New Members Orientation
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INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Chapter 2 A REGENERATE MEMBERSHIP Chapter 3 A BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP Chapter 4 OUR BAPTIST HERITAGE Chapter 5 THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD Chapter 6 COMMITMENT - THE PATH TO DISCIPLESHIP Chapter 7 STEWARDSHIP - GIVING WITH GRACE Chapter 8 FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD AND MAN Chapter 9 WITNESSING - SHARING THE FAITH Chapter 10 A VISION FOR THE FUTURE Your decision to become a member of North Eulalia Baptist Church is an important one, and we rejoice with you in it. We, as believers, are designed to be a part of a local expression of the Body of Christ. This local expression is known as a church. North Eulalia Baptist Church is one such local expression of the activity of Jesus Christ in north central Pennsylvania. We rejoice that God is building His Church and are delighted to have you as co-laborers together with us. It is our desire here at North Eulalia for all of our members to have a basic understanding of the fundamental truths which guide us. We also desire to provide a certain level of training so those joining North Eulalia know the direction of our church. Therefore, there is a need for an adequate New Member Orientation to keep us all on common ground. It is my personal desire, as your pastor, that through this New Member Orientation you would catch "the vision" of what we are all about here at North Eulalia. This is a great church; not because of its numerical size, but because of the spirit of its people. North Eulalia is a dynamic, warm, caring, Bible-believing, evangelistic church. We expect God to do great things in our midst. There is no doubt that God will continue to work through this church. So as you read the pages which follow, ask the Lord to give you His vision for what we can do together in Coudersport for Him. May God bless you as you become part of the family here at North Eulalia. TOP Church Membership What is a local church, and why should one join it? These are very important questions and need thoughtful answers. Far too often in our day, people join a church without really considering the nature and purpose of the church, and the responsibilities incumbent upon attaching oneself to it. Often, tradition and custom prevail when sound spiritual judgment should be exercised. While some join the local church without thinking, others would argue that local church membership is not important. They would say that we all belong to the "universal church." They claim that most churches are simply organizations designed by men; and as long as we are "in Christ" we belong to that one great mystical body of believers known as the "universal church." This view, however, is not a biblical one. While we can conceive of the universal church, the Scripture speaks, almost exclusively, of the local church. From the history of the establishment of the Church in the book of Acts, right on through the letters to the churches known as the Epistles, reference is made to a local, visible assembly of believers. It is clear, from an honest reading of the Scriptures, that in almost every instance, the church addressed was a local church. What is the definition of a local church? Well, perhaps before we define it, we should say what it is not. A church is not a building. Often in our culture, the church is defined as the physical structure. People refer to "North Eulalia Baptist Church on Route 49 three miles north of Coudersport." But the church is not a building. Nor is the church any gathering of believers who wish to call themselves a church. There are some definite Scriptural prerequisites for being a church. The word in Greek for church is ecclhsia?(ecclesia). It is used in the New Testament to mean "assembly." It literally means "the called-out ones." It refers to those believers who have been called out of the world, to band themselves together into that living organism Jesus called His Church. Now, back to the definition. "A church is an assembly of baptized believers, in whom Christ dwells, under the discipline of the Word of God, organized for evangelism, education, fellowship and worship; administering the ordinances and reflecting the spiritual gifts in a given locality." There we have the definition of a local church. The local church consists of those who are called out and organized according to the Scriptural pattern. This is the kind of church that was founded on the day of Pentecost. We read of that church in Acts 2. There, Peter preached a marvelous sermon, and on that day were added to the church in Jerusalem three thousand souls. In Acts 2:47 it says, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Thus the first church was born. And from that point on in Scripture, we read about local churches, visible assemblies of called-out ones whom the Lord added by His sovereign will. This is the Church Jesus established. This is the Church against whom He said the gates of Hell would not prevail. It is evident throughout Scripture, that when a person comes to know Jesus Christ and is saved, he or she is not only added to the mystical body of Christ, but to the visible body of the local church. It is because of God's wisdom that He put us in this community called the church. He knew we needed such an environment for growth. The local church is a place for Biblical instruction, mutual encouragement, corporate worship, personal discipleship, ministry training, evangelistic outreach and meaningful service. It is the environment in which Christians grow. Much like good soil provides the environment necessary for the seed to release its potential, so also the local church provides the environment necessary for Christians to realize their potential. It is in the context of the local church that we find the nurture and edification necessary to our growth. A Christian outside the church is like a fish out of water. The fish may still be a fish, but he won't be a live fish for long. In God's wisdom, He has placed us in communities called churches where we can love and care for one another. To join a local church means we enter into a covenant relationship with the other members of that assembly and with God. What we are doing when we join a church is committing ourselves to love one another, care for one another and live right. Many churches have a formal covenant agreement or statement. The following is North Eulalia Baptist Church’s Church Covenant. Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ. We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to be faithful in attendance and observance of the ordinances and doctrines, submitting to discipline when necessary; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations. We also shall encourage family devotions and maintain personal devotions; religiously educate our children in the Word of God; seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; walk uprightly in the world; be just in our dealings; be faithful in our engagements; avoid anger while encouraging direct communications with each other; abstain from the sale and use of any substance which will be ingested into the bloodstream without medical necessity, such as alcohol, nicotine, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and narcotics, which would hamper the judgment or equilibrium, bring addiction, hurt the weaker brother, or defile the body (the temple of the Holy Spirit); and avoid gambling in any form (i.e. wagers on games of chance). We should exhibit a loving concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ; remember each other in prayer; aid each other in sickness and distress; cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation. If we should leave this locality, it is our desire to unite as soon as possible with some other church of like faith where we can carry out the spirit of this Covenant and the principles of God's Word. Our Church Covenant at North Eulalia is typical of the church covenants of many Baptist churches. If the members of Baptist churches of like faith and practice would take seriously their church covenants, there would be a fresh infusion of new life in most of those Baptist congregations. All too often, the Church Covenant is not taken seriously as a standard for our behavior and commitment to one another. But it should be, for we are in covenant relationship with one another. The Scripture teaches that when we are made a part of God's family by the new birth, we also become brothers or sisters to those other members of that family. In the local church, we are family. We have a certain responsibility toward one another and accountability to one another. Many church members have never understood this relationship. They think joining a local church means they can come and go as they wish, that they can pick and choose to be only a part of certain aspects of the church's life. When some people join a church, they act as if they only joined the Morning Worship service, because that's all they ever attend. But that's not church membership. Church membership means that I have been placed into a local assembly of believers by God's design. I am now part of that family. Therefore, I must be involved in the total life of that local church. The local church is an agent of the Kingdom of God on Earth. It is the visible manifestation of God's activity on the earth. From the beginning of time, God desired a people for Himself. In the Old Testament He called to Himself a nation, Israel. In Exodus 19, we find God establishing His covenant relationship with Israel at Sinai. He says there, in verses 5 and 6, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." As we turn over to the pages of the New Testament, we find almost the same language used in reference to the Church. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we read, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." It is clear from these Scriptures, that God desires for the Church to be a manifestation of His rule on the Earth, a manifestation of the Kingdom of God. This is why it is so important to belong to a local church. By doing so, we attach ourselves to the only organization Jesus ever established, and identify with God's Kingdom on this Earth. We do what was commonly done in the early days of Christianity - new believers automatically attached themselves to the local church. To be in the Kingdom of God was to be in the local church. There they could experience the rule of Christ and the government of God through the godly leadership appointed by the Lord and through the discipline of the body of believers. May God give us a renewed vision of the importance of membership in the local church. For your own study, here are some Scriptural characteristics of the local church: It has expression in a given locality. "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch , and Saul." (Acts 13:1). It is an assembly of believers in Christ, gathered in His name. "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women."(Acts 5:14); "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20). It is operated under the leadership of gifted ministers and teachers. "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." (Acts 14:23); "Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren."(Acts 15:22). It is a place of teaching and training. "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." (Acts 11:26); "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42). It keeps the Lord’s Table. "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me."(1 Corinthians 11:23-24) It is engaged in fellowship. - (Acts 2:42-46). It is a defined body from which one could be expelled. "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Matthew 18:17). It is a place to which the Lord joins people. "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47). It is a place where your soul can be cared for. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."(Acts 20:28); "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."(Hebrews 13:17). It is a place where ministry leaders are trained and sent out. "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."(Acts 13:1-4). It is joined in voluntary fellowship with other churches. "And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them." (Acts 15:3-4). It is involved in ministry to the poor. "Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do." (Galatians 2:10). It is involved in evangelism. "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."(Acts 8:4). It is a place where truth comes. "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."(1 Timothy 3:15). It is a place where the will of God can be known. "Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain." (Galatians 2:1-2). It is where Christ has promised to be in the midst. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."(Matthew 18:20). We believe in responsible church membership. A person's seriousness about their faith will be demonstrated by the investment of time, effort, money, reputation, and self in that faith and the church that bears it. What costs nothing, accomplishes nothing. If it costs nothing to belong to a church, it cannot be worth much. Those who are really serious about their faith: (1) do not confuse it with other beliefs, loyalties, and practices; (2) set high standards for those admitted to the organization that bears the faith; and (3) do not consent to, encourage, or indulge willful violations of its standards of belief or behavior by its members. They do not keep silent about their faith, apologize for it, or let their faith be treated as though it makes no difference, or should make no difference, in their behavior or in their relationships with others. To admit or retain anyone in membership who does not fully support the church is to show a lack of seriousness about the church, to invite the contempt of both members and non-members, to reduce the force of the church's objectives and, consequently, the willingness of any of the members to struggle and sacrifice for them. A voluntary organization has only one means by which to preserve its purpose and character, and that is to control who may enter and remain a part of the organization and on what conditions. Therefore, it is crucial that this very mild and limited power be used with great care and seriousness if the church is to protect itself against division, subversion, and deterioration. This can be done without violating the dignity or integrity of persons by being careful to fully communicate the Biblical teaching of responsible membership and the specific vision and direction of ministry of the local church one is joining. To that end this new member orientation is dedicated. TOP A Regenerate Membership Part of the definition of a local church insists that its membership be composed of "believers." We at North Eulalia Baptist Church believe that the very nature of the Church as revealed on the pages of the New Testament demand a regenerate membership. By regenerate we mean people who have been truly born again, who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. The Bible teaches the twin truths of repentance from sin and faith toward God. These truths are the first steps we take as we enter the Kingdom. By repentance and faith, we turn from our ways to God's ways. We cease trusting in ourselves and begin trusting in Jesus Christ. Through repentance and faith, we become born again. Being born again is a prerequisite to church membership. The message of repentance from sin and faith toward God is the basic message which Jesus preached. An example of this is found in Mark 1:15, where Jesus says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Repentance and faith was preached by Paul, preached by Peter, even the Old Testament prophets made a persistent and universal call for repentance. Repentance involves acknowledging ourselves as a sinner (Luke 18:13-14). It involves seeing our sin as God sees it and making a confession of that sin to God. To confess, in Greek, means "to speak the same as." In other words, we must call our sin what God calls it. But repentance is not just being sorry for your sins or feeling remorse, though that should be a part of true repentance. One can feel sorry for sins and yet be unwilling to forsake them now. Repentance is a turning by us from our ways to God's ways. It involves a conscious decision of our will to give ourselves to God whatever the cost. This is at the heart of what repentance truly means. In essence, repentance is a turning away from our sins, and a turning to God. We turn away from our sins in repentance and to God in faith. Faith is at the heart of all Christian experience. In order to know God at all, we must have faith. We are told that in order to come to God, we must first believe that He is (Hebrews 11:6). In other words, we must believe that God exists to come to Him at all. It also says in that same passage in Hebrews, that without faith it is impossible to please God...not improbable, but impossible! Those are strong words but true ones. It is quite evident that God desires that we have faith and that we manifest that faith. The Bible teaches that we come to God by faith, that we are saved by faith, that we are kept by faith, and that we shall live by faith. But what exactly is faith? Hebrews 11:1 defines faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is that confident assurance we have which is given to us by God, that the revelation concerning Jesus Christ is true. By faith we see the unseen and we come to put our trust in Jesus Christ as our only hope for salvation. By faith we believe the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and we are saved. Through repentance we turn from our sins and through faith we turn to Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith bring us, as it were, to the foot of the Cross. There we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. We trust completely in His finished work on the Cross and we commit ourselves to live for Him, to be His disciples. Repentance and faith bring us to commitment because following Jesus Christ is more than merely intellectual knowledge about him; it is a living commitment to Him. We surrender our lives in order to live for Him. We receive Him as our Savior, that is, as the only hope for our salvation. But we also receive Him as our Lord, that is, the Ruler and Master of our lives. This is what it means to be a Christian. We must first see that we are sinful beings. We are sinners both by nature and choice, and our sin separates us from an all holy God. God loves us and doesn't want to punish our sins, but because He is holy and just, He must punish sin. Because God loves us, Jesus Christ came to this Earth and God was made a man. He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life. He willingly died on the Cross of Calvary as our substitute. He died there in our place on Calvary to pay the penalty for our sin. By accepting what He did there for us and placing our trust in Christ's work as the only hope for our salvation. We can be saved. Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven, from where He will return to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. These are the basic truths of the Gospel. These are the truths which have the power to set us free. Again, it must be emphasized that these truths are not effective when only intellectually believed. There must be a personal commitment to Jesus Christ made by the individual, in which we turn from our sin, and by faith receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior. As we confess our sins in prayer and ask His forgiveness, we begin a relationship with Him. It is a living relationship with a living Lord. Those individuals who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ are the same individuals who comprise the local church. The local church is composed of those who have been called out of the world and into the Kingdom. It is made up of those who are "saved by faith." TOP A Baptized Membership Not only do we believe in a regenerate membership, North Eulalia Baptist Church also believes in a baptized membership. The Great Commission states, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20). It is because of the command of Jesus that we baptize those who would be His disciples. In some sense, baptism is the initiation of the believer into the fellowship of the church. But is far more than that . For the Christian, baptism is the identification of the believer with Christ. Water baptism is more than a ceremony. It declares that you have come to faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. It testifies of His saving grace in your life. It is the sign of your confession of faith. It is commanded by Jesus, and therefore is not optional. It is the first step of obedience to Christ. Biblical Baptists believe in a doctrine called "Believers' Baptism by Immersion." In other words, we believe that the candidate for baptism must be first a believer in Jesus Christ. The means of baptism is the immersion of the believer in water. There are many good reasons why we hold these truths. One very good reason is that Jesus commanded us to do so. In the Great Commission, He commanded us to baptize those who became His disciples. Jesus Himself was baptized by John the Baptist when John was baptizing those who had repented. When the first church was born on the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the multitude, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38). It is evident from Scripture that only believers were baptized. The early Christians did not baptize their infants, and rightly so. The nature of faith itself indicates that each individual must believe for himself. We cannot believe for our children. We can only prayerfully lead them to the place where they can believe. Baptism is a symbol of our faith. In Romans 6:1-11 (please read in your Bible) this symbol is discussed in terms of our identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It speaks of our being "buried with him by baptism." The very act of our going down into the water and coming up again is a symbolic representation of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, and our death to self, burial of the old man, and resurrection to walk in newness of life. It is a symbolic representation of what God has already done in our lives. He has set us free from our old nature and given us new life. Therefore, it is proper that only believers be baptized. The symbolism of the baptism itself gives us an important key as to its mode. It is obvious that the symbol is one of being buried and raised again. Now, this symbol can only be properly depicted through a baptism by being immersed in water. There is further evidence that this is the case from the word "baptism" itself. The word "baptism" or "baptized" is a transliteration from the Greek into English of the word "baptizo." "Baptizo" is a causative compound form of the root word "bapto." Where the root word "bapto" is found in Scripture, it always has the same meaning, that is "to dip" (Luke 16:24; John 13:26a; Revelation 19:13). Another compound form of "bapto" is found in several places in the New Testament. This form, "embapto," also means "to dip" (Matthew 26:23; Mark 14:20; John 13:26b). The plain meaning of the causative form "baptizo" is "to cause something to be dipped or immersed" (Matthew 28:19). At this point, you may be asking why the word was not simply translated "to dip" or "to immerse" instead of being transliterated into English. When the Bible was translated into English during the reign of King James, the mode of baptism was to sprinkle. This presented the translators with a very touchy problem. Should they translate the word literally, and thereby incur the wrath of the established church, or should they be dishonest? They decided to do neither. Rather than translating the word literally as "to dip," they transliterated the word (which substitutes the English letter for the corresponding Greek letter, thereby making a new English word.) The church then was free to give whatever meaning to the word baptism it chose. But none of this changes the meaning of baptism nor the practice of the early church. It is evident, from archaeological discoveries of baptismal pools, that the practice of the early church was baptism by immersion. This indeed was the practice of the Jews. It was the practice of John the Baptist in the River Jordan. Jesus was baptized by immersion. The Ethiopian eunuch was baptized by Philip by immersion. There is no doubt that the proper mode of baptism is by immersion. Baptism, therefore, is very important for the believer. You should be baptized because it is the first step of obedience to Christ, because of the example of Christ, because of the example of the early Christians, because it fulfills a symbol of salvation, and to tell the world that you are a Christian. TOP Our Baptist Heritage The people called Baptists have a rich heritage indeed. Many of the principles of Baptist faith have been held and practiced from the days of the early church. As an organized church, however, we must trace Baptist beginnings to Holland and England, from the time immediately after the Reformation of the early sixteenth century. The Anabaptists could loosely be considered as the forerunners of the people we now call Baptists. They held to many of the same principles of modern Baptists, most notably, a belief in believers' baptism and a rejection of infant baptism. The term Anabaptist means "rebaptizer." They were so named for rebaptizing adult members who were once baptized as children. John Smyth, one of a group of British Separatists, along with Thomas Helwys, a layman, fled to Amsterdam to escape religious persecution. There they became greatly influenced by the Mennonite movement. Smyth rebaptized himself and his followers and organized the first Baptist Church in 1609. From that beginning, Baptist churches started to be organized in England. In 1611, Thomas Helwys, along with some members of his church came back to London and established the first Baptist church on English soil. By 1650, as many as forty-seven General Baptist churches were in and around London. Baptists were basically of two kinds, General and Particular. The General Baptists believed in a general atonement, that Christ died for all people generally, and that all who believed could be saved. Such were those associated with John Smyth. The Particular Baptists came along about ten years later and believed in a more Calvinistic atonement, a particular atonement in which Christ only died for the elect. In 1631, Roger Williams came to America. He was a Separatist minister when he arrived, but he organized the First Baptist Church at Providence, Rhode Island. Shortly thereafter, John Clarke founded a Baptist Church at Newport, Rhode Island, around 1641. From these beginnings, Baptist churches as we now know them, began to spring up everywhere. North Eulalia Baptist Church was incorporated on July 30, 1896, as the Free Baptist Church of Eulalia and Hebron Townships. On January 6, 1897, the trustees of the church bought the property where the church would be eventually built for one dollar from Cora Graves, the wife of James Graves. On September 18, 1898, the present church building was dedicated as a place of worship. From that time until sometime in the 1920's, the church was very active in this area. Sometime in the 1920’s, for lack of interest, the church shut it's doors until 1939, when Rev. Ira Wyhe came in the afternoons from the First Baptist Church in Roulette to hold Sunday School and a worship service. From that humble restart, North Eulalia Baptist Church has gone onward in service for the Lord. In 1967 the church built the present parsonage. In June 1973, the church needed to go mission status because of another low ebb. Missionary Dale Sanders with Hiawatha Baptist Missions came and, with God's help, saw the church get back on its feet and grow. In June of 1975, Rev. Sanders brought the church into the fellowship of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC). On May 28, 1978 the church graduated from mission status. God is continuing to bless and work among the people of North Eulalia Baptist Church. TOP The Bible -God's Word Baptists have always been known as a "people of the Book." One of the distinctives of our Baptist heritage is an unswerving allegiance to the Bible. As believers, we agree that God is the source of all. And we also agree that God has spoken to us in the Bible. In this Book, He has provided what we need to know for salvation, church life and our walk with Him. It is the authoritative guide for our individual lives and our life together. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is God's written word to man. We must remember that the Bible is our only objective revelation from God. Therefore, it is important for us to understand what we mean when we call the Bible "the Word of God." How we define that statement will determine how we approach this singularly unique revelation from God; and how we approach the Bible will determine how we approach God. It is important to understand what we mean when we say that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Reflecting a high view of Scripture, the following is a statement by Clark Pinnock, found in A Defense Of Biblical Infallibility. "The Bible in its entirety is God's written Word to man, free of error in its original autographs, wholly reliable in history and doctrine. Its divine inspiration has rendered the book "infallible" (incapable of teaching deception) and "inerrant" (not liable to prove false or mistaken). Its inspiration is "plenary" (extending to all parts alike), "verbal" (including the actual language form) and "confluent" (product of two free agents, human and divine). Inspiration involves infallibility as an essential property, and infallibility, in turn, implies inerrancy. This three-fold designation of Scripture is implicit in the basic thesis of biblical authority." That statement sums up what most conservative, evangelical Christians believe concerning the inspiration of the holy Scriptures. It defines what we mean when we speak of inspiration. It is not enough simply to speak of the Bible as being inspired. The word for "inspired" can be used to describe everything from a work of art to a beautiful musical composition; from fascinating prose or poetry to the words of Scripture. But what is really meant when we say the Bible is inspired? The word "inspired", as it is found in 2 Timothy 3:16, where it is speaking of Scripture, literally means "God breathed." In other words, it has God for its author. God imparted His words to men, who in turn recorded those words. What we say about the nature of the record produced will determine the authority we ascribe to this book. That is why it is useful to use words like "infallible," "inerrant," "plenary," "verbal," and "confluent." They assist us in understanding the nature of inspiration. Let us take a look at these terms. The term "infallible" means that the Bible, taken as a whole, is incapable of teaching deception. Properly interpreted, the Bible is entirely trustworthy and will lead us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. The term "inerrant" means that the Scriptures are not liable to prove false or mistaken. The Bible is inerrant because it is not in error, but wholly reliable in history and doctrine. The term "plenary" means that the inspiration of Scripture extends to all of Scripture. In other words, both Old Testament and New Testament are equally inspired. The words of Jesus are no more inspired than the words of Moses. That does not mean that the words of Jesus may not be a more full and important revelation than the words of Moses. It simply means that God the Holy Spirit fully inspired both to the Biblical writers' understanding. The term "verbal" means that inspiration extends to the actual language form used. In other words, the actual words themselves were given to communicate God's truth in a specific way. Therefore, it is important to understand how the Scripture says what it says. Finally, the term "confluent" means that the inspiration of Scripture is the product of two free agents, human and divine. In other words, God used men to communicate and record His truth. We believe that there was a dynamic and supernatural superintendency by God in which He used the thoughts and personalities of the individual writers but guarded the end result in such a way that the product was and is His Holy Word. To sum up, let us put our statement about Scripture in eight parts referenced by an appropriate passage: 1. ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED (2 Timothy 3:16) 2. AND IS GOD'S WRITTEN WORD TO MAN (John 10:25) 3. INFALLIBLE (Psalm 19:7) 4. AND INERRANT (Proverbs 30:5,6) 5. AS ORIGINALLY GIVEN (2 Peter 1:21) 6. DIVINE INSPIRATION IS PLENARY (Romans 15:4) 7. VERBAL (Matthew 4:4) 8. AND CONFLUENT (2 Samuel 23:2) The Bible itself witnesses to the fact that it is the inspired word of God. As a matter of fact, in various expressions, the Old Testament declares this fact 3,808 times. This was also Jesus' witness as to its authority and inspiration: John 10:35; Matthew 5:18; Matthew 22:31-32, 43; Matthew 15:4,6. As to the importance of each word: Luke 16:17; Luke 18:31; Luke 24:44. Jesus also refers to a great number of Old Testament events not as symbols, myths or legends, but as facts. The apostles also witnessed to the inspiration of Scripture. Paul witnesses to this fact in 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Timothy 5:18 and 1 Corinthians 2:13. Peter writes of God's Holy Word in 1 Peter 1:11-12, 2 Peter 1:21 and 2 Peter 3:16. In this latter verse, Peter equates Paul's writings with Scripture. In the book of Acts we find numerous references to the inspiration of Scripture; Acts 1:16, 13:33-35, 17:2-3. We see Paul, in Acts, reasoning with people from the Old Testament Scriptures. When you add to the testimony of Scripture itself that of Jesus and the apostles, and the overwhelming evidence of fulfilled prophecies which abound in the Bible, you have incontrovertible proof of the inspiration and authority of God's Word. Before we move on from the topic of God's Word, something needs to be said concerning the Word of God and the child of God. God's Word is not merely an intellectual exercise for the Christian. God has given us His Word that it might impact our lives on a daily basis. The Word of God is a powerful instrument which God uses in our lives to bring us into conformity to Christ. The Word of God brings us to birth; 1 Peter 1:23 speaks of being born again by the Word. It causes us to grow; 1 Peter 2:2 reveals that the milk of the word is food to us. The Word is for our training; 2 Timothy 3:16 communicates that the Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof and correction. God's Word makes our way prosperous; Psalm 1:1-6 likens the man who meditates on God's Word to a bountiful tree. The Word keeps us clean; Psalm 119:9 shows the power of the Word to cleanse our ways. It gives us wisdom; Psalm 19:7 says the Word makes wise the simple. It is a mirror; James 1:22-25 likens the Word to a mirror which shows us who we are. God's Word gives us guidance; Psalm 119:105 pictures the Word as a lamp to guide our feet. It produces faith; Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. And the Word is our sword; Ephesians 6:17 declares that the sword of the Spirit is in fact the Word of God. All of this indicates the extreme importance of the Word of God to the Christian. For a Christian to grow, he must spend time regularly reading and studying God's Word. Jesus Himself indicated that we do not live by material things alone, but by the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). He also told a parable of the two houses. In Matthew 7:24-27, He paints a picture of two houses alike, except for their foundations. One is built on the rock, and the other on the sand. Of course, when the storms come, the house built on the sand falls. Jesus declares that the Christian who hears and obeys God's Word is like the house on the rock. That person will stand when the storms come. But the person who does not hear and obey is like the house on the sand. That person will surely fall. So we must see that the Word of God is vitally important to our life and health as a believer in Jesus Christ. Let me encourage you as strongly as I know how to spend time daily reading, studying and meditating upon God's Word, the Bible. This will help you to be a strong and vibrant believer and member of North Eulalia Baptist Church. TOP Commitment: The Path To Discipleship The Scripture exhorts us all to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). It is apparent that Christians should never become stagnant in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Our relationship is to be one of growth, of continuing to mature in both the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We should never be content to stand still in our relationship with God. Just as in the natural realm our own children must grow and mature to be considered healthy, so in the spiritual realm children of God must also grow and mature. Stunted growth in the Christian is just a tragic as stunted growth in a physical body. Recognizing the importance of continued spiritual growth, we must ask ourselves what the key is to that growth. Our physical body grows as a result of obeying certain laws of growth which are applicable to it. The physical body must receive nourishment, engage in exercise, and be cared for or well maintained. There are also certain laws of growth which apply to our spiritual well-being. Obedience to these laws of growth is a key to our growth. To sum it up in a statement: Commitment is the path to discipleship. When we came to Christ, we made a commitment to Him. Our commitment was expressed in the surrender of our lives to Him in obedience to His call. Just as our commitment to Christ opened the door which leads to salvation, so our continued commitment to be obedient to His word keeps the door leading to spiritual growth open. In order for our commitment to be ongoing, we must use all available means of growth. We must maintain an ongoing, daily, personal devotional time as well as involve ourselves in the varied services of the local church such as Sunday School, Morning Worship, Evening Worship, Wednesday Prayer. It is through our personal Bible study and the instruction we receive as we assemble with God's people that provides for us a balanced and sufficient diet of spiritual nourishment. The importance of our involvement in the life of the church is stressed in Hebrews 10:24-25: "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." The purpose of our assembling together for the services of the church is that we may receive encouragement in our walk with Christ. The initial commitment we made to Christ can only become an ongoing and continued commitment through the encouragement of other Christians as we strive together for the same goal. And commitment is the key to our walk with God. Our commitment to Christ is acknowledged as we confess Him as our Lord, both by our lips and by our behavior. Our confession should always be that Jesus Christ is Lord. "Lord" means "master, ruler." To say Jesus Christ is our Lord is to say that He is in control of our lives and that our lives are committed to Him so that we may live for Him. A lack of practical commitment to Christ is a denial of His Lordship in terms of our lives. It is a contradiction of terms to say that Jesus Christ is my Lord if I do not live for Him. If, by my commitment to Christ and to His Church, I am living out the Word of God, then the testimony I am giving to the world is that Jesus Christ is indeed my Lord. If, on the other hand, I do not visibly live out my commitment to Christ, the testimony I give to the world is a far different one. It is a testimony which declares that Jesus Christ is not my Lord, regardless of what my lips may say. The practical declaration of Christ's lordship in our life is directly reflected through our obedience to Him. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked a very pertinent question. He said, "And why call ye me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?" It is not merely what we say that counts. It is what we do. To call Christ Lord and then refuse to be obedient to what He says is to be self-deceived. Obedience is the key element in our commitment. We practically reflect the lordship of Christ in our daily lives through obedience to Him. Through a life of obedience, we grow in discipleship. And discipleship is Christ's desired destiny for every believer. In Matthew 28:18-20, we find the Great Commission of Christ to His Church. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Notice here that it says that the Church is to "make disciples." Jesus did not commission us to simply make converts. He did not call us to get decisions for Christ. He did not even ask us to make church members of people. Rather, what Christ commanded us to do was to make disciples. We see from the text that the discipleship process involves "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Disciples are those who are taught. But more than that, disciples are those who are taught to obey. Through obedience, we become disciples. Discipleship involves not only receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, but living for Him on a daily basis. Mark 2:14 records the call of discipleship. It is simply, "Follow Me." The call, in this passage of Scripture, was extended to Levi, the son of Alpheus. We know him as Matthew. But the same call is given to every one of us. When we are called to Christ, we have been called to follow Him. But that call must be lived out daily through a life of obedience. Luke 9:23 records Jesus saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." What Jesus means here is that we must daily commit ourselves to live for Him, to willingly deny our own sinful desires, and follow Him fully. It is a process of transformation by which we are slowly conformed to the image of Christ. Being conformed to the image of Christ is the goal for every believer. Romans 8:29 records that God "predestined [the believer] to become conformed to the image of His Son." This is God's purpose for us, that we might be changed in character and nature to be like Jesus. The life of obedience and commitment to Christ, the daily following Christ in discipleship is part of that process. Romans 12:1-2 gives us a good commentary on that process: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Without commitment, there can be no beginning to the Christian faith. Without commitment, there can be no continuance of a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. Without commitment, there can be no growth in grace. Without commitment, the Christian suffers, the Kingdom suffers, the Church suffers, and the world suffers. Commitment is the daily living out of the life of Christ so that the Christian matures, the work of the Church is accomplished, and Christ is exalted as Lord. TOP Stewardship: Giving With Grace God has a plan for everything. He does not do things in a haphazard manner. Before He made the universe, He had a plan. He had a plan when He created man. He knew man would fall and had a plan for his salvation. When He called the Church into existence, He had a plan for the work of the Church. And God also has a plan for the financing of the vast work He has called His Church to do. Our Lord's plan for church finance is a simple one. By the faithful tithes and offerings of His people, the work is to be supported. God never intended for the work of the Church to be supported in any other way. To use raffles, bazaars, bingo, and the like, is not in His plan. Nor does He desire for the Church to go into the world begging for money. The Lord is not pleased with high-pressure campaigns and other cleverly designed schemes to raise money. His simple plan is for His people to give a minimum of a tithe to support His work. This is the beginning place of Christian stewardship. The purpose of the next few pages of this study is to call Christians to a serious commitment to Christian giving. When we say Christian giving, we are referring to the concept and practice of giving as it is outlined in the Scriptures, which are our authoritative guide for faith and practice. So we shall look at what the Bible teaches in this important area. The fact that Jesus stood by the treasury of the Temple and watched as people put in their money indicates that He was interested in what they gave and how they gave it. We, as committed Christians, ought to be interested in what God expects of us in the area of Christian stewardship, particularly as it relates to our financial possessions. God has given us many wonderful promises which depend on our obedience in this area. As we become obedient to God in this important area, we will begin to see His blessing of provision for our material needs in a wonderful way. Let's look at four very important questions regarding Christian giving: Why Should We Give? What are the compelling reasons why we should give to God? Perhaps this is the place to start. Why should God need our money? After all, God is in Heaven and we are on earth. The fact is, God doesn't need our money in Heaven. But because of the great work He has commissioned on earth, money is needed. Furthermore, His command for us to give is not merely for the support of His work, but for our good as well. We need to give not only because of what giving does for God's work, but because of what giving does for us personally. So why should we give? We need to give because God is the owner of all we possess. Everything we have is a gift from God. Our life, our health, our mate, our children, and all our material and monetary possessions are blessings from Him. So when we give to God, we are acknowledging His ownership and lordship over every area of our lives. This was the idea behind the bringing of the firstfruits in Old Testament times. By giving God the first of all our increase, we declare that He is Lord over it all. You see, we are accountable to God for how we use the material possessions which He has entrusted to our care. We are stewards of what we possess, not owners. Our possessions have merely been entrusted to us for our use. All that we have really belongs to God. How we use what God has entrusted to us is the responsibility of stewardship. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." We also need to give because God has commanded us to give. Perhaps the best known text is Malachi 3:8-10: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, ‘Wherein have we robbed thee?’ In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." In this passage, God accuses His people Israel of robbing Him. When they asked how they had robbed Him, He said, "In tithes and offerings." Then He commanded the people to bring all the tithes into the storehouse, which was His house. The purpose was that there would be sufficiency in God's house. Jesus also spoke of tithing in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42. They are parallel passages of Jesus dealing with the legalistic Pharisees who were interested only in external appearances. Look at Matthew's account: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Jesus rebuked the legalistic Pharisees for being so exceedingly careful in tithing even the most minute possession, while they neglected the weightier aspects of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. If there was a place where Jesus could have abolished the tithe, it was here. It is important to remember that Jesus was never reluctant to point out the dead practices of religious men. He could have, with one word, pointed out the error of tithing if He wished to. But rather than abolish the tithe, He affirmed it. He reminded these Pharisees that it was not an either/or proposition, but a both/and practice. They were to show mercy and tithe. In fact, nowhere in all of Scripture is any amount less than a tithe pointed to as the standard for Christian giving. Furthermore, we should give because of the great need. It is an embarrassment to the greatness of our God and of His Kingdom for a church to be forced to struggle to pay its bills. God has called the Church to be the agent of His Kingdom on earth. He has charged the Church with winning the world to Jesus and training Christian disciples. To do that great work, it takes money. God's plan is that His people would support His work. When they fail to do so, it brings dishonor to the cause of Christ and severely limits the work the local church can do. If all of God's people in every church would be faithful to bring forth God's tithe, there is no question that God's work would prosper everywhere. The Church would not only have enough money to pay basic operating expenses; the Church would have enough money to reach out to others worldwide. There are so many needs and God has provided plenty of money. Unfortunately, some of that money is in the bank accounts of some who refuse to be obedient to God's word concerning the tithe. May God grant us a vision of the great need that could be met if all God's people supported God's work God's way. Perhaps the highest reason we should give is because of our gratitude for all the Lord has done for us. He has blessed us beyond what we deserve. Because of all He has done for us, we give out of a heart full of love for Him. We give because we want to. This is the best and highest motivation for Christian giving. We should give because we love Jesus. What Should We Give? We now come to the question of what we should give. Really, we are talking about how much we should give. Unless we know what the Lord expects from us in this area, we cannot be sure we are being obedient to Him. The Bible is clear on this point. The beginning point of Christian stewardship is the tithe. We have already mentioned that Jesus affirmed the tithe. Old Testament Law required the tithe (actually, several tithes). But even before the Law (four hundred years before), Abraham tithed to the Lord through Melchizedek, King of Salem (Genesis 14:17-24). Some would say tithing is a matter of the Law. But in reality, tithing existed before the Law, during the Law, and was continued after the Law in the New Testament churches. How much is a tithe? Some people believe that to tithe simply means to give. That is incorrect. The word tithe actually means tenth. It is a precise mathematical term. The Lord asks us to give Him a tenth of all our income. In other words, we are to give to Him a tenth of our salary. That is what is due the Lord. The Bible says, "The tithe is the Lord's." "The tithe is holy unto the Lord." "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse." Is the tithe net or gross? Those who make an argument for a net tithe do so generally to try to evade the issue. The real issue is what do you make? What is your salary? Do you report to the IRS only your net income? Do you tell your friends what you make in net dollars? No! And the reason is because you don't make only what you net. You make what you gross. One pastor put it this way when teaching whether to give the net or gross of what he made "I'll tell you what I do. I tithe off the larger amount, because that way, Jesus gets more." The real issue is what do we give to Jesus? If we really love the Lord, we will want Him to get more. Let me emphasize, however, that the tithe is only a beginning place of Christian stewardship, not an ending place. In addition to tithes, there are offerings, which are gifts over and above the tithe. Some can give much more than a tithe because they are well able to do so. We are to give as we have been prospered (1 Corinthians 16:2); and we are reminded that to whom much has been given, much is required (Luke 12:48). We should seek to grow in the grace of giving, just like we grow in our knowledge of the Lord. Where and When Should We Give? To whom is the tithe due? The simple answer is the Lord. We tithe to God. But how do we do that? Is there a God-ordained agency which enables us to do that? I believe the answer is an emphatic Yes! Consider the following: "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him" (1 Corinthians 16:2). While there is much we could say about this verse, two things are clear. The first is the when of giving. It is to be on the first day of the week. That is Sunday. We worship on the first day, the day of Resurrection. The Church calls it, "The Lord's Day." Secondly, just as the when is clear, so also is the where. Where are Christians to be on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day? They are to be in the Lord's house with the Lord's people. In other words, they are to be in church. Tithing is an act of worship and is to be included in our worship at the Lord's house on Sunday. The Church is the only human agency which Jesus established. The Church is the organization through which Jesus is revealed to the world and through which the Kingdom of God is manifested. Therefore, the church is the place where the tithe belongs. The church is the storehouse (Malachi 3:8-10) where the tithes are to be brought, to enable the work of the Lord to be accomplished. If all of God's people would be obedient and bring all of the tithes into the local church, just think of what could be accomplished for the cause of Jesus Christ! Thus far, we have covered why we should give. We should give because God is the owner of all we possess, God commanded us to give, because of the need, and because of our gratitude and love for the Lord. We have considered what or how much we should give. We should give a tithe, that is, a tenth of all our income, to the Lord. We have considered where and when we should give. We should give as an act of worship in the local church on the Lord's Day. Now we shall consider another important question. How Should We Give? We have already commented on the fact that a Christian should give because they love the Lord and because of their gratitude for all that God has done for them. We must remember that Jesus gave His very life for us. Considering what He gave, how small is the gift of the tithe we are asked to give? Small, indeed. So our giving, first of all, should be thankful giving. Our giving also ought to be cheerful giving. The Bible says that "God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). The word for "cheerful" in this passage is the word from which we get our word "hilarious." God loves a giver who gives joyously, hilariously; not simply because he has to, but because he delights in giving. Our giving ought also to be liberal. Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Also, another pertinent Scripture is 2 Corinthians 9:6: "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." If we are stingy with our sowing, we shall be sadly disappointed with our reaping. The measure we pour out shall be the same measure we get back. If we give stingily, we shall receive little. If we give bountifully, we shall receive in abundance. While you can't out-give God, many certainly under-give him. The Lord loves a liberal giver. Our giving, as was the giving of the early Church, ought to be sacrificial in nature (see 2 Corinthians 8:1-4). They not only gave out of their excess, they gave out of their need. Most people give only out of their surplus. Jesus is not impressed with that kind of giving. But He rejoices in the person who gives over and above the tithe, over and above what is expected by God. The person who lives more simply so that the Lord's work can prosper is the one who is storing up treasure in Heaven. The story goes that a man died and went to Heaven. There, he made this comment concerning his use of money on earth. He said, "What I spent, I lost; what I saved, I left; and what I gave, I have." We do not lose what we give. We send it on before us that there may be treasure in Heaven. As Christians who are serious about our faith, giving is not an optional practice. If we are serious about bearing the name of Christ, we ought to heed the call to serious Christian giving. The only proper response to the call is obedience. That means we must begin to tithe as a minimum expression of Christian stewardship. If we already tithe, perhaps we need to consider how much more we can do based on the blessing of God in our lives. Here at North Eulalia Baptist Church, we expect all of our members to be obedient to God in this area of stewardship, to offer God's tithes and their offerings as a faithful expression of their love for Jesus Christ. As we respond to God, let us respond in faith, desiring to be obedient to the Lord's call because we love Him and we delight to do His will. He has promised His open-windowed blessing to all those who give according to His plan (Malachi 3:10). It is true that you cannot out-give God. As you are faithful in your giving, He will be faithful to bless you with such abundance in your life that you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. TOP Fellowship with God and Man In order to keep our relationship with God living and dynamic, there must be an ongoing fellowship with both God and man. As believers, we are called to fellowship in two dimensions. The first dimension is a vertical dimension. This is our fellowship with God. The second dimension is a horizontal dimension. This is our fellowship with one another. As Christians, we must maintain good relationships in both dimensions. This is essential to our walk with God. We can be "out of fellowship" with God or one another. When we are, our relationship is broken or hindered by sin. When this happens, our walk with God can be put on hold until things are made right. We must maintain both relationships. The Scripture teaches us that it is not possible to be rightly related to God and wrongly related to one another. Unless we keep our relationships sweet with one another, our relationship with God will not be right. As we give attention to both our relationship with God and our relationship with one another, we will not only grow in those relationships, but also in spiritual maturity. By giving attention to our fellowship with God and man, we will be encouraged and blessed. The importance of Bible study was touched on briefly in chapter 5 entitled, "The Bible - God's Word." For believers, Bible study is an essential element in maintaining our relationship with God. This is not merely an academic endeavor, but rather a personal, devotional practice. We must spend time daily in God's book with a desire to hear from Heaven for ourselves. As has been stated earlier, the Bible is God's Word. But it is not merely God's Word in some abstract sense. It is God's Word to us personally. Because of that, we need a daily time of quiet meditation upon this book. Only by doing so will we discern the message He has for us and His guidance for our lives. Remember the Bible is a place to meet with God. Be careful to maintain the regular devotional reading of His word. Along with daily Bible reading, another essential discipline is prayer. Here again we are talking about personal, private prayer on a daily basis. Through prayer, we can speak to God and unburden our hearts to Him. But just as God can speak to us through His Word, He also speaks to us through prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." As we come to God through prayer with thanksgiving, God will grant to us His peace and will guard our hearts and minds in Christ. Remember when you approach God to approach Him with thanksgiving. Spend some time praising Him for what He's done in your life. Then make your requests known to Him. And finally, spend some time simply listening quietly before God. You will be surprised at what you hear. Do not neglect your prayer life. It is one key to your fellowship with God. Along with Bible study and prayer, the believer who desires to maintain unbroken fellowship with God will be involved in receiving teaching through the ministry of the local church. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. One regular, ongoing teaching ministry of the local church is the Sunday School. At North Eulalia, our Sunday School meets from 9:45 AM to 10:50 AM on Sunday mornings. We have classes from birth to eternity (for all ages). Every member of North Eulalia ought to be involved in a Sunday School class. Then there are the teaching opportunities afforded you by the preaching of the Word in our worship services. Here at North Eulalia, we have a Sunday morning worship service at 11:00. We also have an evening worship service at 7:00 PM. The morning worship service is generally devoted to an expository sermon from God's Word, and occasionally a topical sermon or series will be preached. The evening worship service generally includes verse-by-verse Bible teaching and topical sermons. On Wednesday evenings we provide a Prayer Service that includes singing, study from the scriptures and prayer time with God’s people. Lastly, along with personal Bible study, prayer and corporate teaching, we must include corporate worship as an essential ingredient in maintaining our relationship with God. Through the worship opportunities in the church, the believer has the joy of sharing in a celebration of God's goodness. Through the praise and worship offered by the church, collectively gathered, we experience the special presence of Jesus in our midst. He promised us in His Word that where two or three of us are gathered in His name, there He would be in our midst. Now, Jesus is always with us, even when we're alone. What He means is that when we come together as the church, He grants us a special sense of His presence and of His power. Do not neglect corporate worship. God speaks in a very special way when we are together. Make it a part of your regular schedule, as well as a priority in your life, to be present at all the worship services of our church. As you come together with God's people, you'll be encouraged and strengthened, filled and blessed. Thus far, we have been primarily considering our fellowship with God. Let's turn now to our fellowship with the other members of God's family. It should go without saying that we need one another. All of us have a need for encouragement. At times, we even have a need for admonishment and rebuke. The Church is Jesus' idea. He designed an organization for His people to share together in. That organization is the local church. It is through the local church that we receive encouragement and ministry. It is through the local church that we give encouragement and ministry. The Church is not a building - it is people. The Church is you and me. Therefore, we need to maintain proper relationships with all the other believers who are part of our local church. We are called to love one another, to build up one another, to encourage one another, to support one another, to help one another, to minister to one another, and to share our lives with one another. We can do this in a variety of ways. It should be obvious that we can do this through our gathering together for the various services of the church. Through the ministry that takes place at our facility, we can interact with one another and reach out to one another. But we should also develop times of fellowship with one another outside the facility of the church. By opening up our homes to one another, sharing meals with one another, participating in activities with one another, we can develop relationships and minister to needs. Our Lord has called us to serve Him together. While each of us must come to Christ as an individual, and while each of us must account to Christ as an individual, we must serve Him together. God calls us to maintain our relationship with Him and one another. He calls us to live in two dimensions - the vertical and the horizontal. He calls us to maintain a sweet and intimate fellowship, both with Him and with one another. This is what we mean when we emphasize the importance of fellowship with God and man. TOP Witnessing: Sharing the Faith The greatest gift that anyone could receive is the gift of eternal life. The greatest tragedy for a human being would be to fail to receive the gift of eternal life and be condemned to an eternity in hell. The sobering truth is that the majority of the world is, at this moment, lost in sin and destined to eternal condemnation. People live all around us who are lost - next door, across the street, two houses down. We work with people who are lost. We associate with people who are lost. We talk with people at the supermarket, or at the gas pump, or in the civic club who are without Christ and stand condemned. Who will tell them? Who will share the message that Jesus saves? Will you? We must be clear on one point. Jesus commissioned all of us to be witnesses. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." He also said, in Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..." Then again, in Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The Holy Spirit is given to every Christian in order to make that Christian a witness for Jesus Christ. A witness is what we become when we become a believer in Jesus. Becoming a witness is not an option reserved only for those who desire to be the super-spiritual among us. Becoming a witness is normal Christianity. To be anything less is to be sub-normal. We witness, basically in two ways. Firstly, we witness by our lips and secondly, by our lifestyle. And we must do both. There has been much talk about lifestyle evangelism, and it has been needed. All of us certainly need to be encouraged to live before the world in such a way that the world wants to know what we've experienced. We need to exemplify the joy and the peace and the patience that are ours in Christ. We need to show forth the love and mercy, gentleness and kindness that becomes one whose Lord is Christ. Through our good works, people can see Jesus in us. But we must emphasize that good works alone is not enough. It is a cop-out to think that people will come to know Jesus merely because they see someone doing good. While we must live a Christian lifestyle, we must also share from our lips words that can lead someone to a saving knowledge of Christ. If we are going to reach our world for Jesus, we must begin as Christians to get to know unbelievers with a view to reaching them for Christ. But it will take an investment of our lives to do so. We will have to spend time with lost people, trying to be their friend. But if we do, we will be able to throw a net of love over them. The opportunities are there. But, according to the Word of God, the option not to become a witness is not there. We are commanded to be witnesses. And this is one of the greatest needs of the contemporary church. Just think of what could happen if all of our people became active witnesses for Jesus Christ. That is what happened in the early church. That is why it grew so rapidly. The Bible says that "The Lord added daily those who were being saved." There were people witnessing daily in the marketplaces and in their homes, as well as in the meetings of the church. People were coming to Christ everywhere as a result of the faithful witness of the people of God. The Lord can still add to His Church daily. It is my prayer that through the efforts of the members of North Eulalia, the Lord will indeed add to this church daily. If you are not currently involved in personal witness on your job and elsewhere, let me encourage you to prayerfully consider becoming involved now. There is no greater joy than seeing someone receive Jesus Christ and be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God's Son. It is a thrill to see the burden of sin and the guilt of sin lifted from the shoulders of a weary sinner, to watch the joy of Christ flood a soul and to see a life turned around. Such work is eternal. It can be your work. TOP A Vision For The Future If North Eulalia is going to reach Coudersport and surrounding areas for Christ, we must do more than maintain the status quo. We must reach out with a genuine vision, looking through the eyes of faith, trusting in the sovereign power of a living God to accomplish more than we can humanly do. God has called us to make an impact on our world. We must, in turn, make the commitment to do so. We must give of ourselves, our time, our talents, our resources, and our sacrificial service. We must adopt a vision that will take God to fulfill, and then trust God to do it in us and through us. It has been said that "some dream great dreams and ask 'Why?'; but others dream great dreams and ask 'Why not?'" We must be those who ask, "Why not?". If God be for us, who can be against us? God has sent you here for a purpose. It is no accident that brought you here. God had a purpose for leading you to this fellowship of believers. And God has a purpose for this church that includes you. He has given you gifts that are to be employed in the ministry here. He has made you part of the local body of believers here in order to help bring about His kingdom in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. This is true for all of us. Our challenge is to give ourselves to Him for use in that kingdom. Our challenge is to seek that kingdom first. Allow God to give you His vision for North Eulalia Baptist Church, and for your part in it. Be open and responsive to His leadership and promptings. Dream dreams so large that unless God does the work we will be doomed to fail in our own efforts. And then believe God for those dreams. I believe God wants to do something here far greater than any of us can conceive. I believe He wants to make North Eulalia Baptist Church a church which would have a great impact on this entire area. Indeed, I believe that He wants North Eulalia to have an impact that would reach around the world. Can He do it? You bet He can! He can do that and much more. And the amazing thing about it all is that He wants to do it with us. It is good to be a co-laborer together with you in this greatest of all causes. May God use you mightily here for His honor and glory. Pastor Michael C. Reeves TOP |
