The practice of Baptism was practiced in Israel before the establishment of the church. In the temple there were “Mikvah’s” – this was a Jewish “bath” that was used to symbolically cleanse the worshipper as they prepared to bring their offering to the Lord. It was also used for a Gentile proselyte as they began to identify themselves with the God of Israel. As John the Baptist preached in the wilderness, He practiced Baptism, those baptized identified themselves with his teaching. This is why Jesus needed to be baptized by John, He needed to demonstrate that His ministry would be an extension and advancement of John the Baptist’s ministry. John reminded his followers, “Jesus must increase, and John must decrease” (John 3:30). I Peter 3:21 tells us that baptism is “… the answer of a good conscience toward God…” Therefore, baptism is an outward action of an inward obedient heart to the Lord. We might liken the importance of baptism to a wedding ring. The ring does not make you married, but it announces to your community that you have a unique relationship with one person, and that you have committed your life to that person. Baptism aligns us to … READ MORE

When it comes to oversight in the church, the question always comes as to “who is the head of the church?” Is it the pastor, the deacon’s or official board, or the congregation? The reality is that according to Hebrews 13:20-21 The true head of the church is Jesus Christ. Everyone, Pastor, deacon’s or board, and the congregation, only has delegated authority and they are all answerable to Him and the truths of God’s Word. He is our shepherd, our sovereign, and our Sanctifier, and as such we must never do anything that is contrary to HIs Word. Although we are to do everything we can in the church, it is the power of Christ that makes everything work. We must understand that in each of the tree people or groups, they are all subject to the same authority. While they have different roles based on their gifts, they are all equally important in the body of Christ. In Hebrews 13:20-21 we see three things that points to the saving work of Christ for His church. First, His Name: “Lord Jesus!” – This makes Him our Shepherd. Acts 4:12 reminds us that “there is no other name under heaven given … READ MORE

The hardest and most misunderstood, part of the Restoration Principle outlined in Matthew 18:15-20, is found at the end of of verse 17 through the end of this section (v20). Most people see this as harsh treatment of the one in sin, to remove them from the membership of the church. This has lead some to go to the extreme of “shunning” those who are removed, and acting in a very judgmental and ungracious way toward the one who is enslaved in sinful behavior. That is when we are to remind ourselves that the principles here are restorative, not punitive. When you look at verses 18-20, we get a better picture of the purpose of that exclusion. When we become a member of a local church, we join together with a redemptive community, who says, based our on confession of faith we believe that you have a relationship with Christ and therefore, are a member of the family of God. James 2 reminds us that our relationship with Christ is not based upon simple words, but rather it is built upon a life that manifests obedience. Just as the testimony of those in the church confirms our decision to follow … READ MORE