Narrower Catechism (Part 2)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, "...but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.".

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Email, Church Discipline, and the Narrower Catechism

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. Steve, why did I start off this Monday morning with a letter from you via email, Dear Pastor?

Dear Pastor, it's come to my attention. Certain problems have arisen, etc., etc., therefore I'm afraid I have to leave the Church.

Steve, if you were West Pastor ministering up in Vermont, the Faithful Expositor up there, Nets School, Southern Baptist School, we really like and appreciate the ministry there. If you were named Pastor, Pastor, how would the email on Monday morning be received, Dear Pastor, Pastor?

That would go straight to the trash can.

Spam. Spam alert. Boy, you know, it's pretty rough when you get one day off a week, and you know, you just think, I'm not even going to check my email, but wait a minute, here's one from a sincere congregate of mine.

I'm going to take a look at that. Steve, what about the emails that you get on Monday that says, I know it's your day off, but... Yeah, those, delete. But Steve, you're supposed to be a man of the people, supposed to be a people person.

You know what? I always answer them. I can't lie. You know, the way I relax in life is when I know I have no emails in the inbox, and I think, okay, good to go, and I can relax. So when I get emails, I usually respond.

Sometimes I put them in files. Round files. Church discipline files. Shredder files. Well, last time we looked at the narrower catechism from the semi-Pelagians, and we didn't finish, and it was such a fun show.

Steve and I had fun, at least. And I'm sure... We thought we would do another part. We're sure it was a blessing to you. Yes. Steve, some King James words we don't use anymore, because we want to get them thinking the right way in case they don't...

They're not up on these adages. What are some King James language words that we don't use now? Verily.

Mine. Well, I guess we do mine, but they use mine instead of my. Thine. You know. Let's see. What else are they? Thy. Shout.

You know, thou. Yeah. Right? Super fluidy. Yeah. The. Right? I don't pray using King James language, but if you do, is that okay?

You know what? I grew up in a Mormon church. Oh, that's right. So that probably reminds you of that. So we prayed that way, you know, the King James language. I mean, that's how they used to pray. I don't know how they pray now, you know, because they've changed a lot.

Hmm.

Question 17 is very insightful, Steve. I had to memorize this when I was back in the Lutheran church. What supplementary technique is given by which we may win souls? The technique. The technique. The technique.

That's a King James word.

Thou. Technique. The. Technique. I'm not even going there. The technique of giving our own personal testimony in which we must always be ready to give an answer concerning the years we have spent in vanity and pride.

Years I spent in vanity and pride. And the wretched vices in which.

Care is not my Lord's crucify. And the wretched vices in which we wallowed all our lives until the day we got saved. Can I just say something about this? You know, what typically happens when people give their testimony, because we like to edit those for, you know, baptisms, is people want to tell you everything they ever did.

You know, it's like, it's kind of like they're joining Scientology and, you know, we're. And Gram Alert. Yeah. We want to get them to a state of clear. And so they have to, you know, really, if you're writing your own testimony, you don't need to tell us every sin, you know, and go into great detail.

You know, people are like, well, you know, on such and such a date I did, you know, thus and such. And then I broke into this and I, you know, did this sexual sin and I did that and I did. And I've tried this drug and that drug and I was really addicted to it.

And you just kind of go, I don't need to know that. You know, as if your life is more pathetic than anybody else's life in here. We're all pathetic wretches saved by grace.

And probably the most pathetic is thinking you have a righteousness that's not really righteous because you think you're a good moral student and moral person. Steve, I'll never forget the time that I asked someone in premarital counseling, are you too pure?

And what I meant by that question was not justification, sanctification, all that stuff. I meant, now you're dating, you're engaged, you're fiancés, are you sleeping together or doing anything that you should not be doing?

Even this week I got an email from someone who wants to get married in the next few months and I said they live far away and I happen to be the one who officiates the wedding. I said, I want to ask you the question.

Are you two not doing the wrong things and doing the right things when it comes to sexual purity? So we ask those questions. I don't really like to ask them, but I think I need to ask them. So go ahead.

So I asked the couple, are you sexually pure? And then the guy said to me, well, something happened when, you know, five years ago with such and such a girl at such and such a time. But see, I wasn't after that.

I wasn't after what did you do before this relationship.

And so I need to be more specific. Well, I was going to say, you know, the language there was kind of interesting, too, because when you said, are you two sexually pure? You know, if you if you put the emphasis, they might think it's T .O .O. instead of T .W .O.

And you just go, oh, no, I'm not two sexually pure.

See, language is very important. So now I have to make sure that the couple understands what I'm asking is this husband to be and wife to be. Are you doing things that you would do to your physical sister alone?

Are you doing other things? Right. So I think that's the good dating advice as we rebuke other younger ladies like we would sisters in purity. First Timothy chapter five. What Steve, that's our that's our that's my counseling advice today.

If you're engaged, whatever you would if you're a man, whatever you'd want to do to your sister, you can do to your fiance and kiss on the cheek. Would you do that to your sister?

Yes. Holding hands. I heard somebody put it this way, and I really thought this was good. You know, if if for whatever reason you wound up not getting married, you know, is there anything that you know that you'd look back on and go, gee whiz, maybe we shouldn't have done that?

Or, you know, are you essentially cheating on that person's future spouse by what you're doing? You know, so have you crossed that threshold? I like the way you said that, though. You know, if she was your physical sister, would you be doing it?

Because I guarantee you some of the things I see on Facebook and other places wouldn't be happening, you know.

Practically some of the things you see in the church pew. Yeah. Right. And so there's a time when you're married where all four Proverbs 5, Song of Solomon, all eight chapters. But not in the church pew.

Not in the church pew. So if you don't do things to your spouse, you'll never regret that spouse to be. Right. Right. So if you say, all right, well, my physical sister, I have a sister named Marcy. And so I can imagine walking down the street and holding her hand, saying, I haven't seen you for a while, my arm around her.

Great to see you. Give her a kiss on the cheek. And I've kissed her on the lips as well. Right. Pursed lips. But I wouldn't be making out with her for an hour on the couch downstairs. Where are the men leaders in the dating relationships?

Yeah, I mean, we could get into TMI there.

So, well, that actually was my point. I want you to think TMI so then you can go, you know what? I better live an upright life as I date this girl who she's not mine until. Until she's mine. And then you know what?

After you say I do, her body is yours.

And her, and your body is hers. That's right. Okay. Steve, ask me a question, please. Riddle me this. Okay. Which one am I going? Well, I want to ask you number 20 just because I like this one. Okay. 20.

Go ahead. Am I a soldier of the cross?

Oh, do I have to say it? Here's what, according to the catechism, I am a soldier of the cross. If I join campus crusade, boys brigade, the salvation army are the Wheaton crusaders, or if I put on the helmet of dispensationalism, the breastplate of pietism, the shield of tribulationalism, the sword of Zionism, having my feet shod with the gospel of Arminianism.

Isn't that funny? There's so much truth in all that.

Are you a soldier of the cross? I just think the hills, and I think the larger point of the narrower catechism here is that people die on hills that really ought not to even be hills. I mean, I would not want to separate from some brother or sister in Christ on the basis of some of these issues, even of dispensationalism or tribulationalism.

But if you want to sell a book these days, you don't write one on holiness. You don't write one on a lot of things. You write it on eschatology, you know, you're right.

You know, that fills up conferences, too. Either the haters of dispensationalism. Haters. Dispensationalism. Hey, have you seen this type in Stephen Furtick parody, Hey Haters, and they have his face with the whole Hey Haters deal and the exact words of what he said, but it's with a funny voice.

It's almost like a drunken voice. Hey, hater. It's not in shame. May I use the blame? It is so funny. All right. How about this? What are the first, question 27, what are the among the first books which a Christian should read to his soul's health?

I like that. We get questions all the time. I just got an email five minutes ago.

We like the shows you do on books. What book to read? Okay, well, here you go. Here's our advice. Among the first books which a Christian should read are the books of Daniel and Revelation, and of course, the late great planet Earth.

When I first got saved, I thought Hal Lindsey was the guy. And so I actually looked up online, living in North Hollywood, thought I need to drive down to Seal Beach or San Pedro Peninsula or Long Beach, wherever he was at the time.

I don't know which wife he was with at the time.

Yeah, I was going to say, what would his fifth ex-wife say?

Glover, Patterson, Eddie Baker. Frye?

Yeah, but what would she say about which book she read? Okay, how about this one?

What are the seven deadly sins?

Seven, seven, seven deadly sins. Okay, the seven deadly sins are, of course, smoking, drinking, dancing, card playing, movie going, baptizing babies, and having any creed but Jesus.

That is absolutely hilarious. What are the seven deadly sins? Smoking, drinking, dancing. You can actually do all three of those at once. Did you know that? You can have a cigarette in your mouth, a cigar, martini in your hand, and you could dance.

That'd be probably tricky, though.

You know, I'd probably want a travel lid for that.

Do you know, I think all of these are going to be happening at the church Christmas party, except the baptizing babies thing. Well, not drinking. There's not going to be any drinking. Well, I know, but practically everything else.

Card playing, yeah, the official BBC poker game.

No, they play it on their little iPhone things or iPads. Oh, my goodness. What is a sacrament?

Question 30. What is a sacrament? A sacrament is an insidious invention devised by the Catholic Church whereby men are drawn into idolatry.

Now, this next one, I don't think we should read about 31 because it's almost too blasphemous, but the saltines grape juice thing is something to be considered. Yeah, I don't want to read that. No, I don't want to read that.

So, I think we can read 36, though, Steve, because it's insightful. We're not saying anything bad about the Spirit of God, but the way people perceive him. 36.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is a gentleman who would never barge in. What do they mean by that? Well, because he, you know, basically stands at the door and knocks, well, like Jesus does, right?

He's not going to force you to believe. Steve, there was a time I did think that God functioned like Daryl Gates' crack house tank.

Yeah, he used to have that Sherman tank, you know, that they would bust down the doors down in South Central.

But really what happens, God makes alive. God quickens. God regenerates. And then that person's new nature gladly opens the door. Yeah. So, why was I thinking the wrong thing when I was a hyper-Calvinist?

Well, you weren't really a hyper-Calvinist, but you were an uber-Calvinist. Jean Calvin. Jean. You know, I don't know. Here's what I do know is that, you know, the caricature of Calvinism, of course, is that God drags people kicking and screaming to heaven, to which I love when people bring that up because I'm like, no, you don't understand Calvinism.

Because what Calvinism says is what the Bible says, which is God makes you born. He causes you to be born again. God, the Holy Spirit, does that. He draws you. You know, he does all these things, but he doesn't kick and scream.

When he gives you a new nature, you gladly come to Christ. It's not reluctant. It's not despondent. It's not unwilling because your will has been changed.

Your will or has been now changed to be willing. That's right. Free willer. How about this, Steve? If you had to give me one verse to summarize doctrines of grace, Calvinism, God's sovereign over salvation, do you have, like, one verse that really moves you in a neo-Orthodox,.

Barthian way? Well, I like, you know, what is it? Ephesians 2, 5.

Okay, good. Sometimes people think with Jonah chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, salvation is of the Lord. Yeah, that's good. I kid you not, this is a joking around show, but if I had one verse that I would try to show people and tell them on the radio that to me describes God's sovereign initiative in his love towards us, it would be Hosea chapter 14.

Does that surprise you?

Yeah, because I was going to go for John 6, 44. Well, see, that would have been good, too.

Here is Hosea chapter 14, verse 4b. I, speaking of God, will love them freely. Now, God's love to us isn't because he has to, because he's obligated to, because we deserve it somehow, because we've worked for it and earned it.

God loves people freely, whether it's Israel, Judah, or the United States of America.

Well, it says that he loves all people equally then, right? Isn't that what it says? I will love them freely. I will love them freely. All of them, indiscriminately.

That's where we get the word free will here. I will love them free willingly. Yes. Okay, so what else do we have here when Steve goes, hmm, and looks down? Question 40, when is Jesus coming again?

Well, you know, this is a question with a scriptural answer, and let me read that. Maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, and maybe soon.

Now, when we sing that song, it sounds like it's from Let the Merry Go Round carousel.

Yeah, that's why we kind of, it's on the unofficial band list.

We actually have a band hymn list here. What's another song that we don't really like to sing? Joyful. Joyful, right? Because of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. I don't like My Tribute.

I don't like that song because it's written by a drug addict. Sorry.

I'm sorry. That causes me not to like it. For more controversial statements, tune in to Saturday Guy on Tuesday.

And by the way, the other reason I don't like it is because it's just, you know, until it gets to the chorus, I love the to God be the glory, but it's just all about me, me, me, me, me, me, you know, it's like me, me, me, me, me, me, me.

Sounds like Rick Warren's book.

It's not about you. And then he goes on for 39 more days. It's all about you. And two additional chapters. And now, and I saw him the other day on CBS or something, got the new book out. I did not know, Steve, that that book has sold, the original one, 60 million copies.

And they said on the CBS Morning News or Morning America or whatever it was, that 20 of the United States has read that book.

Yes, but to his great credit, and, you know, he doesn't shy about shy away from this at all. He gave away, I saw him say this on Hannity's show last night, he gave away 90 of the money that he made from it.

OK, great, great is his generosity. I'm glad that he told everybody. And yeah, well, he doesn't like to make a big deal out of it. But since you asked, I don't like to brag, but since you asked, yeah, 90%, you know, maybe more.

I didn't listen to the whole interview, but he was talking to Charlie Rose about God's purpose for him.

You know what I found striking, though, because he's only on Hannity's show. He was on it for six minutes. I recorded, I watched three. But, you know, attention spans and all that. It didn't really seem like he was going to get around to the gospel.

I was really distraught. I mean, just think about the cachet the guy has, right? You want him on your show because he's a big shot. I mean, he's sold more books than Moses. And, you know, you want to have him on your show.

And then he gets on the show and he can't even bring himself to preach the gospel. Why is that?

Well, he's ashamed of the gospel and he has bought into all this stuff.

Well, I mean, they're going to like him no matter what he says. You know, even if he says you must repent, it's not like he's going to lose any of those sales. But, you know, I mean, just think if he made like, let's say, two bucks per book and you start multiplying that out.

Even one dollar per book.

That's pretty amazing. It's a lot of money. Yeah. I wonder if there would be a Saddleback Catechism. Could you work on that, please, for No Compromise Radio? The Saddleback Catechism. It's also affectionately known as Paddleback.

Eschatology, the Last Days, and the End of the Show

All right. How about question 41, Steve, from the Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism? When the roll, roll, roll is called up yonder, where will you be? There. Now, I actually like that song. When the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder.

Question 44. Where will we meet again? Here, there, or in the air? Question 45. Why don't you ask me this one?

Because I love this question. 45. What can a pastor say while all heads are bowed? Get your heads up.

All heads are bowed. Now, there's nothing wrong with teaching kids, let's bow in prayer, close your eyes and pray. You can pray with your eyes open. You can pray with your head looking up to the sky. You don't have to bow.

There is something to be said, Steve, about how your attitude lines itself up with body posture, right?

But you know what's missing there? What can a pastor say while all heads are bowed and every eye is closed? Well, it gets there, I think.

Let's see. Yes, I see that hand. But if every eye was closed, then the pastor couldn't see that hand.

Yes, but he keeps, he's got a special dispensation.

So he tells the congregation to do something that he's not willing to do. That's right.

Every head bowed, every eye closed. Well, because he's had his head bowed and eye closed all week. And so now he's... Oh, see, I see how that goes.

Now, Steve, I have to tell you something. This is inside information for No Compromise Radio. Whenever I'm at an Armenian church, which isn't very often, but sometimes you have to go out of town, sometimes you have to be inspired.

And the pastor says, every head bow, every eye closed, no one looks around. You know what I do? Keep your eyes open. I keep my eyes open and I look around because I want to know what's going on.

When they said sit down, you stood up.

No, for the Roman Catholic Church, I don't like to stand up in honor of certain things because I don't think it's honorable. So I just stay in the back and stay seated. Okay. Is that a bad thing to do?

I don't think so. You know what? Honestly, the next time I go into a Catholic church, I don't like to go into Catholic churches. Let's just say that. Okay. How about this one? Question. How is a person saved?

Forty-six. If you'll just walk this aisle. Forty-seven. And what requirement is there if you should fall into sin?

You just need to rededicate your life to God.

Now, Steve, let's talk about that on No Compromise Radio. I think Kevin DeYoung's book, Hole in Our Holiness, is an excellent book, especially in light of sanctification is simply looking back to justification of some of the things Tulian has been writing.

DeYoung did a great job. I had Tim order about 15 copies for the church. Hole in Our Holiness. Great book. Very, very commendable. Well, he talks about the labor and toil and sweat of the Christian in sanctification.

He's not saying there isn't any grace involved and you're saved by grace and you are sanctified by works, but there is an aspect of human responsibility and sanctification. So isn't it a lot easier instead of sweating, kapi 'o, toiling, can't we just go to the front and get the tongues blessing, rededicate?

What's the motive behind here? The motive is I'd like to be more holy, but it's the easy way out, isn't it?

Well, you know, it's also the easy way out of repentance. It's the easy way out of everything, you know, because if you've been living like a mad dog, a rabid dog since the day you allegedly got saved, then you just you don't have to kind of sort any of that out.

You just rededicate yourself. Just pick up that slate and wipe it clean.

Now, rededication services are very popular, but we're going to start a new no compromise service. It's not going to be rededication. It's going to be re-irrigation service. We're going to baptize you again.

It's a re-irrigation. I want people that every time they get rededicated, they think they get re-saved and then they have to get re-baptized. Well, wouldn't that be ammo for our paedo-baptist friends?

Yeah, I mean, that's a little bit of a tricky situation, right? Because we don't want to baptize somebody who's already been baptized as a believer. But the question is, if somebody genuinely thinks that they got saved after their last baptism, then what do you do?

You know, it's a matter of conscience, really.

Right. And sometimes we meet people and they'll say, well, I never believed in the doctrines of grace before. Now I do. Now, how could I really be a Christian? And so some of it is just kind of waiting.

I don't like to double baptize so fast. We just kind of wait it out. And a lot of them then just don't get baptized again because it's only a matter of sanctification, not justification. Right. Okay. Well, today on No Compromise Radio, we've been going over these questions.

Seems like we've been taping these shows for weeks, Steve. I think we're kind of getting out of gas. Just sputtering. Sputtering. How about 48? Can I get an amen? Amen, brother. Okay. So if you'd like to write us about a show, you can write us.

The Last Days and the Program Sign-Off

Okay, go ahead.

I just like the last days question, you know, because we are somewhat distance. It's 38. When will be the last days of which the Bible speaketh?

See, there's another King James. Okay. The last days are these days in which we are now living, in which the Antichrist, the beast, and the thief in the night shall most certainly appear.

So, you know, you need to write. In fact, there you go. There's a new three book series for you. You can write a book called The Antichrist, then one called The Beast, and then one called The Thief in the Night.

Well, as we started off the show, this is definitely a Christian nation because of that. Yeah. No Compromise Radio. You can write us at info at nocompromiseradio .com or our Tuesday guy at nocompromiseradio .com.

God bless you. Have a great day. No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Ebendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's Word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.