I am so glad to read that somebody else is posting here, and I am SO VERY GLAD that you are reading and for what you are reading. Wow, Pilgrim’s Progress. Probably the greatest book ever written outside the Bible. I have the audio version if you would like to borrow it. Audio books bore me to tears so if you want to borrow my copy, let me know. George Mueller, keep reading that kind of material. That is good stuff. I would encourage everybody to read the Puritan writers like John Owen, Richard Sibbes, Thomas Watson, John Bunyan, and I could go on and on. I would also encourage you to read books that are both “in the box” and “outside the box.” The former are easier for me and that is why I need the latter. The latter are easier for some of you and that is why you need to former. I have just finished Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. That is definitely “outside the box” for me. Some who may read this blog want me to say more but I will not at this point. Let’s just say that if jazz music is really music seeking resolution without finding it then that is where I am with reference to that book. I am told, however, that there is a genuine resolution to real jazz music so that there must be one to this book and my current internal responses to it.

Thanks for all who are posting on this site. I only hope that it is helpful to you. I hope that it gives you a place where we can talk together in a spirit of family about what God is teaching us in these days. I think this is so important. We are a divergent people but not a divided body. Thank God for that. I praise God daily, I really do; that He has given me the remarkable privilege of being where I am. I love FBC Waynesboro. It is a very special place with very special people. Those who would be critical of it just as well tell me that my grandbaby is ugly! I couldn’t get any more defensive of him than I do of us. And please don’t write and tell me that my grandbaby is ugly. If you think so just pray for him and ask God to make him to look like me. See ya Sunday. LOL, guess that means “lots of love” and not “leaving out lines.”

The Mike Speck Trio was such a blessing to us last night. It was a wonderfully joyous night of encouragement as we together brought glory to God and exalted the wonderful name of Jesus. I had just been with this group just over a week ago at Woodstock. They sang and led the worship for the 3,500 (mostly preachers) who were present. What impressed me so very much last night was that they sang no differently for us than they did that rather large group at Woodstock. There is a definite anointing upon their ministry and a definite goal for their ministry. They sing under the anointing of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. We will have them back.

I was particularly impressed at the way Mike invited the children into the time of praise. He did not ignore them and he did not expect them to be adults. He treated them as they are. They are children. We must be sure that we know that it is important that children know how to act appropriately in accordance with where they are. The sanctuary is not the playground and the Sunday School Classroom is not the sanctuary. They are different settings in which different behavior is called for. And our children did well. They were drawn in by the music and by the message and Mike did a great job in including them in the service.

Some times I fear for us when we want to make the church too child-friendly, but I fear even more when we want to make it a place that turns children away. There was a time in the church in this culture when the worship was so formal and stilted that the sanctuary felt more like a mortuary and those leading worship were more like corpses than Christians. The analogy is far more than illustrative; it is demonstrative of the state of too many churches from the past and in the present. Liberal theology is the breeding ground for these kinds of churches. They are dead. Because the life of the church comes from the Word of God activated by the Spirit of God. But when a church has a preacher in the pulpit and people in the pew who don’t believe the absolute truth of the Word of God, the Spirit of God is absolutely absent. The end result is a cold church led by corpses whose lips move but the language is empty. Lyrics are lifted but they have no life; sermons are spoken but they have so supply of the Spirit of God. Such a church needs either to die and be buried or brought to life by the Spirit of God. For such a church shares no affiliation at all with that for which Jesus gave His life.

A church that is alive is an active church. And I believe that one of the reasons Jesus loved noisy children so much was that their presence proclaimed the presence of life. I wonder sometimes about the children that grew up in formally cold and religiously dead churches. Where are they now? Are they in church or not? Do you know what I fear? I fear that there are some adults who are not in church because their experience in church when they were younger was not joyful and encouraging but depressing and discouraging. I am with Jesus: let the children come. Do not forbid them. Don’t throw our pitiful peculiarities in their path. For they represent the Kingdom of God.

One of the things that I want to do in this blog is to share with you what I am reading. I want you to do the same for me. Reading has always been an important part of my life. I do not remember a time when I was not reading. Even when I was a young boy, while others were watching television; I was reading. Books have taken me places that I would not have otherwise been able to go. I have met some fascinating people through books and had some truly wonderful experiences. Books have been my teachers. They challenge me. They confront me. They comfort me. I am always trying to read at least three to four books at any given time and my goal is to read at least one a week. Ask Anne. She just asked me last night about the Amazon charges on the Visa bill. Pray for me, or for her if you are as avid in your reading as I am.

I just finished a fascinating New York Times bestseller by Lawrence Wright called The Looming Tower. It is an insightful analysis of the events that led up to 9/11. It is not encouraging. The book shows the truth of what power does among any people. So much of what happened on 9/11 was the direct result of the failure of communication between the CIA and the FBI. Both had pertinent information related to terrorist work in this country that they were not sharing with one another. They did not want the other to beat them to point. Well, we were beaten to the point by radical fundamentalist Islamic terrorists bent on Jihad. One of the results as you know was the formation of the Department of Homeland Security where so much of this very vital information is consolidated.

Another book that I just finished is by the wonderful Puritan writer, Thomas Watson, Teh Doctrine of Repentance. This 120 page masterpiece on repentance is filled with precious jewels. Here are few samples: “Repentance fits us for mercy . . . God will not save us without repentance, nor yet for it. Repentance is a qualification, not a cause . . . we please God by repentance but we do not satisfy Him by it . . . when a spring of repentance is open in the heart, a spring of mercy is open in heaven . . .sin is a poison. it is dangerous to let poison lie long in the body. Sin is a bruise. If a bruise be not soon cured, it gangrenes and kills . . . there are three days that may bring the time of repentance to expiration: the day of the gospel, the day of grace for the individual and the day of death . . .a moral man is only the old Adam dressed in fine clothes . . .As God has two places He dwells in, heaven and a humble heart, so the devil has two places that he dwells in, hell and a hard heart. it is not falling into water that drowns, but lying in it. It is not falling into sin that damns, but lying in it without repentance.”

I am also delighting in a brand new book by Graham Cole on the Holy Spirit, He Who Gives Life. This book is a wonderful systemization of the biblical teachings on the Holy Spirit. I do “theme” my reading so that for several months I am reading on one subject and for the next few weeks I will be reading on the Holy Spirit. I am also currently perusing again Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, the best systematic theology that I know and I am revisiting the multi-volume Systematic Theology by Norman Geisler. One of the shapers of modern evangelicalism who was the first editor of “Christianity Today” was Carl F.H. Henry. He wrote a multi-volume systematic theology that I am reading through as well. Part of what I read today was really helpful to me in the ongoing attempts to fit together the work of science with the Word of God. Henry argues that all modern science properly understood is simply an attempt to explain through the analysis of observable phenomenon how a certain entity acts or behaves. Its function is descriptive and not definitive; its work is in the present upon “what is” with little ability to say to us what was or will be accept on the basis of the observations of how certain phenomenon behave. Science thus operates within the confines of time and space with little ability to assess what is outside these confines. This is the role of theology. This is where we find the focus of the Word of God which reveals to us the work of the One who is before and beyond time and space.

What are you reading? What is it teaching you?

Nobody I know begins any kind of conversation in a vacuum. We open our mouths with some kind of suppositions and assumptions about what the world is and how the world works. As soon as I say, “God created the heavens and the earth,” I have let you know where I am coming from. And it is so important in all of our conversations with one another to know the assumptions and suppositions that we hold about what the world is and how the world works.

Many of our debates are about nothing more than differing assumptions and suppositions. If my starting point is that “God is” and this God who is makes Himself known in His world and through His Word the center of which is Jesus, then I am going to have a very hard time talking with someone about any subject who does not share those assumptions and suppositions. We can talk about the weather and the Braves. On second thought, we can talk about the weather. But when we start to discuss things that matter, we are going to miss each other because of our starting from different places.

I do believe that it is critical to know where we start from. And it is also critical to know that as conservative evangelical believers we do not need to apologize for starting where we do and believing as we do. But we do need to know why it is that we believe what we believe. I believe that some of the most serious questions are simple questions. And the simple question that what we believe must be able to answer is, “does what I believe explain adequately the world in which I live and my role in it?” That is the simple question to which every system of belief must give a serious answer.

 

 The Significance of the Church [35:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ephesians 1:15-23 [+/-]Ephesians 1:15-23 [15]For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, [16]I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17]that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18]having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19]and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might [20]that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, [21]far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. [22]And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, [23]which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)

The most prevalent image of the church in the New Testament is that of the church as the body of Christ with Jesus being the Head of the church. Jesus rules over the church and the church is the avenue through which Jesus rules. This is the most prevalent image that brings together indivisibly the person of Jesus with the people of God in the church. But it is not the most beautiful image. That belongs to the picture of the church in relationship to Jesus as the bride relating to the bridegroom. This image is found in the Gospels, the letters of Paul and the final book of the Bible. It is a beautiful image.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

I want to say just a few more things about change in the twentieth century. Please understand that what I am addressing here are the ways that the church accommodated herself to the culture in ways that she did not know while she was doing it. That ought to concern all of us because the church in each and every age has done more or less accommodation to the culture. We are in our day and it is harder to recognize than we know.

But I digress. Regenerate church membership was a primary priority for churches until the middle of the twentieth century. It was a fundamental foundation of all Baptist churches until the middle part of the twentieth century when the growth in churches mitigated against giving serious attention to the Christian commitment or character of those who were “joining the church.” Church discipline was practiced both biblically and vigorously until the middle part of the twentieth century when it was dropped completely primarily because the physical growth of churches in the building if buildings necessitated as much financial support as possible. Who would dare discipline some dude who had departed from the faith while he was depositing large sums in the collection plate? By the middle of the 1950’s in our country, most churches were busting out the walls with people but the reality of radically changed lives in the church was absent. In fact, it was during this time that many denominations began pushing for revivals of real religion since so much that was in the church had been reduced to the routine of ritual that was simply repeated Sunday after Sunday. The church had become like a soap opera: don’t watch it for a few weeks and come back to it, and nothing has changed!!

What came to the church instead of a real revival (there has not been one of these in this country since the nineteenth century) was the sixties and the revolution that it brought among young people against anything and everything insitituional, including the church. One of the ironies of history is that many who led the march against the institution of religion are now in their fifties and are protecting the very institution that they fought against in the 1960’s against the likes of the emerging church folks who are no different in their philosophy from the 1960’s flower children who want it a “God who was groovy.”

One of my concerns that I contemplate from time to time is what is it in our time that we do not see. The church in the 1950’s lost its emphasis on regenegrate church membership and church discipline among other things; but what have we lost that we do not see? Here is the irony:  if you think you see it, then you probably don’t because most of what we see that we missed, we see through the lens of the passing of time. Think about it.

I stand corrected. But I must defend the term “bloggin” from my own personal copy of Gramatically and Syntactically Appropriate Phrases as used in the South. Although it could be true that “blogging” is the appropriate spelling and is pronounced with the distinctive “ing” sound at the end for those who presume to speak proper English (Those from England, Scotland, and points north of South Carolina), in our part of the world it is “bloggin.” When we take our trucks and four-wheelers into a muddy place on a wonderfully rainy today like today, we are not going “bogging.” We are “boggin.” When we choose to talk about one another for matters ultimately spiritual, you know: “let me tell you about what so and so is doing so you can pray for them,” we are not “gossiping,” we are “gossipin.” When we pick at one another we are not “bugging” one another; we are “buggin.” And we are about to depart for some place other than where we are, we are not “fixing to” go somewhere, we are “fixin to” (the discussion of what the prior phrase means is the subject of another “bloggin” session that I am not fixin to start now). So, I hope Ihave educated you enough now that you know that for those of us who are southerners, it is “bloggin” and not “blogging.” Enough on that as I’m fixin to do some bloggin about gossipin that is goin on.

One other thing for right now. If you have not read the post today from Rusty and Joy, read it. They are a walking manuscript of what it means to have the Spirit of God manifest through your life. Their sincerity is striking. Their honesty is refreshing. And their commitment to Jesus is so real and shines so clearly through all they communicate. Read it and be encouraged. I read it and was convicted and encouraged.

More later on twentieth century changes. But don’t think it was all bad or that those of us who are a part of the generation that followed are better than those who preceded us. The boomers are not better than the builders and the busters that followed the boomers are not the best that has been. Each generation has in its midst that which is to be affirmed and applauded and that which is to be assessed and accosted. For example, what we know in our society in terms of productivity was built by the builders who came home and built this great land after World War II but they brought the corporate mentality into the church and the church would thus compromise commitment to biblical truth as a result. The boomers brought the questioning of authority just because it is authority into the culture and the church but in its wake came the last of the boomers (born from 60-64) and the busters who not only question all authority but refuse to submit to it. A society without authority that is recognized as authority and given respect as authority produces confusion that leads to chaos that eventually produces collapse from within. My take: we are closer to the last of these right now than we know. That’s encouraging, isn’t it?

Ok. I know that we are now in the 21st century, at least most of us are. But I think a lot about the major kinds of changes that have happened in the life of the church during the 20th century, most of them coming after WWII. Unfortunately, most people I meet have little or no understanding of history not only in not knowing when and what happened, but in understanding what really constitutes history.

For example, most historians mark the “modern era” from somewhere around the age of the enlightenment. The middle ages spread over more than a few centuries. History, in other words, is not what happened in my grandfather’s day. Yet, for far too many; thinking historically is thinking back to the turn of the century or the roaring twenties or the depression of the late 30’s or the pre and post WWII era. This kind of short-sightedness has been extremely harmful to the church because what we often conceive as “what church ought to be” which many think is the way it was in the late 40’s through the 60’s was a time when the church in America as infused with naturalistic notions and liberal leanings. This as the time when the phrase, “joining the church” was popularized because a really radical relationship with Jesus that revolutinized our lives had been jettisoned. This was the time when a relationship to Jesus was reduced to “an extremely personal and private matter” so the most piously religious were very private with their “faith” and very quiet. It was in fact considered a good thing to be able to be a “churchman” and work alongside those who were not and they not be bothered by it. This was a time when a right relationship with God was reduced to participation in the church. Come and worship with your offering envelope full and it was considered enough.

Church was formal in those days with printed programs. Go back into the previous century and you find neither of those realities as prevalent. Church, at least the more sophisticated ones; adopted dress codes for congregating. Again, go back into the previous century and you will not find it so. If there was ever a time when the church was seriously affected by the culture, it was from the 20’s to the 60’s in this country. Yet, it is the time that is considered by many to have been the time when men were really men (although large numbers of them were not in church) and women were really women, and the church was really the church. It was a time when the church was captured by the culture and it is appealing to so many I believe because so much of what we too often call Christianity is captured by the culture. Think about it. Let me know what you think. Identify the changes you see. Billy Graham was once told that in the 60’s that he had set the church back 50 years with his preaching. His response is classic, “oh, I’m sorry; I meant to set it back 2000.” Amen.

 

 Case Studies in Conversation, a continuing Study [23:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

James 2:14-25 [+/-]James 2:14-25 [14]What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15]If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16]and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17]So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [18]But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19]You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! [20]Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21]Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22]You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23]and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"-- and he was called a friend of God. [24]You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. [25]And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? (ESV)
& James 1:26-27 [+/-]James 1:26-27 [26]If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. [27]Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV)

What does it really mean to be genuinely Biblically Converted? This is part of the series “Case Studies in Convention”, a continuing Wednesday Night Study. Pastor Al looks at the book of James tonight. It seems to be the book that causes much division within churches today. Faith and works go side by side, especially when looking back at Abraham.

Well, here we go. But before we even begin, let me make a few suggestions about what would be good for this blog… Read more here! »

 

 Manuscript Evidence for the Bible [43:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Sunday night studies are a closer look at the Word of God. Tonight’s study was on the Manuscript Evidence for the Bible. Pastor Al starts looking at some of the evidence behind the Bible, in comparison to methods use in other books of antiquity.

 

 Markings [43:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Acts 2:40-47 [+/-]Acts 2:40-47 [40]And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." [41]So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. [42]And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43]And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44]And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45]And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46]And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47]praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV)

How serious are we about being the kind of church that the Bible describes? Our elders and deacons are taking this issue seriously. We are reading and studying together a marvelous book written by Mark Dever who serves as the pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Dever is serious about the church being what the Bible declares it to be. He went to this church in D.C. when it was close to closing its doors. Sitting in the shadow of our nation’s capitol with little room for parking cars or building buildings, there seemed to be no hope. But this man came to this church with a mission. He asked only one thing of the people who called him: the blessing of the church to begin to restructure from the ground up based solely upon what the Bible says a church should be. Tough times, yes. Loss of people, you bet. But a decade later, Dever leads a thriving church with over 500 members and nearly a thousand in weekly attendance in a place where the church growth pundits said that it was impossible to grow a church. And the only manual he has ever used is the Word of God and particularly what is proclaimed in the early chapters of the Book of Acts.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

 

 The Lost Word [38:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Acts 2:1-16 [+/-]Acts 2:1-16 [2:1]When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. [2]And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. [3]And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. [4]And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. [5]Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. [6]And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. [7]And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? [8]And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? [9]Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10]Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, [11]both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians--we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." [12]And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" [13]But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine." [14]But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. [15]For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. [16]But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: (ESV)
& Acts 2:37-40 [+/-]Acts 2:37-40 [37]Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" [38]And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39]For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." [40]And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." (ESV)

What does it take for you to be a Christian? Accept and acknowledge the facts of the crucifixion of Jesus for your sin and his triumphant resurrection to give you victory over death. Believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Declare that you want to love and live for Jesus. Well, all of these are core components of what it means to become and to be a Christian but none of them includes the first word of the Gospel without which no one can be saved and thus become or be a Christian. You and I live in a day when the first word of the Gospel has become for all practical purposes the lost word of the Gospel. The end result is that we have constructed and communicated a Gospel of compromise that most people don’t even realize. So, come with me this morning as we enter and explore this text as it establishes the foundation for the first converts in the first church in the history of the church.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

 

 Hiding Place Promo: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“Ballet Magnificat! was founded in 1986. Magnificat is Latin for “to magnify Him.” It’s derived from “Mary’s Song” of praise in the 1st Chapter of the the Gospel of Luke when she first learned she was to be the mother of the Messiah. Ballet Magnificat! is an arts organization dedicated to presenting the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world.”

 

 Case Studies in Conversation, a continuing Study [27:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hebrews 6:1 [+/-]Hebrews 6:1 [6:1]Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (ESV)

What does it really mean to be genuinely Biblically Converted? This is part of the series “Case Studies in Convention”, a continuing Wednesday Night Study. Pastor Al looks at Sacrifices. In the Old Covenant, that sacrifice was done through the shedding of blood. There was a priestly system that oversaw this sacrificial system. After Jesus, there can be no other sacrifices that can be offered. Jesus was the perfect scarifice, and He was the perfect Priest. Jesus not only ended the sacrificial system; but also the Priesthood.

The turmoil that is now going on in Kenya with no immediate resolution in sight has made it necessary to cancel our trips to Kenya this summer. Please pray for Damon Davenport and the work of Build the Village as well as all other missionaries who are seeking to carry on the work in the midst of what is a very difficult time. Listed below are the mission trips that we will be taking and the pertinent information. Please call the designated team leader for each trip for further information. Read more here! »

 

 Is the Bible what the Bible Says it is? [46:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Isaiah 53 [+/-]Isaiah 53 [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The Sunday night studies are a closer look at the Word of God. Tonight’s study looks at how How Jesus Verified the Old Testament as the Word of God. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the question of the Authority of Scripture began… Pastor Al looks at some of the roots of this thinking, why it began, and where it has lead many people in our churches today.

 

 The Birthing of the Church: Part III [40:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Acts 1:1-11 [+/-]Acts 1:1-11 [1:1]In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, [2]until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3]He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. [4]And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; [5]for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." [6]So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" [7]He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8]But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." [9]And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. [10]And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, [11]and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (ESV)
; Acts 2:1-16 [+/-]Acts 2:1-16 [2:1]When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. [2]And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. [3]And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. [4]And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. [5]Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. [6]And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. [7]And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? [8]And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? [9]Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10]Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, [11]both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians--we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." [12]And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" [13]But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine." [14]But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. [15]For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. [16]But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: (ESV)

The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the body. The image of the head means that Jesus is the source of life for the church. It means that He is the substance of life for the church. It means that He is the sole sustenance for life in and through the church. There is no church without Jesus. There is no body without the head. But on the other side there is no head without the body. And it is clear in the opening verses of the Book of Acts that there is no comprehension of who Jesus is because there is no communication of who He is apart from the church. The church is the fulfillment of Jesus. We are called out and created by God to carry on the work of Jesus in the world. We are His hands and feet. We are His voice and His heart.

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