Great Project to reach out to Haiti

Looking for a way your family or LifeGroup can make a difference for the people of Haiti.  Check out this great and inexpensive project.

Buckets of Hope . . . You may have heard some about this worthwhile endeavor that is being sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Convention in conjunction with The North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, Baptist Global Response, and the Florida Baptist Convention.

This bucket was developed with the people of Haiti on our mind and on our heart. This bucket filled with food items will feed a Haitian family for one week. The cost is low, only about $30.00 including the bucket. We are asking that $10 per bucket be included which will put the cost at $40.00 per bucket. We now have all of the information live on the website of www.tndisasterrelief.org.  Please take a look at this as well as the locations for the collection of the buckets.

If you have questions please do not hesitate to email me at dacres@tnbaptist.org or give me a call at (615) 371-7927.

Disaster Relief Training

Baptist Global Response and NAMB are telling us that it could be 90 to 120 days before Disaster Relief teams are needed in Haiti. When called upon the teams that will go will be food distribution, medical, restoration, rebuild, and chaplains. It is anticipated that this response to Haiti will last three years and perhaps longer.

Introduction to Disaster Relief and at least one specialized class is required before going on a disaster relief mission trip.  Because of new directives from Homeland Security, FEMA and other national agencies related to the training and screening of volunteer disaster relief workers, the cost of a 3 year credential is now $36.00.  This fee covers not only the cost of the ID and background check but also the cost of any of the basic training courses a volunteer wants to take.  Current disaster relief volunteers, if you have not had Introduction to Disaster Relief in the last three years you need to re-certify.

Introduction to Disaster Relief:

February 9, 2010, Second Baptist Church, 777 Public Safety Road, Clinton.  Registration 5:30PM, class 6:00PM-9:00PM.

February 18, 2010, First Baptist Church, 215 N. Kentucky Street, Kingston.  Registration 5:30PM, class 6:00PM-9:00PM.

February 19, 2010, Chilhowee Baptist Association, 341 East Lincoln Street, Alcoa.  Registration 5:30PM, class 6:00PM-9:00PM.

Specialized Classes:

February 16, 2010, Chainsaw Operation and Safety (classroom), Second Baptist Church, 777 Public Safety Road, Clinton.  Registration 5:30 PM.  Class 6:00PM-7:30PM.

February 20, 2010, Mass Feeding (Part A), Chilhowee Baptist Association, 341 East Lincoln Street, Alcoa.  Registration 12:00 PM.  Class 12:30PM-6:00PM.

February 23, 2010, Rebuild, First Baptist Church, 215 N. Kentucky Street, Kingston.  Registration 5:30 PM.  Class 6:00PM-7:30PM.

NOTE: It is important that you let Kevin Rogers (947-2553 or  rogers2819@comcast.net) know when and what training you get.   Our unit gets activated by e-mail to Kevin, he then in-turn contacts the trained volunteers.  If Kevin doesn’t know a person is trained they will probably not get notified.

As I sit at my desk on this Wednesday afternoon I am struck at the sad state of affairs in our country.  No I am not referring to the health care bill or the latest Washington scandal.  My little corner of the world has been turned on it’s ear because a football coach resigned after only one year on the job.  Now granted that is news, especially when he coaches at the largest university in our state and makes nearly $2 million per year.  And certainly I am interested in knowing about it as I am a Tennessee football fan.  But let’s face it this thing has taken on a life of itself.

At approximately 8:15 last night news began to break about the earthquake in Haiti at about the same time the news of Kiffin’s departure for the University of Tennessee to take the head coaching job at the University of Southern California was announced.  On each of the local television stations the news departments broke in with a special report.  One might think that would be a report of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, but no it was a special report on the Kiffin story.  Eventually, every reporter in town was on the story.  Live updates were sent directly from the UT campus to keep the public up to date on this most important story.  Students were rioting in the streets.  Yet not a peep about the tragedy in Haiti, not a word.

By the time the 10 pm news was on, the entire 30 minute news cast was preempted by the Kiffin departure, with analysis by former players, sports experts, and man on the street interviews.  Thinking the subject had been exhausted I stayed up for the 11 pm edition of the local news, more of the same although they did find time to give a weather update.  Yet not a word about the thousands who had died and the multiple thousands injured in Haiti.

Whats my point?  Am I anti-football news, not at all, in fact I have talked my fair share about the Kiffin catastrophe.  My point is simply this, the reaction of the local media to the departure of an overpaid, egocentric, football coach, whose greatest achievement in life would be to be part of a group of men who win a bunch of football games, (there is a reason they call them games, it is because they are a form of play, they don’t matter) and declared to be the make believe “National Champion,” was so unbalanced.  I suspect the unbalance was not due to the people at the TV stations valuing the Kiffin fiasco higher that the earthquake in Haiti, no it was that the public valued news on a coach leaving over the tragic loss of life on the poverty stricken island of Haiti.  Herein lies the tragedy, as a society we value entertainment over eternity, laughter over life, and our own happiness over the health and well being of others.  Had one of the stations dared air the Haiti story as its lead they would have suffered at the hands of an entertainment addicted community and would have lost significant market share.  Oh the depths to which we have sunk.

Perhaps Amos had us in mind when he wrote… “Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgression of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals- those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted.’”  Oh that God would grant us the grace to sober up and view life as he does.

Hebrews 2:5-9

Introduction

In his Epic poem “Paradise Lost” John Milton chronicles the fall of Adam and Eve and its lasting effect on mankind.  Milton states that his purpose in “Paradise Lost” is to “justify the ways of God to men and elucidate the conflict between God’s eternal foresight and free-will.”

The author of Hebrews fulfills a similar purpose in verse 5-9 of our text.  Indeed not only does he set forth Paradise Lost, but Paradise Defined and Paradise Regained.

1A. Paradise defined (2:5-8)

1B. The destiny of Man (2:5)

Our present world is ruled by Angels

1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

God never intended for Angels to rule over the world to come, they will be servants to the heirs of salvation (1:14).

“Subjected” (hupotasso) system of administration

God will not turn over the administration of the world to angels

2 Corinthians 2:2-3 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

“the World to come” (oikoumene) the inhabited earth

This verse plainly teaches a literal world to come that will be different from the present world.

Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2B. The dignity of Man (2:6-8a)

The lack of a reference would indicate that the author assumed that his audience was familiar with the quoted text.

The question – what is Man? (2:6)

“Mindful” remember, recall, God would remember us in our fallen estate.

“Care” look upon someone with mercy, with a view of benefiting them

The answer – You made him…(2:7-8a)

For a little while lower than the angels (2:7a)

This is a temporary state

Man is an earthy creature and angels are heavenly creatures

Angels were never subjected to death, man is.

You have crowned him with glory and honor (2:7b)

“Crowned” to adorn, decorate, used for a victor in the public games

“Glory” to ascribe honor, dignity, splendor, glory

“Honor” of a state or condition of rank & dignity, to esteem.

Putting everything in subjection under his feet

“Putting… subjection” 2nd person Aorist Active Indicative, Literally You have placed under, in an orderly fashion, in subjection.

“Everything” all things, collective

“Under his feet” to subjugate

2A. Paradise Lost (2:8b)

Because of sin man’s destiny was restricted.

1B. The human family suffered (Genesis 3:16-19)

Pain and suffering became part of life

Man is set at odds with creation

Man is set at odds with God (Genesis 3:22-24)

Man is set at odds with man (Genesis 4:3-8)

2B. All of creation suffered

Romans 8:19-20 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

3B. Mankind is under the curse without hope

Genesis 2:17b for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned

3A. Paradise regained (2:9)

1B. The Incarnation (2:9a; John 1:1, 14)

1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

2B. The propitiation (2:9c)

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

3B. The resurrection and ascension (2:9b)

Ephesians 1:20-21 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

4B. The appropriation (Romans 6:5-11)

In the coming kingdom all things we be made new.

2 Peter 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Application

In Christ we find not only our hope for the future but the fulfillment of our God given purpose.  The reign and rule with Him, to the glory of His name!

Next Week Hebrews 2:9-18

Ok, I have been on vacation all week. Sleeping late, relaxing by the pool, touring Savannah and Charleston, and most of all enjoying so alone time with Carla. Yet, this week has not been completed spent in non-intellectual endeavors. I have managed to finish one book, “Paradigms in Conflict” and read two others, “Puritan Evangelism” and “The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism.”
All three were good reads, although I must confess I thought I would never finish “Paradigms,” the book looks at various mission paradigms and how they conflict with each other. Written like a textbook it makes for a long read, lots of footnotes and technical language, but a must read for anyone serious about missions.
“Puritan Evangelism” is a small easy read that give a good overview of the evangelistic methods and passion of the puritans. I found it to be both informative and challenging. It is a refreshing break from the market driven drivel that often passes off as evangelism today. I recommend it to every serious evangelist. Don’t let the title frighten you away, I read it in a morning by the pool.
Finally, “The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism” is a honest look at some of the most common question/misunderstandings raised in relation to reformed theology. Written by a layman for laymen it is well organized and presented in plain non-technical language. I believe this would be a good read for any serious Bible study seeking to understand the doctrines of grace.
I thank God for the great privilege of getting away for these days. Carla and I have greatly enjoyed this time together. I am so blessed to serve in a church that allows its staff vacation time. I have thought often of my brothers in places like Africa and China, who would not even understand the idea of vacation, they labor tirelessly for the glory of God, may the Father sustain and strengthen them and may heaven be all the more sweeter for them.

Last week I had the privilege of spending three days in Baltimore, MD. It was my first trip to “Birdland” as the Orioles fans like to call it. Baltimore is much like a number of cities in the industrial northeast. In some ways its a city who’s greatest days seem to have passed, yet in so many ways a city that is struggling to find itself and it’s future.
My purpose for visiting Baltimore was to determine if our church should be involved in a new church plant. I traveled with Mark Henley a seasoned member of our Great Commission Leadership Team. We had the privilege so spending three days touring Baltimore and learning about the needs in the metro area of nearly 2.5 million. We saw the beauty of the inner harbor with its high rises and sports complexes. But we also saw the less traveled to areas where poverty is a daily reality and drugs and gangs rule.
Baltimore is so like so many of our cities, the middle class have fled to the “safe”suburbs and have let the city to the drug dealers, prostitutes, and the folks who can’t afford to flee. And as is so often the case the churches have fled with them, following the money to the “burbs” leaving a trapped population without any genuine gospel witness.
The highlight of the trip was not the Orioles game, although I must say that was a wonderful evening. Or the trip to the top of Baltimore’s World Trade Center. It was getting to meet and growing to love a young church planter named Aaron. Aaron is a godly, young pastor who has successfully planted a growing church in Baltimore’s southern suburbs. Yet now he, along with a number of his members feel lead, no compelled, to plant a gospel preaching church in the area near Morgan State University. In three days two things became evident to me. One, the Morgan State area desperately needs a solid gospel preaching church. Two, Aaron is well suited and I believe sovereignly called to plant the church.
All this brings me to this, who will join him? Who among us will move our families to this great city and seek to carry the gospel to this dark and hurting place? Don’t look around, look inside, then look up and say as Isaiah of old, “here am I, send me!”

I recently had the privilege of traveling to West Africa where I spent a week with some of God’s choice servants. These believers work hard every day in order to simply survive in one of the harshest environments I have every experienced. In addition they live under the constant threat of persecution. While we were in the area 12 believers lost their lives at the hands of Muslim extremists. Life for our brothers and sisters in West Africa and in many other places in the world, is to say the least extremely hard. Yet God in His sovereignty has chosen to place them there that His name may be glorified.
One of the great privileges of traveling to other parts of the world is the fellowship that is found among God’s family in every culture and on every continent. No where is that fellowship more evident that when we sit down and share a meal. As I was in Africa, I realized once again the great lengths and expense my host went to in order to extend to me Christian hospitality. We had a wonderful meal of rice and meat. While by US standards this is a rather meager meal, for my African friends this was a banquet. The fact that we had meat to eat was a special treat. See many of our brothers and sisters in places like West Africa rarely have meat as part of their meal. This is due to both the unavailability of meat and the cost. Yet, somehow they managed to have it for their American guests. How humbling to think that they sacrificed so I could be treated with warm hospitality.
However, upon arriving home I was bombarded by TV commercials advertising high quality meat dishes, for dogs and cats. I was reminded that our pets are so fat that we must put them on low fat diets. And that the appearance of these animals is so important that we must purchase high protein food for them so that our neighbors will comment on how “handsome” they are! What has happened to our culture? Have we as believers fallen so far from the truth of the gospel that we now value our pets over our brothers and sisters. Perhaps Leonard Ravenhill sums it up best in his statement that, “Today Christians spend more money on dog food than missions."
Before you write that email, understand I am not proposing that we should starve our animals. Yet, I am pleading for a passion for the gospel that sets our priorities straight. The problem in America is not that we sale diet food for dogs, the problem with America is that we have lost our moral compass. And that my friend is the fault of the church.

On Tuesday evening of this week, our church lost a wonderful saint and I lost a friend. With the home going of Jeff Brownfield, FBC lost a wonderful godly man, who was a true scholar and student of the word of God. To my knowledge Jeff never attended a day of Bible college or seminary, he was an engineer by trade. Yet his passion in life was God and His glory. He was a reader, a reader of the word and a reader of great books. He not only read great books he devoured them, his understanding was truly a gift from God. As a member of my LifeGroup he challenged me to prepare well, that in itself was a wonderful gift. Jeff’s love for God and the gospel was insatiable, he was constantly seeking to expand his knowledge of the holy. But he was not simply a bookish, theologian want-a-be, he lived his faith, in his home, on his job, in life. Jeff was a committed soulwinner, his passion for God’s glory and the gospel compelled him to share the gospel often and effectively.

Forty-five is much too young to die, too young to leave a loving wife, a teenage son, and collegiant daughter. Yet, forty-five is the number of years the Lord numbered for Jeff, and the Father makes no mistakes. Jeff is with Christ, whom he loved so dearly, in many ways his lot is much superior to ours. After all Jeff now knows the greatest joy, glorifying our great God forever. Now that is a life well lived!

Galatians 5:2-12
Introduction
In chapters 5 & 6 Paul makes direct application of the truths he has so faithfully taught in the preceding chapters. In these two chapters he focuses not on justification but on sanctification. He affirms that the life of faith involves both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
He begins by warning the Galatians of the dangers of false doctrine and false teachers. These are the wolves in sheep clothing that Christ spoke of (Matthew 7:15).
1A. The Dangers of False Doctrine (5:2-6)
One of the great dangers of our day is that we take so lightly false doctrine. While many of us would not personally accept teaching that deviates from the Scripture and accepted Christian teaching, we are more than willing to tolerate it in others. In fact we will often criticize anyone who speaks out against false teaching.
As we have discussed the basic problem in the Galatian churches was legalism exemplified in circumcision. However the real problem is one of man-made religion that substitutes or adds to the gospel.
In this section Paul outlines four of the consequences of accepting false doctrine.
1B. Christ is Marginalized (5:2)
When Paul says that “Christ will be of no advantage,” he means that the atonement is of no significance.
In most false doctrine the penal substitutionary atonement is either discredited or ignored.
Christ’s work on the cross needs no help from man.
Hebrews 7:27 (ESV) He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
2B. The Law is Magnified (5:3)
The law is a cruel and jealous taskmaster that binds the heart and hands of man.
James 2:10 (ESV) For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
3B. Grace is Rejected (5:4)
The issue here is not the security of the believer. The issue is the incompatibility of law and grace. Paul is stating once again what he has stated over and over in this letter, grace and law; works and faith are mutually exclusive, especially when it comes to salvation.
Legalism does not please God but offends Him. It does not bring a person closer to God but rather drives him away. (John MacArthur)
Anyone who attempts to pervert the gospel by changing it or adding to it has rejected grace and fallen into legalism.
4B. Hope is Abandoned (5:5-6)
True and lasting hope comes only to those who look to Christ for their righteousness. This person is characterized by:
A life lived through the Spirit rather than the flesh
A life lived by faith rather than works
A life of patient waiting in hope rather than the anxiety of the bondage of the law
A life filled with faith in Christ rather than trusting in the works of the flesh.
2A. The Character of False Teachers (5:7-12)
We must remember that false doctrine is always taught by someone. They are either unknowingly teaching false doctrine in which case they need to be corrected by other believers. Apollos would be a good example of such a case (Acts 18:24-28). When he was corrected by Priscilla and Aquila he repented and changed.
The other type of false teacher is the type Paul is dealing with here. They are unrepentant and are purposely teaching doctrine they know to be at odds with the accepted teachings of the church. They purposely opposed Paul and the gospel he taught. I believe that most of the false teachers who have gained a following in our day fall into this category and as such we must do no less than Paul, identify them, call them to repentance and warn others of them.
1B. They are Deceptive and Destructive (5:7-9)
They hinder true obedience (5:7)
By replacing the freedom and joy of serving Christ with legalistic rules they hinder God’s people from fulfilling the first law of love.
John 14:15 (ESV) If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Obedience was never meant to be a task, it is to be a blessing.
1 John 5:3 (ESV) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
They misrepresent God. (5:8)
John 3:17-19 (ESV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.
They contaminate the church (5:9)
Like leaven they start small and unnoticed but they eventually permeate the entire church.
2B. They disregard the Cross (5:11)
The cross is a stumbling block for false teachers.
One of the most effective tests of a person’s teaching is to ask what they believe about the cross. Do they embrace the doctrine of the penal substitutionary atonement?
If not they are false teachers!
3B. They will be Judged (5:10, 12)
The certain and eternal judgment of God (5:10)
Matthew 18:6 (ESV) but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The deserved temporal judgment of man (5:12)
Apokoptō literally means “to cut off,” especially a member of the body, and hence to mutilate. The word was often used of castration, and that is clearly Paul’s meaning here.
“If the Judaizers are so insistent on circumcision as a means of pleasing God, why don’t they go all the way and castrate themselves as the supreme act of religious devotion? If, like the pagans, they believe human achievement can earn divine favor why don’t they go to the pagan extremes of self-mutilation, like the Cybelene priests?” (John MacArthur)