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This coming Lord’s Day commemorates the 495^th Anniversary of the day that Martin Luther, an Augustinian Monk, nailed a list of 95 complaints, or “thesis” on the door of the Wittenburg Church in Germany! Most evangelical Christians join our Lutheran friends in celebrating this life-changing event each year.

While I, like all Baptists, have serious doctrinal differences with Luther and his successor Philip Melanchthon, we recognize and rejoice in Luther’s faithfulness, fearlessness, and his great accomplishments. Certainly, his reformation did not go far enough, but it birthed a general awakening among the peoples of Europe that eventually spread around the world.

His greatest accomplishment was the translation of the New Testament into the German language. Following his lead, other brave men translated the Bible into the languages of the common people. Many of them lost their lives to do so!

It is likely true that the most universally useful doctrines that came out of the Protestant Reformation are those that are known as, “The Five Solas.”

– Sola Scriptura: Salvation is from the Scriptures alone!

– Sola Gratia: Salvation is by grace alone!

– Sola Fide: Salvation is by faith alone!

– Solus Christus: Salvation is through Christ alone!

– Sola Deo Gloria: Salvation is to the glory of God alone!

As the Lord allows, I will complete my five-part introduction to my series on “Christian Doctrines” with a message on these “Five Solas” entitled, “Doctrines Worth Dying For!”

Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of our brothers and sisters did in fact die for their unwavering faith in these doctrines. Any understanding of salvation that runs contrary to these five is not true “Christian” doctrine!

Please take time to think through and pray over these doctrinal statements as you prepare your heart to receive God’s Word this coming Sunday Morning. I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

We will kickoff our Fall 2012 “Spiritual Renewal Weekend” this coming Saturday, (10/20) with Roger Ellsworth of Jackson, Tennessee. Roger’s wife, Sylvia, will be with him for these meetings!

On Saturday, we will begin with a fellowship meal at 6pm and a message from our speaker at 7pm. On Sunday, (10/21) Brother Roger will speak to us at both the 10am and 6pm services.

I hope you will prayerfully attend all three of these special services and ask the Lord to speak to you through this great Bible teacher! Brother Roger has pastored churches for about 50 years and has been blessed of the Lord to lead most the churches he has served to outstanding spiritual and physical growth. He is the Author of over 40 published books and is a widely used conference and revival speaker.

I have asked Roger to lead this weekend for us because I deeply love this church and I want you to hear and be transformed by great Bible teaching… but, no one can bless you if you do not hear what is taught!

Don’t miss the great meal and sweet fellowship on Saturday! Don’t miss the great teaching on Saturday evening and at both services on Sunday!

I hope to see you at all of these three sessions with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side…

As the Lord allows, this coming Sunday, 10/7, Lin and I will be in Wears Valley Tennessee at the First Baptist Church where I be leading their fall revival. We know that you are praying for us and we deeply appreciate you and your prayers!

I believe you will have a great day AT THE WOODS!

Our guest speaker will be Tom Marsh who retired after serving for 25 years as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist of Casey, Illinois. Soon after his retirement, Tom preached a revival for us! Hopefully, Tom’s wife Linda will be able to be with him.

Lord willing, when I return for services on 10/14, I will bring you the next Sermon in my current series, “Understanding Doctrine” with a sermon on those doctrines that are NOT vital enough to your life to fight over!

There are, of course, lots and lots of such doctrines, but I will take time to go over seven of the most often discussed of them. Hopefully, you can have some fun thinking about what doctrines fall into this category, and which 7 am I going to discuss!

Beloved Ones, I hope you will be faithful to attend next Sunday and thereby obeying God and encouraging your church and Pastor Marsh. Lin and I will miss you and be thinking of and praying for you during this time away. Of course, I will have my BlackBerry with me so you can call, email, or message me if you need anything. Blessings!

Over the past three weeks, I have been teaching on, “Theological Triage” and how this applies to our life as Christ-followers. In the first sermon I pointed out that there are seven things one must believe to truly be saved…

– The Existence of God! Hebrews 11:6

– The Deity of Jesus Christ! John 8:24

– The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead! Romans 10:9

– The Necessity of Repentance! Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30

– An Active and Present Belief in Jesus! John 3:18, 36

– The Atonement of Jesus Christ as the only possible grounds of salvation! John 14:6; Acts 4:12

– Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone! Ephesians 2:8-10

Last week, I covered the things one must believe to be a member of a local Baptist Church…

– All of the seven things you must believe to be saved, and…

– The eight BAPTIST Distinctives:

Biblical inspiration and authority!

Autonomy of the Local Church!

Priesthood of all believers!

Two Ordinances; baptism by immersion and a memorial view of the Lord’s Supper!

Individual soul liberty!

Saved, baptized membership!

Two Officers; elders and deacons!

Separation of Church and State!

– And, in the case of our particular church, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, which is our Confession of Faith.

This coming Lord’s Day, as the Lord allows, I want to add three specific areas I believe one must believe to be a leader or teacher in a local Baptist Church… including ours…

– Premillennialism!

– Cessationism!

– Complementarianism!

Come and be with us Sunday morning as I try to define these terms clearly and answer why these seemingly obscure things matter so very much to the life and health of a church!

I hope to see you Sunday morning with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

Last week we looked at the seven things a person must believe to be saved. This coming Lord’s Day, as the Lord allows, I will preach on the “Second Tier” of doctrinal triage on what a person must believe to be a member of a local church.

1. Of course, to be a member of a local church a person must be saved – therefore, they must believe the seven things you have to believe to be saved:

– The existence of God! Cf. Hebrews 11:6

– The deity of Jesus Christ! Cf. John 8:24

– The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! Cf. Romans 10:9

– The necessity of repentance! Cf. Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30

– The necessity of a present and active faith in Jesus Christ! Cf. John 3:18, 36

– Jesus Christ as the only possible source of salvation! Cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12

– Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone Cf. Ephesians 2:8-10

2. I am speaking, of course, as the Pastor of a Local Baptist Church; so, the things I believe one must believe to be a member of a local church means “a local Baptist Church!” So, think about these questions and how they apply to the requirements for local church membership:

– What should a member of a Baptist Church believe about the nature and authority of the Holy Scriptures?

– Why is it important that we agree on who “runs” the local church and how we relate to other churches?

– How should members see their role within the life and work of the Church? Who is primarily tasked with doing the work of the church?

– Christians differ over what some call “sacraments” and others call “ordinances.” What is your view on these subjects? What are they and how many of them are there?

– Who has the right to tell church members what to believe? How much conformity should the church impose, if any?

– What is the basic, bottom line, number one requirement for a church member? What would be number two?

– Who are the God-appointed leaders of a local church?

– How should the local church relate to government?

3. Why do you think (if you do) that a person who wants to be a member of a Baptist Church should agree with the doctrinal statements in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000?

– Do you think it is OK for members of a Baptist Church to believe more than the things listed in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000?

– Do you think it is OK for members of a Baptist Church to believe less than the things listed in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000?

I truly think that this will be a very profitable study for you and your family. I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

This coming Lord’s Day morning, as the Lord allows, I will begin a series of twenty-seven sermons on the subject of, “Understanding Bible Doctrines.” Our first sermon will be the first of four messages on “Theological Triage!”

“Triage” is the word for sorting things out according to a preset qualification. In medicine, it is used to check out multiples of injured people to see who is in need of the most urgent care. In the financial world, it is used to determine which vendor or debt to pay first, second, third, etc.

In the world of Bible teaching, it is used to determine which doctrines are of greater importance than others. Now, every Word of God and every doctrine (teaching) found in the Bible is important, (Matthew 4:4) but the simple fact is that some are more important than others.

For example, the doctrine of repentance (which is necessary for salvation) is more important than the doctrine of spiritual gifts (which is not necessary for salvation). So, some doctrines are more important than others!

While many theologians whom I respect divide the importance of doctrines into three categories, I whole-heartedly believe that it is wise to divide them into four categories.

Category One, or “First Tier” doctrines are those doctrines that believing is absolutely necessary for salvation! In other words, if you do not believe these things you are not saved. Period.

This coming Lord’s Day, as the Lord allows, after I give you the list of four categories of doctrines, I will list the seven things that I believe the bible requires a person to believe to be saved.

In preparation for this study, let me encourage you to read over and think through the following verses: Psalm 14:1; Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24; Romans 10:9; Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:17, 36; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; and Ephesians 2:8-10.

I hope this series will be a blessing and help to you. There are doctrines worth dying for, but, most of them are not. It is very important that we know which ones are which!

BTW, this week’s Sermon on what one must believe to be saved is exactly what unsaved people need to hear; so, I hope you will invite your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to hear this particular sermon.

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

This coming Sunday, September 9th, as the Lord allows, I will complete my series on “Understanding Acts –Body #2 Takes Over!” with my 68^th sermon in the series entitled, “What have we learned?”

When I began planning the series in the Spring of 2010, I was – and I still am – convinced that a lot about the nature and purpose of the Church could be learned from a verse-by-verse exposition of Acts. I hope I was right, but I will leave you and, ultimately, the Lord to make that judgment.

During the 27 months that this study has taken, I spoke on something else almost 45% of the time. So, it has not just been “Acts, Acts, and nothing but Acts.” Nonetheless, I do hope that the series has been a blessing to you and your family.

Let me attempt to stir your thinking between now and Sunday with eight questions for you to consider as you prepare to hear this final summary sermon:

What does it mean to be “Body of Christ #2” and how should that shape what we believe to be the primary purpose of the New Testament Church?

What is the single most necessary thing that we must have if we are going to accomplish that primary purpose?

As some would say, “The Secret of our Success” is within us. How does that statement apply to what we have learned?

In what several ways does the word, “together” describe the nature of a truly bible-believing Church?

What does it mean to people living in the twenty-first Century that over 1,900 years ago a very angry man was radically changed on the road to Damascus, Syria?

I believe that we have seen over and over and over again the best way – by far – to reach unsaved people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. What would you say that method is?

Observing the treatment of believers in the first Century, and all around the world since then; what lesson do we take about how we should expect to be treated by a world that hated and still hates Jesus and those who follow Him?

D.L. Moody often quoted a famous statement by Henry Varley who said, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a person who is totally committed to Him.” How has our study of Acts shaped your view of that statement?

What’s Next?

As the Lord allows, over the next 12 months I am going to focus on a series of 27 messages on Major Bible Doctrines. Hopefully, this series will be used of the Lord to both equip and edify you and to help you share with others what you believe, and why you believe it!

Again, this series will take up about 50% of the Sundays during that period of time. I will also do sermons on Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I am planning a New Year’s Sermon, a “State of the Church” address on the first Sunday in 2013, and a few others on various subjects.

I will also do a Sunday through Tuesday “January Bible Study” about the last week in the life of Christ taken from The Gospel of Luke.” And I plan to take breaks for the holidays such as Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Independence Day.

As of now, I believe that I will follow this series on Major Bible Doctrines with an exposition of the First Eleven Chapters of Genesis, dealing in particular with the issues of Creation, the Fall, the Flood, the origin of Nations, the Tower of Babel, and the call of Abraham.

In addition, we have planned a Fall Revival with Roger Ellsworth and a Spring Revival with John Smith. (Who knows, I may even take a revival or two and an occasional vacation day when we can hear a guest speaker!)

Thanks for your prayers and faithful support!

Introduction:

As the Lord allows, we will look at the last Chapter of Acts next Sunday morning! Following this, I will preach a summary of what we have learned in Acts on September 9^th. This will mark my 67^th sermon in this series.

As you prepare for these final two sermons, please read over Chapter Twenty-Eight prayerfully and carefully and think about the following statements and questions:

If God can save Paul, He can save anyone!

If God can get Paul safely to Rome, He can get any of His children wherever He wants them to serve!

Preaching the gospel is the means by which God saves the unsaved!

Preaching the gospel is always divisive and there will always be many who will reject it!

Although this sermon brings us to the end of The Book of Acts, it does not bring us to the end of the Church! The Church is still Body#2, and it is still our job to BE the Body of Christ in this present world!

Expository Questions:

How safe is the child of God while in the will of God and doing the work of God?

Since unsaved people cannot understand God, upon what do they base their sense of religious reality?

Since God had told Paul that he was going to go to Rome, is there any possibility of Paul not going to Rome?

If we prepare ourselves to share our testimony, how can we know that we will have an opportunity to share it with unsaved people?

Often, when we share the gospel, it does not do what we hope that it will do! So, why then should we take every opportunity to share it?

Last week we talked about the storms of life; what should a believer be doing during those happy and peaceful times between the storms of life?

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your friends and family by your side!

Paul is going on this dangerous journey because Jesus loves him, has saved him, called him, and is sending him to the work that He has called him to do!

Paul is going on this dangerous journey because this is the way God chose to fulfill His plans for him. This is not the way Paul would have chosen to get to Rome; but, it is the way God had chosen to get him to Rome!

Here again we see the great mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility at work: God has determined that Paul is going to Rome, so there is no possibility of him not getting to Rome; but, there are many practical human actions that have to take place for Paul to safely arrive.

You and I have been through storms, you may be in a storm right now, and all of us certainly face more storms ahead. What we need to learn from these verses is this – God has decreed the length and events of our life, but we are still responsible to obey Him faithfully and trust Him to get us through whatever storm may come our way!

As I mentioned earlier… remember, sometimes those things which appear to be an obstacle to our accomplishing God’s will may be the very means by which we accomplish God’s will. As you read over, pray over, and think through these verses in preparation for the sermon on Sunday, think about these questions:

We all love and appreciate calm weather, but, does calm weather always mean that a storm is not just ahead?

What is the very best way to survive a storm? What impact does obeying the Word of God have on us as we go through the storms of life?

Believers are both commanded and called to care about and for unbelievers. What do you think is the best thing that we can do for someone who does not know Jesus?

Does the promise of God to take care of His people mean that we do not have any responsibility for our situation? Are there some practical things we can – and must do – to take care of ourselves?

Finally, do the promises of God mean that believers will never pay a great price for loving and serving Him? If this is true, how do you reconcile these two “seemingly” contradictory truths?

It has been a great joy (as always) to work through this great chapter of Acts and prepare this sermon for you. I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, a Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!!

As we continue our study of Acts, (and start down the “Home Stretch”) we see in these verses that God continues working out His will in Paul’s life! In the perfect will and divine providence of God, Paul is on his way to Rome.

All that God had called him to do is coming quickly to pass. Here he stands before King Herod Agrippa II, (Nephew of Herod Antipas who ordered the death of John the Baptist) and, a Great Grandson of Herod the Great. Herod Agrippa II died childless and was the last of the Herods to rule in Judea.

Exactly as before, when Paul is given a chance to plead his case he chooses instead to share his personal testimony of salvation! As you prepare to hear God’s Word on Sunday, please take the time to read over the passage and think about these questions:

What happens to a people when their political leaders are more interested in pleasing a specific group of people than they are about finding and supporting the truth?

How far will politicians go to please these “influential” people?

How did King Agrippa show his absolute disdain for Paul?

One of the most important things a Christian is called to do is to share the gospel with lost people. How does Paul’s witness to King Agrippa demonstrate the importance of beginning the conversation with facts the person already knows?

Paul perfectly demonstrates the three keys to an effective testimony. Do you remember what they are?

1. My __________  ____________ Jesus Christ…

2. How I __________  ____ __________ Jesus Christ…

3. The ________________________ that Jesus Christ makes in my life…

What is a common, and always hoped-for, result of sharing your testimony with a lost person?

Does that always guarantee that the lost person will accept the Lord?

Why do you think King Agrippa, and so many other lost people, walk away from opportunities to come to Jesus?

I appreciate your prayers for me and the church where I am leading a revival meeting! Please pray that the Lord will save lost people, add families to the church, fill me with His Spirit, and keep me safe as I drive back and forth!

As the Lord allows, I will be in my office at church on Thursday and Friday.

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!