102622 - Origin of Sin in Mankind

There will be a meeting on Sunday morning, October 16, immediately following the service, for those ladies who are planning to attend the Ladies Mountain Retreat in November.

Friend Day

Soul-Winning Saturday, October 8 - 9:45 AM - I was very encouraged by the report of the number that came out this past Saturday. Thank you. We will do it again this coming Saturday.

I want to encourage everyone to arrive by 10 AM so that you might be here to welcome our guests.

Everyone is a Greeter!

I would like for the computer to be up and running by 10 AM as folks start making their way into the auditorium.

Guests that will be coming:

Pineville Mayor Edwards and his wife.

Pienville Chief of Police, Mike Hudgins.

Coverall Crew:

Aretha Foster

Melvin & Alkeya Miller

Everyone take the responsibility to make sure that our guests make it to the Fellowship Hall for lunch.

There will be no Master Clubs or Teen Extreme this coming Sunday night.

Our Purpose

How are we going to “live out” that purpose? What kind of church are we going to be?

Our Mission(1)

We want to be a church where people can:

Find the Truth

Grow in Truth

Learn to live Truth

Learn to share Truth

All in the love of God!

Our Mission(2)

Ephesians 4:15 KJV 1900

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

What does our world emphasize? Truth or Love?

If our guests don’t find the love of God here at South Charlotte Baptist Church then, regardless of whether they have found the Truth here or not, they’re going to go somewhere where they can find Love.

The world emphasizes Love to the detriment of Truth. However, as we emphasize Truth, we must not do it to the detriment of God’s Love.

Looking ahead...

Festival of Trees

Friday and Saturday, December 8-9

Last week, when I announced this, I had a couple of individuals text me that I had the dates incorrect. I apologize for that.

This is an opportunity for us to #DeclaretheGospel to our community.

After our Friend Day, we will begin our push to prepare for this event.

We are planning for a number of activities for this.

The biggest is that we will need individuals/families who will be willing to take responsibility (pay for/decorate) for one of the 20 trees that we are planning to have.

Setup will take place during the day on Friday, December 8.

One of the other big needs that we will have is overnight security on Friday night, December 8, and through the day on Saturday, December 9.

Prayer

The Echo App

We praise the Lord for the miraculous protection of Scott and Andrea’s son-in-law, Ivan. He was in a motorcycle accident last night. Miraculously he has not broken bones or serious injuries. He is just very sore!

Please pray for Richard Castillo, Dwain Roache’s employer. He is need of a kidney and pancreas transplant. In the meantime he is going to be going on dialysis. But, most importantly, he needs to be saved.

Frank Usiak - (Owner of T&E Automotive in Pineville) They have found cancer in his throat, lung, and lymph node. He will be having surgery (lung) on October 14th. They will follow that up with chemotherapy and radiation.

Update on Mom Campbell.

She went in for her “procedure” at 11:30 and was in recovery by 1:30.

Barring any complications, she should be able to go home tomorrow (Thursday).

She celebrated her 82 birthday on Sunday.

Hurricane Ian

Praise - Pastor and Ms. Donna had their power restored as of this morning. Other than that, they just have clean-up to deal with.

On Monday, as we were traveling back to Charlotte, I was able to talk with Pastor Jordan Hershberger, the pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Wachula, Florida.

They were spared the brunt of the storm.

Those just 20 minutes south were hit the hardest.

I instructed Mrs. Holstead to send Pastor Jordan a check for $500 to purchase supplies. (When I talked with him, they were in Tampa, and were able to buy items such as tarps - which are a much needed commodity.)

I will keep in touch with Pastor Jordan to see what else can be done. They could using “helping hands” to assist with clean-up, etc.

Disaster Relief

I received these pictures this afternoon from Pastor Jordan. He told me that these supplies would be given out along with John & Romans and Gospel tracts.

Now…Allow me to transition into my message for this evening.

Message

The Generation to Come

Point out the people in the picture.

Psalm 78:1–7 KJV 1900

Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, Shewing to the generation to come The praises of the Lord, and his strength, And his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; Who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep his commandments:

This past weekend, as Stephenie and I had the opportunity to travel to Rhode Island and participate in Elton Perdomo’s ordination, it should serve as an example of the fruit of a church that took Psalm 78 to heart.

My wife and I weren’t the only ones who invested in the life of Elton; many of you did and we should all rejoice in God’s work in Elton’s life.

And, we should continue to stay faithful as I’m certain there are other young people, in our midst, whom God will use for His honor and his glory!

Now…on to the message...

What We Believe

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe in the verbal (every word) and plenary (complete) inspiration of the Old and New Testaments;

That it is inerrant (without error), infallible (not capable of being wrong) and God-breathed,

That God’s Word is the final authority for faith and life. Because it is truth, it is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried.

THE GODHEAD

We believe in one triune God, the maker, preserver, and ruler of all things, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe in the deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect man;

We believe that He is God manifested in the flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary;

We believe that He lived a sinless life on earth; that He died on Calvary’s cross as a satisfactory sacrifice for sinners; that His body was buried in and arose from Joseph’s tomb; that He ascended to Heaven and was glorified at God’s right hand;

We believe that He is coming again for His own and then to set up His Kingdom on earth.

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity and is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son;

We believe that He convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgment;

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural agent in regeneration;

We believe that He indwells all believers and seals them unto the day of redemption;

We believe that He endues, teaches and guides believers.

The Holy Spirit is the believer’s source of power.

Luke 24:49 KJV 1900

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Holy Spirit teaches the believer.

John 16:13 (KJV 1900)

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit guides the believer.

Again, John 16:13 says:

John 16:13 KJV 1900

God has a plan for each and every one of us as believers. And one aspect of the Spirit’s work is to guide us in the details of our daily lives.

Psalm 37:23 KJV 1900

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: And he delighteth in his way.

Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the very steps of our day? Or, are we more like those whom James was referring to?

William Evans wrote:

There is no detail of the believer's life that may not be under the control and direction of the Spirit.

Evans, William. The Great Doctrines of the Bible (p. 78). Kindle Edition.

Galatians 5:16 KJV 1900

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25 KJV 1900

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit guides the believer.

The last part of our doctrinal statement relating to the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit states:

We believe that at salvation (rebirth) the believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit and that the believer does not seek the Spirit’s baptism as an evidence of salvation.

Matthew 3:11 KJV 1900

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

John the Baptist is speaking. In this verse, Jesus is the one Who is doing the baptizing and He - Christ - will baptize with the Holy Spirit. It is a future event.

Acts 1:5 KJV 1900

For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Jesus is speaking. These words were spoken just before His ascension and before the day of Pentecost.

Acts 11:16 KJV 1900

Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Peter is speaking. In this verse, Peter is looking back at what Christ said in Acts 1:5 as something that had already taken place.

The fulfillment of the promise, which John the Baptist referenced in Matthew 3:11 took place at the Day of Pentecost.

In application of this to ourselves, W.A. Criswell wrote:

He [the Holy Spirit] indwells now every believer. The waiting now is on the part of the Holy Spirit to empower us, to fill us to the utmost. It is but for us to yield our souls, hearts, minds, bodies to the indwelling presence. Pentecost is with us all the time, every day and hour.

This accounts for the agony of our prayers: not that the Holy Spirit is reluctant to come (He is already here), but that we are reluctant to yield our members to Him.

Paul talks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:

1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV 1900

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Spirit of God places us in the body of Christ:

Galatians 3:27 KJV 1900

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

This aspect of our doctrinal statement is another truth which I could take a lot of time to unpack.

However, I believe that this statement’s inclusion in our doctrinal statement is a defense against the Pentecostal or Holiness movements.

The defining belief of Pentecostalism is that an experience of the Holy Spirit, often referred to as ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit,’ is available to Christians to empower them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

This second experience (which they believe is distinct from salvation and comes after salvation) should be normative for every Christian.

It goes without saying, however, that according to Pentecostalism not all Christians are ‘baptised in the Spirit.’ This is the position held by denominations such as the Assemblies of God, which also emphasize that this experience is always accompanied by the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues.

http://talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com/2007/05/what-is-pentecostal-baptism-in-spirit.html

Please bear with me as I would like to share with you some thoughts from W.A. Criswell from his book, The Baptism, Filling & Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The term the baptism of the Holy Spirit is so much used and so greatly abused, but it is not in the Word of God.

In fact, the word baptize, with reference to the Spirit, is never used in recounting the story of Pentecost, of Samaria, or Caesarea, of Ephesus, or of anywhere else.

…We are never told, commanded, or urged to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit...

[The Holy Spirit] indwells now every believer.

And, as I shared just a few moments ago...

It is but for us to yield our souls, hearts, minds, bodies to the indwelling presence. - W.A. Criswell

Romans 12:1–2 KJV 1900

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

As I have said on many occassions:

As Christians, we have as much of the Holy Spirit as we will ever have. The question, though, is, How much of us does the Holy Spirit have?!?!

I believe that, after these messages regarding the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit that we should realize:

How little we know and understand of the person and work of the Holy Spirit and...

How much our daily Christian life is dependent upon our understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

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