Hard-Hitting Theology

2011-10-05T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sermon on Romans 8

2011-08-02T15:42:00.001-04:00

Why I am a Methodist Part 1: Scripture is Primary

2011-07-18T22:00:00.001-04:00

Presupposition 1: Scripture is God's Word

Definition: Scripture is truly the very words of God. Every single word in all 66 books of the Bible have God for their author. God used human writers to communicate His Word. However, these men were carried along by the Holy Spirit and therefore ultimately God is the author of Scripture.

What does Scripture Say:

1 Corinthians 2:12-13,
"We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 13:3
3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

Galatians 1:12
12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1-2
1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

2 Peter 1:20-21
First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Argument: In 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter is telling us several things. First, he is saying that the words written down in Scripture are not a matter of opinion but a matter of Truth (no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation). Second, no Scripture ever came about because some human being sat down and decided "oh I guess I will write on behalf of God." Third, rather than the decision being made by man, the decision was made by God to communicate through human authors. Fourth, the men who wrote Scripture were moved by the Holy Spirit.
While holding to the full divinity of Scripture, we must also hold to the full humanity of Scripture. First, Scripture was physically written with human hands. Second, Scripture was written at a specific time, in a specific place, within a specific culture, to a specific people. Third, Scripture was written in human forms of writing... ie... poetry, historical narrative, prose, etc... Finally, we need to keep these two dynamics in balance. Thus we might say, "Scripture is the self-revelation of God, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, human authors wrote in there respective contexts and circumstances the exact words God willed to be." This leads us to the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture.

Presupposition 2: Scripture is infallible and Scripture is inerrant

Definition: If Scripture has God as its author than it is without any mixture of error, for God cannot lie, and He is sovereign over all of creation. Therefore, when He describes something, it is truthfully the way He describes it. Infallibility means that the Scriptures are incapable of any error. Infallibility is the prerequisite for talking about the inerrancy of Scripture. Simply put infallibility is that Scripture cannot error. This leads us to the inerrancy of Scripture. For if Scripture cannot error it surely does not error. Thus, the inerrancy of Scripture can be defined like this: Scripture when, in its original language, is properly interpreted, it will be shown to have no mixture of error within. This is a logical progression which will not stand unless Scripture itself claims that it is not only infallible but also inerrant. So let us look at what scripture says about itself.

What does Scripture Say:

Numbers 23:19
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Titus 1:2
in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Hebrews 6:17-19
17So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

James 1:16-18
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Malachi 3:6
6"For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Romans 3:4
4By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."

Argument for Inerrancy: Scripture is without any mixture of error. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” Seven in Scripture always means totally or wholly. So, Psalm 12:6 is telling us that any word God speaks is wholly pure without any mixture of error. Proverbs 30:5 adds, “every word of God proves true.” This should lead us to believe that Scripture cannot error and surely does not error. Moreover, it will stand up to the strongest criticism and skepticism.

With these two presuppositions in place: 1.) Scripture is the very Word of God and 2.) Scripture is both infallible (Unable to error) and inerrant (Does not error) we can now move onto the four characteristics of Scripture; namely its authority, clarity, necessity, and sufficiency.

Characteristic 1: Scripture is authoritative

Definition: If Scripture is God's inerrant Word, then to disobey or discount His Word is to disobey God Himself. Therefore, Scripture is the Supreme Court of authorities when it comes to all reality.

What does Scripture Say:

Isaiah 40:8
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."

1 Peter 1:24-25
24For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.

Luke 24:25
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

2 Peter 3:2
2I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

2 Thessalonians 3:14
14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.

2 Corinthians 13:2-3
2I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

Isaiah 66:2
2All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

Argument: Scripture, as special revelation, is the norma-normata (the norm that defines all other norms). Scripture being the Supreme Court authority means that all other norms of knowledge come under the authority of and are interpreted by Scripture. I will mention a few of many examples that are pertinent to issues we face today. First, reason is interpreted by Scripture. Our reason is fallible because our minds are limited and we are sinful. God's mind is infinite and He is holy. Therefore, since Scripture comes from the mind of God and is everlasting, it is far superior to our reason. Second, tradition has to be interpreted by Scripture. In our sinfulness we have formed traditions that do not honor God. Scripture discerns between unrighteous traditions that make much of man and those righteous ones that make much of God. Third, history is the interpretation of past events. Though we can learn from history it cannot be our final authority. Scripture is far superior, for it reveals God plan throughout history. Thus the truth of history is under the Authority of the author of history, God Himself. Fourth, science can only go as far as our human minds can take it. God created all that is seen and unseen and thus where science contradicts God's Word we must conclude that we are wrong in our interpretation of what is being studied and that Scripture is correct in its explanation of reality (More on this below in our example of the issue of evolution). These forms of Natural revelation tell us things about life, but eventually natural revelation must be brought under the authority of Scripture. For example: Some believe natural revelation reveals that we have evolved from lower ape-like creatures. However, when this theory of evolution is brought under the authority of Scripture it is shown to be false because Scripture describes the creation of humanity as an event that was specifically done on the sixth day of creation. Moreover, Scripture reveals that we were created uniquely in the image of God and were appointed over the creatures rather than among them. Therefore, Scripture interprets natural revelation in our understanding of Anthropology, Teleology, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Ethics, Sociology, Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, History and other parts of natural revelation. Each of these fields of study need to be understood in light of our Supreme Court Authority which is Scripture. This leads us to the clarity of Scripture

Characteristic 2: Scripture is clear

Definition: If Scripture is authoritative it must be clear so that we who read can understand what we are submitting under. Therefore, the clarity of Scripture can be defined as the ability of the human mind to grasp and understand the Word of God through the illumination of the Holy Spirit for the transformation of our minds so that we can know and do the will of God.

What does Scripture Say:

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14
11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should...

1 Corinthians 2:12-13,
"We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit."

Psalm 119:105, 130
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple."

2 Corinthians 1:13-14
"For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and acknowledge and I hope you will fully acknowledge--just as you did partially acknowledge us, that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you."

Philippians 3:15-16
"All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

2 Timothy 3:14-17
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."

2 Peter 1:16-21
"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,' we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someones own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

1 Corinthians 2:14
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Corinthians 3:14-16
14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the...

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:21
21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.

Hebrews 5:14
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

James 1:5-6
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

1 Timothy 4:13
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

2 Peter 3:15-16
15And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Argument: Let me begin my summary by stating that as sinful Human beings the authority of Scripture, as clear as it may be, is God's alone. We are not the authority. Scripture does not require our interpretation to be true, and where we do not understand we must conclude that it is our sinfulness and not the lack of clarity in Scripture.
First, the Holy Spirit reveals the message of the text to us. Second, God wrote Scripture for all humanity to be able to understand it. God used human language and thought patterns so that we may understand Scripture. John Calvin says that God stooped down to our level to speak baby talk. Scripture was meant to be understood. Since the wisdom to understand Scripture does not come by way of human ability but by the illumination given from the Holy Spirit, we need not think that one must be of the utmost intelligence in order to see the Truth of Scripture. From simple minded farmers to educated professors, God's Word is given without reproach or prejudice. However, for those who are perishing in sin, Scripture is foolishness because they a blinded by their disobedience. Psalm 119 speaks of God's Word given to the obedient to be meditated on. The disobedient do not want to think about God's ways; they are trapped in their own ignorance and pride. Therefore, God speaks to the humble in heart.
Martin Luther described the clarity of Scripture like this:
"But, if many things still remain abstruse to many, this does not arise from obscurity in the Scriptures, but from [our] own blindness or want [i.e. lack] of understanding, who do not go the way to see the all-perfect clearness of the truth... Let, therefore, wretched men cease to impute, with blasphemous perverseness, the darkness and obscurity of their own heart to the all-clear scriptures of God... If you speak of the internal clearness, no man sees one iota in the Scriptures, but he that hath the Spirit of God... If you speak of the external clearness, nothing whatever is left obscure or ambiguous; but all things that are in the Scriptures, are by the Word brought forth into the clearest light, and proclaimed to the whole world."

Characteristic 3: Scripture is nessecary

Definition: If Scripture is clear and authoritative than it must be nessecary for certain things in life and faith. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Wayne Grudem in his systematic theology defines the necessity of Scripture like this, “the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws” (Grudem 116).

What does Scripture say:

1.) Scripture is necessary for a knowledge of the Gospel.

Romans 10:13-17
13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

John 3:18
8Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 5:39
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
***If the Scriptures are necessary for us to know Jesus then they are necessary for us to know the Gospel for the Gospel is Jesus.

John 14:6
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

2. Scripture is necessary for maintaining our spiritual lives.

Matthew 4:4
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation
*** Peter is speaking about the Word of God (See 1 Peter 1:23-25 for the wider context of 1 Peter 2:2).

3. Scripture is necessary for us to know for Certain God’s will
Presupposition: Sin distorts our reason, logic, and perception of God’s will. Therefore, we need a perfect testimony of God’s will. This is God’s Word and it shows us God’s will for our lives. Though it is not a complete testimony, it is a perfect testimony.

Deut 29:29
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

God repeatedly tells us that Scripture will guide us in the way God wants us to go.

Psalm 119:1
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

1 John 5:2-3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.
*** We know God when we love Him and keep His commandments

1 John 4:7-8
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Summary: In seeing that Scripture is necessary for knowing the Gospel, maintaining our spiritual life, and knowing for certain what God’s will is, we can understand why God says, “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8).” Nothing will be more important that accepting the role of the Bible for you will not be able to accept Jesus without the Word preached to you, you will not be able to grow into the fullness of Christ without the Word showing you, and you will not know God’s will for your life without the Word telling you. This leads us to the sufficiency of Scripture in telling us everything God wanted us to know.

Characteristic 4: Scripture is Sufficient

Definition: If Scripture is our Supreme Court Authority for both life and faith, it is meant to be clear and understandable, and it is necessary it must lead us to understand that every word in Scripture is fully sufficient for both doctrine and life.

What does Scripture Say:

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields...

Proverbs 4:2
2 for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.

Acts 17:11
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Psalm 23:3
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Jude 3
3Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in...

Read Psalm 119

Argument: We need not look anywhere else to discover how to be saved or how to be obedient to God. Though Scripture does not mention me by name, it does show me my sin, my need for a savior, my Savior Jesus Christ, and it leads me in paths of Righteousness for God's Glory. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that Scripture is profitable. Psalm 119 opens with this phrase, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” It then spends 176 verses speaking about the sufficiency of Scripture. If Scripture is fully sufficient for all of life then this should lead us to understand that Scripture must be clear.

Final Thoughts:
Finally, we must seek for understanding from God. Scripture is profitable as we saw in the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture; however, we cannot take the Truth for granted. We must work our faith out in fear and trembling, in humility and hope. God desires us to know Him, but we have to listen. Scripture is the very Word of God, without any mixture of error. It is authoritative, clear, necessary, and sufficient. Therefore, we have a choice to make. Either we be obedient and bend under Scripture or we are disobedient and we stand over Scripture. One way leads to life through Jesus Christ and the other way leads to death through our own ignorance and disbelief. A final Scripture I leave you with: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:2).

A Message to the Young and the Old

2009-06-23T14:34:00.007-04:00

The Bible does not have any concept of a generation gap. The younger are to learn from the older and the older are to be energized by the younger.

Psalm 78:1-4

"1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;incline your ears to the words of my mouth! 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3things that we have heard and known,that our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children,but tell to the coming generationthe glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,and the wonders that he has done."

1 Timothy 4:12

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

What is in Your Hand

2009-06-17T15:32:00.007-04:00

God disciplines us so that we will obey Him for our joy and His glory. Therefore, if we are holding onto something that is keeping us from enjoying Him, He will keep reminding us of what is in our hand until we give everything up to Him. Stop holding onto to things that rob you of your affection for Christ.

God's Transforming Grace and the Woman at the Well

2009-06-10T02:16:00.002-04:00

Who Should Partake of the Lord's Supper

2009-04-14T07:30:00.010-04:00

Some congregations do not allow anyone outside their own local church or denomination to participate in the Lord's Supper. Is this Biblical and what are some of the implication of holding this view? Moreover, how closed should communion be?

In order to answer these question biblically I must give a brief (very brief) explanation of the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. There are 7 main ideas represented and declared in the Lord’s Supper.

1.) The Lord’s Supper represents and declares Christ death. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

2.) It declares our participation in the benefits of Christ’s death. “take eat, this is my body broken for you.” We are affirming our participation in the benefits of Christ’s suffering and death. We eat and symbolize that we fully accept what Christ did for us on the Cross. “This is my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

3.) It gives us spiritual strength. John 6:53-57 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.”

4.) It unites all regenerate Christians. 1 Corinthians 10:17 says, “because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

Any who are members of the body of Christ are united through the breaking of bread and the blessing of the cup.

5.) Christ declares His love for me. Jesus has invited us to the Supper. Only those He loves are allowed to come partake of His flesh and blood. The supper should reaffirm God’s love in that He sent His Son to die on the cross to save us from sin and death (Romans 5:8). This is what we celebrate in the Lord’s Supper.

6.) Christ declares that salvation and all the blessings that come with it are for me. Christ declares that we will eat this supper a new with Him in the Kingdom of God. This is a beautiful promise for us who believe and share in the Lord’s Supper. When we eat of the Lord’s supper we are reminded of the eternal life that we have in Christ.

7.) I affirm my faith in Jesus. Through the Lord’s Supper I am proclaiming that I love Him and believe He died for me. Communion is an outward sign of an inward reality. Christ has set me free by His grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone. In the Lord’s Supper I remember this act of Christ for me and thus I declare my faith in Jesus.

With a solid understanding of the meaning of the Lord’s Supper I am brought to several conclusions about who should partake of the Lord’s Supper.

1.) If the Lord’s death was for all the Elect and I believe that through the Lord’s Supper I am declaring Christ’s death then everyone who counts themselves among those Christ died for should be allowed to stand with me and proclaim Christ’s Death for them.

2.) Everyone who Christ has died for has the right to participate in the benefits of Christ’s death. We should not bar anyone from the Lord’s Supper who knows they have been saved.

3.) If the Lord’s Supper provides Spiritual nourishment I would be putting a stumbling block in the way of my brother or sister in Christ if I did not allow them to partake of this spiritual nourishment (Romans 14:13). Woe to us if we keep another believer from growing spiritually because of some unbiblical tradition we have created. All who love the Lord should be allowed to participate in this spiritual nourishment.

4.) This next issue is huge especially in today’s divided church. We do not need another reason to divide the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:17 says, “because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” We should be seeking to unite the body of Christ not divide it. We should let anyone who is apart of the body of Christ universal to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

5.) Christ loves us and shows it in the Lord’s Supper. We should never deny the opportunity for someone who is a believer to be shown the love of God. The disciples did that with some little children when they came to be blessed by Jesus and He rebuked the disciples for doing that (Matthew 19:14 – Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven). May we not hinder anyone from coming to Jesus.

6.) Finally, can you hear the implications of the belief that only members of a particular local congregation or denomination can partake of the Lord’s Supper together. That would mean if the apostle Paul were to come into the sanctuary and wanted to partake of communion he would not be allowed to because he is neither apart of the local church nor a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. We should not exclude anyone who professes Jesus as Lord and Savior from partaking in the Lord’s Supper. We might just be barring an angel (Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares).

Death by Cheeseburger

2008-05-20T12:25:00.005-04:00

If your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, why does it look like a McDonalds? I sometimes think this as I listen to a pastor giving a sermon on the dangers of alcohol and towards the end having to stop for a breather because he is so morbidly obese he cannot make it through a thirty minute sermon. Please bear with me as I rant about one of the major hypocrisies I see in the Church today. Today America is facing one of the most destructive lifestyles in the history of humanity: Gluttony. The church has excused this sin when it comes to food. While our children are getting fatter and fatter we build more and more fast food restaurants. Obesity kills 300,000 people every year. The only thing that kills more people is cigarettes. I might add here that the bible says more about overeating than it says about tobacco use (that is because the bible does not explicitly talk about tobacco at all). However, what bugs me the most are pastors, who by the way are supposed to set the standard and live above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2), getting fatter and fatter and preaching temperance by saying that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Well if that is the case the Holy Spirit must like cheeseburgers and fries because that is what you keep feeding it. I don't mean to sound sarcastic but I mean to sound sarcastic because it is ridiculous the hypocrisy of pastors preaching the dangers of alcohol and tobacco while running out of breathe because they do not know when to put down the fork. According to "Fortune 500 magazine" Mickey D's net sales were 21,586.4 million dollars (That's a lot of Big Mac's). My question is this: when is the church going to stop being so hypocritical and start preaching against gluttony. The US has the highest rate of obesity in the developed world (This according to the "Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development"). Let me make myself clear as I am finishing. The bible clearly says that drunkenness is a sin (Deut. 21:20; Eccl. 10:17; Matt. 24:29; Lk. 12:45; 21:34; Rom. 13:13; I Cor. 5:11; Eph. 5:18; I Pet. 4:3). Out of love for my Christian brothers and sisters, especially those in the Methodist Tradition, whom I love and serve with, I have to say that we have no biblical foundation to argue that the consumption of alcohol is a sin. Furthermore, if we follow the logic of the Church's objections against the use of alcohol because it poses a danger if abused, then we have to outlaw cheeseburgers and chocolate cake. Overeating is killing 3 times as many people as alcohol is. Finally, I want to say that the best thing the church can teach is moderation in all of the blessings that God has given us. American Christians need to clean up their acts and get healthy. We are to be lights pointing people to Jesus not to McDonalds. So the question we need to ask is: does my body look like the temple of God or a McDonalds big Mac. I will end with the word’s of Paul, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)