If You Could Do Anything…

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If you had the power to do anything you wanted, what would it be?

If time were not a factor, if money were no object, and if you weren’t limited by physical ability or the laws of physics, what would you do?

Would you go to that certain place you’ve always wanted to visit? Would you see the world? Would you go into space?

Would you seize control over the entire world and declare yourself the ruler of all?

Would you buy a big house, put a giant wall around it, and hide away from the world?

Would you solve all the world’s problems?

Or would you exact revenge on all those that hurt or betrayed you in the past?

The possibilities are endless.

The fascinating part about reading the Book of Mark is that you see Jesus, a man who was also God, and thus had all the power of God. Christ is literally God in flesh. His power and ability were never limited, except by choice.

Yet, when we see Jesus wielding that power, He is helping people. In Mark 3:7-10, Jesus withdraws Himself from the Pharisees, and the multitude of people follow Jesus. They brought people to Him who had diseases, disabilities and were possessed by evil spirits. Jesus turned none away, but spent time healing them.

It’s fascinating, really. The One Who created the universe took on the form of His creation, man, lived among man, and embarked upon a mission to redeem man from sin by dying on the cross for him. His primary mission of redemption shows His love and compassion for us. Yet, as important as His mission was, He took the time and used His power to meet the needs of the people. He healed those who needed healing.

Jesus used His infinite power to meet people’s needs.

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As we read Mark 3, we see four great needs. There are the needs of people. There is the need for apostles. There is the need for commitment. And, there is the need for family. Today, Christ works through us to meet those needs.

As we read Mark 3:7-10, we see that the people had needs. They needed healing. They needed deliverance. Jesus met all those needs.

Today, people still need healing. They need physical healing, emotional healing, and Spiritual healing. Physical healing from the diseases, disabilities and ailments that plague us. Emotional healing from the pain of losing loved ones, being betrayed, or worse, abused. Spiritual healing from the lostness that comes natural with this human experience.

Just as Jesus healed the multitudes in Mark 3, He will heal you, too. On numerous occasions, we at Life Point Baptist Church have seen God provide physical healing. We have prayed for Him to deliver a friend from death, and He did. We prayed for another friend to be cured of cancer, and the cancer disappeared. We prayed for one of our members to recover from the effects of diabetes, and they did. In many cases, God provided physical healing. In others, He comforted those suffering by giving the same message He gave to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Jesus provides emotional healing. This is a tough one, because emotional healing requires a deliberate decision, and a willingness to endure the transformation required for this healing. Emotional healing requires faith, and a willingness to forgive. Still, Christ provides this healing. If you have been hurt by betrayal, abuse, neglect, or you’ve had a loved one pass away, Christ can heal you of that emotional pain. You have to be willing to turn to Him, to lay that pain at His feet, and trust Him to heal you.

Most importantly, Christ provides Spiritual healing. This is the healing of redemption, of being rescued from the condemnation brought on by sin, and being brought into peace with God. This healing is salvation. It brings you into God’s family, and gives you the hope of eternity with Him in His Kingdom. This healing requires repentance from sin, and faith that Jesus Christ will save you. You are fully trusting Him for salvation. This kind of healing brings you peace within your heart.

These types of healing are freely available to any who will turn to the Lord. However, in order for people to know this, the church must actively tell people about Jesus. Which brings us to our next need.

We need apostles.

Now, before you think we’re getting weird, understand that the word “apostle” simply means “one who is sent with a message.” In Mark 3:13-19, Jesus called out His 12 apostles from his disciples, and sent them forth to preach, giving them power to heal and cast out devils.

The apostles were sent forth to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and to preach preparation for the kingdom through repentance and faith. Likewise, the church today is sent into the world to preach about the coming of the Lord, and to call people to repentance and faith. We are sent forth with the message of the Gospel, how Christ redeemed us by dying on the cross for our sins, and resurrecting to give us eternal life. We are sent to preach that the Lord’s salvation, and that eternal life, are obtained by repenting (turning away from) our sin and trusting the Lord for salvation.

God works through His people to accomplish His will on earth. He always has. He worked through Adam to begin the human race. He worked through Abel to show Godliness and highlight sin. He worked through Seth to build a Godly lineage. He worked through Noah to warn the world of judgment, and to continue the human race after the flood. He worked through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to birth the nation of Israel. He worked through Joseph to save Israel from the famine. He worked through Moses to deliver Israel from the slavery of Egypt.

He worked through Joshua to conquer the promised land. He worked through Ruth to bring forth the Messianic lineage. He worked through David to call the Kingdom to the Lord. He worked through Hezekiah to bring Jerusalem to repentance, thus temporarily delivering them from captivity. He worked through Isaiah and Jeremiah to warn of the captivity.

He worked through Ezekiel to give hope during the captivity. He worked through Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem after the captivity. He worked through John the Baptist to prepare the people for the coming of Christ. And He worked through the apostles to spread the Gospel throughout the entire world in the 1st century.

Today, God works through the churches to spread the Gospel, and to lead people to salvation. Therefore, we need apostles, faithful church members who will go forth with God’s message.

We need commitment.

In Mark 3:25, Jesus said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus spoke those words after the Pharisees accused Him of using the power of satan to cast out devils. Jesus told the Pharisees that their accusation made no sense, because if satan operated that way, his kingdom would collapse.

The greater application is that you cannot be both Godly and ungodly. You cannot be both Spiritual and worldly. You must either commit yourself to Christ, or commit yourself to the things of the world. You cannot do both. If you are divided against yourself, you cannot stand.

Many Christians today are hurting themselves by pursuing the pleasures of the world and the desires of the flesh, while trying to enjoy the things of God at their convenience. Christians today need to make a choice, to serve the Lord, or to serve the world. You cannot do both.

Finally, we see the need for family. As Mark 3 closes out, Jesus proclaims that all who do the will of God are His family. As Christians, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are family. We need to spend time with family. Scripture teaches us to gather, fellowship, worship together, and lift each other up.

Therefore, gathering with your brothers and sisters in Christ is important. The best way to do this is through a local church.

We all have needs in this life. The best way to see those needs met is to turn to the Lord, and commit ourselves to Him.

Are you in need of healing? Contact us, and we will be glad to pray with you, and minister to you in any way we can.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Taking Time To Train

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Offensive Coordinators in the NFL hate rookie quarterbacks. While a talented rookie can make big plays and electrify the crowd, his inexperience can often lead to catastrophic mistakes. Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, and Mark Sanchez were all rookie quarterbacks who made great plays and drew national attention, but who also made rookie mistakes that set their teams back.

The truth is, in any sport, elevating from the college/amateur game to the major league professional level is a huge step, and one that takes years to make. That’s why the average NFL team will spend 3 years training a newly drafted quarterback before naming him the starter, and thus, the franchise QB. It’s why the NBA develops rookies through the G-League, and why Major League Baseball uses three tiers of minor leagues to train their rookies for the main stage.

Becoming an elite athlete takes time and training. Not only must one prepare himself physically, he must take the time to learn the mental aspects of the game, and learn to function at the faster professional level.

Likewise, as we commit ourselves to serving the Lord, we must also be willing to take time to prepare ourselves for that service. In Ezekiel 3:17, the Bible says, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”

While most Bible students tend to focus in on the word, “watchman,” and apply that to the Lord’s commission upon us to spread the Gospel, we must not overlook the first part of that verse, which says to “hear the word at My mouth.”

Basically, in order to speak God’s word to people, we must first hear, or receive, God’s word. Charles Spurgeon said it this way:

To train the tongue, we must first begin with the ear. We must be a disciple and sit at the Master’s feet before we can become an apostle and go forth to speak in the Master’s name.

I like the way Spurgeon points out that we must first become disciples before we can become apostles. We must first take time to learn of the Lord, to hear and learn His word, and apply it to our lives, before we go forth to teach it to others. Before being teachers, we must be students. Before being leaders, we must be followers.

If we are to effectively serve God, we must be willing to learn from God. We must be willing to allow Him to train us through His scriptures. Anything less is rebellious, and will prove unfruitful in the long run.

Do not think that time invested in reading and learning scripture is wasted. Do not fear that time spent in seminary, or Sunday School is lost. Invested time is never wasted time.

Take time. Learn. Apply. Follow. Then speak, teach and lead. Watch what the Lord will do. May God bless your labors for Him.

God Took A Day Off (Mark 2:23-3:6)

One of the most satisfying parts of a home improvement project is stepping back, and looking at the finished product. Isn’t it awesome when a home improvement project turns out right. The paint color perfectly matched the bedroom. The new deck greatly expands outdoor living space. That above-ground pool will provide refreshing entertainment all summer long. Sitting back, and enjoying the fruit of your labor is one of the great pleasures in life.

man and woman standing beside body of water during sunset

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Scripture tells us in Genesis 1 that God created the universe, and all life therein within 6 days, and on the 7th day, He rested. God rested on the 7th day, not because He was tired, but because He wanted to enjoy the beauty and goodness of His creation. He wanted to enjoy that pleasure of life. Enjoying a sabbath day’s rest, God saw that man would greatly benefit from such a day. So, He told man to remember the Sabbath, and to keep it holy. In Exodus 20:8-11, God told the Israelites that they were to set the Sabbath aside, rest, and worship. They were not to do work on that day, and they weren’t to force others to work for them. They were to enjoy the same day God enjoyed in the beginning.

As with all things, man found a way to turn the Sabbath, a day of rest and relaxation, into a burden. By the time Jesus came, Sabbath laws had become so complex that men were forbidden from picking corn to eat on the Sabbath, and they were prevented from healing on the Sabbath. It is those two issues Jesus confronts in Mark 2:23-3:6 when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

In essence, Jesus told the Pharisees, “The Sabbath was made to benefit and bless man, not the other way around. Man wasn’t created to worship the Sabbath.”

Taking that statement, we can learn three things. (1) The Sabbath is a gift from God. (2) Observing the Sabbath takes faith. (3) Observing the Sabbath glorifies God.

God gave the Sabbath day to us as a gift. God knew our nature. He knew without a Biblical command to stop and rest, we would continue our daily grind day in, and day out, without rest. He knew this would be harmful to us. Therefore, He commanded us to break the daily grind once per week. We are to take one day to set the struggles of life aside, rest, and enjoy the goodness of God, whether that be by enjoying His creation, or whether that be by enjoying the fruit of our labor. Either way, the Sabbath was God’s gift to us. We should be willing to accept that gift, but doing so requires faith.

Observing the Sabbath, like obeying all of God’s commands, requires faith. It requires faith in God to set aside the daily grind in favor of spending a day in God’s presence and blessings. It requires faith that God is not going to allow us to lose everything by taking a day off. It requires faith that God will provide for us on that day.

A good example of the exercise of that faith would be Chick-fil-A. When Truett Cathy founded the chain, he made the commitment to close the restaurants on Sundays to allow his employees to enjoy the Sabbath. Closing on Sundays is a huge sacrifice and step of faith in the restaurant business. Not only are Sundays the busiest days, but chicken restaurants are especially popular on those days. Yet, Cathy committed to closing on Sundays, which resulted in a number of blessings, including employee retention and increased business the rest of the week. Today, Chick-fil-A is winning the fast food wars, and they are winning on character and image. God has blessed because they honored the Sabbath. This glorifies God, which brings us to our final observation of the Sabbath.

Observing the Sabbath glorifies God. It shows faith in the Lord, and it shows His provision and protection of His people. Therefore, Christians ought to not only observe the Sabbath, but should also be willing to minister to others on that day.

The Sabbath is a beautiful gift God has given. Do we have the faith to accept that gift, and take that day to rest, enjoy His blessing, and worship Him?

The Power to Forgive (Mark 2:1-17)

In Mark 2, Jesus is in a house teaching the people about the coming Kingdom of God, their need to repent, and how salvation comes by faith. Many were bringing their sick and disabled loved ones to Jesus for healing, and a crowd had gathered to the point that no one could enter the house.

Then, four men show up carrying their friend who is “sick of the palsy.” Being unable to get him in the door, the men carry him up on the roof, break a hole in the roof, and lower him down in front of Jesus. It is at that moment that the Lord says something peculiar, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”

Seeing this man disabled and in pain, the first thing Jesus said was, “Your sins are forgiven.” Why?

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Because whether or not we realize it, forgiveness of sin is our greatest need. We need forgiveness more than we need anything else. In this life, we face problems, and there are times we are not sure whether we will make it. Sometimes, our finances are in the tank. Sometimes, our relationships struggle. Sometimes, we suffer health problems. However, no cure to these problems will bring us the peace that comes through the forgiveness of sin.

If we suddenly obtain wealth, we still face the problem of future expenses. If our relationships are healed, there are still the scars of former hurt. Our health will progressively get worse as we get older. Yet, forgiveness of sin is not only an eternal blessing, it removes the fear of the next life from us. Forgiveness of sin will give us an eternal blessing that no earthly blessing can give.

Has God forgiven your sin? Has He forgiven your neighbor?

Take a listen to the above-posted sermon, and give God the glory for forgiven sin.

When we say, “God’s not dead,” we mean…

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… that He has not died, that He has not forgotten us, and that He has not turned against us.

Ezekiel was born to be a priest. He was in the right family, and was destined to minister in the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. However, a Babylonian invasion ended that dream, as he was one of thousands taken into captivity and led as slaves into a foreign land. There, Ezekiel dwelt with the captives by the Chebar river. Through no fault of his own, he had lost everything.

So it was, living in Israel’s twilight years prior to the Babylonian captivity. The nation slipped further and further into sin and idolatry, behaving so reprehensibly that even the heathen nations surrounding it were repulsed. As Israel rebelled and reveled, God withdrew His protection, allowing Babylon to continue to conquer the nation. The southern kingdom continued to lose province after province, and city after city, all the while continuing in the sin and idolatry that was bringing on their demise. This continued until the Babylonian troops had laid siege to the capital city of Jerusalem.

The tragedy of a lifestyle of sin is that you often don’t realize what it’s cost you until you are about to lose what little you have left. So it was that Israel was down to defending Jerusalem, and any hope of maintaining the kingdom rested in their ability to fend off the Babylonians.

Meanwhile, back in Babylon, the captives awaited news from back home. Was Jerusalem successfully defended, or did she fall. The anticipation touched off a firestorm of debate. Some believed that God could not allow Jerusalem to be conquered, for doing so would violate the promise He made to Abraham back in Genesis. False prophets had even gone among the people, promising that God would deliver them. Others had concluded that God’s providence was not needed, that the walls of Jerusalem would protect her from her enemies.

Jerusalem had to be saved, for anything else would represent God’s total abandonment of Israel. Some had even believed that God had divorced Himself from His chosen people, a belief that God Himself refuted in Isaiah 50:1. With those questions swirling, God began to speak to His people.

In Ezekiel 1, the former priest, soon to be prophet, Ezekiel, is by the Chebar River when God speaks to Him.

The prophecies recorded in Ezekiel show God’s plan for Israel. In the early part of the book, God tells the people that Jerusalem would fall. That prophecy caused many to reject the legitimacy of Ezekiel’s ministry, but once Jerusalem fell, the people listened.

Through Ezekiel’s prophecies, God told the people that Jerusalem would fall, and that they would spend their 70 years in captivity, but that God would use that time to transform them, and would bring them back into their homeland when the process was finished.

This concept goes right along with Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

In that prophecy, Jeremiah told the people that God was not allowing the captivity to come upon Israel out of wrath, or a desire to see them destroyed. Rather, the captivity was going to transform them to a point where they would trust in the Lord and call upon Him, and He would hear and respond.

Some in Israel may have felt that God abandoned them. The Babylonians might have thought they conquered the Israelites’ God. The question circulating may have been, “Is God dead? Why doesn’t He hear?”

However, the truth was that God was working through the situation the whole time.

So, when you are going through trials and tribulations, or when others mock your faith, do not fear. God is not dead. He did not abandon you. He hasn’t forgotten you. He is still with you, and is working through the situations you face to refine you into a glorious child of His. Trust the process, and thank God for the progress.

The Fishers of Men Sermon (Audio)

The Gospel according to Mark was written to record Peter’s teachings about Jesus, so it should come as no surprise that the Lord’s call to the disciples to “come, and I’ll make you to become fishers of men,” had a profound impact on Peter. A fisherman by trade, and one who found balance on the water, Peter understood life best when he was casting a net, which is likely one reason he returned to fishing in John 21.

When Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, and become fishers of men, He was not only calling them to be His apostles. He was telling them what they would be doing.

grayscale photo of man throwing a fishing net

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Being fishers of men, the disciples would cast a proverbial net to bring people into the Lord’s presence. They would labor to bring people to salvation in Christ.

Likewise, we are called to be fishers of men. Our call mirrors that of the disciples. Jesus has called us to follow Him, to cast a wide net, and to work together.

We are called to follow Jesus. The disciples were called to follow. When Jesus said, “Come ye after me,” in Mark 1:17, He was telling them, “Fall in behind me and follow Me where I go.” Jesus led. They followed.

For us, following Jesus means that we should hear His teaching, we should follow His teaching, and we need to realize that the miracles and work are His. In Mark 1, it was Jesus who cast out the unclean spirits. It was Jesus who healed Peter’s mother-in-law of her fever. It was Jesus who cleansed the lepers.

For us, it’s Jesus who saves, changes/transforms lives, who hears our prayers and intercedes for us before the Father. We don’t accomplish these things through our own wisdom or innovation. It’s Christ, working in us through the Holy Spirit with the blessing of the Father. We merely follow and obey, ministering, praying and serving as the Lord leads.

Jesus called, and in Mark 1:18-20, the disciples left their nets, boats, fathers and employees, and followed Christ. They left it all behind. To follow Christ, we, too, must leave it all behind. While some are called to leave the life they’ve built in order to become missionaries overseas, not every one receives that order from the Lord.

Being called to leave it all does not always mean that you have to leave here. However, being called to leave it all behind does mean that you will have to leave your unscriptural beliefs behind in order to follow Jesus. You will also have to leave the friends who hinder your walk with Christ. While it is good to have lost friends to whom you can witness, if that friend is openly rejecting the Gospel and discouraging you from following Christ, that friendship is detrimental to your Spirituality. We also have to leave behind our sin and rebellion against God.

Following Jesus meant starting over for the disciples. For us, it means starting over by allowing Christ to transform us from the inside out.

The question then becomes, “Are you following Christ? Or are you wanting Him to fill the gaps in your life?”

May God bless you in your Spiritual journey.

The futility of fishing alone

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When Jesus told His disciples, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men,” we often misinterpret what He said. Having grown up in the United States, where the most common form of fishing is recreational, and is accomplished with a rod and reel, we often think of fishing as a recreational activity meant to be enjoyed in a relaxing manner. Such an activity can easily be enjoyed alone, and in some cases, it’s easier to enjoy the serenity of God’s creation when fishing alone.

However, as previously mentioned, fishing for the disciples of Christ was not a recreational activity accomplished with a rod and reel. It was a commercial enterprise undertaken for mere survival that was accomplished by casting a net. One thing we did not specifically address in the above-linked post is how the net was cast, and how it was drawn from the water.

In order to successfully fish with the types of nets the disciples used, you had to have a team (which is one reason you didn’t see the disciples by themselves when Jesus called them to be fishers of men. They were working as teams.) Often, these disciples utilized two boats to draw the net from the water. It took a lot of hands to fish with those nets, but the harvests could be great. With the help of Christ, they were on more than one occasion.

A fisherman who chose to fish alone would not only have a hard time properly casting the net, but properly drawing the net with a sufficient catch would prove nearly impossible.

The Spiritual application to this fact is that, as Christians, we will never be as strong in isolation as we will be when gathered with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The fundamental truth of fishing, whether commercially in Jesus’ day, or Spiritually in our day, is that it is a team effort. The Christian who chooses to isolate himself from his brothers and sisters in Christ has chosen a life that will prove frustrating and discouraging.

Therefore, let’s heed the Biblical command in Hebrews 10:25, which tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, and let us come together to encourage, pray and lift up each other. Then, let’s minister for the Lord together.

Let’s Go Fishing

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If I were to invite you to go fishing with me, what would you expect?

You would probably expect a relaxing afternoon on the local lake in a small boat, holding a fishing pole, and making casual conversation while waiting for the fish to bite. And why wouldn’t you? Living in America, all we’ve seen of fishing is canes, poles, lines, tackle and bait. Fishing in America is recreation. (Unless, of course, you work on a shrimp boat on the Gulf Coast.)

So, when we read that Jesus told His disciples that He would make them “fishers of men,” we tend to envision fishing poles, spoon lures and minnows.

In the Bible, Peter was a fisherman. Popular tradition holds that he was an expert fisherman, and had honed his craft well, building a great fishing business that he walked away from upon becoming a disciple of Jesus. However, if you were to travel back in time, and hand Peter a rod and reel, he would look at you like you were crazy. Peter had never seen such.

Fishing for Peter, and the other disciples so employed before following Jesus, involved the casting of nets in order to draw in as many fish as possible. This was not recreation to them, this was survival. It was how they gathered food, not only for their families, but also to sell for necessary provisions. Fishing was work. Fishing was business. Fishing was absolutely necessary for survival.

The casting of nets not only enabled Peter and his colleagues the ability to draw out as many fish as possible, but it also required a team effort. You never see the disciples fishing alone. In fact, in many cases, it took two boats to cast and draw a net. There are fish in that sea. We need the food. Therefore, we are going to draw out as many as we can.

With the modern American approach to fishing involving a rod and reel, many get the wrong idea when Jesus said, “Come, and I will make you fishers of men.” Some church leaders have taught that this means that the church should use bait to lure unsuspecting sinners in the door, then hit them with the surprise Gospel. Others have advocated that this means “finding the right fishing hole.” As a result, Christianity’s evangelistic efforts have suffered. As a whole, Christianity is not reaching as many as it has in the past, and new converts are not being properly discipled.

However, if we apply the imagery of casting a net, and drawing it back out of the water, we get a more beautiful picture of what Christ was referring to when He called His disciples to be “fishers of men.” Instead of targeting outreach to certain “fishing holes,” or trying to find the right “bait,” we should instead cast a wide “net,” reaching as many people as possible, regardless of location, demographic, or socioeconomic status.

In essence, our evangelistic efforts should be an all-out effort to reach every individual in our communities. This is accomplished when the membership of the church takes on the responsibility of personal evangelism, and when the church openly promotes, propagates and teaches the Gospel. When the church commits itself to its message, the Gospel, and relentlessly communicates that message, people will be reached and lives will be changed.

The mission of Life Point Baptist Church is to cast as wide of a net as possible, reaching as many as possible with the Gospel. This we will do, if we follow the example of the disciples, and follow Jesus as we continue to learn from Him.

When It Happens…

On Sunday, Sept. 16, 2001, there were very few empty seats in the churches across America. Over the prior week, Americans had seen the worst terrorist attack executed on the homeland in history. In the following days, we learned that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by a Middle-Eastern terrorist group called Al-Qaeda, and that we were almost certain to go to war in the Middle East.

Middle Eastern wars and world wars have a way of shaking us from our slumber, because they have the potential to fulfill Bible prophecy, which means the end times could be near, and judgment is coming.

Believing the end may have been near, and that judgment was coming, Americans flocked to their local churches to learn whether the attacks of the prior week had prophetic significance, and to learn how close we were to the end.

Within two weeks, fears of the end had subsided, and church attendance slipped back to normal.

There is something about seeing prophecy fulfilled, or believing that the Lord’s return is imminent, that drives people to sudden repentance and religion.

Such was the case in Mark 1:1-15. Mark opens his account of the Gospel by quoting Old Testament prophecies about the forerunner to Christ. In verses 2-3, he writes:

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

These verses, taken from Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, promised that before Christ came, His messenger would arrive and call the nation to repentance. Mark then went on to discuss how John the Baptist fulfilled this scripture:

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

-Mark 1:4-5

Seeing the messenger promised in the scriptures, the people flocked to John the Baptist to be baptized with the baptism of repentance in preparation of the coming of the Lord. Not long after that, Jesus came, was baptized of John, went into the wilderness, and re-emerged preaching repentance and belief in the Gospel.

In recording these events, Mark makes two observations. (1) Those events indicated that the Kingdom of God was about to arrive, and (2) with those events having happened years prior to his writing, we are even closer to the day of judgment than we were before.

Thus, Mark writes his Gospel with urgency, quoting Jesus Christ as He called the nation to repentance.

Bloch-SermonOnTheMount

The words of Jesus in Mark 1:15 are not only the theme of the Gospel of Mark, but they are the sum of the Lord’s teaching. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The Lord warns us that the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.

What does it mean, “The time is fulfilled?”

If you have ever baked cookies, or even heated a frozen pizza in the oven, you have likely set a timer according to the instructions on the box. When that timer goes off, the time has been fulfilled, and your cookies or pizza is now ready.

When Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled,” He essentially said, “Time’s up! Time to repent. The Kingdom is here.”

We tend to live life as if we have all the time in the world to straighten out our Spiritual matters. Within two weeks after 9/11, we collectively decided that Jesus was not coming back, yet, and thus we quit going to church. We tend to put off Spiritual decisions, commitments to Christ, and resolve to take on those decisions on a more convenient day, which somehow never seems to come.

However, the day will come when our time will be up. And that day is closer than you think.

Whether Jesus comes back tomorrow, or whether he comes back next century, you are still closer than you think to judgment day, for scripture tells us, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).” While I could tell you stories of people who passed away unexpectedly before their time, the truth is, even if you live to be 100, the end of your life will arrive faster than you think. Consider how fast your life has passed by up until now.

Therefore, we need to place urgency upon our Spiritual lives, and bring ourselves into alignment with the will of God sooner rather than later.

After pointing out the time-sensitive nature of our Spiritual lives, Jesus then called us to repent.

To repent means to change your mind regarding your sin, abhorring the sins of the past, and making the changes in your life so that you never go back into that life of sin. This goes beyond sorrow for sin. It includes a decision, and a change to never allow yourself to be owned by that sin again.

This practice is commonly seen by alcoholics and recovering drug addicts. Sorrowful for the way they’ve destroyed their lives with drug/alcohol abuse, they resolve to never allow that to happen again. Therefore, they avoid certain places, people and things that could trigger a relapse. The repentant sinner would do well to follow this pattern.

Jesus then called us to believe the Gospel.

The Gospel is defined as how Christ died for our sin, according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again, according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Our hope, our confident expectation of salvation and heaven comes not from anything we’ve done, or overcome, but rather what Christ did on the cross. His death on the cross paid our sin debt and cleansed us from all unrighteousness. Being willing to completely trust that, we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Christ called us to repent and believe, and so we should. Our salvation experience is not only a life-changing event, it is a total life change.

Seeing then that our time is short, and Christ called us to repent and believe, we should do a self-assessment. Have you repented and believed? Are you saved? Are you different now than you were before?

If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” then it is time to get right with the Lord. Go to Him in prayer. Confess your sins to Him. Ask forgiveness. Trust Him to save you based on His work on the cross. Then, as you arise from that prayer, make the changes in your life to leave sin behind.

If you need encouragers to rally around you during this time, we’d love to help at Life Point Baptist Church. Contact us, or come visit our services. We’d love to be there for you during this important time.

Let Each Examine Himself: Why Properly Taking the Lord’s Supper is of the Utmost Importance

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The Lord’s Supper matters. One might even say that the Lord’s Supper is one of the most important things to Christ. And why wouldn’t it be? After all, it does demonstrate His suffering and death on the cross for our redemption. The death of Christ on the cross is not only the signature achievement of the almighty God and His beloved Son, but it is also the turning point of human history, of human destiny.

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night He was betrayed, which also happened to be on the day of unleavened bread during Passover. That night, He explained what the Lord’s Supper symbolized, how it was to be observed, and why (to remember Him).

In the centuries since, man has deviated from the intent and method Christ set forth for observing the Lord’s Supper. Some gave it purpose that Christ never gave it, such as obtaining or confirming salvation. Some observe it in settings that Christ never intended, such as weddings, funerals, or public performances. Some have deviated from the elements… unleavened bread being replaced by Italian or French bread. Some have even deviated from how it should be served, with some churches having the priest or pastor take the supper on behalf of the congregation. These all run counter to the Bible’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper, therefore, these are all in error.

This mission drift regarding the Lord’s Supper happens when we drift from the scriptures teaching it, and when we drift from the words and actions of Christ as He instituted it. For that reason, we embark upon this effort to bring us back to the scriptural understanding of the Lord’s Supper with the goal to return us to a scriptural observance of the Lord’s Supper.

There are some points of controversy regarding the Lord’s Supper, such as Open, Close or Closed Communion. You may agree or disagree with our teachings on this. However, it is our desire that, upon reviewing this teaching, you at least understand and accept the importance and symbolism of the Lord’s Supper, and that you give consideration to how you observe it with your church. Something this important need not be taken for granted, and reviewing the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper is a good way to stay within God’s will and truth concerning the matter.

The first thing to remember about the Lord’s Supper is that it is important to Christ. In 1 Corinthians 11:23, Paul wrote, “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:”

Do not overlook the first part of that verse, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you….” In writing this, the Apostle Paul notes that the Lord Jesus Christ personally taught Paul the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. How could this be? When did this happen? Wasn’t Paul still a lost Pharisee when Jesus walked and taught with His disciples? Yes.

However, in Galatians 1, the Apostle Paul tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ personally taught him the Gospel by divine revelation. This likely happened in the three years he was in Arabia following his conversion. The belief is that, after Paul was converted and after he escaped Damascus, Jesus appeared unto him and taught him personally.

Whether Jesus personally appeared to Paul in Arabia to teach him or not, it is clear through Paul’s writings, both here, in Galatians 1, and in 1 Corinthians 15, that he received the truth he taught through divine revelation from the Lord.

Either way, Christ personally taught Paul. The two things Paul learned of the Lord through all of this were (a) that the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the Old Testament scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and (b) what the Lord’s Supper is.

If the Lord’s Supper were so important to Christ that He personally took the time to teach it to Paul, then we can conclude that the Lord’s Supper is important, and therefore we should pay special attention to the Bible’s teaching on the subject.

Most Sunday School children can tell you what the elements of the Lord’s Supper represent. The bread represents the body of Christ. The wine (or grape juice in modern times) represents the blood of Christ. Jesus specifically stated this when He instituted the Lord’s Supper, and you also see this written in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25:

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.After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

Pretty basic stuff… but did you know there’s more to the imagery.

First of all, the bread that Jesus broke was unleavened bread. We know this because He instituted the Lord’s Supper during Passover week, a week in which no Jew living in Jerusalem would possess leaven in their homes. Following the commandments from Exodus 12 regarding the Passover, each family would have purged their house of leaven. They would have swept and thrown it out.

There is a symbolism here. In scripture, leaven symbolizes sin. In Passover, the commandment to rid the house of leaven was a symbolic commandment to rid your life of sin. By having unleavened bread represent the body of Christ, we see that the Lord’s Supper upholds the teaching that Christ was sinless. He had no sin. He had no sin nature. He committed no sin. He was perfect, pure, and sinless. Yet, He went to the cross where He died a death suffering the wrath of God as a consequence for the sin of mankind. In that, He bore our punishment upon Himself, and that punishment having been served, we have been redeemed. We are now free from God’s wrath, if we trust Jesus, because He took it on our behalf. That’s what the Lord’s Supper represents.

The wine represents the blood, which is separate from the bread, because Jesus shed His blood on the cross to purchase our redemption, and thus His blood was separated from His body.

Each time we take the Lord’s Supper, we show His death for us on the cross, and we remember His sacrifice for us. We are commanded to continue to do so until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Finally, let’s look at how we should take the Lord’s Supper. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 teach us that we should take the Lord’s Supper worthily, because those who did so unworthily not only denigrated the Lord’s body, but they also suffered consequences. So, by showing the negative consequences to taking the Lord’s Supper unworthily, the scriptures teach us to take it worthily.

Worthily is an adverb. It’s not about whether you are worthy. It’s about how you take the supper. Are you doing so worthily, or, in a worthy manner. You take the Lord’s Supper worthily every time you take the Lord’s Supper according to the Biblical standard. You take it unworthily every time you take the Lord’s Supper without considering the Lord’s death, or with bitterness and unrepentant sin in your heart.

Therefore, to keep this from happening, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 31-32 teach us to examine ourselves, test ourselves, and judge ourselves to see if there is any sin, bitterness or malice in our hearts. Upon finding it (and we will), repent. Then take the Lord’s Supper.

Finally, the scriptures tell us to take the Lord’s Supper together, as a church. This can be inferred from 1 Corinthians 11:33, “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.”

The Lord’s Supper is to be taken together with the church, not as an individual outside the church. The Lord’s Supper is intended to be taken with the church, not as a small group within the church. And, the Lord’s Supper is intended to be taken by the church, not as an outreach to the general public.

For this reason, Life Point Baptist Church teaches closed communion, though we also teach that the ultimate responsibility for whether the Lord’s Supper is properly taken falls upon the individual worshiper, who is commanded by scripture to examine and judge themselves.

If this post has accomplished nothing else, we hope it inspires you to ponder, and consider what the Lord’s Supper is, and to focus more on its meaning the next time you take it at church. May God bless you as you continue to learn of Him.

The Point…

The official blog of Life Point Baptist Church