What Kind of Church- Part 3

Correct Doctrine and Mission must be followed by passionate Christian love. When Jesus was asked which is the great commandment in the law, he answered “Thou shalt love the Lord the God...and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:36-40. Jesus tells us that Love is the cornerstone of every command God has given. John 3:16 gives the motivation for God to send his Son, Jesus, and for Jesus to come and die; Love. If the church loses this quality, it is as doomed to failure as if it lost its Doctrine or Mission. In Revelation 2:5, Jesus told the church of Ephesus to repent of this leaving love “or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of this place,” Love is like oil to an engine or grease to a bearing. Things cannot run well, smoothly, or long without love. Love is what unifies the body like tendons and nerves connecting everything. Love is essential to strength, and our public witness. John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples”

What Kind of Church- Part 2

Besides the "gold Standard" of holding correct Bible Doctrine, the church must embrace the MISSION. Our mission is not something the church decides, but what Jesus Christ himself commanded.

1. Evangelize

1. 2. Baptize

3. Teach

Even the order is correct; supported throughout scripture. We evangelize first, baptize second, teach God's way third. Jesus promised his presence and power to fulfill His mission. The church that fails His mission will die; history is undeniable. By nature we are social creatures, tending towards socialization of the church; we can easily lose sight of His Mission. The only way the church can truly please the Lord is to follow His Mission. Christ is the "head of the body, the Church:" Colossians 1:18, he "...gave himself for it;" Ephesians 5:25 Ownership of the church is Christ's. Bible Baptist must continue to embrace and fulfill Jesus' revealed Mission to survive and thrive. "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" Acts 1:8

What Kind of Church- Part 1

The Church must have a firm stand on what it teaches, called doctrine. The church must hold truths that are non-negotiable; the eternal truths of God. That God is a Trinity; Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit. That God is Holy, All-powerful, All-knowing, Everywhere present at once, Eternal. That God created everything. That the Bible is without error. That Jesus was born of a virgin, sinless, died bearing our sin, and rose again the third day, and is coming again to earth. That Salvation is wholly a work of God's grace, received by faith in Jesus. That true believers are eternally secure in Jesus. Actually, Bible Baptist holds 20 "Articles of Faith", copies are available in our church library. These articles are widely held by Baptist churches globally. For the Church to be on a rock solid foundation, these are the first things the Christian should look for in a church. Be assured that these Doctrines of Scripture will never be compromised. We stand on the bedrock of truth that has not and will not change. Matthew 5:18 & John 17:17

Mother's Day

What a joyous occasion every year to honor our mothers. If you are blessed to have your mother still, or if mother is in Heaven, she is not forgotten especially today. My Mother is a phenomenal woman; I appreciate and honor her for all she did in care for me. She fed me, worried over me, and even tried to discipline me at times. I was not easy, yet she thinks I was a good son, indicating she didn't know everything. I know this, God knew my Mom when he gave me to her, and God knew me when he gave Mom to me. I love you Mom! Thanks. Ephesians 6:2

Christian Service

Jesus has such a gentle yet powerful way of saying things, mostly because of who he was and the degree to which he loves us. Matthew 20:27 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:" Jesus recognized "will be chief among you" as a human reality, which we understand when we reflect upon our own need for appreciation and recognition. John 12:26 "if and man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be:" See the role of ministering as service to the Lord and not a way to promote self. Our heart's struggle to be appreciated can only be fully realized when we are motivated more by our love for Christ (II Corinthians 5:14) and desire to please him than to meet our need for appreciation. Our humility in service accomplishes God's plan, damages no one, and ultimately God wonderfully meets our need for appreciation. See Galatians 1:10 and Philippians 2:7-9. Christ is our example "God highly exalted Him"!

A Cheerful Giver

The sowing and reaping principle is brought to bear on the subject of Christian giving in II Corinthians 9:6-7. How you sow is how you reap, either bountifully or sparingly. Both are direct results of giving. Yet there is an overriding principle the Apostle refers to in this passage which is purpose of heart. The heart is what God sees (II Samuel 16:7) and what God is truly interested in. Don't let your giving be grudgingly, nor of necessity! the fear of the Lord is part of the equation in giving, but the thing that God loves about Christian Giving is cheerfulness. we are instructed "God loveth a cheerful giver," Personally, I am thrilled that we cheered during last week's offering. Let's do it every week! Cheerfulness is a thing that God loves in our giving. cheering is an appropriate way to express cheerfulness. Both grudging and cheerfulness reflect what is in the heart of the Christian giver. Proverbs 4:23

summer

Jesus told us that we know summer is nigh when the trees begin to put forth leaves in Matthew 24:32. The climate in Israel is unique in that they have desert, tropics, mountains, seacoasts, Galilee and the Dead Sea; it snows in places and in other places it never gets cold. All of this in a very small geographical area. Michigan is not like that. We have three months of mostly summer weather, three months of extremely iffy weather, and the rest mostly nasty weather. Spring is exciting because we look forward to summer, and the time to plant...not quite yet, due to the danger of frost and the cold ground. Then it gets warm and we are way past ready to spend time out of doors. Hallelujah! as you plan your summer with all its activities, joys and pleasures, be sure that you don't leave out the Lord. Apparently, Jesus us aware when it is summer, and He, I'm sure, knows Michigan's weather seeing He made it. Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves"