October 13, 2017 Show with Gordon Taylor on “What Are Your Church’s Core Values? Suggestions to be Prayerfully Considered for Adoption”

Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown

Carlisle, Pennsylvania it's iron sharpens iron a radio

platform on which pastors Christian scholars and theologians Address the burning issues

facing the church and the world today.

Proverbs 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron.

So one man sharpens another.

Matthew Henry said that in this passage quote we are cautioned to take heed whom we

converse with and Directed to have in view in conversation to make one another

wiser and better.

It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next hour.

And we hope to hear from you the listener with your own questions.

Now, here's our host Chris.

Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Lake City, Florida.

And the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at iron sharpens iron Radio

.com.

This is Chris Arns and your host of iron sharpens iron radio wishing you all a happy Friday on this

13th day of October 2017.

And.

What better day to pick than Friday the 13th when you're having a discussion with Reformed Baptists?

Assembly, okay.

This is Chris Arnson and I am a Reformed Baptist and my co -host the Reverend Buzz Taylor is with me in the

studio and he is a Presbyterian.

I am not a Reformed Baptist and well, you might want to pray about that.

Reverend Buzz Taylor is a member of the PCA congregation here in Carlisle the Carlisle Reformed Presbyterian

Church, and he is retired from the ministry himself right now anyway.

Not an active pastor, but he is an ordained minister with quite a number of years of experience as a

pastor and Today we have back on the program after a long absence.

Gordon Taylor.

Gordon Taylor who I have had on this program in the past in fact I even had his wife on the program when we were

broadcasting out of New York on WNYG and WGBB radio on Long Island and

Gordon is also a former member of the Grace Baptist Church of Carlisle, Pennsylvania where I am currently a member now.

He is the coordinator for the Reformed Baptist Network and we are going to be discussing today.

What are your church's core values?

Suggestions to be prayerfully considered for adoption.

And We're also going to be announcing the 2017 Reformed Baptist Network Conference.

So we'll be giving you all the information you'll need to know about that.

But it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back after a very long absence.

Gordon Taylor.

Thank you, Chris.

I'm delighted to be with you again and Have fond memories of our time and at Grace

Baptist in Carlisle as well.

Amen.

And I must tell our listeners that if you ever hear about Gordon Taylor preaching

anywhere near you Anywhere that you could get to by plane train or automobile I

would make every effort to do so because he is an extraordinarily gifted preacher and I have always

Been wonderfully blessed and edified every time he entered the pulpit at Grace

Baptist Church of Carlisle, Pennsylvania and Still does on occasion from time to time even though

he's not a member of our congregation anymore.

But Gordon, I know that we have had you on the program before but since it's been at such a long time

I would like you to give your personal testimony of salvation.

What kind of Childhood that you had in regard to a religious atmosphere if any and

what providential circumstances The Lord brought about in your life that drew you to himself and

saved you and then later actually Placed a call upon your heart to enter into the ministry.

If you could tell us about those things.

Sure, Chris, I'd be happy to tell you about that.

You know, I was I'm a very blessed man.

I had a very happy childhood.

My mother and father were both and I suspect I was in church

from and to all the services on the Lord's Day and

Wednesday night and I thought much to my

soul.

Until one particular day and I need to put in parentheses here.

I did grow up on a farm in North Central, Iowa and And My father

and I worked together from the time.

I was very very young.

And when I was probably about eight or nine years old, I'm guessing while we were cleaning up the chicken

house, my father began to talk to me about my soul and He

he took me to John chapter 3 wonderful gospel verse for God so

loved the world That he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have

everlasting life.

Amen, he told me I yeah, he told me that I could put my name in there and that God loved me Gordon and

that if Gordon would believe I'd ever for a lasting life and That struck a chord in my heart and

I knelt with my father On the floor of that chicken house, and I would add it was the part that we'd

already cleaned.

And I asked the Lord to save me.

I've often wondered I often wondered whether or not I was really converted that day.

I didn't have any great conviction of sin.

Necessarily, but I did desire Christ, but it was shortly after that and that

I Am I did have a conviction of sin?

I was playing with my sister upstairs in the bedroom on a Sunday afternoon when we were supposed to be resting and my mother and father Resting

downstairs, and I suggested she climb in the top drawer of a dresser.

And I Or know the bottom drawer and I were climbing the top drawer.

Well, I didn't understand fit and the dresser came tumbling over

and made quite a racket and I and but she wasn't hurt.

I told her quit getting your bed.

I went in my room got on my bed.

My father came up talked to her then to me and said well.

What happened Gordon?

I said well nothing and I expected that he would

discipline me as was his practice to my benefit, but he didn't he just kept talking and

finally I wept and and then he assured me that Christ would

forgive liars if I confess my sin and That was

a very important event in my life forgive

sin, I think I was

converted then the Reformed doctrine

of That was many years later.

But and that was a such a wonderful revelation to me.

But I thank the Lord that he Put me in the

home that he did love the Lord and love the gospel as well.

And then now what if you don't mind me asking what was the Specific kind of a

theological background that your folks were from.

And and then.

Also how did you eventually?

Specifically come to the doctrines of Sovereign Grace.

Yes, I grew up in a church that was part of a fundamentalist.

The or the the association that the church was a part of had Calvinistic beginnings.

But the local church I was in not taught or

probably even believed until The pastor my senior year came

so I grew up in a in a

church where I wore the Christian life were greatly emphasized and

Most people are people godly people and I and I loved them to this day

but coming to the doctrines of grace happened when I went to what is now Cedarville University and

I had a senior and a sophomore as well as a freshman as a roommate.

It was a crowded year and We would often talk theology

and one night My senior

unconditional election and I told them I said, well I can easily disprove that they said well how I

Said well, the Bible says that we're elect according to the foreknowledge of God and All they said

to me rather than arguing with me and today.

I'm still amazed at this.

They said well Gordon, maybe you should just study that word foreknowledge and So I

didn't know took out.

I don't know whether it was a strong or young concordance and I looked up that word and followed the

Greek word through the New Testament and It wasn't

it foreknowledge there on first Peter one that I was quoting Really meant for ordained

for list immediately.

I saw and I embraced it and then from there I went on to

these it took me a long time to come to an

understanding of particular redemption but that came and So

the Lord did you just open my heart that my freshman year of college.

Amen, and when did you Realize that God had placed a call upon your life

to enter into the ministry.

Well, that was a slow.

Development.

There was a time in my senior year of high school when I really rebelled against the Lord Said I'd never be a preacher.

But that was the Lord rescued for me

that after I.

And then It was during college that I had a growing interest.

I my sophomore year I had to declare what foreign language I wanted to take and

I knew that I wanted to know more about the Bible.

So I decided to take New Testament Greek and I ended up minoring in New Testament Greek at

it and my study of the Greek New Testament

where the increasing desire for the ministry came.

And especially from dr. George Lawler who was on my Greek professor.

And then I'll never forget the day when we were in and

Translating preach the word and He leaned over the desk He pointed his finger at us and he said men

preach the word.

Preach the word that came to my soul

with my home church

shepherded me like I wish they would have.

They agreed with my calling they actually licensed me after I got

out of college before I went to seminary and.

But but they didn't really.

Even while I was in seminary and even after I was called to my first pastorate and after a number of years I

thought you know what?

I'm doing this people are listening there and the Lord's blessing.

So I guess is what the Lord had me to do Amen and.

When you entered into the ministry did your pastoral?

Life began in a confessional reform Baptist Church, or was it some other kind of a church?

No, I began in them.

I was part of churches and That's what I grew

up in.

That's where all my education was my friendships and that was my first church.

And I.

Did hold to the doctrines according in my

Second church.

I was there.

I was in Calvary Baptist Church, Green Isle for about six years and The second church second more Baptist Church

East Moline, Illinois where I ministered for 33 years was also in that association.

And by the way, they're just some there were some excellent men in that and and some men who really did

hold at five points of doctrines of grace.

But it was while I was at my mind

Regard that church

by God's kindness.

We we led to a place where They adopted the confession of faith in 168 in

in 1987 to 1689 confession and became a reform Baptist Church in

87.

Well, praise God.

And.

Well, tell us something now about the reform Baptist Network.

What is unique about it?

How is it different from some other?

Reform Baptist fellowships, and I know that there are even some reform Baptist churches that have

such a strict view of independent autonomy that they Take it to the level of not believing in

fellowships at all other than perhaps in some kind of an informal level.

I mean outside of their own body, of course.

But if you could tell us something about specifically the reform Baptist Network.

Sure, I'll be happy to do that Chris.

We are a network of church.

The purpose of our network

is to glorify God through fellowship and Cooperation and fulfilling the Great Commission to the ends of the earth.

So we're focused only on missions.

We're not doing anything else.

There are many other things that are very valid and very good we acknowledge but we wanted to form a network

that was related specific and.

So we are cooperating for that purpose.

In fact Six founding churches and of those

26 founding churches, there will be 15 missionaries.

That will be presented to the churches this year for a free endorsement with the network.

And then there are many other ministries and some other missionaries, but

that is what is attracted.

I think churches.

We have churches that have been in other associations.

Some are many of them are in other associations even as we speak.

But.

Desired this kind of association with a robust confession to

be able to worldwide evangelism.

So I.

Suppose that's one way that we differ from others is that we're we're very narrowly focused on missions and

plan to remain and stay that way and then also.

We have attracted a number of churches that were never a part of any association Who have become

founding members and there will be more churches at least six more that will be added this year.

And I and I know there's interest in more churches in the future as well.

Great and you have coming up the 2017

Reform Baptist Network conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

That's November 6 through the 9th.

Tell us something about that conference that's coming up.

Sure.

I'll be happy to we have.

We'll have devotional messages each morning.

We have preaching sessions.

We're kicking off on Monday night with dr. David Murray Who's the professor of Old Testament and practical

theology at Puritan Reform Seminary?

Yes, I know dr. Murray.

Well, and I've had him on the program a number of times and I consider him a precious brother in

Christ and he really showed me a lot of compassion actually.

Personally after my wife had passed away and entered into eternity and Sent me his book on

depression that he wrote and he's a dear brother really loved him.

Yes, he is.

I've heard him speak once that a pastor's fraternal in Grand Rapids and I just greatly profited from his

ministry and.

We look forward to having him speak on on Monday night on how to foster a burden and a vision for missions

in the local church.

Because our theme this year is local evangelism the foundation for world missions and

we're so glad that he's willing to cross the street as it were and And then

preach for us on that Monday night.

And then we have Jeff Smith one of our Arbynette founding member churches from Emanuel

Baptist Church in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Will speaking on be speaking on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Dr. Jim Adams grizzly we call him.

I don't know if y 'all know grizzly, but he is just a stellar.

Missionologist.

Well, if it's the same Jim Adams that wrote the the booklet on decisional regeneration

I know who he is and I met him once.

Is that the same brother?

Yes, it is.

Yes.

In fact, I met him briefly at the Gospel

coalition conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I have been Discussing having him on

this program to to actually address the issue of decisional regeneration, which is

Something that we would deem as a heresy or as a very aberrant understanding of regeneration and

and of course Jeanette Jim Adams Booklet is really a superb treatment

of that.

Yes, it is.

Friendship has grown deeper and deeper all the time and the

more I get to know him the more I respect him.

He he is just.

He has a huge reservoir of respect in Latin American and South America.

In fact, he's down in in Chile right now.

In fact the last time I called him to be on my show because somebody had postponed.

That's where he was.

He was somewhere in neither Central or South America.

Yeah, he goes there quite a bit now since he's been able to.

Well, they have a they have in Mesa, Arizona.

So.

So Jim is able to give himself a lot more To the ministry in

South America, which is very very good.

I mean he was a missionary in Columbia in his early years his early years of ministry but had to come

back to the health reasons of his wife and So he's

advantages.

He can go down there and preach

link up with those

speaking as well.

Really the heart of our conference is Is the missionary presentations.

We have five sessions where there'll be missionary presentations.

I don't know if you want me to go over all of them or not.

Yeah, sure.

We have we have a little less than or should I say a little more than an hour and a half left?

So you can definitely.

Great.

I'll be happy to do that.

Well, I'm going to be speaking it with one of these presentations.

I only have about 20 minutes but I'm to give an overview of my mission trips to Italy and Zambia this

past summer and then also and

ministries trees of our member churches and.

This includes ministries Latin America South America East India

Virgin Islands, France, Russia, Far East India.

I.

Assume that to your trip to Zambia.

This is a guest but I'm assuming it had something to do with my friend Conrad and Bayway a

pastor of cobata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia.

Yes, it did.

In fact Zambia was just a Great great trip

for me and and one of the highlights was preaching at Cub water Baptist

Church on Sunday evening that I on a Sunday evening.

I was there.

Conrad wasn't there that Sunday evening, but he did he was in New Zealand but he I did get to spend some time with him because he came

back and During the week, but they asked me to do to preach an

evangelistic message on Sunday night they said there'd be university students and I

thought well, that's good and I got to the

pretty much full and.

I.

Just thought that probably it'd be the church members and and some university students but much to my

surprise I found out that the church people weren't there and They just simply opened it up to the university

students and there were 300 of them that they came.

And and I said, well, how did they all?

They all come.

Well, they just put up a notice that some universities close by and they showed up.

I thought wow.

If we put up notices there might be one or two that come not 300.

Wow.

But there were 300 that came and I got to preach the gospel to them and The singing was just

fantastic.

I mean it was and then afterwards that they gave literature

and to all 300 in the court

as they left

wonderful outreach that kabwada had.

On that in Zambia.

Yeah, he is.

Dr. Conrad in Bayway, I believe.

Is one of the most powerful preachers of the gospel on the planet Earth today?

I mean he is just extraordinary and I've known him since 1995 when he first came over

to the United States and one of his primary places that he preached was the church where

I was formerly a member Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Long Island and Merrick where I was a member

before relocating here to Pennsylvania and I'm so glad that the Lord was

pleased to develop a friendship between Conrad and I and we've kept in touch all all these years since

1995 and he has been on this program a number of times and and I just really enjoy his fellowship.

He's such a humble brother and So extraordinarily gifted at the same time when those two things don't

necessarily go hand -in -hand a lot.

Yeah, I agree with you.

Well, they call it the Spurgeon of Africa right now not without reason.

I've heard him preach as well and Just it's amazing the gifts that God has

given him.

I.

Yes, when I when I was a member there at Grace Reformed Baptist, I was working for a radio station

there that covered the tri -state area of New York and We

when we had Conrad come to preach at the Grace Reformed Baptist I developed an a

radio ad campaign and I put a 32nd clip of him preaching

this really powerful clip of him preaching about Christ's redemption

and and the fact that we have been rescued from hell and so on.

And it was so powerful that over the three -day period we had over

500 visitors over those three days that had that.

And and that is not including the people who are actually members of Grace Reformed Baptist.

And a lot of those people that came after hearing that clip of Conrad preaching

were african -american Pentecostals and charismatics and

The Thing that I kept hearing over and over again because the phones were ringing off the hook for four days.

But people kept saying that man has the anointing.

And that he certainly does maybe not in the way that they think but he certainly does have an anointing of God for

for preaching in the pastoral office.

He really does and She did.

Conrad.

Now what one of the reasons I was.

What were the basic reason?

I was there.

15 lectures on the dock for the Holy College is one in Andola and the second one in

Lusaka.

But and his church really sponsors the Lusaka Ministerial College.

But.

One of the most impressive things about the Reformed Baptist movement in in Zambia.

There are 25 or 26 Reformed Baptist churches that have adopted the confession of faith.

But they have 40 church plants.

It's just amazing what the Lord is doing and I appreciated

Conrad so much.

I mean he made it a point see me and we had some conversations.

But he truly is a Man of God who's greatly used and I trust the Lord will continue to use him greatly.

And you know his church isn't even the largest church in Lusaka.

Roland Califunga ministers at another Reformed Baptist Church and.

I.

Think he has probably has about three or four hundred maybe five hundred.

I don't know.

And.

Then there are a number of other.

I think there's eight or nine Reformed Baptist churches in the city of Lusaka plus a number of church plants.

I spoke at one of the church plants as well.

So that.

It's just Zambia is a bright spot and all of

what I hear and and then and we also we have a.

Regular listener in the Iron Sherpins iron radio audience who's from an area of Africa that is not so

rich with reformed theology.

And that's Nigeria.

Lagos, Nigeria, we have a listener Oh Sinachi who sends in questions quite often to our listeners and

He I believe he said to me that he is a member of the only Reformed Baptist Church in Nigeria if I'm not

mistaken.

Perhaps, you know, but better than I do if that's the case, but.

Well now we do have a church ma 'am pastor Nick Kennecott Who has

started a basically a training program and oh

wow

interview because the Lord is blessing that work and and taking Pentecostal churches and

wild churches and.

These men some of them have acknowledged that

the Lord's working in Nigeria as well Amen.

We're gonna go to our first station break right now.

If anybody would like to join us on the air with a question for Gordon Taylor.

Perhaps you have a question specifically about Reformed Baptists what they are.

I know that some of you may Be hearing that phrase for the first time and you don't

even really know what that is.

I can comically remember a.

A.

Friend of mine. Dr. James R. White was being interviewed on The family

radio stations which are much smaller a number of these days because of Harold camping

going through a very serious stage of apostasy that drove that that

network into the ground, but there was a time when that was a Bastion on the airwaves

of solid teaching and preaching and my friend.

Dr. James R. White Was being interviewed by one of the local

Representatives of a family radio affiliate and he was not himself reformed which is interesting.

And he wasn't really up on the lingo and when he was interviewing James White He said

so I understand you were a reformed Baptist.

What are you now?

In other words, he thought he was reformed from being a Baptist like a a reformed alcoholic or something like that.

So it was quite interesting to see that he didn't have a clue what that meant, but we're gonna be

Coming back and just a short bit and your questions can be sent to Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Chris arnzen at gmail .com and please Give us your first name your city

and state in your country of residence.

If you live outside the USA and only remain anonymous if it's about a personal and private matter over which you're asking.

Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Don't go away.

We'll be right back with Gordon Taylor of the reformed Baptist Network.

Tired of box store.

Christianity of doing church in a warehouse with all the trappings of a rock concert.

Do you long for a more traditional and reverent style of worship?

And how about the preaching perhaps?

You've begun to think that in -depth biblical exposition has vanished from Long Island.

Well, there's good news.

Wedding River Baptist Church exists to provide believers with a meaningful and reverent worship experience.

Featuring the systematic exposition of God's Word and this loving congregation looks forward to meeting you.

Call them at 6 3 1 9 2 9 35 12 for service

times 6 3 1 9 2 9 35 12 or check out their website at wrbc

.us.

That's wrbc .us.

I'm James White of Alpha Omega Ministries.

The new American Standard Bible is perfect for daily reading or in -depth study used by pastors scholars and everyday readers.

The NASB is widely embraced and trusted as a literal and readable Bible translation.

The NASB offers clarity and readability while maintaining high accuracy to the original languages Which the NASB is known for.

The NASB is available in many editions like a topical reference Bible.

Researched and prepared by biblical scholars devoted to accuracy the new topical reference Bible includes contemporary topics

relevant to today's issues.

From compacted giant print Bibles find an NASB that fits your needs very affordably at NAS Bible

calm.

Whichever edition you choose trust discover and enjoy the NASB for yourself today.

Go to NAS Bible calm.

That's NAS Bible calm.

I am Chris Arns and host of iron sharpens iron radio here to tell you about an exciting offer from world

magazine my trusted source for news from a Christian perspective.

Try world at no charge for 90 days and get a free copy of R .C. Sproul's book

relationship between church and state.

I Rely on world because I trust the reporting.

I gain insight from the analysis and world provides clarity to the news stories That really matter.

I believe you'll also find world to be an invaluable resource to better understand critical topics with a depth That's

simply not found in other media outlets.

Armed with this coverage world can help you to be a voice of wisdom in your family and your community.

This trial includes bi -weekly issues of world magazine on -scene reporting from world radio

and the fully shareable content of world digital.

Simply visit wmg .org Forward -slash iron sharpens

to get your world trial and dr. Sproul's book all free.

No obligation with no credit card required.

Visit world news group at wmg .org forward

slash iron sharpens today.

Hi, I'm pastor Bill Shishko inviting you to tune in to a visit to the pastor's study every Saturday

from 12 noon to 1 p .m Eastern Time on wlie radio

www .wlie 540 a .m. Dot -com.

We bring biblically faithful pastoral ministry to you and we invite you to visit the pastor's study by calling in

with your questions.

Our time will be lively useful and I assure you never dull.

Join us this Saturday at 12 noon Eastern Time for a visit to the pastor's study because everyone needs

a pastor and pastor.

Bill Shishko whose voice you just heard is the keynote speaker at the iron sharpens iron radio

Pastors luncheon coming up on Thursday, October 26th from 11 a .m. To 2 p .m.

This is absolutely free of charge for all men in the ministry.

Whether you are a pastor or an elder which I happen to be believe are the same thing a deacon a

leader in a power church organization.

Whatever kind of ministry office that you have if you are a man and ministry leadership.

We would love for you to join us Thursday, October 26 11 a .m At the Carlisle

fire -and -rescue banquet hall on Carlisle Springs Road in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

And not only will you be fed spiritually by pastor Bill Shishko and physically by

firehouse subs and wangers meats and ice.

You're also going to be leaving with a very heavy sack of free books brand -new free books

Donated by nearly every major Christian publisher in the United States in the United Kingdom.

These publishers have been donating to the iron sharpens iron Pastors luncheon going all the way back

to the 1990s when my dear precious late wife Julie began Having

these pastors luncheons.

It was her idea that I begin Treating pastors that I knew to a

Christmas meal every year Featuring a guest speaker and featuring gifts and so on and it

grew to be such an enormous event beyond our ability to afford on our own that we

began to get corporate sponsorships for it and and after my wife went home to glory in

2011 I picked up the mantle and continued on with her

Vision of these pastors luncheons and I am looking forward to meeting many of you for the first time who

come to this year's pastors luncheon and also to seeing some old friends that I've already met and

It's free of charge.

And if you'd like to go just send me an email to Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and put luncheon in the Subject line.

We are now back with our guest today Gordon Taylor Who is the coordinator of the

Reform Baptist Network.

Today, we are discussing what are your church's core values Suggestions to be prayerfully considered

for adoption.

If you'd like to join us on the air with a question, our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and Gordon I understand that that these

Core values are the main focus of an upcoming General Assembly gathering.

Yes, that's correct the core values document which all the

One of our member churches last year said they thought it would be wise to

develop something like this so a committee was was appointed to To write it and to look into

it and the committee worked for a number of months and came up with this and then submitted the papers for

comments very positive.

There were some slight editing no major changes and now the

It's not a it's not like a position paper.

It's nothing that the church joining has to say yes, but it's just an expression

of who we are what we believe as a group of churches.

What holds us together?

The cause of mission.

Amen, and I assume that since these are core values that you

Would hope that your member churches Believe are very serious and

have a high level of importance in their own churches lives I'm assuming that you would think

that these would be important for For all churches because if you believe something is true

You obviously want others to by God's grace Eventually wind up agreeing with those

convictions.

Am I?

Yeah, yeah, that's very true.

Chris we the papers divided into three parts.

The first part is and it's not a long paper, I mean we're talking what three pages.

The first part is our theological Center and.

Then the second part and then the third part the earth's

mission, of course is what has drawn us together in the first place.

But.

It is it's spelled out there in some detail.

So yes, this is I think.

This is this is really an expression of Everything we've heard of every church as a member saying

this is really who we are this is who we want to be and at least strive toward these very

Important core values that are expressed in this paper.

Amen, and one of the things under.

The theological Identity in these core values is

robustly confessional if you could explain that a bit.

Ashamedly those who second London Baptist Confession of Faith, which?

As you know a

word for word not quite word for word.

It's a copy of the Westminster and and

also

formed faith of the congregationalist the same way Declaration in England, so we

are unashamedly Christian Orthodoxy

Received from our reformed forefathers and and it's not peripheral to our

network.

It is it is foundational to our unity and our common our common

beliefs so we we wish to

maintain that as a network of churches now for those of our

listeners who have.

No experience in being in a confessional church.

At least one that identifies itself that way because I believe that all churches are confessional churches.

They're either good confessions or bad.

They're either biblical or they're not.

Because once you start explaining to people what you believe you're really you're really

declaring a confession of faith, but The the London Baptist Confession of Faith that we

adhere to it which is as you said before nearly identical to the Westminster, this is just a

summary of Biblical teachings that Baptists in the 17th century

gathered around as a Hallmark or as hallmarks of what they believed.

Were a summary of of Christian belief.

These are things from the scriptures.

These are not the the writings or thoughts of men, although they have been.

They have been gathered together in a particular confession by men and.

They are just a summary of biblical teachings am I not

right in the 31 chapter and so it

covers.

So I suppose many would think that it's a but it is just really a

brief compendium of of the basic doctrinal teachings of the

scriptures and Old to those and it's

leave the Bible actually teaches.

The confession, of course does not have the same authority as the Bible the Bible is our sole authority and the

confession itself dates that.

But it is nonetheless What we believe the Bible teaches and an expression of

what we do believe.

In fact, we have.

Our first listener with a question right now that is asking about confessional.

Confessional Christianity.

We have RJ in White Plains, New York who asks do you ever get afraid

that being a confessional church may keep you stuck frozen in time and

actually rob your church of.

Really pursuing one of the Reformation battle cries.

Semper Reform and a always Reforming if you are not if you're always looking back to a

17th century document as the correct summary of biblical teaching.

May this not stifle you and really being Berean, you know.

We actually under the archaeological center under a heading called intentional

humility and We do believe that a haughty Calvinist is a

contradiction in terms.

So we embrace Reformata

Acknowledge our needs to the doctrines

and we also acknowledge the reality and the necessity of the Holy Spirit's continuing work of illumination and.

Since we believe in solo scripture alone we we want to

submit everything to God's Word and We it's

not our ultimate stand.

I don't think of it.

We don't think of it as being stuck in time.

We think of it as this is what we believe the Bible teaches.

We understand.

The Bible is the only authority.

We have more illumination not more and

a type of confess to acknowledge.

We have

another listener who has a question about something that you just mentioned.

In regard to humility we have CJ from Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York and

CJ says is a part of your mission to break through the unfortunate

stereotypes that surround Calvinists.

I understand that it seems to be Militating against the very

teachings of Calvinism to be proud and yet if we are to be honest There are many haughty and proud

Calvinists among us who belittle others even other brothers in Christ not

because they have Not yet discovered the same theological truths, but

because they think that they are somehow intellectually or academically superior.

Isn't these I'm sorry.

Aren't these attitudes something that needs to be repented of as sin and Should we not do everything

that we can to overcome these horrible stereotypes that unfortunately have some basis in truth.

Yeah, we actually address this in the core values doctor under the section of a gracious manner.

Because what we want You know, I I think it's my opinion

that sometimes our Our haughtiness

is a result of doubts whether or not we can defend

what we believe lash out

and.

And we I don't believe that and and the church is in our association.

Don't believe that as well.

We we want to be By the grace of God and and again, we're all humans.

We all have sins, but at least is our intention

to be Christlike in our love for one another and to express this love and

Especially to those who disagree with us

Yet maintaining our common confessional unity and we want to

express our love and admiration for all the.

The true gospel of Christ.

Now, what do you think that I'll go ahead?

I'm sorry I was just going to say do you think that some of what we have

experienced amongst not only our fellow Calvinists but even in our own

minds and hearts on occasion what may perhaps more often than we care to admit is That in a

positive note reforms people Calvinists They tend

to be people that are meticulous about

Accuracy and teaching and interpretation of God's Word and they do so they have this

attitude very often because out of a genuine love for God and a love

for his word and a an anger towards false teaching and

false teachers or righteous indignation in that area and Although

as though although those are good things.

Those are good attributes.

Those are good thoughts and intentions for any Christian because we

are People who are on this earth Still Veiled in sinful flesh.

We still battle with sin that when you combine that meticulousness with With

someone who still is a sinner.

And I know that there's a debate whether we should be calling Christians sinners or not.

I understand that but but but we are we are people who sin.

And when you combine that meticulousness with with sin you get Arrogance pride

Pharisee ism and so on.

Yes, I think that's correct.

And that's why you know, I think we can disagree with people without

Without by that I mean without lashing out at them and making it a

personal issue.

You know, we even I mean we we we agree that the theology

Catholicism is Antichrist.

I'm sure that.

Want to love those teaching and to lead them out of

it.

And if that's the case in that way how much more with those who are true brothers in Christ Who

know the Lord are involved in some type of error?

That we treat them with love and respect even though we disagree with them.

Point out there.

There may be times when we have to say like Jesus said to Peter get behind me Satan.

But we we need to be very careful to another brother

Lest we Unnecessarily rebuke and show a lack of love and concern for him.

I know one of the reasons that we of all people should be the last

To be accused of arrogance and pride.

And I said it should be.

I'm not saying that we necessarily have warranted that that right

or that Reputation That we should not be accused of this but but I'm

saying that we should because of our theology be the last to be accused of it is Because of the fact that we

wholeheartedly believe that our humanness Doesn't contribute one single

thing to our being rescued from sin and damnation.

It is a hundred percent of God and therefore is really insane to have.

Pride and arrogance in especially in regards to our

theology

isn't it God's electing

us with our mouths.

Nothing to do with us.

It has everything to do with God and there's no reason in us why he should choose us to be the

object of his special love.

That that does.

When it's applied by the grace of the Holy Spirit create a humility in us and take away pride

and that needs to be expressed.

Toward our brothers.

We don't always do that.

But when we don't we do need to seek God's forgiveness and seek their forgiveness.

Frankly if if that if that happens.

Amen, if somebody happens, I should say somebody very aptly put it.

I'm not sure who coined this phrase I don't even know if it's knowable who coined it.

But the only thing that we as humans contribute to our salvation is the sin that we are being

redeemed from.

Hey, man, that's true.

That's very true.

And we are going to our Midway station break this is a bit longer break than the other breaks because

Grace life radio in Lake City, Florida requires that we have a 12 -minute break between our hours

our two hours.

So if you'd like to join us on the air with a question Why not write a question now and send it to us

because time will fly away before you know it.

Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Please give us your first name your city and state and your country of residence if you live outside the USA and only remain anonymous.

It's about a personal and private matter over which you were asking.

Don't go away.

We'll be right back with Gordon Taylor of the Reform Baptist Network right after these messages.

From our sponsor Ivan financial is not your typical financial services provider as a membership

organization.

We help Christians be wise with money and live generously every day.

And for the fourth year in a row We were named one of the world's most ethical companies by the atmosphere

Institute a leading international think -tank dedicated to the creation advancement and sharing of best

practices in business ethics.

Contact me Mike Gallagher financial consultant

at 7 1 7 2 5 4 6 4 3 3 Again 7 1 7 2 5 4 6 4 3 3 to learn

more about the thriving difference.

Faith finances and generosity.

That's the thriving story

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said Give yourself unto reading.

The man who never reads will never be read.

He who never quotes will never be quoted.

He will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own you need

to read.

Solid ground Christian books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of preachers to heart.

The mission of solid ground Christian books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and

future and To publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.

Since its beginning in 2001 Solid ground has been committed to publish God -centered Christ exalting

books for all ages.

We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid ground books .com That's solid

ground books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past or present You

can unearth from solid ground.

Solid ground Christian books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of iron sharpens iron radio.

One sure way all iron sharpens iron radio listeners can help keep my show on the air is to support my

advertisers.

I know you all use batteries every day.

So I'm urging you all from now on to exclusively use Battery Depot calm for all

your battery needs at battery Depot calm.

They're changing the status quo.

They're flipping the script.

They're sticking it to the man.

In other words, they'd like to change the battery industry for good by providing an extensive inventory

of top -of -the -line batteries.

There are uniformly new dependable and affordable.

Ordering from battery Depot calm ensures you'll always get fresh out -of -the -box batteries.

You can count on to work properly at competitive prices.

Whether you need batteries for cordless phones cell phones radios Pcs

laptops tablets baby monitors hearing aids smoke detectors credit card

readers digital cameras electronic cigarettes GPS's mp3 players

watches or nearly anything else you own that needs batteries go to battery Depot

Calm next day shipping available all products protected by 30 -day guarantees and six

-month warranties call 866 403

3768 that's 866 403 3768 or go to battery

Depot calm.

That's battery Depot calm.

Paul wrote to the church at Galatia for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God?

Or am I trying to please man.

If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Hi, I'm Mark Lukins pastor of Providence Baptist Church.

We are a reformed Baptist Church and we hold to the London Baptist confession of faith of 1689.

We are in Norfolk, Massachusetts.

We strive to reflect Paul's mindset to be much more concerned with how God views what we say and what we

do Than how men view these things.

That's not the best recipe for popularity.

But since that wasn't the Apostles priority, it must not be ours either.

We believe by God's grace that we are called to demonstrate love and compassion to our fellow man and To be

vessels of Christ's mercy to a lost and hurting community around us and to build up the body of Christ in truth.

And love.

If you live near Norfolk, Massachusetts or plan to visit our area Please come and join us for worship and fellowship.

You can call us at 508 -528 -5750.

That's 508 -528 -5750 or go to our website to email us listen to past

sermons worship songs or watch our TV program Entitled resting in grace.

You can find us at Providence Baptist Church Ma .org, that's Providence Baptist Church ma .org

or even on sermon audio .com.

Providence Baptist Church is delighted to sponsor iron sharpens iron radio.

Iron sharpens iron welcomes solid rock remodeling to our family of sponsors.

Serving South Central, Pennsylvania Solid rock remodeling is focused on discovering

Understanding and exceeding your expectations.

They deliver personalized project solutions with exceptional results.

Solid rock remodeling offers a full range of home renovations including kitchen and bath

remodeling decks porches windows and doors Roof and siding and

more for a clear detailed professional estimate.

Call this trustworthy team of problem solvers who provide superior results that stand to

the test of time.

Call solid rock remodeling at 7 1 7 6 9 7 1981

7 1 7 6 9 7 1981 or visit solid rock

remodeling comm.

That's solid rock remodeling comm.

Solid rock remodeling.

Bringing new life to your home

every day at thousands of community centers high schools middle schools Juvenile institutions

coffee shops and local hangouts.

Long Island Youth for Christ Staff and volunteers meet with young people who need Jesus.

We are rural and urban and we are always about the message of Jesus.

Our mission is to have a noticeable spiritual impact on Long Island, New York by engaging young people in the lifelong

journey of following Christ.

Long Island Youth for Christ has been a stalwart bedrock ministry since 1959.

We have a world -class staff and a proven track record of bringing consistent love and encouragement To youths in

need all over the country and around the world.

Help honor our history by becoming a part of our future Volunteer.

Donate pray or all of the above for details.

Call Long Island Youth for Christ at 6 3 1 3 8 5 8 333

that's 6 3 1 3 8 5 8 3 3 3 or

visit liy fc .org That's liy

fc .org.

Hi, I'm pastor Bill Shishko inviting you to tune in to a visit to the pastor's study every Saturday

from 12 noon to 1 p .m Eastern Time on WL ie radio

www .wl ie 540 a .m.

Dot -com.

We bring biblically faithful pastoral ministry to you and we invite you to visit the pastor's study by calling in

with your questions.

Our time will be lively useful and I assure you never dull.

Join us this Saturday at 12 noon Eastern Time for a visit to the pastor's study because everyone needs

a pastor.

Hi, I'm buzz Taylor frequent co -host with Chris Arnson on iron sharpens iron radio.

I would like to introduce you to my good friends Todd and Patty Jennings at CV BBS.

Which stands for Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service?

Todd and Patty specialize in supplying reformed and Puritan books and Bibles at discount prices that make them

affordable to everyone.

Since.

1987 the family owned and operated book service has sought to bring you the best available Christian books and Bibles

at the best possible prices.

Unlike other book sites They make no effort to provide every book that is available because frankly much of what

is being printed is not worth your time.

That means you can get to the good stuff faster.

It also means that you don't have to worry about being assaulted by the pornographic Heretical and

otherwise faith insulting material promoted by the secular book vendors.

Their website is CV bbs .com.

Browse the pages at ease shop at your leisure and purchase with confidence as Todd and Patty work

in service to you the church and to Christ.

That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service at CV bbs .com.

That's CV bbs .com.

Let Todd and Patty know that you heard about them on iron sharpens iron radio.

And don't forget to go to CV bbs .com for their 50 sale on Reformed

expository commentaries in hardback Including the new one by Richard D Phillips on the book

of Revelation at CV bbs .com CV bbs .com and please mention that you heard

about the 50 or sale on Reformed expository commentaries in hardback

from Chris Arnzen on iron sharpens iron radio before we return to our guests today Gordon Taylor we

have some important announcements to make.

Having read in regard to events that are coming up that you should know about first of all

I'll repeat some information about my upcoming Iron sharpens iron radio pastors luncheon.

It's Thursday, October 26th 11 a .m. To 2 p .m At the Carlisle fire and rescue banquet

hall in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on Carlisle Springs Road.

And it features our guest speaker Reverend Bill Shishko retired pastor

of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Franklin Square, Long Island, New York.

Currently the home regional missionary for Reformation Metro, New York.

He's also an adjunct faculty member at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Taylor,

South Carolina.

And he is going to be speaking at the luncheon on restoring Reformation passion

and that's free of charge.

If you are a man in the ministry, whether it's pastor elder deacon or parachurch leader.

If you'd like to go absolutely free of charge and you'll also be leaving with a ton of free books

Donated by major Christian publishers all over the United States and the UK just register at Chris

Arnzen at gmail .com chris Arnzen at gmail .com and put

pastors luncheon and the subject line then coming up in November.

Something that we have just heard about during our discussion with Gordon Taylor.

We have the 2017 Reformed Baptist Network conference in Grand Rapids,

Michigan from November 6th through the 9th and the speakers

at this conference include David Murray Jeff Smith Greg Nichols.

Who has been also a guest on iron sharpens iron radio a number of times?

Chad Bennett and Chris Powell.

Chris Powell actually wrote to me recently and told me that a missionary

had Contacted him after hearing about the Reformed Baptist Network on iron sharpens iron radio and this this

missionary Had come to the doctrines of grace Partially by God using

iron sharpens iron radio.

I was very happy to hear that news from Chris Powell.

It was really an encouragement to me, but if you would like to attend the Reformed Baptist Network

Conference go to reformed baptist network .com reformed baptist network .com

forward slash conference and You will get all the information that you need on

that conference then.

Coming up also in November The Alliance of confessing evangelicals are

having their annual Quaker town conference on Reformed theology, that's November

17th through the 18th in Quaker town, Pennsylvania, and it is being held

at the Bible Fellowship Church There in Quaker town, Pennsylvania

the grace Bible Fellowship Church on Old Bethlehem Pike North in Quaker town the speakers

include Kent Hughes Peter Jones Tom Nettles Dennis Cahill and Scott Oliphant.

The theme is for still our ancient foe obviously referring referring to Satan

from that classic Reformation him a mighty fortress by Martin Luther.

If you'd like to register for That conference go to Alliance net org Alliance net

org and click on events.

And click on Quaker town conference on reformed theology and then lastly in

January from the 17th through the 20th the G3 conference

returns to Atlanta, Georgia and the G3 stands for grace gospel and

glory and the speakers at the G3 conference include Stephen

Lawson Votie Balcom Phil Johnson Keith Getty

HB Charles jr Tim Challey's Josh Bice James White Tom Askell Anthony Metheny and Michael

Kruger David Miller Paul Tripp Todd Freel Derek Thomas Martha peace and Justin Peters.

The theme is Knowing God a biblical understanding of discipleship.

The 17th of January is exclusively a Spanish -speaking edition of the conference and the 18th

through the 20th the conference will exclusively be in the English language and That is

in Atlanta, Georgia.

If you would like to register for the g3 conference go to g3 conference calm g3 conference calm

God willing I will be both at the Quaker town conference and the g3 conference with an iron

sharpens iron radio exhibitors booth.

So I look forward to seeing you there and I thank My friends at battery depot calm and also the

publishers of the New American Standard Bible For making my travel to these different conferences possible.

And now I'm going to have to conduct the most uncomfortable portion of my show and that is to

beg you for money.

The Sponsors the advertisers of our interpreters iron radio for quite a long time were

urging me to make public appeals For donations and new advertisers because they know that we are in

Serious financial difficulties here on this program and the program is on the verge of

possibly going off the air.

Our advertisers don't want that to happen.

And if you don't want it to happen either if you love this program if it benefits your life in some way.

And please go to iron sharpens iron radio comm click on events.

I'm sorry click on the support and Then you will be given an address a mailing address where you can mail a check

for any amount made payable to iron sharpens iron radio and Please never ever

ever siphon money away from your giving to your local church that you are accustomed to.

If you're not a member of a local church you are living in disobedience against God and you should Actively be

seeking out a Bible believing church to connect yourself with and to submit under their

eldership but If you are blessed above and beyond your ability

to support your local church.

And you're looking for other Worthwhile ways to spend your money.

Well, please consider iron sharpens iron radio if you do indeed love it and don't want it to disappear from the airwaves.

As I said go to iron sharpens iron radio .com Iron sharpens iron radio .com and click

click on some click on support and you'll have the average right there to send a check Made out to

iron sharpens iron radio if you'd like to advertise with us as long as what you are advertising is in

It is compatible with the theology expressed on our program.

It doesn't have to be identical, but it needs to be compatible.

Whether it's your church your power church organization your business Corporation professional

practice if you're a doctor a lawyer a dentist or it's a special event that you're having that you want to promote.

Just send me an email to Chris Arnzen at gmail .com Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and put

advertising in the subject line.

We would love to hear from you because we certainly could use the advertising dollars and Now we are

Returning to our discussion with Gordon Taylor Coordinator of the Reform Baptist Network and we are discussing.

What are your church's core values?

Suggestions to be prayerfully considered for adoption.

And if you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own our email address is Chris Arnzen at

gmail .com Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and going back to The

theological issues that are among your core values.

Gordon with the Reform Baptist Network Consciously Christ centered focus is one of

them if you could tell us about that.

Yes, I'll be happy to talk with you about that Chris.

We we do want to be Consciously

and that is theological center

all scriptures inspired by God, but we we understand that the The the Christ is the

Alpha and the Omega.

He's the beginning in the end the Old Testament points toward Christ.

The Gospels tell us of Christ and his history his

resurrection ascension and then the epistles.

Explain all of that, you know, we want to be

and and gospel centered so it's

a gospel in what we do in the in our preaching in our lives and the ministry

in our churches and

endeavor and.

Very closely connected to that as we move under the heading of a gracious manner.

For your core values you have Christ like love.

If you could tell us about that.

By this will if you have loved one for another and I know it's a great

grief to many of us and sometimes that

love amongst brothers has not been expressed and practiced and.

And We we want to

do that one with another and not just towards others.

Other ones in our network.

Because frankly if we only express love to those who are reformed Baptist or to those who are

reformed.

We I.

Mean even the world.

Does that.

I mean love each other because

but we want to be able to express this love to

all who are Advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what their name is or what banner they're under

at the same time remaining our holding strongly to our

beliefs and and we want to do that by.

We're willing to use What we are developing to

those who aren't necessarily a part of our

network, but who are advancing the gospel.

We want to express it in that way.

Now we do have a listener from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Harrison.

Who says I have heard that there are even some?

Dispensationalist Calvinist and landmark Baptist Calvinists who adhere to the 1689

London Baptist Confession of Faith.

Are they truly being consistent with the confession?

Is this actually something that a Consistent and

logically faithful Dispensationalist can embrace as their confession.

You know, I was and I came out of dispensationalism.

And then embraced the 1689 and what I realized was The two

theologies are not compatible.

Now.

I love my dispensational brothers that I used to and

and some of them are true Calvinist.

John MacArthur is one famous one.

Yes, John MacArthur's one famous one and and and there were others.

In fact.

I had a I had a Calvinistic pastor friend when I

was being because he wanted to keep

Calvinist in so.

We love them as brothers, but they really can't embrace the confess and

covenant theology and.

So it would be a matter that they could not

embrace the confession.

They may embrace parts of it theology.

But.

But not the covenantal part that they would swallow at that so they couldn't be a part of it.

And as far as the landmarks, I actually my wife and I attended a landmark church my senior year

of college.

And.

And we loved that preacher.

He he did something.

I wouldn't have ever advised a pastor to do.

He preached on one of the five points every single Sunday.

And as he loved to say he says we are located at five

and five points theologically.

But.

But he was a he was a wonderful brother.

He taught me a lot.

He helped me immensely.

But of course the landmarks do not hold to a universal Church.

He would want to call some of us invisible Christians when we walk in and a light -hearted way.

But our confession is very very clear that we do hold to a we don't think it's

invisible I guess because they're a saint in heaven.

We can't see right.

But a universal church

every chapter of the confessional landmark really couldn't do that.

So we

must love them musically.

Yes.

In fact, I know of a Pastor in Texas that is now on the mission field.

He's retired from the pastor at Jack Green.

Have you ever heard of Jack Green?

He was a landmark Calvinist Baptist.

I have not.

He was really a powerful preacher.

I used to get tapes from him and and I was really gifted and powerful obviously, though I

disagreed with the landmark aspect of of his theology and

now the confession though and in fact, none of the reformed confessions would

Prohibit somebody from being pre millennial though, right?

I.

Don't believe so.

No, you could be historical pre mill.

Different from.

And that would be that that would.

As far as I know it fit with

you without taking a stand on the various views of eschatology.

Well now we come under the heading of a gracious manner again.

We have gospel unity.

If you could could explain that in more detail.

Sure we

but we also Want to maintain the unity of it as

Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4 in the bond of peace.

So we don't want to break unity.

Now I understand that there are various levels of unity we have.

I Greatly value the banner of truth.

I've been to many of those conferences and.

And there's a unity there in the gospel unity with them.

So we never want to break that unity That the Lord himself has placed, you know when I was over in

Zambia Chris, I found it very interesting that the Kabbalah Baptist Church

Sponsors this Lusaka Ministerial College and where I taught the doctrines of grace

there about 34 35 men that were that were present.

Many of them were older men who were actually Pentecostal and here I was teaching

Zachary Holy Spirit, I believe in a closed canon.

I believe in the cessation of the miraculous gifts and So forth and

they listen to respect.

Many of them didn't don't believe that of course but you know we have a unity in

the gospel itself because they do believe in and in salvation by

faithful by by only by the grace of God and so on.

There's a unity there even though and they believe I'm an error.

But yet we could we could express that love one for another.

Even even in that setting and that's the kind of spirit that we want to have.

To maintain unity while maintaining our distinctions.

Yeah before buzz Taylor has a comment or question.

I just wanted to.

Clarify something don't you think that though most of our Pentecostal and charismatic

brethren Even though we don't think that their continuationism

Is consistent with believing in a closed canon.

I think most of them would claim they believe the canon is closed that the.

Yeah, I think that's right.

You know what one of the questions that arose and I was in Zambia and by the way this

Pentecostalism is rampant all over the world not just in the States.

But in other places of the world.

One of the questions that that I pressed on a brother was.

I said, well, he believes that God still speaks to him.

This is what does he say?

Well, I really couldn't answer that and I think I Think what he meant

and again, I'm probably putting words into his mouth and into his mind was.

And then he had impressions as to what God would want it to do.

But he wouldn't ever Come to the place where he would say

or God speaking to him had the same authority to buy as the Bible.

He couldn't go there and I think that's probably true of a lot of our Pentecostal

brothers that they ultimately the scripture has.

Has authority.

I there are some I think who would I we know there are some on the on the fringe edges who claim.

What the Bible?

Yeah, there's a lot of extreme heresy coming out of that movement as well, right?

And the Reverend Buzz Taylor has something to say.

I think that a lot of times people get the impression.

Well, of course, you've heard them say you you guys are not unified because Look at all the different

denominations you have and they think that unity means that we're all going to get together and we're going to.

Agree on things, but I like the way you put it.

There's a unity in the gospel.

But by saying that that doesn't mean we can all worship together because for example, I know you're not gonna agree with me.

But as a Presbyterian I became a Presbyterian while I was attending the assemblies of God.

Well, you know, I went up to my pastor and said I wanted my children baptized you can imagine how that went over.

You know, it just didn't happen, you know, and I realized okay for the sake of following my own convictions biblically

I have to go somewhere else.

It doesn't mean that I was gonna burn the the assembly of God Church down as I left.

Because there still was that unity in the gospel.

So we can't always worship together if we have differences that won't allow it.

But we still have that unity in the gospel and as far as what was just said about the Pentecostals I will I will say this.

I think that they need to be extremely careful though, because As we would talk about the souls of the

Reformation.

By believing in the extra biblical revelation.

They cannot say sola scriptura.

They say scriptura.

Yeah, I agree with you buzz.

I I do agree with that.

I mean we can't.

I mean you're a Presbyterian Baptist.

We can love each other we can agree on so much.

But.

You know if you came to me If I'm a pastor and wanted your children baptized, I said, well, I can't do that.

You know, we had Presbyterians worshiping with us when I was a pastor in Sycamore Baptist.

There was they had no other choice.

They had to be with us and we got along fabulously.

But when they wanted their children baptized They told me they were going to another church

out of town and doing that I said, that's fine right the Pentecostal

don't believe in and that that is a very right and

there are some that would say that.

Their their gift of tongues is not an addition to the scripture.

They would say that some of them I would say it's just a private prayer Language that is in a tongue that they don't even understand.

So they they would claim that they are not editing anything to the Bible or new revelation, but obviously as you

said There are all different kinds.

There are people who are Pentecostal and charismatic who?

Claim they're hearing God's voice just as clearly as people listening to our voice.

It isn't just the gift of tongues.

It's the gift of prophecy that they also right right.

And by the way buzz there are reformed Baptists all over the world who have their children baptized

after they repent and believe.

In the Bible, but anyway, excuse me continue yourself.

The the next this is actually going to have to apply to buzz and I right now.

Biblical reconciliation.

If you could explain that a little bit greater detail sure isn't it wonderful when we can disagree and

Still love each other.

Amen, but there are times there are times and problems arise that Cause

suspicion and and divisions, but what we want to be committed to as churches

in our in our network is to the biblical principles of conflict

resolution and We again by the grace of God what we want to do

is to seek understanding with one another.

We want to think the best of each other and when when those disagreements come to focus on the

gospel and to speak with one another with gentleness and treat one another

so that We can solve the problem and if a problem can't be

solved have that fellowship in the gospel

even if we have to worship separately as as our brother has mentioned and.

And and I really believe this is this is fundamental to I

might say the ABCs of Christianity.

It's the spirit that we need to have that needs to be evident to the world and one of the ways it can be

evident is when there is genuine reconciling.

We work at this and I know I mean, I've I'm.

I.

Am old enough to know that it's not always possible.

It doesn't always happen like we'd like it to happen.

But at least by God's grace, we we want to can be committed to

this our differences to one another.

Yes, there are different levels of unity and separation that We

have as Reformed Baptists like for instance Most of us in fact, I've never met a

Reformed Baptist that didn't love Sinclair Ferguson and Yet, although we love every

opportunity for him to preach from our pulpits our Reformed Baptist pulpits he is a

Presbyterian and He therefore if he has only been baptized as an infant

We could not accept him into membership in any of our churches.

So there are different roles and different levels of unity and separation that that

if we're going to be faithful and consistent we have to Be you know follow

through with them even even though if it may make us feel uncomfortable if we may love a man like Sinclair

if We disagree with him on baptism and he has not been baptized.

We could not welcome him into membership.

Could we.

Probably not although I think there are some Reformed Baptist churches that will accept a

Presbyterian who has those convictions.

You know the church I pastored in East Moline, Illinois for many years.

Well, in fact almost until I left there was Really no other

and so by default we now.

That's not true.

Now there is a I think there's a PCA church just

but so so consequently we got.

We got.

That were.

Reformed but not Baptist.

And what we did to show our love and appreciation for them.

We created what we called I didn't know what else to call it.

So we call it like a pastoral agreement of oversight.

We extended ourselves to them.

They extended themselves to us under and although they couldn't

be official members and vote We would go to them privately and say raise up

an elder an office bearer and we wouldn't know what you think of this person.

So it essentially they had a de facto vote.

So de facto vote.

So that that's how we operated at that time to express our love

for them and And embrace them as much as we possibly could.

And at the same time though, don't we have to be careful that our affections towards someone and

our love for them Even as a brother and sister in Christ doesn't blur what we know what

is a biblical command and we we if we let our emotions and our

fondness for someone Override everything else we could be actually depriving

somebody of being baptized because if we believe that Being immersed in water as a

repentant believer is baptism.

Don't we have to be careful that we're not Getting too soft on things like that.

Yeah, we do and I think that can be done in a kind way as well.

I mean I told these These people that I would be teaching on baptism from time to

time especially when we had a baptismal service and that they would hear it and I appreciate as strongly as I could about believers

baptism and They they heard those messages

we didn't we didn't give on that.

There was one man that I worked shoulder for 23 years in our Christian school.

I couldn't convince him and he couldn't convince me but we lived together and in peace and so But

each maintaining his own convictions.

You know what?

You got to do though is people have to know that as they're coming up to the building to go to church.

They have to read the sign on the front of the church.

To know what kind of church it is.

Well, the sign doesn't always say though.

If it says a Presbyterian Church, it's a Presbyterian Church.

If it says Baptist as Baptist, you know what to expect at least well.

Like I just said not all Presbyterian churches or Baptist churches save their Presbyterian or Baptist on the sign

but Especially today there's all kinds of names that we have

but we are going to our final break right now and If you'd like to join us on the air before we run out of time with a

question of your own.

Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Please give us your first name.

Your city and state of residence and your country of residence if you live outside the USA and only remain anonymous.

It's about a personal and private matter.

Don't go away.

We'll be right back with Gordon Taylor of the Reformed Baptist Network right after these messages.

Chef exclusive catering is in South Central, Pennsylvania.

Chef exclusives goals to provide a dining experience that is sure to please any palate.

Chef Damian white of chef exclusive is a graduate of the renowned Johnson and Wales University with a degree in

culinary arts and applied science.

Chef exclusive caterings event center is newly designed with elegance and style and is available for

small office gatherings bridal showers engagement parties and rehearsal dinners.

Critics and guests alike acknowledge chef exclusives commitment to exceeding even the highest

expectations.

I know of their quality firsthand since chef exclusive catered by most recent iron sharpens iron radio

pastors luncheon.

For details call 7 1 7 3 8 8 3 thousand that's 7 1 7 3

8 8 3 Thousand or visit chef exclusive .com.

That's chef exclusive .com.

Linbrook Baptist Church on 225 Earl Avenue in Linbrook, Long Island is teaching God's timeless truths in

the 21st century.

Our church is far more than a Sunday worship service.

It's a place of learning where the scriptures are studied and the preaching of the gospel is clear and relevant.

It's like a gym where one can exercise their faith through community involvement.

It's like a hospital for wounded souls where one can find compassionate people in healing.

We're a diverse family of all ages.

Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ in fellowship play and together.

Hi I'm pastor Bob Waldeman and I invite you to come and join us here at Linbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church.

Can be call in Brook Baptist at 5 1 6 5 9 9 9 4 0 2 that's 5 1 6

5 9 9 9 9 4 0 2 or visit Linbrook Baptist org.

That's Linbrook Baptist org.

Have you been blessed by iron sharpens iron radio?

We remain on the air because of our faithful sponsors and because of listeners like you.

There are four ways you can help.

First do you know potential sponsors who may wish to advertise their goods or services on iron sharpens

iron radio?

Second whenever possible purchase the products or use the services that our sponsors advertise and

Then let them know that you heard about them on iron sharpens iron radio.

Thirdly, you can also donate to iron sharpens iron radio by going to our website at iron sharpens iron

radio Calm and click support at the top of the page.

But most importantly keep iron sharpens iron radio in your prayers.

We hope that iron sharpens iron radio blesses you for many years to come.

Iron sharpens iron radio is sponsored by Harvey Cedars a year -round Bible conference and retreat

center.

Nestled on the Jersey Shore Harvey Cedars offers a wide range of accommodations to suit groups up

to 400.

For generations Christians have enjoyed gathering and growing at Harvey Cedars.

Each year thousands of high school and college students come and learn more about God's Word.

An Additional 9 ,000 come annually to Harvey Cedars as families couples

singles men women pastors seniors and missionaries.

90 miles from New York City 70 miles from Philly and 95 miles from

Wilmington and easily accessible.

Scores of notable Christian groups frequently planned conferences at Harvey Cedars like the

Navigators InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Campus Crusade and the Alliance of

Confessing Evangelicals.

Find Harvey Cedars on Facebook or at hcbible .org

hcbible .org.

Call 609 494 5689 609

494 5689.

Harvey Cedars where Christ finds people and changes lives.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said Give yourself unto reading.

The man who never reads will never be read.

He who never quotes will never be quoted.

He will not use the thoughts of other men's brains.

Proves that he has no brains of his own.

You need to read.

Solid ground Christian books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of Preachers to heart.

The mission of solid ground Christian books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and

future and To publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.

Since its beginning in 2001 Solid ground has been committed to publish God -centered Christ exalting

books for all ages.

We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid -ground -books .com That's solid

-ground -books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past or present You

can unearth from solid ground.

Solid ground Christian books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of iron sharpens iron radio.

Hi, I'm pastor Bill Shishko inviting you to tune in to a visit to the pastor's study every Saturday

from 12 noon to 1 p .m Eastern Time on WLIE radio

www .wlie .org 740 a .m.

Dot -com.

We bring biblically faithful pastoral ministry to you and we invite you to visit the pastor's study by calling in

with your questions.

Our time will be lively useful and I assure you never dull join us this Saturday at 12 noon

Eastern Time for a visit to the pastor's study because.

Everyone needs a pastor and don't forget if you want to register for the iron sharpens iron radio

pastors luncheon Featuring the man whose voice you just heard pastor Bill Shishko on

Thursday October 26th from 11 a .m. To 2 p .m. At the Carlisle

fire and rescue banquet hall in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Please register as soon as you can at Chris Arnzen at gmail .com Chris Arnzen at

gmail .com and Please put pastors luncheon in the subject line.

The deadline to register is Monday October 23rd at midnight and

Keep in mind that everything is free of charge.

You'll be spiritually fed physically fed and you'll be leaving with a very heavy sack of brand new books

really excellent books Donated by major Christian publishers all over the United States and the United

Kingdom.

So register as soon as you can at Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Before we run out of room for you Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

We are back to our final 25 minutes or so with Gordon Taylor coordinator of the Reform Baptist

Network.

We are discussing what are your church's core values suggestions to be prayerfully considered for adoption?

And if you'd like to join us on the air with a question before we run out of time our Email address is Chris Arnzen at

gmail .com Chris Arnzen at gmail .com and please give us your at least your first name your city

and state and Your country of residence and only remain anonymous if it makes you feel more comfortable because the

question regards a personal and private matter.

And by the way our thanks to Kathy in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York who

actually found the source of that quote that I Had read or mentioned

earlier Jonathan Edwards is the one who said you contribute nothing to your

salvation except the sin that made it necessary.

Okay.

Well, thank you very much Kathy for actually pinpointing exactly the The

person who at least said it and that clear of a way that reflected what I said earlier.

We are now under the the aspect

of the core values that the Reform Baptist Network seeks to

Follow and embrace and so on we have an earnest mission if you could tell us about an earnest

mission.

Yes,

put together in the worldwide Proclamation

the gospel by bringing glory to God.

So we have an earnest mission to proclaim the gospel And strive together

to do that.

We have two parts under this This heading under this mission.

First we talked about a sincere offer of Christ in the gospel and then of his common love for all.

Under this sincere offer.

We want to make it very plain that we hold very strongly to the sovereign grace of

God in salvation unconditional election definite a particular particular redemption

and that

salvation is Determined by God and it is to be preached

Indiscriminately and freely and sincerely extended to all to

the gospel.

The gospels to be preached to all and by all to come to Christ.

So so we reject on the one hand hyper Calvinism and of course a lot of.

Because because we believe in preaching no way we believe in evangelism.

We believe in sending out missionaries, but we reject that the hyper Calvinists who on the basis of the God's sovereign

grace Rejects human responsibility and the free and sincere offer the gospel on the other

hand We make a plane that we reject our minion

Theology,

so we're

willing to embrace this tension that the Bible has Recognized the mysteries of God's sovereign grace on

the one hand of his purposes of his methods and on

the other hand preached the gospel.

There and I love the paraphrase Who's

actually gleaned from Thomas Watson?

And I want to read this because I just like it so well he says rather we embrace the

tension the Bible itself sets before us recognizing there are mysteries in God's

and Ways that are beyond our present finite finite ability to fully comprehend and then this

pair of faith must win.

Amen.

And the the hyper Calvinist label

Is often hurled against anybody who is historically

a five -point Calvinist somebody who believes in the doctrines of sovereign grace and That is an erroneous

label to call someone Who adheres to those things a hyper Calvinist just because they

adhere to those things.

That shows that reveals that the one using the label is misinformed about that

historical Label of hyper Calvinism and It's

I find it ironic that most people who call all Calvinists hyper Calvinists have such

a disdain for John Calvin or at least a Caricature of him that doesn't even

that has never really even existed.

That you wonder why do they even bother putting hyper on the word Calvinist if they hate Calvinist Calvinism

anyway, and they despise their caricature of Calvin.

Why do they even use hyper as a way of describing it?

Yeah, that's exactly right.

You just call

it what.

But you're off of the gospel and doesn't

I have a virgin Calvinist?

I just love virgin and his preaching of the gospel.

With a full robust desire and

a heartful and that's what we want to be.

Amen.

Well, I I do know and I'm not going to belabor this issue because we don't have time to and it's not the intention of Our focus, but I know

of some reformed Christians who claim They disagree with the free offer of the gospel, but

who do indiscriminately evangelize they think that that's those are two separate issues of

Indiscriminately evangelizing everybody because nobody knows who the elect are.

But they they seem to think that there's something uniquely wrong about phrasing it as a free offer.

But I we don't have time obviously to go into that.

But but there are there are people who?

Are hyper Calvinists.

And in fact there I have come across hyper Calvinists on both ends of the spectrum

on the largeness or wideness of The

gates of heaven and the smallness and narrowness of the gates of heaven you have many Primitive Baptists

who are I think correctly correctly labeled hyper Calvins not all of them but there are many who

because they don't believe that the Gospel the evangelize the evangelizing of the lost with the

gospel has anything to do at all with their Regeneration and they believe that the

the gates of heaven are much wider than we would because they think that even many

people who have never come to Knowingly embrace Christ on this earth while alive will

still nonetheless go to heaven because they were of the elect since they so far separate the The

evangelizing of the lost with the gospel from regeneration that they don't believe that.

That necessarily all elect people will bear fruit by repenting and believing then you have other people on the other end of the

spectrum like the Netherlands Reformed denomination which has a much narrower

gate of heaven than we would because they believe that there has to be some kind of a

Supernatural experience of some kind for somebody to have any confidence that they are one of the elect so it's really a

Strange thing, but you do have those two extremes.

Have you come across both those types of hyper Calvins, but.

Baptists and came out of that And and saw the error of it.

And so they've talked to me about it.

The Netherlands Reformed.

I I know some people in it I think.

Yeah, I think this idea of Of a particular experience is a very dangerous

to To to

the people actually come to Christ and believe on him.

Yes, I have.

Friends formerly with the Netherlands Reformed and on a nation Joel Beeky being one of them who left that denomination.

Yeah.

And and some of them have said that you could have a congregation with hundreds and

hundreds of members depending upon where you are geographically how Dominant that denomination

might be and yet when they have the Lord's Supper, maybe four or five people will receive it because

Nobody else has the confidence that they're of the elect.

Yeah, and that's really sad.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

The Lord intends for his people to know that they belong to him.

That's the That's fundamental to the gospel.

I believe I mean I I went through years of doubt myself.

Especially after I came to understand the doctrines of grace.

I struggled for seven years.

But now I understand that was unnecessary.

But nonetheless it was good to go through that to understand how it is that a person

coming from basically an Armenian perspective Would doubt

whether or not he really but the

Lord loves sinners and that I rejoice.

Amen.

We have a question from Arnie in Perry County, Pennsylvania who asks

can you explain how being a reformed Baptist is not a Contradiction in

terms or an oxymoron as some of our Presbyterian and Pato Baptist brethren would

claim it is and even some of our non Calvinist Baptist friends would agree with them on that

that you cannot be both reformed and Baptist.

Be look and the fact is that

It was adopted.

It was public Westminster

exquisite or 47 somewhere in there that The Puritans

of that age were were reformed and the Baptists were reformed and They had differences

regarding church government and baptism.

I think that's all I think the second London Confession was.

1677 wasn't it?

1677 and then then published.

I mean that it's called the 1680 because of because of the act of toleration, but.

The fact is what's in a name

the term reformed Baptists was coined probably in the middle part of the 20th century.

To have some way to identify a return to that confession of faith.

Somebody some have attributed that very phrase to Walt Chantry that he came up with a phrase.

I don't know if that's true or not.

But yeah, I don't know if that's true either.

I Know it was coined.

So it's not an oxymoron.

We're just we're just embracing the confession of faith.

Our Baptist forefathers embraced back in the 17th century and

that's the name we used.

I know it'd be

a Baptist and reformed.

But I would just say well 1500 so.

Yeah, I actually had a Anglican scholar

once mocked me when I told him I was a reformed Baptist he said

That is nothing but an invention That came out of American soil

During the Second Great Awakening and I said hmm.

That's interesting.

And this man was from England I said well, why is my confession of faith the 1689 London?

Now, of course we who are reformed Baptists and no offense to my co -host Reverend Buzz

Taylor is a Presbyterian but we would say that Baptists took the term

reformed to a further logical conclusion because of our views of solo script Torah.

We believe that we broke even further away from the Church of Rome and abandoning certain things

involving church government and the ordinance of baptism.

Believe you know that we have abandoned or or have not embraced depending upon

when you became a Baptist The teaching of infant baptism which would further separate us from Rome and

also believing in a the autonomy of a local congregation with no higher

Authority other than Christ outside of your local gathered assembly.

Yeah, we do believe that very strongly don't we?

I mean, I believe that I So much appreciate reformed brethren's who are paid.

Oh Baptist.

I really do.

I've learned so much from them.

But I.

London

Baptist

confer fully by our reform.

Well, I want you to have four minutes now to.

Uninterrupted.

Just summarize everything that you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners today before the program ends.

Well, thank you.

Chris.

I'll Be happy to do that.

I I'm so glad Chris on the one hand that you really zeroed in on this

on this core values document that we are proposing or our

it expresses my own personal heart and I know the heart of those who wrote it, but also the heart of

Everyone we've heard from in in our association and I want to express that our

network is is Missions minded that that is our purpose to glorify God through cooperation

and worldwide evangelism and to do so on the basis of our confession of faith.

We we hold strongly to the confession.

We believe every doctrine of every chapter in the confession and and and we don't ever want to give that up

but we want to do so with a spirit of of great humility knowing that

we want

to we want to Express

even if and we do want to be Christ centered in our focus.

You know, there's a book that I read by Sinclair read it twice actually and the

second time I took copious notes it's called the whole Christ and.

I.

Love that book because it deals with this moral controversy and it deals with the fact that

Thomas Boston and the moral men saw that the center and the core of the gospel and

and the need of Proclaiming the gospel to all men in a

gracious spirit and and to do so ration while

Maintaining all the truth of the scripture.

And really our Baptist in the middle part of that.

And Andrew Fuller who? The H virgin called the greatest

what the need of the offer the gospel

and that that's what we want.

Is a network in this gracious manner.

And and you know as John Calvin himself said In

talking about God's love he said even though there is nothing in the world worthy of God's favor

He shows himself gracious toward the whole world.

And he invites all and Owen said John

Owen to dwell on the infinite Condensation grace and love of Christ in his invitation of sinners

to come to him that they may be saved.

That that's what we agree with and that's what we want to do.

And I I just want to say that everyone's invited to come to our 2017

Reform Baptist Network General Assembly in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reform Baptist Network comm.

We'd love to see you come and we do have

a lot of fine preaching and excellent fellowship as well

as the kind host of Grace Emanuel Reform Baptist Church in Grand Rapids.

So Lord bless you, and thank you for having me Chris.

I appreciate it.

Hey my pleasure and once again that conference will be held from November 6 through the 9th

In Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For more details go to Reform Baptist Network.

Calm Reform Baptist Network comm forward slash conference

and Before I go isn't the Forum Baptist Seminary in some way affiliated with the

Reform Baptist Network.

We we don't have an affiliation with the seminary.

Dr. Gonzales is going to be present at the at the conference and he'll have a.

You'll have a display There but there's no official

connection with Reform Baptist Seminary.

Other than that many of our churches some of our churches are on the on the board and sponsoring the school.

So.

We have good fellowship with this brother.

Yes, and anybody wanting to look up information about the Reform Baptist Seminary Just go to RB

seminary org.

RB seminary org and It was such a joy to have you back on the program after

so many years Dr. Taylor, and we look forward to your return again and Look forward to

hearing you preach again the next time.

God may providentially have you in the Carlisle area or perhaps I'm going to be Providentially in an area

other than Carlisle where you're where you happen to be preaching.

I really enjoy it and I'm greatly edified by the the gifts of preaching that our Lord has given you.

Well, thank the Lord for that.

I Love to preach and I'm always happy if people can profit from it and I want

everybody.

Listening to have a great wonderful a blessed weekend and Lord's Day.

If you don't have a Bible -believing church that you are currently a member of Please seek one

out this weekend.

And I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior

Than you are a sinner.