Elders!?!

During our last church business meeting, a motion was made that we look into exploring the Biblical office of Elders. Southern Baptists have some history with utilizing a plural board of elders within their churches, though they do not serve as the "Ruling" Elders you would find in a Presbyterian church. Since Southern Baptists are Congregational in nature, the power over decisions in our churches resides in the vote of the entire congregation. Though plural Elders have been used in the history of the SBC in advisory leadership positions, many are unfamiliar with their true role. On Wednesday Nights, we are looking at what the Bible says about this fascinating and sometimes controversial topic. Below, I am providing some notes and papers that have been used to help Southern Baptist Churches learn more about Elders. I invite you to attend these meetings and bring any questions you have.

Schedule of Discussion -

December 16 - The Roles and Government of the Church

December 30 - Elders in the Bible and common questions about Elders

January 20 - Elders in the History of the Southern Baptist Convention

Helpful Papers:

The Offices and Government of the Church - by Bro. David Crowe. These are the notes from the December 16 discussion. I relied heavily on Millard Erickson's Christian Theology, as well as Danny Akin's A Theology for the Church for this discussion.

By Whose Authority ? - by Mark Dever. Click on the link and then download the PDF document of Dever's paper. Dever provides a helpful overview of the Southern Baptist understanding of Elders.

Elder Rule and Southern Baptist Polity - by Robert Wring. Wring presents a healthy defense against "Ruling" Elders in the SBC. He also is fair in mentioning Dever's views on the matter.

Christmas Gift Suggestions

I would like to congratulate Mark Whitaker and the choir for a job well done on our Christmas Cantata! I praise God for the joy and leadership our choir provides our worship services! I am also proud of everyone digging deep to give sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We now have a total of $9,240! Let's get to our goal of $10,000.

As we are only a few days away from Christmas, I would like to encourage you to consider some spiritual growth gifts this year! These suggestions have not changed much at all from my list last year, and I would still encourage you to invest in them.

Bro. Dave's Gift Suggestions for Christmas: Bibles:

1) The ESV Study Bible – This is my favorite Study Bible ever. I am addicted to this Bible, and you will be too. It simply explains the text and has over 200 maps and charts. If I had the money to do so, I would buy everyone in church a copy of this incredible Study Bible.

2) The Archeological Study Bible – This Bible does an incredible job linking the pages of scripture with the wealth of archeological evidence. It opens a completely new viewpoint on the text of scripture and provides many fascinating articles.

3) The Apologetic Study Bible – This Bible does a good job answering all of the hard questions that people have had about Christianity. If you are someone who has hard questions, or would like to know how to better answer other people's questions, you owe it to yourself to get this one.

4) Other good study bibles that will help you understand God's word better are the Life Application Study Bible, the John Macarthur Study Bible, and the Nelson Study Bible.

For Children – These first two are books that I have recommended earlier this year.

1) The Big Picture Story Bible, by David Helm. With full-page illustrations and an incredible overview of the whole Bible, this has been a favorite in the Crowe house.

2) The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Shows how Jesus is in every story of the Bible. Does a great job highlighting where He is in the Old Testament.

3) The Child's Story Bible, by Catherine F. Vos. The wife of a Biblical Theology professor at Yale wrote this Bible in the 1920's. Vos took her husbands notes and wrote them out for Children. Though not as well illustrated as the others, its literary style is engaging for kids and full of rich theological truths.

May God bless you with a wonderful Christmas!

- Bro. Dave

Lottie Moon Update

Mission Report from IMB Missionaries Josh and Amy Bowman, friends of mine since High School:

 

Our family has just returned home from our Prayer Retreat where we gather with IMB missionaries who are serving all over Zambia for a time of focused prayer, Bible study, and worship.  Our children were also ministered to as they learned from God's Word and enjoyed the fellowship of other MKs just like themselves.  Corporate worship in your own heart language is a much needed exercise of your soul and it isn't until we are at meetings like this that I realize how much my soul thirsts for it!  We were so thankful for the Lord meeting with us in a special way as we talked about persistent prayers of the past 50 years since the first IMB missionaries arrived in Zambia in 1959.  The prayers of those first missionaries for the rural cities all over the country to hear the Gospel have been answered as now there are families all over Zambia sharing Christ with these people groups!  Praise the Lord for answers to persistent prayers of those who have gone before us.

 

This was  a bittersweet time because it has just been decided that we will NOT have any meetings like the one described above for the coming year of 2010 due to almost HALF of our budget being cut.  We agree that it is better to cut money from missionary meetings and not cut our ministry budgets and the opportunity for the lost to hear the gospel.  It is great to be part of an organization that makes the preaching of the gospel the priority in all we do!  Our goal this year for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that is being collected in your churches this month is $175 million.  We are praying that it will be met so that tough decisions will not have to be made like which people group will have access to the Gospel and who will have to slip into eternity without that chance.  It has been said that if every person will give just $7 more than what they gave last year the goal will be met!!   Will you PRAY about what God would have you give this year?

 

Our Goal is $10,000 this year and our in gathering is this upcoming Sunday  Let us pray about what God would have us give to the Lottie Moon Offering this week!

- Bro. Dave

12 Reasons for Christmas

12 Reasons for Christmas

1. "For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." (John 18:37)

2. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15)

3. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

4. "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

5. "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

6. "God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:5)

7. "For God so loved the world that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16).

8. "God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9; cf. John 10:10).

9. "The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15).

10. "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against . . . that the thoughts of many may be revealed" (Luke 2:34f).

11. "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18)

12. "Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." (Romans 15:7-8; cf. John 12:27f).

These verses were compiled by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

May we reflect on these purposes of Christmas this season! And may we all rejoice in the King that reigns in our hearts!

- Bro. Dave

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1) Give Thanks

Christians have much to be thankful for! We ought to be the most gracious people on earth because of the joy and forgiveness we have experienced in Jesus Christ! How much has thankfulness found its ways into your prayers? When was the last time you spent just thanking God for all of the wonderful blessings he has poured into your life?

2) Govern your Circumstances with Thankfulness

As Christians we will face hardship. We cannot control what will happen to us, but we can control how we react to hardship. Like Chuck Swindoll has said, ""Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." Are you thankful in all circumstances?

The following was read in HOME LIFE: "Some years ago in Nashville, Tennessee, my wife wanted to buy some additional items for our Thanksgiving dinner. The cart was almost full and we were about ready to go when my wife was addressed by a man wanting to know how big a turkey he ought to buy. Then he wanted to know how to cook it. My wife told him patiently as much as she could standing in the market. 'But could you tell me what I ought to cook it with?' At that point my wife more fully understood the man's need for assistance and went up and down the aisles selecting the things he needed for a good dinner. She told him how each should be cooked. As we turned to go the man with a great deal of emotion sought to express his gratitude for my wife's courtesy. I think I shall never forget that man's final remarks: 'We have just come from the cemetery where I buried my wife. The children have just lost their mother, but I don't want them to lose their Thanksgiving dinner—we still have much for which we are thankful.'"

3) Glorify God with a Thankful Life

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (see above) says that thankfulness is the will of God. As we fulfill the will of God we bring glory to him and experience greater joy. It is therefore true that a thankful heart is a happy heart!

May we bring glory to God this week with our thanksgiving!

- Bro. Dave

What is Forgiveness?

Today I would like us to look deeper at the question: what is forgiveness? What does it look like? We have heard from Jesus that it is essential. It is not icing on the cake of Christianity. If we don't experience it and offer it to others, we will perish in our sin. So it is tremendously important to know what this is that is so essential to our eternal life.

Let me begin with a definition of forgiveness that we owe to each other. It comes from Thomas Watson about 300 years ago. He is commenting on the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our debts as we for give our debtors," and asks,

Question: When do we forgive others?

Answer: When we strive against all thoughts of revenge; when we will not do our enemies mischief, but wish well to them, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, seek reconciliation with them, and show ourselves ready on all occasions to relieve them. (Thomas Watson, Body of Divinity, p. 581)

I think this is a very biblical definition of forgiveness. Each of its parts comes from a passage of Scripture.

Resist thoughts of revenge: Romans 12:19, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

Don't seek to do them mischief:

1 Thessalonians 5:15, "See that no one repays another with evil for evil.

Wish well to them: Luke 6:28, "Bless those who curse you."

Grieve at their calamities: Proverbs 24:17, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles."

Pray for them: Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

Seek reconciliation with them: Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."

Be always willing to come to their relief: Exodus 23:4, "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him."

Here is forgiveness: when you feel that someone is your enemy or when you simply feel that you or someone you care about has been wronged, forgiveness means:

resisting revenge,

not returning evil for evil,

wishing them well,

grieving at their calamities,

praying for their welfare,

seeking reconciliation so far as it depends on you,

and coming to their aid in distress.

All these point to a forgiving heart. And the heart is all important Jesus said in Matthew 18:35—"unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

May God bless us in our efforts to reconcile with those who have wronged us.

- Bro. Dave

Dealing With Anger in the Church

Grab your Bible and open it to Ephesians 4:25-32. This is the passage we looked at this past Sunday, and there are some more applications from this text that I would like to talk about today. This past Sunday we began a series on forgiveness. Sadly, it has been my experience in every church where I have served to see bitterness and anger between Christians within the church. There have been times when I have personally wrestled with feelings of anger and bitterness towards Christians who had hurt my family or me. We all eventually encounter these feelings, and God's word warns us against their consequences in this passage.

In dealing with my anger within the church, I must…

1) Give no opportunity to the Devil (27) "and give no opportunity to the devil"

Anger against another Christian gives the Devil an opportunity to attack a church. If we let our anger continue without dealing correctly with the situation, Satan enters the scene and has a great opportunity to do irreparable damage.

2) Guard my speech (29) "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths"

Anger also leads us to share gossip and slanderous speech about the person with whom we are upset. We must fight, with God's help, to make sure that the words that come out of our mouths are filled with the same grace that God has shown us in Christ.

3) Grieve not the Holy Spirit (30) "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God"

Nothing can quench the work of the Holy Spirit within a church faster than anger. Anger leads to corrupting talk (29), wrath (31), bitterness (31), clamor (quarreling) (31), slander (negative gossip) (31), and malice (a desire to see the offender physically harmed) (31). When anger is present in the body of Christ, it affects the pulpit, offering, worship, and outreach of a church. This grieves the Holy Spirit.

What is clear from these verses is that when two people within the church are angry at one another, it does not just affect them. It affects the whole church. And the church cannot effectively share the forgiveness of God with the world when we are unable to forgive each other.

What is the only solution to the anger between Christians? Forgiveness. Verse 32 says it best: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

If you have been harboring anger towards another member of our church, as the pastor I encourage you to work through those feelings in light of the forgiveness you have received in Jesus. Study these verses good and hard, and pray about how God would have you resolve those feelings of bitterness in your heart.

May God protect us all from grieving the Holy Spirit in this area, and may he continue to bless us with the joy of unity!

- Bro. Dave