Thursday, April 30, 2009
Ask Pastor Cody
Pastor Cody is taking questions you have about the Bible, theology, church history, how our church is run, etc., which he will be addressing during the next two Wednesday night services. All are welcome to use the comments link at the bottom of this post to ask questions as well.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Reminder: Dr. Don Whitney Is Coming Friday!
Don Whitney, a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will be the speaker at a conference on Spiritual Disciplines this Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18 at New Heights Baptist Church. The topic on Friday will be "praying through Scripture" and the topic on Saturday will be "meditating on Scripture."
"Spiritual disciplines" can be a scary phrase, but it only refers to the upkeep of regular spiritual pursuits like prayer, Bible study, etc. Praying through Scripture basically means reading through Scripture passages and then praying according to them. Meditating on Scripture is not about emptying one's mind and chanting, but about reading, memorizing, and continually thinking about Scripture passages, figuring out how to order your life around Scripture. Dr. Whitney will define these exercises more completely and give helpful and practical ways to pursue them regularly.
Please join us Friday night at 7:00pm and Saturday morning at 8:30 am for this intriguing and helpful conference. All are invited!
"Spiritual disciplines" can be a scary phrase, but it only refers to the upkeep of regular spiritual pursuits like prayer, Bible study, etc. Praying through Scripture basically means reading through Scripture passages and then praying according to them. Meditating on Scripture is not about emptying one's mind and chanting, but about reading, memorizing, and continually thinking about Scripture passages, figuring out how to order your life around Scripture. Dr. Whitney will define these exercises more completely and give helpful and practical ways to pursue them regularly.
Please join us Friday night at 7:00pm and Saturday morning at 8:30 am for this intriguing and helpful conference. All are invited!
The Resurrection at the Center of Christian Theology
Many people are afraid of the word theology. Often they believe theology is something performed only by men with doctorates behind the closed doors of the seminary. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all, Christian or non-Christian, young or old, man or woman, engage in theology daily. When we make decisions about what to eat, what to wear, what to watch on television, what to say in response to situations or things said by others. We make constant judgment calls on our actions based on what we believe; what we believe about ourselves and, in correlation, what we believe about God. What we believe may be well or poorly thought-out; it could be consistent or not. But central to all our beliefs is the resurrection; did Jesus really live, suffer, die and rise again? What we believe on this point, our theology of the resurrection, makes a difference for everything else we think and makes us different.
The evidence for Jesus' actual death and resurrection, while denied by many, is well attested and evidenced. This blog is not the right context for delving into all the facts supporting the resurrection, but suffice it to say that one major evidence is the wide acceptance within his own generation that Jesus died and rose again. The Bible faithfully records people's reactions to Jesus' death and resurrection, and there were many witnesses to the facts of the miracles. Luke 24:44-48 and Acts 1:1-7 show the apostles to be witnesses to the resurrected Jesus. Luke 24:13-31 and John 20:11-18 describe Jesus appearance to other believers. Many in Jerusalem saw the effects of Jesus' resurrection - the gifting of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:8, 2:1-41). Even when arguing against unbelieving critics, the apostles and early Church Fathers appealed to public knowledge. This was no story concocted behind closed doors.
In our day, many of us fashion ourselves to be "people of science," that is, people who only believe in what is governed and measured by natural "laws." This thinking dismisses miracles and spirituality out of hand. Yet we have seen the effects of this kind of thinking in our "enlightened" society. Rape, murder, theft, and crime of all kinds are everywhere. wholesomeness is gone from our public talk (television, radio, internet). Everything is reduced to the lowest common denominator. The negative change in society is directly related to the growth in skepticism and unbelief, fostered by the media and the education system. These evil actions are directly caused by a wholesale loss of belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There are two reasons why the resurrection is the important hinge pin to faith. The first reason is entirely theological - Jesus' resurrection serves as a sign to us that he is who he said he is - God in the flesh. Jesus claimed to be God by uttering the unspeakable name, I Am, which is why the Sanhedrin (priests and political leaders) wanted to kill him for blasphemy (Mark 14: 1-64; Luke 22:70). Jesus' resurrection also serves as a promise to us that he performed the task of dying in the place for those who would believe in him; the sacrificial lamb (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:1-15). In so doing, Jesus becomes the believer's Passover. We know that we are forgiven because Jesus defeated sin and its punishment of death (Romans 5:11-15; 6:23), rising again.
The second reason that Jesus' resurrection is important to faith is that it is one of the criteria that Paul sets up for identification as Christians. "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame" (Romans 10:8-11). Without belief in and confession of the nature and resurrection of Jesus, there is no salvation.
These two important aspects of the resurrection instantly separate the believer from the unbeliever. Jesus, through his blood as the Passover lamb, separates the Hebrews from the Egyptians. The resurrection is the message we preach and the sign through which we hope in salvation. The question becomes, do you believe in God's salvation; the person, work, death, resurrection, ascension, and continued advocacy of Jesus the Christ for you? If so, may your life reflect choices made in light of the theology of the resurrection; loving obedience to our Father. If not, why not? What about your sin is worth giving up eternal life with the holy and loving God?
Steven Douglas
If you have questions about biblical Christianity or about how to come to saving faith, please leave a comment in the comments section below or call New heights Baptist Church at 502-367-1987.
The evidence for Jesus' actual death and resurrection, while denied by many, is well attested and evidenced. This blog is not the right context for delving into all the facts supporting the resurrection, but suffice it to say that one major evidence is the wide acceptance within his own generation that Jesus died and rose again. The Bible faithfully records people's reactions to Jesus' death and resurrection, and there were many witnesses to the facts of the miracles. Luke 24:44-48 and Acts 1:1-7 show the apostles to be witnesses to the resurrected Jesus. Luke 24:13-31 and John 20:11-18 describe Jesus appearance to other believers. Many in Jerusalem saw the effects of Jesus' resurrection - the gifting of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:8, 2:1-41). Even when arguing against unbelieving critics, the apostles and early Church Fathers appealed to public knowledge. This was no story concocted behind closed doors.
In our day, many of us fashion ourselves to be "people of science," that is, people who only believe in what is governed and measured by natural "laws." This thinking dismisses miracles and spirituality out of hand. Yet we have seen the effects of this kind of thinking in our "enlightened" society. Rape, murder, theft, and crime of all kinds are everywhere. wholesomeness is gone from our public talk (television, radio, internet). Everything is reduced to the lowest common denominator. The negative change in society is directly related to the growth in skepticism and unbelief, fostered by the media and the education system. These evil actions are directly caused by a wholesale loss of belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There are two reasons why the resurrection is the important hinge pin to faith. The first reason is entirely theological - Jesus' resurrection serves as a sign to us that he is who he said he is - God in the flesh. Jesus claimed to be God by uttering the unspeakable name, I Am, which is why the Sanhedrin (priests and political leaders) wanted to kill him for blasphemy (Mark 14: 1-64; Luke 22:70). Jesus' resurrection also serves as a promise to us that he performed the task of dying in the place for those who would believe in him; the sacrificial lamb (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:1-15). In so doing, Jesus becomes the believer's Passover. We know that we are forgiven because Jesus defeated sin and its punishment of death (Romans 5:11-15; 6:23), rising again.
The second reason that Jesus' resurrection is important to faith is that it is one of the criteria that Paul sets up for identification as Christians. "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame" (Romans 10:8-11). Without belief in and confession of the nature and resurrection of Jesus, there is no salvation.
These two important aspects of the resurrection instantly separate the believer from the unbeliever. Jesus, through his blood as the Passover lamb, separates the Hebrews from the Egyptians. The resurrection is the message we preach and the sign through which we hope in salvation. The question becomes, do you believe in God's salvation; the person, work, death, resurrection, ascension, and continued advocacy of Jesus the Christ for you? If so, may your life reflect choices made in light of the theology of the resurrection; loving obedience to our Father. If not, why not? What about your sin is worth giving up eternal life with the holy and loving God?
Steven Douglas
If you have questions about biblical Christianity or about how to come to saving faith, please leave a comment in the comments section below or call New heights Baptist Church at 502-367-1987.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Evangelism Encounter 1
The other day I needed an oil change and went to a local service station. When I told the manager what I wanted, I was instructed it would at least be 1 hour before they could get it done. The manager offered me some coffee and a place to sit in the waiting room which I happily agreed too. I sat down and noticed an elderly man, “Stan,” reading a newspaper; he offered a section to me. Soon I started to think, “I wonder if he knows Christ.” This thought process happens quite often with me. So I started a conversation with the man. We started to talk and he told me he worked at the Courier Journal before he retired then became a Certified Nurse and a LPN in order to take care of his wife.
I told him that I was a student at Southern Seminary, hoping to turn the conversation to the spiritual realm, but that didn’t work. I reached for a gospel tract to intentionally swing the conversation to the spiritual realm, but to my dismay I didn’t have any on me. So I prayed, asking God to help me swing this conversation to the spiritual realm. The man said, “Hey, I have some pictures to show you, wait a minute and I will get them.” He disappeared into the garage bay and returns with an envelope of pictures. I opened up the envelope and he had several pictures of the recent ice storm that hit the Louisville area. I saw what he called his “favorite picture,” the sun was shining through the clouds, hitting the ice on the trees and sparkling. It was a beautiful picture . . . I could tell this was my opportunity.
As I admired the picture, I said to him “how can someone see a picture like that and believe there is no God”. He looked intently at the picture and agreed. I then inquired where he goes to church and he named a large local church. Then, pausing, almost under his breathe, he said, “When I go.” So I asked him “what do you think happens when you die”? He said he has a friend who he discusses spiritual matters with over lunch. He said that he wasn’t sure if there is a God, but if there was, he would take into account “what good he had done while here on earth”. My next response of course was “so you consider yourself to be a pretty good person?” His reply was, of course, yes. So we then talked about God’s law to see how good he really was against God’s standard of goodness. When he saw his state before God’s law, he saw his sin, and that based on his sin, he deserved to go to hell.
I then had the opportunity to tell the greatest story ever; the fact that God, through His predetermined plan sent his Son to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life and didn’t break any of God’s Laws. He was nailed to a cross, and God poured out his wrath upon his own Son for my sin and the sins of all people who would believe. We talked about repentance and the fact that we must repent (turn from sin), and put our faith in Christ Jesus alone for our salvation. I then returned to the subject of works, explaining that our works cannot save us; it is only through the work of Jesus Christ, his shed blood for our sin, and his bodily resurrection, that we can be saved.
Stan promised me that he would read the book of John, he seemed very interested, but wasn’t sure about repenting, he wanted to read John first. I prayed for Stan and we parted ways. I pray that God will grant Stan faith and that he will repent and put his faith in the only one who can save him, Jesus Christ.
All of us can share our faith; we just need to face our fear of man. What is the worst thing that can happen to you – you are rejected? Look at the rejection that Christ endured on our behalf. Another possibility is that you plant a “seed” that another will water and someone else will harvest, God willing. The person could even repent and place their faith in Christ (and all of heaven would rejoice!). There are many methods to share your faith, but to share it biblically you must talk about: sin; righteousness/holiness; judgment; heaven and hell; and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. If you have questions on how you can do this please contact N.H.B.C. for our training schedule in Biblical evangelism. One last thing; when you pray, pray that God opens Stan’s eyes to the truth of the Gospel.
Now go share your faith!
Danny Allen
I told him that I was a student at Southern Seminary, hoping to turn the conversation to the spiritual realm, but that didn’t work. I reached for a gospel tract to intentionally swing the conversation to the spiritual realm, but to my dismay I didn’t have any on me. So I prayed, asking God to help me swing this conversation to the spiritual realm. The man said, “Hey, I have some pictures to show you, wait a minute and I will get them.” He disappeared into the garage bay and returns with an envelope of pictures. I opened up the envelope and he had several pictures of the recent ice storm that hit the Louisville area. I saw what he called his “favorite picture,” the sun was shining through the clouds, hitting the ice on the trees and sparkling. It was a beautiful picture . . . I could tell this was my opportunity.
As I admired the picture, I said to him “how can someone see a picture like that and believe there is no God”. He looked intently at the picture and agreed. I then inquired where he goes to church and he named a large local church. Then, pausing, almost under his breathe, he said, “When I go.” So I asked him “what do you think happens when you die”? He said he has a friend who he discusses spiritual matters with over lunch. He said that he wasn’t sure if there is a God, but if there was, he would take into account “what good he had done while here on earth”. My next response of course was “so you consider yourself to be a pretty good person?” His reply was, of course, yes. So we then talked about God’s law to see how good he really was against God’s standard of goodness. When he saw his state before God’s law, he saw his sin, and that based on his sin, he deserved to go to hell.
I then had the opportunity to tell the greatest story ever; the fact that God, through His predetermined plan sent his Son to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life and didn’t break any of God’s Laws. He was nailed to a cross, and God poured out his wrath upon his own Son for my sin and the sins of all people who would believe. We talked about repentance and the fact that we must repent (turn from sin), and put our faith in Christ Jesus alone for our salvation. I then returned to the subject of works, explaining that our works cannot save us; it is only through the work of Jesus Christ, his shed blood for our sin, and his bodily resurrection, that we can be saved.
Stan promised me that he would read the book of John, he seemed very interested, but wasn’t sure about repenting, he wanted to read John first. I prayed for Stan and we parted ways. I pray that God will grant Stan faith and that he will repent and put his faith in the only one who can save him, Jesus Christ.
All of us can share our faith; we just need to face our fear of man. What is the worst thing that can happen to you – you are rejected? Look at the rejection that Christ endured on our behalf. Another possibility is that you plant a “seed” that another will water and someone else will harvest, God willing. The person could even repent and place their faith in Christ (and all of heaven would rejoice!). There are many methods to share your faith, but to share it biblically you must talk about: sin; righteousness/holiness; judgment; heaven and hell; and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. If you have questions on how you can do this please contact N.H.B.C. for our training schedule in Biblical evangelism. One last thing; when you pray, pray that God opens Stan’s eyes to the truth of the Gospel.
Now go share your faith!
Danny Allen
Ministry Encounters
One of the reasons this blog exists is for the strengthening of the faith of our members. To this end, we will be posting occasional examples of different ministries that are performed by our members. It is our hope that these examples will build courage to evangelize, bring about thinking on deeper things, and solidify faith. We also hope that those who stop by this site, whether members of our church or not, will be willing to ask questions and engage in friendly exchange, so that God may be glorified.
These ministries are not only carried out by our pastoral staff and deaconry, some are carried out by "ordinary members" who feel God's calling to reach out to other brothers and sisters, to the lost, and to the community in general, all in the name of Jesus.
These ministries are not only carried out by our pastoral staff and deaconry, some are carried out by "ordinary members" who feel God's calling to reach out to other brothers and sisters, to the lost, and to the community in general, all in the name of Jesus.
Why The Resurrection Is Essential to Evangelism
Why is the resurrection necessary? Some Christians may scratch their heads and say “duh,” but there are other self-proclaiming Christians who believe the resurrection did not happen. (See Dr. Albert Mohler’s article) One must believe in the Resurrection in order to be saved. No resurrection equals no salvation and no hope. The resurrection is our sign that God has accepted the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for those who repent and believe. The apostle Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and left no room for doubt, when he declared that those who are saved are those who confess with their lips that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead [Romans 10:9]. If you don’t believe in the resurrection you, my friend, are not a Christian.
So why is the resurrection necessary in evangelism specifically? When we share our faith we must tell the whole Gospel. We must explain to others that we are all sinners that we have offended a holy and righteous God. What is sin? 1 John 3:4, says that “sin is transgression of Gods Law”, the Ten Commandments. If you have ever told a lie, taken God’s name in vain, not always placed God first in your life, you have broken his law and are a sinner. So why does the resurrection matter? Since we are sinners and deserve God’s wrath there is no way that we can stand before a Holy God on the Day of Judgment. Ten out of Ten people die, Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed a man once to die and then judgment.
But there is hope! the Bible says that before the foundation of the world God determined to save some and he knew that while he was creating this world. He knew man would fall and sin. In his predetermined plan before the foundation of this World the Cross was in sight. As Christ was creating this world he knew that in order to glorify his Father, he would have to live a holy life as a man, born of a virgin. He would have to keep God’s Law in its entirety. He would then, by the hands of sinful, man be handed over to be crucified. This death was not a normal death. It was the Son of God, nailed to the cross as a sacrifice. He was the perfect lamb of God, nailed to the cross by sinful men and then God the Father put our sin upon his perfect Son, and the Bible says that it pleased God to do this. God the Father then turned his head separating himself for the first time in eternity past from his Son. His perfect Son was seen as sinful because of our sin, and Christ uttered three words that have echoed through time "It is finished."
Three days after the crucifixion, God the Father, in order to bring Glory to himself and to Honor to his Son’s sacrifice, breathed life into the dead God-man, his only Son. When this happened, God the Father was showing his acceptance of the Sacrifice that Christ made for those who repent and believe in him. The resurrection has everything to do with evangelism because it is the very gospel that saves, and we are to be the most pitied of all people if we forsake telling sinners of sin, Christ crucified, and Christ raised from the dead. God the Father has elevated our Lord and Savior to sit at his right hand to receive all the glory and honor he deserves forever and ever. Go and share your faith today, he’s Alive!
Danny Allen
So why is the resurrection necessary in evangelism specifically? When we share our faith we must tell the whole Gospel. We must explain to others that we are all sinners that we have offended a holy and righteous God. What is sin? 1 John 3:4, says that “sin is transgression of Gods Law”, the Ten Commandments. If you have ever told a lie, taken God’s name in vain, not always placed God first in your life, you have broken his law and are a sinner. So why does the resurrection matter? Since we are sinners and deserve God’s wrath there is no way that we can stand before a Holy God on the Day of Judgment. Ten out of Ten people die, Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed a man once to die and then judgment.
But there is hope! the Bible says that before the foundation of the world God determined to save some and he knew that while he was creating this world. He knew man would fall and sin. In his predetermined plan before the foundation of this World the Cross was in sight. As Christ was creating this world he knew that in order to glorify his Father, he would have to live a holy life as a man, born of a virgin. He would have to keep God’s Law in its entirety. He would then, by the hands of sinful, man be handed over to be crucified. This death was not a normal death. It was the Son of God, nailed to the cross as a sacrifice. He was the perfect lamb of God, nailed to the cross by sinful men and then God the Father put our sin upon his perfect Son, and the Bible says that it pleased God to do this. God the Father then turned his head separating himself for the first time in eternity past from his Son. His perfect Son was seen as sinful because of our sin, and Christ uttered three words that have echoed through time "It is finished."
Three days after the crucifixion, God the Father, in order to bring Glory to himself and to Honor to his Son’s sacrifice, breathed life into the dead God-man, his only Son. When this happened, God the Father was showing his acceptance of the Sacrifice that Christ made for those who repent and believe in him. The resurrection has everything to do with evangelism because it is the very gospel that saves, and we are to be the most pitied of all people if we forsake telling sinners of sin, Christ crucified, and Christ raised from the dead. God the Father has elevated our Lord and Savior to sit at his right hand to receive all the glory and honor he deserves forever and ever. Go and share your faith today, he’s Alive!
Danny Allen
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
An Essential Article on Shielding the SBC from The Theological Drift Found in Open Theism
Danny Allen found a great article by Russell D. Moore on the problem of Open Theism. Open Theism is the idea that God is not omnipotent or omniscient. In this view, God is trapped within his created universe with humanity and makes informed decisions with humanity, often responding to man's leading.
This view is making inroads into many churches in subtle ways. Russell Moore's article identifies three things to avoid as a church in order to keep this theological viewpoint at bay 1) framing the openness of God debate as an intramural discussion; 2) contrasting the open god with "God in general," not the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ; 3) presenting God as a means to personal and congregational goals.
Dr. Moore rightly identifies Open Theism as a man-centered (rather than a God-centered) belief and offers little hope to the hurting or the lost. Only by focusing on God and his glory will our churches remain fruitful. As Jesus said in John 15:5, "Apart from me you can do nothing."
Read Dr. Moore's article here.
This view is making inroads into many churches in subtle ways. Russell Moore's article identifies three things to avoid as a church in order to keep this theological viewpoint at bay 1) framing the openness of God debate as an intramural discussion; 2) contrasting the open god with "God in general," not the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ; 3) presenting God as a means to personal and congregational goals.
Dr. Moore rightly identifies Open Theism as a man-centered (rather than a God-centered) belief and offers little hope to the hurting or the lost. Only by focusing on God and his glory will our churches remain fruitful. As Jesus said in John 15:5, "Apart from me you can do nothing."
Read Dr. Moore's article here.
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