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January 17, 2020 12:00 am
I like the heart surgeon abandoning his profession to become a makeup artist. He spends his time making people look better, rather than performing surgery on her heart and changing lives to the mission of the church is not to try to make our culture look better, though that may be a byproduct of believers who live faithful lot with the mission of Christianity is to join the father seeking people who worship him in spirit and truth, they begin to worship God. Everything about them Bible teaching ministry of Stephen David Stevens, the pastor of colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina and the president of shepherd's theological seminary also in Cary, yesterday we finished up a series called moving forward in on Monday, working to begin a new series today is a day set aside to answer questions that have come in from listeners.
We do this now twice a month on the first and third Friday of every month and we have some really good questions for you today, you need to be baptized to be saved. What's the place of politics in the pulpit. Does God speak to us through dreams.
These are the kinds of questions Stevens going to tackle today, so stay with us as we get started on our more thing about baptism. Basically, the battle boy to combat that day that although I don't believe it. Baptism is necessary for salvation and how unifying that thank you very much Berkeley thank you for calling in with that question.
We were really glad to hear from you Stephen. Can you help with Mark 1616 sure and I have to say this upfront Scott that this question is probably one of the questions amassed more than anything over these many years of ministry and it really needs to be understood as as a question not so much about the somebody had to be baptized to be saved can a person be saved without being baptized.
When does that salvation take effect as a take effect at baptism friends you need to understand that really the question is this is salvation by faith in Jesus alone or is salvation by faith in Jesus was something that I do it. That's the question so it can be anything where the you know whether it's giving money or praying or reading your Bible are being faithful or in ascending the last sore joining the church. Whatever it is, those are all good things, and often times what I will do is pull out a piece of paper with individuals who are in my office and I'll draw a line down the middle of the page so that I subdivided into two sections and over the section on the left. Label it how someone is saved and then the section on the right how a saved person should live or what a saved person should do and I take people through an understanding of Scripture so that the only thing in that left-hand column is faith in Jesus Christ because people say well I want to do the right thing get you what to well that's how a saved person should should let let's put it on the right-hand side or how to get baptized you something you want to do because that's obedience to Christ.
Try to join the church try to give money to the Lord's ministry to be kind to be a good husband, a good father, good mother.
All we can't let any of that slip over to the left side of how a person is saved or if we do we change the definition of salvation. It is no longer justification by faith alone, but it is justification by faith plus works now in light of Mark 1616. This would be one of those wonderful proof texts for denominations out there that say you gotta be baptized to be saved. In fact, I remember a group of people wanted to join our church one time there all sit in the same table during our new members class and I knew that they were from a denomination that believed in what we call baptismal regeneration, in other words, you have to be baptized in order to be safe and I walked back there after one particular class that I've been talking about baptism and I looked at the fellow who was kind of the leader and I said that. So you really didn't believe anything I said did you and he said well I don't know.
I civil let me ask you something. If one of the people here at this table with you accepted Christ tonight as their Savior and our baptism was scheduled for an hour from now. If they left this room decided to go get a cup of coffee got in a car accident died before the baptismal service, they go straight to hell with night and he looked at me and and I made him nod yes and I waited until he admitted, yes and I said you know what you believe that denominational heresies far as I'm concerned, that justification is by faith plus works but I said Alisha consistent that until that person is baptized there really not say what what is the apostle mean then what is the gospel mean what it would Peter mean in acts 238 another key verse repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.
Mark 1616 he who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.
But he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Make a note there, he doesn't say, but he was disbelieved and has been baptized shall be. So why the emphasis on baptism. In these text weathers. There's one key principle of Bible interpretation to keep in mind.
And that's what we call the analogy of Scripture.
In other words, compare Scripture with Scripture. Let Scripture be a commentary on Scripture and along that line don't allow a confusing verse to set the standard of interpretation for a doctrine. There are lots of passages on salvation that say nothing of baptism and you have two or three verses that include baptism. Those are confusing versus don't let them define the doctrine of justification, how you are made righteous before God by faith alone in Christ. Let me say this to II think that Peter and asked to.
I think that Mark here in Mark 16. I don't believe these early church leaders could conceive of someone being saved who wasn't willing to be publicly identified with Jesus coming. This was the mark of the disciple. This is no I don't want to diminish the value of baptism. It was the public profession that they were identifying with this man who was more than a man who both died and was buried, but rose again, this is the identifying mark. I think for Peter and these other fellas, I don't think they could imagine somebody say I'm saved but I don't want to let anybody know I don't want to profess openly. My faith in Jesus Christ and I think that's why sometimes you will see these two things combined.
I remember Scott preaching in Japan about a dozen years ago and you know in that church in that world they don't count conversions.
They don't they don't mark somebody down as they got saved until they get baptized. Why, because that changes everything for a man to be baptized in Japan. His career is for the most part finished, they might have fire him but that I can promote them. This is a life changing moment and there are people who will pray the prayer, so to speak, but they won't they won't identify with the Lord. And so for the church. These individuals don't make an impact and they certainly don't make an impact for the gospel. So I think the apostles couldn't conceive of anybody being saved who wasn't willing to show their allegiance to Jesus Christ by expressing their belief by proclaiming it through water immersion and stating publicly with their lives. We belong to Jesus Christ.
Thank you Steven and thank you Berkeley. So much for calling in with your question (the number Berkeley used to call us today is 910-808-9384 we've set that up as a Bible question line and it's only able to record your question.
That's not a number that you can use if you want to speak with us today, but if you have a question for Stephen you can call that number we can play your question on a future broadcast for Stephen to answer statement. We have a question for you about dreams will do on medium and had a question for Pastor Davey can't speak to today through our dream. I am reading the book of acts Peter talked about what the prophet Joel said Wednesday during Pentecost old and in the dream team physically. I was told by woman I spoke to her imagery speaks her every week injuring sheet tells people what God has told her what God is structure so my question is today in our society and this time the world does God speak to us through three. Thank you so much for calling and will that's a really practical and relevant question Stephen. We know that a good portion of Scripture was revealed by God to man in dreams and written down for us. So is God still doing that yet is a great question. A deep question and multilayered will you vest an outstanding question that that we could spend a semester at shepherd's theological seminary, discussing, and probably do that we we actually we actually do it. It relates to the different dispensations and how God speaks to mankind and how mankind is responsible to God were told in the letter of Hebrews very clearly in this dispensation of the church age that God spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us in his son. So we want to be careful about is is an attempt to repeat the modes and manners of Revelation that God did in the past through the prophets and say what that ought to happen in the church age. When he let me just give you a principal to consider here. Very simple, very tender earth. But here is what happened to people in the Bible doesn't automatically mean that that's going to happen to me or to you just because you see something in the book of acts happening to the apostles doesn't mean it should happen to you just because you see Peter and Paul raising somebody from the dead, commanding the lame to walk that mean that well I'm just a specialty got to be able to do that to the be just as foolish as some Jewish individual in the past thing I want to do it. Moses did to keep that principle in mind that when you go to Peter's use of Joel will mentioned Peter's quoting of Joel there on the day of Pentecost is these miraculous tongues were being declared in all of these languages and he says this is the day of Joel chapter 2 we know that it was a partial fulfillment, the complete fulfillment of Joel chapter 2 hasn't taken place yet that's going to take place in the kingdom. The millennial kingdom where old men will dream dreams and visions. In other words, the revelation of God to and through his people is just going to circle the globe and wonderfully amazing ways. What we have today are we getting the short end of the stick. No, we have 66 books. We have a wonderfully exhaustive Revelation from God. Now in the early days of the church. There were miraculous gifts of knowledge and prophesying, speaking in tongues prescriptions 13 makes it very clear that those revelatory gifts are temporary.
In other words, are going to stop. So my question is somebody who says they haven't stopped yet is what winter they gonna stop because in Joel chapter 2 in the kingdom they can start they get stopped sometime. Beloved, I never say in the pulpit. God told me I never use those words and I would I would caution you to be careful especially with younger believers that had young believers asked me Stephen you know I hear so-and-so God told them this and God told them that in I don't hear God speaking in it and am I missing something.
I think were way too glib way to quick way to clich�d on taking what are really inward impressions by the spirit of God to do something which God spirit can do that going to contradict his word that can add to his word. It's just a sense that God wants me to speak to that person, or God wants me to go to that university or God wants me to major in your Bible and God just works and that gives me desires anybody that desires the office of an elder.
It's a good thing. Paul wrote in first Timothy chapter 3, God gives you desires and inward impressions don't take that and make that some word of knowledge for prescriptions 13 don't make that prophecy don't make that some special dream where God is speaking uniquely in some way that is revelatory fact, by the way, if you go to for screen is 13. What you discover.
Discover that those gifts are going to stop. Love never fails. But if there are gifts of prophecy that we done away if their tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge that is as word of knowledge, it will be done away for we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when the perfect comes, that is when the completion arrives. The partial the prophecies will be done away. I don't need that partial temporary stuff. I now have the completed word of God. So be careful.
This lady that's going around. Will you mentioned her saying God told me this and God gave me this in a dream that that's highly suspect and deeply confusing is not aiding the church anything that pulls people away from desiring to get into the word of God to hear what God has already spoken is dangerous. Let's go to the word of God is the word of God that is sufficient for life and godliness. The authors of the New Testament tell us. Thank you Stephen for that answer and think you will so much for calling in with your question. Let me give you that number one more time that will used to reach us. It's 910-808-9384 and by the way, before I forget if you have our smart phone app installed to your phone. We have the archive of all of Stephen's previous answers to the questions that he's been asked listed there on that app you can scroll through them question by question on the wisdom for the heart app that's a great resource. So if you have a question and you wonder if maybe Stevens answered it before you'll be able to find their well Stephen, we are coming up on an election year.
I guess were actually in an election year and we have a question for you related to the role that politics has in the pulpit going to Alabama and I noticed that the churches are increasingly preoccupied with right wing politics and don't pay much attention to the Bible anymore. How far should a person have to drive to attend a standard Bible believing church and what you do you want to go to church but you can't find the church's teaching theology instead of politics. Thank you for addressing this issue. God bless you and thank you so much for calling and with that question Stephen Ryan's trying to find a church that teaches the Bible and my guess is you have some advice for both him and for pastors. Yeah, this usually gets me a little trouble but here we go again I think is very important for us to understand that our relationship to society is, is not to reform it, but to redeem it.
We we have been called by God to save America. I know that's going to sound strange to your ears, but we've never been given one verse of Scripture one passage one commandment where that believer is to save their country anymore than a German supposed to save Germany or the Swiss are supposed to save Switzerland. Our mission is not to save America is to save Americans. It's to give the gospel to people. One person at a time and I think we forget, especially in election hears it in our push, you know, for moral activism that that a man or a woman with good morals can still die and go to hell as quickly as a bad man or a bad woman with bad morals. Our mission is not moral reformation is spiritual reformation and politics can never achieve that dynamic and the state doesn't have the power to bring about lasting change.
Only the gospel delivers a new nature of the courts. Even if a believer won every court case that we hope we win we can't bring about spiritual change that's from the inside out. So our hope for Washington DC is American synthesis ghetto being heard across America.
Our hope for our culture is, is the same hope for that guy that works in the cubicle next to you.
It's the saving Gospel and the transformation of their heart.
By way of the cross of Jesus Christ. When people begin following Christ. Guess what happens their voting decisions.
Their moral parameters. Their vocabulary, their treatment of the pre-born child, their view of marriage, their life goals. Their use of money.
All of that is a radically changed, isn't it because of the of the life-changing word of God and and that's our mission.
That's why when you read the New Testament you don't see Paul starting a campaign to clean up the city's morals now for those that are in Caesar's household, there you are God's placed you there and what great influence you can have on those decisions are being made because God assigned you as a judge or as a policeman or as an attorney or whatever we it isn't that we don't care about our culture. Of course we care, but we don't pursue change any other way than one disciple at a time. Being salt and light so let's not swap our gospel for political activism. You know this is this is this what troubles me. This implies that the government or if the government can just become a friend of the church and in the list laws and moral parameters that agree with the church that somehow will or what were suggesting is that the gospel is not powerful enough. We need Washington on our side.
The gospel isn't fast enough for the gospel isn't deep enough or good enough.
In fact, this neglects our mission and it ultimately distorts our gospel be given illustration that I had about the use At the sky like a heart surgeon abandoning his profession to become a makeup artist. He spends his time making people look better, rather than performing surgery on her heart and changing lives see the mission of the church is not to try to make our culture look better even act better, though that may be a byproduct of believers who live faithful lives, but the mission of of the church. The mission of Christianity is to join the father in seeking people who worship him in spirit and truth. And when they begin to worship God. Everything about them. Changes so Stephen, when a pastor abandons the preaching of God's word and begins discussing politics in the pulpit and makes that his focus is really abandoned everything he has. These abandon his mission which is to preach the word, and he's given a shortcut he might think it's faster quicker you know let's let's be successful. Let's stop that law from being enacted. Let's pick it. Let's politic. That's as if to say, if we succeeded in that. Does that mean that our mission is succeeded now.
Because our mission is spiritual. It is the redemption of an individual and if we can do that by means of the gospel then that and by the way, that's a long-term goal is in it and I think that's why it's not nearly as exciting as winning an election. But remember God's in control, and political leaders are raised up by God, which means no matter what happens in the selection year.
Everyone guides candidates is going to win because nobody can send those political powers. According to Romans 13, apart from the plan of God, who is ultimately in control. Let's stick with our mission.
Sounds like it's possible that Ryan's area of the country is in need of good church planting is having to drive a long ways to find a church and and so what just as we wrap this up. He's wondering how far should he have to drive her what should he do if he can't find a church that's teaching God's word. If he can't find a church that teaching God's word. He can't find a church. He is not to go to the mission field when he enters the church door and so keep looking.
Maybe God wants him to start a Bible study and give us a call at Shepherd seminary and maybe we can put them in touch with some of that we know nearby with which he can partner thank you Steven and thank you so much Ryan for calling in Ryan and to everyone listening. I want you to be aware that Stephen has written a book entitled, I pledge allegiance politics for the citizens of heaven were going to make this book available today is a gift to everyone who makes their first contact with our ministry. If you've never called us before. Call us today at 86 648 Bible and working to tell you how you can get a copy of this book is our gift to you. Now if you've ordered from us before have contacted us.
You can call as well and we can give you information on how you can get a copy and Ryan, if you're listening and I hope you are please send me an email. You can address it to info@wisdomonline.org. Send me your name and your address I want to send you a copy of this book just to thank you for calling in today that number once again is eight 648 Bible or numerically at 866-482-4253 in the office every weekday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and we would love to hear from you as we wrap this up Scott. I have to say Fred's. It's always great to hear from you and to hear your questions that you send in that we don't answer that phone line.
All we want you to do is give us your name and then record your question and then will answer in a future broadcast so the number. Scott's been giving you here just a few moments ago is our office number Scott what's the number for the question and answer line.
The Bible question line is 910-808-9384 910-808-9384 that's the Bible question line and of course there's other ways that you can interact with our ministry wisdom for the heart has a Facebook page where we post regular updates about our ministry. You can follow along in our Bible reading plan you can read the daily devotional and much more.
So make sure that you like our Facebook page. You can follow us on Twitter, and Instagram. We also have a YouTube channel and we post a full-length video of one of Stephen's sermons every Wednesday morning, so be sure and subscribe to that as well. And if you'd like to write to us and Stephen. We still have a lot of people to send us cards and letters in the mail and our mailing address is wisdom for the hearts. PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 in case you're trying to write that down. I want to give you that one more time. It's wisdom for the hearts. PO Box 37297 Raleigh, NC 27627 will on Monday. Stephen's going to begin a series entitled forgotten lives remembered truths. If I were to ask you to name some of the heroes of the Old Testament you come up with money, but I'm sure that some of the people that Stephen's going to cover in this series would not make your list. They're not the most obvious they're not the most prominent heroes of the Old Testament, but they have wonderful lessons to teach us from their lives and examples that series is called forgotten lives remembered truths that begins Monday right here on wisdom