Scripture Shall Mold Our Faith and Practice, Part 1

The Challenge of Articulating Trinity Baptist Church's Identity

0:04 This morning's service was held at the Trinity Baptist Church on March 24th, 1991. Now I'm sure that all of us have had at one time or another the experience of driving into the church parking lot or driving out of it after the service and seeing some Sunday strollers or joggers going by the proximity of our church property. Now I'm wondering if on the way out today one such jogger or walker should stop and address you and ask you the question, did you just come out of that church and you answered yes and were to say to you, what is that church all about? And you responded by saying, well, what do you mean? And your inquirer said, well, could you give me five? A ten or a dozen of the things that really lie at the heart of what that church is all about.

1:12 Could you give me some of the major perspectives that make you tick as a congregation? I wonder what you'd answer that stranger. Would you be able to answer that stranger? Would you answer with terms that would baffle him?

1:29 Well, we are a Reformed Baptist Church, which would be like answering in Hinduism, Hindustani or Bengali or Mandarin, would mean little to it. What would you say if someone were to ask you, what are the things that lie at the very nerve centers of your life together? Well, in a series began two weeks ago, I'm seeking to equip you for just such an encounter. I'm not prophesying that you'll ever have such an encounter, but if you did, I am seeking to equip you that you would be able to answer and to answer intelligently and biblically.

The Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church: Foundations and First Affirmation

2:14 And when I began this series two weeks ago, I announced it as a manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church. A manifesto being a public statement of intentions or objectives, a formal declaration of what a group of people are out to do, or to be. And with our 25th year of life together soon upon us, it does come upon us, the first of next year if the Lord tarries and spares us all, I thought it was time to push away the backfill from the foundations of our almost 25 years of life together, not to replace the foundations thus bared by pushing back the backfill, but to look at the foundations once more. And indeed, if we see any cracks in those foundations to repair them, but basically this is to be an exercise in examining and identifying those materials which constitute the very foundations of our life and of our ministry together. And in our initial study, we took the first affirmation, of this manifesto, and I stated it this way.

3:40 We are determined that Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place in Trinity Baptist Church. Now I did not say that we have attained a level of experience where Jesus Christ does in every facet of our life have his rightful place. I did not say that. What I said was that we are determined that Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place in Trinity Baptist Church, and it is a commitment to that determination pursued in the grace of God and by the power of the Spirit that lies at the very heart of what we are all about. And in opening up that affirmation, In our first study together, I stated from the scriptures that he must have his rightful place as the exclusive foundation of this congregation. He must have his rightful place as the sole source of spiritual life in this congregation, and that he must have his rightful place as the supreme Lord and ruler of this congregation.

The Second Affirmation: Scripture Shall Mold Our Faith and Practice

5:05 Now today, we address the second affirmation in our manifesto, and it grows logically and inevitably out of the first. If we assert that what we are all about is that we are determined that Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place in this congregation, then the second affirmation follows. We are determined to have all of ourselves. We are determined to have all of our doctrine and practice molded by the Holy Scriptures.

5:41 We are determined to have all of our doctrine and practice molded by the Holy Scriptures. You will never understand who and what we are unless you grasp this simple affirmation. Early in our life together in the late 1960s, one could often hear the words, We are determined to go wherever the hand of Scripture takes us. And some of you who have been with us over the years will remember when that statement was often repeated among us.

6:23 We are determined to go wherever the hand of Scripture takes us. We were like little children who were ignorant.

6:35 So many. But who trusted a loving father and felt confident placing their hand in the father's hand saying, Daddy, wherever you take me, I know it will only be for my good and never to my harm. Well, with that imagery, we placed our into the hand of Scripture and said, Oh, God, by the Spirit, take us wherever you will take us. For we know that your paths are all.

The Basis for This Determination: Christ's Relationship to His Church

7:09 All paths of pleasantness and paths of righteousness. Now, in opening up this second affirmation of the manifesto, that we are determined that we shall have all of our doctrine and practice molded by the Holy Scriptures, we'll consider three categories, two of them this morning and the third, God willing, next week. First of all, the basis for this determination. Secondly, the major expression.

7:39 There are expressions of this determination. And next week, a message in itself, the cost of maintaining this determination. First of all, the basis for this determination.

7:54 The question we are addressing is this. Why should a church which claims to be a church of the Lord Jesus have as one of its major spiritual perspectives the determination to have all of its doctrine and practice? Why should a church which claims to be a church of the Lord Jesus have as one of its major spiritual perspectives the determination to have all of its doctrine and practice? That is, what it preaches as truth and what canons or laws it follows as binding upon its conscience molded by the Word of God.

8:23 Well, many legitimate answers could be given to that question, but it seems to me that the basis is very simply a twofold basis. And as I've wrestled with this question to the point of mental frustration, I finally came to rest when I, in my mind, said, my own mind conceived of the answer in these terms. The base of this aspect of our manifesto that we are doing practice, I say, is a twofold basis. Number one, it is the inescapable consequence of taking seriously Christ's relationship to His church. And secondly, it's the inescapable consequence of taking seriously the church's relationship to truth. Now, I don't think that should be difficult to remember.

9:23 This determination rests down upon two fundamental realities. The reality of Christ's relationship to His church and the church's relationship to truth. And wherever people take those two relationships seriously, you will find them committed to this second head of our manifesto. They will be determined.

9:50 That doctrine and practice shall be molded by the Holy Scriptures. Now, let me open those up in that order. It is the inescapable consequence of taking seriously Christ's relationship to His church. In Ephesians chapter 5, Christ is described as the head of the church and the Savior of the body.

10:22 And it is this conjunction of head and Savior to which I would draw your attention.

10:33 Christ is the head and the Savior of the body. Ephesians 5.23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church himself the Savior of the body. He is never Savior.

10:59 Where he is not head. And wherever Christ is head is Savior. You need no other text to explode the fallacy that you can have Christ as Savior and not as Lord. This text alone would do it.

11:14 Christ is head of all united to Him. Furthermore, He is set before us as God's prophet to His people. This is so beautifully brought out in the opening verses of Hebrews. Chapter 1.

11:36 I'll just quote them quickly and then we'll turn to a second text. God who in time past spoke unto the fathers and the prophets using many different forms of speaking hath in these days spoken unto us in a son. Jesus Christ is God's to men. And in Acts 3.22 we have Peter quoting this most interesting text from the book of Deuteronomy.

12:05 In Acts 3.22 we have Peter quoting this most interesting text from the book of Deuteronomy. In Acts 3.22 we have Peter quoting this most interesting text from the book of Deuteronomy.

12:38 And in the context it is clear that Peter as an inspired apostle is declaring that that prophecy is fulfilled in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that prophet raised up like unto Moses to whom we must hearken in all things. And if we do not hearken to Him, we shall be utterly destroyed. We shall fall under the judgment of God.

13:09 Furthermore, we have had occasion in past months to contemplate from the last paragraph in Matthew's gospel that when our Lord Jesus Christ speaks in the great commission, He speaks as the one who has all authority in heaven and upon earth and then says going therefore make disciples, baptize them and then teach them to observe whatsoever things I have commanded you. Now why have I quoted these verses? Simply to give a sampling of what scripture says is Christ's relationship to His church. He is not only the Savior of the body, but He is the ruling administrative head. He is the anointed one. He is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one. God's final voice to men.

14:09 God's final prophet, like unto Moses, whom we must hear, whom if we refuse to hear, the judgment of God will fall upon us. He is the one who in His messianic function has been given a deposit of all authority in heaven and upon earth. And under the canopy of that authority, all who become His disciples recognizing that authority, are committed to knowing and believing and observing all things whatsoever He has commanded us. Now that's His relationship to the church.

Application: Consequences of Not Taking Christ's Authority Seriously

14:52 Now I say, if we take that relationship seriously, then this second element of the manifesto is an inescapable consequence. If Christ is these things to His church, then His church dare not receive as truth anything that is not mined out of the scriptures, which are the mind of Christ embodied in words.

15:25 The church dare not conscience or the consciences of its people by anything that is not extracted from this blessed book, for He has and full authority. He is the sole head. As well as the sole savior of the body. As surely there is, there is none other who imparts saving virtue to His people.

15:53 There is none other who is to intrude upon His headship over His people. If He has all authority in heaven and earth, and He says that we are to observe all things whatsoever He has commanded, where is the authority that will nudge Him to one side and say, well I'd like to add a little bit to what the Lord Jesus has said. You see, this is an inescapable consequence of taking seriously Christ's relationship to His church. Therefore, by way of application, let me say, if we do not accept as our doctrine all that is revealed, then He will say to us, as He said to the two on the road to Emmaus in His post-resurrection ministry to these two dejected disciples, Luke 24 and verse 25, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe the prophets have spoken. You see, they were dejected and glum because they had a partial faith in the revelation of God's mind and will in the scriptures. And the Lord didn't look upon it as a kind of spiritual constitutional weakness.

17:13 He said, O foolish men and slow of heart that the prophets have written? And would we gather in this place and have the Lord Jesus who is uniquely present by His Spirit as our great Father and King say to us, O Trinity Church,

17:38 flow of heart in all that the prophets and the apostles have written? Surely if we take seriously that He is Head and Savior, He is that final prophet to whom we must hearken in all things and believing it is the Spirit of Christ that speaks in every word of Holy Scripture of the Old Testaments, then you see, we cannot but be committed to this second line in our manifesto. A determination that all that we confess to be true, all of our doctrine be molded by the Word of God and all of our faith and all of our practice all leave to be our duty be molded by the Word of God. I say if we do not accept our doctrine from the whole of Scripture and all that God enables us to understand by spiritual illumination from the Scriptures making Scripture the standard of our faith not our sense of justice or fairness or rightness and therefore prepared to believe that we are the ones who are to be believed. That God is free to love a Jacob and hate an Esau.

19:03 That God is free to set His love upon some and bypass others and lead them to the just dessert of their sin.

19:15 We are prepared to take the posture of humble disciples before the Word of God and when it leads us to embrace things that in our finite minds clouded by the remnants of sin we cannot recognize reconcile we are yet prepared as men and women of faith to say if God has said it I receive it and I unashamedly confess it.

19:43 And if we do not set our hearts to obey in practice all that's revealed concerning our duty then the Lord would say to us what is recorded in Luke 6.46 Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not things which I say and do not do things which I say and what would we answer? You see if we say that we take seriously He is head and Savior He is God's final prophet He is our Lord He says to us why do you call me Lord? Why do you give me the title and the ascription of the one who regulates and governs and directs by my words and your feet and your conduct are not conformed by that word. Why do you call me Lord, Lord? And do not not the things that I say. Do you think I need the vibrations of the sound coming from your larynx and out over your lips and tongue and mouth to somehow make me complete with the words Lord, Lord?

20:51 Do you think I receive some delight in just hearing the title Lord ascribed to me? No! What I long to see and what delights me is the reality of my Lordship manifested in concrete obedience to specific directives found in my word. Why call ye me Lord, Lord?

21:10 And do not the things that I say. So you see then, if we take seriously Christ's relationship to us as the head of the church, God's final prophet, the one with all authority, then we must continue in this way of determination to have all of our doctrine and all of our practice continually molded by the word of God for we have not yet attained nor are we already made perfect but this one, this one thing we do, we press toward the mark desiring that we shall know more and more of revealed truth that is set forth as an object of faith and no revealed duty that is set forth as the object of our loving obedience. But then, this determination not only rests down upon what I've called the inescapable consequence of taking seriously Christ's relationship to his church, but it has a second pillar. It is the inescapable consequence of taking seriously the church's relationship to the truth. And here I direct you to 1 Timothy chapter 3.

The Basis for This Determination: The Church's Relationship to Truth

22:27 It's the inescapable consequence of taking seriously the church's relationship to the truth.

22:35 Now I want to say before I read the text that the scriptures elsewhere teach that it is the truth that gives birth to the church.

22:46 Church doesn't give birth to the truth. It is the truth that gives birth to the church. In my own New Testament reading, I'm reading through the book of Acts and I've been struck as never before with the tremendous emphasis upon the word. And it's almost as though Luke uses it as a synonym for the growth of the church, the growth of the word.

23:06 It says the word of God grew and multiplied greatly. That phrase got hold of me when I was sitting in bed with my bronchitis. I said, how does the word of God grow?

23:16 I mean, the word of God's what it is. It says the word of God grew mightily and prevailed. Many were obedient to the word. The tremendous centrality of the truth that gave birth to the church throughout the apostolic labors.

23:34 And we know that from such texts as were preached recently. James 1.18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of God. 1 Peter 1.23 Having been begotten again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God. Which lives and abides forever. So it is the truth preached and brought home with power that gives birth to the church. But then when the church is constituted what is her relationship to that truth which has given birth to her?

24:04 1 Timothy 3.14-15 These things write I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly but if I tarry long that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house. 1 Timothy 3.15 For the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth.

24:31 Now you see the very church which is the child of the truth is brought forth by the truth then becomes a third of the very truth which has brought it into being. So that in this passage Paul writing to Timothy saying look I hope to come shortly there are many concerns upon my heart with respect to the church there at Ephesus and the churches in that area but if I am hindered in coming I want this letter to so direct your thinking and your activities Timothy that this in a sense will be substitute for my physical presence and my personal labors. And he said I am particularly concerned about men knowing how to behave themselves in God's house which is identified as the church of the living God which has this unique function which is the pillar and the ground of the truth. It is the main column of the structure beneath Ephesus. Now this had tremendously practical implications in the light of this letter. When he says pillar and ground of the truth was he speaking of truth in some abstract philosophical way?

25:57 No! He is speaking of truth in terms of both doctrine and practice. So in chapter 1 he says this is one of the reasons Timothy I left you there at Ephesus look at it I exhorted you to tarry at Ephesus when I was going into Macedonia that you might charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine. There were some who were injecting doctrines that were not revealed by Christ and his apostles doctrines doctrines not found in the writings of prophets and apostles and of our Lord Jesus Christ and Paul said I am so concerned that the church be pillar and ground of the truth that Timothy I left you behind to solemnly charge men not to teach a different doctrine even though it may have the appearance and the face of innocence it was dabbling in genealogies etc. It wasn't any open denial of the deity of Christ or of substitutionary atonement yet Paul recognized that the slightest pull in the fabric of revealed truth can eventually unravel the whole fabric. Charge not to dabble in false doctrine what men are to believe and then practice

27:26 what men are to do. He gave all kinds of directions concerning the centrality of prayer in the gathering of God and in the service of the church and in the service of God's people the relative roles of men and women the requirements for elders and for deacons all of that instruction about practice and he says in chapter 4 in verse 6 if you put the brethren in mind of these things you will be a good minister of Christ. You see a good minister of Christ is one who is committed to seeing the church's relationship to truth manifestly in the total life and ethos of that church. Therefore if the church is pillar and ground of the truth and along come people teaching doctrines contrary to truth what is Timothy to do? He should say oh well what you believe doesn't make any difference so long as you're sincere just leave them alone it's free country you can't force religion down people's throats you can't be overly dog no he said you go off vengeance he says in another place their mouths must be stopped and then Timothy you want to be a good minister you tell them that I will first of all that prayer supplication intercession giving of thanks be made for all men for kings and rulers and those in authority furthermore I suffer not a woman to teach

28:54 nor to usurp authority over the man but to learn in quietness furthermore here's the standard for an elder standard for a deacon Timothy teach these things this is the practice that will cause the assembly of God's people to be a living embodiment of God's people to be a living embodiment of God's people to the truth is it true that God has established humanity in a hierarchical structure in which male is leadership and female is follow then the church must manifest the truth in a practice crucial relative roles of men and women not because he was a half sanctified prejudiced male chauvinist because of his rabbinical teaching that's what so-called evangelical feminists are saying because he took seriously the church's relationship to the truth you can have heresy in life as well as in doctrine and he said if you've got dominant women you've got heresy in the church the church is saying leadership is female when God says leadership is male he says I want that truth fleshed out in the life of the church why? because of the church's relationship to the truth the church is the pillar and ground of the truth the church is to be the column that

30:22 is truth to the world when you take seriously the church's relationship to the truth then you're ready to join hearts with us and say hey I'll put my name to that manifesto I am determined in as much as it lies within my power and my sphere of influence by the grace of God that as long as I'm a part of Trinity Church its doctrine and all of its practice shall be molded by the church by the scriptures and by the scriptures alone the moment we cease to back off in taking seriously the church's relationship to the truth then there begins to be doctrinal latitude and practical and ethical laxity but when we are determined in perfection nonetheless we determine so help us God that all that we confess to be true shall be molded by a balanced responsible

31:47 prayerful assimilation of the scriptures and all that we are committed to practice will grow out of the clear teaching of the word of God now I say the basis of this second dimension of our manifesto this second affirmation is this two-fold basis the inescapable consequence of taking seriously Christ's relationship to his church and the inescapable consequence of taking seriously the church's relationship to the truth the church is not constituted to be the pillar and ground of its own notions of its own insights of its own discoveries but the truth and as to practice the church is not to be the pillar and ground of its own desires current opinions and social pressures but the truth and as I was trying to contemplate a way that I might set this before you in some way in some vivid imagery I thought of the analogy of the true child of God who has two hands and think of the church any given church that claims to be a biblical church and someone asks that church what is the object of all of your hope and confidence for acceptance and pardon and peace with God and she points with one hand with unashamed vigor and says

33:16 Christ crucified and I am Christ alone Christ himself and then when they ask in that professed allegiance to Christ what is your greatest passion with the other hand she points to a book and she says that in everything I may believe and unashamedly confess everything that's in that book as God will teach me and I am committed individually and corporately we are committed to do all that that book commands in so far as God teaches us and gives us grace and where you find a church that with one hand points as the object of supreme allegiance and to the word as the source of its doctrine and practice there you have a biblical church now having sought to demonstrate the basis of this determination now then what are the major expressions of this determination talk's cheap talk's cheap there are lots of people who would say amen to everything I've said but talk is cheap but I tell you it hadn't been cheap to live out this affirmation over the years what are the major expressions of this determination not all of them

Major Expressions: Scripture in Our Confession of Faith

34:44 but what are the major expressions of this determination to have all our doctrine and all our practice molded continually by the scriptures but let me give you four and I hope you won't sit there saying what is he talking about number one the central place given to the scriptures in the confession of faith that each one of you adopts as your confession when you come into the membership of this church that's the first major expression of this determination the central place given to the scriptures in our confession of faith with what words does our confession of faith begin? the holy scripture is the only sufficient certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge faith and obedience that's where our confession begins by saying the holy scripture is the only sufficient certain and infallible rule of all knowledge therefore faith in what is revealed and what is revealed and what is revealed and obedience further on in paragraph six the whole council of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory man's salvation

36:12 faith and life is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the holy scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelation of the spirit or traditions of men it's a marvelous statement of a close canon of scripture the sufficiency of scripture and then paragraphs nine and ten the infallible rule of interpretation of scripture is the scripture itself and therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture which is not manifold but one it must be searched in other places that speak more clearly that's what I did this morning I took the term the church is the pillar and ground of the truth read a roman catholic footnote on that in one of their official bibles and they teach their heresy that the church is the mother of the truth and their truth and the only official interpreter of the truth why did I take the time to show that other scriptures clearly teach that the church is the child of the truth so that we put the right meaning on those words scripture must interpret scripture not a council of bishops not the pope that's what I was doing I was implementing what this paragraph says the supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined

37:40 all decrees of councils opinions of ancient writers doctrines of men and private spirits are to be examined and in whose sentence we are to rest can be none other but the holy scripture delivered by the spirit into which scripture so delivered our faith is finally resolved someone says ah listen friend it's loving the God whose mind is revealed only but it's not it's loving the God infallibly in a book we don't make too precious little about God apart from this book oh yes we can look up into the star we can know something of his wisdom be caught in a thunderstorm and tremble before but you'll know nothing of a redeemer's love nothing of Mary's womb nothing of Golgotha nothing of imputed sin imputed righteousness the gift of the spirit adoption regeneration salvation sanctification glorifying of those saving truths and the major expression of our determination as a church if you want to know what we're all about that we shall have

39:04 all of our doctrine and all of our practice molded by scripture is the central place given to the scriptures in our confession of faith and that's why you better continue to take this confession of faith seriously along came a bunch of pious unbelievers pseudo-pious unbelievers they began to tell us well the bible's not central to christianity christ is doesn't that sound spiritual and so they came up with a new confession in 1967 the presbyterians did it didn't begin with the bible it began with christ doesn't that sound so spiritual problem is what do you know about christ apart from the bible if this book didn't say the beginning of the gospel if we had no bible we'd have no christ the only christ of the bible is one that we find wherever he's set before us hugging a book to his breast and you can't have christ without his book he said scripture cannot be broken my word shall never pass away he that is ashamed of me and of my word in this adulterous and sinful generation of him shall the son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory my friends this idea

40:32 that you can be loyal to christ and sneer at his book is blatant soul deceiving soul deceiving destroying heresy you love christ and his book or you don't love christ at all and as long as we have a biblical love for christ we will give a central place to the scriptures in any confession of faith we may adopt or alter no one says that this was dropped down from heaven with some peculiar inspiration that's why we feel at liberty to propose alterations and changes because the confession stands for under the light and scrutiny of the book but what is confessed in our confession about this book accords with what god's people have said about this book through the ages and anyone proposes changes in that statement you know we're in big bad trouble so that's the first major expression of this determination the central place given to the scripture in our confession of faith secondly the central place given to the scriptures in our public worship some of you don't have a clue why our public worship is so important to us structured the way it is you think well it just happened that way no it didn't happen that way I didn't inherit this kind of a structure Mr. Dixon didn't inherit it in his background he and I were the first elders in this assembly

Major Expressions: Scripture in Our Public Worship

41:59 going back to 67 those who've come on board since then not a one of them inherited any religious tradition that gave a central place to the scriptures in public worship where did we come up with the notion that we ought to read through the book of psalms as framing our approach to God each Lord's day morning well it was the conviction that our approach to God ought to be shaped and molded by God's word to us and if in a unique way the book of psalms is the deposit of the religious experience of the people of God then there would be balance and there would be comprehensiveness in our thinking about God and Christian experience and worship if we continually conditioned our approach to God by his own word to us that's why we do that I didn't know that I'm telling you and that grows out of this second tenet of our manifesto we're determined determined that we shall have all of our doctrine and practice molded by the word of God those of us who lead you in worship we don't trust our hearts to let our state on any given Lord's day be the primary dictator of the climate of worship what a means of grace it's been many a time when I've come in chains to this pulpit

43:28 to lead you in worship and my heart has been in the dark valley and the psalm for the day was one of ringing bells and horns blowing you know what it did? when I read the psalm and called you to worship God according to the word of God my own heart was free from the tyranny of its own present emotional state

43:55 every one of us has his own flavor and color of Christian experience in which certain qualities dominate what a tyranny for a church to have projected upon it the hues and the colors of the experience of the one servant of God or two or three who have the highest profile I feel much more comfortable having the full range of God's inspired book of Christian experience molding your worship not my pitifully limited and distorted experience that's why our prayers are shaped by the word you don't ever know what's going to be in the opening prayer of your Lord's day I've been in churches where it was like flipping on a switch same prayer or maybe just a phrase or two different but when our prayers then are shaped by the word of God as we read of David restless till he could find a dwelling place for God in earnest that the word should be real our opening prayer was shaped by the word having heard that word your heart could enter in you see that means the word of God something bigger than the one who leads and bigger than you who are led it's God through his word leading us to himself maybe you get a little excited about these things that you take for granted that's why centrality of the word in our worship that's why we have the consecutive reading through the scriptures

45:24 you say oh that's been kind of boring wait a minute wait a minute all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable and the fact that you can't profit from every line is not God's fault when I'm reading through passages and I don't profit I don't blame God I say Lord have mercy on me I'm so dull if I only had eyes there'd be things here that would break my heart with grief there'd be things that would make me shout for joy there were things that would make me breathless with wonder Lord it's my own blindness hasten the day when I shall know as I am known

46:03 that's why we have the consecutive reading of the scriptures we don't want to have anything in our doctrine or practice that we'd be embarrassed to turn up any passage of the word of God we don't want to practice anything where people could say hey hey you elders we read today in this passage this how in the world can you guys stand up there and read that when this is going on and we've had people come to us and we've said you've got a point and we've changed our practice as a result of the public consecutive reading of the word of God yes and we've changed and if we find things in our doctrinal understanding that don't level with a portion of the word of God we're prepared to say I've only seen it imperfectly this new dimension of God's word needs to be brought in this is why the word of God is central in our public worship our initial approach to God framed by the word our prayers shaped by the word the consecutive reading of the scripture the bulk of our time given to exposition and application why that we might open up the doctrines what we're to believe that we might underscore the practices what we are to do our praise is not dictated by sentiment we sing psalms and hymns every one of those hymns that has undergone the scrutiny of perceptive theologians and you'll see many times

47:32 stanza three altered why there was a word that made the difference between two words truth and error and though there are many imperfections in the hymn book and we long for the day when God will give us something more adequate one thing you can be confident of there's no incipient heresy in any of those hymns why do we stick then with hymns that many times aren't so catchy and aren't so foot tapping it's because this church is to be the pillar and ground of the truth and many a church that wouldn't tolerate heresy in the pulpit has heresy embedded in its hymn book and many a church and heresy is sung out to God the God of truth and if I may without being irreverent if God were to visually manifest his attitude he'd have a look of disgust upon his face and he'd stuff his fingers in his ears don't insult me with drivel I'm the God of truth central place given to the scriptures in our confession of faith in our public worship thirdly the central place given to the scriptures in our congregational life you who've been with us any period of time has there ever been in this church a meeting for the election of an officer for the administration of discipline for the implementation of a policy where the Bible has not been opened and your consciences have not been instructed from the word of God

Major Expressions: Scripture in Congregational Life and Leadership

49:00 ever?

49:05 no heads are shaking all over this place never to the point and I try graciously to remind you we have newcomers who've never been in this kind of a meeting before therefore we can't assume they know the biblical basis of what is done if whatsoever is not of faith is sin do we want people to sin in recognizing office bears because they can't do it in faith because their consciences have not been instructed by the word of God and this is why in matters of congregational life the scriptures are opened and the relevant scriptures applied this is why in our gathering to pray we seek to give biblical framework to the emphases of our prayers we've never launched upon a building program without a series of messages opening up the word of God concerning what should regulate our thinking our giving our energy our perspective why?

50:05 my friends if Jesus Christ is really the head then savior if he's really God's final prophet if all authority has been given unto him and he's commanded us to observe whatsoever he commanded and if we believe that the church is pillar and ground of the truth and that in this book there is a sufficient rule of faith and practice the day we undertake any enterprise without first of all opening this book some people call that the quote trinity mentality I call it a Christian mindset in which we think seek to have every thought brought captive to the obedience of Christ just one other expression of this determination and you ought to know about this and unless you are an office bearer you wouldn't and I feel I owe it to it to tell you and it's what I'm calling the central place given to the scriptures in the deliberations of the leadership of this church when your deacons meet for their monthly meeting it's a delight always to read their notes and see at the top who is present what chapter of the word of God was read and then they're praying and I happened one time to sneak in on one of their meetings and they didn't know I was coming I had to see the chairman for something and his wife let me into the home and I'll never forget the humbling experience

51:34 of hearing those men I thought I got in near the tail end of their prayers they went on for another 45 to 50 minutes pleading with God that they might do their work according to the word of God and I know when the deacons meet often in their notes they'll say consult the elders about this they're looking to us for direction concerning biblical principles and how they apply to an area of diaconal concern when we as elders meet though we may not have our Bibles open continually there is always that recognition that the scriptures are the quality controlled upon all that we do and often in wrestling with naughty matters we've said surely the scriptures must give light on this issue we're wrestling with one right now of a very weighty matter concerning church polity and we say surely there must be something in the word of God but we're paralyzed to move until we get light from the book because we have no no legislative authority whatsoever ever only administrative this is our legislature and all the rules are here now brethren you appreciate having a church like that you appreciate it where the central place of the scriptures greets you in the opening words of the confession of faith where a central place

The Cost of Maintaining This Determination and Warning Against Erosion

53:03 is given to the scriptures in public worship central place in congregational worship in congregational life central place in the deliberations of your leadership well let me tell you something these things didn't just and they won't just we'll deal next week God willing with the price that we'll all have to pay if someone will be able to stand here thirty years from now and preach what I'm preaching and make it stick the Lord tarries but I want to say this much as we close just as surely as these things didn't just happen we're going to have to go back to the beginning of the first chapter but they are major expressions of this determination articulated in this second affirmation of the manifesto as long as this determination remains these expressions will remain the particulars may change the particular order of service by which the centrality of scripture is presently manifested that may be altered we alter it sometimes circumstantials may change but the day you have a confession where the word of God is not central services of public worship where the word of God is not dominant congregational life and activity of any kind where scripture does not regulate

54:32 and leadership that is not continually in touch with the word of God you've had it and mark this down church history proves this point the erosion never starts at the confessional level you can take the four things I've mentioned as major expressions of this determination and think of them as four different circles confession congregational public worship congregational life and leadership you know where the erosion starts in the room where the deacons and elders meet and they begin to act on the basis not of biblical principle but of pragmatism size of the congregation meeting church budgets and when the leadership begins to compromise in their meetings the next place it will show up is in congregational meetings they're just business meetings common sense rules not the bible and when the erosion takes place in the business meetings it won't be long before people begin to suggest well you know we've got to brighten things up a bit just a bit too heavy just a bit too much bible in the public worship and then when the bible goes from its central place in the public worship then people are bold enough to propose a change in the confession and by the time it gets that far

55:57 the rot has so made its way through the tree it's good for nothing but to cut it down and cast it into the fire now you think about that and you appoint yourself a watchdog of one you've got carte blanche to come to any elder deacon any time you come sweetly now but you come and say you guys still in touch with your bibles and smile real sweet but you ask us make us be a couple accountable don't you ever be ashamed you hear something preached that doesn't square with what you see in your bible you do come continue to come not a one of you ever been rebuffed saying who are you i know a little greek and hero no one ever was rebuffed that way you come you come dear people i'm not filling up time this morning this has been my life's work thank god for others who've poured their lives in along with me i'm not saying it's been only my life's work i'm not saying it's been only my life's work

57:11 but i've given my life under god to see god raise up a church where jesus christ has his rightful place as foundation life and lord and where all doctrine and practice is molded by this book and i pray god to kill me if i ever live for anything else and you who are treating this book lightly you're messing around with a god that's bigger than you are you're messing around with a god that's bigger than you are you're messing around with a god that's bigger than you are you're messing around with a god that's bigger than you are you better stack arms and get right with him or he'll prove in your case that the way of a transgressor is hard don't toy with the god of this book but go to him and find the mercy that he promises to needy sinners let's pray our father we're so thankful that in the midst of a world of spiritual darkness and with a deceiver who is out to damn us with his lies we thank you that you've given us a sure word of prophecy you've given us your holy word breathed out from your very heart and mouth all how we thank you for the scriptures

58:36 and we pray that they will ever hold their rightful place in molding all of our doctrine and practice in this place and all god things that we now believe that we shouldn't and things we ought to believe that we don't all teach us we pray out of your word and things that we're doing that we shouldn't and things we ought to do and we aren't oh lord rebuke us and instruct us give us as a congregation a fresh baptism of hunger and thirst and commitment and willingness to pay the price of maintaining this tenet of our life together seal your word to our hearts and receive our thanks for your goodness and mercy we ask in jesus name amen