Members Of The Church Body
The church assembly is about functioning together as members of the body of Christ. This is far more than just attending an event, such as being joined together in marriage is.
A body (which the church is the spiritual body of Christ on earth) functions as a unit, “…the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part.” Ephesians 4:15-16
The mind for this togetherness is from Christ, the Head, and the Spirit of the members functioning in and with the body, is of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27. The human body is exampled to set forth how this all works: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12
To be a member of an organization, you don’t even have to attend its meetings. But to be a functioning member of a body, there has to be togetherness with where it is at and what it is doing. All the teachings in the Bible point to the same thing: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some it; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25
Those joining the body of Christ (from the Church Covenant) “…enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We engage…to walk together…to sustain its worship” (from paragraphs one and two of our Church Covenant).
OUR CHURCH CONSTITUTION AND BY LAWS:
ARTICLE IV. Meetings: SECTION 1. Worship: “The church shall maintain regular services of worship every Sunday morning and evening, mid-week prayer service, and such other services as the Holy Spirit directs in.”
ARTICLE I. Membership: SECTION 2. Obligations: “Members are expected to be faithful in conduct, in home and church relations, including regular attendance of the services of this church, and financial support of the Lord’s work, as set forth in our church covenant and herein recorded.”
It is by an individual’s request and after their consent to our church’s doctrines and church covenant, that one can be received into the church body, as a covenant member. “It is a snare…after vows to make inquiry.” Proverbs 20:25. See also Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
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The Seeing Eye
“Where there is no vision the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18
“We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.” Psalm 74:9
A word to the wise: there is a broad gap between real vision and being visionary. Real vision is seeing what really is and taking into account that which relates to reality. Visionary is about something not yet in reality, but is imaginary and more speculative than probable.
We need to be so much about real vision, that we discount being visionary: “…make your calling and election sure” 2 Peter 1:10-11.
We can easily step away from seeing God’s will for our lives with visionary thoughts about how fulfilling our lives can be if we go our own way. Thus, the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-24.
However, as James 4:13-17 tells us, when we make the plans of our lives on our visionary thinking, instead of, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that”, we can easily forsake doing what we know is the good will of God, unto our differing way being sin.
By being visionary, Naomi’s husband took her and their two sons away from Israel (God’s covenant place for them) unto going to Moab, with thoughts of improving their lives. Since this was a visionary move based on human desire and hopefulness, rather than the vision of proving what the will of the Lord was, even in times of tribulation, it proved out to be, “I went out full, and the Lord hath brought be home again empty.” Ruth 1:21
Satan tempts us to be visionary about life’s choices, rather than clear our vision with the truth of God’s Word: Matthew 4:8-10. Satan shewed Christ the visionary picture that if He would fall down and worship Satan, Jesus could have the glory of all the kingdoms of this world, to which Christ replied with the vision of truth: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
True vision takes into full account what is, seeing what needs to be done, must be done, as well as seeing what will happen if it is not done.
Disinterest and neglect are the result of no longer seeing the importance of what is real.
SHARINGThe Folly Of Eluding Accountability
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13
The truth is what makes people free, if they will accept it and own up to it. Otherwise, it will be their judge.
Human nature, being deceitful, is first prone to “not come to the light”, but rather to avoid its manifestations. Being wise in one’s own eyes, leads to using diversion tactics. Rather than accept responsibility and face up to the matter at hand, one considers themselves to be smart if they can throw off on something or someone else.
This was the first recorded practice of deceitfulness on man’s part in the Bible. When God confronted Adam regarding his sin of eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam attempted to shift the issue off himself and onto Eve (Genesis 3:12). When God approached Eve, she blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13).
But guess what? Even though Adam and Eve could cleverly change the conversation, they could not change their guilt, nor could they escape God judging them for what they had done, nor did their attempts to side step accountability prevent them from losing the blessedness of Eden’s paradise. Their attitude just testified to their guilt and reason for judgment against their obstinacy.
Disobedient King Saul (1 Samuel 15:13-23) first insisted that his intentions were for something better than God’s way. Then he tried shifting the responsibility for what he had done unto the congregation. Then he tried making out like it was all an unintentional mistake. But God judged it all as being stubbornness and rebellion on Saul’s part and “fired” him from being king over Israel.
David tried to divert attention away from his adultery with Bathsheba by using the war to eliminate her husband from the picture and then by giving the desolate widow and her unborn child a place in the royal family. But not only did this not eliminate the guilt or the judgment for his sin, it brought shame and disgrace to his person, as well as gave the lost world reason to denounce the faith in the God that David professed to believe in and serve. God held David accountable, not only for his sin, but also the effects of his sin upon others.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7
SHARINGThe Candlestick
“…the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” “…I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 1:20b, 2:5b
Some proclaim “they” have concluded that the Baptist church is close to the New Testament Church of the Bible. But close isn’t good enough! A church has to be “it” = a “candlestick” by God’s definition and recognition. A church is not a candlestick if it is just close to being one. A church is either one of God’s candlesticks, or it isn’t.
I fail to see in the Bible where God said the day would come when all that would be left would be something close to what a New Testament Church once was. Nor do I find God saying He would authorize some insightful person to tell the rest of us what was close to what the original church was, and that we should follow this man’s insight.
Rather, the New Testament sets forth the New Testament Church that Jesus built and is the Head of. Jesus declared the gates of hell would never prevail against New Testament Churches, and that He would be with them always, which means they have to continue, as He made them for this to happen. The power that opened the door of the first church, is the power that will keep the door open of the last church, until they are removed with the Rapture.
The “candlestick”, i.e., the New Testament Churches started by God and kept by God, being true to God’s Word, are the covenant works of the Kingdom of God during this church age. Just as the gospel of God’s Kingdom has not faded away unto something that is just close to what Biblical salvation once was, neither has the New Testament Church of God’s Kingdom ceased to be the real body of Christ, joined together by God and empowered and led by the Holy Spirit.
To say there are no real New Testament Churches today, like in the days of the New Testament, is to say that God’s Word is no longer effective to produce on earth what God has spoken from heaven. It is to say that the Holy Spirit cannot regenerate and generate according to the will and purpose of God.
Anyone can paint the name Baptist on a church sign. But unless God opened the door, set the candlestick there, and set members in the church, it never was a New Testament Church. And unless that church follows the doctrine of the New Testament, God will withdraw the candlestick. So a church either is, or is not a church of the New Testament order.
SHARING51st Anniversary of Faith Baptist Church: Jan. 1, 1968-2019
The Vision
The first part of November 1967, Bro. James Gardner, pastor of Moore’s Fork Baptist Church, in Clermont County, felt led to see if an interest existed in the Lynchburg area for a sound New Testament Baptist Church. Upon inquiry, interest was found.
God Opened The Door
An empty church building was found on Freiburg & High Streets in Lynchburg, which was leased with the option of buying at the end of the lease. The work opened with a two week meeting, January 2-14, 1968, with Bro. Gardner preaching each night, except Thursdays, with Bro. James Head of Wilmington filling in. Sunday, January 7, 1968, Bro. Robert Miller of Dayton, KY, preached, at which time there were 5 requests for membership, plus 2 confessions of faith. On January 14 & 28, Bro. Terry Parnell of Dayton, KY, preached. January 21, Bro. Alwin Pflueger of Moore’s Fork preached.
A Pastor Called
February 1, 1968, Moore’s Fork Baptist Church extended the call to Robert Miller to pastor the Lynchburg mission. He is to give full time to the work. He is to lead the people there in complete accord with the position of the sponsoring church in all matters of doctrine and practice. At such time that the mission and sponsoring church agree, the mission will be organized into a local Independent Baptist Church. Bro. Miller accepted the pastorate, and with his wife, Cinda, and son, Robby, moved to 301 S. Main St., Lynchburg, on February 24, 1968.
An Independent Baptist Church
January 9, 1971, the mission was organized into the Faith Baptist Church, with 32 charter members.
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