Pastor’s E-Pistle

This will be the longest of our 5 posts on this subject and will deal with the facts as presented in the book series. The following final 3 posts will deal more with the application of these facts.

Playing the Serpent

Much of the most blatant anti-Christian dogma contained in the series is found in the second and third books. In the second book, The Subtle Knife, we find statements like this one uttered by the witch Ruta Skadi, a sympathetic character[1]:

“Sisters,” she began, “let me tell you what is happening, and who it is that we must fight. For there is a war coming. I don’t know who will join with us, but I know whom we must fight. It is the Magisterium, the Church. For all its history–and that’s not long by our lives, but it’s many, many of theirs–it’s tried to suppress and control every natural impulse. And when it can’t control them, it cuts them out.

They cut their sexual organs, yes, both boys and girls; they cut them with knives so that they shan’t feel. That is what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling. So if a war comes, and the Church is on one side of it, we must be on the other, no matter what strange allies we find ourselves bound to.

Another sympathetic character is Mary Malone, an ex-nun who serves as a sort of mentor for Lyra and Will (the other child-hero of the series). In The Subtle Knife, we find her communicating with Dust, a mysterious spiritual force that congregates around conscious beings who have reached an age of self-awareness. Her ensuing conversation with Dust contains the following excerpts:

But what are you?

Angels

And did you intervene in human evolution?

Yes

Why?

Vengeance

Vengeance for–oh! Rebel angels! After the war in Heaven–Satan and the Garden of Eden–but it isn’t true, is it? Is that what you…

Find the girl and the boy. Waste no more time

But why?

You must play the serpent.

Later in the book, Will has a conversation with a man whom he later learns is his father, in which his father makes the following comments:

There is a war coming, boy. The greatest war there ever was. Something like it happened before, and this time the right side must win. We’ve had nothing but lies and propaganda and cruelty and deceit for all the thousands of years of human history. It’s time we started again, but properly this time….”

“The knife,” he went on after a minute. “They never knew what they were making, those old philosophers….They had no idea that they’d made the one weapon in all the universes that could defeat the tyrant. The Authority. God. The rebel angels fell because they didn’t have anything like the knife; but now…”

In the third book, The Amber Spyglass, Will is befriended by two rebel angels, one of whom makes very clear exactly who they are fighting against:

Balthamos said quietly, “The Authority, God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty—those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves—the first angel, true, the most powerful, but he was formed of Dust as we are…The first angels condensed out of Dust, and the Authority as the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie. One of those who came later was wiser than he was, and she found out the truth, so he banished her. We serve her still.

He also goes on to offer this information about the afterlife:

“And what happens in the world of the dead?” Will went on.

“It’s impossible to say,” said Baruch. “Everything about it is secret. Even the churches don’t know; they tell their believers that they’ll live in Heaven, but that’s a lie.”

In the following passage, another character named Mrs. Coulter catches a glimpse of the Authority (God) from afar, and the following description is given:

He wasn’t easy to see, because the litter was enclosed all around with crystal that glittered and threw back the enveloping light of the Mountain, but she had the impression of terrifying decrepitude, of a face sunken in wrinkles, of trembling hands, and of a mumbling mouth and rheumy eyes. The aged being gestured shakily at the intention craft, and cackled and muttered to himself, plucking incessantly at his beard, and then threw back his head and uttered a howl of such anguish that Mrs. Coulter had to cover her ears.

Later in the book, the author gives this description of God’s demise:

…he was so old, and he was terrified, crying like a baby and cowering away into the lowest corner.

Demented and powerless, the aged being could only weep and mumble in fear and pain and misery, and he shrank away from what seemed like yet another threat.

The old one was uttering a wordless groaning whimper that went on and on, and grinding his teeth, and compulsively plucking at himself with his free hand;…Between them they helped the ancient of days out of his crystal cell; it wasn’t hard, for he was as light as paper, and he would have followed them anywhere, having no will of his own, and responding to simple kindness like a flower to the sun. But in the open air there was nothing to stop the wind from damaging him and to their dismay his form began to loosen and dissolve. Only a few moments later he had vanished completely, and their last impression was of those eyes, blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief.

Toward the end of the book, Mary Malone offers the following opinion to Will and Lyra:

I used to be a nun, you see. I thought physics could be done to the glory of God, till I saw there wasn’t any God at all and that physics was more interesting anyway. The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that’s all.”

True to her role as the serpent, she tells Will and Lyra about a time when she was battling temptation:

I thought, “Will anyone be better off if I go straight back to the hotel and say my prayers and confess to the priest and promise never to fall into temptation again? Will anyone be the better for making me miserable?”

“And the answer came back–no. No one will. There’s no one to fret, no one to condemn, no one to bless me for being a good girl, no one to punish me for being wicked. Heaven was empty. I didn’t know whether God had died, or whether there never had been a God at all.

After hearing her story, Lyra and Will fall in love, and the reader is made to endure a description of these two young children (not yet in their teens) kissing passionately. As a result of their decision to choose experience, the universe is saved.

My hope is that by including so many quotes it will be clear that I am not pulling one or two isolated statements out of context. Keep in mind that all of these quotes are from a series of books that is targeted at nine to eighteen-year-olds, available in the children’s section at any Border’s or Barnes and Noble’s.

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[1] All quotes from the books come from The Subtle Knife, by Philip Pullman (Yearling: New York, 1997), and The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman (Yearling: New York, 2000).

The following posts have been written by Pastor Wes Rickard. These posts deal with the potential dangers of “The Golden Compass” and the very real, tangible issues with the book series behind the movie. The following posts are for your consideration and edification.

On December 7^th, a movie called The Golden Compass hits movie theaters. It is released by New Line Cinemas, the same company that released the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and features an all-star cast. It will undoubtedly be a hit, and children will want to see it. We do not yet have detailed information about the content of the movie itself, but we are issuing this warning to parents because we do know the content of the book that the movie is based on.

The Golden Compass is the first book in the fantasy trilogy known in the United States as His Dark Materials, by British author Philip Pullman. I myself am a lover of the fantasy genre, and I am convinced that it is a valuable and beneficial source of reading material for children. A few fantasy series, like The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, contain Christian themes of redemption, atonement, etc. Some fantasy literature, like J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, while not overtly Christian, contains powerful moral themes. His Dark Materials is not in either of those categories.

It is not my intent in this forum to engage in literary criticism, nor do I have space to provide you with a detailed synopsis of the book. In the simplest terms, His Dark Materials is very much like a modern reworking of Milton’s Paradise Lost (the story of the rebellion and fall of Satan, the rebel angels, and mankind). In this version, however, the villains are the Authority (God) and His minions (the Church). The Satanic figures (a complicated fellow named Lord Asriel and his cronies), while not entirely sympathetic characters, eventually emerge victorious. The real hero of the story is the new Eve, an eleven-year-old girl named Lyra, who ultimately defeats the Church and saves the universe from catastrophe by once again choosing experience (as Eve chose sin). If this seems somewhat hard to believe, the following quotes from the books may help to shed some light on the subject.

This is an illustration that I used Sunday in my message. Several have asked to have it, so we will post it for you to use and read as you desire. Thanks and keep on reading.

NEW PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord’s Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word “God” is mentioned…a 15 year-old kid in Arizona wrote the following:

New School Prayer:

Now I sit me down in school

Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God

Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow

Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange, or green,

That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall

Might offend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate,

God’s name is prohibited by the state.

We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.

They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the “unwed daddy,” our Senior King.

It’s “inappropriate” to teach right from wrong.

We’re taught that such “judgments” do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,

No word of God must reach this crowd.

It’s scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

AMEN.

Introduction:   Ephes. 5:27  “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  Paul’s statement about the Church is obviously her future position, but it is also His present desire for her.  As a Church, we have been studying the topic of the Church, with the goal of understanding what God would have us to be and do.  We have looked at our AIM – what we are to do – which is to glorify God.  We have considered our ACTION – how we will accomplish our aim – which is the making and maturing of disciples.  We are now going to examine our ATTRIBUTE – the result of our action – which is a pure Church with Christlike members.  God has purposed to develop a pure Church through discipleship.  He has further purposed to preserve a pure Church through discipline.  In this study, we are going to endeavor to systematize the NT teaching on the doctrine of discipline by considering the purposes of discipline, the priorities of discipline, the problems for discipline, and the procedures for dealing discipline.  This is going to be a study that heavily emphasizes the scriptures so that there is no misunderstanding or assumption of preference.  Due to that, the manuscript may not read as smoothly as you are used to.  This is more of an exegetical outline. 

I           The Purposes of Discipline – Is it really important?             We live in a society that is marked by a rapid decline in not just biblical morality, but in any kind of morality at all.  God left the Church in the world to pervade the world with His truth so that He might draw men to Himself.  Unfortunately, contrariwise, the world has invaded the Church and through error has drawn men to the world.  This leads us to consider the purposes of discipline.  We must be diligent about discipline to . . . 

            A         Promote obedience to the Word of God.  Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee”    

The point is that the trigger point for discipline is always sin.  “Congregational discipline is really an act of discipleship that functions as the corollary to evangelism.  Evangelism ministers to those outside the church who are in the bondage of sin.  Congregational discipline ministers to those within the church who are in the bondage of sin” (Laney 1986, 353).

            B         Pursue  restoration of a sinning brother.  Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  

Church discipline provides the vehicle whereby the command of Gal. 6:1 can be obeyed.

            C         Protect the testimony of the body.  1 Cor. 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.  

 In verses 9-13 of this same passage, Paul makes it clear that the issue at hand at

Corinth was that of public testimony.  While discipline is never to be solely sourced in a desire to “remove the Church’s embarrassments,” it is necessary to protect the name of Christ among those who do not hold to it.  The issue was that a professing believer was living like an unbeliever.

            D         Provide spiritual protection for the Church. 

This protection is provided by the removal of the corrupting influence of sin and willful sinners.  1 Cor. 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  Secondly, there is protection provided through warning others about the consequences of willful sin.  Proverbs 19:25 “Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.”  1 Tim. 5:20 “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”

Though these four reasons exemplify the priority of discipline, we must always remember that the primary goal of discipline is always remedial.  Discipline will produce righteousness and enable us to partake of holiness.  In that sense, it is always to be restorative and not punitive.  When one will not yield to the process in it’s primary purpose, then there must be a protective purpose, for an environment that accepts sin will quickly  become a green house for more.

II         The Priorities of Discipline   

There are three forms of Biblical discipline:  (1) Internal, that is self-discipline, or me to me, i.e  I recognize an area of weakness, and I guard against it; (2) External, that is mutual discipline, or me to you and you to me; (3) Corporate, that is group discipline, or we to you.  The first to categories are intentioned to serve as preventative discipline and are the responsibilities of every believer.  The third category is corrective discipline that is designed to restore a believer who is pursuing a path of persistent disobedience.  It is this third category of discipline that we want to analyze as we consider the fourfold priorities for carrying it out. 

            A         It should be characterized by love. 

Contrary to what our secular society is teaching, there is no wall between love and discipline.    On the contrary, discipline is an evidence of love, and true love has discipline as an expression.  This is the example of God the Father.  Hebrews 12:6-8

    “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [7] If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? [8] But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”  In fact, in biblical thought, a lack of discipline is an indication of a lack of true love, Proverbs 13:24 “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

            B         It should be conducted in the “spirit of meekness.” 

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  This spirit of “gentleness” is strength under control.  It is a balance that is neither prone to anger nor incapable of it.  Discipline is never to be done as a reactive impulse of anger.  Strength under control is based on the recognition of one’s own liability to temptation and sin.

            C         It should be carried out with vigilance. 

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  God’s people must be attentive to the subtleness of sin.  We are to “watch out” for one another, with the goal of being helpful.  Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

            D         It should be completed with forgiveness.   

There must always be a readiness to extend forgiveness.  As often as it is sought, it should be granted.  Paul’s instructions to the Church at

Corinth in 2 Cor. 2:5-11model this spirit toward those who have sinned, been disciplined and have repented for us.  2 Cor. 2:6-11  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. [7] So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. [8] Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. [9] For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. [10] To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; [11] Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

We must follow this pattern, as Paul instructed, to avoid giving Satan the opportunity to twist the circumstances for his advantage.  

    III        The Problems for discipline 

The Bible details some specific categories of sin problems that are to lead to what is known as Church discipline, or what we are calling “corporate discipline.”  I believe that the scriptures teach that the “circle of confession should always be equal to the size of the circle of knowledge.”  There is no benefit to confessing unknown sin to people so that they become informed of the sin, in fact, this often causes new problems.  However, there is a necessity of “confessing our faults one to another” when they are known.  In a sense, public fault requires a public cure and private fault requires a private cure.  That being said, not every issue needs to advance to arena of public awareness, but there are specific areas of sin that the Bible addresses as being in this category.

            A         Doctrinal Deviation  1 Tim. 1:20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.  Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.  

There are legitimate areas of allowable disagreement on scriptural interpretation and application.  However, when it comes to the core doctrinal beliefs of the faith, believers are called upon by the scriptures to: “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”( Jude 1:3).  Titus 1:9 exhorts us to “refute” them who contradict those core truths.  Those truths are clear doctrinal teachings of the scripture that are non-negotiable like:  Galatians 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 1 John 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 2 Tim. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, and John 1:1, 14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

            B         Divisiveness   Titus 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;  Romans 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  

The word translated heretick here is one who causes an unbiblical separation among the people of God.  This person is “factious” or a “schismatic.”  This is someone who because of egotism and selfishness brings about division so that they can gain prominence.  They make a choice that pleases them , independent of other considerations.

            C         Disobedience or Disorderly Conduct 

This third category has two separate levels of conduct that are varied in severity, but have the common denominator of “conduct which does not follow the teaching of the Word of God.”  We see two separate examples of disobedience in the New Testament.

                        1          1 Cor. 5:1-5     It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. [2] And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. [3] For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, [4] In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, [5] To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.        

The problem in

Corinth was the situation of public sexual immorality.  Verse 11 of the passages says, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”  This verse in the passage broadens the application of the passage to encompass other areas of public sin beyond that of just immorality.

2                    2 Thes. 3:6-15       Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. [7] For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; [8] Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: [9] Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. [10] For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. [11] For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. [12] Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. [13] But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. [14] And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. [15] Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.   The specific problem in  Thessalonica was that there were people who would not work.  Much like he addressed the problem in

Corinth, Pauls instruction here is given in such a way that it transcends the particular application of the historical setting.  Paul establishes a broader category of “failure to follow “the tradition” of the Apostles and the “instruction” that comes from the epistle (vv. 6, 14).  This passage in 2 Thessalonians is a follow up to Paul’s warnings to these same people who were not walking orderly (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14).  

 The general problem in both

Corinth and Thessalonica is the matter of disobedience and disorderly conduct.

 IV        The Procedures for dealing with discipline  Just as there are different categories of problems, there are differing procedures for having to deal with the problems.  We will endeavor to address each category of problem with it’s specific procedure.             A         Doctrinal Deviation 

                        1          Identify the offenders           

Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  

1 Tim. 1:19-20 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: [20] Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.   2 Tim. 2:15-18 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.       

                        2          Avoid             

2 Tim. 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?  

                        3          Rejection       

2 John 1:9-10 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. [10] If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:                  B         Divisiveness 

                        1          Warning           Titus 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;  

                            2          Rejection 

            C         Public Disobedience

                        1          Flagrant

Defiance     

1 Cor. 5:6-13 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? [7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: [8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. [9] I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: [10] Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. [11] But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. [12] For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? [13] But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.       

                                    a          Removal from the Church    

1 Cor. 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  ***      What does it mean to “Deliver to Satan”? 

Acts 26:18   To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.  

Col. 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

   

S                    It is clear that the Realm of Satan as used in the Scriptures is always referring to the place a man is in when he is in a lost/unsaved condition.  Paul makes it clear that this man is to be treated as though he is not a believer.  His claim does not match up with his lifestyle.

1 Cor. 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the

kingdom of

God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the

kingdom of

God. [11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

S                    The lifestyle of a believer will not exhibit these behaviors.  Paul is clear that this is what we WERE, but are no longer.

1 Cor. 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.        

            b          Withdrawal of Fellowship     

1 Cor. 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  

This one has serious questions with regard to his profession of Faith.  He is a “so-called” brother.  The removal from the Assembly is the sign that this one is not demonstrating a persevering faith, and therefore does not qualify as a member of the Body of Christ, either universal or in its local expression.

            2          Persistent Disobedience       

2 Thes. 3:6-15 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. [7] For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; [8] Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: [9] Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. [10] For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. [11] For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. [12] Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. [13] But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. [14] And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. [15] Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.                                a          Withdrawal of Fellowship

           

2 Thes. 3:14-15 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. [15] Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.  

***      What was the difference?

 

S                    Apparently, the hideous nature and the public display of the sin at Corinth was such that the Apostle Paul saw fit to bypass what would have other wise been the normal procedure of discipline.   S                    These are: Oral Teaching (1 Thes. 4:11-12 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; [12] That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.)   

Written Warning (1 Thes. 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.), and

Withdrawal of Fellowship (2 Thes. 3:14-15 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. [15] Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.) 

It Appears that the intent of the process in Thessalonica was to avoid the end result of what happened in

Corinth.  However, it does appear that total excommunication was the end result of a lack of repentance on the part of the one in sin.  Titus 3:10 “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject,” most likely would apply in this situation.

3                    Private Disobedience  Matthew 18:15-17 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. [16] But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. [17] And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.     

                        a          Private Rebuke         

Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  

S                    Privacy is stressed by the idea of “you and Him alone.”

Leviticus 19:17     Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

   

2                    Private Conference   

Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.      ***      Three Views of the Witnesses 

            a          To verify the details of the confrontation             b          Present to “strengthen the rebuke and lead the offender to repentance 

            c          To supply additional evidence or serving as actual witnesses of the brother’s wrongdoing.  They are brought into the confrontation to convince the brother of his need for repentance. ***      So, What saith the Scripture? 

 

Deut. 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, inany sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses,shall the matter be established.  Numbers 35:30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouthof witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.  

Deut. 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy ofdeath be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.  John 8:17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.  

1 Tim. 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.  Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  

***      View three most accurately reflects the teaching of the whole of the scriptures.  The witnesses are brought in because they have some knowledge of the situation and can aid in the process of convincing and convicting the one in error.  In the event that the situation moves on to the next stage, these witnesses provide enough proof for the accusation to be accepted by the larger Body.

3                    Public Announcement

4                               

Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church:     

***      It is at this point that the treatment of the one in Thessalonica comes into view.  Upon the announcement to the Church, the Body is to withdraw fellowship, but is not yet to treat this one like he is not a part of the Body.  The point of the withdrawal of fellowship at this point is avoid that step of excommunication.

a          This is for the Church            -           “you” is a singular pronoun expressing unity.

b          This is only for the Church    -           This should be an exclusive family matter.

5                    Public Exclusion        

Matthew 18:17 but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.                          a          This is a unified decision of the Body

b          This is placing the sinner outside the Body

***      Note the comparison with the instruction in I Corinthians 5 

S                    This is to be carried out when they are “assembled” (1 Cor. 5:4) - This is official Church business.

S                    This act removes the sinning party (1 Cor. 5:13)

S                    This act treats the sinning party as though they are an unbeliever.

                        (1 Cor. 5:5)

The Church Body has been involved in the process because the power of expulsion is not in the purview of any individual or group, but is the responsibility of the entire Body.  The congregation is always the final court of appeal on matters that are such gravity.  When the erring brother remains unrepentant, he is to be removed from the fellowship of the assembly.  This is the unified decision of the Body as they corporately pronounce the will of God, Matthew 16:16-19 . . . I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Conclusion:   It is the desire of God the Father that through ministry of the Son that there be established a people for His names’ sake.  God is looking for such to worship Him.  That people in this dispensation is the Church.  Christ’s desire for that people is that “he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-27).   It is the desire of God that He would produce a pure Church through discipleship and maintain a pure Church through discipline that is carried out in love.  May we desire to be and determine to stay a pure Church for the Glory of God!!   I am thankful for the resource of class notes from Dr. Dave Doran at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 1999, upon which I leaned heavily for the writing of this post.

Psalm 33:12    Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. This July 4^th marks 231 years since our Founding Fathers gave us the Declaration of Independence. We continue to be the longest on-going

Constitutional

Republic in the history of the world and we need to understand that blessings such as these are not by chance or accidental. They are blessings of God.

To see the turmoil in other nations, their struggles and multiple revolutions, and yet to see the stability and blessings that we have here in America, we may ask, “How has this been achieved? What was the basis of American Independence?”

John Adams said, “The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity”.

Adams went on to say that in observing the 4th of July, “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”

Preserving American liberty depends first upon our understanding the foundations on which this great country was built and then preserving the principles on which it was founded.  

Woodrow Wilson once declared, “A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, or what it is trying to do.”

 

Psalm 44:1

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

And the trouble with America today, is that we stopped listening to our fathers, listening to what they told us God did in their lives long ago.

It was on July 30th (1789) that President George Washington gave his inaugural address, 1/3 of which was dedicated to the direct supplication to God for guidance and strength for our nation. And with that start, God has blessed our nation. But have we forgotten who has blessed us?

Does our country today even resemble what was intended by our Founding Father’s? I believe that it is clear that the Founders intended that these United States would be “One Nation Under God.”

What has happened in our generation? We have told God that we don’t need the Bible, we don’t need the church, we don’t need God in the running of our nation, our schools and sadly even our homes.

We have said that to Him in many ways, however, officially we told God we didn’t need him in 1962 and we have paid the price since then. Let me explain.

In 1962 a simple prayer was the center of a great deal of turmoil.  That prayer said, “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.” 

What is significant about that prayer, which only acknowledges God once, and does not even contain the word Jesus, is the fact that on June 25, 1962 in the case, Engel vs. Vitale, the courts declared it to be unconstitutional. Unconstitutional due to the fact that it mentioned God in a public place, this despite the fact that our own Declaration of Independence acknowledges God four separate times. Based on that decision the courts removed prayer from our schools.  

Prayer was removed on the basis of separation between church and state. And to illustrate the atrocity of that decision we must do a little history to see what view our founding fathers had on that subject and how that decision came about. You see our founding fathers did not believe in a separation between the government and Christianity. Let me show you that.

In 1853 a movement was started in which a group petitioned congress for the separation of Christian principles from government, a separation of church and state. For nearly one year the Senate and House Judiciary committees reviewed and studied the petition to see if it would be possible to separate Christian principles from our civil government. Both returned almost identical reports.

This is from the House Judiciary Committee report on March 27, 1854, It said, “Had the (founding fathers), during the revolution, a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle….At the time of the adoption of the constitution and its amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged, but not any one sect (denomination).”  

It also said, “In this age, there is no substitute for Christianity…That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.”  

Two months later, the House Judiciary Committee added this declaration, “The great vital and conservative element in our system (the thing that holds our system together) is the belief of our people in the pure doctrine and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”  

The committees explained that they could not separate these principles of Christianity from the government because it was these principles which made us so successful.

But what about the first amendment someone might ask. Good question. The emphasis of the first amendment which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” was never to separate Christianity from government, but to keep one single denomination within Christianity from controlling the government.

We all hear the statement of separation of church and state. We need to understand that God never intended it, and our founding fathers didn’t intend it either.

There are many today who believe that separation of Church and state is contained in our constitution, or is an axiom of the Bill of Rights.  In actuality, it came from Thomas Jefferson and its intent was exactly opposite of what it is held to mean today.

In 1801 the Danbury Baptist Association heard a rumor that the Congregationalist denomination was to become the official denomination of the United States. They were alarmed and sent a letter to Thomas Jefferson. He responded with a letter of his own.

It was January 2nd, 1802, and in his letter he told them they didn’t have to worry about one denomination within Christianity taking over the government because, “the First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between church and state.” Here is the origin of the phrase.

His intention is crystal clear. It has nothing to do with a separation of state and Christianity, but state and one official denomination within Christianity.  

His letter explained that they need not fear the establishment of an official denomination, and while the wall of separation protected the church from government control, there would always be complete freedom of worship for all orthodox religious practices, for true religious practice would never threaten the purpose of government.  The government would only interfere with religious activity when it was a direct menace to the government or to the overall peace and good order of society.

For nearly a century and a half the clear understanding of the first amendment was the prohibited establishing of a single national denomination, it had nothing to do with a separation of Christianity from government.

As a matter of fact in 1878 in a case called Reynolds vs. the United States, a group tried to take this statement by Jefferson to prove a separation of Christianity and government. In it’s response, the court quoted a lengthy section of the Jefferson letter and used it as a basis to prove that it was permissible to retain Christian values, practices and principles as official policies of the government.

For the next fifteen years Jefferson’s letter was used to prove the inclusion of Christian practice and religion in government. When these debates had been settled the letter went basically unused for the next 75 years until 1947.

In the case of Everson vs. the Board of Education the court, for the first time, did not sight Jefferson’s letter in its entirety but instead they selected eight words from the Jefferson letter, “a wall of separation between church and state” and then declared that wall must be kept high and impregnable, and used it, for the first time, against Christianity.  

It became a precedent that would continue and gain momentum. It would soon become common thought that “separation of Church and State” applied to any religious activity.

Following this 1947 decision, the courts began to often use that phrase, separation of church and state, and applying it totally out of context.  It got so bad that in 1958 in a case called Baer vs. Kolmorgen a dissenting judge warned that continuing to talk about the “Separation of church and state” would make people think it was part of the constitution.   Despite the warning, the courts continued to use the phrase until June 25, 1962 in the case, Engel vs. Vitale when based on the misrepresentation of that phrase, the court for the first time separated Christian principles from education when it struck down prayer in schools.  

In that one case in 1962 the courts redefined the definition of the word “Church.” For 170 years before, the word “church” as used in “Separation of Church and State” had been clearly defined by

Jefferson and by all following courts to be a federally established denomination, and no more.  In this case in 1962 they redefined church to include any religious activity performed in public. This was the turning point in the interpretation of the first amendment. And I believe, with all my heart, the turning point in our nation. It was on that day that we as a nation, for the first time, officially told God, we do not want you in our schools, in our nation, in our government, in our lives. It was on that day that we decided to become “one Nation out from under God.”   

School prayer was the first casualty of this new definition and decision. Within twelve months, this same court removed Bible reading and any religious classes or instructions. The Ten Commandments and beatitudes soon came down. And we’re paying the price today. 

The question is this, what does a nation look like after it has been out from under God for 45 years?  To answer that question, I want us to consider the little prayer that was at the center of the controversy. It says, “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.”  It asked for God’s blessing upon: Youth,Families,Educationand our Nation. 

And what has happened in those four areas since the removal of prayer in 1962.

1                    The evidence in the lives of our Youth.  

For decades prior to 1962 teenage pregnancy had remained relatively stable, yet in every year following the courts decisions in 1962-63 unwed teenage pregnancy has gone up. In girls under 14 it has gone up 553%. This graphic display is repeated in every single morally measurable statistic.

Sexually transmitted diseases were extremely uncommon and rare. Following 1962 they have shot up over 220%.

Pre-marital sex had even been declining before the removal of religious teachings, yet following 1962 they have risen 271%. For 15 year olds, since that time it has risen over 1000%.

In every measurable moral area, the level of participation in sin has increased dramatically since 1962.

You say well, aren’t there other influences and factors. Certainly there are – television, cultural changes, the transient nature of our families. But where do they find their roots? Why did these other factors present themselves in 1962 instead of 52 or 42 or 32. Dt. 5:29 says,  “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”

Have our children suffered since prayer was removed? The answer is yes they have, in every single measurable moral issue. I believe we see in our youth today the evidence of what a nation looks like when it is out from under God.

2          The Evidence in our families.  

What has been the result in our families since that prayer was removed?

Divorce had been declining every year since 1948, but when we told God, we don’t want you here, beginning in 1963, for the first time the divorce rate began to climb again until it has risen over 120%.

The U.S. is now #1 in the world in the area of divorce.

Single parent families, which I myself am a product of have risen over 140%. 1/3 of all babies (33%) are now born out of wedlock. Prior to 1962 that number was around 4%.

And the amazing thing is that each of these statistics was stable or declining prior to the courts removal of religious teaching from our systems. Since that time, every single moral sin has risen.

1 Samuel 12:15 ”But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you.”

3          The evidence in our schools.  

What has happened since that prayer was removed. In deciding that, let’s consider what education was like when our nation was founded.  The New England Primer was the first textbook ever printed in

America. It was introduced in

Boston in 1690, and for the next 210 years it was THE textbook in our schools. If you went to school in

America, you learned to read from the New England Primer.

Now it was a very simple book that taught alphabet, and after the alphabet was learned it went back and attached sentences to those letters to be memorized. Listen to the phrases that were memorized in our schools for over 200 years.

A - A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

B - Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith

C - Come unto Christ all ye that labor and are heavy laden and He will give you rest.

D - Do not the abominable thing which I hate saith the Lord.

And on it goes verse after verse. And note that every one of these phrases is a bible verse: This was the alphabet of American schools for over 200 years. How far have we regressed? Without the blessing of God, with an increase of disobedience and a lack of respect, comes a lack of learning.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test, the SAT, was initiated in 1926, and in 1941 it was placed on the same scale as is used today.

Prior to 1963, the SAT had never risen or dropped more than one year in a row. Beginning with the removal of moral teaching in 1963, SAT scores dropped for 18 consecutive years.

They have continued to drop. Is it any wonder that many parents are flocking to Christian schools where their kids can receive both education and biblical teaching. Prior to 1962 there were only 1000 Christian schools in

America. By 1984 that number had reached 32,000 and today, nearly 8.5 million students attend private religious schools.

By the way, SAT scores for private religious school students are nearly 80 points higher on average.

So what is the difference between the two, it is not in the core curriculum, they’re the sameI believe the difference is that one school utilizes religious principles and teaching and the other does not.

4          The evidence in our nation. 

What happened in our nation when we separated religious principles from the public arenas?

Violent crime after remaining stable prior to 1962 has risen over 800% since the courts decisions. It is rising faster than our population growth.

Since 1962

America has become number one in the world in Violent Crime, divorce, voluntary abortion, illegal drug use, and in the western world, teenage pregnancy and illiteracy.

And we can call all we want for more jails, more juvenile centers, but the reality is that this is a spiritual battle and until we reach our youth and nation with Jesus Christ, until God is invited back, we’ll be fighting a losing battle.

Christianity stops crime because it controls the heart, and crime comes out of the heart. If you don’t purify the heart, you won’t stop the crime. That is why Christian teachings and principles are so important to government.  

CONCLUSION:        So what do we do?  

We need to remember that the “Separation of Church and State” as we know it is not the teaching of our founding fathers. It is not an historical teaching in our country. It is not in the constitution or Bill of Rights. It is not a teaching of any law until recently.

And we must also understand that the current view of a separation of Church and state is not a biblical teaching. Separation of Church and state says, “Okay Christian, you can be salt and you can be light, but you can only do it within the walls of the church or in the confines of your own home. You can’t do it in the world. That is not a biblical teaching.

Prov. 18:1 says    “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.”  

   

We cannot isolate ourselves. We must take a stand. It is absolutely hypocritical of us, to get mad, and yell and scream about the government forcibly removing God and prayer from our schools, when we have voluntarily removed God and prayer from our homes.

The right answer for us is that we must pray.  We must pray as we ought.  We must continue in prayer.  Pray without ceasing.  Always pray and not faint.  We must be sure that we take God back to our nation by being ambassador’s for Christ.  It is time for us to no longer allow God to be separated from our state.  We must determine that we will not be one nation out from under God by being a part of this nation and making sure that we live under the authority of the Creator who has endowed us with our unalienable rights.  Will you pray, will you preach, will you practice truth so that

America can remain “One Nation Under God.”

From April 26th through May 3rd, I had the incredible privilege of working along side of some of God’s choicest servants on a short term mission trip to the Plateau land of Haiti.  9 Church members from Grace embarked on what would becaome a life changing venture for all of us.  Our goal was to go and work on a Mission medical clinic with the hope that our efforts would make a difference in the lives of the people of St. Raphael, Haiti by facilitating the mission work of Dr. Anne Livingstone.  While we saw a lot of work done, and accomplished all that we set out to do, the greater work was the one that was done in us not the one that was done by us. 

The village of St. Raphael is a remote place in the mountains of Haiti in an area that is known as the plateau.  It is approximately 50 miles from the major city of Cap Haitien, but due to road conditions, it was approximately a 2 1/2 hour trip by pickup truck.  There is no centralized electricity in the city, all of those who have it use a gas generator or solar power.  The level of poverty is hard to describe.  Dr. Anne Livingstone has faithfully ministered as a single lady doctor there for 20 years. 

A 20 year dream and prayer is in the process of being answered there on those mountains.  God has been slowly providing the means for an 11,000 square foot medical center to be constructed.  The block shell and interior walls of the facility had been constructed, and a previous work team had put conduit in the walls as preparation for the possibility of future wiring so that there could be power outlets in the walls and lights in the facility.  Over the course of our short stay in St. Raphael, we were able to install all of the boxes and fixtures and pull all the wire so that the outlets would work and the lights would come on.  It was an incredible, tear jerking day when we all gathered and threw the switch and the lights came on in the mountains of Haiti.  I wish all of you could have been there to see the glow on Dr. Anne’s face.  You could tell that twenty years of prayers were being answered.

In a tropical climate like Haiti, all of the block structures have to be built to allow for ventilation.  So, instead of windows, they use open louvers and a cone shaped roof which allows the heat to rise and be vented out circular holes in the ends.  The problem is that all of these openings allow any insect, rodent, and bat that wants to come in very easy access.  On any given night, as many as 50 bats would take up residence in the clinic, and would leave evidence of their presence all over the place accompanied by an unbelievable stench.  Our team designed and built window screens that insects can’t fly through, and rodents can’t chew through.  On the last night of our stay, we rejoiced as we scouted out the work after night fall and found that the facility was completely bat free.

In addition to that, we were able to install a ceiling fan in Doctor Anne’s house, install lights in the bathroom of the guest house as well as in her main home, and one of the men was able to work on Dr. Anne’s computer equipment so that she will be able to more effectively communicate with people back home via satellite.  That is the work that we saw accomplished, but none of it measures to the great work that God did in us.

I truly believe that the next step of growth for any believer is service.  It was truly amazing to see the way that God put this team, with all of their abilities, together.  For 7 of the team members, this was their first mission trip.  It was truly amazing to see how God had planned for each one to be apart of the work.  God truly has a place for everyone.  It was amazing to see how God provided for the team to be able to go.  4 of our 9 members had their trip paid for by other people.  It was amazing the way that God provided for the work.  Much of the materials that we needed for the trip were donated by people, and the rest was provided through the sacrificail offering that was so graciously given by the people of Grace Baptist Church during the week of our Missions conference.  The great lesson that we learned is this, “in God’s service, the greatest ability is availability, and the second is like unto it, flexibility.”  There were so many reasons not to go, so many hindrances that would keep individual members from going.  So many reasons why God could use someone else better.  In the end, all God was looking for was people who were available, and who would be pliable in His hands so that He could use them to do His work.  God asked, “Who will go for us?”  Isaiah answered, “Here am I, Lord.  Send me!” 

You see, in reality, there in the mountains of Haiti it was the lights of realization that came on.  We all realized that if we would allow Him to, God would use us to things that we could never do on our own.  Our lives were changed as we watched a little Lady who said God here am I send me to Haiti, changed as we sat in a service made up of over 300 genuine believers in Jesus Christ who offered to Him the sweetest of praise while never having experienced any of what we would consider this world’s pleasures and having been denied what we consider to be our necessities.  They truly exemplified the remarkable truth  of contentment with nothing but “food and raiment.”

Here is the question for you:  Will you be available the next time?  God is still asking, “Who will go for us?”  My life will never be the same because I was in the mountains of Haiti the day the lights came on.  Thank you to all who gave to make this trip possible.  Thank you to all of you who were willing to go.  Thank you, Lord, great things you have done!!

In  1 Cor. 15 verses 30-34, the Apostle Paul makes a plea to the believers who were at Corinth when he asks, “And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? [31] I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. [32] If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. [33] Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. [34] Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” What a truly stunning question followed by an astonishin statement! “Why is it that I am at risk of my life all the time while you are living it up? Paul draws the obvious conclusion that there is a difference of priorities between himself and the Corinthian believers. That difference was found in a proper understanding of the resurrection upon everyday life.

Paul calls us to attention by throwing us into the wrestling ring of the Roman colliseum. Paul had carried out and immense struggle for the cause of Christ at Ephesus. He faced great peril because he stood up for the truth and boldly proclaimed the Gospel. Paul says that if there is no life after death, then all of that struggle was merely an attempt to win a human argument, and as such, it was worthless. He then states a common euphemisitic statement from the godless greek culture in which they lived when he touts, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” What he is saying is this, if the reality of the resurrection does not have an impact on how we are living and what our priorities are then we might as well live as those who do not believe that there is a God at all. We should live by the mantra, “Get all you can and can all you get because you only get to go around once.” The sad reality was that this is exactly how the Corinthians were living. That is why Paul was protesting their rejoicing. Pauls rejoicing was in Christ, but theirs was the bliss of selfish living.

After shocking them with his statement and stunning them with his question, Paul scolds them with the truth. He makes a remarkable, universal assertion when he states, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” Paul challenges the thinking of the believers who didn’t have godly minds when he abruptly tells them to stop being deceived. The way they were living was due to their wrong thinking. They had justified the lives that they were leading. Paul trumpets the truth that the way you live directly impacts the person that you are. They believed that as long as they had some sort of profession of faith that they way lived (associations) didn’t matter. Paul tells them that things that we allow our selves to be associated with directly impact the character that we have. In other words, bad behavior identifies bad character. In fact, bad behavior corrupts good character and creates bad character. Wow!! Choices really do matter! Life is not just as simple as saying, “I have Jesus so now I can live any way that I want!” Paul protests that kind of thinking!

Paul closes this challenge by setting off the alarm clock! He tells the Corinthian believers thata it is time to wake up out of their sinful sleep. Their are priorities that do matter! There is a demand for how we are to live. He says that it is a shameful thing that there are people in their sphere of influence that have no knowledge of what God is like because the Corinthian believers were not living as His ambassadors. Paul tells them that they need to stop sinning!

I wonder, what are our priorities? Are we living out the reality of resurrection truth? Are we living as though there is life after life? Are we so connected to our earthly priorities and sinful pleasures that we communicate to the world around us that they are the most important thing? Paul is challenging all believers to live out the impact of Easter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! The greatest proof that there is a heaven is the life of a person who is laying up treasure there. The greatest evidence that there isn’t is the life of a person who claims that there is but lives as though this life is all that matters. The question is this, “what is your life proving?

Allow me to introduce myself, although I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking with many of you already. I am Alan Benson. I am the new Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that God has led me, my wife, and four daughters to the ministry here at Grace. I am overwhelmed at the privilege that is ours to serve the Lord here in this place. God is doing a tremendous work at Grace. God’s people are hungry for truth, busy in serving, and burdened for souls. We are seeing tremendous growth in the spiritual lives of the people who make up the Grace family and numerical growth as they reach out into their sphere of influence and impact their friends and loved for Christ and extend an invitation for them to come and visit us.

My passion for our Church ministry is that we will do God’s work in God’s way, for God’s glory. We are committed to making and maturing disciples for the glory of God. I believe that being a Word centered fellowship, being as broad as the scriptures are broad and as narrow as they are narrow, that focuses on people and not programs with a commitment to the priorities of worship, instruction, fellowship, and evangelism as they are found in the first generation Church; we can see the power of God on fresh display in all of our services. We are committed to authentic worship that holds to the premise that God is the only consumer in our services. By exalting the name of our great God and only using means that are in keeping with the right opinion of Him, we strive to attribute glory to Him in everything.

We strive to be a community of grace. Grace is divine provision whereby God provides for His own in such a way that they cannot and therefore should not take the credit. We realize that grace is absolutely necessary for salvation (Romans 5:5, Ephesians 2:8-9), for sanctification (Phillipians 2:13), for service (1 Corinthians 3:10), and for sacrificial giving (2 Corinthians 8: 1-5). As we have received the grace of God, we desire to be a therapeutic community that extends God’s grace to a hurting world around us (2 Corinthians 5:17-6:1). That is the message that we desire to bring to the greater Wilmington area as our

Jerusalem, and to spread around the globe through our missionary family of over 100 missionaries.

Our motto is Grace from the Word, Grace for the world, Grace for His glory. Each week we see folks from the area come to Grace for the first time, and many of them find that Grace is the place for them to call home. We would love to have you come and experience the Grace of God with us as we anticipate His working in our lives each week as we worship Him together.

Serving Him For Others,

Alan T. E. Benson Is 40:31