COMMON CONFESSION: THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE Article XIV Cooperation. One Sacred Effort. Acts 15:1-35

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1 COMMON CONFESSION: THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE 2000 I. Introduction a. Read Article. b. Pray. c. Introduce Text Acts 15:1-35 Article XIV Cooperation One Sacred Effort Acts 15:1-35 d. Opener Pastor Casey Common Confession Promo Video i. So some would say that denominations divide, that to adopt a statement like the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and so identify with the SBC is to by nature exclude others. But I would argue and others have argued that denominations actually help to preserve unity in the universal church. I can stand with my Methodist brother on the non-negotiables, those things that you must believe to be A Christian but at the same time join with those who share in my theological distinctives as we all week in and week out seek to worship and serve our community and minister to them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. e. Comments. This is the Spirit of Cooperation of which our article speaks. We are a Southern Baptist Church, and we are a Southern Baptist Church, because we as a church have partnered with the Southern Baptist Convention for the sake of the Kingdom work we are called to, the Great Commission. Such cooperation is in keeping with the Bible and is defined and governed by the Bible. f. Main Point of the Text The New Testament churches, though autonomous, cooperated together for the purity and advancement of the gospel and for the good encouragement of God s people, particularly Gentiles. g. Main Point of the Sermon. Gospel partnerships, whether they be denominational or interdenominational, should operate from a pure gospel for the advancement of that gospel to the lost and for the good encouragement of God s people. h. Read Text Acts 15:1-35

2 i. Transition statement. There are three principles from this text that inform not our statement of faith but how we should function as church in partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention, our State Convention, the South Roanoke Baptist Association and our partnerships with others. II. PRINCIPLE #1 GOSPEL PARTNERSHIPS SHOULD OPERATE FROM A PURE GOSPEL a. EXPLANATION i. A threat to the gospel prompted the Jerusalem council vv. 1-5, The threat dealt with the place of Old Covenant customs in the salvation of the Gentiles, namely circumcision and adherence to the Law of Moses vv. 1, 5 a. God originally revealed to Peter that He had chosen a people from among the Gentiles v. 7a b. God had saved the Gentiles the same way He had saved the Jews without distinction v. 9a i. The message of salvation was the same Christ s righteousness alone v. 7a ii. The mode of salvation was the same by grace through faith v. 7b, 9b, 11 iii. The means of salvation was the same regeneration by the Holy Spirit v. 8 c. Not even the Jew could bear the weight of the Law s demands, because it was never intended to offer salvation. i. Hebrews 7:19 for the Law made nothing perfect ii. Hebrews 10:1-4 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ii. The threat is addressed first at the local church level.

3 1. It caused needed dissension and debate within the church among the leaders at Antioch v. 2a 2. It is addressed by the church body which collectively chooses Paul and Barnabas to be delegates to the Jerusalem council v. 2b 3. The appeal was ultimately to the Word of God and only secondarily to a larger collective body. a. The Word is here represented by the apostles, those to whom revelation by the Holy Spirit was given. b. The larger collective body is implied in the term elders which signifies the leadership of the church in Jerusalem. iii. The threat is addressed second at a larger delegation of leaders and believers the Jerusalem Council 1. The decision of the Jerusalem Council is both binding and nonbinding. a. The gospel is binding. i. It was revealed to Peter. ii. The revelation corresponded with previous Old Testament revelation. b. The implications of the gospel are not. i. A final judgment. 1. James lead in a final judgment. a. Against those who pose the threat do not trouble b. In favor of the Gentile believers those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles. c. With respect for the Jewish believers i. Abstain from things contaminated by idols and from what is strangled and from blood. ii. Abstain from fornication. iii. John Gil it was not thought to be criminal by the Gentiles, and was commonly used by them, and which must be offensive to the believing Jews, who were better

4 acquainted with the will of God. 2. The final judgment accorded with the Word (here, the apostles). 3. The final judgment accorded with the collective governing body (elders). 4. The final judgment accorded with the whole church body. ii. Key words to consider 1. James suggestion was a personal judgment regarding the matter It is my judgment 2. There is little indication that the churches were required to obey It seemed good to us 3. The decision was considered wise in that they believed the Holy Spirit was guiding them It seemed good to the Holy Spirit b. APPLICATION i. Stored Gospel partnerships should operate from a pure gospel. ii. Specific 1. Denominational/Associational Partnerships a. The partnerships between a local church and the larger state conventions, including their various associations, as well as the church s partnership with the greater Southern Baptist Convention, are ultimately partnerships rooted in a common confession, the one true and pure gospel of Jesus Christ. i. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, according to the Scriptures alone. b. Our convention of churches and their delegates convenes only once a year, often times to deal with what we perceive to be threats to the gospel itself or threats to the various implications of the gospel (e.g. homosexuality, racial reconciliation, etc.). c. Our convention is one comprised of autonomous local churches, bodies who are ultimately responsible for maintaining the purity of the gospel.

5 d. The judgments reached by our convention are non-binding upon the churches represented. i. However, churches that compromise the gospel will lose their place at the convention along with any form of denominational support. ii. However, churches that compromise certain implications of the gospel (e.g. morality) will lose their place at the convention. iii. On matters of secondary and tertiary importance, some SBC churches have chosen to form partnerships even within the denomination that allow their members to come around the gospel but with people of like mind regarding other things (e.g. CBF). 2. Interdenominational Partnerships a. The one operating principle here is that whoever we partner with as a church must operate from a pure gospel. That excludes certain denominations, namely those who preach a false gospel that if believed will damn. i. The Catholic Church. ii. The Christian Church. iii. The Church of Christ. iv. The Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ). v. Certain variations of Pentecostalism. vi. Mormonism. vii. Jehovah s Witness. viii. Certainly those of an obvious false nature such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. c. Transition statement. Principle #1 Gospel partnerships should operate from a pure gospel. Principle #2 Gospel partnerships should operate for the advancement of the gospel. III.POINT #2 GOSPEL PARTNERSHIPS SHOULD OPERATE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL a. EXPLANATION i. The Jerusalem Council was born out of missionary endeavor. 1. Missionary endeavor to Antioch Acts 11 a. Great Commission witnessing i. To the Jews Acts 11:19

6 ii. To the Greeks Acts 11:20 b. Great Commission discipling i. Missionaries from afar ii. Missionaries with a purpose 1. v. 26 For an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. 2. Missionary endeavor from Antioch Acts 13 a. Great Commission prayer and fasting vv. 2a, 3a b. Great Commission listening v. 2b c. Great Commission sending v. 3b, 4 i. By the Holy Spirit ii. Through the local church 3. Missionary endeavor that drew attention Acts 15:1 4. Missionary endeavor that bore fruit Acts 15:36-18:22 a. The call of Timothy to the ministry 16:1-3 b. The planting of the Philippian church 16:12-40 c. The planting of the Thessalonican church 17:1-9 d. The planting of the Corinthian church 18:1-18 e. The planting of the Ephesian church 18:18-19; 24-20:1 b. APPLICATION i. Stored Gospel partnerships should operate, ultimately, for the advancement of the gospel among the lost Acts 3: Not partnerships to address merely the perceived needs of the people. The man s perceived need was not met. 2. Not partnerships to address merely the actual needs of the people. There was great concern for his physical need. 3. Rather, partnerships that address the greatest need of the people. There was an even greater opportunity for the preaching of the gospel. ii. Specific 1. Interdenominational Partnerships a. Gospel partnerships that attempt to meet merely the perceived needs of the people are gospel partnerships in name only. b. Gospel partnerships that attempt to meet merely the actual needs of the people are gospel partnerships in name only.

7 c. Gospel partnerships by nature include the message of the gospel. 2. Denominational/Associational Partnerships a. The Southern Baptist Convention and its various entities and state and local associations were born out of missionary endeavor. i. One Sacred Effort, p. 2 In 1845, they (Southern Baptists) created their Convention for the purpose of organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the whole denomination in one sacred effort, for the propagation of the Gospel. b. The Southern Baptist Convention has chosen specific ways to further missionary endeavor i. One of two methods 1. Society Various societies for mission endeavor responsible for raising their own funds to support the missionaries under their umbrella 2. Associational A centralized denominational entity responsible for distributing funds donated by local churches to its various missionary entities and missionaries. ii. The Cooperative Program 1. The Cooperative Program was remarkably simple in principle. Churches were to canvass members for pledged giving for the following year in the fall. Based on those commitments, churches set their own annual budgets. Out of those budgets they would commit a percentage of their total revenue to give to the new Cooperative Program. This financial commitment would stand in the stead of previous special offerings made to individual causes every time an agent showed up at the church with his plea for funds for state or national convention concerns. There would be no more such visits. That percentage of

8 revenue would be sent on to the state convention office, preferably on a monthly basis. Each state convention would also formulate a budget for its programs, based on expectations of revenues from the churches and would live within those financial boundaries. State conventions each sent a percentage of Cooperative Program receipts on to the SBC. The goal was for a fifty-fifty split The SBC, based on its expectation of annual receipts, would then set its own budget. The Executive Committee of the Convention would determine just how the total amount was to be apportioned to the various agencies with the lion s share of the resources always to go to missions, especially foreign missions. iii. Mission Boards 1. Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board) 2. Domestic Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board) iv. Other 1. LifeWay Christian Resources (formerly the Sunday School Board) 2. Guidestone Financial Resources (formerly the Annuity Board) 3. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission 4. Various Theological Seminaries 5. WMU v. Local Associations 1. Receive no CP dollars but rather are funded by the churches themselves (p. 119). c. There is a move among some Southern Baptists to adopt a both/and model for supporting missions. i. Negative reasons

9 1. Prompted by some disillusionment with the larger denomination (i.e. bureaucracy) ii. Positive reasons 1. Prompted by an appeal to Scripture. a. Raise them up, send them out, support the work. 2. Prompted by the practical nature of personal support. Personal support lends better to personal involvement. c. Transition statement. Principle #1 Gospel partnerships operate from a pure gospel. Principle #2 Gospel partnerships operate for the advancement of the gospel. Principle #3 Gospel partnerships operate for the good encouragement of the people whom they serve. IV. POINT #3 GOSPEL PARTNERSHIPS OPERATE FOR THE GOOD ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE PEOPLE WHOM THEY SERVE. a. EXPLANATION i. Gospel partnerships, their endeavors and especially the fruit of those endeavors, brought great joy to the churches and their members 1. Various churches in partnership 15: The church to whom the letter was initially addressed 15:31 ii. Gospel partnerships strengthened the churches and helped to further the gospel through growing churches 15:41; 16:4 iii. Gospel partnerships brought with them sharp disagreement and sometimes a parting of the ways. 1. Paul and Barnabas agreed on the gospel. 2. Paul and Barnabas agreed on the aim of their second missionary journey. 3. Paul and Barnabas disagreed on the inclusion of John Mark who had left them during their first missionary work to return to Jerusalem as is recounted in Acts 13:13. b. APPLICATION i. Gospel partnerships and their fruits will bring great joy to the churches and their members. ii. Gospel partnerships strengthen churches and help to further the gospel through growing churches.

10 iii. But Gospel partnerships can produce sharp disagreements and sometimes a parting of the ways, even among brothers who love one another and share the same passion for winning those who are lost. Sometimes, it is better to part ways over secondary and tertiary issues in order to keep the main thing the main thing and the main thing is the Gospel and the Great Commission. That is what denominational cooperation is all about. c. Transition statement. V. SUMMATION & RESPONSE