? (1)
– Submissive; to convert those husbands who are not yet Christians
3) What does Peter hope the unbelieving husbands will observe in their
wives? (2)
– Their chaste conduct accompanied by fear
4) What should not be the focus of their adornment? (3)
– That which is outward: arranging the hair, wearing gold, their
apparel
5) What should be the focus of their adornment (4)
– The hidden person of the heart: the incorruptible beauty of a
gentle and quiet spirit
6) What other women so adorned themselves and were submissive to their
husbands? (5-6)
– Holy women of God in the past who trusted in God; specifically,
Sarah
7) How are husbands to treat their wives? (7)
– With understanding and honor
– As to the weaker vessel
– As heirs together of the grace of life
8) Why should husbands treat their wives so kindly? (7)
– That their prayers not be hindered
9) What duties do we as brethren have to one another? (8)
– To be of one mind
– To have compassion for one another and love as brethren
– To be tenderhearted, courteous
10) How are we to respond when mistreated by brethren? Why? (9)
– With blessing; we were called to so respond, that we may inherit a
blessing
11) What proscription is offered for those who would love life and see
good days? (10-11)
– Refrain the tongue from evil, the lips from speaking deceit
– Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it
12) What is said of the righteous? Of those who do evil? (12)
– The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open
to their prayers
– The face of the Lord is against those who do evil
13) What is the general principle regarding persecution? (13)
– If you do good, you will not be harmed
14) What is said of those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake?
(14)
– They are blessed
15) How should one prepare themselves for possible persecution? (15-16)
– Sanctify the Lord God in your heart
– Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for
your hope
– Have a good conscience
16) If we maintain good conduct, what will happen to those who defame
and revile us? (16)
– They will be ashamed
17) If we suffer according to God’s will, what is better? (17)
– To suffer for doing good than for doing evil
18) Who also suffered for righteousness’ sake? For what reason? (18)
– Christ, the just for the unjust
– For sins, that He might bring us to God
19) Though put to death in the flesh, what was He able to do by the
Spirit? (18-19)
– Preach to the spirits in prison
20) When were such “spirits” disobedient? (20)
– In the days of Noah, during the longsuffering of God
– While the ark was preparing
21) Of what is the salvation of eight souls through water a “type”? (21)
– Baptism which now saves us
22) How does baptism not save us? How does it save us? (21)
– Not by the removal of the filth of the flesh
– As the answer (or plea) of a good conscience toward God, through
the resurrection of Jesus
http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/1pet/1pet_03.htm
23) What was the final outcome of Jesus who suffered for righteousness’
sake? (22)
– He has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God
– Angels, authorities, and powers have been made subject to Him