Video [7 minutes]
About
The video continues to age well, especially for pastors to learn or remember we are to “plant the gospel” in the areas we live. Planting the gospel makes disciples of Christ Jesus.
Church: California Pastor Dr. John MacArthur Interview on The Eric Metaxas Radio Show 7/29/2020 [VIDEO]
Video
Video Description
“Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles explains why he and his congregation have stepped around Gov. Gavin Newsom's Covidvirus order regarding assembly, and addresses what St. Paul means with his command in Romans chapter 13.“
Church: California Pastor Dr. John MacArthur Interview on Tucker Carlson 7/28/2020 [VIDEO]
Video
Fox News Tucker Carlson show on 7/28/2020 featured an interview with Dr. John MacArthur from Southern California's church, Grace Community Church, addressing the several month issue of an American state of the union prohibiting churches from Sunday services or any other small group gathering like in homes.
The issue arose when the state governor used the pandemic and emergency declaration as a way to illegitimatize churches' God given mandate to serve him and the American 1st amendment of "prohibiting the free exercise thereof," freedom to assemble, free speech, and even peaceful protest. Beyond these initial two points, the state governor allowed for other things and people to exercise rights and even beyond their rights like rioting as well as other legal and illegal activity (abortion, liquor stores, protests, destruction of people’s property and businesses, etc.).
Links
Dr. John MacArthur's sermon at Grace Community Church on 7/26/2020 sermon entitled, "We Must Obey God Rather Than Men": https://youtu.be/t2ixUp5KKn8
Grace to You link to the sermon "We Must Obey God Rather Than Men": https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/81-87/we-must-obey-god-rather-than-men
Grace to You link to the "A Statement from John MacArthur and the Elders of Grace Community Church": https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B200723
Church: Surprising Miss Theressa -- Love God and Your Neighbor Featured in Duck Dynasty Season 7, Episode 4
Church: Irreconcilable Views of Reconciliation by Voddie Baucham
Grace To You Description
See their website for full transcript:
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/TM19-9/irreconcilable-views-of-reconciliation-voddie-baucham
Church: Defining Social Justice by Voddie Baucham
Sovereign Nation’s Description
Dr. Voddie Baucham brings our first detailed message by defining what “social justice” is by the definitions provided by the adherents of the movement. Dr. Baucham then provides a polemic from an orthodox Christian understanding of justice.
This presentation was given on January 16, 2019 at the Sovereign Nations 'Social Justice & The Gospel' Conference in Atlanta, Georgia preceding the G3 Conference. For more sessions, visit
Church: Ethnic Gnosticism by Voddie Baucham
Founders’ Description
Ethnic Gnosticism is a term crafted by Voddie Baucham to explain the phenomenon of people believing that somehow because of ones ethnicity that one is able to know when something or someone is racist. In this sermon, Dr. Baucham sheds light on the way this ideology is undermining the gospel and compromising genuine christian relationships in the church today.
In recent years we have a growing concern about “social justice.” What is meant by that phrase, however, varies widely among those who use and promote it. What is too often missing—even in the calls for “social justice” coming from Christian leaders—is a clear understanding of biblical justice. Justice exists because God is just and righteous. He is the One who defines justice and He has revealed what true justice is in the Bible. For more resources on these topics, you can visit www.founders.org.
This presentation was given by Dr. Voddie Baucham on January 4, 2019 at the Southeast Founders "Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly" regional conference in Cape Coral, Florida.
Church: Cultural Marxism by Voddie Baucham
Video [1 Hour]
Founders’ Description
Voddie Baucham has spoken of the unbiblical ideology imbedded in Cultural Marxism. In this address, he unpacks Cultural Marxism identifying how it is incompatible with the Christian faith that has once for all been delivered to the saints.
In recent years we have a growing concern about “social justice.” What is meant by that phrase, however, varies widely among those who use and promote it. What is too often missing—even in the calls for “social justice” coming from Christian leaders—is a clear understanding of biblical justice. Justice exists because God is just and righteous. He is the One who defines justice and He has revealed what true justice is in the Bible. For more resources on these topics, you can visit www.founders.org.
This presentation was given by Voddie Baucham on January 3, 2019 at the Southeast Founders "Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly" regional conference in Cape Coral, Florida.
Referenced Topic Links
Antonio Gramsci - 1900’s Italian Marxists
Balint Vazsonyi - Hungarian immigrated to America and author of the book, America’s 30 Years War: Who is Winning?
Frankfurt School - 1900’s Social Theory School
Hegemony - Term to describe how control over another happens
Karl Marx - 1800’s German philosopher, economist, etc. advocated socialistic values and socialist revolution
LAPD Rampart Division - 1960’s Police Division of the Los Angeles Police Department
Church: Evangelistic Protest in America 2020 "Lord Give Me You, Everything Else Can Wait, We only Want You"
Church: S.M. Lockridge Preaching: "Lordship of Christ -- We Live in a Sadly Sick Society"
Church: S.M. Lockridge Preaching: "Prayer and Praise -- That's My King"
Church: S.M. Lockridge Preaching: "We are Trying to Live Together Without God ... and Our Problem is Not a Skin Problem but a Sin Problem"
Church: How to Reach Any Generation with the Gospel? [VIDEO]
About
It’s a great question to ask at any time, “How to reach any generation with the gospel?” But the answer is equally if not more important for Christian churches (people) and pastors. The answer leads in various directions, and we will either be going God’s direction or not. There’s a lot of resources to answer and clarify to ensure we are going in the right direction, as this one video below of Francis Chan in August 2019 — highlighting again the critical importance to God and his word as the central answer. Instead of looking beyond God and his word, rather, we narrowly dig deep which then (in God’s design) affects the wide world.
By this, Francis Chan provides the profoundly simple, historical, and biblical way to reach any generation with the gospel while also challenging the consistent and ever-changing tactics seemingly “needed” in each generation. Every generation has its issues and challenges, and the temptation becomes following culture issues vs. sound, long-lasting command exemplified in Jesus and the Bible’s New Testament. Chan also provides examples of difficulties in life and ministry, mentioning some friends and personal issues, that show the shortness of life and the importance of God’s word for every generation. Either we become burdened or learn from God and the past to address the current culture the right way — with Jesus.
There’s a few lines in particular that we have consistently shared that Chan highlights:
Just be so careful you can get caught up in just the way things are done right now well everyone does this so we're gonna do it and and you're old you don't know how to reach this generation and that that's the way we all thought even back then like you know like like this is the way we're gonna get the people in and we're gonna get this celebrity to talk and we're gonna get this person because he has so many followers and he's gonna speak and that's really gonna grab people as hard if we get someone famous or we get someone brilliant at this this is this and let's do Church this way because this will grab more people and get more people here and and we just didn't we didn't I didn't take the time to really look deeply in the word and not be tainted by the world and go how did Jesus do it what did he care about what was most important to him and to speak directly to people …
Why didn’t I say something? … Why didn’t you shoot them straight?
Read through the Book of Jeremiah man where he's just saying they're going in everywhere literally everyone hates me [Jeremiah] yet even the church we value people by the number of followers … he could have very easily been loved if he wasn't truthful …
We affirm that God loves the world and that God does want ‘numbers’ of people, however, he wants them by his way. What is his way? It is himself.
Hence why “Telos Center is a training resources to train people in truth and love” and “Telos Church(es) are people inspired by truth and love to make life, disciples, and churches all about Jesus.” God’s plan was and is for people to trust in Jesus with the entirety of their life, which then connects them to God the Father and that’s where God the Spirit is at work in the world and hearts. He is the ultimate truth and love to learn.
If we use earthly examples of this, like in a wedding ceremony context, then we don’t see a man coming to the wedding ceremony altar to marry a dress, makeup, flowers, the bridesmaids, her family, pretty hair, communication skills, etc. We witness a groom entering the wedding altar to lovingly and truthfully marry his bride — the woman, person, her, she, etc. because of who she is and not what she has or comes with. Therefore, the people of the world are to look upon God for who he is as well as what he wants and commands all of us to believe and do. Therefore, we “shoot people straight” with God’s word because he inspires us in truth and love.
Video
Church: Who Do You Think You Are? By Joseph M. Stowell at Dallas Theological Seminary
Church: 1 is Better than 1,000?
Why is 1 better than 1,000? It depends on the context and situation. In the context of money, $1,000 income seems better than $1, especially if you need that to pay rent, mortgage, or for food unless you are being paid to do something evil! In the context of friendship, 1,000 friends seems better than just 1, unless those are 1,000 enemies who are imposter friends!
For Christian pastors, they need to process the question in the context of a local church. Is it better to have 1 or 1,000 people attending and participating together? It seems 1,000 would be, but what if that’s a false premise to even begin asking from? What if Christian pastors are to think differently that 1 truly is better than any since it depends on what the 1 is, or rather, who the 1 is. To a Christian pastor, God is to always be the most important one they serve, receive instruction, and be guided by.
If not, then what or who does a Christian pastor follow in leading a local church among an area of people? It has been proven, even over the recent history of 100 years, that local churches and pastors can be misguided and misguiding to people. When pastors begin to make church life and their life about the numbers of attendees to a church service, they then misalign the tasks associated to pastoring and reveal their underlying motivations lack God and make themselves or others a god.
So, this question is not mean to compare pastors and people to God but rather provide distinction for Christian pastors to discern motivations, methods, message, and mission. The important distinction helps determine and decide what direction they will go in serving among local churches and areas. Christian pastors will be tempted and trained in all various ways (goods, bads, and uglies), and more often than not, Christian pastors are trained or intrinsically concerned for the numbers of people attending church services on a regular basis.
Attendance, in countless Christian pastors’ minds and memory, has a direct impact on them, their schedule, the church organization, income, and overall influence (i.e. more the better). Numbers then become ‘a’ or ‘the’ goal for Christian pastoral leadership and exponentially multiples into priority while sinking into the mind and motivations for Christian pastors, influencing conversations, counsel, teaching, preaching, visits, relationships, ‘ministry jobs,’ and any other pastoral tasks and opportunities.
Church: Physical, Digital, or Christian Church?
Fox News published an opinion article entitled “Church as we know it is over. Here's what's next” (blog post photo credit via the link is Shawn Fortune) with the premise stated at the beginning:
Church, as we’ve known it for the past few generations, is over.
Every church you’ve ever attended, or that you drive by on your way to a Sunday sporting event, was built on a physical attendance model that is location-centric.
As a result, church leaders and pastors have spent time every week encouraging, inviting and pleading with people to come to a specific place at a specific time on Sundays. This approach has created church staffing models, systems and ministry strategies focused on improving attendance. It’s also why there is an annual Top 100 list of America’s most-attended churches.
But that way of doing church is dead.
Respectfully, no. Maybe the only thing that is dead are those that misconstrue God’s words and world for their own ends by their own means.
Churches: Pastors are Fighters
Pastors are called and trained to fight. The type of fight is different fight. This is not a physical fight though it includes the physical world. This is not a argumentative or quarreling fight though it includes arguments and courageous "holding fast" to truth and love. They are led to fight for and against something, rather, someone. The "noble task" Paul tells Timothy is difficult because the world is broken and the pastoring people is not easy. Therefore, this is a unique fight that Paul commands the young pastor Timothy to do, "Fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)."
Churches: Pastors are Trainers
These are the pastoral tasks for trained up pastors. There are several interpretations on 'tasks' or what a pastor 'does'. Sometimes the tyranny of the urgent takes over and leads the way (such as life phase, time, money, other life pressures), but pastors are trainers, otherwise known as equippers or shepherds. Metaphorically and naturally, shepherds equip sheep to live by training them primarily to trust the one they are to listen to. While training them to listen and believe, they also guide them practically through specifics. Therefore, pastors are to train or equip people to believe in the chief shepherd of God the Son, Jesus the Christ, to live and follow him in real life.
Churches: Pastors are Trained
These are the biblical qualifications for Christian pastors, trained up to desire and fulfill the task of pastoring. Therefore, we establish who God the Father, Son, and Spirit is. Then we learn what Christian means. Then we learn what it means to be a Christian pastor. Without the fundamentals, we will be fundamentally off and become fundamentally weird and wrong.
Churches: Pastors
God calls and commands all people to trust and follow him, and then he specifically guides some of the Christian men to serve him as a pastor among areas and local churches. A Christian pastor is a man who serves God and others with a purpose and role to oversee and train people to entrust and live the entirety of their life following the God-man and Christ -- Jesus. He, Jesus, is the epicenter of God's revelation, God the Father's redemption, and God the Holy Spirit's transformation of people to trust and follow.
