Hello dear friends,
Give thanks to the Lord for His mercies are new every morning!
It was good to get away last week for rest. Pam and I went to Bend, Oregon, and basically holed up in a room the whole time. We got a number of books read, relaxed, and just had a quiet time. We went out to dinner once and also took in a movie. Then it was back to Dallas through a snow storm to return to normal duties. We are so thankful for you all. I count myself blessed to be the pastor of this wonderful church.
This coming Sunday we are having our Thanksgiving Dinner. I remember the first year that I was here, we planned on a dinner, and was told that “very few would come.” But they did. It was a joyous time, and we have celebrated in this way pretty much ever since. We have turkeys and hams coming—along with all the traditional sides and desserts. Good food for sure. We always have great potlucks; and in light of this Covid Pandemic, we haven’t had too many of them. So, this Sunday will be a real celebration. I want us to focus on “giving thanks.” Yes, we will enjoy a great meal together, but we will also share testimonies of how thankful we are of our great God who has gotten us through a difficult year. Start recalling those things that God has done for you this year and be ready to share them this Lord’s Day after worship service.
Now during our worship service, we will be baptizing two young people, Monri and Makayla Bryson. They have requested church membership, and in reviewing our requirements for membership, they saw their need for believer’s baptism. This will be a joy for all of us to witness. I’m so happy they want to be a part of this church.
Speaking of Baptism, Baptists are known for their “water baptism,” or “baptism by immersion.” It is part of what makes a “Baptist” a Baptist. So, what does it mean to be a Baptist? Many people don’t really know or have thought about it. Some people think that Baptist’s are those people who like potlucks or something like that? Baptists affirm eight basic distinctives which also happens to spell the word: “BAPTISTS.”
“B” stands for “Biblical Authority.” We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Other groups believe that the Bible is “inspiring” literature—but they may have other “inspiring” works to put alongside of it. As such, it is not of supreme and final authority. What we mean is, “If you are doing something that is contrary to Scripture—then it is you that are wrong and not the Scripture.” We need to conform to what God says in His word.
“A” stands for “Autonomy of the Local Church.” Baptists believe in associating with other churches, but each local church is self-governing and responsible alone to Christ who is its Savior and Lord. No outside “Ecclesiastical Authority” is permitted to say what a church should or shouldn’t do. The local church is independent. This differs from other movements that have a hierarchy over their churches. Meaning, the denomination may own the buildings, and assign its clergy, and determine to close a local church if it should so choose. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 18:15-17 saying: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” “Tell it to the church,” is the final recourse—there is nothing above the church to appeal to.
“P” stands for “Priesthood of All Believers.” A Priest is someone who represents mankind to God, and in turn, represents God to mankind. As such, we as believers are tasked with taking the gospel into our neighborhoods and representing God to them. We are also tasked with interceding to God for our neighbors. We desire their salvation. And we desire that God’s kingdom would come on earth, in our neighborhoods, as it is in heaven. People don’t have to come to church and to a “Priest” to find God. Each of us can do that. We believe what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:5 where he says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” Peter affirms this as well where he writes in 1 Peter 2:9-10 telling us who we are in Christ, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
“T” stands for “Two Ordinances.” Baptists believe that we are called to celebrate and observe two ordinances until Jesus comes. The first ordinance is that of communion. We observe this ordinance at Grace on the first Sunday of the month. We could observe it on every Sunday—while some observe this ordinance on a set day of the year. Jesus instructed us to “Do this in remembrance of Him.” There is nothing special about the first Sunday of the month—that just happens to be our preference at this time. Some feel that observing communion every week tends to make it somewhat routine. The other ordinance is baptism. We believe that Jesus’ words in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) makes it clear that we are to baptize believers in the “Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This baptism is best pictured by immersion. The reason is that when the candidate is immersed into the water and brought up—it pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It enacts the gospel and provides a great testimony.
“I” stands for “Individual Soul Liberty.” What this means is that each person has the liberty to choose what conscience or soul dictates is right. As such each person is responsible to no one but God for the decision that is made. We should have perfect freedom in religious concerns, and no one else has the right to coerce us against our will. A person is free to become a Baptist, or a member of another Christian denomination. They are free to choose. The Apostle Paul highlights it this way in Romans 14:5-12 saying: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
“S” stands for “Saved and Baptized Church Membership.” The church is called the “Body of Christ,” see 1 Corinthians 12:12. It is also referred to as the “Bride of Christ,” see Ephesians 5:22-33. As such, the church is NOT simply an organization that anyone can join. It is a spiritual reality of something holy. Therefore, to be a member of a local body, one must first possess the reality of “Christ in them the hope of glory,” making them a part of the universal body of Christ. Baptists also insist on Believers Baptism, meaning they willingly obeyed the Lord in this ordinance—and not simply went through a “ritual” that was done to them as a child perhaps. Baptism is seen as the first step of obedience to Christ as Savior and Lord. It doesn’t work to declare Jesus “Lord,” if we are unwilling to do what Jesus said. See Luke 6:46. Paul speaks to this reality in Romans 6:3-5 where he says, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Baptism pictures this truth beautifully.
“T” stands for “Two Offices.” Baptists believe that the two offices in the church are held by Elders and Deacons. An Elder is someone who oversees, nurtures, feeds, and protects the sheep. A Deacon literally means a servant. They assist in the various needs in the local church assisting the Elders in the ministry. These are important positions, and as such they have certain qualifications as seen in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. Take a look at the list in 1 Timothy 3:1-13: “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer (different word meaning Elder) desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” You could write a book about this… and indeed there are.
“S” stands for “Separation of Church and State.” Baptists were the first religious group to adopt separation of church and state. They understood religious liberty to be a principle that would apply to all persons, not one manufactured to advance only their own interests. Baptists grounded their advocacy of religious liberty primarily in the New Testament. At the time, in a world where the church and the state were joined as one—this was a radical shift. In America, it helped inform our First Amendment. Jesus’ words provide us insight when He said, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s,” see Matthew 22:21. Both the State and the Church have their sphere of authority. Our First Amendment rights were heavily influenced by Baptist thought.
And there you have it… what it means to be a Baptist. Now a person could hold to baptistic thought and theology and not be called Baptist. Indeed, many non-denominational evangelical churches are fully baptistic in thought and practice. It’s okay to be non-denominational—but I for one, think that it is a good idea to associate and cooperate with other like-minded believers for the good of God’s Kingdom. I believe we can do more together than we can accomplish by ourselves. And that’s why I’m a Baptist.
Benediction:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
Pastor Russ Hilsinger
