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by on 10.28.09

the independent Baptist model… specifically rejected

So says David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. A bit more context:

To individuals who may foresee a confederation of churches "that have a common heritage and a common theology but no common methodology," Hankins said: "With all due respect, that is the independent Baptist model that Southern Baptists have specifically and decidedly rejected….

"While Southern Baptists prize local church autonomy, we are not hyper-local church practitioners who believe in no extra-congregational ecclesiastical structures. We find no contradiction in believing in both. We believe the current structure of Southern Baptists is appropriate for Southern Baptist ecclesiology, life and work…. It fits who we are and what we want to do. And I believe Southern Baptists, by and large, want it to continue."

You can read the entire article here: “Cooperation ‘key’ to resurgence; offers strategy to strengthen CP”. The comments come from an address given to the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force.

It is true that arguments can be made concerning cooperative efforts like the SBC Cooperative Program, but this particular address seems to belie the unanimity, cohesiveness, and commitment of all Southern Baptists to the idea.

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Filed Under: Issues Tagged With: , , ,
by on 10.27.09

just an observation…

If a conference is billed as a conference on preaching, why is it that so many of its speakers are obviously reading a prepared manuscript? Jonathan Edwards notwithstanding, it does seem that preaching should at least sound extemporaneous, don’t you think?

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Filed Under: Fun and games
by on 10.26.09

separation over essentials – an analogy

The doctrine of separation insists that Christians must separate from professing Christians who deny essential doctrines. This is the fundamentalist position. Some have a problem with the notion of ‘essential doctrines’ because it suggests that other doctrines are ‘non-essential’. That really isn’t the case, as Dave helpfully explains here:

The problem is that the word essential is sometimes used as simply meaning important, and, thus, non-essential would mean unimportant. But that’s not what the word essential means in the statement above (or normally when people use it in contexts like this). If something is essential it relates to or constitutes the essence of something. As the dictionary states, “essential implies belonging to the very nature of a thing and therefore being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself or its character.” So, to speak of the “essential doctrines of the faith” is to talk about those doctrines which cannot be removed without destroying the faith itself or its character.

This understanding of ‘essential’ is … essential!

It isn’t that any doctrines or teaching of God from the Bible is unimportant. But the thing that makes a doctrine essential is that if someone doesn’t believe it, he is not a Christian.

I thought I might offer an analogy as a further explanation.

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Filed Under: Issues, Separation, Theology
by on 10.25.09

09.10.25 gbcvic sermons

Access Into This Grace [Romans]

Rm 5.2

Besides peace with God (Rm 5.1), the blessings of justification include the blessings of permanent access to permanent standing in the presence of God and the hope of eternal presence in perfect communion with the glorious God who made us. This is something worth boasting about!

The Inheritance of Sin (2) [Basic Theology]

We continue our lesson on inherited sin with a look at the penalty for it, the transmission of it, the remedy for it, and some attacks against the doctrine. The teaching of the Bible is that man inherited his sin nature from his father, Adam, that he is thus totally depraved, corrupt in every part of his being, and in desperate need of righteousness he cannot produce or obtain by his own efforts.

Keeping Constant against Error [1 Timothy]

1 Tim 1.1-7

In this message, we look at ground we have already covered in 1 Timothy. We emphasize a major theme of the book, calling pastors and leaders to a vigilant ministry against error and foolish teaching that might crop up in the church. The opening paragraphs are an echo of Paul’s farewell message to Ephesus, Ac 20.28-31. His urgency to Timothy is an urgency every member of the church needs to receive and share: put a stop to error and false teaching creeping into the church.

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Filed Under: Sermon Summaries
by on 10.22.09

some objections

In response to the recent MACP presentation on separation, I posted some questions. Today, I’d like to post a few objections. That is not to say I object to the basic concepts concerning separation as presented, I thought that was quite helpful. But I do have some objections to particulars and I think they should be noted.

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Filed Under: Doran, Fundamentalism, Issues, Personalities
by on 10.19.09

some questions

Since Dave Doran’s blog has no comments and he sometimes comments here, I thought I’d ask some questions.

I have listened to the audio of his first two presentations at the recent Mid-America Conference on Preaching. I have to say that in general I am in agreement with what he is teaching about ecclesiastical separation. We may differ on some points of application, but as to philosophy, biblical grounds and motivation, I think Dave has it basically right. (I am sure he is relieved to know I think so!) I would encourage anyone to listen to the audio for their own instruction.

But I do have some questions:

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Filed Under: Doran, Fundamentalism, Issues, Personalities
by on 10.18.09

denominationalists perspective

Most of my focus is on the independent Baptist perspective, but I ran across a recent conference that might be of interest from the perspective of denominationalists. The conference was called “Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism”. It was held at Union University, October 6-9. You can read summaries of each session here and access the audio here.

Here are a couple of quotes that might be of interest to fundamentalists:

David Dockery:

Fundamentalists were unable to discern the difference between those who denied the deity of Christ and those who engaged in card-playing.

Can you feel the love?

Duane Litfin:

Evangelicalism broke free from the ghetto of fundamentalism, remaining mostly fundamentalist in theology, while demonstrating openness to intellectual and cultural engagement.

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Filed Under: Evangelicalism, Fundamentalism
by on 10.13.09

let’s check out of movements?

Dave Doran gives us more concerning the fragmentation and death of the fundamentalist movement as such. There is a good deal of truth to his observations concerning the lack of unifying goals and the center of biblical focus for Christian unity and ministry.

He concludes:

The center of God’s will for this dispensation is in the local church (1 Tim 3:15). That’s where the unity of the Spirit is to be preserved in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). The local church has been charged with the task of carrying out the Great Commission (since baptizing is an ordinance of the church). The movement that ought to matter most to us is one that aims to plant churches that will reproduce in every place where the name of Christ has not been named, and that movement must spring from local churches in order to be biblical. Sign me up for that movement.

I once met a preacher who told me that he wasn’t much for going to conferences and getting known. He just preferred to stay home and “hoe corn” (he pastored in the Midwest).

So in light of this non-movement movement sentiment, I wonders:

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Filed Under: Doran, Fundamentalism, Personalities
by on 10.13.09

does your philosophy of education include rules?

An astonishing discussion is happening here, here, and here concerning Christian schools and rules. Dave Doran comments on it here and offers a two part article on legalism as a partial response. The article is well worth reading (follow the links at Dave’s site), although I don’t entirely accept his conclusions about Pharisaism at the end of the article. The bulk of the argument against the verbal hand grenade, ‘legalism’, is excellent.

The author of the SI articles sums up his thesis this way:

While there are doubtless many fine Christian schools which do not operate in a legalistic fashion, I believe the majority of Christian schools operate with these three fallacious legalistic premises prominent in their thinking.

  1. Man-made rules that prevent violations of God’s rules have inherent spiritual value (which I will address here in Part 1).
  2. Rules promote godliness, in that behavior change leads to heart change.
  3. Enforcement of righteousness is valid and valuable as a first step to sanctification.

This thesis can be summed up like this: The majority of Christian schools use rules illegitimately as a means for achieving the spiritual goal of sanctification.

Is this true? Is sanctification the rationale behind the ‘code of conduct’ in any school? Should it be?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Culture, Education, General Interest
by on 10.11.09

10.11.09 gbcvic sermons

I Saw the Lord [Guest Speakers]
Tom Nieman

Isa 6

Our speaker for Thanksgiving Day (Monday, Oct 11) is pastor Tom Nieman, retired pastor of Galilee Baptist Church in Kent, WA. He preached two messages for us this morning as well.

Pastor Nieman’s first message comes to us from Isaiah 6, a passage in which we find Isaiah’s motivation for enduring in the ministry in the midst of a people whose hearts were far from God. Isaiah’s day was not unlike our day. Our motivation needs to come from the same kind of vision of God that Isaiah had. Our God is over all, evil shall not triumph in this world.

The Glory of the Son [Guest Speakers]
Tom Nieman

Jn 17

Pastor Nieman’s second message presents our Lord, having just washed his disciples feet, kneeling at His Father’s feet, praying for the restoration of his glory and the positioning of His disciples in Him – glorified by our position and exalted together in Him by His love. We are finding Pastor Nieman to be ‘the preacher of glory’, a theme that clearly has stirred his heart.

The Pastor’s Goal [1 Timothy]

1 Tim 1.5

Paul’s first instruction to the pastor is to command men not to teach false doctrine or foolish doctrine. If a pastor faithfully fulfills this instruction, he is often seen as negative, unloving, unpastoral. Yet it is this very command that has as its goal the production of mature Christian love out of the direct fruits of correcting error – a pure heart, a good conscience and unfeigned faith.

~~~

Tomorrow promises to be a great day at our church – we expect several visitors. Pray that the service may go well and the Lord will work in hearts!

We’ll post tomorrow’s message sometime late in the day.

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Filed Under: Sermon Summaries
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