Crosspoint Baptist Church Blog

CrossPoint Structure and Ministry Team Concept

danny — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:04:26 +0000

Our Core Values

1.) Expositional Preaching

2.) Biblical Theology

3.) A Biblical Understanding of the Good News

4.) A Biblical Understanding of Conversion

5.) A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism

6.) A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership

7.) A Biblical Understanding of Church Discipline

8.) A Biblical Concern for promoting Christian Discipleship and Growth

9.) A Biblical Understanding of Church Leadership[1]

These values help us as we seek to follow the will of God for our church. These values correspond to our beliefs and identity; helping us to accomplish the task God has appointed to us. These core values shape our teaching and leading for this body of believers.

Our Identity:

“CrossPoint Baptist Church is a community of believers who seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, become more conformed to the image of Christ, and who seek to let our being in Christ lead to our doing for Christ.”

Our identity also involves that of the Baptist Tradition. The Baptist have longed been called people of the word. The following marks are distinctive, though not exclusive, to the Baptist tradition and will help you understand the great history we stand upon:

Mark #1: Biblical Authority

Mark #2: The Lordship of Christ

Mark #3: Regenerate Church Membership

Mark #4: Church Discipline

Mark #5: Congregational Polity

Mark #6: 2 Ordinances: Baptism by Immersion and the Lord’s Supper

Mark#7: Soul Competency/Priesthood of the Believers

Mark #8: Security of the Believer

These marks are not exclusive to Baptist alone but they have been hallmarks of the Baptist tradition for hundreds of years. The Baptists has traditionally stood opposed to infant baptism, sacramental approaches to the ordinances, and weak biblical authority as well as many other beliefs.

At CrossPoint, our core beliefs are stated in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. This statement of Faith details our beliefs concerning God, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, Man, Sin, Salvation, and more. To summarize the non-negotiable beliefs, the 5 solas of the Reformation will be used.

#1: Sola Scripture - Scripture Alone

#2: Sola Fide - Faith Alone

#3: Sola Gratia - Grace Alone

#4: Sola Christe - Christ Alone

#5: Sola Deo Gloria - To the Glory of God Alone

To these, there is no compromise. These are etched in scripture and we hold them up highly. For those negotiable tenets we turn to our Baptist Faith and Message to guide us. To be sure, we desire to hold a high view of God as sovereign over all and our desire is to lift up His name to the nations.

As a church, CrossPoint is first and foremost a local, autonomous community of believers that meet at this location to be a part of building God’s Kingdom.

As a church, we have voluntarily decided to be a part of the Faulkner Baptist Association, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention.

THE EXPECTATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF THE

CROSSPOINT COMMUNITY:

Each member should be connected in a Bible Study or equipping group and pursuing growth in Christ (Col. 19-14; Eph. 4:11-16; Heb. 10:24-25).
Each member is expected to give cheerfully and sacrificially of the Lord’s resources, gifts, talents, and possessions that He has given them to manage (Matthew 25:14-30; 2 Cor. 9:6-15).
Each member is expected to serve both in the church and in local and global missions opportunities (Matt. 28:16-20).
Each member is expected to pursue accountability and regular confession with a small group of other believers in order to keep a close watch on their lives and doctrine (Rom. 8:13; 1 Tim. 4:16).

EQUIP

EPHESIANS 4:12

The word “equip” is used in the Bible in Ephesians 4:12 to describe what those in leadership should be doing to accomplish God’s will in the church and the word. Using the five different letters of the actual word equip, we better understand the biblical process of helping our members grow in spiritual maturity.

The acronym stands for the following:

E-very member is a minister. You have been gifted by God to serve Him in a ministry. We will be helping you understand your gifts and assisting you to get involved in using them to do ministry and missions.

Q-uality of character is top priority. God is interested in making you to be like Jesus and to display His characteristics. We will be helping you to develop Christ-like qualities.

U-nity of spirit is God’s desire for all believers. This unity is developed through authentic community found in small groups. We will be helping you to join a small group and grow in those relationships as God bonds you together with His family.

I-nvesting in others means sharing Christ in word and in deed. We as believers are called to identify, invest, and invite others to Christ through the great commission. We will be helping you to do these three I’s through training, and events/activities that will be available in the days ahead.

P-reparation for life begins with Church Attendance, Bible study and prayer. These Spiritual disciplines are important habits to develop and knowing/communicating with God is a part of preparation for all the other parts of the Christian life.

Our Structure

CrossPoint Baptist Church is a Staff Led, Ministry Team Planned, Deacon Served and Congregationally Implemented Church. This structure allows us to best accomplish the vision of the church and to use and develop leaders from within the congregation.

1.) Staff Led

2.) Ministry Team Planned

3.) Deacon Served

4.) Congregationally Implemented Church

CPBC MINISTRY TEAMS

The Ministry Teams of CrossPoint Baptist Church serve the congregation and pastoral staff through faithful service and devotion to the overall ministry of CrossPoint Baptist Church.

CrossPoint Baptist Church has two types of Ministry Teams. Teams are considered either open or closed and these designations clarify both function and means of the teams.

Open teams are meant to designate a team as being open for volunteer sign ups for those who sense they are called and gifted to serve on a particular team. Each person that signs up for an open team must do so in November in order to serve the following 12 month year (January - December). Training for the teams will be held the first Sunday of each December and the team begins to serve January 1. Each open team will elect a chairman to serve as the leader/facilitator of the team.

Closed Ministry teams shall be elected by the church. Service will be staggered with one or two members rotating off each year to ensure continuity. When a person rotates off of a particular ministry team, they cannot be re-elected to that particular team for at least one year. They may still serve on other teams if so elected by the church body. Each closed team will elect a chairman to serve as the leader/facilitator of the team.

Church Administration Team: Closed

The Church Administration Team shall be selected by the staff and presented to the church for confirmation. The purpose of the team is to put together the closed ministry teams of the church, selecting Sunday School Teachers, and overseeing/recommending church policy changes such as bylaws and ministry team responsibilities. The team shall select members for the closed teams and present the nominees to the church for confirmation. The team will be composed of 5 members in good standing, and will elect a chairperson who will work directly with the staff of the church.

Children’s Ministry Team: Closed

The Children’s Ministry shall be organized by the Church Administration Team and shall consist of 5 members in good standing. This team shall elect a chairperson who will directly work with the pastoral staff to organize, plan, and implement the Children’s ministry of CrossPoint Baptist Church. This team will also engage in recruiting and training all workers for the Children’s Ministry. They will conduct background checks on all workers with the support of the staff and have the responsibility to keep the church up to date on changes in programming and needs. The team will oversee all ministries from birth to 6^th grade.

Media Ministry Team: Closed

The Media Team will be organized by the Church Administration Team and will consist of at least 3 members in good standing. This team will work directly with the pastoral staff for the planning, maintenance, and training of all media services used in the church. Members of this team will keep the church up to date on needs and changes in media. By media, this refers to audio and visual arts.

Building and Grounds Team: Closed

The Building and Grounds Team shall be organized by the Church Administration Team and shall consist of members in good standing. The primary function of this team is to keep the church campus and grounds in good working order, to recommend to the congregation repairs and updates to existing properties, to work with the pastoral staff in long range planning, and to be proactive in maintenance.

Budget and Finance Team: Closed

The Budget and Finance Team shall be organized by the Church Administration Team and will consist of 5 members in good standing with the church. Of the 5 team members, the Church treasurer shall be a member. This team will serve alongside the Pastor and Staff to draw up the yearly budget, prepares financial reports for the church, keep the financial records for the church in good standing, and advise the pastoral staff and church in matters of budgeting and long range planning.

Personnel Team

The Personnel Team shall be selected by the pastoral staff and deacons and presented to the church for confirmation. The purpose is to set and review employee guidelines, review personnel issues, and handle the background research for the hiring of pastoral staff and church employees. The Personnel Team and the pastor will handle the hiring of non-staff employees while ALL pastoral staff will be presented for recommendation to hire to the congregation. In the event that the lead/senior pastor leaves and/or is dismissed, the Personnel Team will also serve as the pastor search team.

Community Missions Team: Open

The Community Missions Team shall be organized by volunteer sign up and shall consist 0f members in good standing. This team shall elect a chairperson who will work directly with the Pastor in order to place local mission opportunities in front of the congregation, to plan and implement a community missions fair each spring, and to communicate the needs of the community to the church.

Missions and Evangelism Team: Open

The Missions and Evangelism Team shall be organized by volunteer sign up and shall consist of members in good standing. The primary function of this team is lead in the outreach program of the church. This team will work directly with the pastoral staff to organize, plan, and implement outreach opportunities as well as mission opportunities. This team will differ from the Community Missions Team, as it will focus on the evangelism training and mission efforts of the church in state, national, and global missions projects. This team will keep the church up to date of state, national, and international mission opportunities.

Church Hospitality Team: Open

The Church Hospitality Team shall be organized by volunteer sign sp and shall consist of members in good standing. This team shall work directly with the Pastoral staff for the purpose of fellowship of the congregation and encouragement to those in times of joy and distress. This team will maintain all kitchen supplies and keep the congregation up to date on needs and changes.

Prayer Team: Open

The Prayer Team shall be organized by volunteer sign up and will consist of members in good standing with the church. The team shall work directly with the pastoral staff to cultivate an atmosphere of prayer throughout the life of the church. The team will be responsible for electing a chairman that will help facilitate prayer needs to the church and staff.

SCHEDULE FOR ORGANIZING THE TEAMS

Open Teams: To volunteer for one of the open teams, members in good standing, faithful to the Lord and His Church, and sensing their call and giftedness has led them to partner together with others of the same qualities will be able to sign up during the month of November. A special training session will be provided the first Sunday evening of each December and the term of service will be for 1 year from January through December.

Closed Teams: To serve on one of the closed teams, members are to be in good standing, faithful to the Lord and His Church, and sensing their call and giftedness has led them to partner together with others of these same qualities. Those called upon to serve will be asked during the months of September and October with service to begin in January. The length of service will be a 3 year term. A special training session will be held the third Sunday of each November to equip the teams to fulfill their ministry goals. Once the teams have been filled, the church will be notified in order to show their support and confirmation. This notification will take place the first Sunday in November.

2009 SCHEDULE

September 2009: Presentation and Approval – Sept. 2 and 16

September 2009: Church Administration Team begins

October and November 2009: 2010 Closed Ministry Teams begin to be filled

November 2009: Sign Ups for 2010 Open Ministry Teams begin.

December 2009: Training Session for ALL CPBC Ministry Teams

[1] The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church – Mark Dever

CrossPoint Baptist Ministry Teams

danny — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:17:10 +0000

CrossPoint Baptist Church

Ministry Teams

The Ministry Teams of CrossPoint Baptist Church serve the congregation and Pastoral Staff through faithful service and devotion to the overall ministry of CrossPoint Baptist Church.

CrossPoint Baptist Church has 2 types of Ministry Teams. Teams are considered either open or closed and these designations clarify both function and means of the teams.

Closed Ministry teams shall consist of five church members elected to serve by the church. Elections will take place each year in November with a 3-year term assigned. Service will be staggered with one or two members rotating off each year to ensure continuity. When a person rotates off of a particular ministry team, they cannot be re-elected to that particular team for at least one year. They may still serve on other teams if so elected by the church body. Each closed team will elect a chairman to serve as the leader/facilitator of the team.

Children’s Ministry Team: Closed

The Children’s Ministry shall be organized by the Church Administration Team and shall consist of 5 members in good standing. This team shall elect a chairperson who will directly work with the Pastoral Staff to organize, plan, and implement the Children’s ministry of CrossPoint Baptist Church. This team will also engage in recruiting and training all workers for the Children’s Ministry. They will conduct background checks on all workers and have the responsibility to keep the church up to date on changes in programming and needs. The team will oversee all ministry from birth to 6^th grade.

Community Missions Team:Open

The CM Team shall be organized by Volunteer Sign Up and shall consist 0f members in good standing. This team shall elect a chairperson who will work directly with the Pastor in order to place local mission opportunities in front of the congregation, to plan and implement a community missions fair each spring, and to communicate the needs of the community to the church.

Media Ministry Team: Closed

The Media Team will be organized by the Church Administration Team and will consist of at least 3 members in good standing. This team will work directly with the Pastoral Staff for the planning, maintenance, and training of all media services used in the church. Members of this team will keep the church up to date on needs and changes in media. By media, this refers to audio and visual arts.

Building and Grounds Team: Open

The Building and Grounds Team shall be organized by Volunteer Sign Up and shall consist of members in good standing. The primary function of this team is to keep the church campus and grounds in good working order, to recommend to the congregation repairs and updates to existing properties, to work with the Pastoral Staff in long range planning, and to be proactive in maintenance.

Missions and Evangelism Team: Open

The Missions and Evangelism Team shall be organized by Volunteer Sign Up and shall consist of members in good standing. The primary function of this team is lead in the outreach program of the church. This team will work directly with the Pastoral Staff to organize, plan, and implement outreach opportunites as well as mission opportunities. This team will differ from the Community Missions Team as it will focus on the evangelism training and mission efforts of the church in state, national, and global missions projects. This team will keep the church up to date of state, national, and international mission opportunities.

Church Hospitality Team: Open

The Church Hospitality Team shall be organized by Volunteer Sign Up and shall consist of members in good standing. This team shall work directly with the Pastoral Staff for the purpose of fellowship of the congregation and encouragement to those in times of joy and distress. This team will maintain all kitchen supplies and keep the congregation up to date on needs and changes.

Church Administration Team: Closed

The Ca Team shall be organized by the Staff for the purpose of putting together the ministry teams of the church, selecting Bible Fellowship Teachers, and overseeing church policy changes such as by laws and ministry team responsibilities. This team will be composed of 5 members in good standing. This team of 5 will elect a chairperson who will work directly with the staff of the church.

Personnel Team: Closed

The Personnel Team shall be organized by the Pastoral Staff and Deacons for the purpose setting and reviewing employee guidelines, reviewing personnel issues, and handling the background research for the hiring of Pastoral Staff and Church employees. The Personnel team and the pastor will handle the hiring of non staff employees while ALL Pastoral Staff will be presented for recommendation to hire to the congregation. In the event that the Lead/Senior Pastor leaves and/or dismissed, the Personnel Team will also serve as the Pastor Search Team.

Budget and Finance Team: Closed

The Budget and Finance Team shall be organized by the Admin team and will consist of 5 members in good standing with the church. Of the 5 team members, the Church Treasurer shall be a member. This team will serve alongside the Pastor and Staff to draw up the yearly budget, prepare financial reports for the church, keep the financial records for the church in good standing, and advise the Pastoral Staff and church in matters of budgeting and long range planning.

Prayer Team: Open

The Prayer Team shall be organized by Volunteer Sign Up and will consist of members in good standing with the church. The team shall work directly with the Pastoral Staff to cultivate an atmosphere of prayer throughout the life of the church. The team will be responsible for electing a chairman that will help facilitate prayer needs to the church and staff.

Faith and Works pt. 2

danny — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 03:24:09 +0000

Text: James 2:18-26

Proposition: Believers are to have a faith that is demonstrated by the works from which it produces.

Intro: Last week, we began to learn about the need of a faith that is more than simply blind faith. The faith that is pleasing to God, Hebrews 11:6, is a faith that is demonstrated by the works of love it produces. The reality of faith is that everyone has some version of it and James teaches about some of these. Remember, these are being contrasted with genuine, authentic faith. These types of faith, as seen in the context of Jame’s argument, are: dead faith (v.17), Orthodox Faith (v. 19), and Empty Faith (v. 20). In light of these types of faith, James presents what genuine faith is, what it looks like, and how it relates to one’s standing before God. Let’s look at our text this morning and learn what a living faith looks like.

READ TEXT:

“18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (ESV)

* The following outline, the main points only, came from the IVP commentary on this passage. It proved to be too good to pass up.

1.) Faith is the initial and continuing context for our relationship with God: v. 18 - 20

EXEGESIS: James begins this section of his discussion on living faith by answering a potential objection to his previous argument. This argument was in the form of 2 questions: 1.) What is the advanatage of saying you have faith but you do not have works? and 2.) Is this type of faith a saving faith? Now in respect to the entire scope of his letter, James is seeking to compel the readers to live out their faith in everything that they do. No matter whether times are difficult or easy, it is imperative to live out this gift of faith in one’s life. James, answering the objection, challenges the reader to show, that is declare or make known, said faith apart from works. Here an important adverb is used to clarify the entire argument for living faith. Rather than saying that there is some work that can bring about genuine faith in one’s life, James simply is saying show me faith apart from works? The answer is obvious: it is impossible.

John Calvin said, ‘ It is the same as though he had said, Thou hast faith only, I have works in addition to my faith, now prove to me that you have true faith without having works connected with it…and I will prove my faith by its fruit, even good works.”Calvin’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

In verse 19, James talks about having the right belief yet no change in life. The demons of hell believe correctly yet they simply shudder and live no differently. The verb tense used here indicates they are presently believing and presntly shuddering at the thought of God. In verse 21, James asks if they desire to be shown that faith apart from works is an empty and hollow faith. The word used is interesting because by implication, this empty faith goes far beyond mere words and ideas, but its nature is injurious to the one who believes it and thus they must be shown the hollowness of their faith.

APPLICATION: Genuine, true authentic faith is the initial, that is beginning of one;s relationship with God and it is the continuing context of that relationship. At no point do works take over. Rather, works are the fruit of this saving faith relationship. We live in a world filled with people looking to find peace and they strive after it by simply claiming some orthodix belief, dead belief, or empty belief and we have such a privilege of living out before the them the very fabric of our relationship with God and that is saving faith.

ILLUSTRATION: Bad Bank Card

2.) The Genuiness of Our Faith will be demonstrated our actions: vs. 21 - 25

EXEGESIS: In verse 21, James brings up the example of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice to the LORD. This incident happened in Genesis 22. The story would have been very familiar to the readers. The main issue in this verse is how Abraham demonstrated his faith through His obedience to God’s call. Though it seemed foolish and without cause, Abraham’s faith was not in word only but it was demonstrated in obedience. The main idea behind the word justified in the New Testament is vitally important to understand because it deals with how one stands before God. As if in a court room before a judge, the criminal is brought in and is then given sentence. The great truth that one stands as having been declared right before God on the basis of genuine faith in Christ alone is paramount to one’s faith because it wipes away the ability of man and show’s the awesome act of God in the Gospel.Roans 1:16 So here James is not contradicting scripture but rather he is teaching the same truth. He is saying that Abraham’s faith in God became visible in his obedience to Him and thus he proved himself to having been justified by God. In verse 22, James goes on and he says that you see, that is you are in the process of discerning, that Abraham’s faith was working these works and from these works, his faith was fully mature. The same can be said of Rahab’s faith in verse 25 that is validated by her faithful obedience to God. In both situations, the narratives from which James is quoting shows that faith preceeded the action yet the action demonstrated the genuiness of the faith claimed.

APPLICATION: Saving Faith in Christ alone by faith alone through grace alone for the glory of God revelaed in scripture alone is the bedrock of our beliefs. Yet, we find such a disconnect of what we say we believe the actions that should flow from them. There is such complacency and timidness in living out our faith.

Charles Spurgeon said, “if a man will say, I believe such and such a thing is true but I do not wish anyone else to believe it I will tell you it is a lie. He does not believe it, for it is impossible, heartily and really to believe a thing without desiring to make others to believe the same.” He went on to say, “Do not give a penny for that man’s piety which will not spread itself.”

Martin Luther said, “O, it is a living busy, active, mighty thing this faith, and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask whether there are good works to do but before the question arises, it has already done them, and is always at the doing of them. He who does not do these works is a faithless man.”Intorduction to the NT, pg. 35

Do our actions justify us before those around us?

Are demonstrating for the world that what we say we believe is vital to our very existence?

Do we simply claim orthodoxy yet ignore orthopraxy?

3.) The genuiness of our faith will be the provide the basis for whether one is delared righteous before God: vs. 21-26

EXEGESIS: We have seen in several of these verse already that it is faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone as revealed in scripture alone for the glory of God alone that a man is declared right before God. This faith is demonstrated through obedience, no matter how difficult or perplexing, in order that a lost and unbelieving world may see the glory of God.

John Calvin said” Faith alone justifies us before God and our works, flowing out of faith, declare us to be right before men. Thus we show our faith to give evidence of its reality and vitality to our life.’Calvin’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

Abraham’s faith was demonstrated through his obedience to God and that is why James says that Abraham was deemed/declared right before God. His declaration of faith was proved in his demonstration of faith. Only a true saving faith can provide the basis of being right before God. As James closes this section he uses a simple illustration: Just as abody with out life is dead, so faith apart from works is also dead.

APPLICATION: What is the basis of your standing before God? Is it simply in having the right belief? Is it your own efforts or opinions? The basis of standing right before God is to have a faith that pleases God. Scripture makes it clear one must have faith and that without it, it will be impossible to please Him. This faith must be genuine and real. The way in which we demonstrate the validity of our faith, thus proving it is genuine, is in obedience. Not obedience for obedience sake, but obedience to the will of God because you understand its extreme importance to your life.

Conclusion:

1.) How do you stand before God?

2.) Do you demonstrate your faith through obedience each day?

3.) How does your life reflect what you believe?

The Theological Relationship between James and Paul

danny — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:15:46 +0000

In our study of James, we have been looking at the need for a faith that is living. A living faith results from God’s soveriegn grace in our lives and it produces fruit for the world to see. Thus James is able to speak of demonstrating his faith by his works rather than merely speaking of faith alone. The following outline is by Daniel Wallace, Dallas Theological Seminary, and it will help bridge the theological relationship between James and Paul.

Daniel Wallace: Introduction, Argument, Outline

(i) James does not deny the necessity of faith, only its adequacy.

(ii) James is addressing the fruit of salvation, while Paul is addressing the root of salvation.

(iii) In keeping with other biblical writers, James does not use “works” as a criterion for judging others, but as a criterion for judging oneself.

(iv) For James, the faith which does not save is intellectual assent; for Paul, the faith which does save is a heart-response to God’s call—it is trust in, not just belief that. Thus, they are not talking about the same thing.

(v) For James, “justified” means either “vindicated” or “eschatologically justified”; for Paul, it means “declared righteous.” Thus, they are not talking about the same thing.

(vi) For James, “works” means good deeds—charity, Christian love, etc; for Paul, it means works of the Law which some see as necessary for salvation, rendering the cross-work of Christ as less than adequate. Thus, once again, they are not talking about the same thing.

(vii) James seems to look at how our spiritual status is seen and approved/disapproved by others, while Paul looks at how it is seen and initiated by God.

(viii) Both James and Paul would agree with the statement that genuine, saving faith results in works. Or that sola fide, properly understood, means that we are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is not alone.

In conclusion, as Davids aptly points out, “James uses every significant term pivsti”, e[rga, dikaiosuvnh, with a differing and more ‘primitive’ meaning than Paul.”41 Consequently, “to argue that James directly attacks Paul is to argue that James is a consummate blunderer, for he fails to meet Paul’s arguments at all and instead produces a work with which Paul would have agreed!”42 It is our conclusions, therefore, that James argued against a perverted Paulinism before the canonical Pauline letters had been composed.43 And this of course points to James the Just as the author—and at an early period.

Faith and Works pt. 1

danny — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:11:23 +0000

Text: James 2:14-17

Title: Faith and Works pt. 1

Proposition: The faith of believers is validated by the works that accompany it. These works revolve around the themes of holiness and godliness.

Intro: As we continue to look in the book of James, we keep seeing the main theme of the book emerge and that is to have a living faith. It is so easy to get caught up in the Christian way of ding things that we begin to substitute genuine faith for a self reliance upon facts. James taught us last week that we have been chosen by God to rich in faith. Remember, this idea of being rich was that of abundance and distinction. The true disciple of Christ is not one who simply talks about faith but it is their distinction in life and they live it out in all they do. Thus, we come to our text today. In this passage we see James do a couple of things. First, he asks 2 questions and second, he gives an analysis of these questions. Let’s take a look at each one and see how our faith ought to produce works.

Read Text: James 2 :14-17

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Transition:

Question 1: What is the advantage to say you have faith but you do not have works?

EXEGESIS: James begins to tackle a very fundamental issue when he talks about faith. As mentioned already, the readers had learned that they had been chosen by God to be rich in faith. Faith is essential to having a relationship with God. Hebrews plainly teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God. Paul fought fiercely to defend the truth that faith alone is what is necessary for one to truly be redeemed from sin. In his text, James too, is defending this truth yet unlike Paul who defended it in light of a works based salvation, James is teaching it in light of faith producing works sanctification. This is very important. No where does James say one must do good works to earn favor with God nor does he blur the line of faith and works. Rather, he clarifies the proper place of works in the life of the believer. Rather than works viewed as merit, he views it as fruit. Genuine faith is required for one to truly believe and this faith is granted by God by grace. This genuine faith leads one to producing fruit in their lives. Thus fruit is often called love, joy, peace, and so on. The fruit of genuine faith demonstrates it reality in the life of the one claiming to have faith.

APPLICATION: The application is clear for us. We live in a culture that boasts of it faith. Yet, it is clear that the church in many ways has abdicated its responsibility for social justice. The true reformation of the soul has been left to entities that care nothing for the soul. Like the illustration James uses, we simply say yet never invest time or energy or resources into those around us. The world is screaming for redemption and yet we try not to venture out of our Christian bubbles. Do we truly hear them? Do we live out the richness of our faith before a world that desperately needs it? Where is the advantage, James asks, in having a faith that produces no works?

ILLUSTRATION: A Master Gardner is validated by the fruit of their garden.

Question 2: Is a faith that has no works truly a saving faith?

EXEGESIS: On the heels of the first question, James asks another: can a faith that produces no works truly be considered saving faith. This question helps to clarify 2 issues. The first is the issue of saving faith verses blind faith. In verse 19, James argues that even though one may claim to believe in God it makes them no different than the demons. Everyone has faith. The real matter is whether they have saving faith. What’s the difference? The difference is that blind faith simply acknowledges the possibility or reality of something without it making any difference in their lives. Saving faith, on the other hand, is faith that is centered on Jesus Christ because it recognizes faith as a gift of God through grace. This faith only comes through hearing and the hearing is that of God’s word.[1] Saving faith is a faith that changes a person’s life because they have heard God call them and they have responded to this call to repent and believe.

The second issue that arises out of this question is that of being verses doing. These 2 ideas compliment one another as long as they are put in the right order. When someone experiences saving faith, they become a new creation in Christ. The Holy Spirit of God begins to dwell in them and leads them to “do” for Christ. To get the order backwards is what Paul fought against. I don’t have to “do” something in order to get God to love me because he has already demonstrated his love for me. Thus, if I claim to know Christ yet there is no fruit being produced in my life, then I must ask my self honestly if I have blind faith or truly saving faith.

APPLICATION: The application is clear for us today. Do you have a faith that is producing fruit in your life. This fruit is evident by your growing in godliness and holiness which produce those fruits of the Spirit in your life.[2] The illustration given by James teaches us how we can practically live out our faith each day.

ILLUSTRATION:

1. A Stool - to illustrate blind faith from saving faith.
2. Chris M. in England – living out his faith

Final Analysis: Faith without works is dead. Faith in and of itself is dead. Yet, a faith in a living Savior is itself a living faith. A believer’s validation before a lost world is in the good works produced by genuine faith. These good works demonstrate the work of God and thus, he is glorified in them. Therefore, we ought to strive to produce the works of godliness and holiness in our lives in order to let our light shine in a dark world and to exalt the magnificent God who has made it possible.

Conclusion: To conclude this morning, let’s think about what we have talked about this morning:

Do you have a faith that is producing fruit in your life? If so, how often? What kind?
If you see that you do not have a faith producing fruit in your life, what will you do about? Will you cry out to God in repentance and true belief?

If we have a saving faith in Christ, there will be times when we do not produce as much fruit as others yet even in these times we consider to be lean, there should be a desire and like a seed underneath the surface, some growth that should be taking place.

Yet, if you find yourself saying you have faith yet never desiring to grow in godliness and holiness, then what kind of faith do you really have?

[1] James 1:19; Romans 10:17

[2] Galatians 5:22 – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control

The Argument against Favoritism

danny — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:09:46 +0000

Text: James 2:5-13

Title: The Argument against Favoritism

Proposition: As believers, there are 2 important truths that we should consider when we think of favoritism: Our Identity and the Implication of Partial Obedience.

Read Text:

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Transition:

We must consider our Identity: v. 5-7

EXEGESIS: As James begins to outline his argument against showing partiality, he uses 2 words to help his readers understand why they need to cease from showing partiality. His imperative, “Listen,” grabs the attention of the reader and it continues to show his style of writing. This imperative introduces the readers to the first theme of identity and that is God’s choice of them. It is the same word used in 1 Corinthians 1:27 and 28 as well as referencing back to James 1:18. Indeed, one of the greatest joys for the believer is that God Almighty has chosen them to know him and to receive the joy of faith and joy of heaven. The poor refers to those of low standing. It is a word James has used much already (1:9; 2:2,4). The picture goes much beyond social status and it speaks of a greater poverty and thus the necessity and need for God to exercise his sovereign will by allowing these spiritually bankrupt criminals to know him. James gives 2 evidences of God’s grace calling as being rich in faith (in Christ) and heirs of the kingdom. The word rich speaks of abundance and distinction. The wealth of faith is not faith itself but a faith rooted in Christ. To be heirs of the kingdom demonstrates the goodness and grace of God. The word “heir” speaks of possession and literally it tells the reader that they are the possessors of the Kingdom of God. In light of this marvelous truth, James says that their actions have dishonored, that is, they have slighted the poor. The poor in standing should remind them of what Christ has done for them but rather, they slighted the poor in favor of the rich. These wealthy people have made slaves of all and they had reduced the readers themselves to servitude. These very ones had slandered the distinct name of God yet these were the ones who had received the favoritism.

APPLICATION: James is teaching us that we cannot forget our identity with Christ. Like the Israelites of old, we are God’s chosen people.[1] He has called us by His name.[2] It is vital to remember that we were spiritually bankrupt and had it not been for the sovereign grace of God, we too would be hopeless and separated before God. Yet, the very reason we must not show partiality is because Christ has redeemed us, made us rich in faith and possessors of the kingdom. This glorious reality is found in the gospel, which is good news for all. Our identity is no longer in self but in Christ.

ILLUSTRATION: Re-entering the country

We must consider the implications of Partial Obedience vs. 8-13

EXEGESIS: James then uses the term law to remind them that they are no longer under the old law, which proved to show the need of grace and not the means to grace, but rather they are under the law of grace. This law is given the term royal and it means that which is of highest excellence. This ought to also be the character of those who follow it. James tells them if they are presently fulfilling it then they are doing well.[3] This law is usually summarized as the great command to love God completely, themselves correctly and others compassionately. Yet, to show partiality is to not do well and James says they are engaging in sin. The same law of excellence finds them guilty of violating the law. This guilty sentence breaks from the present tense and is cast in the perfect tense. The standard of this law is not partial obedience but full obedience. To abstain from one point but to live by the rest is not what it requires. Thus, they are to speak [4] and act as those who are free and have been shown mercy. Mercy always trumps judgment. Mercy, like love, is a hallmark of the royal law. Jesus taught that those who are merciful are blessed and they themselves shall receive mercy.

APPLICATION: The great law which we are under is that of grace. It compels us to total devotion because it recognizes God’s sovereign mercy towards us and thus the mercy we are to show others. To partially obey is to show an inaccurate picture of grace and devotion. It confuses and causes strife to all connected. The idea of partial obedience should disgust believers because they should desire above all else full devotion to their great God and Savior.

Conclusion: You see, we too are poor. The scripture teaches us that as sinners, we stand spiritually poor before God. This same sin that shows us to be sinners also shows us to be criminals who have broken God perfect law. Yet, God who is rich in mercy, sent Jesus Christ to die for us and to bear the judgment that should have been ours. You see, mercy has trumped judgement.

[1] 1 Peter 2:9

[2] Acts 4:12

[3] James 1:25 - Blessed

[4] James 1:19, 26

The Danger of Favoritism to the Gospel

danny — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:07:55 +0000

Text: James 2:1-4

Proposition: Believers are not live out their faith with favoritism.

Title: The Danger of Favoritism to the Gospel

Intro: Recap –

Trials are used by God to accomplish His purposes in the lives of believers.
Believers are encouraged to seek by faith the wisdom of God to endure trials.
Believers are reminded of both their identity with and inability without the Lord Jesus Christ.
Believers are blessed for having endured trials.
Believers are warned against the temptation to sin in the midst of trials.
Believers are encouraged in the midst of trials by the unchanging goodness of God.

Introduction:

“In the American classic, Huckleberry Finn, young Huck is tormented by a choice: either turn in Jim (faithful friend and runaway slave) or help liberate him. It is an agonizing dilemma because Huck’s conscience was corrupted by a society that counted Jim inferior: He was property, and to aid him was “sin.” To side with Jim was to side against God. What was true along the banks of the Mississippi River in the 19th century is true today—a conscience, wrongly informed by the culture, can be easily led astray, in this case, straight into the sinful grasp of prejudice.”[1]

In the book of James, the half brother of our Lord was writing to a group of people who had been scattered and who were enduring persecution for their faith. Desiring that they continue to demonstrate their faith as a living faith, James is instructing them in a number of areas to help them understand the way they were to accomplish this instruction. Today’s text teaches us that one of the areas that we must be watchful over is the area of favoritism. The word itself deals with the idea of showing partiality based on the type of object being looked at. In our text, a rich and poor man is used as an illustration to help the readers and we understand how we can avoid the trap of favoritism.

Question: What are the dangers to the Gospel if we as a church corporately and believers individually show favoritism?

Culturally, racism and favoritism can have devastating effects. Favoritism in our culture has led to political corruption, church scandal, and ethnic profiling. Entire communities become isolated from one another due to some prejudice theory. The very idea of favoritism says that someone is not good enough simply

because they lack blood line, skin color, or healthy bank accounts. We see this everyday.

Now, back to our original question: What are the dangers to the gospel if we as a church corporately and as believers individually engage in showing favoritism? As difficult as it is to believe, these persecuted believers who have been scattered all over were doing this very thing. James, as we have seen already, tells them with a strong imperative to stop!

Transition: I believe that our text gives us several reasons why favoritism is a danger to the Gospel:

We cease to demonstrate the Glory of Jesus Christ: vs. 1
We cease to demonstrate the Grace found in Jesus Christ: v. 2-4

We cease to demonstrate the Glory of Jesus Christ: v. 1

EXEGESIS: In this first verse, James instructs the readers to stop, literally, he says “You are not to be holding” the faith that God has granted to you through Jesus Christ alone with favoritism. The faith that God has given is precious and most valuable because it was given on the basis of Jesus Christ and not what one can do on their own. James opens this exhortation to stop showing partiality by using a similar phrase from chapter one. In verses 9-11, James talked about the testing of suffering that the brothers were enduring and he reminded them of their identity in and with Christ. Here, he appeals to them as brothers again and instructs them to stand firm through a different kind test: favoritism. Not just one act but the word is plural and it speaks of multiple acts of favoritism. As he reminded them of their identity before, he reminds them of their responsibility to display to the nations the glory of Jesus Christ. This glory is the majesty and radiance of the risen Lord.

The Glory of Jesus Christ:

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:6

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, - Heb. 1:3

APPLICATION: This text has clear implications for us in 2009. The temptation to show partiality exists just as strong today as it did in James’ day. To be sure racial favoritism is alive and well and we must take the gospel to all people. To be a church with a global impact we must live and share the gospel with our neighbors as well as those whom we may not feel as comfortable around. Yet, we must also be careful not to show favoritism in the church when it comes to worship preference, evangelism efforts, budgeting concerns, and the list goes on! We must demonstrate to this community and the world the all consuming, awe inspiring, and overflowing glory of Jesus Christ. It is his glory that gives a person their worth for when they trust in him and turns away from their sins, He lives in them and he is what makes them valuable. Thus, when we avoid the trap of favoritism, we are free to demonstrate the majesty and splendor of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATION: Edmond Dantes and Monsieur Villeforte

Transition: There is a second danger to the Gospel that occurs when we show favoritism:

We cease to demonstrate the Grace of Jesus Christ: v. 2-4

EXEGESIS: In verse 2-4, James gives a hypothetical situation that taught the readers the danger and outcome of showing partiality. The danger was that rather than showing grace. The word grace is used in scripture in a number of ways that need to be examined. The chief use of grace is that unmerited favor of God upon his elect. It is grace through faith that saves and partiality never helps achieve this. Grace also speaks of showing kindness, joy, and mercy. The passage speaks of 2 men, one clothed with splendid garment and one clothed in a filthy, soiled garment. The readers were guilty of putting the rich man in a good seat and the poor man in a humiliating seat. The readers failed to remember that grace is blind. The phrase in verse 3, “if you pay attention…” has the idea of gazing upon someone. The word picture is clear and it, too, fails to remember that the grace found in Jesus Christ is not partial. Grace does show favoritism.

Listen to these examples:

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. – James 2:9

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, - acts 10:34

11 For God shows no partiality. – Romans 2:11

9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. – Ephesians 6:9

The failure to show grace renders the readers as those who have become like those in 1:6, doubters tossed to and fro, and they now stand as judges. The law stands in direct contrast to grace. Rather than being known for their faith and showing grace, they have made themselves distinct from others because they showed distinction.

APPLICATION: As recipients of grace, we should be quick to show grace. Rather than being legalistic judges, we must be quick to show grace to all people. The purpose of being gracious is that they may be saved and live in right standing before God.

Conclusion:

The people of God have always been called to show kindness and grace to people. How has your life demonstrated this reality?

Does your life demonstrate the glory of Jesus Christ?
Does your life demonstrate the grace found in Jesus Christ?

Something to Pray about?

danny — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:50:26 +0000

SBC Messengers Enthusiastically Support Moore’s Resolution on Adoption

from Gender Blog by Jeff Robinson

Messengers at the 2009 annual meeting of The Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a resolution proposed by Russell D. Moore promoting adoption and orphan care.

The resolution encouraged every Southern Baptist family to pray about whether God wants them to adopt or provide foster care for a child or children. It also called on Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches to devote a Sunday each year to emphasize “our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world.”

Moore, who serves as senior vice president for academic administration and dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, knows well of which he proposed; Moore and his wife Maria adopted two of their sons from a Russian orphanage a few years ago.

Moore hopes the resolution will provoke deep thinking that leads to action among Southern Baptists regarding the Gospel significance of adoption and orphan care; all who are saved by God’s grace were once orphans who were adopted into the Kingdom of Christ.

The number of adoptions among evangelicals has steadily increased in recent years, yet the need is profound: in the United States alone, more than 500,000 children were in foster care system in 2005, the last year for which federal statistics were available. About 115,000 were waiting for adoption.

“Something is a foot among Christian families and churches of virtually every kind,” Moore said. “God is calling the people of Christ to see the face of Jesus in the faces of orphans in North America and around the world. Southern Baptists have affirmed our belief in the authority of Scripture, and the Bible tells us pure religion is defined by care for the fatherless.

“We’ve been defined by our commitment to evangelism, and there is no greater field is ‘white unto harvest’ right now as children in orphanages, group homes, and the foster care system, children who don’t know a parent’s love and who don’t know the name of Jesus. When Satan wars against children, we should be the ones who have compassion on them, even as Jesus did and does.

Moore authored a deeply personal and compellingly theological book on adoption that was published in May by Crossway books, “Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families &Churches.” In it, Moore argues that the church should view the adoption of orphans as a crucial part of its mission precisely because God has adopted helpless sinners to be His sons.

“The resolution by itself isn’t going to spark an orphan care movement among Southern Baptists,” he said.“Neither is my book, and neither are a thousand manifestoes. Only the Holy Spirit can do that as local churches start to embrace a vision for orphan care.

“The resolution though was meant to prompt some questions. If one messenger in the Convention hall is moved to simply pray, ‘Lord, how would you have me minister to orphans?’ then the resolution is a success, in my view. If one pastor is prompted to ponder how he could preach on adoption, or lead a foster care ministry among his folks, then the work is starting.

During the introduction of the resolution, Moore appeared on stage with Timothy and Benjamin, the sons he and his wife adopted seven years ago. More than 8,000 messengers met the resolution and its unanimous passage with lengthy, enthusiastic applause.

“I was overwhelmed with emotion on the platform to see my sons, two little ex-orphans, looking out on a sea of yellow ballots as thousands of Southern Baptists affirmed that we want to be the people who love fatherless children,” he said.

“I realized that, in an alternative story, my boys would still be in an orphanage, not knowing even the name of Christ Jesus. But here they are, at the Southern Baptist Convention, calling by their very presence the world’s largest Protestant denomination to recognize there are hundreds of thousands of children as helpless and alone as they once were.

“My prayer is that twenty years from now there are thousands of Southern Baptist pastors, missionaries, and church leaders who started their lives as orphans, now preaching the gospel of God their Father.”

Father’s Day Message - June 21, 2009

danny — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:03:25 +0000

Text: Deuteronomy 6:4-15

Proposition: Believers are to evangelize and disciple their children in the ways of the Lord in order that they may become sons and daughters of God.

Introduction:

1.) January 2005 – The day we bring Lucas home and thinking, “what do I do now?”

2.) This is a feeling many parents feel/

3.) What do we do?

4.) There is an alarming trend today of youth statistics: 9 out 11

5.) How can this be?

As we look at the text set before us today, we begin to understand that the task of raising children and the formation of their spiritual lives is the responsibility of the parents, more specifically, of dads. Moses, as he begins a series of farewell addresses, reminds the Israelites of their history, commands, and expectations. The most important command was to love God completely with everything that they are. Our Lord would expand on this great command by adding that in addition to loving God completely we should love ourselves correctly and others compassionately. There is a sermon on our website that deals with these 3 ideas and how they relate. The point of our text today, though, is that Israel should teach these things to their children. The point is clear for us as well, we should teach these things to our children with the hopes that they will comes to know the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior in order that they may truly know God the Father who made them for His glory. The idea is that of treasuring him above all things for he is the greatest treasure one can find.

The sad truth for us to face today is that we have substituted our duties at home to be replaced by a pastor, teacher, children’s minister, or youth pastor and thus we perhaps find an underlying reason for why we lose so many students after they graduate.

Edwards: “Family education and order are some of the chief menas of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.”

Spurgeon: “…ministers, and Sabbath school teachers were never meant to be substitutes for mother’s tears and father’s prayers.”

Indeed, if we are to impact our culture with the gospel, it doesn’t start with more gadgets, programs, or resources. It begins with Fathers teaching their children the gospel, instructing their children to be disciples, and to lay the groundwork for spiritual foundations in their lives.

Transition: Dads, this morning I want to highlight 3 areas that I believe our text gives us as the primary reason for our responsibility as Fathers. I believe he intends our homes to…

1.) Our Homes are to be the Center of Evangelism: vs. 6: 4-7

EXEGESIS: In this passage, Moses shares with Israel the paramount command they are to remember. He shares with them the nature of God (Shema) and the way they were to respond. The response required is that of total love for God. It would be this devotion to their God that they would then teach their children. It would be out of the overflow of their relationship with God that would communicate to their children the most important relationship of all: their relationship with God. It would model before their children what it means to have a relationship with their creator. By sharing this through their lives, it would allow them the opportunity to share with their children the truth of the gospel. The word teaching used here is of sharpening.

APPLICATION: Ditto for us. Evangelism is the sharing of the good news that Jesus Christ has died for our sins, been raised from the dead thus showing the Father’s approval and our imputed righteousness, and the truth that he has loved us before we loves him. The gospel should drive our lives. It should fill our hearts thus making teaching it the most natural thing we do. When we live out the great command to love God completely it becomes the most effective evangelism tool you have as a parent. It is so because no matter what you are doing, your heart is full of gratitude for your deliverance from bondage: sin.

2.) Our Homes are to be the Center of Spiritual Formation: vs. 6:7-9

EXEGESIS: Moses gives 3 instructions for the Fathers here: teach diligently, bind, and write. By teaching diligently the idea is that of sharpening a sword in order to make an incisive cut. That is, Moses tells the Fathers, to be direct and decisive. This speaks of boldness and consistency. Moses then tells them to bind these instructions as a sign on their hands and frontlets on their eyes. The hands speak of action and it shows that the natural action of your life should be that modeling a living faith and a growing conformity to Christ. The frontlets on the head speak of the attitude and that the perpetual attitude of their lives should be of holiness and godliness. Then Moses tells them to write these instructions on their doorposts and gates. The doorpost speaks of their home and the privacy of their homes. The gates speak of that public domain where laws were discussed and treated. There is to be no separation of the sacred and secular. The goal of a convert is for them to become disciples.

APPLICATION: The application is clear for us this morning. We must carefully yet boldly teach the truths of the faith as we live it out each day. We must be consistent to model the truth we teach. Our actions always speak louder than words so we must, as if naturally tattooed; bind the instruction to our lives. Our attitudes must reflect that of Christ. Our private and public lives must reflect the same thing. The watch care for the souls of our children have been entrusted to us. Paul teaches us in Ephesians that we are to not provoke our children but to instruct them into holiness and godliness.

3.) Our Homes are to be the Center of the Spiritual Foundation: vs. 10-15

EXEGESIS: Moses, who would not be entering the promised land, instructed the Fathers to beware, lest when they enter the land of promise and find such good things that they do not forget the redemptive work of the Lord nor his ways, covenant, wisdom, or commands. Even more important was that their foundation be sure in order their children, who did not see the great deliverance from Egypt or works in the desert wandering, stay true to that which they have been instructed. God created people for his glory and a strong foundation built on the gospel and nurtured through godly instruction will serve to lay a foundation for the future.

APPLICATION: Listen, one day our kids will leave home and be on their own. Even before then, they will grow in their independence and it is imperative for them to have a strong foundation upon which to make their choices. Our responsibility is to live a life of worship and service before them, as already seen earlier, and to pray without ceasing that they will have a strong Biblical foundation.

Conclusion: Now listen, all of this cannot be done without you first having an authentic walk with Jesus Christ. Your children see the real you and perhaps you need to spend some time in confession and repentance to make things right.

Absolutely none of this can be done without a true relationship with Christ.

To be the Father Moses talked about here, you must be dependent upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Family Worship

danny — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:08:01 +0000

As I prepare for our next Lord’s day, I do so with the holiday of Father’s Day on my mind. As a father, I have found that my most vital, yet difficult, responsibility is the teaching of my children. My prayer for them since their conception is that they may be filled with a hunger and thrist for righteousness. Not a righteousness of their own making but the imputed righteousness of our Lord Jesus through his perfect work at the cross and the glorious ressurection by the Father. I wanted to share an article dealing with the priority of the Family, specifically the Fathers, of being the primary teacher/instruction of Godliness is his children. Please enjoy this articles from the website www.cbmw.org. This is the Center for Biblical Mahood and Womanhood:

Family Worship

Tools: Print E-mail

David Prince

“Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments”

Psalm 78:1-7

How many people do you know who have too much time on their hands? They are simply not busy enough and wish they could find more to do? How many families do you know that are burdened by too much free time?

We live in a busy world. Ours is a microwave, fast-food, sound-bite, instant world. USA Today is a popular newspaper primarily because it contains short sound-bite articles written on a basic level. Many do not possess the concentration level to read an entire book; television is much easier because one does not have think deeply or use one’s imagination. It is not uncommon to work over thirty minutes away from home and to spend much of life in traffic, irritated at all the other busy people rushing somewhere at two miles per hour in a traffic jam.

If this is the reality of the situation for most people, we must ask a question of utmost importance to Christians. In the midst of our busy lives, who is given the responsibility of rearing the next generation in the Christian faith? Who is given the responsibility of calling the next generation to hope in God?

First, let us begin by emphatically declaring it is parents (fathers in particular) and not the church who are given the primary responsibility for calling the next generation to hope in God. The church serves a supplementary role, reinforcing the biblical nurture that is occurring in the home. It is not the job of “professionals” at the church to rear the children of believers in the faith. Far too often, Sunday Schools, children’s ministries, and youth ministries have become substitutes for the home training of children. Christian parents have largely abdicated their God-given responsibility to insure that their children are instructed in the things of God.

Consider the biblical testimony:

“And that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done . . . that you may know I am the Lord” (Exodus 10:2).
Exodus 12:26-28, speaks of explaining to your children when they ask about the symbols of the faith (the Passover in context).
“And teach them [the statutes of the law] to your children and your grandchildren” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
“Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, That they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children” (Deuteronomy 4:10).
“You shall teach them [God’s words] to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 11:19).
“He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children” (Psalm 78:5-6).
“The father shall make known Your truth to the children” (Isaiah 38:19).
“Fathers . . . bring them up [children] in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
2 Timothy 1:5 speaks of the faith that was passed down to Timothy from his mother “Eunice” and his grandmother “Lois.” (See also 2 Timothy 3:15).

It is parents, and specifically fathers, who are given the primary responsibility to propagate the faith to their children. As Jonathan Edwards stated, “Family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote:

The more of parental teaching the better; ministers, and Sabbath-school teachers were never meant to be substitutes for mothers’ tears and fathers’ prayers . . . The first lesson for a child should be concerning his mother’s God . . . Around the fire-side fathers should repeat not only the Bible records, but the deeds of the martyrs and reformers, and moreover the dealings of the Lord with themselves both in providence and grace . . . Reader, if you have children, mind you do not fail in this duty . . . As far on as our brief life allows us to arrange, we must industriously provide for the godly nurture of our youth. The narratives, commands, and doctrines of the word of God are not worn out; they are calculated to exert influence as long as our race shall exist. The one object aimed at is transmission; the testimony is only given that it may be passed on to succeeding generations.

The Shema

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach then diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

When God established Israel as His chosen covenant people, He established responsibility for parents to nurture their children in the faith. This is a clear charge given by the Lord God to moms and dads.

The passage cited above is known in Jewish tradition as the Shema (vv. 4-5). It is named after the first word in verse 4; “Hear” which is the Hebrew word “shema.” The word is a command, which denotes the urgency of what is about to be said. Also, in the Hebrew mindset, “to hear” is tantamount “to obey” because to hear God and not to obey Him is to really not hear Him at all. Everything about the context reveals the weightiness of the command.

It is interesting to note that it is Moses who is God’s instrument to convey this command to His people. When God first came to Moses and called him to speak as His messenger Moses said, “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exodus 4:10). God quickly reminded him who it was that was giving him the command, “who gave man his mouth” (Exodus 4:11). Many parents need to be reminded that it is God who gives this command for them to teach their children the faith. All of the excuses (“I’m not smart”, “I don’t speak well”, “I am shy”, “others are more qualified”) fade away in light of this reality. God reminds parents, “Who created you? Who gave you those children?” Moses, the one who could not speak, now proclaims the word of God, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Many parents who are not now speaking the Word of God to their children need to “hear” and obey.

With All Your Heart, Soul and Strength

Every parents’ supreme responsibility is to live out a passionate love for God in their lives. This is the platform that gives credibility to their instruction. Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”, is quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ three times in the New Testament (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). Notice the intensity of this command with the repeated use of the word “all.”

“All your heart” is not simply a reference to emotional love. The word translated “heart” carries the idea of “inner man”, “mind”, “will”, “soul”, and “understanding.” The clear implication is that it means “all of oneself.” This is genuine love that permeates all of one’s being. John Gill, in his commentary on Deuteronomy, writes: “[All your heart] includes . . . knowledge of God, esteem of Him, delight in Him, faith and trust in Him, fear and worship of Him, and obedience to Him.” “With all your heart, with all your soul [“essential being”], and with all your strength” are different ways of saying essentially the same thing- “with all of you!” Deuteronomy 6:6 again points to the weightiness of these commands: “These words I command you today shall be in your heart [inner man, mind, soul, understanding].”

Teach Them Diligently

Deuteronomy 6:7 makes it clear that the commands of the Lord, that are to be in the heart of the parent (Deuteronomy 6:6), should be passed on to the children. “You shall teach them diligently to your children.” The New International Version translates the phrase, “Impress them on your children.” The word translated “teach” is a word that means, “to pierce.” It carries the idea of being “sharp.” Parents are to teach (pierce) their children diligently (carefully and repeatedly) with the truth of God. Eugene Merrill suggests the image of an “engraver” chiseling with painstaking care into a solid slab.

Some parents take the approach that they are not going to push Christianity onto their children. Their plan is to simply live Christianity out before their children and then let them decide for themselves. First of all, this position is in direct conflict with Deuteronomy 6:7 and many other portions of Scripture. Second, the culture is not neutral and passive. Christian parents must not be passive in the task of passing on the faith and calling their children to hope in God. It is a dangerous position to be in a war and be the only one not fighting. Carefully, Christian parents teach to pierce their childrens hearts with the truth of God.

When should Christian parents do this teaching?

Sitting

Deuteronomy 6:7b continues, “and shall talk of them when you sit in your house.” Sitting suggests inactivity. To put it in the common vernacular, this would be times when the family is simply “hanging out” together. The word translated “talk” in this verse is elsewhere translated speak, declare, command, promise, warn, and even sing. It calls for teaching about the commands, character, and nature of God to occur in those “sitting” times. Mealtime is a wonderful time for parents to talk to their children about the things of God. Parents should discuss the sermon and Sunday school lesson with their children every Sunday afternoon as they rest together as a family. These are wonderful times for transmitting the truths of the faith.

As a point of application and a plea for every Christian parent, set a daily (or at least routine) family worship time. This centers the family’s life around what is most important. Families probably will not talk about the things of God around the house if Bible study is not shown to be a priority by the leadership of the parents. Families should schedule a time to “sit” and talk about the things of God and respond to Him by worship. Parents, we must not dishonor God and forsake our children by failing to provide them vigorous instruction in the faith.

Walking

Deuteronomy 6:7b also admonishes parents to teach their children “when you walk by the way [the routine goings of life].” All of life should serve as teaching opportunities to talk to one’s children about the greatness of the great triune God of the Bible. Mountains can lead to conversations about the immensity of God. The stars in the night sky can cause parents to consider with their children the sovereignty of our creator God. A windy day can help parents direct their children’s thoughts to the Holy Spirit of God. Driving by a courthouse can lead to a discussion of justification. Parents must instill in their children a vision to see all of life from a God-centered perspective. Contemplate and speak of His perfections in all of life. Traveling, playing, and even yard work, can be transformed into wonderful teaching times for the parent who is leading a God-centered life.

In case the argument has not been sufficiently clear; Deuteronomy 6:7 concludes that this diligent teaching of one’s children should occur, “when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Touching and Seeing, Coming and Going

“You shall bind them as a sign on your hand [all you touch] and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes [all you see]” (Deuteronomy 6:8). This verse has been taken literally by some Jewish people who actually wear small containers (phylacteries) containing the “Shema” on their hands and foreheads with straps of leather. While this verse is not meant to be taken in such a literal fashion, it nonetheless provides a graphic illustrative picture of what it does mean. The parent is to never be away from the truth of God. It is to be so much a part of the parent’s life that it should affect everything they touch and all they see. Deuteronomy 6:9 continues this line of thought: “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house [a reminder of your priority as you enter] and on your gates [a reminder of your priority as you return].” In all of life parents are charged with the responsibility to teach and pass on the faith to their children. When a child sees a parent hoping in God in this way, it provides a strong attraction to call him to hope in God.

Conclusion

This writer (pastor and father) is absolutely convinced that the starting point in obeying the command that has been set forth, to “diligently teach our children” the truth of the faith, is a set family worship time that centers around the Word of God and prayer. If this is established as a priority in the home, then perhaps all of family life can be transformed into a pursuit of God.

Family worship could include singing and catechizing as well as studying the Scripture and praying. Catechize is the anglicized form of the Greek word “katecheo” (see 1 Corinthians 14:19; Galatians 6:6; and Acts 18:25) which means, “to instruct.” The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines catechize as “to teach by the method of questions and answers.” This is a method of instruction that arises out of the biblical testimony itself and has stood the test of time throughout the history of the church as a profitable method of transmitting the faith to the next generation.

But far more important than the specific forms that are used in family worship is to actually commit ourselves to consistently doing family worship with an infectious passion. J.I. Packer said of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “He gave more of a sense of God to the text than any other man.” That is exactly what parents must desire to do for their children in family worship- give a sense of God to every text that is taken up. There should be a sense of importance and weightiness to the consideration of the things of God that provide a sense of awe and wonder. The parents’ teaching of the children must flow out of a passion for God in their own lives. Passion cannot be faked if the goal is to be reached. “That [by God’s grace] the generation to come might know them [the things of God]” and “that they may set their hope in God” (Psalm 78:6-7). As a believing parent, is that not what you want for your children?

What kind of message do you send to your children when you do not have family worship? What if you say you are too busy? Do you eat? Then you say that physical food is more important than spiritual food. Do you watch television? Then you declare that entertainment is a higher priority than worship. Do you do extra-circular activities? Then you are saying that recreation is more important than their spiritual well being. Do you sleep? Then you are telling them that comfort has a higher priority than godliness. These are dangerous messages to communicate to children, not only for their temporal well being but for the sake of their soul.

Heed the words of Dr. Tom Ascol:

The primary responsibility for teaching your children about God is yours, dear parent. It is not the Sunday school’s, the Church’s, nor the Pastor’s. God has entrusted this important work to you. If you do not invest your time and effort to teach your children about God, be assured someone else will. The television and the theater will teach them that God, if He exists at all, is an irrelevant, indulgent being that is little more than a nice kindly old man. If you do not teach your children truth and righteousness, be assured that there are a multitude of teachers in this world who would deceive them into thinking that “truth” and morality are relative ideas and can be shaped to fit anyone’s beliefs or standards.

There was a time when this matter of family worship was viewed with utmost seriousness by churches. The Directory for Family Worship of 1647 states:

The Assembly doth further require and appoint ministers and ruling elders to make diligent search and enquiry, in the congregations committed to their charge respectively, whether there be any among them any family or families which use to neglect this necessary duty; and if such family be found, the head of the family is to be first admonished privately to amend his fault; and, in case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he be found still to neglect Family-worship, let him be debarred from the Lord’s Supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to communicate therein, till he amend.

To forsake family worship was such a serious offense that a father would be barred from the Lord’s Supper if he continued with such callous disregard for his family and his Lord. Oh, for a return to these kind of God-centered priorities today!

The Puritans viewed the family and the household as a “little church” (Perkins). Lewis Bayly taught, “what the preacher is in the pulpit, the same the Christian householder is in his house.” Parents, we must not shirk our God given responsibility to teach our children about God. In Matthew 22:21 in response to a question, Jesus says to his disciples, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” We must render our children to God. The only other alternative is to passively sit back and by inaction render them to the world. Caesar’s image was stamped on the coin; God’s image is stamped on our children. May believing parents, by God’s grace, awake from their slumber, and for the sake of the next generation and the glory of God, call their children to hope in God.

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