The Promise of Life

Temple Baptist Church - 4-28-2013

 

2 Timothy 1:1-2

Introduction:

A. Most people miss out on the true meaning of life as:

1. Their lives are self-serving. The “religion” of humanism has permeated our society through the effective teachings of an anti-God system that has steadily developed over the years. I remember when the Bible reading, prayer, and salute to the American Flag were a normal part of our public education. I remember when chapel services were a vital part of our week in the public school system as men of God came in and shared the Bible with students.

2. Over the years of my life, I have seen the Bible and prayer taken out of the public schools. Men of God no longer welcome to come and preach to the children. The “Happy Days” gone forever as humanism replaced human responsibility. With God gone from the schools, we have seen the results: drugs and drug dogs, SRO (School Resource Officers) when the towns and counties can afford them, murder and mayhem on school grounds, sodomy and same sex marriages forced upon once godly people’s children and a breakdown of authority that teachers once held. The list could go on but, now, these are accepted as the new norm.

3. The marriage institution being replaced by living together or simply ending in disaster with children now coming from dysfunctional homes instead of secure two parent ones. There is now violence in the homes, streets, and schools instead of the peaceful, fun loving spirit of the days of our youth. I have said often that “our children will never know the America that we were raised in.”

B. As born again believers, we must protect our homes and children by instilling within them the true meaning of life and living! We are not animals; we did not evolve; we are not accidents and freaks of nature; we are made in the image of our Creator with divine purpose!

C. Paul begins the second of the Pastoral Epistles (again, when you see a 2^nd or 3^rd epistle with the same name or written to the same people, the general theme is apostasy and the Second Coming of the Lord) by setting forth the divine purpose and plan of God for His children. I want to break these down into 4 very simple parts tonight.

1. A Man With A Mission – “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God”

a. The Importance of God’s Man – “as apostle of Jesus Christ” An Old Testament priest represented men to God. Today, we are individual priests and need no such representation. We go individually to God through the applied blood of Christ. An apostle represents God to man. There are no apostles today but it is still the work of the pastor to continually keep the Lord before the people in such a way as to hold God up and help His people to continue to stand.

b. The Instruction of God’s Man – “by the will of God”

1) Timothy was a pastor and, yet, he still needed the instruction of Paul. As a pastor, one of the critical parts of my work is that of preaching and teaching. It is not a thing of “I am better” or “smarter” or even “more spiritual” than anyone else in the church but it is God’s order and His work works!

2) I need preaching just like you need preaching. When God’s men come to Temple, as a general rule, I allow them to come into this pulpit and preach. I enjoy listening and gleaning from what they have to say. I believe it is the will of God that all of us have preachers to instruct and exhort us in these last days.

3) Last Wednesday night, Barbara and I were in church. We heard the pastor preach a simple message on satanic attacks upon the local church. It was nothing profound or different from what I preach here at Temple Baptist. But, I needed to hear it; Barbara needed to hear it. That is called reinforcement and reinforcement is necessary to God’s people.

2. A Life With A Meaning. “the promise of life”

a. One of the great problems with society in these last days is that of purpose. Happiness is sought for in all of the wrong places and life, therefore, has lost its meaning. Man was placed here with a purpose and that purpose was to have a relationship with his Creator. Careers are great but, without the Lord, purposeless. It is of no wonder that people are so unhappy and unfilled. Something vital to life is missing!

b. That vital part of life that is missing is the knowledge and love of Christ. Life only has true meaning when one comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour! Man is innately religious because he is made to worship. Many worship their gods made with hands but I am glad that I worship One who made me with His hands. My life has had true meaning for the past 36 ½ years for which I am grateful.

c. God loves His children and wants the best for each of them. That “best” is found in Jesus Christ. I am reminded of the song that says, “I had rather be an old time Christian, Lord, than anything I know.”

3. A Message With A Promise. “Grace … Mercy … Peace” This is the great apostle’s normal salutation. 1) Because these three things are necessary for the believer to continue faithfully in the faith 2) Because these three things are available to the believer: they are gifts given that must be accepted!

a. The promise of Grace for every trial. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We often say that God will never place more on us than we can bear and I believe that to be a biblical truth. There is living grace, suffering grace, sustaining grace, and dying grace. As my old friend, Dean Shook sang, “There’s been grace for every trial; grace for every mile!”

b. The promise of mercy for every failure. Jeremiah 33:8 says, “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love!” God’s people love Him and, yet, fail Him miserably. God’s love is so much greater than our sin and His forgiveness is always there for His children. I have tried to wear 1 John 1:9 out in my lifetime but it is still there and the mercy of God still available.

c. The promise of peace for the entire trip. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Isaiah 26:3 speaks of the perfect peace that God offers to these who keep their minds stayed upon Him. Looking around at this world with all of its problems will steal that peace until we turn our eyes upon the Lord and know that all is well as He controls everything.

Faith Tested

Temple Baptist Church - 4-28-2013

 

Hebrews 11:17-19

 

Introduction:

A. The life of Abraham is one that all believers can be identified with. He was a man of both faith and failure.

1. Abraham believed God for a country as God called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees. God promised Abraham the land that He sojourned in and, yet, in the days of hardness he fled to Egypt.

2. Abraham believed God for a “seed” from which would spring a multitude with its culmination being found in the Messiah. Yet Abraham chose to deceive in the matter of his wife while in Egypt because he feared for his life.

3. Abraham believed God for a “seed” that would come through Sarah and, yet, he harkened to the voice of his wife and took Hagar to wife. The seed, Ishmael, continues to haunt Israel to this day.

B. Abraham was the father of faith but was still a man with all of his down sittings and uprisings. His life can be broken down into three distinct parts:

1. God’s call and Abraham’s answer. God said for him to leave and he left!

2. Abraham’s life as a wanderer in the land of promise. He lived in tents instead of houses; he lived in the wilderness instead of a city; he looked for the eternal instead of the temporal.

3. Abraham’s offering up of Isaac on Mount Moriah. Here we find the culmination of Abraham’s faith as that faith was tested. I have written in one of my bibles this truth: “A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.”

C. Three verses in Hebrews 11 set forth the magnitude of that faith.

1. There is a Prophetical application. The offering of Isaac is a beautiful foreshadowing of the Love of God the Father in the gift of His only begotten Son. The resemblances pointed to by this Old Testament type are numerous and strikingly clear.

a) The Type: Abraham offered up a son, his only begotten son. The Antitype: God the Father offered His Son, His only begotten Son.

b) The Type: Abraham delivered up his son to a sacrificial death, and, in purpose, smote him. The Antitype: God the Father delivered His son to a sacrificial death and smote Him.

c) Now, look at how the antitype excelled the type. Abraham’s son was only a man. Abraham offered up Isaac under Divine command: God was under no constraint, but gave Christ freely. Abraham’s son suffered not; God’s Son, Jesus Christ, did.

2. There is a Practical application. That is where you and I come in. We full well understand both the type and antitype being dealt with in these verses but, in the realm of faith, I believe that the interpretation (not just the application) is the trust and confidence of the believer in his or her heavenly Father’s purpose and care.

a) We often think of the Old Testament saints as ignorant concerning the biblical truths that we now have but I have found these old saints very well informed as to what God’s plan was for both salvation and their lives here.

b) Yes, we do know more perfectly through our bible what God says but I find that their faith often surpassed that of the modern day saint. I believe it is because they lived in simpler days with little distraction while we live in complex days with much distraction.

D. Let us look at Abraham’s faith as it is set forth in these verses as it is one of the most wonderful examples found in the bible. Before I begin, let me say that every trial and problem is not a result of God’s working. Most things that adversely affect us are founded in the sinfulness (either of self or others) or in satanic attack. Life is hard at best because of the choices that are made by us or others. Life is hard at best because bad things still happen to good people.

E. Abraham believed God for the impossible in these verses. In his mind, he had already become obedient to God’s command

1. Faith’s Power In Difficulty. “when he was tried” 1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. (We all have problems in this life: problems at work, school, neighborhoods, families, bills, sickness, etc. Problems started in the Garden of Eden as God put man to work by the sweat of his brow and the woman in both the home and childrearing. These problems can certainly be a “headache” but this is not what this verse refers to. We handle these problems as a matter of life and they do not normally try our faith. The trying of our faith is our faith in God, our faith in what God has promised, our faith in how we expect God to perform, etc. Life is easy when we are only having the normal problems associated with living and raising a family but sometimes there are tragedies or circumstances that make us question what or Who we believe. These are the ones these verses are talking about.)

a. The season of trials. “though now for a season” Job 23:1-9 Then Job answered and said, (2) Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. (3) Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! (4) I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. (5) I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. (6) Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. (7) There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge. (8) Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: (9) On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: (Often, trials are bitter and the Lord silent. It does not mean that He does not love nor does He care. He does love us and He does care for us. 1 Peter 5:7)

b. The sorrow of trials. “ye are in heaviness” Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Though we rejoice in our salvation and faith’s end, there is a lot of heartbreak along the way. Weeping is a part of living and tear ducts are for more than just wetting the eye. I will be glad when the Lord wipes all tears from our eyes.)

c. The value of trails. “much more precious than of gold that perisheth” 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (We rejoice in the temporal and often forget that eternal things are just that, eternal. We are laboring for those things that we cannot lose.)

2. Faith’s Performance In Duty. “offered up Isaac” Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (We often quote these verses but seldom have to use them for we have peace of heart, enough understanding to work with, and know what direction to take in alleviating our problems.)

a. We need to trust in the Lord when our heart begins to fail us. “trust in the Lord with all thine heart” Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. (I cannot imagine what went through Abraham’s mind initially but there have been times in my life when worry so overpowered me that I almost got physically sick at my stomach. I know the Lord can do anything! I know the Lord is always with me! I know that He is before me, with me, and behind me at the same time and yet my heart is sick. Just trust Him anyway is easy to preach but much harder to live.)

b. We need to trust in the Lord when our understanding is nil. “lean not … own understanding” Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (4) Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: (Trusting to God’s wise bestowment instead of trying to “figure” out His ways. He truly knows the end from the beginning; will not place more on us than we can bear and will be with us the entire trip.)

c. We need to trust in the Lord when our way is obscure. “he shall direct thy paths” Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (I love to know where I am going and what I am going to do. Sometimes, even my GPS fails to lead me in the straightest path. When it works right, it is great as I can drive around in the city like I have lived there all of my life but, when it does not work right, that is a different story. I am glad that God knows the next steps that I need to take in my life and will guide me in the way if I seek to know what that way is. He never gets lost!)

3. Faith’s Promise In Doubting. “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (I will not spend much time on this point but I often think of Dr. Harold Sightler’s message “Can God?” He sure answered that question by finishing up with “God Can! God Can God Can!” God provided for Abraham and Abraham named the place of offering “Jehovahjireh:” “Jehovah Will See” or “Jehovah Will Provide!”)

Conclusion: “A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted!” “I care not today what the morrow may bring, If shadow or sunshine or rain, The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything, And all of my worries are vain.”

The Promise of Life

Temple Baptist Church - 4-21-2013

 

2 Timothy 1:1-2

 

Introduction:

A. Most people miss out on the true meaning of life as:

1. Their lives are self-serving. The “religion” of humanism has permeated our society through the effective teachings of an anti-God system that has steadily developed over the years. I remember when the Bible reading, prayer, and salute to the American Flag were a normal part of our public education. I remember when chapel services were a vital part of our week in the public school system as men of God came in and shared the Bible with students.

2. Over the years of my life, I have seen the Bible and prayer taken out of the public schools. Men of God no longer welcome to come and preach to the children. The “Happy Days” gone forever as humanism replaced human responsibility. With God gone from the schools, we have seen the results: drugs and drug dogs, SRO (School Resource Officers) when the towns and counties can afford them, murder and mayhem on school grounds, sodomy and same sex marriages forced upon once godly people’s children, and a breakdown of authority that teachers once held. The list could go on but, now, these are accepted as the new norm.

3. The marriage institution being replaced by living together or simply ending in disaster with children now coming from dysfunctional homes instead of secure two parent ones. There is now violence in the homes, streets, and schools instead of the peaceful, fun loving spirit of the days of our youth. I have said often that “our children will never know the America that we were raised in.”

B. As born again believers, we must protect our homes and children by instilling within them the true meaning of life and living! We are not animals; we did not evolve; we are not accidents and freaks of nature; we are made in the image of our Creator with divine purpose!

C. Paul begins the second of the Pastoral Epistles (again, when you see a 2^nd or 3^rd epistle with the same name or written to the same people, the general theme is apostasy and the Second Coming of the Lord) by setting forth the divine purpose and plan of God for His children. I want to break these down into 4 very simple parts tonight.

1. A Man With A Mission – “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God”

a. The Importance of God’s Man – “as apostle of Jesus Christ” An Old Testament priest represented men to God. Today, we are individual priests and need no such representation. We go individually to God through the applied blood of Christ. An apostle represents God to man. There are no apostles today but it is still the work of the pastor to continually keep the Lord before the people in such a way as to hold God up and help His people to continue to stand.

b. The Instruction of God’s Man – “by the will of God”

1) Timothy was a pastor and, yet, he still needed the instruction of Paul. As a pastor, one of the critical parts of my work is that of preaching and teaching. It is not a thing of “I am better” or “smarter” or even “more spiritual” than anyone else in the church but it is God’s order and His work works!

2) I need preaching just like you need preaching. When God’s men come to Temple, as a general rule, I allow them to come into this pulpit and preach. I enjoy listening and gleaning from what they have to say. I believe it is the will of God that all of us have preachers to instruct and exhort us in these last days.

3) Last Wednesday night, Barbara and I were in church. We heard the pastor preach a simple message on satanic attacks upon the local church. It was nothing profound or different from what I preach here at Temple Baptist. But, I needed to hear it; Barbara needed to hear it. That is called reinforcement and reinforcement is necessary to God’s people.

2. A Life With A Meaning. “the promise of life”

a. One of the great problems with society in these last days is that of purpose. Happiness is sought for in all of the wrong places and life, therefore, has lost its meaning. Man was placed here with a purpose and that purpose was to have a relationship with his Creator. Careers are great but, without the Lord, purposeless. It is of no wonder that people are so unhappy and unfilled. Something vital to life is missing!

b. That vital part of life that is missing is the knowledge and love of Christ. Life only has true meaning when one comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour! Man is innately religious because he is made to worship. Many worship their gods made with hands but I am glad that I worship One who made me with His hands. My life has had true meaning for the past 36 ½ years for which I am grateful.

c. God loves His children and wants the best for each of them. That “best” is found in Jesus Christ. I am reminded of the song that says, “I had rather be an old time Christian, Lord, than anything I know.”

3. A Message With A Promise. “Grace … Mercy … Peace” This is the great apostle’s normal salutation. 1) Because these three things are necessary for the believer to continue faithfully in the faith 2) Because these three things are available to the believer: they are gifts given that must be accepted!

a. The promise of Grace for every trial. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We often say that God will never place more on us than we can bear and I believe that to be a biblical truth. There is living grace, suffering grace, sustaining grace, and dying grace. As my old friend, Dean Shook sang, “There’s been grace for every trial; grace for every mile!”

b. The promise of mercy for every failure. Jeremiah 33:8 says, “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love!” God’s people love Him and, yet, fail Him miserably. God’s love is so much greater than our sin and His forgiveness is always there for His children. I have tried to wear 1 John 1:9 out in my lifetime but it is still there and the mercy of God still available.

c. The promise of peace for the entire trip. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Isaiah 26:3 speaks of the perfect peace that God offers to these who keep their minds stayed upon Him. Looking around at this world with all of its problems will steal that peace until we turn our eyes upon the Lord and know that all is well as He controls everything.

The Danger of Being Mind Full

Temple Baptist Church - 4-21-2013

 

Hebrews 11:15

 

Introduction:

A. What a blessing it is to read and study the 11^th chapter of Hebrews. This chapter deals with the definition, reception, rejection, blessings, and warnings concerning faith.

1. The faith set forth in this chapter is more than just believing that God is; it is even more than just believing that He came, died, and was resurrected again. The faith that is set forth is a faith that is both believed and followed. It is an effective faith, not just saving faith.

2. I do appreciate saving faith and am not demeaning it when I use the phrase “just saving faith.” It is faith that brought me to Jesus Christ and it is faith that will take me to heaven one day, but I have had a lot of living between November of 1976 and the present. I may even have many good years ahead of me and it will require a faith that can be tested to keep me in the will of God.

3. So many have come to Christ, been gloriously saved, become either sinful or disappointed along the way, and turned back to the old life and the world. I too stand in jeopardy if I get my eyes off of the Lord and become “mindful” of where God brought me from.

4. I went to Bible College with several who came to Kentucky and, for the most part, all who left Kentucky are still in the ministry. All except one. He could never get Kentucky off of his mind. We continually tried to encourage him but one day he decided to return. It has not been spiritually well with him. I do not want to return.

5. When the Lord comes, will He find faith? Not saving faith, but living faith. God has made us a wonderful promise, not only in the life to come, but also in this life.

John 10:9-10 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

B. “Mindful” can be defined by the word itself: 1) mind 2) full. It means to constantly keep something on your mind. To fantasize, to meditate upon, more than an occasional thing.

1. In Luke 9:62, the Bible says, “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” In the verses preceding this, the Lord said, “Follow me.” This is a simple, direct command that needs no interpretation. One said that he needs to bury his father first while a second said he wanted to bid farewell to his family that lived in his house.

2. Many do not understand the Lord’s answers. He said to the first, “Let the dead bury their dead,” and to the second He gave Luke 9:62. What was the problem with their request? I believe it is found in the phrase “having put his hand to the plough.” This tells me that a decision had already been made by both of these men to answer the call given: “follow me.”

3. Had the man’s father died? I do not think so. I believe that the implication of this verse is that the man wanted to return home until his father died. Then he would bury him and follow Christ. The Lord has never been against a child going to the funeral of his or her parent. I was there not only to attend but to also preach the funerals of mom and dad as well as Barbara’s mom. I counted it a privilege to have our siblings allow me to stand and preach their funerals and I believe that the Lord approved of Barbara and I going back when they were sick and dying. The problem would have been if I had said, “Lord, I have answered your call and will leave Kentucky as soon as our parents are dead and buried.” Many answer God’s call and then proceed to tell God where they will go and when.

4. The second man, I believe, had his mind on his house as well as his family. I am sure that, when he left home, he said his goodbyes. I know that Barbara and I did. We did not sneak out of the state and leave our beloved families wondering where we had gone. He said, “Which are at home at my house.” First, he called it home. I actually have two homes: Hopkins County, Kentucky and Laurens County, South Carolina. Secondly, He referred to it as “my house.” His thoughts, after he decided to follow Christ, began to be centered on where he came from instead of where he was.

C. The dangers of returning are many so I will just deal with a few for time’s sake.

1. The danger of losing your valuable testimony for Christ. Many people that we grew up with know that we got saved, answered the call of God, sold out, and moved from our old home and family. They may not understand all that happened (the natural man thinks only in the areas of religion) but they know something did and, to give up—sell out—move back—and return to the old life would undo all of the possible good that God could accomplish in the lives of others.

2. The danger of living out of God’s will which brings chastisement. Whom the Lord loveth, and He does love His children, He chasteneth. One of the ways you know that you belong to God is that He will not let you live in open, unrebuked sin! His longsuffering and forbearance will come to an end and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

3. The danger of losing the blessings of God. God has blessed each of us with more than we deserve. People often wonder how it is to sell out and move away not knowing where you are going of what you will be doing. My family has more today than we have ever had in a temporal sense and you cannot place a value on the spiritual side of blessings. The Lord giveth and He can take away just as well.

4. The danger of damning souls. No more witness and no more winning of souls. I have not won the world to Christ over the years but I have won a few! As people watch our lives, they then have the confidence to listen to our words. If they hear, they can be saved. How shall they hear without a preacher and we are all preachers in that sense. A man once said, “A life lived is worth a thousand sermons preached.”

5. The danger of losing your family. We cannot save our children, but we can lead them in the way of salvation. Our best “observers” are our kids. They know what we are and what we believe. The choice of eternity belongs to them and to whom much is given, much will be required but—when we turn back—we will still go to heaven but they may pay an eternal price for our sins.

6. The danger of losing eternal rewards. Missionary Jim Elliot gave his life for the Indian people of South America. He could have left; he could have run; and he could have fought. He chose to die! He is possible most noted for the quote: : "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Conclusion: I have often heard that some people are “too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.” I have never met that man! Most are “too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good.” If we are “mindful” of where we came from, we just may have opportunity to return! Let us be “mindful” of heavenly things so that we can be used by God for His glory here and receive eternal rewards there.

The Dangers of Erring From The Faith

Temple Baptist Church - 4-14-2013

 

1 Timothy 6:20-21

 

Introduction:

A. We certainly live in the last days and they are characterized in many ways of which I will not deal with all tonight but, one of the most prominent is that of the “falling way.”

1. Most of the modern day churches that are springing up on every street corner are not a part of the apostasy because you cannot fall away unless you stood for something in the first place. These non-denomination churches have never had standards, godly traditions, or “old paths” to follow.

2. They are the come as you are, do as you like, and leave just like you came churches that have “cool” pastors who can relate to the worldliness of their congregations. They have never “erred” from the faith because they never stood in the faith. I still believe that God’s way is a straight one, the gate to heaven narrow, and there are only a few that find it!

B. I do care that these men have been exposed to truth and rejected it but my main concern lies in our local church.

1. Yes, it does bother me when men reject Christ; it does bother me when men that I once revered have progressed into sinfulness; it does bother me when everything that we fundamental Baptist stand for is under attack; it does bother me that America is no longer classified as a Christian nation; it does bother me that the faithful are fewer in number every day; it does bother me that churches now believe that they must go the way of the world in order to attain their numbers.

2. Though I do care about these things, what bothers me most is the possibility of Temple Baptist Church changing. If it does, the pulpit will have to change first! Our people understand who I am: an old fashioned, fundamental, independent, Bible believing, saved by the good grace of God, called of God to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, Baptist preacher!

3. Our Bible needs to be unchanging, the preaching needs to be unchanged, and the message needs to be unchanged, because if they change—then the church will change. Paul is admonishing Pastor Timothy to remain faithful to God’s Word and the local church.

C. Paul, in the last two verses of 1 Timothy, admonishes him to keep that which he had been entrusted with: biblical truth!

D. Biblical preaching is not always exciting as it is the “line upon line,” “precept upon precept,” feeding of God’s sheep. Biblical preaching is doctrinal truth! Biblical preaching is the rightly dividing of truth! Paul deals with two areas in these verses that God’s men are to avoid:

1. Profane and vain babbling. Much to do about nothing is a good definition of such “babbling.” Profane means “heathen:” preaching and saying things that are contrary to God’s Word. Vain means to no avail or ineffective. Babbling means to utter a meaningless confusion of words or sounds. They may sound good to the natural man but are ineffective in the edification of the believer. For years, I sat under biblical, doctrinally straight preaching. Dr. John Waters used to day, “Keep the main thing the main thing!” Pulpits today have become:

a. Political – I too am concerned about the condition of our government and nation. I too believe that God’s people need to stand up for right and make a difference. But, the pulpit is not the place to address these issues. The preacher is to preach the Word! Then the Word will cause God’s people to politically make a difference by being good citizens which involves voting right.

b. Pharisaical – I too am concerned about the lack of sanctification found in most churches. They treat the church like another area of worldly entertainment. We are not here to entertain but neither are we here to place God’s people under a system of “do’s and don’ts.” I believe that, if we preach the whole counsel of God, God’s people will fall in love with God and then the Holy Spirit will make a difference in their lives.

c. Pleasing – I too am concerned about the shallow, ear-tickling preaching that is found in most churches. Worldly people can feel comfortable on the pews of the church because there is no conviction because of the “buffet” style preaching that goes on. I call it “around the world preaching.” It goes around the world and touches nothing! God’s men are to preach in such a way as to please God, not men.

2. The oppositions of science falsely so called. Biblical truth has been attacked in these last days in many ways but one of the most effective attacks has been that of “science falsely so called.”

a. Science is defined as: a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws. True science is the knowledge of facts, not theories! Theories are not experiential and, therefore, involve speculation, not truth.

b. Though the advancement of science has rapidly escalated in the past 100 years, for the most part, it is true science. We have seen such wonderful changes in our lifetime: electricity, the light bulb, telephone (from the first to the cell phone), automobiles, airplanes, space travel, television and radio, medical advancements that have brought about cures for diseases that once plagued us, and the list could go on.

c. Some advancements in science have been detrimental to God’s people because they are based upon false assumptions and are only theories. Two of these areas of concern have been the Big Bang Theory and the Evolution Theory. They have caused much confusion among believers because these theories cause some to think that they must defend the biblical account of Creation and humanity.

d. I do not have a problem with apologetics though I personally do not either preach or write in such a way. I choose to just preach the truth and let the “chips” fall where they may. Men either believe or they choose not to believe. The problem with apologetics is when men began to apologize. Apologetics is a biblical explanation of doctrinal truth given to answer questions that are asked.

e. For generations, the public school system has used curriculum which teaches these false theories and we have all been affected to some degree with their false teachings. Thus, men have introduced such theories as the Gap Theory in order to reconcile the Creation account with the large expanses of times taught by theorists.

1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

f. As fundamental Baptists, we need to continue to preach the Bible and allow it to do the explaining. It takes a lot less faith to believe in determination than it does to believe in randomness. Determination means that all things were made with purpose and design. Randomness means that everything that we see is the result of a series of accidents. Sure were a lot of accidents if that is the case.