A Church at the Crossroads

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July 24, 2024

Today, July 24, 2024, is the two-year anniversary of this message, A Church at the Crossroads. This message was preached by Pastor Allen Nelson at Perryville Second Baptist Church (now Providence Baptist) about the need for Biblical reformation. We hope it encourages you and helps you along your journey towards a healthy church! Eddie and Allen will be coming of their Summer Break soon...

00:01: She already noticed we're only saying two this morning things a little bit different this morning we
00:07: Just want to share with you my heart From all that the Lord has been doing this summer and so I hope that you're able to to listen and and be encouraged and challenged and Think about the things that The Word of God has to say to us today
00:25: I'm part of the last generation. I think that can remember what it was like to go on a trip without a
00:31: GPS You remember that when
00:38: When you were younger or whatever Used to go place and just take a map
00:43: I'm not even talking about Map quest I'm talking about you just had to take a map now this didn't happen too often
00:50: But I do remember dad growing up on trips to go into another rodeo There was a couple times that he he had to pull over and actually pull out the map
01:01: And decide okay, we're here Which way is it that we need to go which way is the is the right way?
01:10: You ever been walking and you come to a crossroads you stop you look you consider
01:17: Which way do I need to go? Turning your Bibles to Jeremiah 6. It's been a while since I've said turning your
01:23: Bibles to anywhere else besides Ephesians I think turn your Bibles to Jeremiah 6 Life has crossroads
01:29: You might say our nation is at a crossroads. You might say the Southern Baptist Convention is at a crossroads
01:37: This morning. I want to hit closer to home Our church is at a crossroads
01:43: We have options before us on which way we could go
01:49: But I want to encourage us this morning that only Only one of them is the good way the right way the good path of rest
01:57: So we take a break from Ephesians and the subject from our text is there's a church at the crossroads.
02:03: So Jeremiah Chapter 6 and I want to read this morning verses 16 and 17
02:09: I invite you to stand in honor of the reading of God's Word Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 16 and 17 thus says
02:16: Yahweh Stand by the roads and look and ask
02:23: The ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and find rest for your souls
02:30: But they said we will not walk in it I set watchmen over you saying pay attention to the sound of the trumpet, but they said
02:39: We will not pay attention Let's pray father. We pray that Christ is exalted today we pray for a spirit of Humility and grace from the pulpit and spirit of humility and an eagerness and hunger for your word from the pew
02:53: Lord, we pray that we would hear what your word has to say and adjust our lives in every way Lord, if there are some here who need
03:00: Christ as there's Lord and Savior what I pray even today they would bow the knee to Christ Thank you for your word.
03:08: I pray that we would be a people of the book You'd bless our church as we go forward in the days ahead.
03:15: We pray it all in Jesus name Amen may be seated a church at the crossroads
03:20: Jeremiah Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. He wrote an entire book called
03:28: Lamentations right so of just lament he began his ministry under the last good
03:34: King Josiah He was the last good King of Judah. You remember that the kingdom split the last good
03:42: King of Judah Josiah God called Jeremiah at a young age and Jeremiah spent decades preaching
03:51: God's blessing for those who would follow him and God's judgment for those who Disobeyed he foretold of the new covenant in Jeremiah 33
03:59: How those in the new covenant will have the law of God written on their hearts They will have their sins forgiven in Christ how they will all know
04:08: God But Jeremiah preached and preached and preached and and no one
04:14: Listened he even preached after Jerusalem had fallen But he never saw the revival that he hoped for his warnings were repeatedly ignored
04:25: In fact one King Jehoiakim Actually took you probably remember this story took
04:31: Jeremiah's writings and when they were read to the king He cut them up and he threw him in the fireplace
04:37: But these things did not stop Jeremiah from preaching the truth Including telling Judah the right way and if they would follow
04:44: God's way listen to this they would find rest look at verse 16 Stand by the roads thus says the
04:50: Lord stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and You will find rest for Your souls, there's actually five commands there in the text just look look at them real quick with me
05:07: Five commands there in verse 16 stand look ask walk find
05:13: These are all commands in the text stand look ask Walk find if Judah would just do this
05:22: They would see mercy Stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient past where the good way is and walk in it and find rest
05:30: For your souls if they do this they find mercy, but the text says they would not listen
05:35: But they said we will not walk in it. They were stubborn and and hard -hearted a quick application
05:41: I might give to the church is this when we come to any kind of crossroads in our life We're to stop and consider some of you listen young people some of you in just a few weeks
05:52: You'll be going back to school. You will have choices before you you're listening
05:57: You have choices before you at school Which group should I walk around with which which things should
06:05: I be interested in? How should I handle this or that decision?
06:10: Well when you come to a crossroads you ought to stop and consider you have to observe the options that are before you and then
06:16: You ought to seek the Lord's way you ought to seek the Bible you ought to seek the Scriptures And then you ought to walk in it and in so doing find rest and peace this is true of all of us any time we come to a decision a new job a
06:32: New Situation we ought to consider the path before us and we ought to ask for the ancient paths now
06:40: The Hebrew word for both roads and way in our text is direct Stand by the road stand by the direct and look and ask for the ancient past where the good way is the direct the
06:53: Word is used all over the Old Testament It's using Psalm 1 considered
07:00: Psalm 1 1 and 1 6 blesses the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of Sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers or Psalm chapter 1 verse 6 for the
07:12: Lord knows the way of the righteous But the way of the wicked will perish or turn to Proverbs real quick go back to your left turn to turn to Proverbs 14 in Proverbs 14 this word for way or roads or path is used
07:28: Proverbs 14 12 says this There is a way there is a path there is a road
07:34: That seems right to a man But its end is the way of death that is
07:40: Proverbs 14 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death or in Proverbs chapter 1
07:48: Flip over since you're already in Proverbs 14 flip over to Proverbs chapter 1 in Proverbs chapter 1 verse 11
07:57: This is the father instructing his son saying don't go this way Proverbs chapter 1 verse 11 if they say come with us let us lie and wait for blood
08:07: Let us ambush the innocent without reason like she'll let us swallow them alive and whole like those who go down to the pit
08:15: We shall find all precious goods We shall find our houses fill our houses with plunder throw in your lot among us
08:22: We will all have one purse my son. Do not walk in the way. That's the same word
08:27: Do not walk in the way with them hold back your foot from their paths That is don't go down this road.
08:33: This road is is is dangerous The scripture is full of warnings that there are roads or paths or ways that we can choose to follow and some of them may seem so Enticing some of them may seem so harmless, but ultimately they are deceptive and Destructive so many paths that are enticing or may even seem right but their end is the way of death so Jeremiah says then stand stand at the roads and Look, which path?
09:07: Will you try which way? Will you go the way of sinners or the way of the righteous the way that seems right to a man or God's way
09:19: So we come to a crossword roads. I want to say crossword. We come to a crossroads.
09:25: We stop we look We consider but here's the way that we should pick
09:31: Ask the text says back in Jeremiah 6 16 ask for the ancient paths
09:39: Look the way that a church should go the way that a believer should go is that we should seek to walk the ancient path
09:45: Now that doesn't mean that old is automatically, right? And it doesn't mean that change is always bad.
09:51: In fact in today's message I'm calling upon us for some changes, but I'm not calling us to go back to like the 1950s or whatever
10:00: It's deeper than that God is calling his people to the ancient paths stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is
10:10: And walk in it and find rest for your souls
10:15: God is calling his people to the ancient past one neat Thing about the word
10:21: Hebrew word for ancient in our text is that in Hebrew it can mean a long time back
10:26: Or it can mean a long time in the future that is these ancient paths are also
10:34: Simultaneously the everlasting paths friends the ancient paths are the scriptures
10:40: This is God's authoritative sufficient and Christ saturated word. This is the ancient path.
10:46: Which way should we go? I don't know which way to go, right? Well, we should look to the scriptures and we should walk that way the ancient paths are the eternal paths
10:55: The road God would have us to walk is the road of unchanging truth
11:02: They are the way God's people have always tried think about Enoch Enoch walked with God on what paths on these ancient paths
11:11: Genesis 5 trusting his revealed word Noah walked these ancient paths
11:17: Abraham walked these ancient paths David walked these ancient paths
11:23: Paul Peter Walked these ancient paths. This is where the good way is.
11:29: Look at verse 16 ask for the ancient paths Where the good way is
11:35: Oh if I could just believe this and You could just believe this that walking in biblical truth that walking the biblical way is where the good way is one
11:45: Commentator says this the path which it is the path which leads to the enjoyment of covenant blessing
11:52: From the Lord you're tempted every day. You say well, I know that's the way ought to go, but this way is easier, right?
11:58: But but this is the way that is good. This is the way that is blessed by God This is the road that believers must walk the word of God is the way of God's people not just theoretically but practically
12:13: I'm convinced today that I could preach in almost any Southern Baptist Church and Just get on fire and say we have to obey the book.
12:22: We have to walk by the book We have to go the ancient past and I'm convinced that probably a hundred percent of churches would say amen
12:30: But I'm saying not just theoretically Practically, I think in the six years that I've been here.
12:36: We've stood and we've looked and we've asked we've stood by the road We've looked we've asked I think we've done that a lot.
12:42: But what I'm saying is now we have to walk Now we have to walk more intentionally we can't just be right in theory about sound doctrine but we must apply that sound doctrine to the life of the church tangibly intentionally and Practically and so this is where we are today now
13:02: What I want to do is I want to talk for a moment about the past the present in the future
13:09: When I talk about the past the first thing I want to talk about is the past I'm not giving you an excuse for my ministry
13:16: Rather, I want you to have some context about where I'm at. So let me talk first about the past I need you to know some things that have spilled over into how
13:27: I pastored here the last six years at Second Baptist I've written about this some but to my knowledge
13:34: This is the first time I've ever publicly in a in a place like this spoken about it So I'm gonna say some things.
13:40: They're pretty raw to me, but you need to hear them You need to know where I came from about some things many of you probably already know this on October 10th 2010 easy to remember 10 10 10
13:55: October 10th 2010. I was 24 years old and I became the pastor at First Baptist Church of DeWitt I don't remember how many people voted for me, but I do remember 12 voted
14:06: No, and I just remember that because it was kind of funny when I came on as youth pastor 11 voted
14:12: No, and one voted undecided So the joke was well by the time they voted on me as pastor the undecided had become decided and he voted
14:21: No, so on the day that I was voted in the the music ministers wife
14:28: Shook Stephanie's hand and Stephanie said something along the lines of oh, we're just so excited to be here
14:33: We're so excited about what the Lord is doing and the lady said sinisterly we'll see and So that kind of set a trajectory
14:44: I guess That Christmas we had a choir cantata on Sunday morning After it was over We had a choir cantata and then
14:51: I preached and I had a deacon's wife come up to me and she told me I better Not ever do that again.
14:57: And I was like I was confused like what's she talking about? So I asked her to clarify she said
15:03: You better not ever preach after a cantata Of all books of the Bible to preach through I began preaching through Philippians I believe we called the series the joy of the gospel in the life of the local church
15:15: I began preaching about what it really means to be born again That it's not just say a prayer, right?
15:21: You can't just say a prayer and say that you're a Christian if your life doesn't match up And so what it looks like in the local church to be a
15:27: Christian and and there was a deacon who told me these are all Different deacons by the way, not just the same guy circle around this this other deacon
15:34: He said to me you're just preaching pie -in -the -sky stuff. You're preaching utopian stuff You know as though the
15:40: Bible is not real on Sunday nights I began going through Mark Devers nine marks of a healthy church
15:46: We began talking in those meetings about church discipline and we began talking about healthy church membership
15:53: Through all that another deacon and his wife came to my office and they said that I was saying that their 25 year old son
16:01: Was not a Christian now. I had never met this man. I'd never even I didn't know his name
16:06: I never even talked about it But me saying that a Christian loved the church and lived holy made them upset at me accusing me of Saying things about their son
16:17: One Sunday night we do we did similar like we were like we do here on Sunday night one Sunday night
16:23: A man confronted me. He interrupted me in the middle. I was talking in the middle my lesson. He just interrupted me and he just Basically yelled at me and said
16:32: I was being judgmental. It was really tense Braden at that time Thankfully, he doesn't even remember this.
16:38: He was only three. He looks up at Stephanie and he was like Why is that man being mean to daddy now you think that did not help the tension in the room?
16:47: Now it wasn't all bad we started a prayer meeting I got to pray weekly with the youth pastor and then there was two older ladies miss
16:55: Yvonne and miss Prissy from our church basically who always showed up Those were sweet times of prayer.
17:03: I remain good friends with one of those ladies miss Prissy Wallace Some of you know that such a godly woman and encouraged her to my life in ministry
17:10: I encouraged the church toward evangelism. We did evangelistic visitations on Sunday afternoon
17:16: But it was very very small poorly attended. Anyway, things continued overall there to get back
17:22: One man asked me in a meeting if I really believe Brother Quatro, he'll his Bible like this.
17:28: Do you really believe that God is going to hold us accountable for everything that is in this book?
17:34: I was shocked right? I'm a Baptist so I don't have a poker face So I was like what right like like you're really asking me if God is going to hold us accountable for everything
17:45: That's in the book. Yes one Sunday the music minister Resigned in dramatic fashion.
17:50: I didn't know it was happening. All of a sudden. He was just like hey, I got an announcement I was like, okay, what is it? And he told the church
17:56: I'm resigning It's because I talked to him and his wife about his wife's attitude one
18:01: Sunday night two deacons and their wives got up and walked Out I'm teaching they got up and walked out because I said not everything in the last 50 years
18:09: That the churches have done has been good. They got up and they walked out Now this church had a good relationship with Arkansas Baptist State Convention So they took folks duck hunting and things like that.
18:20: Well, I found out that people would go to the state convention They would talk bad about me at the state convention
18:25: But nobody would ever reach out to me Emil Turner who was the executive director of the ABSC then he told my friend
18:32: Gene Tanner He said Quatro has really just messed up because he quit giving invitations Well, the problem was that's not true.
18:40: I never did that That was a falsehood, but people would go tell him things and they wouldn't check with me Anyway, it was rough and so much more
18:48: I could say, but I'm gonna fast -forward to August 2011 and that month August of 2011
18:53: Our church held a solemn assembly Now this was based on an SPC Resolution that called upon churches to pray and to fast and to hold a solemn assembly and repent
19:04: So I was trying to be a good Southern Baptist. I led our church in that but but more
19:09: People just got upset that that I would even insinuate that our church had anything to repent up And then people in the church began calling me a
19:19: Calvinist This is something they picked up from actually one of my good buddies Calum at church camp
19:25: They don't walk watch was just a Calvinist. Well at that point I'd been a Calvinist about three years
19:30: I'd never denied it But when people call me that I like to define what it means because not what it what it some people think it means
19:37: It's not what it means But they began saying I didn't care about prayer and evangelism, right?
19:43: Wait a second. I started these things prayer and evangelistic meetings at our church So I begin to ask them what is it that I'm teaching and preaching that that you don't agree with?
19:52: This was in a deacons meeting. I mean, I think there was like 13 deacons About seven or eight of them were against me and they said that it wasn't what
20:00: I preached that was a problem It's just what I believe. Well, I asked him to explain that they never could
20:05: I try to teach him the scriptures I try to teach them Southern Baptist history. I tried to teach them the the sovereignty of God and the
20:12: Responsibility of men. I tried to teach them Lordship salvation I I tried to teach him that Christ is king of the
20:19: Christians life The sad reality is that this is in line with a lot of SPC churches.
20:25: They have no idea what salvation is They have no idea what the church is and I'm afraid they have no idea who
20:30: God is now back to do it There was a deacons meeting in September of 2011 Where one deacon looked across the room at another deacon,
20:38: I promise you I'm not making any of this One deacon looks across room another deacon and he says
20:44: Tommy You know that we have to make a decision You know what?
20:50: It's going to be like if we get home and we haven't made a decision now I was 25 at that point because 2011 and 12 of the deacons were like 30 years older than me, but I just had enough
21:01: I was upset I called this guy out. I said that his home was being ran by his wife
21:06: Right, and that wasn't okay. He just he stared down at the ground. I didn't know what to do. I prayed
21:12: I fasted I sought godly counsel my wife and I cried we cried until I didn't know we had any more tears to cry
21:19: We cried a lot friends in the church began deserting us. They they stopped talking to us.
21:25: We would go out in town We'd go to the Piggly Wiggly or Kroger there and do hit and they would just walk the other way
21:31: They would go down the other aisle people began saying untrue things about us people began leaving the church
21:37: Sundays, we lived right across the street from the church. They were so hard. They're so hard We had to go in and in worship with these people that we felt like hated us
21:48: I didn't know what to do. I just kept preaching I was hurting and hurting and hurting and Stephanie was six months pregnant with Ella at the end of the
21:58: September one of the deacons said they needed they said in the meeting Well, we just need a clean house meaning they need to get rid of me and the youth pastor
22:07: So the next week I decided I'd write a letter to the deacons Which by the way, these deacons were not the authority of the church, but they acted like they were and this is just kind of a wonky ecclesiology and Southern Baptist churches operate under Confusing elders and deacons, but I asked them for a four -month severance
22:25: I don't mind pushing carts at Walmart That's what I told him but pushing carts at Walmart is not going to pay me what the church has been paying
22:32: So they agreed and I resigned now it was my decision to resign from the church, but I felt back to the corner
22:39: So I'll read you a quick section from the resignation letter. I said this I must stress
22:44: This is not something I want to do but after meeting with the deacons on several occasions and feeling that the majority of them and their wives and maybe even the majority of The church won't be gone.
22:55: I feel my only option is to resign my duties as pastor. That was on October 16th 2011
23:00: So if you're keeping track in your mind, I made it basically one year. So we we are now living the dream
23:06: We left DeWitt and we moved into a tiny bedroom in my parents two kids one on the way we had been married at that point basically just almost five years and Now we're in this tiny little bedroom suffering for Jesus I guess but but we were just confident
23:23: God's fixing to open up something big, right? Like we've gone through this and God's gonna open up something big
23:29: But he didn't Month after month after month. He didn't and Ella was born there.
23:36: That's a funny story in and of itself. I'll tell you that another time But I just knew the Lord was going to open up something but it never happened
23:44: Every door seemed closed now. I'm thankful to First Baptist Church of Apollo. They were extremely gracious We went back there we were serving there, but they said come on as a part -time discipleship pastor
23:54: So I'm was making some in income there and being in part -time ministry And then in April of 2012,
24:01: I had to get a job at a secular counseling center in so many mornings
24:08: So many I drove with just tears in my eye like I didn't understand I Sometimes I was mad.
24:15: Sometimes I was hurt. Sometimes I felt alone Well, thankfully God did bring fruit at Apollo I was there and I'm so grateful for that in 2013
24:25: I started at Emmanuel and Clinton I was grateful again to be a full -time pastor, but I was afraid and I held back
24:32: After about two and a half years. I brought up church discipline the church box like no way. We don't didn't know we're not know
24:39: Around this time. It was 2016 by then around this time Travis emailed me. He said would
24:45: I be interested? In pastoring at Prairieville Second Baptist Church Well miss
24:51: Steph and I talked about we're like absolutely But I need to lay out who I am. So I sent a search committee my position on the doctrine of election
24:58: It's controversial. It shouldn't be but it is to some I said this is what I think about biblical church membership
25:04: This is what I think about elders. This is what I think about Training men and I told Steph I said because I laid all this out there
25:10: The church knows me enough that they're probably just gonna say in a kind way. Thank you, but no, thank you
25:18: Well, here's a spoiler. They didn't We met a couple times. I preached a few times the church voted.
25:25: I became the pastor and over six years later Here I am Now, why do
25:31: I tell this about my past? Because and I'm confessing some things to you this morning my past experiences as a pastor have bred within me timidity and caution
25:44: Yes, I think I've learned over the years Christian prudence and patience and Forbearance, I think
25:50: I've learned all that. I am NOT the same pastor I was when I was 24 praise God, but when it comes to leading strong in certain areas
25:58: I've allowed myself to be too conscious too slow too timid and perhaps in some ways even too cowardly and For these things
26:07: I'm confessing to you church. I'm I'm repenting. I'm repenting of them to you right now
26:13: I'm sorry for not being a stronger pastor in taking the church where we should be and I would add
26:20: Since I'm repenting there have been times over the six years. I've gotten too involved with you sports
26:25: I've I've been too distracted by the things of the world. I've been too distracted by the shenanigans of the
26:31: SBC I'm repenting of these things before you this morning and I ask for your forgiveness because this brings us to the presence of the the present and Where I where I am now and then we'll get to the future.
26:44: Well, that's the past now the present now 2020 was a crazy year for all of us
26:49: And we might say that that some of the things that happened to a 20 began But the ball rolling on things in my heart are really probably 2019
26:56: But into 2020 and then code and just all that so many things I could mention, but it's going to be long anyway
27:03: So I'm going to narrow this down to two things from 2022 that you need to hear happen to me
27:09: The first is the SBC meeting in Anaheim I Have given my life to the
27:16: SBC in many ways and particularly the last two and a half years I've written tons of blogs
27:23: By the way, I was saved at a Southern Baptist camp when I was 10 I was baptized at a Southern Baptist Church when
27:28: I was 15 first Baptist. I've only ever known the SBC but the last two and a half years
27:35: Encouragement from this church has been part of it But I've I've given my life to taking the ship to the bringing
27:42: Reformation. I've written tons of blogs I've done tons of interviews on podcasts. I've been invited to speak at places about it in the year 2012
27:51: I bought my dad tickets to go see Alabama and Arkansas play football because I thought 2012 would be the year that Arkansas finally
28:00: Since me and Steph has been married Arkansas has not beat, Alabama So we've been married almost 16 years
28:08: We have five children Arkansas has not beat Alabama in all that span But I thought 2012 was the year so I bought my dad tickets for his birthday.
28:16: It's in September We went up there and we got shellacked 52 to nothing Anaheim was worse than that.
28:26: Anaheim was a greater defeat than that. I Was dejected Tuesday at the convention.
28:32: I was hurt Wednesday. I was angry. I was like this is foolishness We were made fun of we were laughed at you asked questions you disregarded you just sold country bumpkins from Arkansas We don't care as a convention.
28:45: We refuse to own real sins. We we mocked conservative Baptist We embraced worldliness.
28:50: It was a tough trip. Now. I'm so grateful kids. I'm so grateful for the time with my family That was amazing.
28:56: But the SPC part drug us over the coast now this leads me to my second event The present
29:02: I'm talking about the present SPC secondly, Mexico Now here is me on my high horse.
29:09: I Went to Mexico to train pastors and to help churches see the beauty and wonder and glory of the local church
29:17: Here I am coming from Arkansas to help you Grow in your appreciation and love for the local church.
29:25: I was naive. Yeah, I do think I helped them. I ministered faithfully, I preached the word
29:30: I Fellowship with these brothers in these churches, but I didn't realize how much they would minister to me
29:37: Here in southern Mexico. God is doing a mighty work without the
29:43: SPC with pastors being bold and courageous Christ is building his church if the
29:50: SPC emptied my heart Mexico filled it back up again strong Theologically conservative faithful Baptist churches churches in love with Christ churches in love with evangelism mission churches in love with sound doctrine
30:03: What God was doing I believe in Anaheim was plowing my heart Plowing it plowing it and plowing it and what he did in Mexico is he began to plant seeds?
30:15: Some guys in Mexico were new who had just come to embrace reformed
30:20: Baptist doctrine It was amazing to see the hunger I can't tell you how many times I was just bawling like I wasn't even planning on I was like,
30:28: I'm okay. I'm okay. And then we start singing and we're gonna start here preaching. I'm just bawling, right?
30:34: Just melt Just hearing and seeing all that Christ was doing there Rocked my heart in a powerful way.
30:42: I Was reminded how much Christ loves the local church. I was reminded how much that I love the church and Desire a healthy church in every area
30:53: So these two big events together Anaheim and Mexico and several things over the last couple years have pushed me where I am today
31:00: My heart this morning church. I want you to hear this from me. You may disagree about some of the things
31:05: I'm going to say here in a minute, but I hope that we can come together on this My heart this morning is so full of Christ and Christ's love for his church
31:14: That's the only way I know how to take us is Christ's way and I want your hearts there, too
31:19: Even if you you don't see the big picture say this is what we want. We want Christ what we want the ancient paths
31:25: Listen, I'm resolved this morning. Not just to preach about this ancient path before us.
31:30: I'm resolved to walk it I'm resolved against all timidity and slothfulness.
31:36: I'm resolved to lead our church down this path. No matter the cost This leads me to my third point then the past the present and now the future so back to the text
31:46: We did begin with a text thus says the Lord stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and Walk in it and find rest for your souls, but they said we will not walk in I sent watchmen over you saying pay attention to the sound of the trumpet but they said
32:08: We will not pay attention Now this morning. I have five points of Reform for our church
32:17: Reformation that I think in some ways I've already begun implementing but in other ways
32:22: That I want to lead strongly and that I am going to lead strongly and as we seek to walk these ancient paths
32:31: Nothing, you're going to hear this morning I don't think there'll be one thing that you hear this morning that you're like, I've never heard that before I'm not talking about.
32:38: Oh, I have failed to lay the groundwork No, no I'm talking about I failed to put these things into practice and I'm just telling you this morning
32:46: I don't care what the SPC says. I don't care what lifeway says I don't care what other churches even in our area say or what new studies say or or whatever the road that we must walk is
32:56: God's road when we lived in Kentucky in 2008 in 2008
33:03: This before iPhone there was a world that existed before iPhone. I think it was before I phone anyway
33:09: It was close and so I bought Stephanie And I will make no comment about her sense of direction. I would just say
33:15: I bought her GPS Okay, we're moved to big city moved to Louisville. I bought her GPS one night we're riding around with this
33:21: GPS and I guess I had a weird setting like instead of Quickest way home.
33:27: I must have had shortest way home and this GPS no joke took us through a cow pasture and A low -water bridge and we're in a
33:39: Mazda 6. It's a like a little green car What I'm saying to us is that not all the voices out there are reliable for where to go
33:50: They may sound reliable. They may sound knowledgeable, but they'll land you in a cow pasture
33:56: What I'm saying is I refuse to travel there Thus says the
34:01: Lord stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient past where the good way is in walking it and find a rest for your souls
34:08: What I'm saying is this morning we stand at the crossroads and we look we see the ancient past We see that God's Word is the compass we can trust.
34:17: We see that God's way is the right way It's the only way forward the world and and even professing
34:22: Christian. That's what makes it so hard. It's not just the world It's a lot of people who profess to be believers mock those who trust
34:28: God's Word in this way. I Don't care Let them mock let me give you an example just this week
34:35: July 19th a few days ago Jonathan Merritt wrote this
34:41: Christians must accept that the only way to take the Bible seriously is to stop taking every word literally
34:49: Christians must accept that the only way to take the Bible seriously is to stop taking every word literally
34:57: He's making a jab at the Bible No Jonathan Merritt is the son of James Merritt James Merritt who is the head has been a president of the
35:07: SPC who who just last year in Nashville was the president or the the chairperson of the Resolutions committee who less than a year ago
35:14: James Merritt has endorsed his son's preaching. No No, I will not accept that mentality
35:21: I will seek to adjust my life and the life of this church by every word of God's book because I believe
35:27: That every word of God's book is inerrant infallible and authoritative and sufficient. This is
35:32: God's Word We have no other path that we can walk. I Don't care what SPC later say
35:38: I don't care about people on the internet telling me there's no drift The local church is too important Christ work in the local church is too important The glory of the local church is too important.
35:49: The beauty of the church is too important Christ loves his church And we will too
35:56: If I want to lead this way, no, I know I am going to lead this one Stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient past where the good way is and walk in it
36:08: And find rest for your souls now now we're going to get to these five points before I do
36:14: I want to issue a warning and the warning is from my own past experiences and from The Bible not everyone is going to be willing to walk this road now, it's my great hope
36:36: That I don't lose a single friend That we don't lose a single visitor that we don't lose a single member
36:42: That the community doesn't begin calling us a cult that people don't call me a Pharisee or a hypocrite.
36:49: I Genuinely hope that none of these things happen But there have been many people
36:55: Outwardly associated with the things of God who have said the same things as the Jews here in verse 16
37:01: But they said we will not walk in it. We've got our way.
37:06: We've got to figure it out We know what's going on. We don't have to walk that way. This is nothing new
37:12: This has been going on for thousands of years The cost is too great for some giving up friends and killing idols and looking and living
37:20: Differently it is too much the community will think that I'm weird I'll be different if I'm consumed with Christ and his mission
37:28: That's just gonna be that's just I'm gonna be an outcast and I won't be able to be friends with certain people
37:33: And it's just too much. The cost is too great That's reality. Maybe even some of you maybe even some of you in this room
37:43: The ancient path beloved is not the crowded path There's no traffic jam on the ancient path
37:54: Jesus says it this way enter by the narrow gate For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter by are many for the gate is narrow and The way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few again,
38:14: I want to reiterate I Want everyone to go with us I want us to link arms and I want us to walk this ancient path together
38:25: But I know that for some it's going to be too hard and this breaks my heart But here's what you need to know from your pastor today.
38:32: I am resolved I Am going to go this way. I'm resolved to listen to the head of the church.
38:39: I'm resolved to to walk the ancient path I've been scared in my past. I've been timid.
38:45: I've been I've been cowardly I have not pulled the trigger in areas that I should have I've not stood up and said no to things that that I that I Should have
38:53: I've been too slow. Yes in some ways I understand patience and and pastoral care and all that's important But I'm confessing to you this morning that I've been too timid but not anymore.
39:03: I'm resolved to walk this path no matter the cost If there's departure,
39:08: I don't desire it But we cannot alter our course if they call me names so be it
39:15: I've been called names before and God has proven faithful even in the hard times. We are at a crossroads
39:21: We must choose the right way for So here are five points of reform for our local church
39:28: I'm convinced that God will use a local church Willing to submit to his word even if it's small.
39:34: I much rather be part of a small church Totally committed to Christ's way than any size church.
39:41: It's not totally committed I believe that God will bring glory to his name Through a group of people willing to follow him
39:50: No matter the cost. So here we go. Number one five areas of reform for our church. The first is theology
39:56: Our text in verse 16 says this Thus the
40:03: King James Love thus saith the Lord thus says
40:12: Yahweh this is God's Word and We have to have a more biblical picture of God.
40:18: We must see him as holy and sovereign We must really consider what it is to fear
40:24: God and to live in all of him If we get God wrong, nothing else matters. You think yes, we know this you've been preaching on this for six years
40:33: We remember we know we've heard we agree. This is true. I've preached on this for six years
40:39: In fact again, nothing I preach in these five points is going to be new to you But the implement implementation of these things is going to be new in some ways
40:47: So here is the implementation This isn't tomorrow this isn't like boom happening right now.
40:56: This is where I'm leading We're going to drop the Baptist faith and message and embrace the 1689 second
41:04: London Baptist Confession of Faith Here's why you know, I never minded the
41:09: Baptist faith and message. It's good. It's helpful in many ways But what
41:15: Anaheim reminded me is it's a worthless document People just going to make it mean whatever they want
41:21: So we need a more robust confession of faith for these days of compromise We need to adopt something deeper about the ways of God about his word about his truth
41:31: We need to walk the ancient path of Richard theology the SBC by the way began with the 1689
41:37: London Baptist Confession But it's been distilled down all the way to what we have now I'm saying we need we need to move on from a 22 year old document to a nearly 400 year old document
41:47: Our theology must be right not just in position but in practice. I'm not changing this overnight
41:54: I'm gonna walk through this with us together I'm gonna walk walk us through it this fall with the goal of adopting.
42:01: This is our church's confession of faith We have to know who God is We have to fear him
42:06: We have to fear him above all and we have to be honest with ourselves at times in the life of this church
42:12: We feared kovat more than we feared God It's just the truth and we have to repent
42:19: We have to repent and walk in his ways second point ecclesiology first point theology second point ecclesiology
42:28: Ecclesiology is the doctrine of the church and I'm grateful for our work here. I'm so grateful church for our work
42:35: We've worked to make membership more meaningful We've worked to guard the entrance of the church if you will and we've given out packets and we've walked through membership
42:44: No one just comes one day like I was at a church One time people got really mad
42:50: I Was at the that seems to be a theme for my ministry sometimes But I was I was at the front and someone had visited for the second time had no clue who they were
42:59: They walked the aisle at the end of the church at the end of the service. They said hey, we want to join the church
43:05: What am I supposed to do? Well great. I have no clue who you are. Wonderful. We'll vote you in No, I said hey, let's meet.
43:11: Let's talk about this They never came back and the and people in the church got mad at me for doing it that way
43:16: So we've we've we've moved positively in this area But these victories are not enough in our need to grow in biblical
43:27: Baptist ecclesiology. Yes, we've removed some people from the role That's been good.
43:32: But a couple of things That I need to focus on that I haven't focused on that I've came with the intent to focus on and I backed off one we need elders first Timothy 5 17 says
43:44: First Timothy 5 17 led to elders who rule will be considered worthy of double honor
43:50: Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching So elders and pastors I've taught you this are synonymous
43:56: And we see from first Timothy 5 17 that elders are plural because all of them are leading
44:02: But but some of them are especially labor in preaching and teaching so I think this does warrant having an elder or pastor who's the the main preacher and teacher in the church and other elders helping to lead and teach and those things when necessary Elders are the overseers of the church.
44:19: The Bible says they they are the ones who set the direction according to God's Word Not their direction
44:24: Christ direction again. This isn't new we've gone over this kind of stuff before but I'm saying no
44:30: No, I've held back. We need to implement these things I actually think even in in our congregation today that there are there are qualified a handful of qualified men to be
44:40: Elders godly men gifted in teaching, but we're never going to move in that direction if I don't lead us and that's what
44:47: I'm trying to Do I'm leading us in that direction. We're going to follow the ancient path We're just going to take
44:52: God's book and we're going to say this is the way that we're going to do another thing about Ecclesiology is church discipline now church discipline is a twofold ministry.
45:01: We've taught on this a lot There is formative and corrective church discipline formative church discipline is the teaching and preaching
45:09: Our classes and all these things are preaching all these things are formative discipline we're building up we're instructing
45:15: But there's also corrective church discipline now I have confronted members in sin there were members who were going through a divorce and I showed up at one of these persons work
45:25: I took another pastor along with me just so it wouldn't be me and a and a woman and I went and I confronted this
45:31: Person and I and I talked to them and I said this is not the right way I've gone to members one -on -one.
45:37: I've talked to them about their sin But as a church, we've never moved to the point of removing a person from our roles for being in continued unrepentant sin continued forsaking of the assembly living together outside of marriage
45:51: Divorce the list goes on and on if we forsake corrective church discipline
45:57: This isn't about removing people off the rolls It can get to that and it needs to get to that in some ways
46:03: But this is about caring enough about the holiness of the church. I told this story
46:08: Wednesday night is a horrible story, but you need to hear it to hear the gravity So in the 1800s, there was a missionary doctor
46:18: He traveled on boats and he did he did he did doctor work and he shared the gospel
46:23: But in his writings, there's a story of this young girl She was three years old and she got frostbite in her feet
46:31: The frostbite turned into gangrene the father wisely chopped her feet off What?
46:40: He chopped his daughter's feet off Why? Because he understood if he did not address the gangrene it would spread through her whole body and kill her
46:53: This is what's happening in too many Southern Baptist churches. We are satisfied with sin.
46:58: We're okay with sin We won't address it because it's hard because the world says it's unloving because professing
47:04: Christians say it's judgmental and we won't address it But I'm saying to us we must address it
47:10: We must address it if we forsake corrective church discipline. Ultimately, we're not a church
47:16: Paul says in 1st Corinthians 5 12 and 13 for what have I to do with judging outsiders?
47:21: Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge now? This is the Bible I guarantee you 90 % of people who claim to be
47:29: Christians if you say is there any we're in a Bible that says for us To judge they'd say no No No Matthew 7 1 says don't judge but Paul says is it not those inside the church whom you're to judge
47:40: God judges those outside purge the evil person from among you in other words Paul is saying that those within the church.
47:47: We ought to hold one another accountable for our lives again. We've taught on this But it cannot just be theoretical.
47:55: It must be practical So we move to implement this in our church theology ecclesiology thirdly worship now here.
48:02: I'm referring to corporate worship We'll focus on seeing more deeply and richly will instruct in the service and in catechism and teaching will continue to focus on Preaching of the word we're going to guard our worship as a sacred duty and a gracious privilege
48:17: We'll we'll seek to align all that we do as a church with with the Word of God will examine every detail
48:23: We'll will not seek to be trivial or flip it will be hungry for feeding on God's Word We'll we'll be hungry to to worship with God's people.
48:31: We won't spend the worship service playing on our phones We won't mumble through the songs or give half -hearted effort
48:38: We won't neglect responding in worship to God in tithes and offerings we will see
48:43: Sunday as a gift to the church from our gracious God a Day in which we honor him in private and corporate worship.
48:51: We'll sing we'll pray we'll give We'll do all these things because what the Bible says Isn't Christ worthy?
48:58: Isn't Christ worthy of a church that would that would worship him not only as a duty but also a delight
49:05: Hebrews 12 28 29 says Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God Acceptable worship with reverence in all for our
49:18: God is a consuming fire We will desire acceptable worship according to God's Word in every way
49:29: Theology ecclesiology worship fourthly the home the home
49:34: I said this before but we swim in a society of Feminism just a reality our society hates men
49:49: Just does we hate Especially biblical
49:57: Masculinity So this has affected our homes But we will seek here to have homes that follow the ancient paths
50:05: Paths like Ephesians 6 4 fathers do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the
50:12: Lord We will prize family worship We'll hold fathers and husbands accountable for leading their wives and children in the faith for leading in the scriptures
50:23: For leading in their homes and prayer Friends men must be leaders of our home.
50:28: We must reject today's idea that gender is fluid It doesn't matter right and and sometimes our homes can be like well
50:37: Yeah, everyone acts like the man is the leader, but really when it comes down to it The woman takes over control she throws her way around or whatever it's not right
50:50: We need godly men to lead gender isn't fluid God has assigned gender roles in the home and in the church, of course, it flows into the church
50:57: But if we get it right in the home, it's going to be easier to get it right in the church We want godly husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church
51:07: Serving their wives helping their wives We want submissive wives willing to follow their husband's godly leadership, even if there are times they may not fully agree
51:15: We want to order the home the way Christ would have us because Christ is King not just of the nations
51:20: Not just of the church Christ is King of our homes. We want to prioritize making disciples in the home
51:26: We want men who who prize reading the Bible who prize learning theology who who prize growing in the faith who prize?
51:33: Leading their families to do the same We want women who prize lead reading the Bible who prioritize their children even over their jobs
51:41: Now I'm not saying that a woman cannot ever work outside the home, but listen to this
51:47: We must refuse To accept the stigma that's in our society today
51:53: That says a woman has to work outside the home or that a woman who isn't working outside the home is just lazy
52:03: No, we won't accept that Because Christ is King will be the church will follow the scriptures
52:11: Even if people think we're weird Even if they mock us So be it because at the end of the day, we must have this raw resolve.
52:21: I'm going to see Jesus When I get to heaven who I'm going to answer to is no one else
52:28: No other church no other system no other government no other president. I'm going to answer to King Jesus No one else
52:38: Will strive for hospitable homes homes that are warm and loving and gracious and full of gratitude and Let's just be honest
52:50: Some of you need to repent for these things Some of you need to repent it's the only way forward right will not heal will not move in the way that God would have
53:01: Us without being honest about the areas that we fail If you think that one of these things has landed on you don't don't see it as like well
53:09: The preachers just attacking me today. That's not what I'm doing If one of these things have landed to take it to God remember again the mercies of Christ Know that he is he is ready and willing to forgive.
53:20: Why would we be stubborn? Why would we why would we not be humble and know that God is willing to help us learn?
53:30: taste again of Christ mercies fifthly theology
53:36: Ecclesiology worship the home. This isn't everything but these are the things that are just front and center on my heart fifthly missions
53:45: We have to move away from just sending and this is What's back there in the foyer? I hope you'll pick up one of these papers
53:54: We have to move away from just sending a blank check to the cooperative program The North American Mission Board is currently partnering with the church right now that accepts
54:03: LGBTQ lifestyles We just have to say no We have to say
54:09: I'm going to stop sending my money to a place that endorses the things that God hates
54:16: I'm going to stop sending my money to a place that laughs at me for being a
54:21: Bible -believing Baptist living on the outskirts of Toadstool We'll set our own missions agenda
54:29: We'll give to the things that God's providence have brought into our lives We'll be hands -on in these mission endeavors our missions will be about helping others walk these ancient paths and Reaching others to walk these ancient paths with us.
54:45: In fact, think about this You can't read our text this morning without thinking about Christ Jesus not just come front and center to your mind when you read this stand by the roads and look and ask for the
54:57: Ancient past where the good way is and walk in it Did this not come to your mind this morning that in John 14 6
55:06: Jesus says to his followers I am the way right? I am the way
55:12: I am the truth. I am the life Christ is the way He's the good way right here.
55:18: We have the gospel Christ the eternal Son of God took on human flesh He was born of the
55:24: Virgin Mary. He fulfilled the law and prophets. He was righteous in every way He went to the cross for sinners
55:31: God's wrath was poured upon Christ for us every sin every thought every evil deed every sinister
55:39: Motivation Christ the righteous one friends was judged for our sins All these things
55:45: I've talked about today all my own timidity and and in lack of courage and in areas that you failed in and I've Taken to Christ because on Christ God bruised the son
55:55: He was delighted to crush the son so that he could have fellowship with us for his glory
56:02: Christ became a curse as the wrath of God was propitiated in him Christ is the way and it is this way that we are called to trust in the scriptures by faith
56:14: Christ's life and death and burial and resurrection has made it where we can now walk
56:19: We can now walk because of the gospel we can now walk these ancient paths full of joy
56:25: He has written his law upon the hearts of his people. I was talking about this passage the other day.
56:32: I'm gonna call out I Won't say which one one of my daughters, but it's an encouragement.
56:39: We're talking about this passage In our family worship, and I said when you have a decision to be made
56:47: What should you do according this passage and one of my daughters said? You should listen to your heart
56:55: Now if you know me at all, I flipped out of the back of my chair. I fell faint for 15 minutes
57:02: Steph resuscitated me. I Was like no, you know hyper hyperbole there
57:10: No, she said no no dad. No dad. No, I didn't mean I meant as Christians God's law is written in our hearts and So when we come to decision we should think about what
57:22: God's law written on our hearts what that looks like well that took me from a
57:27: Pit of despair to a mountain of joy That's right That's right.
57:34: We shouldn't listen to the fleshly heart. We should remember that God's law is written on our hearts
57:41: And so now because of the gospel we see this ancient path before us and not only do we say that's where I have to Go we say that's where I want to go
57:50: This is the way that we must walk and this is the way that we must preach to the nation's The believers heart desires the ancient paths
58:03: There is no other way. I remind you this morning that hell is a real place a Real place of eternal torment and judgment listen if something doesn't change
58:16: Some of our own children Hell is the place that they will spend in eternity It is a real place
58:25: Where maybe even some in this room? Not just children, maybe even adults in this room
58:30: This is the way that you're going because you have prized safety and conformity to the world over Christ and his ways
58:38: And I'm pleading with us this morning from the pulpit. Will you consider this reality? Will you embrace
58:43: Christ who is the way and repent? We seek to reach Perry County and the nation's with this message and and we will endeavor to be a good steward of Every penny not giving to things that are going against our mission of knowing
58:57: Christ and making him known friends We are a theologically conservative Baptist Church, we love the truth and we we're not ashamed.
59:07: We're not ashamed, right? You can't use badness as a pejorative on me. I'm not ashamed to be a theologically conservative reform
59:15: Baptist I'm not ashamed and our missions will reflect these realities We won't give to people who are just going to use them our money to make fun of us and then embrace
59:26: Values that are inconsistent with the ancient paths It's our mission here to make Christ know and listen, don't we live among a pagan people who need
59:36: Christ Don't we Then we should all be more zealous for this mission
59:44: And we should remember to that in first Timothy 3 Paul calls the church the household of God church of the
59:50: Living God a pillar and buttress of the truth a Pillar and buttress of the truth friends if we really care about missions, then we will care all the more about the local church
01:00:03: If we don't care about the local church, we don't care about missions. The local church must be the priority in our missions
01:00:14: Not merely organizations, but local churches These are five points of reform for our church theology ecclesiology worship home
01:00:25: Mission Thus says the Lord stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient path where the good way is and walk in it
01:00:33: And find rest for your souls, but they said we will not walk in it
01:00:40: Will we walk in these ways no matter the cost now I Know that there's a fine line between a long sermon and a hostage situation
01:00:52: But we got to look at verse 17 verse 17,
01:00:59: I Set watchmen over you saying pay attention to the sound of the trumpet, but they said
01:01:07: We will not pay attention Now God was very kind to Judah He sent them watchmen
01:01:14: He sent the prophets to preach the way of truth God's ministers told the people
01:01:20: Pay attention pay attention pay. It's all over. In fact several places. This word is used.
01:01:26: Look for example back in verse 10 of Jeremiah 6 Jeremiah 6 verse 10 to whom shall
01:01:33: I speak and give warning that they may hear behold their ears are uncircumcised They cannot listen behold.
01:01:39: The Word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn. They take no pleasure in it
01:01:46: Jeremiah was to speak Jeremiah was to call them to pay attention. They wouldn't listen. Well, there's other places in the
01:01:52: Old Testament Where people told to pay attention Proverbs 4 1 says here Oh sons a father's instruction and be attentive that you may gain insight
01:02:01: Zechariah 7 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear
01:02:08: Hosea 5 1 hear this old priest pay attention Oh house of Israel give ear
01:02:14: Oh house of the King for the judgment is for you for you have been a snare at mitzvah and a net spread upon to bore
01:02:22: Isaiah 58 1 says cry aloud do not hold back lift up your voice like a trumpet
01:02:28: Declare to my people their transgression to the house of Jacob their sins So back all this back to verse 17
01:02:34: God says I set Watchmen over you saying pay attention to the sound of the trumpet in other words
01:02:39: Listen to the warning when you hear the trumpet respond Don't don't harden your heart Listen to what the what the watchmen are saying and and then adjust your life
01:02:48: God had sent the prophets to the people to warn them if you forsake God's way if you do not walk in these ancient pasts
01:02:56: If you refuse to heed God's precious word, then all that awaits you is death and destruction and judgment
01:03:02: Listen, listen, listen here But they said no
01:03:12: Play the trumpet We will not pay attention
01:03:21: Remember verse 16 thus saith the Lord How could people who claim to know and love
01:03:26: God not listen to his word? But this is what you have in these ten in these verses now in the
01:03:33: New Testament Watchmen, I think can be likened to pastors Matthew Henry and says this
01:03:39: God's ministers are watchmen And it is a great mercy to have them set over us in the
01:03:45: Lord So here's what I'd like to say to you this morning Boy, I know I've thrown a lot at you unprepared
01:03:54: I've thrown a lot at us a Lot that God has burdened my heart with you haven't experienced the same things.
01:04:00: I've experienced you haven't been burdened Maybe in the same ways I've been burdened so I've thrown a lot at you and I've given you a lot to process and I understand that maybe we might even say maybe even most of you in this room
01:04:13: Do not see the big picture like I'm seeing right now And some of you might not even agree with everything that I've said
01:04:24: I do hope that some of the things I've said have led you even this morning to repentance But perhaps there are other things that you're not sure about but but here here's what
01:04:34: I'm asking. It's been a long Message so tune in right here and hear the heart of your pastor.
01:04:41: Here's what I'm asking. I'm asking you to follow
01:04:49: I am Saying that if I am your pastor at all follow me,
01:04:59: I'm 36 some of you have known me basically 30 years or more
01:05:05: If you're not my family, I haven't been pastor here for one month or six months or two years or five years but over six years now
01:05:18: I'm asking you to follow me down the ancient path. I'm asking us to walk this road together to follow me as I follow
01:05:26: Christ I'm not telling you. I'm a perfect pastor. I sin
01:05:32: When I do I seek to hand it over to Christ and repent and to walk in his ways
01:05:38: So so here's what I would say. Do you have a charge against me? Has there been some way that I've wronged you and and I've failed to repent
01:05:48: Has there been something in my life that you have seen that you believe needs to be addressed?
01:05:54: If I've wronged you in some way or if I've done something that you think that I haven't addressed sufficiently
01:05:59: Then I ask you this morning bring it before me lay it before me and let us deal with it but if not
01:06:07: But if not Follow Search the scriptures.
01:06:13: I'm not saying follow me because of my great intellect I'm saying look at the Bible examine the scriptures be willing to learn and grow if I've said anything that's not biblical
01:06:22: Let me know if there's been one thing that I've said that doesn't come from the Bible Then you call me out on it and you say that didn't come from the
01:06:30: Bible then let's deal with it But if not, follow me Trust the Bible trust
01:06:36: God's appointment of the Shepherd over you. I'm not asking you to trust me for my sake I'm asking you to look to the ancient past with me
01:06:43: Let us grow in the word and follow God's way if if Baal is God So be it serve him
01:06:50: But if Yahweh is God Let us abandon everything else and serve him alone with all that we have for for six years plus now
01:06:58: I've pastored you. I've wept with you. I've I've buried members in and Deep hurt and pain in Funerals that I've preached
01:07:08: I've prayed with you. I've prayed for you. I've visited you. I've taught you I've preached to you
01:07:14: I've eaten in your home. You've eaten in my home Now now let me lead you in these ways
01:07:21: Not just positionally Not just boxes to check. No, not just doctrine that we affirm but doctrine applied
01:07:29: Let us implement these things and see the Lord reform his church for his glory,
01:07:39: I Set watchman over you saying pay attention To the sound of the trumpet
01:07:45: I'm saying listen to the trumpet today Judgments coming
01:07:54: I'm saying this to myself as a sober warning to Christ Christ Will take with the utmost seriousness
01:08:05: How we have treated his church suppose that a man?
01:08:12: Leaves his lovely bride Under your care he goes off on a long trip you decide to rob from her you decide
01:08:25: Not to take care of her You don't mow her lawn You don't provide her food
01:08:32: Her pipes break you don't help What is that man gonna do when he comes back?
01:08:38: He's going to hold you accountable Friends Christ loves the church and he will take with utmost seriousness how we have treated the local church
01:08:46: In fact, the only ones who will be saved is Christ's Church So I wonder this morning.
01:08:52: Are we taking these warnings seriously? So much that we're chasing this morning, and you know, you know,
01:08:58: I don't have to say You know so much that you're chasing this morning outside of the church is frivolous or sinful or irrelevant
01:09:06: In the in the words of my great theologian five -year -old hadn't really no one cares
01:09:11: That's his new little saying he likes to say to his kid to his siblings. Oh, I did this at practice.
01:09:18: No one cares Maybe we need to listen to that about life outside the local church.
01:09:25: No one cares Let it go Hear the trumpet hear your pastor who stands in need of grace
01:09:34: Every single day, but who loves you and seeks to have us walk these ancient paths together
01:09:40: Let us go forward beloved in this grace and in total and complete surrender to the head of the church
01:09:46: Christ our King Christ is head of the church. Not me. Not you not us It's Christ and we must submit to him and his word.
01:09:54: So repent this morning where you must repent As we stand As we stand at these crossroads
01:10:04: As we look today and as we think about which way
01:10:12: Oh Lord Should we go? Let us ask
01:10:17: For the ancient paths where the good way is and find a rest
01:10:33: For yourself father,
01:10:46: I'm rung out feel like I've emptied my heart this morning and I pray
01:10:52: Lord that it would be received The way I intended to give it what
01:10:59: I pray that we would want to go forward and and see areas in our church that have been deficient and seek to Seek to correct those and grow and and be the healthiest church we can be
01:11:13: That we would show Others in our community others in the convention Others around the globe what it looks like to love
01:11:20: Christ To submit to him and all things Lord, we're going to need grace.
01:11:26: We're going to need perseverance. We're going to need patience with one another. We're going to need love
01:11:31: We're going to need understanding all these things Lord that we've that we've felt that you've been building here
01:11:38: We pray that you'd continue to to bring those and bless us Elisha prayed for a double portion of the spirit.
01:11:45: We pray for that here. We need we need more the spirit Help us in the days ahead
01:11:54: Lord I pray for that mother or father here this morning who is
01:12:00: Not committed to Christ who's put on a facade break their hearts May they bow the knee to Christ and repentance and faith.
01:12:12: I Uncle Anyone here who doesn't know Christ? They've been playing pretend
01:12:18: Lord. I pray even now even now they would see the mercy of Christ They would know that judgment is real and that our time is short
01:12:26: They would believe that Christ is the way And they would trust him and to seek to walk his paths