5th Sunday Get Away!

There is no message for today.

On the 5th Sunday of the month (approximately once a quarter) we enjoy taking a break from preaching and ministry and getting away.

Lord, willing we will post the 4th part of our current message, "The Revelation of Gods' Wrath" on the Lord's Day, June 7th, 2015.

A Sobering and Timely Reminder

Sometimes I forget that when I give to God it is not out of my "treasury" I offer, as David reminded me this morning, "...for all things come from You, and of Your own we (I) have given you." 

What a sobering reminder that all I have comes from God. (1 Chron 29:14c) I can only give to God what He has already given to me. All that I have and will give have been and always will be His.

My Favorite Axioms (Axiom #1)

Practice does not make perfect!

Only perfect practice makes perfect.

The Lesson from the Commissioning of the Seventy

What does Luke 10:1-16 teach genuine Gospel-driven disciples? 

We have a great task to do with limited resources in a very short time in a very hostile environment.

When God Allows People to Treat You Unjustly

Now God sometimes allows people to treat us unjustly. Sometimes He even allows their actions to seriously affect our careers or our futures viewed on a human plane. But God never allows people to make decisions about us that undermine His plan for us. God is for us, we are His children, He delights in us (see Zephaniah 3:17). And the Scripture says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). We can put this down as a bedrock truth: God will never allow any action against you that is not in accord with His will for you. And His will is always directed to our good.

~ Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all who have served!

Eternal thanks to those who gave their lives.

The Revelation of God's Wrath (Part 3)

SERMON:             GM15-058

SERIES:              Renewal Through Romans: The Gospel Defined, Explained &           Applied

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM (May 24, 2015)

SECTION:          The Perversion of Righteousness (Romans 1:1-18-3:20)

SUBTITLE:        The Revelation of God’s Wrath (Part 3)

SCRIPTURE:     Romans1:24-27

SUBJECT:          The wrath (anger) of God

SUMMARY:       God wants you to know he is angry with mankind

SCHEME:           That each member of NKBC knows the truth of God so well that                                     you are always prompted to worship and serve the living and true                                  God rather than to worship and serve idols.

_____________________________________________________________

Our theme is:  The wrath (anger) of God

 Proposition:  God wants you to know he is angry with mankind

Interrogatory Sentence:  Why is God so angry at mankind?

Transitional Sentence: Our text reveals three reasons why God is so angry at mankind.

·        …because mankind has suppressed the truth of God

·        …because mankind has subverted the truth of God

·        …because mankind has spurned the truth of God

Jesus Defines True Discipleship

 Jesus said, "If you abide (meno - remain, continue, endure) in My word, you are My disciples indeed." (John 8:31, NKJV)

Jesus just set the bar on what it means or what demonstrates that an individual who claims to be a child of God is really a child of God. Being a child of God is not by believing or assenting to a set or system of facts or information. Becoming a child of God is not intellectual.

What does it mean to 'abide, remain, continue, or endure in the word of Christ? Let's take a look at a couple of dependable commentators and see if we can grasp the meaning of this sentence.

William Hendriksen writes this:

One abides in the word of Christ by making it the rule of one's life. In other words, obedience is the same thing as abiding in the word. This makes one a true disciple of Jesus and leads to genuine knowledge of the truth (God's special revelation which has its heart and center in the work of Christ). [1]

Leon Morris comments:

“It is best to think that John is speaking to men who had made an outward profession, but that in this particular case it did not go very deep. Jesus’ words then are meant to drive home to formal and casual adherents something of the meaning of true discipleship. If men in any sense believe in Him it is important that they be led to see what real faith means…the key word is “abide.” It is easy enough to be attracted in a superficial fashion, but the test is abiding. It is only those who continue who are genuine disciples…He is not laying down a condition of discipleship, but telling them in what discipleship consists. When a man abides in Christ’s word, then he is a true disciple.” [2]

D. A. Carson adds this thought:

“…Jesus now lays down exactly what it is that separates spurious faith from true faith, fickle disciples from genuine disciples: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. The verb rendered “hold” is meno, to abide, to remain – a theme of critical importance that returns in a concentrated way in Ch. 15. A genuine believer remains in Jesus’ “word” (logos), his teaching: i.e. such a person obeys it, seeks to understand it better, and finds it more precious, more controlling, precisely when other forces flatly oppose it. It is the one who continues in the teaching who has both the Father and the Son.” [3]

Is this your understanding of what true discipleship is? Do you concur that genuine salvation is demonstrated by a remaining, enduring, continuing, or abiding in the word of God?

This causes me to take a good look at my level of commitment and type of commitment that I have towards God’s Word, contained in the Bible. Remember, James, the Lord’s half-brother said,

 “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:21-25, ESV)

It is not enough to hear the word in order to be a disciple, we must continue to obey the word. What think ye?

---

[1] William Hendriksen, The Gospel of John, New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1976), p. 52

[2] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, NICNT, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 455-456

[3] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar NT Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991), p. 348

Jesus and Forgiveness (Part 3)

Well, it has been a “few days” since we have last visited this topic. These thoughts were garnered from my devotion of May 8^th, 2015. Principles, questions, observations and thoughts are generated in my mind as I meditate and contemplate on an event in the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

 As I have mentioned I am using John MacArthur’s One Perfect Life, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I am examining and meditating through an event a day from this marvelous harmony. MacArthur has broken the life of our Lord down into 215 events. So for the first 215 days of 2015 my topic for devotion is the life of Christ.

Before You Go

Before You Go

by Gregg Metcalf

February 12, 2002 & May 20, 2015

Chorus:

Before you go

I want you to know

How much you have meant to me

You’re more than a dad

Best friend I’ve had

You’re what a dad should be

Got the phone call

In the middle of the night

It's the one that says

Somethings not right

Mom was on the other end

Her voice was filled with fear

What she was trying to say

I did not want to hear

It was dad and it was bad

His heart was giving way

Come home right now

I need you son please pray

A hundred things were

Running through my head

I couldn’t think of anything

Except the words she had said

All I could think to say,

Before you go

I want you to know

How much you have meant to me

You’re more than a dad

Best friend I’ve had

You’re what a dad should be

I got in my car and headed home

Just as fast as I could drive

Found him lying there in the bed

Thank God he was still alive

With the tubes and all the lines

He tried to tell me he was OK

The good Lord spared him this time

He’ll be my dad for another day

And all I could say

Before you go

I want you to know

How much you have meant to me

You’re more than a dad

Best friend I’ve had

You’re what a dad should be

There’s nothing else I can say

Before you go

I want you to know

How much you have meant to me

You’re more than a dad

Best friend I’ve had

You’re what a dad should be

Please note:  my father did have a heart-attack in 2002. Fortunately as severe as it was he was able by the grace of God to make a full recovery. I tried to write this song for him back in 2002. I just couldn’t write it. The idea was there but I couldn’t write or say what I wanted to say. I put this on the shelf. 

Today, I took the idea and title out and played with it. This still doesn’t say what I want to say and since it wrote itself in less than 4 minutes I just let the words flow as they wanted to flow. This for my dad, and before he goes I want him to know how much I love him.

The Price of Our Pardon

“Sin has been pardoned at such a price that we cannot henceforth trifle with it.”

I Don't Wanna Play Church

Today I sat alone in the pews

And I watched people come inside and sit

To wait for the morning service to begin

But then I saw some folks throw a big fit

So I waited to see if they would calm down

I hoped they remembered where they were

Cause they are the pillars in our little church

The fact that they were watched to them did not occur

Chorus:

I don’t wanna play church; I know it can’t be right

I’ve watched family and friends

And it seems an awful sight

I don’t wanna play church; It grieves the Holy Spirit

Cause when we play church

The Power of God’s not in it

I don’t wanna play church; I know it can’t be right

I’ve watched family and friends

And it seems an awful sight

I don’t wanna play church; It grieves the Holy Spirit

Cause when we play church

The Power of God’s not in it


(Sad little parody of Tammy Wynette's, I Don't Wanna Play House)

Martin Luther on Extra-Biblical Revelation

"I have made a covenant with God that he sends me neither visions, dreams, nor even angels.  I am well satisfied with the gift of the Holy Scriptures, which give me abundant instruction in all that I need to know both for this life and for that which is to come.”

Martin Luther

Quoted by Steven J. Lawson
Holman Old Testament Commentary: Psalms 76-150
Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2006 p234

The Revelation of God's Wrath (Part 2)

Due to illness, services were cancelled last Sunday. Today's message will be the message that had been prepared for May 10, 2015. If you have not already read the message that was posted on Sunday, May 10th, please scroll down and enjoy the message. 

The Enjoyment of God

“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.” 

― Jonathan Edwards, 

The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 17: Sermons and Discourses, 1730-1733

Recommendations from the Lost?

My friend James recently posted this sentence on Facebook, "I long to see on the back of Christian books praise for the book from pastors/authors/scholars from traditions outside the author's." I read that and then mulled it over for awhile and then I responded, "Why?" I could not for the life of me see any good reason.

After a bit, he saw my response and wrote this,  "Because I just don't want us high-fiving the people in our own tribe saying, "We are so awesome." I want to get better at quoting people outside my tradition. If I only quote people inside my tradition, how will I ever reach people outside my own?

Think about how impactful it would be if an atheist endorsed a Christian book--not because they agreed with some or even all. But they found it to be winsome, honest, respectful, and thought provoking. Atheists would read it."

Well, I thought through his response and here is what I concluded:

First of all, I am not really interested in what other people outside of my "tradition", let alone atheists think about why I may have written. If they are incorrect in their evaluation, theology, or conclusions, then why would it matter to me if they endorsed my conclusions? Of course that begs the question, would they? Or really, why would they?

Second, one of the toughest jobs a pastor has today is combating all the confusing and false teaching that is so prevalent today. The so-called "Christian publishers" no longer are concerned about truth. The bottom line for them is "will it sell?"  For example, how else do you explain a publisher or "holy hardware" store selling one book that says all miraculous gifts have ceased and the book next to it says grab up all the miraculous gifts you can get today? 

I am very careful with my quotes in my messages. I don't want to be a vehicle for confusion for my people. I don't want to lend credibility to someone or someone's tradition if the majority of it is incorrect. I want to both shield my people and warn my people about incorrect or unbiblical traditions. Especially atheistic writings and traditions.

Third, I do agree that most of the book jacket recommendations in my own tradition are nothing more than mindless gushings designed to sell the book. Rarely does a book jacket give honest evaluation and information about either the author or the book itself. I do think we should clean up our act in that respect.

Fourth, as far as reaching people outside of my tradition with book jacket quotes, I have this to say. Direct conversation or correspondence seems to be a better method than hoping someone will read my book because someone outside of my tradition gave a good one-liner of praise for it. I also think that God can sovereignly and supernaturally reach anyone with whatever methods He chooses. I know that God could use a book jacket recommendation to draw someone to him. I don't want to rely on it as a method for evangelism.

Fifth, he makes a very interesting statement in the last part of his post, "think about how impactful it would be if an atheist endorsed a Christian book--not because they agreed with some or even all. But they found it to be winsome, honest, respectful, and thought provoking. Atheists would read it."

Would they? Would atheists really read a Christian book if another atheist attested to its honest, respectful and thought provoking message? Again, with God anything is possible. However, the atheist loves darkness and refuses to come to the light, lest his evil and dark deeds be exposed. I doubt an atheist or any sinner is going to be interested in reading a truly Christian book because someone concluded that the book was thought-provoking or honest.

Sixth, and probably more important, I don't think this mindset is in line with the thinking of Christ. Do we really want the lost, the atheists, and agnostics praising us or our works? Do we really want or need the world to give recommendations on our theology? Christ warned the disciples about the praise of men when He said, "Woe, unto you when all men shall speak well of you..." (Luke 6:26).

When the lost begin to speak well of my message and my theology I had better take a long hard look at what I am preaching or "writing." I am not saying we need to be or should be rude, crude, or obnoxious, but the lost cannot discern spiritual things or spiritual truth. So, how can they make an evaluation of the "honesty or thought provoking" manner or material? Why would I want to be winsome anyways? Spiritual truth is serious not whimsical or winsome.

Thanks for reading. Just some musings and thoughts on a recent Facebook post.

Heroes or Hypocrits?

Sometimes I think we as Christians don't believe God or His written revelation. Two thoughts absorbed me this morning as I prepared for the message a week from this coming Sunday. 

1) Since we pick and choose which sins that we think are most horrendous, we are often trapped in hypocrisy; i.e. we risk our business, reputation, livelihood, and such in order to refuse to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding, but we will sell shirts, or houses, or cars, or hamburgers, or gasoline, or mechanical services to homosexuals without protest and...

 2) we find ourselves fighting against God when we attempt to battle the behavior of homosexuals. Paul informed the Roman believers in no uncertain terms that when men review the God provided evidence of His existence, and reject the evidence and in doing so, Him, God removes restraints within those human beings so that they can do whatever they wish. God permits men and women to go ahead and do what they please, whatever their hearts demand or desire because instead of believing God or what they knew to be true about God they deliberately chose to believe lies.

 So the result is God ordained and sanctioned uncleansable purposes, unthinkable practices, and unnatural passions. Why are we fighting against God when we are to be ambassadors and witnesses with power preaching the gospel?


(Yes, Part 3 of Jesus and Forgiveness is coming)

I've Been Washed (In the Blood of the Nazarene)

I've Been Washed (In the Blood of the Nazarene)

by Gregg Metcalf

Copyright with all rights reserved

Today I woke up and

something was wrong

I couldn’t see it but

the feeling was strong

An ice cold hand was

grabbing at my throat

But then I remembered

The words that He wrote

Chorus:

I’ve been washed in the blood

I’ve been cleansed by the fount

Every stain has been washed clean

Sometimes I forget it’s understood

That my sins no longer count

I’ve been washed -- by the blood --

 of the Na--zarene

When Satan comes calling 

and wants me to fall

when the guilt is overwhelming

and my faith is to small

The Spirit inside is a comfort to me

each time that I feel lost

Little by little He beckons me

to trust in that old rugged cross 

Chorus:

I’ve been washed in the blood

I’ve been cleansed by the fount

Every stain has been washed clean

Sometimes I forget it’s understood

That my sins no longer count

I’ve been washed -- by the blood -- 
of the Na--zarene

Bridge:

Yes, I know that because of His cross

My sins are forgiven, I’ll never be lost 

Chorus:

I’ve been washed in the blood

I’ve been cleansed by the fount

Every stain has been washed clean

Sometimes I forget it’s understood

That my sins no longer count

I’ve been washed -- by the blood --

 of the Na--zarene

I’ve been washed -- by the blood --

 of the Na--zarene

The Revelation of God's Wrath (Part 2)

SERMON:             GM15-057

SERIES:              Renewal Through Romans: The Gospel Defined, Explained & Applied

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM (May 10, 2015)

SECTION:          The Perversion of Righteousness (Romans 1:1-18-3:20)

SUBTITLE:        The Revelation of God’s Wrath (Part 2)

SCRIPTURE:     Romans1:18b-23

SUBJECT:          The wrath (anger) of God

SUMMARY:       God wants you to know he is angry with mankind

SCHEME:           That each member of NKBC feels relief knowing that Jesus Christ has born God’s wrath in their place

_____________________________________________________________

Our theme is:  The wrath (anger) of God

 Proposition:  God wants you to know he is angry with mankind

Interrogatory Sentence:  Why is God so angry at mankind?

Transitional Sentence: Our text reveals three reasons why God is so angry at mankind.

·        …because mankind has suppressed the truth of God

·        …because mankind has subverted the truth of God

·        …because mankind has spurned the truth of God

Jesus and Forgiveness (Part 2)

If we look very closely and carefully to the events recorded in Matthew 18:15-35 I think we will see what I am trying to say.

 

Jesus and the disciples have returned to Capernaum. Although we don’t know for sure, Jesus is probably staying and working out of Peter’s home. While they were relaxing in this house the disciples had asked Jesus who would be or who would hold the greatest position in the coming Kingdom of God?

Jesus chose at that time to teach his disciples about humility and servanthood. He used a child for an illustration, possibly Peter’s own child. Jesus’s conclusion was that to be or to expect exaltation one had to become humble and a servant to others.

Then Jesus took advantage of a statement that John had made to further teach humility in view of sectarianism. Jesus taught that extreme measures should not be avoided in order to prevent pride or sin in one’s life.

Jesus seems to take another example to further teach on humility. He gives the disciples some instruction on forgiveness. Let’s look this example very carefully.

First of all, Jesus tells the disciples if your brother sins against you, you are to go to that person and tell them what they have done. Presumably you would be asking them to correct the fault and ask for forgiveness. He tells the disciples that they are to do this alone. It is a matter between the person who has sinned against you and yourself.

It is not to be complained about or to be gossiped about the fellowship or assembly or community. It is a private matter. It is to remain private if at all possible. You are to tell the person the sin or fault, upon being asked to forgive them, grant forgiveness, accept whatever restitution is required or necessary and then forget it.

But if your brother refuses to correct the fault and refuses to seek your forgiveness, Jesus gives another step designed to rectify the situation. Now you are to take one or two other people, presumably fellow Christians and go to the individual and confront the sinning brother again. The two or three people are now witnesses to the meeting. The purpose is to rectify the situation and reconcile your brother to you.

What happens if this person who has sinned against you refuses to acknowledge their sin or to ask for forgiveness? The third step is to tell the matter to the assembly. At the time of Jesus this assembly, the ekklhsia was either the assembly that gathered in the Temple or the assembly that gathered in the synagogue.

The purpose is to the tell the assembly that this individual has sinned against you, you went to them in private in order to rectify the problem, he refused to repent, and you then took two or three other individuals as witnesses to the process. But the sinning brother refused the two or three witnesses and so now the assembly is being requested to help you in lovingly and humbly pursuing the sinning brother’s reconciliation.

Now, what does the assembly or the group of gathered believers do? First, they do not punish the offender. Second, they prevent him/her from attending the meetings of the assembling in order to prevent any detrimental influence. Third, they treat the offender as someone who needs to be evangelized with the gospel.

Why? It seems in Christ’s economy a genuine believer will respond to the loving pursuit of reconciliation. A genuine believer will repent and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Typically it is an unredeemed, non- Spirit-indwelt individual who will not relent, repent, and be reconciled.

My original point is that it isn’t to be left up to the congregation to discover someone who has sinned against you and to confront that person. It is your duty and privilege. This is not a process for the church to discipline a sinning individual.

This is a process whereby you can seek the reconciliation of someone who has sinned against you. And if you are unsuccessful then you can enlist the assembly of believers to assist you.

We see Peter wanting to know how many times we should forgive someone who sins against us. He has missed the ongoing lesson of humility. Christ corrects his thinking and confronts his pride and states that there is no limit to how many times we are to forgive someone who sins against us. Only the proud keep score and hold a grudge.

This is a very serious matter. Lord, willing, in part three we will examine just how serious this matter really is.

Jesus and Forgiveness (Part 1)

The more I began to grow in the discipline of scripture interpretation something kept nagging at me. For quite some time I could not put my finger on it, but it was there, creating enough discomfort to cause me to pursue it.

One of the principles of scripture interpretation requires the interpreter to determine the genre of the scripture under consideration. The underlying idea is that different genres are interpreted differently. At best, it is meant that the passage in question is interpreted in light of its particular genre.

I have come to understand that the gospels are a unique genre of scripture. I do believe that 2 Timothy 3:16 is as accurate and applicable today as the day the Apostle Paul penned it to Timothy. However, I no longer understand the gospels as specifically pertaining to the church or to the church age. I believe they were written for the primary benefit of the Jews, particularly the Jewish believers. Granted Mark and Luke seem to have been directed towards Gentiles. Mark seems to be writing for the benefit of the Romans and Luke wrote to Theophilus.

I am not saying that we in the church should jettison the gospels, and nor am I denying any application, direction, wisdom, benefit, or profit to the church. I do not see the church anywhere in the gospels. I certainty do not mix or confuse the coming Kingdom of God with the church in this parenthetical church age.

I would contend that the word ekklhsia was mistranslated. I think it should have been translated as assembly. I do not think the disciples had any idea about the coming church or church age. They were rightfully looking for the promised kingdom of God. 

I believe we must be careful in taking Christ’s teachings, principles, doctrines, and directives and “force” them into the church body and into church life. When we do mix them together we often come to incorrect conclusions.

For example, some would teach very strongly that there should be no discipline or removal of sinning believers from the assembly because Christ told the disciples not to remove the tares from the assembly lest they tear up the wheat. Of course that is not meant for the church, we need to put unrepentant sinning believers out of the assembly. The purpose is at least two-fold; the influence of sin must be removed and the repentance of the sinning believe is sought.

Another misconception is that “church discipline” is the duty and or responsibility of the church body. I don’t think that is actually correct. What I mean by this statement is that I don’t think that “unoffended” believers are to initiate the process outlined in Matthew 18.

…to be continued, Lord willing.

The Move

Today marks the very first time

that I have had to clear my mind

since we moved to our new home

Packing a mountain of boxes

created a need for a shot of loxes

and in that need I wasn't alone

The day of the move we secured the truck

looked to the heavens for help and good luck

hoping no mishaps would come our way

Mountain Men Ministries supplied the men

who would load up our stuff once again

and take it to where we now planned to stay

The loading went so unbelievably well

they were done so lickity-split I do tell

Seventeen feet of space was packed tight

The drive to Vancouver was quite nice

we downed a number of sodas with ice

all our goods arrived and were alright

The guys unloaded the truck like the wind

there's no doubt they were a true godsend

we could not have done it all by ourselves

When the truck was empty it was time to eat

we were so happy to provide this little treat

they worked harder than all of Santa's elves

Finding a place for all of our personal stuff

turned out to a job that was more than tough

but find a place for most of it we have done

Unpacking and putting away from dusk to dawn

leaves no room to relax and sit out on the lawn

we kept at it even though it was really no fun

The boxes are empty and were taken to recycle

we are truly grateful for a man named Michael

who completed some much need projects for us

he painted and hung shelves and pulled up tacks

poor guy worked so hard he about broke his back

but he did with a smile and nary did he cuss

The house is in order, things are in their place

we have been blessed with quite a bit of space

We like our new home and are settling in

although we have fond memories of Longview

we are still getting use to the things that are new

It is good to be back in Vancouver again

Let me tell you something between me and you

the secrets that I hold inside are but a very few

and I don't think this one secret is a great surprise

I don't ever want to move again, I'm just too old

the next move I hope is upward to the heavenly fold

to pack up and move again, I'd rather poke out my eyes

But lest anyone should ever get the wrong idea

I'll move in a minute if God says get it in gear

He is sovereign and in total control of my life

I would never drag my feet, I'll get in the groove

but it's only for God that I will ever again move

and I do think  I speak for both me and my wife