Bartimaeus Baptist Temple

Who are you? It’s a simple question that may have a very complicated answer. If we don’t know each other, I might simply be asking your name. If we do know each other, you might find the question invasive, offensive, or both, but it is a question we all need to answer for ourselves. The way we perceive ourselves will affect the choices we make, and the way we react to people and circumstances around us. Much about who we are may change as we mature and experience life, but there are some things that should never change.

We all begin life as sinners. The Bible is pretty plain about that (Romans 3:10,23.) Every one of us would be without hope if Jesus had not paid the price for us. But we know that He did, and at the moment we give our hearts to Him, we are reborn. We have become, as Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 5:17, new creations.

Why, then, do so many Christians still refer to themselves as sinners? Paul writes in Romans Chapter 6 that we are dead to sin. Howe can we be dead to sin and still be sinners? No one honestly believes he stopped committing sins at the moment of salvation. In fact, the more we come to understand what it is to live a holy life, the more of our own sins we discover. We will struggle against the desires of our flesh as long as we inhabit these earthly bodies. But when Jesus becomes our Lord, we get a new identity, and that is not as a sinner, but as a saint.

It is important for us to internalize this truth, because it will strengthen our ability to withstand temptation. If you think of yourself as a sinner, you will be more likely to come to an accommodation with sin. If it’s who you are, then what’s the use of fighting it? We are defeated before we even join the battle. But if we think of ourselves as saints, sanctified not by our own effort but by the blood of Jesus, we can stand firm against the attacks of the enemy and the perils of living in a fallen world. Do you know who you are?

Whoever you are, I would be delighted to have you join us as we gather to worship our Lord and study His word. We meet at 2:30 on Sundays, so you don’t even have to get up early. See you there!

I love our Fifth Sunday Fellowship. We talked last month about not doing it this time because we did something around Memorial Day last month, but I’m glad we decided to go ahead. Our time together is limited, and that makes these times more precious. It’s also a great opportunity to invite a friend. After the service, we’ll move the the back for communion as the early church knew it, minus the actual wine. 🙂 Well, I guess they probably wouldn’t have had spaghetti either, but they did share a meal, so we will too.

When you hear the phrase, “mind control,” You might think of one of the various cult leaders that have made the news over the years. Or, if you’re a sci-fi geek like me, maybe you think of any number of dystopian societies envisioned by authors wishing to make a statement of their own through the medium of fiction.  We speak of people being brainwashed.  We know that what we believe to be true affects how we think and act.

It is very important for us to understand that we are the ones who must be in control of our minds.  We can choose what and how to think.  The seeds we cultivate in our minds will produce fruit in our lives, so what will we choose?  Will we choose truth or lies, good or evil, that which builds up, or that which tears down?  Paul writes of being transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We’ll read from Romans 11:33-12:2.  We will focus our attention on 12:2, but a little context is necessary to show just how vital this concept is for us.

So, think about joining us at 2:30 on Sunday! 🙂

It’s no wonder that some people in our society have tried to diminish the importance of fatherhood. God has revealed Himself as our Heavenly Father, so of course our enemy seeks to destroy the role and respect of our earthly fathers. Yet studies have shown what happens when the father is absent. Children without a father figure in the home are: at greater risk of poverty, more likely to have behavioral problems, more likely to go to prison, more likely to become pregnant as teenagers, more likely to be abused, more likely to use drugs or alcohol, and More likely to drop out of school. Those are just some of the findings published by the National Fatherhood Initiative.

Of course, not all fathers are good, so it is reasonable to ask what makes a good father. A good father guides, protects, and disciplines, but most importantly he does so out of love. A good father sets boundaries in order to protect his children. So it is with our Heavenly father. When we look at the Bible as a collection of rules, we miss the whole point, but the rules are there for a reason. God is saying, just like our parents may have said more times than we can remember, “Don’t hurt yourself!” The boundaries are there because He loves us. When we do things the way He intended, life may not be perfect, but it will definitely be better.

Sin has consequences. God may choose to punish us because He loves us. The book of Hebrews, chapter 12, tells us that we should expect discipline from Him if we are truly His children. But I believe most of said punishment simply comes as the natural consequence of violating the natural order that He established. Sin is a cruel master, and it will eventually destroy us. Our text this week will be from Romans 6:16-23.

If you missed last week, we missed you, too. Because we are all so far apart and it is not easy for us to gather, it is always a treat to get to spend a little extra time just being together. That’s what I love about our fellowship events. However, i couldn’t help but think about the people just outside our door last week. Now by the time we began, they had moved on, and as I understood it we did offer them opportunity to join us, but I think our message has been somewhat inconsistent in that regard. I know it’s daunting to think about trying to take on more need when we already have so much. I’m as guilty as anyone, but love compels us to find a better way. It might need to be tough love, but let’s make sure it’s real love. It has become apparent that they tell us what we want to hear and then do what they want to do, but I don’t want to give up on changing the relationship. That starts with me, and I expect to have opportunity tomorrow to put my words into action.

I know that I’m talking to people who don’t need to be convinced of God’s existence. I also know that we all have people in our lives who aren’t so sure. It is estimated that 3 out of 4 young people raised in the church leave it while in college, in part because of the intellectual challenges they find there. No one explained to them the facts that actually support our believe. When they encounter atheist professors, they have no defense. In too many cases, adults have never really thought through their belief either, so how could they share with their children? Scientists with lots of knowledge and ego to match look down their noses and call us foolish for believing in a creator, but if we look at the evidence, it takes more faith to believe there isn’t one.

Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” (1:20 CSB) We’ll cover at a high level some of the reasons why belief in God is completely logical, and I’ll share some resources with you that you can study for yourself and share with others. I know how much it helped me when I began to discover that one doesn’t have to check in the brain at the door of the church. Following Jesus requires faith. There are some things we cannot know and yet we must trust Him. But there is much that we can and should know so that we can effectively stand against the enemy’s deceit and help others to stand as well. Join us and be encouraged!

Does it seem to you like the world is falling apart around us? Throughout history, Christians have thought that they must surely be living in the end times. We have always lived in a fallen world, and it will be that way until Jesus comes back to reclaim it. We hardly have anything to complain about here in the U.S., though there is much cause for concern. Around the world, Christians are suffering and dying for the cause of Christ.

I have often contemplated how I might do in such circumstances. I don’t know anyone who truly believes who thinks they would fold under pressure, but does one ever really know until it happens? I find comfort in the knowledge that I belong to Him, and He would never leave me without hope. My hope is not in my own strength, but in His. I pray that we will never have to find out, but we may.

Consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24-27. If we are to be His disciples, we must take up the cross. We have reduced the cross to a pretty symbol, but to His hearers, the imagery would have been vivid and bloody. They saw crucifixions regularly and knew what He was saying. When he said “follow me,” He invited them, and us, to die. For many who heard Him that day, it would be literal. All but one of his closest followers was martyred. But we are all called to die to ourselves, to our flesh, to our sinful desires, to anything that draws us away from following Him.

Salvation is a free gift (Eph 2:8-10.)  The thief on the cross who believed at the last moment is hanging out in Heaven with the likes of the apostle Paul.  None of us can earn it.  None of us deserve it.  Yet when we accept it, we are making a choice that changes our lives.  Jesus has called us all to a life of sacrifice.  We don’t live for ourselves anymore.  We live for Him.  We die to ourselves that we might have life eternally. This is what it means to follow Him.

See you Sunday!

Love y’all.