What is a Baptist?

As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling. You have received be completely humble and gentle the patient bearing with one another in love, make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. There's one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called one, Lord, One Faith, one baptism, one God. And Father of all, who is over all and through all into in all, this is the word of the Lord, you may be seated.

In Hillsborough Baptist Church is original constitution in Covenant from 1839. You might recall as we looked at it last week before homecoming. I thought it was a pretty cool to be able to just dissect that together with the church body. But that document 1839 two different times. Our Founders mentioned that the church needs to be one body under one head and also they also said we must Endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace. Certainly referring to the passage from Ephesians 4:2 as a church as a local church. We need to pursue Unity, we need to be one body under one head, the head referring to Jesus Christ. Not think about that. Command. Pursue Unity strive for Unity. That's not sound a little bit daunting to you just a little bit. Not only don't think but it's somewhat vague like how you do that was that mean to be unified. You need to be unified on every single particular Doctrine, which doctrines if so what what are the things that we can maybe disagree on yet still be unified in the spirit of God. This is some big questions and it's a very big command. I think of it, like the command of the Great Commission, go into all the world and Make Disciples of all Nations, preach, the gospel to all creation massive undertaking. But similar to this command, I think there's wisdom in beginning locally. Kaiser, preach the gospel to all creation. Is that mean I need to visit every 200 plus nations in the world and literally preach the gospel to them. I don't think so. How do we begin to do it? Then if it's not that expensive, it's something with this how we begin to pursue Unity together. I would propose that we strive for Unity beginning in the local church. Now, doesn't mean they're right. It is somewhat. Think about the mission, we preach the gospel. We proclaim the message beginning here in Crozet. Does it end literally in the bounds of Crozet? No, send it to Charlottesville with the rest of Albemarle in the surrounding counties, Virginia. The US, the nation as a whole, right? But we have to begin somewhere. This is my point with all of these commands in the Bible always locked. He's always kind of big and in general, you have to begin somewhere, you have to start somewhere, and I would suggest that one of the areas in which we should focus on locally, should be United. Locally is our Doctrine or beliefs are teaching. What do we believe? What do we confess? What do we hold onto his most important and as an of what has significance in our lives? So for the remainder of our time today, what I want to do to as we kind of embark on this track of unpacking, our beliefs going to Doctrine by Doctrine. What I want to do is set the stage and provide some general clarity about what is a Baptist you noticed in your, maybe you noticed in your bulletin on the the title to it. But sometimes I don't even open the bullet industry. Frank, just cuz it's in my mind, right? It's not like I just read the bulletin. I just I ought to know it but I looked at it and Miss Darlene slightly miss her. What I suggested the title being and therein lies somewhere, they cleared it. I'm talking about right? And I asked what is a Baptist What is a Baptist we're going to be going over the Baptist faith and message before we do the faith in the message part? What is a Baptist in the first place is tangra? Gation as you may be aware, everybody here representing their present today and I didn't, that's alright. This congregation is a conglomeration of many different Church backgrounds. For example, if you don't necessarily need to give a hoot from where you're from, okay, but what your previous background might have been but represented here or Methodist? Mennonite. Lutheran. Catholic Episcopalian non-denominational Wesleyan Nazarene Presbyterian charismatic cost or non-Christian backgrounds and so far. And you have to ask what is a Baptist Before I give you my answer and with Biblical Reflections, let me ask you. That was bold enough to take a shot of that this morning. This is a dialogue right here. This for this moment. All right, what is the Baptist? Take a stab at it. You're talking to a complete stranger and then asked you, what is a bat? What would you say to them?

Is anybody bold enough to try?

And rightly. So that is, as I've asked a couple of y'all. This question informally that

Is the media thought goes to baptism and rightly. So as you can see in the bulletin right? That's what Darlene.

And yes, so Baptist are known for baptism by immersion in a moment, but it's much deeper than that and it's Chris. Alluded to baptist. Churches are very making the same use this Mike. Is this not working? It's in and out. Okay, Baptist there's a lot of variety, even among Baptist for example you can have a Baptist Church that kind of more traditional kind of like this at Hillsborough. There's also a I want to call names. It's not the church that y'all went to. I don't believe that there's a Baptist Church in Florida that puts on huge mega Productions of a kind of just wacky stuff like modern-day plays and they play secular music during the service and there's all kinds of flashing lights and it's just bizarre and I'm like why don't Baptists? Say how do you define? What a Baptist is a touch of a ride and even among Baptist people. I'm suggest it's helpful to look at the roots. Were Baptist have come from. So what I want to do is share with you seven, distinctives of what a Baptist is giving biblical reflections. What's that, why we doing this? Remember for the sake of unity so that we can be on the same page. Lord willing about our identities, you already who ought we to be what do we believe? What ought we to believe? Seven distinctives of what a Baptist is using the Baptist acronym. So it's easy for you all to follow and catalog. Right? A b a p t i s t write. Beginning with b Baptist believe in biblical authority to write biblical Authority. This is from the preamble to the Baptist, faith and message. The sole Authority for Faith. And practice among Baptist is the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. K-State of differently. Our sole Authority as a church as people of God, as Christians is right here. It is. This book. It's not me. It's not my teaching. It's not Church. Tradition. It is this book alone. This is in opposition to, all right, I don't want to diss people today per se, but we are Protestant denomination. Okay, being not Catholic, or the Catholics, Catholics believe in three sources of authority. Being the Bible they believe you are God's words The Authority you have forgot then but they also believe in Tradition and also the magisterium or the teaching of the church that these are all three equal rounds of authority. They all complement one, another Baptist and Protestants wholesale rejecta going to be clear is tradition. Important is their value, we can learn from our forefathers. Absolutely is teaching and preaching like what I'm doing now. And what I have done is that valuable is that helpful to hear from a Godly leader truth about God's word and what that means for life is that helpful? Absolutely, we don't dispute that but it's understanding of what is the supreme authority as Baptist. We believe it's only the scriptures. It's the only infallible Authority right there is church leaders that are teachings. That are finding an important. Yes, but the only infallible perfect in their Authority is God's word. And I like what even we find us in our Founders document that HPC Constitution from 1839. They said when they were outlining their four main beliefs, they were stressing first. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the revealed word of God, and their Only Rule of faith in practice, okay? This is what we believe is Baptist biblical Authority. Before I go to the a letter, just a quick disclaimer these things I'm going to share with you. They they describe Baptist definitely but not exclusively. So another words you may have grown up in a context and a denomination. It's not Baptist. You might believe a lot of these things, if not all of them. Or it may be personally, you might not have here to denomination per say or you might not be bold enough to put them on a card. You might believe a lot of these things. That's okay. What I'm saying is these are all defining marks of what a Baptist. There's some similarities with other denominations but some of them are unique to baptist biblical Authority. Number to the a autonomy of the local church autonomy of the local church Baptist believe that each local congregation has the authority to govern itself. This is one of the defining marks of what a Baptist is. I like how one person put in Baptist Churches ought to be ruled by, Jesus Christ governed by its members, led by pastors, elders and served by its deakins. I like that. I think it's a wonderful summary of it, so it would Baptist churches are autonomous being independent, and being. So we practice was called congregationalism. This is part Doctrine part training, part informative, right? So bear with me, but there are three branches, three ways by which church is govern themselves. There is a Piscopo, this is an order of importance is Episcopalian, there is congregationalism and then there's Presbyterian form of church government, okay? So Episcopalian that form of church government, was that mean what that mean? That typically there's an Archbishop or using the Catholic verbiage to go to the pope at the top, right? And then underneath that top leader, there's other high Bishops are archbishop's. They use different titles for denomination. So, there's one guy, then there's other multiple people over certain regions and then other people over certain region. So on and so forth until you get down to the local level of Local church. So other denominations that practice that are Catholics or anglicans episcopalians, methodists and lutherans they follow Episcopalian governance. The other end of the spectrum, the other form is Presbyterian and typically, that's only what Presbyterians follow this. And it's similar in that. There's a hierarchy, except one guy at the top and 11 11. They have a board of Elders, they call it, and then there's other boards of Elders over certain region. So on and so forth, until we get to the local church, where there's still another Board of Elders, governing, that local church congregation ilysm, that means every independent local church governs itself, Okay, Calvary Chapel Evangelical Free Church of America. The Southern Baptist convention and pretty much every non-denominational church follows congregationalism. Thought you might be wondering. All right I think I got that. So far, so Baptist ER independent. Okay, I got that they're governed by the congregation. I got. That means Hillsborough Baptist Church. You the people are the ones responsible for. If you will. To be frank hiring and firing a pastor and other denominations. The top guy can come in and remove or transfer somebody. Nobody can do that in the Baptist Church, only the members of the church can You might be saying, okay, I got that every Baptist Church and independent, but I thought Hillsboro was somehow affiliated with the Southern Baptist, convention was the Southern Baptist convention. How is that? What is that? Denomination mean? Let me try to explain it and try to be brief with it. The Southern Baptist convention, is it simply a network of churches and they want to partner together for gospel Ministry? The Southern Baptist convention has no authority over us. They do not dictate what we believe. They do not take to dictate what we ought to do. That. Materials, that got teaching, that got some good resource, but they have no binding, Authority on the local church, the Southern Baptist convention and other Baptist groups. They're simply a network of churches that one apartment together like, hey, we going to send some missionaries around the world, but we have the little church, we can't do a whole lot, but if we partner with 100 churches within, while we can do a whole lot for the kingdom of God Fellowship, so that other passengers can connect together. One thing I'd like to do with y'all it so I guess not too common in our tradition. I'd like to read several of the different articles of faith of the Baptist faith and message. And what I want to look at is number 14. Alyssa, you can go to the go to the next slide, it should show up. Yeah, perfect. So if you don't mind, read this with me. What is this? Why is it? What are we doing? So we can give you some context. Do you know what we're reading in first place, this is the Baptist faith and message description of cooperation. In other words, what we do together describing kind of what I've been alluding to. This will give you some clarity as to what we do and why we partner with other churches. So if you will read it with me, Christ people should as occasion requires organize. Such associations and conventions. As May best secure, cooperation for the great objects of the kingdom of God, such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches there voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit combined and direct the energies of our people and the most effective manner. Then there's one more sliding

Members of New Testament. Churches, should cooperate with one another in caring for the missionary educational and benevolent Ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament. Sense is spiritual Harmony and voluntary, cooperation for common Ends by various groups of people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained, is it South Justified? And when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ in his word as revealed in the New Testament, Even right there, you might. So this isn't just about the Southern Baptist convention, and that kind of thing. This is about other Ministries to like practically speaking Life Spring Ministry, has the representative from our church. We support a Ministry that other churches, other denominations support for the sake of gospel. Work in the gospel Ministry. Same thing with Love INC. Love In The Name of Christ that Ministry in Charlottesville that reaches out to those in need of finances and of Housing and that kind of thing, many denominations partner with him, but it's for certain in goal. And that's what we did was a church. So what's up, though? Where are autonomous? We voluntarily choose to partner with others of like mind for gospel Ministry in Fellowship, right? This is a Baptist distinctive. Pbap priesthood of all believers. Number three, the priesthood of all believers as Baptist. We believe that, every believer, every Christian has direct access to God. Direct access to the father, we do not need any other human to act as an intercessor. This is again, keep in mind, the context in which Baptists were born in the Protestant Reformation. This is an opposition to the typical Catholic view where you need to have the priest a seat for you, in some way for your sins. Why does 1st Timothy 2:5 talks about? There is one God and one mediator between God and Mankind, who is that Jesus Christ, and his Christians, we have the spirit of Christ in us so we can all go directly to. The father. Is it good to pray with a pastor? Yes, the good to play with other Christian leaders. Yes, we do not need to have somebody else intercede for us on our behalf in terms of having direct access to God. 1st. Peter 2, verse 9. Also States. You you people, you people are God. You are a royal priesthood. A holy nation. Got special possession. We are all priests in the sight of God.

T be apt to ordinances. Baptist believe in two ordinances. Is there another? Not too hard?

That communion and baptism communion and the Lord supports are the Lord's supper and baptism to the straight definition of that, his Command Sergeant there. Lots of commands in the Bible. What, why are there only two specific ordinances that you're highlighting? Well, I've heard of the fine like, this in ordinance is a command from Christ. Given to the local church, set the local church to administer it for the sake of gospel Proclamation. You follow that. An ordinance is a command of Christ that the local church Alton Minister. For the sake of gospel, Proclamation and we've Baptist only understand. There's two of those, the Lord's supper and baptism. This is an opposition to some denominations or are some groups. Some people who think they're three the third one. Sometimes people say foot-washing is an ordinance but historically biblically, there's no strong support of that. And this is also again in opposition to what Catholics believe, who believe in seven different sacraments. I don't want to detail those but they have several different sacraments Baptist believe in to baptism the Lord's Supper. Be a PTI. Individual soul, Liberty. Individual soul, Liberty. Mind you, some of these acronym things that have to be bent to fit the acronym. Right? That's how accurate his works. Sometimes it might sound a little clunky little awkward. Basically I say this Baptist have been champions of religious liberty of freedom of religion. The here's a little history for you. I thought this was fascinating as I was studying over these different things. When you go back to Virginia, The Fountains of Virginia. Keep in mind, Virginia was originally founded break, the 1600 1700s and how they operated during that time, was, originally founded as a colony of England, right? To in England, the official state religion was anglicanism, or being an Anglican or being a part of the Church of England and in Virginia, as a colony of England's, they adopted that mindset. They adopted that the way they were governed and structured. So in Virginia, 1617. Every other denomination was illegal except for being an Anglican. To be clear. It's like caveat. You could establish a Baptist Church. You could establish a Presbyterian church and there were some that did but to do. So you had to have official licensing from the state. I'm not talking about being tax exempt or 501. C, 3 license to Simply a symbol and preach, okay? You had to go through the government and the death knell that that he touched a lot of people, you had to pay taxes to support the Anglican Church. Which if you're going to, you understand how nonsensical that is. So rightly, so Baptist and others. But Baptist, I would say, taking the spearhead of this, they refused then, regardless of what the government was saying, they insisted on freedom of religion, freedom to worship. As we as we want to worship and because of that Baptist and others for persecuted by the government in Virginia dozens of Baptist pastors, they were beaten and jailed right up until the time of the Revolutionary War in the 1770s. James Madison Virginia, the fourth President of the u.s. father of the Constitution, he witnessed first-hand this religious persecution in Virginia and with Baptist having a very strong voice. In all of this they helped influence Madison to craft into to shape commonly Holter as religious liberty today. You have again, you have to understand the history here. You and I today's world today is culture, today's America, particular throughout all of History Wright, this had to be fought for had to be defended, had to be advocated for The practically speaking today Baptist don't believe in forcing people into the kingdom of God. I can you take this for granted but understand the history. You do not force people to be a part of a local church and local denomination. Everyone has the freedom, the Liberty to choose what to believe and how they will worship Baptist spearheaded this movement, especially here in the US. This also, I hope you see the tie-in here. This ties into a little bit about that autonomy of the local church thing, right? We don't want anybody out there up here to tell us what to believe locally, but we have the local church think. We know how to pass govern ourselves. We want to Worship in this way if you want to have a blend of modern music and old music, right? We don't want anybody up there telling, do you have to get rid of the old, we have to get rid of the new, every local person ever local body, does that? It's the same with individuals, every individual has that Liberty that has that freedom to choose as they want to worship. Baptist more to go. Then I'll be brief with these es saved, baptized church membership, That the common moniker for that is called regenerate church membership. To be a member of a local church. You have to be a genuine Christian. You have to be born again and you have to have been baptized as a Believer by several Scholars. Stay in the historians. They say that this right here is B foundation on Mark, what a Baptist is and why they started how they came about, how that denomination started. Its this idea that a local church, the members of that church must be Christians. True Born Again, Christians. You might take that for granted a look back at history especially throughout the 1500 in the 1700's. If you were a baby, you were baptized in the either the Catholic church or the Anglican Church when that sprung about and then you become a member of that church Baptist like no, no, no. Somebody who confesses Christ didn't necessarily put an age when it right after you 13 or whatever but they said you have to be a believer and you have to profess. Jesus personally another where you can't just baptize a baby and they become members of the church. I'm not talking about. We're going to get into the weeds little bit about what that means, why they do that and and how Baptist differ on that, but to be a member of the church, I just want talking about You have to be a born again, Christian. That's what Baptist believe historically. Lastly, its HE2 offices. Two offices. That is To govern a local church. There should be only two officers, the Elder /. Pastor those two words are synonymous. So the pastor and the deacons for the pastors and the deacons. This clearly comes from 1st Timothy Chapter 3. And we're going to spend some time talking about that later on in the Baptist faith and message. But again this is an opposition to other denominations. Were they think there's a superior usually they use the word for Archbishop but that's as soon as you know there's only two pastor and deacon. so, in conclusion, Why do we go over all this stuff? Why are we going over the Baptist identity? The church so that we might be United together in the truth and around a common identity, right? This is chi a common identity. Beginning in our own local Household of Faith. as you know, A church that is divided against itself. Cannot stand made famous by Jesus. Later, made famous by Linkin is well, stating that and you know that practically, I don't know if you've ever been a part of a church that where there's been division, like vibrant nasty division church is paralyzed, they can't do gospel work because it's inviting you for always worrying about correcting and fixing and correcting the other person and sometimes in a much more nasty fashion So the reason we strive for Unity it for Unity sake, it's for the sake of gospel work, so that we might be an active Church being obedient to God's call to spread the gospel. Over the next few months. I hope you'll be eager to work together to Russell through some doctrines as we cultivate and maintain unity in the spirit. cuz again that I want him close by reading Ephesians 4, 1 2 6, As a prisoner for the Lord, then I heard you to live a life worthy of the calling you received be completely, humble and gentle be patient bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of Peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you recalled the one, hope when you were called one Lord, One Faith, one baptism, one God. And Father of all who is overall in through all. And then all

Church. The goal for Unity is Big Stone Ting. It's hard but we have to begin somewhere and I suggest, let's begin locally in this church by reviewing our but our beliefs are Doctrine and our teaching. We join me in prayer and then we'll close with the doxology.

My father is I've already acknowledged this morning and it is true. There are many different denominational backgrounds represented here. A different emphasis, different opinions. That's all right, Lord. In the midst of the unity that you called us to. There is steel diversity among the body of Christ.

but we ask that you please help us to be United in the truth, the united in the important doctrines, In those things that there can be differences such as Church government and an even as important as baptism is as as those two may have differing opinions on baptism, please help us to have charity. Please help us that Grace and love to those who may differ from us on specifics. But again, we asked for wisdom and Clarity around so that we might have Unity around. What's most important, the most important things that we should believe in here too. Jesus, we know that you are united with the Trinity amongst yourself. You have one mind and one heart with the father and with the Holy Spirit, please give us that same heart that same mindset as we consider others above ourselves. And is in this process of the next couple weeks or months. Please help us to be wise and Winsome in the way that we look at the distinctives of what it means to be a Baptist. Lord. This is not where we plant our flag. This is not what's most important in life because it was most important life that we are Christians. But none, the less understanding our distinctive Heritage and where we stand a day is important as a local body, please give us wisdom as we do. So give us love where we may disagree and then all things may be glorified. We commit these things to you in Jesus name. Amen.