Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Flashing Theology

We had a thunderstorm here the other day. No big deal you say since we do live in the “thunder and lightening capitol of the world.” True except for the timing of this particular storm. Don was wrapping up his series on Heaven with sermon on being baptized into Christ. There were 2 different occasions where he was making a point and a flash of white light filled our auditorium followed by extremely loud thunder. What better way to emphasize a point in a sermon.

We used this opportunity to “borrow” something I heard Bob Russell from Southeast Christian mention 2 years ago at the Pepperdine Lectures. Bob is the retired preacher for the 20,000 member conservative Christian Church in Louisville, KY. During his lecture he spoke about making a decision at Southeast to “clean up the rolls” so to speak. He mentioned how they knew they had a number of people who had been attending faithfully at Southeast who had not been baptized into Christ. Like Don, he did a sermon on the need to be baptized into Christ and then told the church the Ministerial Staff would be at their church the following Saturday if anyone felt during the week the need to be baptized into Christ. He said they expected perhaps 20 people at best. Over 200 showed up that Saturday.

We’re a much smaller church and we decided to do the same thing but offer our services on the following Monday. Don did a masterful job of outlining the 2 positions most people take on baptism:

1. It isn’t necessary because to say so makes it a “work.”

2. It is necessary because it’s part of what you do in response to God’s grace through Jesus.

Don said both stances are wrong and where the disconnect occurs are the concepts of faith and baptism. When you emphasize one over the other you lose track of the full meaning of being baptized into Christ and will fall into one of the categories above. Faith and baptism are both equal in their necessity and meaning to see that being baptized into Christ is the way I respond to what Jesus did for me at the Cross, by faith.

We had a sweet couple come by the building last night and were baptized into Christ. Their faith response to what Jesus did on the Cross made being at church on a Monday night very meaningful.

Have a good day family.


// posted by cwinwc @ 3:17 AM
Comments:
Pretty neat of God to supply the thunder and lightning to emphasize the points in the sermon. :)
# posted by Blogger Meowmix : 6:57 AM
 
At Melbourne we often say, Not baptized? You better find you some water and get in it!

Glad to know that tin and halogen lights I sent up Sunday worked!

Peace.
# posted by Blogger Steve Puckett : 7:39 AM
 
Wow, that is awesome! It's easy to get so caught up in the functioning that we lose sight of the purpose. Thanks for the reminder!
# posted by Blogger Jordan W. : 8:10 AM
 
Years ago, the leadership team at Long Beach was meeting on a Saturday morning ... about 15 of us. One "leader in training" (who later left to join the Baptist church) asked what was our "official" stance on baptism. I thought that known ipso facto by the "Church of Christ" on the sign and letterhead. He wondered how important we thought baptism to be. After some discussion and assurance that we were all for baptism, one of our elders made a statement that I thought (and still think) is excellent: Baptism in not essential for salvation, neither is it optional for the believer. What he meant was God can save whomever God desires to save. But for the believer, it is not optional. I've yet to hear a better statement on the importance of baptism. And of course we all know how liberal and heretical Don happens to be! :)
# posted by Blogger Stoogelover : 9:10 AM
 
Maybe you should have ended the service with "Woke last night to the sound of thunder"

Great thoughts.
# posted by Blogger Donna G : 10:05 AM
 
We are installing new elders at College. Recently, we had a time where our members could come and talk to the nominees, voice concerns, and ask questions. The number one question seemed to be "What is your stance on baptism?"

Needless to say, the men who didn't say something to the effect of "baptism is necessary for salvation" were given big black marks by some folks.

I've always felt that the best thing to ask someone who follows Jesus but hasn't been baptized is "Why not?"
# posted by Blogger Thurman8er : 11:26 AM
 
We have several people who attend who have not been baptized and who feel and also are treated as part of the family. Yet they know something is missing. It would be good to clean up the rolls, as you mentioned.
# posted by Blogger Brady : 2:36 PM
 
How many comments do I get per day? :) Sorry, but I had to come back and say a couple of things.

First of all, I luv ya, Cecil, as well as all our friends who comment here and on the other blogs. This blog family is something that I count among my greatest blessings. The support and encouragement I have received from all of you is precious to me, and I pray I've been some kind of blessing to you.

Every now and then, something comes along that I'm afraid I try to avoid a concrete statement. That's usually when I pick out something silly to say, as was the case today.

And all I need to say is this. While there are many points of religion in our fellowship that I have realized I can give and take on, baptism is not one of them. I am glad that your preacher had this sermon, and I'm glad there was response to it. You can go back to that age-old question, "if someone is on their way down the aisle to "answer the invitation" and be baptized and they drop with a heart attack on the way, are they going to be saved?".............that person is in the hands of a just and loving God who knows that person's heart. It's not my call, and I'm ever so thankful that it isn't. God can and does save whomever He chooses to; obviously, that "thief on the cross" wasn't baptized. Do I question his salvation? Of course not. But baptism is important and, yes, I'm going to say I believe "essential." If there is a case of conversion in the book of Acts that baptism does not complete, please someone tell me where it is. Is baptism any MORE important than, say, repentance or belief? No. But I do believe Scripture upholds that it is AS important. And beyond that, our daily walk with the Lord, staying as close to Him as we humanly can, and trusting His grace...........yielding our hearts to Him...........is how He actually "completes" us.

It probably wasn't necessary to come back and say this. I was just somewhat disappointed in myself in the way I commented today. Forgive me if I've made an issue of something it wasn't necessary to make an issue of.
# posted by Blogger Meowmix : 6:47 PM
 
Judy - I thought so.

Puck - Thanks for the effects.

Jordan - Thanks.

Greg - Thanks for sharing that with us.

Steve - I think so as well.

Brady - We did as well so we decided to try this. This great couple made it worth the effort.

Judy - It's early in the morning here but I think we're in agreement if I read your comment correctly.
# posted by Blogger cwinwc : 3:15 AM
 
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