February 3, 2022 Show with Jeff Noblit on “The True Church Conference”

Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It's iron sharpens iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors Christian scholars and theologians address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.

Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. Matthew Henry said that in this passage We are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to have a view in Conversation to make one another wiser and better.

It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours. And we hope to hear from you the listener with your own questions, and now here's your host Chris Arnzen.

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 Arnzen your host of iron sharpens iron radio wishing you all a happy Thursday on this third day of February 2022 and I am thrilled to have a first-time guest today that a number of folks In my listening audience Have urged me to interview who have been personally blessed in quite remarkable ways By the ministry of this man.

His name is Jeff Noblett. He is senior pastor teacher at Grace Life Church of the Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. And he is founder and president of anchored in truth ministries today. We are going to be discussing a very important event Called the true church conference and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you for the very first time ever to iron sharpens iron radio pastor Jeff Noblett.

Well, thank you. Chris. It's my joy to be with you today. It's my joy W brother and First of all tell our listeners something about Grace Life Church of the Shoals and Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Well, we're relatively new church I guess you would say as far as church 41 of those years not here at the time but it was a group that actually split off from another church and I Would say something of a mixed multitude to the center true gospel, etc.

And one of the new church in the in the Bible belt where broadcast would agree there's a plague of unhealthiness and the conservative evangelical churches, but anyway, the church started and I came up well praise God for that and.

Anchored in Truth Ministries and Church Planting

Anchored in truth ministries. Tell us about that Organization. Our listeners will be especially familiar with the name anchored in truth ministries because There are frequently aired Advertisements for your ministry on this program.

So tell us about this purpose of ministry.

Well anchored in truth originally was simply an effort to get the expositional preaching of the word out from from our pulpit. Planned though begin one in their area and they own local church life and what biblically healthy.

So we started to get contacts from people who would say we've studied your ministry. We've been listening to you on the air over the internet, etc for years. And could you help us plant a church and say well, how do you turn down a request like that?

So it's grown from just tablet into a Teaching of the word that we put out and I like to say this Chris that went to backwards. I think I can't say I had this great vision. We would just like I said get contacts people would say couldn't either Reforming our church replanting our church or planting a blend brand-new church.

And I think we have about 35 of those now. Wow. Praise God for that. The true church conference is Something that I am looking forward to attending. I am trying to get all my ducks in order as they say to make the trip Down to Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

And by the way, I happen to be a lover of R &B music and I know that Muscle Shoals Is the birthplace of the best of R &B? In fact many R &B fans May be quite shocked to discover that Their most beloved R &B music coming out of fame studios originally in Muscle Shoals.

Although the premier artists involved were black men and women the Musical accompaniment was predominantly performed by white folk. And they might be shocked to learn that that all these R &B greats like Aretha Franklin and many others whose whose careers were launched in Muscle Shoals.

They might be Shocked to know that the background accompanying music was performed as I just said by white by middle-aged white guys.

Well, that's the truth. It's got quite a history it's. Really kind of a special thing for this area in the history is yeah, in fact.

My One night that I ever spent in Birmingham, I Ate dinner I was I thought that I was going to be eating dinner alone at a restaurant called Shea Fon Fon and Before I entered into the restaurant. I prayed that the Lord would give me an opportunity to sit near someone who would be Open to having a conversation and where I would have freedom to talk about my faith and Talk about the gospel and talk about iron trip and Zion radio as soon as I walked into that restaurant And it was jam-packed a couple waved me over near them.

I did not know this couple. I sat down with them and had dinner with them and it turned out that The the husband of the couple It was a husband and wife the the husband is Jay Johnson the son of the world-renowned Jazz Musician Jimmy Johnson from Muscle Shoals, he was one of the I think they called them the mutters the Musicians from The Fame Studios there in Muscle Shoals, that would be that would be the swappers the swappers that's it not the mutters The swappers and I had a wonderful time.

I remained in contact and it still do with Jay Johnson and his lovely bride and I'm hoping that if I make it down to Muscle Shoals That they will attend the conference as well but But that's something to pray about and if you're listening Jay and Mrs. Johnson if you're listening my shout out to you and it was wonderful to meet you and I hope to see you soon again the the true church conference now, I love every theme that I'm aware of that you folks have Focused upon at these annual conferences.

I know that that what I believe is last year. Unfortunately was canceled over kovat issues if I'm not mistaken but the The themes have always been excellent and your panel or your roster of speakers extraordinary.

I have interviewed on my program already Darrell Bernard Harrison and Virgil Walker and David Miller And I'm looking forward to God willing having the opportunity to interview Richard Caldwell Barry King and Jonathan Sims who I have not yet interviewed.

But tell us about this true church conference. Well, we are.

Chris we are shall I say rapidly local church centered. Quickly doctrinally. The local churches we we put the conference together years ago again at the request. Can you tell us how you learned about church got a meaningful membership role?

How did you develop the active practice of biblical conflict resolution church discipline? How did you do personalized strategic world missions that's been so blessed and so we got to thinking how could we do a conference?

And teach these things when our calendar is already full. Well, we had a very large and very blessed world mission true church. I'm sorry that the world impact conference and I thought you know, really a Bible conference.

Should be a missions conference. Should be a church planting conference. They I'm not saying that their folks are wrong to separate those, but I just think biblically speaking they almost have to be connected and so we took our worked it into a.

A.

Theologically sound expeditiously preaching based ends on in strong. We reformed this church over the last 40 years. So it's very different. Satan let us get up and yell about these things all the time.

But you begin to actually change a church in both proclamation and methodologies. That's a tough thing. So we in the balance we're bringing a mission from our own experience of reforming grace like Church of the Shoals.

The One True Church and Local Church Faithfulness

Amen now there may be people in fact, I'm nearly certain there will be people who are very apprehensive and skittish and Nervous and maybe even angry when they hear the name true church conference now.

Obviously, we know if we are truly regenerate and believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. We know that there is only one true church, but that is not a particular denomination. It's not a particular fellowship or brotherhood Or association of churches.

It's not a even a single congregation. There are cults that claim to be the one true Church the Roman Catholic Church for centuries did but with the most Liberal Pope in their history. I don't know if they would still at least publicly make that claim.

Although their dogma makes that claim to alleviate the apprehension and fear of those listening this is not some kind of a.

Cultic.

Overstatement of your view of Your particular group. We know that there is only one true church and that's the Church of Christ, but the the Church of Jesus Christ Spans denominations. There are true believers in the invisible Church.

Who are from Baptist congregations? Presbyterian congregations. Lutheran congregations independent Bible Church congregations. Anglican congregations. And we could go on and on. But That the the one true church is in regard to all of those who have been placed in Christ's Church through the Holy Spirit and it is not as I was saying one denomination group or congregation.

I even know of a Landmark Baptist Church on Long Island, New York that believes literally that it is the only true church on Long Island, New York. So you're not talking about that? I'm pretty confident to say.

Well, I probably helped to give a little bit context of where I came from when I started to use that. I say maybe I stole a little bit from John MacArthur on this.

That's quite all right. That's a good person to steal from.

Well, I don't know 30 35 years ago I flew to Los Angeles as I was beginning the reforms of this church and we're a very large church for our demographic. And have had quite a significant influence in our denomination in years past.

But say all that to say I begin to change some things to be more true to Scripture. That's what I mean by that and literally Chris. I'm not exaggerating. It's in God. These men I know are Southern Baptist and they're my friends and I thank God for them.

But as far as finding a large true nine marks of a healthy church that really functioned in those not perfectly. We know that's impossible. It was hard to find a local church that could give me guidance and I literally flew to Los Angeles and John MacArthur was very gracious to give me time and Encouragement and I basically went after to say people in these churches.

But as a whole the local church systems had become very unhealthy. Let's say so I thought why don't we strive to build true churches? So that I don't mean that in any way shape or fashion in a cultic sense as you I would say to a person If you're a pastor or we're only dealing with the most Foundational issues about what women should wear and all of these legalistic things.

As I told somebody we don't dress like the cast of Little House on the Prairie. You know From the Northeast, but what we ran into over the last several decades. Particularly in badness life in the South was as a young minister I would say things like why do we have all these people on our church rolls?

Who don't even come to church and we know their lifestyles. They don't act anything like Christians and they would say well, that's not right. But that's just the way it is. Over and over and honestly, I didn't grow up in church.

I grew up in a quasi agnostic household with no gin of any kind and so when I became converted at age 19 I just fell in love with the scriptures and I did two things. Thoroughly search the scriptures and good good sound theological text.

Well, I came to a resolution on what these things need to be established in a healthy local church. And if they did it in church history, and it was solid in church history systematic understanding not one or two verses.

Okay, then why can't we do it today, right? And you just cannot fathom the warfare in opposition. We had Wow. Well, I know I know.

So I know several pastors That were being voted out of their positions by Deacon boards and The they were being voted out for non biblical reasons these were fine men of God holding Firmly to the truths of Scripture and that was why they were being voted out.

It made people uncomfortable and In every case of these men that I know personally who were voted out of their pastoral positions. They said on the day that the congregational vote was occurring there were Dozens if not a hundred or more people that showed up that they had never even seen before.

These were people just like you were talking about who were on the membership rolls But never darkened the door of the church unless it was something like Experiencing some kind of vindictive glee and voting a man out and So it was quite eerie to hear that all he would be staring out the at the pews Seeing all these faces that he had never seen before Voting him to be removed.

Now wouldn't you say a healthy sign of a church a biblically? Designed church a biblically faithful church. A Healthy sign of this is that there are more people in attendance on a Sunday morning than there are members.

Isn't that typically a healthy sign? Well again, that was very true in church history.

If you if you and I'm Baptist. Not the nomination Lee speaking so much. It's just my core convictions that are biblical and are baptistic. But saying all that to say If you look in church history 25 ,000 church members.

Now that's 1875 now was there abuses it? Yeah, there were some abuses, but my point is that is radical today. It's like you can't you think today you would be Disassociated with by your local Baptist community if you did if you if you in that day rather you to be Excluded black ball if you did not faithfully practice right the opposite.

We were black ball from our area here clearly because we practice bill. I'm saying all that say yeah that and that's one of the reasons why we have these bloated membership roles. It's nobody's ever held an account now.

There's so much to be said and I'm I find through the years I'm radically misunderstood. They take what I mean this what I mean a harsh heavy-handed Dictatorial thing we are very gracious and we always say if any brother or sister is Trying it all toward repentance.

Everything's kept in extremely confidential. We wrap our arms of love around them in a private setting ladies with the ladies men with men and try to.

Shepherd them back to full fellowship in the church. Amen. And by the way, I Know that some of my listeners might be tired of me constantly repeating this but I think it's important If it were not for church discipline There is a very strong likelihood.

I would not be sitting here today speaking with you because I Was put under church discipline over a decade ago at the former church where I was a member before moving to Pennsylvania and These brethren's these brethren Put me under church discipline because sadly During the illness and subsequent passing of my late wife I plunged back into the sin of habitual drunkenness and as I said if my pastors my elders did not with love and a desire to see me restored to the body of Christ and a desire to see me Rescued from the clutches of a damning activity not only damning in an eternal sense, but a life-destroying activity.

If they had not Conducted church discipline. I would likely have died because the the level and frequency of drunkenness That I was habitually Participating in would have eventually killed me if I didn't quit and I hope that my But one of my former pastors Mark Romaldi and Doug Totter are listening I even interviewed pastor Mark on the church discipline process after it happened to me by by him and his fellow elders.

So I place a very high Role of church discipline in the way that I view a biblically functioning church and As you were just saying church discipline is not supposed to be some tyrannical dictatorial cultic harsh Punishment by church leaders Toward a congregate.

Now, obviously you and I know that that does happen where where elders overstep their bounds and Discipline people for reasons that are unbiblical and in manners that the discipline itself is unbiblical well the level or extent of it, but But the I would think that you would probably agree that in our day and age the more frequent Sin in the church is to avoid church discipline at all, especially when members are popular and perhaps even wealthy.

Well, and that's by the way, that's a wonderful testimony that gives glory to God because this is his truth not my truth. This is what I mean. It's just in his word. But in my town when I first started here.

We're talking about 8 ,000 proper in this in Muscle Shoals property. There's three other small cities connected. But so when we discipline someone. Everybody knew about it and everybody was can in some way and you know.

You go to Walmart and see 12 people that hated you, you know. But here's the cool thing about it and all glory to God is that church has a very high esteem in this community. Because we didn't change.

They learned we weren't dictatorial work hard. I mean you can't build the football team and not keep the rules have an immense respect from City Council the mayor's chief of police, etc. And I'm so just hang in there it's an affirmation over the long haul the other scriptures to be at peace with you and Do and be in the church and trust me.

We're never perfect. Oh my goodness. We're still repenting and learning at Grace Life Church of the Shoals. We have not arrived, but we'd like to say we're on the journey. We're on the track striving toward being as true to the scriptures as we can if you'll stay on that journey and stay on that track God would give you.

The people might say something like this. I wouldn't join your church, but I do respect you guys. And by the way, I don't want them to join my church if God hadn't regenerated them. And if they don't have a heart for what we are what we do.

That means the Spirit of God hadn't done anything God has not added by the way. That's that's a journey. We've been on for a long what we were talking about. It all developed out of people seeing and observing the track we were on and we survived.

This little lot of guys but keep the property start over and you kept it. It is rather remarkable because Chris we had three major splits in my first and if any of the two splits had gotten together they would add enough folks to vote me out and somehow we just survived and we've been able to replace all those folks and Actually today I'm in my 44 never been better in any way shape or fashion.

It's our best days by far praise God. And when we come back from our first break I'd like you to as our tradition on this program Goes, I would like you to give your salvation testimony. You already started to you alluded to it earlier.

But we have a tradition here in our interpreters on radio whenever we have a first-time guest that we've never interviewed before. We have them give a and at least an abbreviated version of their salvation testimony that would include.

The kind of religious atmosphere they were raised in if any and what were the providential Circumstances that our sovereign Lord raised up in their lives that drew them to himself and saved them. And Although there was only one gospel and one Christ that saves sinners there are different ways that that manifests through providence and occurrences in the lives of Humanity.

There are some that were raised in Christian homes and don't remember a day that they did that they did not love Christ and there are others that were drug abusers or even people in prison who have murdered others and we could go on and on with the varying degrees of sin that individuals.

Were enslaved by before they became Christians. But I'd love to hear a fuller account of your testimony when we return. And if anybody has any questions, our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.

Chris a RN z en a gmail .com as always. Please give us your first name at least your city and state of residence and your country of residence if you live outside the USA. Please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.

We will extend to you the courtesy of allowing you to remain anonymous if that is the case. But if it's just a general question on anything we are discussing or any pastoral issue. Since my guest today is a pastor.

Or on specific themes we are addressing if these are general questions. Please give us your first name at least your city and state and country of residence. Don't go away. We'll be right back with pastor Jeff Knoblet right after these messages.

Since.

2007 anchored in truth ministries has hosted the annual true church conference at Grace Life Church of the Shoals in Muscle Shoals Alabama. This conference began as a training conference for pastors and church leaders who are striving to build true biblically healthy churches.

Conference themes have included church discipline repentance discipleship conversion Hyper-Calvinism the family the doctrine of sin and the pretenders. Anchored in truth ministries would like to invite you to the 2022 true church conference Which will be held from February 17th through the 20th.

The theme of the conference will be healthy body life in the local church. Specifically as it pertains to biblical church discipline biblical counseling biblical conflict resolution and protecting the sheep from savage wolves.

The scheduled speakers for the conference are Daryl Harrison Virgil Walker Jeff Knoblet Jonathan Sims Richard Caldwell David Miller and Barry King. For more information or to register for the conference, please visit anchored in truth org That's anchored in truth org and click on the true church conference tab at the top of the page.

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Brethren if you are a man in ministry leadership, I Ask of you to send me an email if you're interested in attending my next iron sharpens iron radio pastors luncheon. This is for men in ministry leadership.

That would be pastors elders deacons Leaders of parachurch ministries and it is for men only and in fact the speaker at my next a pastor's luncheon Will be the aforementioned Daniel P. Buttafuoco the founder and president of the Historical Bible Society.

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So send me an email if you are a man in ministry leadership and would like to attend. We don't have the exact date yet. But it will be in the Carlisle Pennsylvania area Cumberland Valley Pennsylvania area and Send me an email to Chris Arnson at gmail .com.

Chris Arnson at gmail .com and put pastors luncheon in the subject line and we'll give you updates on the exact date and location. If you just tuned us in our guest today is pastor Jeff Knoblet. This is the first time We have had the honor and privilege to have pastor Jeff on the program today.

He is the senior pastor teacher at Grace Life Church of the Shoals and Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Founder and president of anchored in truth ministries. We are talking about the true church conference.

We're also talking about some of the distinctives of Grace Life Church of the Shoals and also anchored in truth ministries and what you should expect to hear at the true church conferences and If you have a question for Pastor Jeff our email address is Chris Arnson at gmail .com.

Chris Arnson at gmail .com. Again, give us your first name city and state and country of residence only remain anonymous if your question is a personal and private one and Just before the break pastor Jeff.

I Asked that you would please give us a summary of your salvation testimony. You already really began to give that earlier on in the program. But this would involve the kind of religious atmosphere if any you were raised in and the kinds of providential Circumstances our sovereign Lord raised up in your life that drew you to himself and saved you.

Well, thank you, Chris. I'll be glad to do that. I grew up actually in Larkspur about 30 miles north of where I presently pastor again. We were not a religious family as a young child Mother did attend a United Methodist.

Sure. There's some theological liberalism I don't remember a lot of strong Bible preaching or teaching. We were not there all that much but Personally, there was some godly saints. I remember I remember one lady in particular who had us memorized the 100th Psalm and as a small child that stuck with me and I guess growing up through junior high and high school centerpiece of my life and direction up and I was um, and So no real father figure present and I pretty much ran my own life, but I just remembered the deep thinker.

But well, why am I here what his life was on what his life all about those kind of questions would would help me as such and I graduated high school at University and Just remember that that continued emptiness.

I would try to feel with pleasures etc things of the world and Happen to turn on WSM radio out of Nashville, Tennessee one Sunday night driving back to college. The college again was in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

And those religious broadcasting on had I known that I wouldn't have turned it on but it it captured my attention. And of all things through these great choir singing. I'm sure what were the great anthems of the faith and for whatever reason Though I wouldn't attracted to that.

I Felt drawn to it. I I was blessed by it. I felt a solace in listening to that singing and I'm not for sure but imagine about the best research I've done a Program came on after that singing and it was in our decline Presbyterian minister and his son and Dr. DeHaan shared a little brief gospel message That the only way you can know joy and peace and love and contentment and have your sins forgiven is through Jesus Christ and I like to just show them down to the top of that said you to cut this Oldsmobile and I was By the love school and don't change.

I didn't know what had happened, but I knew I love this Christ I just breathe and then over the next few weeks I became just very deeply convicted of my sin and unworthiness. And it was that beautiful balance that all true regenerate people have of knowing that I'm a wretched and unworthy sinner and deserve only judgment, but I know he's cleansed me that he's forgiven me and Having no real church background since I was a child.

I started visiting churches and Of course, if you're in the southeast you visit churches, you're gonna run into bad this church.

Yeah, every time I've been to the south there on there's several on every block.

Yes, yes, and Fortunately, I went into a church and they were still preaching the book. All the bad and I was bad immediately began Preaching and teaching as I had opportunity. Yeah, I don't think I would have said I was called to preach.

Matter of fact, you just couldn't have been more ignorant Chris than I was. Um, I remember someone hearing me shared a youth service and it was an older lady and she said you're called to preach. I had no idea what that meant.

I thought somebody might be calling me on the phone or something.

And.

Wisdom or common sense about things but transferred to North Alabama to the University of North Alabama and God let me lead a very successful college Bible study there at the University and I went across the river and found this little new church.

Start and walked in the door and I was up there a few months. When the pastor said, you know I've never done this before he said well, come on. We'll learn together. And so like I said, that's been 41 years and I'm still here.

Reformed Theology, Southern Baptist History, and Calvinism

God now, how? Did you come to discover and embrace the doctrines of sovereign grace?

Teacher by the name of Charles the senior pastor at the time was reformed in his faith, so. That's what we were and I did not know. Matter of fact, I didn't know to call it reformed theology. It was just the Bible that I was taught these glorious doctrines and I can see now looking back.