Dead Man Talking!

Dead Man Talking!

Beck on Religion and Revival – REALLY

This past Saturday a newsman tried to become a religious leader. Glenn Beck is considered by most politically conservative people a trustworthy commentator of all things political. Whatever your opinion of Glenn Beck and his politics, I am commenting here only upon his fitness to advise anyone in religious matters. Glenn Beck was a Roman Catholic and converted to Mormonism. By any biblical estimate he went from bad to worse. Glenn Beck cannot have any real concept of the gospel and the grace that is central to it. Grace and gospel are absolutely missing within the Mormon cult, and can only peripherally be seen in the theology of Rome. Beck used language commonly found in Christianity, but then Christianity and Mormonism are not related. The greatest difficulty I am having with this whole event is not even with Glenn Beck. My expectation of Mr. Beck is based upon the fact of his spiritual deadness. Mormonism as a godless cult leaves its followers dead in their sins and trespasses, and such is the state of Mr. Beck. Why would people who have been made alive in Christ even pause to listen to the musings of a blaspheming Mormon? God may be calling his people to repentance and revival, but he will not do so through a prophet of Baal. Can the worshippers of the Living God bow in prayer next to those who bow before idols? The scriptures warn us time and again to be careful who we listen to. Only in a muddled religious environment such as the contemporary church would an unconverted soul such as Beck receive amen's from supposed Christians. A man can only speak of God when he knows him. To know God one must be born from above. The mere mentioning of the word god does not merit the attention of those souls that are in the church. If we are to be salt and light in the world, then we must not lose our flavor or we are fit for nothing but to be trampled under foot. Mr. Beck should stick to the political realm; at least he knows something about it. The church can be tolerant of those that are dead in their sins and trespasses and practice the religions of the spiritually dead; but we must not suppose them to have anything of eternal value to pass on to us. This country is in need of repentance and revival without a doubt, but it cannot be brought by Glenn Beck. Only God can bring repentance and revival to his people. The church should cry out for repentance and revival and if God should be pleased to bring it, we will then see it. God is not honored by a church that is so much a part of the world that we are not distinguishable from it. Paul tells us – "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Elijah didn't sing hymns of praise to Baal when the prophets of Baal began to cut themselves and cry out to their dead god. Those that serve the only true and living God can have no part in the false gods of the unregenerate. The church must always be the church. Our calling is to be in the world but not of it. Stand up church; God is calling us to proclaim the hope that is in Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone.

Rick Lauterbach

Senior Pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Was Judas treated unfairly?

Was Judas treated unfairly?

There are various and differing opinions within the field of theology. Every Christian and Unbeliever has to do theology. It is inescapable. Thinking that theology is only for those in the seminary is not clear headed thinking. Theology is done by every soul; the difference is whether it is done well or not.  The theology of a church is most readily heard from its pulpit and seen in the lives of the members. Preaching biblically means saying what the Bible says – "Thus sayeth the Lord." One of the most difficult cases to work through theologically is that of Judas. In John 17 when the Lord is praying He says "While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane says, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" Upon taking the entire biblical record as related to Judas the student of the Bible comes to a place of true difficulty. David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit condemns Judas before he is born, and yet when Judas betrays Christ with a kiss it is Judas who freely chooses to do so. Is it consistent or fair for Judas to be condemned prior to drawing his first breath? It appears as though that's exactly the case. The inconsistency is not with God, but with us. There are strange theological contortions that many do here when faced with Judas. Some would say Judas is unique. Others would say God looked through time and saw the betrayal of Jesus and simply reported it. The problem with these ideas is that they are not supported biblically. The condition of Judas is much like that of every man in that he is free to choose, while at the same time beneath the sovereignty of God. Men in their fallen estate are free to choose right and wrong and are judged according to their choices. The difficulty comes when we try to so compartmentalize our thought process and any areas of overlap are trimmed away. Can a man be guilty of sin, have that sin proclaimed and judged before he even begins his existence and still be operating freely? The answer is yes. It seems inconsistent when we first think about it. The reason for this apparent inconsistency rest within our theology, and not with the bible or with God. The bible does not portray the human soul as diminished if it rest beneath the sovereign rule of God.  Judas as is the case for all men is free in as much as a person in their fallen estate is free. Libertarian free will is something much of the church dogmatically fights for and will brand someone not holding to it with every low label that they can. The problem is that libertarian free will is a matter of philosophy rather than theology. Biblically speaking I do not believe it exists. Free will exists, just not libertarian free will. Judas was perfectly free to choose the course of his life, including his betrayal of Christ, while at the same time God had authoritatively proclaimed how it would take place. The life of the creature always falls beneath the rule of the Creator. Was Judas treated unfairly? When our minds are more philosophical than biblical, we proclaim this to be so. When we are willing to do the work of a theologian, we come to an understanding of humanity as free, but fallen. Our dependence upon God is in all things, including salvation. Our problem begins when we don't take the advice of Paul, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." We sometimes forget we are the creatures of God and fall beneath his authority. We wish for ourselves things that we have never been given. Those in the church are not somehow superior to those outside it in any way which caused our salvation. Our greatest distinction is "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." The conclusion is this, all men are free creatures who exist in a fallen estate and will choose based upon being dead in sins and trespasses, unless they are made alive in Christ. Some of our biggest problems theologically speaking occur when our philosophy gets in front of our theology and our theology ahead of the scriptures. Finally, we must be able to find contentment with being biblical even when it makes us uncomfortable. Trying to box everything up in a nice neat way sounds admirable, but in theology sometimes it causes problems. Better messy in the ordering of our thoughts and neat in our obedience to Christ. It is not inconsistent to say I acted freely, while God's sovereignty ruled over me.

Rick Lauterbach

Senior Pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Reform

Reformed or Not Reformed?
 
The average church has been in a state of man centered worship for years now. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but most church decisions are made with little or no thought as to their biblical nature and whether they glorify God. The reformation began because the church had fallen into such a terrible estate. The time of the reformers saw a return to biblical christianity and a rejection of the worldly church. The rejection of the papacy did not occur because the church disliked Rome, but because true christianity has no place for a pope and a system of religion that rejects the authority of the infallible Word of God for the flawed and fallible teachings of men. The love of God caused the reformers to seek the counsel of God through His Word and to reject the corruption of Rome. The reformers were a bold group of men that were compelled by their love of God to stand against a church that God has rejected. They didn't just stand against Rome, but for TRUTH. The cry of "Sola Scriptura" was the battle cry of these brave men. The reformers were followed by other great men who felt compelled to follow God and turn further away from unbiblical worship. The puritans theologians and pastors came along at a time when the church needed to be strengthened, and they stood strong for true christianity. The Lord has given the church the gift of men of this character throughout time to bring the people of God back to Him. The conviction of all these great men of God has been a desire for God, for a holy church, for pure (biblical) worship, and all these finding themselves manifested in and by God centered theology. The protestant church has always labored to be biblical in its doctrine and function, accomplishing this most plainly when it remembers the need of reformation is continuous. We must never forget "to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ". One of the central themes of all these great men of God has been the biblical sovereignty of God, and the absolute inability of men to do anything to effect their own salvation. They believed that the scriptures portray all men to be fallen, and in this fallen estate incapable of even seeking God, and thus absolutely dependent upon the grace of God for their redemption. They believed in a pure grace that is a monergistic work of God, rather than the synergistic work of men. This understanding of a salvation wrought in God causes a man to believe and live differently. When salvation is truly of grace and has no part in works, the human soul is robbed of every opportunity to boast, and is left with no choice but to fall prostrate before the living God. The church that chooses not to reform, chooses to backslide. The condition of the human soul is such that we grow comfortable with ourselves and our sin if we are not constantly taking ourselves before the counsel of God's Word. Churches don't really reform so much as individuals reform, and then led by the conviction of the Holy Spirit those surrounding that individual follow that person into a condition of greater reverence and desire for God, for a holy church, for pure (biblical) worship. Only when the church recognizes its dependence upon God and its inability to do anything of lasting value apart from Him, will it cry out for reformation and God according to the counsel of his own will and for his glory will be pleased to grant us revival. Sovereign Grace Baptist Church is seeking after this reformation and revival. We are aligning ourselves with the pure teachings of the reformers and the puritans and rejecting the man centered theology and worship of much of the contemporary church.
 

Rick Lauterbach

Senior Pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

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