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When and How to Leave a Church · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Well, good morning. This is the second week of a two-week break from our verse-by-verse exposition of John's gospel.
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! But I'd still like for you to join me in John's gospel in chapter 17 and verse 3.
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This will be the first text that we'll turn to today.
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This morning we're going to think a bit together about when and how to leave a church.
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If you are going to be connected meaningfully to the life of a church, you will experience the loss of people that you care about.
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It is inevitable that people will leave a church.
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Some for legitimate, reasonable, healthy reasons.
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Reasons that we would be glad to send people out of our church.
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And their departure, it's handled with great maturity.
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We walk together through that process.
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Sometimes, this is sadly not the case.
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So today I want to take a bit of time to think about good reasons to leave a church.
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With some additional comments about when and how not to.
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We don't have a lot of explicit biblical data to derive conclusions from on this topic.
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We do see in the Bible people sent from one place to another for a particular purpose.
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And we do see letters commending the acceptance of people sent.
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However, our complex Christian society requires that we come to some conclusions implicitly.
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Which I hope to help us do so faithfully.
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By complex, I mean we live in a saturated marketplace, if you'll allow.
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There are churches all over.
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So how do we navigate both joining a church and then in some cases, leaving one?
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All of that said, do be discerning.
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Anytime you hear teaching from the Bible.
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A guest, a guest member.
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Anytime you hear teaching from the Bible.
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Especially so when the Bible is approached topically and implicitly.
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So be discerning.
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Anytime we open God's Word together.
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Be especially so this morning.
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It's easy.
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We have seen people do this over and over and over again.
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To use the Bible to say what they want to say.
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And that's certainly not my desire this morning.
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I want you to hold me accountable.
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Are we being faithful to the text as we try to derive wisdom from it on topics like this?
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Now, so much could be said here.
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I could go on and on and on.
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I've been a pastor now for almost 17 years.
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And so I have experienced loss across those years.
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So to keep me from just rambling on,
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I've structured our time around three characteristics of a local church
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that I think will help us think well on this matter.
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So a bit of an outline for you to my rambling.
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And here it is.
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The church is, number one, theological, confessional, and therefore convictional.
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And you'll actually find this in your bulletin this morning.
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Secondly, the church is relational.
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And thirdly, the church is missional.
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Let's pray together.
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Father, as we take some time this morning to think on this topic,
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I pray that you would help us to do so biblically.
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I've got a spattering of texts throughout my notes.
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I pray that you'll help us to take them up and to think about them,
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your word and how it applies to this particular matter.
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Help us to have our affections for you increase as we spend these moments together.
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And help us to have our affections for the thing you are most affectionate for,
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your church also increase.
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We need your help.
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If anything is going to be done this morning that is of any real benefit to any of us,
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we certainly need your spirit to work in us, in my speaking and in our hearing.
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I pray that you'd apply this carefully to our hearts.
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We pray this for your glory in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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So when to leave a church.
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First, the church is theological.
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And I could say it's theological and therefore confessional and therefore convictional.
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A church is a group of people who gather regularly for a specific purpose.
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What is that purpose?
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Church is made up of Christian people and we gather to worship our God for his glory and our good.
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That's why we do this.
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Lots of other great things happen in the life of a church, right?
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Eggs are exchanged.
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And essential oils purchased.
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But that's not why we exist as a church.
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Neat byproducts, right?
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It is altogether possible.
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And we should not miss this.
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It's altogether possible to worship the right God wrongly
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or to have the trappings of worship in order.
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So appearance of right worship.
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But to worship a God of our own making.
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So the church must be.
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It is necessarily theological.
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We have to do theology to be a church.
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The study of God.
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And we study his word so that we can know him by it.
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How do you turn to John chapter 17 and verse 3.
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Here Jesus says,
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And this is eternal life.
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I want the definition of eternal life for me.
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What is eternal life?
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This is eternal life.
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That they know you.
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That they know you.
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The only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
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To be a Christian is to be a theologian.
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Not merely to know about God, but to know him.
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That's a serious thing that we do.
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And we ought to do it seriously.
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J.I. Packer in his seminal work, Knowing God, said this.
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Quote,
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What is my ultimate aim and object in occupying my mind with the things of God?
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What do I intend to do with my knowledge about God once I have it?
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For the fact that we have to face is this.
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If we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake,
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it is bound to go bad on us.
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End quote.
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It's going to lead to pride.
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It's going to puff us up.
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We want to know God and therefore live our lives in accordance with his commands.
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And so, the church, it must be theological.
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And it should be no surprise to anybody that it is.
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We read and we pray and we read out loud to one another.
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And we sing and we preach and we hear preached.
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The word of God.
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We are theological.
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And because of that, we have to decide what the Bible says about some things.
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We can't say we're theological, study God's word to know him by it,
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and then shrug our shoulders about what he teaches from it.
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We ought to say it says something.
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And churches do this, of course.
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And so, we're confessional.
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We write down what we believe the Bible says.
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And because of this, we are therefore convictional, or should be at very least.
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Right?
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What we believe the Bible teaches about something,
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we ought to actually live in accordance with that.
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So, should you leave a church, if anyone in the church disagrees with you about anything?
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Certainly not.
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There are people who think in this way.
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If so, each of us would be left to our private study.
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And we would all be worse for it.
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Not a single one of us doesn't need the church to help us to grow in the truth.
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So then, if that's not the case,
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what does constitute a significant enough disagreement to leave a church over?
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How should we think about this?
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And thus, I parade in the idea, once again, to you of theological triage.
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So, in your notes, I've listed this out for you.
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I've listed it in order.
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First, second, third, fourth.
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Although, I'm going to talk about it a little bit out of order.
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If you're entirely new to the concept,
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the idea of triage is assigning importance to something.
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So, my classic example is,
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if a bus of people was in an accident,
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and they all got rushed to the emergency room,
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very quickly, a charge nurse or doctor is going to assign importance to the injuries that are being experienced there.
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Right?
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What needs the most attention?
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And we can give the same concept to theology.
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Those doctrines that we hold.
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So, the last of these, and I like to say them this way because I like to say the word quaternary.
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Quaternary doctrine, or fourth order doctrine.
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I used to say it's unimportant, but I like to say it this way instead.
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It's important for no one.
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Stuff that just doesn't matter.
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My example is always, is there life on other planets?
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Interesting to think about.
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Important for no one.
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We'll see.
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I don't care.
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Then, we can pick up tertiary doctrine, or third order doctrine,
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which is important for you.
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Right?
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Not unimportant, but important for you,
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and perhaps your family,
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and those that you have influence over.
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So, these are things that you ought to have some conviction about,
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but we don't all have to share the exact same conviction.
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So, an example might be,
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what kind of television do we allow in our homes?
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Some allow no television in their home.
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That's a fine conviction to have.
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Some allow for some.
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There are certainly some television no Christian should allow in their home,
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but there's some gray area in between.
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How are we trying to be wise in what we allow into our home?
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Another example I thought about this morning,
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as I got ready for the morning,
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how do we think about our Second Amendment rights?
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Men, do you carry?
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Do you not carry?
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Are there convictions that back the actions that you take?
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We don't have to agree on this
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to be Christians in fellowship together.
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So, turn with me and let me show you an example of this from Romans chapter 14.
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This is the first six verses.
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This lays out this idea for us.
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There Paul writes,
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As for the one who is weak in faith,
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welcome him,
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but not to quarrel over opinions.
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One person believes he may eat anything,
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while the weak person eats only vegetables.
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And the issue at hand here is meat offered to idols.
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You could argue this is an important gospel issue,
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freedom that we have in Christ.
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And Paul is saying,
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it's an opinion that we should not quarrel over.
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Verse 3,
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Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains,
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and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats,
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for God has welcomed him.
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Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?
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It is before his own master that he stands or falls,
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and he will be upheld,
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for the Lord is able to make him stand.
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Another example,
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although we don't know exactly the nature of it,
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I think this is about the Sabbath.
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One person esteems one day as better than another,
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while another esteems all days alike.
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Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
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The one who observes the day observes it in honor of the Lord.
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The one who eats,
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eats in honor of the Lord,
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since he gives thanks to God.
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While the one who abstains,
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abstains in honor of the Lord,
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and gives thanks to God.
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So there are convictions at work here,
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all meant to please God.
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Tertiary,
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third order,
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important for you.
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And I'll tell you, beloved,
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I like conversations in this realm,
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because I want to be wise.
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I want to think about God's commands,
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and how to apply them in the world in which we live.
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No one's having conversations in Paul's day
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about whether or not to put a gun on their back
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before they put on their jacket.
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They're not talking about this.
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So help me think.
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Think with me.
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Let's take up God's word.
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Let's push and pull at each other,
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and let's not divide over things that fall into this category.
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Okay, back to the top.
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Primary doctrine.
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First order doctrine.
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Doctrine that is important for everyone.
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Everyone needs the good news of Jesus Christ.
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These would be doctrines,
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truths that must be believed in order for a person to be saved.
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I said to you all through our study of Romans here recently,
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that that's the hill we want to die on.
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Because people are dying.
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We want to stand firm on those doctrines
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that people must believe
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that they might have the salvation of their souls.
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Primary doctrine.
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So, there's a creator God
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who is holy
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and has a standard by which we are to live.
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He is the creator.
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We are creation.
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He has the right to demand something of us.
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And all of us have failed to live up to that standard.
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All of us have broken His commands.
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We call this failure sin.
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And it creates a great problem for us.
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The greatest of problems.
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We often speak of the world as broken.
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And it is, to be sure.
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When we speak of ourselves,
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apart from God's intervening work,
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we are dead because of sin.
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And eternal death is what belongs to us.
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But Jesus, God incarnate,
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came and lived a perfect life.
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He did not inherit Adam's guilt
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because he was born of a different line.
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He was born of a virgin.
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Mary.
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He kept the law perfectly.
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He fulfilled that demand of God on us
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so that He could give it to us by faith.
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He died a sacrificial death
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so that He could take away the penalty
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that our sin has bought for us.
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And He was raised on the third day.
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Triumphed over death.
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Showed Himself.
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Proved that He was in fact God incarnate.
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The Messiah.
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The One who takes away the sins of the world.
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And so now, we can repent.
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And we can believe.
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We can cling to Him
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and have this beautiful transaction happen between us
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where He takes away our punishment
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and gives to us His righteousness
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so that we can be justified
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and adopted into God's family.
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Justified by grace through faith
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in Christ alone.
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First order doctrines
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important for everyone.
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Jude, verse 3 and 4.
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Jude writes,
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Beloved, although I was very eager
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to write to you about our common salvation,
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I found it necessary to write appealing to you,
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contend for the faith
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that was once for all delivered to the saints.
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I think this is what he's talking about.
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First order types of doctrines.
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The faith once for all delivered to the saints.
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Why do I think this?
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Because in verse 4 he says,
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For certain people have crept in unnoticed
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who long ago were designated for this condemnation,
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ungodly people
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who pervert the grace of our God
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into sensuality
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and deny our only Master and Lord,
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Jesus Christ.
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Undermine the gospel itself.
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And he's writing to them
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to contend for that faith.
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Primary doctrine.
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It matters greatly.
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And then we come to secondary doctrine
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or second order doctrine,
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which is important for us.
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These are the types of doctrines
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that are good for us to generally agree on
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to be in fellowship in a church.
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They're going to define our practice
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and in some cases possibly define sin.
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What will a church determine to be sin or otherwise?
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Some examples.
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Like via view on divorce
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and or remarriage after divorce.
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There are some disparate views out there
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and we should know what we think is allowed
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and not allowed with some boundaries.
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Right?
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The regulative principle.
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Right?
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How do we think we are supposed to gather together?
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What does the Scripture say we should do
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when we come together?
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And then there's always the classic example
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of our view on baptism.
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Right?
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A way that we are theological
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and then confessional
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and then convictional.
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We're going to practice this ordinance
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in a particular way
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because of what we believe
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the Scripture teaches on the matter.
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So our church has two confessional standards.
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Right?
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We ask of every member of our church
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to affirm,
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so fully agree with,
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the Apostles' Creed.
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This is not a big ask.
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It's first order kind of stuff.
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Things we should believe to be true
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in order to be saved.
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And then we have a much denser document
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that we approved this year,
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Providence Baptist Church Confession of Faith.
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It's a lot more.
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There's a lot more going on in this.
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But we don't expect that everybody in the church
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fully comprehends or fully agrees
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with everything found in this document.
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We ask that our elders affirm this document
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and that it's the teaching standard
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for the church.
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So it contains within it
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those things that are first order
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and those things that are second order doctrines.
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Right?
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We have to have some views about some things.
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It's important that we are theological,
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confessional,
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and convictional.
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So,
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Christian people
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need to be thinking
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in this way
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and wrapping up
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their thoughts about
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when to leave a church
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with those things
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that are of
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secondary
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order.
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If you're debating over first order stuff,
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we'd love to talk with you
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and teach you,
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but you just may not be a Christian.
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Okay?
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If you're all a Christian,
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you believe those first order,
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important gospel doctrines,
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there's a lot of things
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that can be considered
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in that second category.
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Again,
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baptism,
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a very classic example of this.
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There are reasons
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that there are
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paedo-baptist churches
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in our community
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that baptize infants
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and churches that don't
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only baptize
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professing Christians.
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But as we do this,
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the very best
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Christian thinking
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is,
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number one,
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deferential.
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Deferential.
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That is,
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respectful
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and
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humble.
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You and I
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only know
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anything
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that we know
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because of the grace of God.
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I have not arrived
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at any grand truth
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on my own.
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I would be
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cut off from,
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I would not know,
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would not behold
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any of the majesty,
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could not take up the Bible
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and read
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if it wasn't for
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the grace of God
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in my life.
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So we ought to think together
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and we ought to do so
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deferentially
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in this way.
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Now you may know
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that I love church history.
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This is the primary reason
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that I love it,
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right?
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Among some other things.
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And that is because
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church history has taught me
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that I am
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currently wrong
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about something.
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There's
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no character
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in church history
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as much as we
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appreciate them
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that was right
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about everything.
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You can identify it.
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Oop,
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can't agree with them
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on that matter.
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That has to mean
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that I am currently
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wrong
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about something.
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If I knew what it was,
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I would fix it
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immediately,
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but I don't
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know
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what it is.
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And so I want to be
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humble.
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You're in the same boat
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as I am.
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All learning,
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sorting,
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right?
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Approaching God's Word
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with humility.
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To me,
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just the second point,
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the very best Christian
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thinking is
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biblical.
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Of course,
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right?
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Of course.
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This goes
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without saying
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Christians should
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think biblically
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and I do mean that.
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They should think
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biblically.
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They should take up
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the Bible.
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But beyond that,
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I mean
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that we should spend
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way more time
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in our Bibles
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than we do
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in other formats.
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Hear this
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way more time
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than we do
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listening to podcasts
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or watching
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our favorite guy
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on YouTube
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or
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in books.
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You know how I love
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books.
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Or even
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from
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sermons.
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books.
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You should spend
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lots of time
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in your Bible.
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If I could
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snap my fingers
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if it was granted
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to me to snap
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my fingers
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and do something
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for the health
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of our church,
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this is what I would
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ask of our church.
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That everybody
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read their Bible
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every day.
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Meditate on
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its truths
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and pray it.
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I would ask
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God
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that they would
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believe what the
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Bible teaches
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and that he would
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do what he said
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he's going
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to do
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and we wouldn't
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be on social media.
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Social media
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is not necessarily
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evil,
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but we're getting
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far too much
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from it
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than we
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should.
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Meet with God
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in the Bible.
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Something happens
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in our culture.
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A hot moment
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happens.
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Let God's
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word be the
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thing that
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springs into
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your mind.
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Not some
25:25
guy you think
25:26
is going to
25:26
have an opinion
25:27
about the
25:28
matter.
25:28
Rush off to
25:29
see what he
25:30
or she
25:30
might have
25:32
to say.
25:32
Let God
25:33
speak to you
25:34
about the
25:35
issue at
25:36
hand.
25:38
It is far
25:39
too easy
25:39
to be convinced.
25:41
I'm in the
25:41
same boat
25:42
with you on
25:42
this.
25:42
It's far
25:43
too easy
25:43
to be convinced
25:44
of something
25:44
by someone
25:45
articulate
25:46
who references
25:48
the Bible
25:49
rather than
25:50
thinking
25:51
biblically.
25:53
So the very
25:54
best Christian
25:54
thinking is
25:55
deferential,
25:55
it is
25:56
biblical,
25:57
and thirdly,
25:57
it is
25:58
relational.
26:00
It's
26:00
relational.
26:02
Think with
26:03
others
26:04
who know
26:06
you
26:06
and who
26:08
can keep
26:08
an eye
26:08
on you.
26:10
And beloved,
26:10
this means
26:11
that we
26:11
have to
26:11
slow our
26:12
thinking
26:12
down
26:12
sometimes.
26:14
Did you
26:14
know that
26:14
you don't
26:14
have to
26:15
form a
26:15
strong
26:15
opinion
26:16
about
26:16
stuff
26:16
in a
26:16
week?
26:17
Social
26:18
media
26:19
would have
26:19
you think
26:20
otherwise.
26:21
So you
26:21
can take
26:21
a little
26:22
time,
26:22
slow down,
26:24
take a
26:24
beat,
26:25
think
26:26
carefully,
26:26
and think
26:27
with
26:28
others,
26:29
right?
26:30
You can
26:30
have the
26:31
right
26:31
doctrine,
26:31
but you
26:32
can hold
26:32
it wrongly,
26:34
create pride
26:35
in you,
26:36
misapply it
26:36
in some
26:37
way.
26:39
Allow
26:40
your
26:41
pastors
26:42
the
26:43
privilege
26:44
of
26:45
thinking
26:46
with
26:47
you.
26:48
We
26:48
want to
26:49
walk
26:49
through
26:49
complicated
26:50
things.
26:51
We're
26:51
trying to
26:52
think
26:52
too
26:52
and
26:53
think
26:53
biblically.
26:55
And I
26:56
will tell
26:56
you,
26:56
speaking on
26:57
behalf of
26:57
your
26:57
elders,
26:59
we often
26:59
feel like
27:00
a quiet
27:01
whisper in
27:03
the corner
27:03
of a very
27:04
loud room.
27:06
And I
27:06
just don't
27:07
think this
27:07
should be
27:07
the case.
27:09
I don't
27:09
think that
27:10
I should
27:11
have to
27:11
compete
27:11
with
27:13
whatever
27:13
talking
27:13
head
27:14
is out
27:14
there
27:14
on
27:15
the
27:16
internet.
27:16
I can
27:17
tell you
27:17
this,
27:17
I'm not
27:18
going to
27:18
compete
27:18
in the
27:18
same
27:19
medium.
27:20
I'm
27:20
not
27:20
gifted
27:21
enough
27:21
to do
27:22
that.
27:23
If I
27:23
spent all
27:23
my time
27:24
trying to
27:24
produce
27:24
videos,
27:25
I
27:25
wouldn't
27:25
have
27:26
time
27:26
for
27:26
anything
27:26
else.
27:27
And
27:27
they
27:27
would
27:27
be
27:27
bad.
27:28
They
27:28
just
27:28
wouldn't
27:28
be
27:29
good.
27:30
I
27:31
tried
27:31
to
27:31
shoot
27:31
a
27:31
couple
27:31
videos
27:32
across
27:32
the
27:33
COVID
27:33
era,
27:35
and it
27:36
took me
27:36
forever
27:37
to do
27:37
it.
27:38
Boy,
27:38
I was
27:39
pitiful
27:39
at the
27:40
whole
27:40
process.
27:43
Perhaps
27:44
because we
27:44
know each
27:45
other.
27:46
There's
27:46
some
27:46
relational
27:47
equity
27:48
here.
27:49
There's
27:49
some
27:49
God-given
27:50
authority
27:51
for the
27:51
way a
27:52
church
27:52
ought to
27:52
function.
27:53
We
27:53
could
27:53
talk a
27:54
little
27:54
more
27:55
and
27:55
arrive
27:56
at
27:56
truth
27:57
together.
27:59
We
27:59
want
27:59
to
27:59
think
28:00
with
28:00
you.
28:02
And
28:02
if we
28:02
don't
28:03
do
28:03
this
28:03
together,
28:04
you
28:05
may
28:05
miss
28:05
out
28:05
on
28:05
some
28:06
correction
28:06
of your
28:07
beliefs
28:07
or
28:08
attitudes,
28:09
maybe
28:09
some
28:09
warning
28:10
for
28:10
believing
28:11
something
28:11
that could
28:12
be totally
28:12
true,
28:12
but where
28:13
it could
28:13
lead.
28:14
And then
28:14
hear this
28:15
really
28:15
carefully,
28:17
we may
28:17
miss out
28:18
on the
28:19
same.
28:20
Love me
28:21
enough
28:22
to think
28:22
with me
28:23
because I'm
28:24
not going
28:24
to be
28:24
perfect
28:24
all the
28:25
time,
28:25
and I
28:25
need
28:26
you
28:26
to also
28:26
help
28:27
me
28:27
to
28:29
think.
28:30
So the
28:30
very best
28:31
Christian
28:31
thinking is
28:32
going to
28:32
happen
28:32
in this
28:33
way.
28:34
And it
28:34
means at
28:34
times we're
28:35
going to
28:36
arrive at
28:36
different
28:36
conclusions.
28:38
Faithful
28:39
Christians
28:39
throughout
28:39
history
28:40
have
28:40
arrived
28:40
at
28:41
different
28:41
conclusions.
28:43
Again,
28:43
the matter
28:44
of
28:44
baptism.
28:45
Pado-baptists
28:46
and
28:48
credo-baptists.
28:50
One of us
28:51
are right
28:52
or we're
28:52
both very
28:53
wrong.
28:54
I don't
28:54
know,
28:55
but we've
28:55
arrived at
28:55
different
28:56
conclusions
28:56
for centuries
28:57
and that's
28:58
probably going
28:59
to continue
28:59
to happen,
29:00
but let's
29:00
do it
29:00
together.
29:02
Let's
29:02
walk that
29:02
process
29:03
out
29:04
in
29:05
relationship
29:06
with one
29:06
another.
29:08
So that
29:08
was the
29:09
first
29:09
point.
29:09
First
29:09
big
29:10
point.
29:11
The church
29:11
is
29:12
theological,
29:14
confessional,
29:15
and therefore
29:15
convictional.
29:16
Secondly,
29:17
the church
29:18
is relational.
29:19
The church
29:20
is relational.
29:20
This is
29:20
Ephesians
29:21
chapter 4.
29:23
Paul says,
29:24
I urge you
29:25
to walk
29:25
in a manner
29:27
worthy of
29:28
the calling
29:29
to which
29:29
you have
29:30
been
29:30
called.
29:32
Like,
29:32
to the
29:32
gospel,
29:33
to pursuing
29:34
Christ,
29:34
walk in
29:35
a manner
29:35
worthy of
29:36
that,
29:38
with all
29:40
humility
29:40
and gentleness,
29:43
with patience,
29:45
bearing with
29:46
one another
29:46
in love,
29:48
eager to
29:49
maintain the
29:50
unity of
29:51
the Spirit
29:52
in the
29:53
bond of
29:54
peace.
29:56
There is
29:57
a divine
29:58
reality that
30:00
if we are
30:00
in Christ,
30:02
there is a
30:03
unity of
30:05
the Spirit.
30:08
And Paul
30:08
is exhorting
30:09
us here
30:09
to do
30:10
the work
30:11
of maintaining
30:12
that unity.
30:15
There is a
30:15
way,
30:15
I have made
30:16
the case
30:16
to you
30:16
before,
30:17
for us
30:17
to disagree
30:18
agreeably,
30:21
to be
30:22
humble
30:22
and gentle
30:23
and patient
30:25
and to
30:26
bear with
30:27
one another.
30:28
People are
30:29
a mess.
30:30
the church
30:32
is messy
30:33
because it
30:34
is made
30:34
up of
30:35
imperfect
30:36
people on
30:37
a journey
30:37
toward
30:38
glory.
30:40
If me
30:41
being here,
30:42
a member
30:42
of this
30:43
church
30:43
first,
30:44
a pastor
30:44
of this
30:45
church
30:45
second,
30:46
was contingent
30:47
on me
30:47
always enjoying
30:49
all of you,
30:49
I would have
30:50
left a long
30:50
time ago.
30:54
I don't
30:55
always like
30:55
you.
30:57
I love you
30:58
a ton.
30:59
There's a
30:59
huge difference.
31:01
Willing to
31:02
walk with
31:02
people through
31:03
all the
31:03
messiness
31:04
that we
31:05
are,
31:06
to not be
31:07
so easily
31:07
offended all
31:08
the time,
31:09
to set aside
31:10
our own
31:11
preferences for
31:11
the sake
31:12
of others'
31:13
preferences,
31:14
to have
31:14
hard conversations
31:16
when you feel
31:16
offended by
31:18
something that
31:18
somebody says.
31:20
It's
31:21
difficult work
31:22
to walk with
31:23
people throughout
31:23
the entirety
31:24
of your
31:25
life.
31:27
life.
31:27
And we
31:28
shouldn't
31:28
cut and
31:28
run on
31:29
one another
31:29
when things
31:30
get
31:30
uncomfortable.
31:33
Charles
31:34
Spurgeon
31:34
once said,
31:34
this is in
31:35
your bulletin,
31:35
quote,
31:36
the day we
31:36
find the
31:37
perfect church,
31:38
it becomes
31:39
imperfect the
31:40
moment we
31:41
join it.
31:43
End quote.
31:45
The people
31:46
of a church
31:48
are not a
31:49
commodity
31:50
for your
31:51
consumption.
31:54
You shouldn't
31:54
show up,
31:56
prospective
31:56
church,
31:57
join the
31:57
church,
31:58
expecting this
31:58
group of
31:59
people is
31:59
there in
32:00
order for
32:00
you to
32:01
be served
32:01
with all
32:02
of your
32:02
stuff.
32:05
The
32:06
leadership of
32:06
a church
32:07
is not a
32:08
commodity
32:08
for consumption.
32:11
If you
32:11
are here,
32:13
even if you
32:14
have yet to
32:15
join the
32:15
church,
32:15
if you
32:15
are here,
32:16
if you
32:16
come to
32:17
this spot
32:18
and join
32:19
us on
32:19
Sunday
32:19
morning for
32:20
any period
32:21
of time,
32:22
I want you
32:22
to hear this
32:23
with such
32:23
clarity.
32:24
I love
32:24
you.
32:24
I'm not
32:26
particularly
32:26
a people
32:27
person.
32:28
I have
32:28
a very
32:28
limited
32:29
capacity
32:30
and energy
32:31
to really
32:33
know people.
32:34
The Lord
32:34
has put me
32:35
in a position
32:35
where I
32:36
am desperate
32:37
for him
32:37
to work
32:37
beyond my
32:38
natural
32:38
gifting.
32:40
I will
32:40
tell you
32:40
that he
32:41
puts a
32:41
love in
32:42
me for
32:43
you.
32:43
You just
32:44
show up.
32:45
Show up a
32:45
couple Sundays
32:46
in a row
32:46
and I want
32:47
to serve
32:48
you.
32:49
And I
32:49
want to
32:49
serve your
32:50
family.
32:50
I want
32:51
to lead
32:52
you in
32:52
the truth.
32:53
I want
32:53
to see
32:53
you grow
32:54
in your
32:54
affections
32:54
for our
32:55
God,
32:55
grow in
32:56
holiness,
32:57
serve
32:57
sacrificially
32:58
for your
32:59
eternal
33:00
joy.
33:01
I want
33:02
to do
33:02
all of
33:03
that.
33:04
Every
33:04
man that
33:05
serves as
33:05
a pastor
33:06
here feels
33:06
the exact
33:08
same way.
33:09
We
33:09
lament
33:10
together
33:11
over
33:12
departures.
33:13
It is
33:13
hard for
33:14
all of
33:15
us when
33:15
someone
33:16
leaves the
33:17
church.
33:19
Don't be
33:20
a consumer.
33:21
The
33:21
congregation
33:22
as a
33:23
whole,
33:24
us as
33:24
individuals,
33:26
it's not
33:27
good for
33:28
you.
33:28
It's not
33:29
good for
33:30
us.
33:31
If I
33:32
have held
33:32
your babies
33:33
and made
33:34
them laugh,
33:36
don't ghost
33:36
me.
33:38
I love
33:38
you.
33:40
So,
33:40
for what
33:42
relational
33:42
reason might
33:43
you leave
33:43
a church?
33:44
So,
33:45
I have not
33:46
given you
33:46
any reason.
33:47
I have
33:47
said,
33:47
I have
33:48
given you
33:50
any
33:50
reasons
33:50
to do,
33:52
I think,
33:52
I think
33:53
this,
33:54
when it
33:55
makes a
33:55
lot of
33:56
sense,
33:57
when your
33:58
connections
33:59
throughout the
33:59
week with
34:00
other
34:00
Christians,
34:02
those you
34:02
are serving
34:03
and those
34:03
that serve
34:04
you,
34:05
those
34:05
Christians
34:05
just all
34:06
happen to
34:07
be part
34:07
of another
34:08
healthy
34:09
church.
34:10
It just
34:10
starts to
34:11
make sense
34:11
that all
34:12
of the
34:12
relational
34:12
connections
34:13
that you
34:13
have are
34:14
happening
34:14
someplace else
34:15
on Sunday
34:16
mornings,
34:17
that it
34:17
really might
34:18
make a
34:18
lot of
34:19
sense for
34:20
you to
34:20
walk more
34:21
closely with
34:22
those people
34:22
than those
34:24
that you
34:24
covenanted
34:25
with.
34:27
I intended
34:28
to read it
34:28
all,
34:29
but for the
34:29
sake of
34:29
time,
34:29
I'm going
34:30
to skip
34:30
over reading
34:31
our covenant
34:31
to you.
34:32
It's there
34:32
in the
34:33
bulletin.
34:36
Church members,
34:38
these are the
34:38
commitments that
34:39
we've made
34:39
to one another,
34:40
each of us,
34:41
to everyone.
34:43
Perspective
34:43
members,
34:44
these are the
34:44
commitments that
34:45
we make to
34:46
each other,
34:46
and we
34:47
would make
34:47
to you,
34:48
should you
34:49
join our
34:49
church.
34:51
Thirdly,
34:52
briefly,
34:53
the church
34:53
is missional.
34:55
The church
34:55
is missional.
34:56
Matthew 28,
34:57
verse 18-20,
34:58
Jesus came
34:59
and said to
34:59
them,
35:00
all authority
35:01
in heaven
35:01
and on earth
35:02
has been
35:02
given to
35:03
me.
35:04
I have
35:05
all the
35:05
authority,
35:06
so go.
35:07
Go,
35:08
therefore,
35:09
and make
35:09
disciples of
35:10
all nations,
35:12
baptizing them
35:12
in the name
35:13
of the Father
35:13
and the Son
35:14
and the Holy
35:15
Spirit,
35:16
teaching them
35:17
to observe
35:17
all that I
35:18
have commanded
35:18
you,
35:19
and behold,
35:19
I am with
35:20
you always
35:20
to the end
35:22
of the age.
35:24
The church
35:25
is at the
35:25
center of
35:26
the Great
35:26
Commission.
35:28
Baptizing,
35:28
it's an
35:28
ordinance of
35:29
the church,
35:30
teaching the
35:31
observation
35:31
of all
35:32
things.
35:33
This is
35:33
discipleship
35:34
happening in
35:34
the life
35:35
of a church.
35:37
And it is
35:37
empowered
35:38
by Christ.
35:40
He has
35:40
all the
35:41
authority
35:41
and he is
35:42
with us
35:43
to the
35:43
very end
35:44
of the
35:45
age.
35:45
The mission
35:46
of the
35:47
church
35:48
necessitates
35:49
going.
35:51
All of us
35:51
are going.
35:52
We're here
35:52
right now,
35:53
but after this
35:53
we're going
35:54
to go.
35:55
In our
35:55
going,
35:56
we're to
35:56
make
35:57
disciples
35:58
of all
35:59
nations.
36:01
we're
36:04
to be
36:04
about this
36:05
as Christian
36:05
people
36:06
and as
36:06
a local
36:07
church
36:08
gathered.
36:10
And praise
36:10
God that
36:11
he sends
36:12
people from
36:13
this local
36:14
church to
36:14
other
36:15
places
36:16
in order to
36:17
expand his
36:18
kingdom.
36:20
So God may
36:21
send you
36:21
elsewhere
36:22
because of
36:23
work.
36:24
It could be
36:25
that you're
36:26
being led to
36:26
another place
36:27
because of a
36:27
job,
36:28
an opportunity
36:29
that you
36:29
would consider
36:30
taking up
36:31
and joining
36:31
another church
36:32
in that
36:32
place.
36:35
God may
36:35
send you
36:36
elsewhere for
36:37
particular
36:38
ministry work.
36:39
We've got
36:40
Matthew
36:41
Carnegie, a member
36:42
of our church
36:42
in Texas right
36:43
now at
36:43
language school
36:44
preparing himself
36:45
to go and do
36:46
translation work.
36:48
And Ms.
36:49
Wimke, who's
36:49
back from
36:50
the same
36:51
school and is
36:52
getting ready
36:53
to go do
36:54
Bible translation
36:55
work.
36:56
Chandler and
36:57
Hannah
36:57
Girton,
36:58
preparing now.
37:00
These are
37:00
people we're
37:00
going to say
37:01
goodbye to,
37:02
who are going
37:03
to depart
37:03
from our
37:04
congregation
37:05
to go and
37:06
do important
37:08
gospel work.
37:10
Lots of
37:10
kinds of
37:11
going.
37:12
We leave
37:13
this place
37:14
to gather
37:15
again,
37:16
and then we
37:16
go back out
37:17
again to
37:18
gather, I
37:18
hope, more
37:19
people who
37:20
need to hear
37:20
the gospel
37:20
of Jesus
37:21
Christ.
37:22
It doesn't
37:23
have to happen
37:24
in a foreign
37:25
context.
37:27
Not just
37:28
that way,
37:28
there may
37:29
be a
37:30
local church
37:31
that needs
37:32
your
37:33
service.
37:35
Just a
37:36
couple of
37:36
years ago,
37:37
a handful
37:38
of families,
37:39
I think it
37:39
was five,
37:40
to a church
37:41
in Gillsville
37:42
that needed
37:43
some help.
37:44
They needed
37:45
some people
37:46
to come
37:46
along and
37:47
walk with
37:47
them.
37:48
They're doing
37:49
well, a
37:50
good service
37:51
in that
37:52
place.
37:53
We are
37:53
kingdom
37:54
people.
37:56
We're not
37:56
just trying
37:56
to build
37:57
our
37:57
kingdom.
37:58
We want
37:58
to see
37:58
God work
37:59
through us
37:59
to build
38:00
His
38:01
kingdom.
38:03
So there's
38:04
a chance
38:04
that God
38:05
may lead
38:06
you some
38:06
other place,
38:07
but go
38:08
to serve,
38:10
not to be
38:11
served.
38:12
I hear too
38:13
many of
38:13
those.
38:14
I'm looking
38:15
for something.
38:16
You guys
38:17
don't have
38:17
it.
38:17
I think
38:18
they do.
38:21
And what I
38:21
can tell you
38:22
with confidence,
38:22
confidence,
38:22
if you
38:23
function the
38:23
life of a
38:24
church with
38:25
a fear of
38:26
missing out
38:27
mantra,
38:27
you will
38:28
definitely
38:28
miss out
38:29
on what
38:29
the church
38:30
can offer
38:30
you.
38:31
If you're
38:31
always bouncing
38:32
to the next
38:32
thing because
38:33
you think
38:33
it's going
38:34
to be the
38:34
thing that's
38:35
going to give
38:36
you the
38:36
feels that
38:36
you hope
38:37
to have,
38:38
you will
38:38
never have
38:39
deep
38:40
relationship
38:40
on mission
38:42
with God's
38:43
people.
38:45
So,
38:46
I hope that
38:47
frames it up
38:48
for you just
38:48
a bit.
38:50
When?
38:50
Now,
38:52
how?
38:52
I've
38:52
mentioned a
38:53
few things,
38:54
but let me
38:54
flip the
38:54
entire
38:55
definition,
38:57
words,
38:57
on its
38:58
head.
38:58
How to
38:59
leave a
38:59
church?
39:00
Let me
39:00
say this.
39:01
Don't.
39:04
Instead,
39:07
be sent
39:08
by your
39:09
church
39:09
to another
39:11
church.
39:13
If you
39:14
are a
39:14
part of
39:15
a healthy
39:15
church,
39:16
and we
39:17
pray and
39:18
we labor
39:19
for this
39:20
to be
39:20
such a
39:21
church,
39:21
to work
39:23
with and
39:23
walk with
39:24
people in
39:24
this kind
39:25
of way,
39:26
if you're
39:27
part of a
39:27
healthy
39:27
church,
39:28
then that
39:29
church will
39:30
gladly send
39:31
you for
39:33
good reasons,
39:34
to help you
39:35
think and
39:35
discern,
39:36
is God
39:38
leading you
39:39
to another
39:40
place?
39:41
And if he
39:41
is,
39:41
then we
39:42
will gladly
39:43
send you
39:45
to that
39:46
place.
39:46
don't
39:48
leave,
39:49
be sent.
39:50
Walk that
39:52
process out
39:52
with a
39:53
group of
39:53
people who
39:54
love you
39:54
dearly for
39:55
your good
39:56
and for the
39:57
glory of
39:58
our great
39:58
God.
39:59
Let's pray
40:00
together.