STIRRINGS at BETHESDA, the weekly newsletter of Bethesda Baptist Church
January 27, 2014
Recent Prayer Requests
* Pam and her family in the death of her father
* Brenda Koelling
* Meghan Bartner
* Zachary Mueller
* Alicia Mueller’s mother
* Cynthia Wordlaw, need for a kidney
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Marilynn Norvell
* Debbie Walker, recovering from foot surgery
* Steve Brook and meeting with ordination council
* Our church and need for revival
Upcoming Activities
1. Bible Study (Brief Books) & Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
2. Men’s Breakfast & Book Study, Saturday, 8 a.m.
3. Church Council, Saturday, 9 a.m.
4. Deacon Ordination Council, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
5. Sunday school, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
6. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
7. Discipleship Training, January Bible Study, Sunday, 5 p.m.
January Bible Study
Our January Bible Study of the book of Colossians is now in chapter 2. Plenty of time for you to join us this Sunday evening at 5 p.m. as we continue our examination of “Christ is All You Need”.
This Saturday …
Several activities are taking place at our church this Saturday which need special attention.
1. The men will meet at 8 a.m. for our monthly breakfast and book study. We were snowed out last month and will, therefore, discuss the last 2 chapters of Dr. Whitney’s book this weekend. Bring your breakfast and any suggestions/interests you may have for a new study and enjoy some fellowship.
2. Our church council meets at 9 a.m. If you are on the council please plan on attending our first quarterly meeting of the year. If you are unable to do so please arrange for someone else to represent you. All church members are welcome to attend.
The primary mission of the church council is to plan upcoming events so one group’s schedule does not impact another’s schedule. This coming quarter will involve the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (NAMB activities) and Easter weekend observances.
3. The deacons will meet with brother Steve at 10:30 a.m. concerning his election to serve our church as a deacon. Please be in prayer for Steve and this group that the Lord’s will be faithfully accomplished.
“We exist by His grace, we continue to live by His grace, we are redeemed by His grace, we are regenerated by His grace, we are justified by His grace, we are sanctified by His grace, we are preserved by His grace.”
Sermon Extras & Pastor’s Postscript
Our text yesterday was fairly straightforward. There are no unusual words in the original text nor verbs used in some special way. As I shared with you, I had thought of “jumping over” these verses to 3 & 4 but was then convicted by the Lord to preach on them instead. The Lord used the word “church” to grab my attention and draw me back to this part of the text. Many people no longer see a value in the local church. They choose not to unite to one. Others divert all their Christian efforts to “para-church” organizations, essentially making them their church.
Here are a few words from the great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon on joining a local church.
It seems to have been the custom in the earliest times for persons who had been converted to Christ to join themselves with the church of Jesus Christ.
From that fact, I feel persuaded that they did not conceal their convictions. It is a strong temptation with many to say, “I have believed in Jesus, but that is a matter between God and my own soul, there is no need that I should tell this to others. Can’t I quietly go to heaven and be a Nicodemus, or a Joseph of Arimathea?” To which I reply, Yes, you can quietly go to heaven, and we hope you will do so, but that is a different thing from being cowardly and ashamed of Christ. We will not object to your being a Nicodemus if you will go with him when he carries spices to the grave of Jesus; and you may be a Joseph of Arimathea if you will attend him when he goes boldly to Pilate and begs for the body of Jesus. Neither of these two brethren were cowards after the cross had been set up before their eyes, neither were they ashamed to identify themselves with the crucified Christ. Follow them, not in the infancy of their love, but in its more mature days. Remember, dear friends, the promise of the gospel runs like this, “He that believes in his heart, and confesses Christ with his mouth, will be saved.” Do not, I charge you, neglect half of the command!
It is quite clear, too, that believers in those days did not try to go to heaven alone. However, there has been a great deal said in these days about simply being a Christian and not joining any particular church, this is clearly a piece of hypocrisy, and in all cases a mistake.
This idea of not joining any one particular church, and instead simply belonging to the “church at large” is often advocated in the name of unity, and yet it is clear to everyone that it is just the opposite of unity, and is intended to put an end to all visible church fellowship. The good people mentioned in our text immediately join the church of the Living God in Jerusalem. I dare say that even in those days, had they criticized the church, they would have found faults in her, certainly within a few weeks there were great faults that had to be remedied; but these converts felt that the group of Christians at Jerusalem was indeed the true church of Jesus Christ, and, therefore, they joined it. All of you can find true churches of Jesus Christ if you choose to look for them. If you wait for a perfect church, you must wait until you get to heaven; and even if you could find a perfect church on earth, I am sure they would not admit you to their fellowship, for you yourself are not perfect. Find those people who are nearest to the Scriptures, who hold the truth in doctrine and in practice, and are most like the apostolic church, and then join them, and you will be blessed for it. Consider the matter, and reflect that if it would be right for you to remain out of church fellowship, it must be right for every other believer to remain in the same condition, and then there would be no visible church on earth at all, and no body of people banded together to maintain and teach Christian commands and practices. Christian fellowship, especially the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and the maintenance of an evangelistic ministry, would become an impossibility, if no one openly declared the Savior’s cause. Act then according to your duty, and if you are a Christian, join with Christians; if you love the Master, love the servants; if you love the Captain, unite with the army, and join that regiment of it which you think adheres the closest to the Master’s word.”
The full text of this message, “Additions to the Church”, may be read here if you have further interest:
http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols19-21/chs1167.pdf .
May the Lord grant you a terrific week!