BBC Doctrines That Might Surprise You

Bethlehem Bible Church

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October 9, 2011

00:00: Tonight is going to be a little bit different. It's not going to necessarily be a Sequential verse by verse although we'll look at passages in their context expositionally
00:09: I'd like to talk to you tonight about doctrines that might surprise you doctrines that we
00:14: Royal we that I believe at Bethlehem Bible Church that might surprise you and they might surprise you because We're in 1st
00:21: Corinthians now And so it's hard to talk about things that we believe the whole panoply of doctrines when we're in 1st
00:27: Corinthians And we're in chapter 1 to 4 we're talking about unity. We're in chapter 5. We're talking about church discipline.
00:33: We're in 6 We're talking about suing others or immorality in 7 and the list goes on but things that are just interesting that you think you know
00:39: What I never really thought about that before. What does the church believe? What does the pastor believe about this issue and some?
00:47: You probably won't think a very strange because you've sat here for a long time And you know who I am and others might be very strange to you, especially if you're new
00:56: Let me say this before I start if you have a question about anything I say or what we teach
01:02: Pastor Steve teaching or one of the elders per deep or Scott Brown I want you to be able to go to them at any time and ask him questions
01:10: I'm sure Harry did the same thing when he was a pastor You know he still is a pastor when he was charged with a flock
01:15: I want you to be able to come and ask me questions This is not what I say goes X Cathedral, and you have to believe it
01:23: There's a good interaction And we should be able to ask be asked any question that you have and we should say to you
01:29: You know what that's a really good question. I don't know I'll get back to you This is what we believe here at Bethlehem Bible Church, and we know we're not right on everything
01:36: I know pastor Steve's not right on everything. That's that's just We just don't know where we're wrong and to quote
01:45: MacArthur if we knew where we were wrong we'd change I think RC Sproul said only The best theologian alive has only 80 % of his theology, right?
01:55: So we want to be humble enough to know that we haven't arrived That's even from 1st Corinthians chapter 8 But I thought some of these would be interesting and then you could kind of think through some of the issues
02:03: Why do these men believe what they do? Why do they do what they do at Bethlehem Bible Church? And so first surprising doctrine that might be surprising to you our head tilting is we don't do baby dedications
02:16: We don't do baby Dedications now we used to the church I came from did baby dedications
02:21: I believe that children are a gift from the Lord. Don't you do you think the readies are excited about?
02:29: Ezra what's his middle name Gopu? What's his other middle name? Barnabas Ezra Barnabas Gopu ready
02:37: It's kind of got a ring to it. I don't know I'm not Indian, but I love
02:43: Indians and Ezra Barnabas Gopu is pretty great. By the way, just a quick story about India I met a guy and they have names in India that are from false gods.
02:52: And so this guy said, you know, my name is Barnabas I Said really he said yeah
02:58: Because I used to be named Ganesh and when I got saved I got a new name And my pastor said when
03:04: I got baptized you have a new name You don't have a name that represents a false God anymore you get a new name and your name is
03:10: Barnabas I thought that was pretty exciting Psalm 127 behold children are a heritage from the
03:16: Lord the fruit of the womb a Reward like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the children of one's youth
03:22: Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate
03:31: Most evangelicals fall into one of two categories. You've got the proper Presbyterians that is to say conservative not liberal
03:40: OPC PCA and some others and they would baptize Infants and that would be part of the service for them.
03:46: Then you've got Baptistic people who don't baptize infants but they
03:53: Have a baby dedication Now if you ask yourself the question, why don't we do baby dedications?
04:01: It's not because I don't love babies. Do you love babies? I remember when I used to have babies up here and do dedications and they would play with my
04:08: Microphone and actually it was kind of nice because I'm fairly gruff and rough And so then they people would see me with the baby and they'd say oh, he actually has a soul stuff like that I Like baby dedications, but not in corporate worship.
04:22: Why? Because when you read the pastoral pistols and you say to yourself, how does the Bible regulate worship that is to say
04:29: What does it tell us to do? It tells us to pray tells us to sing tells us to preach tells us to do the
04:35: Lord's Supper Tells us to do baptism There's a variety of things that it tells us to do And so the way we look at scripture is we say to ourselves if it doesn't tell us to do that We don't do it.
04:47: You say Oh Announcements not corporate worship and I say to you that's correct
04:53: That's why we do it at the beginning and then we say it's time to begin worship So announcements aren't necessarily that either the
05:00: Lutheran view is more if the Bible says Nothing about it. You can do it
05:06: So liturgical dance, that would be fine. You know, I'd like to see Dan Nealon doing liturgical dance
05:12: I don't know why women only do liturgical dance. Why can't the men can you imagine Andrew Smith dancing around? So the typical
05:19: Presbyterian regular principle would be if it says to do it, let's work on those. Let's do those things and The Lutherans would say well, it doesn't say not to so then we have the freedom to do it
05:29: So in corporate worship here, what do I say to people I say listen If you'd like to dedicate your child to the
05:37: Lord, what would I say to you? Great. I hope if you have kids you say God Thank you for this great child that you gave me and here is this child
05:47: I pray that you'd save the child. I pray that you'd use the child and you say yes, but what about Hannah?
05:52: Let's find out. Let's go to 1st Samuel chapter 1 1st Samuel chapter 1 This is where most evangelicals go and it is the account of Hannah in 1st
06:03: Samuel and how she dedicated Samuel but what you should be thinking right away is this because something in the
06:10: Bible that is described It doesn't necessarily mean it's prescribed Something's described and it says they did this where in the
06:20: New Testament Pastoral epistles for instance does it say to do it now? I I already know if you're saying to yourself, you know what we had children and we dedicated them unto the
06:29: Lord I'm not saying it's sinful to dedicate them to the Lord any Corporate setting asking the congregation to pray for the parents.
06:38: Is that a good thing? Please pray for the parents come alongside the parents help teach the child Do what the church does with the family in the house of God?
06:48: I'm just telling you why we don't do it, even though we believe in Children and we want them to grow and learn and let's go to 1st
06:56: Samuel chapter 1 verse 19 to pick up the account They rose early in the morning and worship before the
07:05: Lord Then they went back to their house at Rama and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife and the
07:11: Lord remembered her Remember when you see the word remember it means to think of and then do something about it
07:19: Never say to yourself. Well, remember just means to recollect to call up and you know random access memory
07:25: It means to remember and do something about it. So when God remembered Noah, what did he do?
07:31: He thought of Noah and Made the waters go down when you have the
07:37: Lord's Supper and Jesus says do this in Remembrance of me you remember
07:42: Jesus But then you're saying I want to rededicate my life as we're back to the service of the Lord here
07:48: Same thing. Can you imagine the Lord remembered her a tender of the
07:54: Lord and in due time, I guess it was Not very long after that Hannah conceived and bore a son
08:02: She called his name Samuel for she said I have asked for him from the
08:08: Lord We take it for granted that God answers prayer, but that is a marvelous thing because of Christ's work that God would hear our prayers
08:15: The man Elkanah verse 21 and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow
08:21: But Hannah did not go up for she said to her husband As soon as the child is weaned I will bring him
08:27: So that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever Elkanah her husband said to her do what seems best to you wait until you have weaned him only may the
08:37: Lord establish his word So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him and when she weaned him she took him up with her along with the three -year -old bull and Ifa a flower a skin of wine and she brought him to the house of the
08:52: Lord at Shiloh and The child was young Then they slaughtered the bull and they brought the child to Eli And she said oh my lord as you live my lord
09:04: I'm the woman who is standing here in your presence praying to the Lord for this child I prayed and the
09:09: Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him Therefore I have lent him to the
09:15: Lord as long as he lives He is lent to the Lord and he worshipped the Lord there
09:21: So my question is when people say we do baby dedications I kind of get it because Baptist we're kind of robbed of the baby thing
09:29: Compared to Presbyterians, you know, we want to do something We've got a baby and you know, some people put a flower up here the rose in the what do they call the rose?
09:38: It's up front. I Was gonna say the rose in the vestry, but that doesn't seem to make any sense The rose up here is dedicated a newborn or we maybe pray for them
09:46: But here the Presbyterians get this infant thing and then we don't and so I can feel The desire that parents have to say we want to dedicate this before the dedicate this baby to the
09:56: Lord But if you really believed a description in the Old Testament was a prescription for the church
10:03: Then you better get those three -year -old bulls out, too Can you imagine the baby dedication we'd have here?
10:09: We're gonna dedicate the new baby Ezra Barnabas Gopu ready and that we've got the three -year -old bull over there next
10:16: We don't do baby dedications because there's nothing in the New Testament that says they should be done in a corporate worship setting
10:22: But we want you parents. I'm looking at Josh right now, Josh I hope you've said God you gave me this daughter a little
10:29: Maya and Lord She's all yours do whatever you want with this child. Help me to be a good steward and raise this child for your glory
10:37: God, please save her and I know she's really more yours Lord than mine And you're just lending me her for 18 years or so.
10:44: Have you done that? He's like I can't believe you just asking the question
10:52: It's not wrong to have a dedication But if their flowchart is we only are going to do what the New Testament prescribes for worship
10:58: Trying to stick close to that then that's why we don't have baby dedications at Bethlehem Bible Church.
11:05: I found a couple baby dedications and they pray and the church has vows and they have grandparents and godparents and You know parents love
11:15: God with every ounce of fiber of your energy and don't put you broke your children to wrath and they do all those kind of things, but we don't do it in corporate worship because It's not prescribed in the
11:26: New Testament. Okay so far you look pretty bored. So let's go do the next one This one should be spicier
11:34: What'd you say Frank Yeah, yeah, this one is a to this the last one was only one pepper.
11:40: This is two peppers All right. What about children and baptizing children who could show me a verse in the
11:46: Bible? I'm not talking about infant baptism I'm talking about children who make a profession of faith at one year two years three years
11:54: Five years eight years ten years old. Do we baptize them at Bethlehem Bible Church?
12:01: I Mean, I I'll never forget the day. We were watching that Jesus movie the Campus Crusade one
12:07: I think according to the Luke account and Jesus is getting beat up crown spitting hitting
12:16: Abused by the soldiers and he just he wasn't a mess like in The passion of the
12:22: Christ Mel Gibson's account, but it was the sanitized version But Haley was so struck by it.
12:29: I remember she was so little at three years old four years old I don't know. She just kind of walked up.
12:36: Maybe she was younger I think I've talked about this before walked up to the television screen to the tube and kissed
12:42: Jesus and began to cry It's tear -jerking so I could easily say to Haley Do you believe
12:49: Jesus is the only God and work through all those things and now the question is do we baptize children?
12:56: now Everybody's gonna run into trouble if you disagree with my position our position
13:04: You say well, you know what you don't really baptize kids before puberty you don't really baptize kids when they're young why?
13:11: Show me a verse that you have to wait for such a long time Well, everybody's got a problem.
13:17: Let's put it this way unless you're a Presbyterian or a Congregationalist you have a problem and that is you say you'd like to have your ten -year -old baptized, but how soon is too soon?
13:27: eight nine five four there has to be something there in terms of Discretion We don't have anything in the
13:37: Bible who could tell me an instance where you know of a child Who's born again in the New Testament and baptized?
13:44: Do you know what I can't find one unless you go to some account so -and -so in his household
13:51: That doesn't prove anything his household. What about children you say mark 10.
13:56: Let's turn there mark chapter 10 What about mark 10, let's turn to mark 10 and learn a little bit about Christ And how he loves kids, but I want you to know that we are going to as an elder board
14:08: Try not to baptize children Because we think there's an inherent danger of false assurance
14:16: There's a danger of many things that I'll talk to after I do this
14:22: Passage okay mark chapter 10 as you know mark is just this fast -paced gospel I used to tell people who are unbelievers.
14:29: You know what you need to read the gospel of John great I tell him now you should read the gospel of Mark, and you just see
14:35: Jesus is this great King is this great? God who does all these things he just fascinating he you'll never see anybody like Jesus And I just say read the gospel of Mark and what happens here in mark 10 13 and following people use this all the time
14:52: To deal with children's salvation that children can obviously be saved by the way.
14:57: I think children probably can be saved I'm just not going to baptize them until they're older, so let's talk about that and They were bringing children to him mark 10 13 to 17 that he might touch them and the disciples rebuke them
15:10: When Jesus saw it I think about what he would think about what the text says right here when Jesus saw it he was indignant and Said to them
15:24: I'm not so sure he said let the little children come to me He said to them after he was indignant
15:31: Whatever however he said it. I think it had some sternness Let the little children or let the children come to me do not hinder them for to such don't forget those words belongs the kingdom of God Truly I say to you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God Like a child remember that word like shall not enter it
15:52: And he took them in his arms, and he blessed them And like a wonderful rabbi he lays his hands on them special blessing and As he was setting out on his journey a man ran up and knelt before him etc
16:08: Let's kind of look at this passage a little bit because it's fascinating to see Jesus with these children Let's go back to verse 13
16:18: They were bringing children him so that he might touch them and the disciples Rebuked them
16:26: It's interesting the word mark uses for children is Pidea the same
16:31: Word is used of a twelve -year -old daughter of Jairus Although it can mean smaller children because here you see
16:40: Jesus Laying his hands on them, and also he took them into his arms
16:46: Luke uses the word breath a meaning babies So they're smaller, we're not talking about some teenager.
16:53: There's a they're small. We don't know the exact Size I don't know when when do
16:59: I want to have stopped having kids in my arms? I guess my kids I can you know
17:04: I still like to do that with Luke once in a while don't tell anybody But sometimes I like to do that.
17:14: I guess I owe you a dollar I owe Haley a dollar and I owe Luke a dollar if I mention their names they get a dollar so sorry
17:20: Maddie Sorry, Grace. Oh, you got a dollar too. Wow that worked out. Well I've mentioned
17:27: Kim's name she gets a hundred dollars in date night He wanted to pray for them it was a
17:36: Jewish common thing to do I'll never forget the time my friend told me a story when he went to a restaurant and he saw
17:43: Billy Graham there in The restaurant and how people would just come up to him and say could you just please pray for my son?
17:50: Could you please pray for my little daughter? Could you please pray for us? They recognized maybe even as unbelievers that he was a man of God and we would just like a blessing from this leader the disciples on the other hand
18:07: They're acting like bouncers They're acting like these guys who are trying to protect
18:12: Jesus You can just imagine some entourage that a rock star has and you can't get too close
18:19: You could imagine secret security a secret service where you're trying to get close to the president
18:24: But you're not allowed to and there's Jesus and the kids want to go Be with Jesus and they're not letting them
18:32: When Jesus saw this he was indignant moved with indignation. This is deep emotion lots of pain true or false
18:40: This is the only passage in all the Bible where Jesus was indignant with this word Harry knows that's just a preaching trick.
18:48: Yep. This is it true And he gives this sharp double command permit the children to come to me.
18:55: Do not hinder them Allow it don't hinder them.
19:02: Don't stop them literally stop preventing them from coming to me. And then why does he give this?
19:09: Command because these children are a perfect illustration They're a metaphor of the humility that people need for entrance into the kingdom
19:18: He's not saying these children are going to heaven now Maybe those children were going to heaven, but that's not what the text says for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these
19:30: That's the issue and then he tells how you're supposed to enter in the kingdom of heaven Quite unlike the rich young ruler who's right after this
19:38: Truly I say to you who does not who does whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child
19:45: How does a child receive something? With trust with simplicity with humility
19:51: Offering nothing if you have I'll use Josh as an illustration Josh does
19:57: Maya contribute besides joy and happiness and Generating a lot of diapers
20:04: Contributing that way. Is there anything that she contributes? Does she help pay for electricity water gas oil?
20:13: Baby food Desitin Baby wipes she contributes nothing
20:20: Like children trust like children have a humble simple OB humility
20:27: Jesus is saying this is how you enter the kingdom of God like a child like a child. It's important when we think of similes or when we think of anything else like a child
20:39: Trusting dependence They've achieved nothing no resume, I don't know how long it took you to get your resume together
20:48: But I didn't have a resume till I think after college, but I still really hadn't done anything
20:53: Can you imagine you ask a ten -year -old kid? What's your resume? There's no resume simple trust
21:01: And he took them in his arm and arms and began blessing them laying his hands upon them
21:07: You know when I think of that passage I think of Jesus as the exact opposite of some political opportunist who likes to touch and hold babies for the camera
21:16: Right, you see the guy and he's like, oh, it's a perfect pose or he's eating at some kind of you know
21:22: Greasy diner with all the hoi polloi with the people with the underlings and then he holds the baby
21:28: That's not what Jesus is doing here that word blessed right there. She's studying on your own sometime fervently blessed compound word
21:35: Emphatic Ongoing imperfect. He just kept blessing and blessing
21:42: And as Lenski said the curtain falls on Jesus in the middle of all his blessings blessing the children
21:49: I Can just imagine I think it's implied in the text every kid that was there
21:55: This is the sense He was blessing and blessing and so much Blessing and blessing so much that every kid that came if there was 20
22:03: They all got their own blessing if there were 25, they all got their own blessing It was to bless fervently you can think of some of the blessings in the
22:12: Bible about transferring blessings with Joseph Israel This has nothing to do with children
22:23: Going to heaven though nothing Now if Jesus prayed for them father, please save them.
22:30: Do you think one day they'd be saved? No, yes, but this is just a conjecture So what about baptizing children?
22:37: Let me just give you a few working principles. We have here at the church Preventing a child from baptism does not keep them out of heaven.
22:45: Is that true? If we say we're not going to baptize ten -year -olds eight -year -olds six -year -olds and we don't baptize them if they die
22:54: Will they go to heaven? If there are believers The answer is yes, so like the thief on the cross, we're not preventing anyone from heaven
23:05: Second guiding principle is this when it comes to not baptizing young children Baptism in the
23:12: New Testament meant full rights and duties of church membership Full rights and duties of church membership when you got baptized back in those days
23:22: There was no membership class once you went under and came back up You were a member of the
23:27: Church of Ephesus. You were a member of the church at Jerusalem You remember the church at Philippi you remember the church at Thessalonica and you were a full member expecting to use your spiritual gifts and expecting to even deal with church discipline cases full membership both privileges rights and Duties and so when
23:47: I see an eight -year -old kid, I mean, I think even our society this is this is a Stretch, but I'll say it.
23:53: Anyway, our society realizes, you know what you shouldn't vote until you're 18 years old
24:00: Now we don't have congregational voting here. That's another one of the strange things that you will learn about in just a moment
24:08: But back in the Jewish day back in the Old Testament time you were not an adult until when?
24:15: 13 years old guiding principle number three when it comes to baptizing children are not
24:24: Is we don't ever want to grant false assurance to one of the children It's not the best argument, but it is an argument
24:33: You could use that argument for older people if you'd like but I think the percentages are much greater with children who are baptized this is not going to be a
24:43: Gallop kind of pull but who here was baptized by immersion as A young kid and then came later to realize you weren't saved at all.
24:54: I wonder if there's just anybody Quite a few now. This doesn't prove any point, but I do think it's interesting
25:03: I could get by the way my kids to be Buddhists when they were littler I Could tell them what to believe how to believe what to do when to do it
25:12: So the question is what we're trying to do at the church is we're trying to push out The Children who have their parents faith and do what their parents say
25:23: I think it's fair to say that all four of my kids want to put want to please me So to what degree do they want to please me?
25:33: Not too many of our kids go around saying they don't like Jesus I Think so far in the history of our family.
25:39: Only one kid has ever said I hate Jesus Remember when that was? We were sitting around the dining room table back at the place over in Sterling and I said, you know what?
25:48: We just usually go through a book in those days and I said, well, who'd you like to learn about tonight?
25:54: and the kids said one of the kids said Moses The other kid said
26:04: Jesus Moses Jesus Moses Jesus and And then the
26:12: Jesus kid said Jesus and then the
26:17: Moses kid said I Hate Jesus. Oh I Was sitting there.
26:26: I hate Jesus and my own dining room table happened to be winter time.
26:34: We happen to have a fire going In our fireplace statues of limitations are gone so I can tell the story and I took that kid
26:49: By the ankle and if this is the fire I did not hold the kid over the fire now
26:55: You listen to my prepositions very well. I Did not hold the child over the fire. I Did not hold the child in the fire.
27:04: I did not put the child into the fire. I Put the child
27:11: By the fire and I said for people who hate
27:19: Jesus They go to a hell that's hotter than that fire and they burn forever and ever and ever and it's a place called hell
27:29: And then that child that I held by the ankle had enough blood finally go to their head so they could think straight and Then they said with full saving faith and assurance.
27:41: I Love Jesus dad. I love Jesus. I love Jesus And so we sat back down at the dinner table and I said open your
27:48: Bibles to Deuteronomy no just kidding You say well, you know what if you won't baptize a child?
28:01: What if they really are saved aren't you? hindering their obedience I Think that's a great question.
28:09: But I think if you won't let a four -year -old be baptized the same question goes for you You can't get out of it
28:15: If you say if you're not pressed the issue is easy if you're a Presbyterian or congregationalist But if you're not you have to make a decision so what we do at the church is this if you have a child that believes the gospel and you think they're saved and you've
28:29: Examined them by a lot of questions not you know, did you accept Jesus in your heart? Yes. You ever told a lie? Yes, are you sinner? Yes.
28:34: Okay, let's dunk them When you examine them from 15 different ways and you say and they say dad,
28:42: I want to get baptized mom I really want to get baptized and you think they've got a credible Statement of faith of this credible profession of faith
28:51: You may be even seen some changes in their heart. Then what you need to do is say then you know what? Let's meet with the elders
28:58: That's the next step because then the elders will do what? When a ten -year -old kid comes in I say you're too young to believe
29:07: No, I don't do that and he's a ten -year -old says I love Jesus he died for my sins
29:12: He was raised from the dead. You know what I say That's awesome Good job
29:17: Keep believing by the way, this has nothing to with baptism But just your child's profession of faith when your child says
29:23: I believe you encourage that belief Good job. That's the right thing to do way to go.
29:29: There's no other God That's the kind of that's the right kind of object that you have Jesus alone.
29:35: Is that how you talk to your kids? I hope so So we don't have it in our statement of faith we won't baptize anybody before they're
29:43: Gone through puberty before they're an adult but what we do is we just keep pushing it back pushing it back pushing it back because As much as I love
29:53: Jonathan Edwards, he would say with full confidence. He knows this four -year -old was saved But he never had to deal with the ramifications of should that saved kid get baptized because they already were baptized
30:05: Upon infancy upon birth at the end of the day.
30:12: Here's what you're going to have to do You're going to have to encourage your child's profession Keep teaching your children
30:19: Have them meet with the elders and at the discretion of the elders the elders still say we don't think they're ready for baptism yet Then what do you do?
30:29: You just submit to the elders I'm not preventing your kids from salvation if we were the Boston Church of Christ or the
30:34: Church of Christ You can't be baptized. I actually know a person in the Church of Christ I learned about it back in Indianapolis that their church didn't have a baptismal
30:42: So if you heard me preach on a Sunday and you came to faith in Christ Jesus, we have no baptismal here
30:48: You can't get saved So now we have to quit called the church across the way who's got a baptismal and everybody would pray before you left the building
30:57: God, please don't let this person get in an accident because if they do they're going to hell I Kid you not.
31:03: How can I make that up? That's amazing And you just have to submit yourself to the elders discretion
31:14: Why don't we baptize children? because we don't think they're ready to be full members of the church yet with all the rights and privileges and we can't tell if They have saving faith and you say you know what there are holes in your argument
31:29: Your only option if you want no holes is to become Presbyterian. That's then you have different holes.
31:36: I Did love this by William Scribner You should pray for your children's conversion.
31:41: You can email me if you'd like this their salvation Is so great a prize that it is worth all the pains which your prayer to secure it for them may cost you
31:51: The fact that their souls are precious beyond all thought that the loss of their souls would be
31:56: Inconceivably dreadful that eternal life would be an infinite gain to them and that your prayers may be
32:03: Instrumental in saving them should stir you to offer constant requests on their behalf to William Scribner Few will pray for them if you do not
32:14: Though we are committed and commanded to intercede for all men Few engage in this duty as they should when it is done
32:22: Those who are prayed for are often those who are considered important in the churches are the world's estimation
32:29: Three, why should you pray for your child's salvation? No one else can pray for them as you do
32:36: The genuine love you have for your children the tenderness you feel for them and your knowledge of their makeup needs and problems
32:43: Qualify you to plead with God on their behalf with an urgency and an earnestness which can take no refusal
32:50: When God wants to convince us of his willingness to hear prayer He bases his argument on his parental love if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children
33:00: How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him and Lastly William Scribner praying for your child's salvation
33:09: By their salvation granted in answer to your prayers your Savior will be glorified
33:14: Not merely the salvation of your children, but the glory of your dear Savior in their salvation should impel you to pray for them
33:22: This motive should be stronger than any other which can influence you to seek their salvation
33:30: The book that I would recommend before we get to the next question is your child's profession of faith
33:35: Dennis Gunderson your child's profession of faith Dennis Gunderson Okay Some of you look sleepy.
33:44: That's okay. You know what we're gonna do We're gonna do another one if you would need to be dismissed you can Can you imagine
33:51: Paul preaching into the night and Eutychus just falls asleep? That is amazing,
33:56: I think we need a good old -fashioned preach -a -thon here again on Saturday, maybe we'll do that pretty soon
34:03: This is a quick one a Surprising doctor number three and again
34:11: I say this as the pastor. I think the other men believe this on the leadership team
34:18: And if they don't they can tell me I don't believe you should take communion without being baptized You have no right to take communion without being baptized believe take communion believe and attend church believe and give believe and serve believe and Usher believe and go on the hike believe and read books believe
34:41: What did you know the Bible has belief and baptism? Hooked so closely together that if you don't know your
34:50: Bible you believe in baptismal regeneration You say to yourself there's this repentant belief thing in Acts chapter 2 so your sins are gonna be forgiven
34:59: It was so close together It was just a reflex you go to the doctor and you're Hank you're sitting there on the on the table and they hit your leg with that little
35:09: Triangle -shaped rubber brown thing that's on a handle and you hit it and then your knee goes out right.
35:15: What's that called a? What? Now what's the little mallet called, what's it called a reflex yes, huh?
35:30: Reflexometer, okay, that's that's great the reflexes believe and be baptized
35:42: Now some churches that practice and more of a close communion would talk to you and say do you know what have you been baptized
35:49: And they would not allow you to have communion unless in fact you were first Corinthians chapter 11 talks about sin that's in the life of the
35:59: Christian or something that could cause pain that is Sickness or death because of a sin that you harbor
36:06: I would have to say that if you are believer in Christ Jesus and not baptized
36:12: That's a pretty big sin isn't it? If God says to be baptized and you aren't baptized what do we call that?
36:20: Sin so then you should say to yourself I want to obey now. I have said to some people sometimes they say you know what but I've got a scheduled next week or in a few weeks whenever the tank can get pulled and Filled and I have friends and family member who want to come to the baptism and so we've got a plan
36:37: Can I do it then and even then I say do you know what let's believe? Let's get baptized and then communion is for a church member who has believed and has been baptized
36:49: I don't say it a whole lot because Some people could say well, I have a different view. I just know this to be true
36:57: Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ It's a belief that you believe but it's been first granted you by God when you believe on the finished work of Christ Jesus Your eyes have been opened
37:06: God has made you alive and you say I don't only have knowledge of the resurrection and Christ's life
37:11: I not only have assent to that but I have a complete trust in that knowledge assent and trust
37:18: Saving faith then that person says you know what I will obey God and do what he says as I'm able and the first thing
37:25: God tells you to do is get baptized symbolizing death to your old life resurrection newness to life and then take communion
37:34: I Know some people this church. I don't know if they still do it or not They let all their children take communion because they think of the
37:42: Old Testament Passover Account where all the children could in and eat the Passover meal
37:48: So they say well, you know what let the children do it as well you come into the church body collective
37:57: Community, can I say community people have robbed me from saying the word community? All right. I can't say intentional anymore
38:03: I can't say core values. I can't say community. I can't say relevant. What else what's another word that I can't say anymore
38:11: Miss you know, why do people talk like that?
38:17: By the way, we're really miss you know, we serve a missional God Yeah, I know that children welcome in our services
38:26: Can you imagine when you see that on the sign children welcome? I just go. What are you doing?
38:31: Of course children are welcome. We welcome children Come dress casually if you'd like dresses you want
38:39: Of course dress way. I don't sell the church that way I mean, I never should sell the church, but I want to promote the church by you know
38:46: We talked about Christ Jesus here in the gospel. I don't care what sin you've done. You can be forgiven There's one
38:52: God and he has mercy on people just like you and if you put your faith and trust in Christ Jesus forgiveness for every sin
38:58: How's that for advertising? Okay, I'm digressing. I believe that you should be
39:05: Saved baptized before you take communion and so for our children I think there are some of our children who believe but they're not baptized
39:13: So they don't get communion and you know what we say to our kids when they're really little you pass the plate over You know kids want to take
39:20: I want a little cracker or whatever and you just pass it and with a nice tender smile You just say to your younger kids
39:27: This is for Christians. You just pass it over. This is for Christians. This is the
39:32: Passover meal No, this is the New Testament ordinance Now we have the new covenant and this is the new
39:40: Lord's Supper so I don't think you should have your children taking communion if they're not baptized and then you say see what now the number two and number three have
39:51: Piggybacked on each other and now you're preventing them from baptism and you're preventing them from communion And I would say the answer is yes
39:57: And I'm also preventing you from a heartbreak and a heartbreak that will happen a lot when you say yes
40:03: My kids made a profession of faith and then walked away. You know how many people this is not a good argument because it's experiential
40:09: But you know how many people say I thought I was a Christian and I had that false assurance and I walked away
40:16: And I realized you know what what kept me having that false assurance was not just I walked the aisle and I made a
40:22: Decisional regeneration and came forward and had an experience it was because I was baptized and everybody confirmed me the fact
40:29: Yes, in fact, we think you're a Christian So Boy, I didn't get to Ten Commandments.
40:38: I didn't get to anything else. What am I doing? Okay, let's just do one more
40:51: You know how many pages I have? I have a hundred and twenty pages I'm on page 13
41:00: I Always think you should have more than you need Then less than you need Okay, maybe this one won't be that fascinating But I don't have time to tell you why
41:11: I don't think the Ten Commandments are for the church today and how I think they're A legal code for Israel and how
41:16: I think we're not under the law, but we're under laws. That is Christ Jesus How we're not Israel. I don't have time for any of that.
41:23: So let me just give you a quick one Let's turn our Bibles the first Timothy chapter 3 and let's talk about why elders at Bethlehem Bible Church choose other elders
41:31: Surprising doctor number four if especially if you're a visitor, why do elders choose other elders every other church?
41:38: I've been to the congregation of votes. They announce they Request everything else.
41:44: Why does this church have no? Congregational vote for elders and Secondly, that's very close to this.
41:54: Why are elders elders for life that is to say Our old church they were on for three years and then off for one
42:01: Let's answer those questions and we'll do it quickly and then we'll be dismissed first Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 and following helps us in a pastoral epistle understand
42:13: What to do for leadership in the local church now? I'm just gonna kind of egg you on for a second true or false absolute power corrupts.
42:21: Absolutely Absolute power. Hey elders.
42:26: They've got absolute power if you're gonna tell me congregational voting doesn't exist at BBC I'll never forget that 1999
42:33: Bethlehem Bible Church voted out all voting rights Can you imagine you have one vote tonight?
42:39: You're gonna vote to no longer get to vote. That was a wild night who was here a
42:46: Couple Haley were you baptized at the time? Okay, it doesn't count. I'm just kidding voting out voting
42:55: Absolute power corrupts. Absolutely. Is that a true statement? Is that just always true?
43:01: The Lord Jesus Christ has absolute power and he is uncorrupted And we just go
43:07: Oh absolute power corrupts. Absolutely. That's true But the absolute despot the absolute King of Kings the almighty
43:14: Omnipotent God who sovereign who bought the church who purchased the church with his own blood ransomed?
43:20: The church has said I want elders fallible. Yes sinful. Yes, not spotless
43:26: Not perfect. I want them to lead the church And so to me that dissolves any kind of thing where you say, you know what?
43:34: I'm not to Lord it over people doesn't first Peter 5 say I'm not to Lord it over not to just hammer the people so first Timothy chapter 3
43:45: Verse 1 it says the same is trustworthy There's got to be a reason why Paul said that even introductory phrase
43:54: Because it is trustworthy if anyone aspires to the office of overseer could be translated bishop.
44:01: It's equivalent to the word Elder He desires a noble task and then it gives a list and at the top of the list
44:11: Therefore an overseer must be above reproach people can say things about him, but it doesn't stick
44:17: Yes, he's sinful, but he he's quick to repent and quick to clean His conscience before the
44:25: Lord like deacons as well if anyone aspires to the office of the overseer We have had elders step down when
44:32: I say appointed for life, here's what I mean They are appointed to life as long as they desire it and as long as they have the qualifications right, so Why let me ask you a different question.
44:44: Why do people say three years on and one year off? This is no compromise style ready.
44:49: Why three years on one year off a lot of churches do it We have three years on and then you got to step down for a year
44:55: Here's Texas aspires to be an elder there's nothing ever in the Bible about three years on when you're off Why do you do three years on and when you're off?
45:03: What's the practical reason churches Bethlehem Bible Church 14 years ago three years on when you're off?
45:08: Why do you do that? Burnout. Oh, that's good. I never really thought of that Dealing with sheep all the time
45:16: You can maybe get burnt out and you need to work on your own life and there's a lot of stress. Okay good. What else?
45:27: Okay, so it's kind of like, you know this whole Putin deal, you know he's gonna be around and and He's gonna take the power back again
45:34: And he gets the power and he never is gonna let go and then the longer you're in the more power you get Roosevelt or who's who's the longest -serving president?
45:42: Roosevelt how many years? Twelve twelve. Yeah, but one of the big reasons churches do it
45:53: Is because if you pick the wrong guy, that is the congregation picks the wrong guy instead of the elders trying to say
46:00: You've got to step down according to first Timothy chapter 5 and removing an elder biblically It's easier to write him out
46:07: That guy will be done in two years. He's not qualified now. He doesn't do what he's supposed to do I got to this church and the one of the first elders
46:13: I met Had really a good knack of inviting people over to his house and I thought that's excellent
46:21: Well, you want an elder that says oh, come on over come to our house. That'd be good We can get to know each other and you know why that elder invited people to his house to sell magnets
46:32: I'm Thinking you got a hospitality. You're hospitable, but you've got a reason to invite them over You don't do that elders.
46:40: Don't do that Yeah, you know what? Maybe maybe Kim could make a little bit money on pampered chef, but I'm not gonna let her sell pampered chef
46:47: I guess you're up to $2 now Why doesn't she get a sell pampered chef some of the cool things and slicing machines and all that?
46:52: It's kind of nice because I'm not gonna have her invite you over to my house and say you you know
46:58: You should buy this and you go, you know what? I didn't buy anything from the pastor's wife because my goal is not to make money off of you.
47:08: I couldn't believe it So, what do you do if an elder has got a goal and that goal is
47:13: I'd like to sell magnets Just how how ridiculous can you imagine
47:18: Dave Jeffries? is you know, I'd like to have you come over to my house for some fellowship and And here's my new pillow and it's coated with a special Japanese magnet to sell to you
47:34: So, what do you have to do? You know how hard it is to try to say do you know what? You're not qualified to be an elder and according to this biblical passage
47:43: We are going to prosecute you to make you step down from being an elder now Do you know how ballistic that can get?
47:50: Do you know how behind the scenes how bad that can get? Do you know what can happen with voices and tenor and volume and everything else?
47:59: Do you know how that person who feels like they're on the short end of the stick? Begins to go outside of the elder meeting to talk badly about every single person who wants him out to try to split the church
48:11: It happens all the time So why confront the guy?
48:17: Let's just write him out three years on one year off. We'll be done with him We'll get the next good old boy, but know what's the text say?
48:25: Hey, if you're qualified and you desire if anyone aspires, I'd love to do that I I fall short by the way
48:31: Every single person that we've ever interviewed at Bethlehem Bible Church as an elder board and we would say we think you could be an elder
48:37: We think you should be an elder. We think you're gifted We think God has given you the qualifications in first Timothy 3 and Titus chapter 1.
48:44: Do you know what every single guy has said? I Don't think I measure up. I don't think that's me.
48:50: I fall short in so many ways If you aspire to be an elder and you're able to be an elder then you can be an elder as Long as you're alive
49:05: Why don't we allow the church to pick in one sense? You do get a pick and in a very small sense when
49:13: I say per deep key lock is our new elder candidate You probably if you're thinking rightly would say, you know what pretty spin acting like an elder all along the last few years
49:24: I've seen him grow and I've seen how he prays for people comes alongside the people disciples people when he does sin
49:30: He's quick to just get that out of his life. He doesn't want to he wants to teach he's gifted in teaching He's skilled in teaching
49:35: I can just see that yes That's in fact true and you're confirmed by not only the elders above you, but you're confirmed by those
49:43: Congregate congregants who'd say yeah, I really see that but we don't let the congregation vote on leadership because that would be
49:52: Advocating our responsibility as church leaders. I don't know about you But so far
49:57: I've not and this is a no way insulting. I don't ask my kids where to put the 401k
50:04: Because they might not be able to do it and I'm the dad. I'm the leader I'm supposed to take care of some of these things or I delegate that responsibility to my more
50:13: Financially savvy wife she can take care of it, but I don't say to the kids. Well, you know, what do you think?
50:19: So we at Bethlehem Bible Church We don't vote for elders except we do vote as an elder board and I want you to know that every elder decision is
50:27: Unanimous or we don't go forward. Everybody has to agree or we don't go forward All right.
50:33: Well Ten Commandments Covenant of Redemption church growth
50:41: That's all gonna have to wait All right, we're gonna pray no final song Abe and Ross do we want to go do what we're gonna say we want to get home
50:50: All right, Abe and Ross are going right down the street Dairy Queen Vanilla dipped cones and chocolate.
50:59: It's right down the street. It's pretty new a Bunch of Greek Orthodox people own it so you can see the little icons there, but they're nice I like to do business with people who are moral versus corrupt and they're kind and you can go evangelize them
51:13: And you can ask your swirl cone to be in the shape of a 316 or something. You can do whatever you'd like And so we're gonna go get an ice cream right after that I've been very encouraged today by you listening to the word preached and listening to the passage this morning to think that God would save us put us together as a church body and we want
51:34: Christ Jesus to be exalted It really is exciting. I'm excited to see what the
51:39: Lord will do I didn't get to it But I was gonna tell you why we're not gonna ask for money beg for money if the Lord is working at Bethlehem Bible Church He's going to have to take care of a new building and the millions of dollars
51:52: If he doesn't take care of it, I guess we'll be here for a long time, right? That's so good. All right, who thinks they're gonna go to ice cream?
52:00: You guys you feel beat up tonight. Did I beat you up? You just look beat up How many kids want their parents to take him to ice cream right on?
52:10: Yeah, yes Mas grande para tu.
52:21: All right, let's pray Father we are so thankful today that we have a risen
52:31: Savior Every day's Resurrection Sunday for us
52:38: Because the grave couldn't hold Christ Jesus father how sad it is to look at the world lost
52:47: Not knowing about sin not knowing about repentance Not knowing about eternity not knowing about Christ But you were rich in mercy towards us you did open our eyes and you gave us eyes to see spiritual things you let our hearts understand the truth of the gospel and In eternity past you chose us
53:10: Someone walks out of the adoption agency and chooses some And we all applaud them and for you you walked in as it were
53:20: In eternity past and the Father Son and the Spirit and you chose us of all people
53:27: To set your love upon we thank you for that and we're thankful that we have your word for guidance.
53:33: We have each other. I Pray for Bethlehem Bible Church that you'd help our church to love one another to defer to one another how great it is that we have a camaraderie
53:46: Not because of the food we like not because of the clothes we wear not because of our background or ethnicity
53:52: Because of the gospel in Christ perfect atonement up from the grave he arose
53:59: Jesus name we pray. Amen. All right, you are dismissed for those of you that said I wanted covenant dispensationalism stuff talked about tonight