Standing Firm in a Sea of Confusion

Introduction

As we prepare to enter a new year, 2025, people will be making New Year’s Resolutions left and right. This is a time to evaluate aspects of our lives that we’d like to see some changes and resolve to address those things as we enter a new year. As a church, this is a helpful time to look to Scripture and remind ourselves of the essentials of our faith. As a pastor, this is a time where many will preach on their vision for their church. Many pastors have entitled their sermons for today “Vision Sunday” and there will be excitement and engagement that will usually last a month or two, just like our new years resolutions! The problem that can happen in churches and with pastors entering a new year is not grounding everything we do in Scripture. There are things, programs, movements, initiatives, and conferences that sound good and possibly even do good, but they are not grounded in Scripture. My prayer whenever I arrived at South Gate was for the Lord to lead me in His Word where we were supposed to go as a church. That takes time to pray, study, and also just to get to know everyone who calls South Gate home! After a few months, through conversation, looking at feedback you all have provided me with, and through prayer, several things crystalized in my mind.

We need to know who we are

We need to know where we’re going

At South Gate, we are unapologetically and unwaveringly people of Scripture. We are a Southern Baptist Congregation. We uphold the BFM 2000. This is why we’ve taken our fall semester on Wednesday nights to go through the BFM 2000 and study what we say that we believe as a church. This is why every Sunday we sit under expository preaching that uncovers or exposes what the Bible says in a specific passage and applies it for us today. This is who we are - people who submit to the authority of Scripture and we need to remember this - Scripture is our supreme authority.

So, where are we headed as a church? South Gate has existed for 35 years and over those 35 years, God has done some remarkable things locally and internationally! This church has been a light in our community for decades. In the years to come, that will not change, in fact, I pray our light only shines brighter. The darker the night, the brighter the light. Our world is growing more divided over issues that used to be commonly understood. Truth. Gender. Marriage. Family. All of these things are currently under attack. Truth is subjective. Gender is fluid. Marriage isn’t a big deal. Family roles are outdated. Men can do anything women do, and women can do everything that men can do.

Into this world, where are we headed? What will we do? Churches are facing 2 options: Standing Out or Sliding By. We can either jump on the slippery slope that our society is on, or we can stand out by standing on Scripture. Many pastors, churches, and even entire denominations have drifted away from the Word and towards the world. They’ve traded in transformation for affirmation.

I want you to here this loud and clear: NOT HERE. We are in Babylon, but we will not become Babylonians. As we enter into 2025, there are so many exciting things taking place at South Gate. We’ll hear some of those things today and we’ll look forward with anticipation at what God has in store… but we do this as a body who is standing on Scripture as God commands of His people. This morning, we’ll be in one of my favorite chapters in my favorite book in the Bible, Hebrews 10. We’re going to examine 3 things that are expected of Christ-Centered Congregations, just like this preacher expected of this church some 2000 years ago. This is our vision - to be faithful to the task that God has called us to! Let’s read from God’s Word together

Hebrews 10:19–25 CSB

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

After explaining who Jesus is and what Jesus has done, Hebrews 10:19-25 we see why these things matter in the life of the church and what God expects of His followers. He expects us to draw near to Him, to be anchored to His Word, and to encourage one another in our body. This is how we stand firm in a sea of confusion - let’s pray and ask for Jesus’ help today:

In 2025 South Gate Must:

Have Confidence in Christ (19-22)

I love it whenever the Bible is simple, don’t you? There are passages we read in Scripture that leave us wondering, “I wonder what that means” Or, “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do in light of this truth in the Bible.” This is not one of those passages! We see 3 very specific instructions in our passage and they are made up of 2 tiny words “Let Us…” The first let us shows up in verse 22 and we are told to “let us draw near.” At South Gate we talk about this often, but it’s a Gospel essential and something that we must never forget. There was a time in all of our lives whenever we stood separated from God because of our sin! We were over here, and God was over there. In the Old Testament this was visible with the Temple as there were barriers that literally kept people out of certain areas. If you were a child, you could only enter into this area. If you were a Jew, you could go back to another area. If you were a priest, you could go back to another area… but only the high priest, once a year, could enter into the area called the Holy of Holies. Beyond him that one time, no one else had access to God’s presence. Do you know what’s awesome for us today? Because of Jesus, you now have access to God and you can come before Him with boldness!

Hebrews 4:16 CSB

16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

The only way this is a possibility is because of Jesus! This is what our passage tells us today - because of the blood of Jesus, we can draw near to our God. How are we supposed to do this? Who is able to do this? This instruction is given to “brothers and sisters” - we’re not talking about literal, biological, brothers and sisters, we’re talking about spiritual brothers and sisters. We’re talking about what we pursue as a body of believers as a church! God created us as humans for community!

Our world is starving for community. In a post-COVID lockdown world, we realize how desperately we need one another. We need face to face interaction. We need people to talk with. People to laugh with. People to do life with. People look for this community in their jobs, their schools, their friends, their communities. The best place to have this deep knit community is within the body of Christ - within your local church. The local church matters. South Gate Baptist Church matters! Being a part of the church matters. Church membership matters! Having a family to belong to and grow along with is such a blessing and I pray that in 2025, more people will join us as we pursue Christ and grow deeper in our relationship with Him.

Notice what our text tells us about what happens as we draw near through Jesus - we do this with a true heart that has been cleansed and washed. What does this mean? It means that one of the benefits of salvation is that Jesus changes you. There has been a growing movement in our world, and even in certain churches, that says that you can be saved without being changed. You can have a new heart but continue to live in unrepentant sin. So many people in our world want the benefits, but they don’t want to pay the cost. Yes, we know that salvation is free in the sense that we can’t pay for it. We can’t buy it on Amazon. But salvation is costly as it cost Jesus His life! So many want the crown that Jesus gives without the cross that Jesus calls on us to bear. Hear this, church: You don’t get a crown without picking up your cross! To follow Jesus means to look different. To act different. To speak different. We do this not to be saved, but because we are saved. Jesus changes those whom Jesus saves!

How are we saved? How are we brothers and sisters in Christ? 75% of our country claims to be Christian. A significant portion of those people base that in the fact that they are a “good person” who does “good things” for others. In fact, over 40% of Evangelicals such as Baptists, AG, and others believe that most people are pretty good and can have confidence before God in the works that they have done. Friends, this is false, yet it’s a message that makes us feel good. It’s a message that confuses many and leads many astray. The fact of the matter is that salvation is a gift that excludes boasting

Ephesians 2:8–10 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

We are not saved by our good works, we are saved for good works. The root of our salvation is the finished work of Jesus! The fruit of our salvation is the works we do for Jesus! As we think about our congregation here at South Gate as we enter a new year together, we must be a people who have supreme confidence in Jesus Christ. Not in ourselves. Not in our groups. Not in our actions. But in JESUS CHRIST! As we have confidence in what Jesus has done, we see that we are to draw near to our God. This means worship. As a body of believers, we gather at South Gate to worship our God. Has it ever struck you that the God who made everything - the sun, moon, stars and the mountains, valleys, and trees, this all-creating God desires for His people to worship Him. He hears us whenever we worship. He answers the prayers of His people. Doesn’t this humble us? It ought to!

The purpose of having our sins washed clean by the blood of Jesus isn’t to make us snobby, it is to make us holy. It should also make us joyful! Yes, Christmas was last week, but joy still remains because joy is found in Jesus! If you have been saved by Jesus, there should be a desire in your soul to see other people come to know Jesus as well and draw near to Him! There should be a peace and a confidence that is pervasive in our lives that other people take note of. Billions in our world are struggling to find peace and security and purpose… even churchgoers struggle with the certainty of their salvation. This was the case for Medieval Europe under the Roman Catholic Church for hundreds of years until God used Martin Luther and countless others in the Protestant Reformation that swept through Europe and eventually the globe because it got to the heart of the Gospel, what Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us, you can have certainty. You can know that you are saved. That is not arrogant - it’s all because of Jesus. This passage is telling us that in Jesus, our sins are washed away. That we have a new heart and are literally new people!

In a confusing season, we must be a confident people, not in ourselves but in our Christ. As we draw near to God and as Jesus helps us grow, we have opportunities to shine our light bright in our community.

Stand on Scripture (23)

The second “Let us” instruction is to hold on to the confession of our hope. Just as we need community as we draw near to Jesus, we also need community to remain true to Jesus. The New Testament talks about the church being a body and being a family - whenever one part of your body hurts, there are other parts of your body that kick into overdrive to compensate. Same for a family - last year at Thanksgiving I got COVID and it knocked me down pretty bad. We were in town spending time with family and on Wednesday night it was like I got hit by a train and on Thanksgiving Day I went to urgent care to get checked out. Eventually, Lindsey and the boys and I took the 2 hour trip back to Salem and I remember still being out of it. Not being able to help with the boys. Not having energy. Being sick. Spouses, whenever that happens, especially when you have littles, the other spouse has to pull extra weight. This is why it’s a blessing to be on a TEAM - marriage is a team and so is being members of your church. We couldn’t do what we do without every single one of us doing our part. I’m reminded of the example in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings as Frodo is on this quest to destroy the Ring of Power and each step of the way, his friend Sam was by his side. If we are going to stay true to the task at hand, we need help along the way. We need friends who speak truth into our lives. This is what we need at South Gate, we must stand on Scripture.

There are many foundations that people build their lives on. Jesus talks about this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 as there are some who build their lives possibly on their feelings. Some build their lives on a worldview they were taught. Some build their lives on what is popular in their culture. Some build their lives on something that sounds good and positive. All of those things, secularism, feminism, atheism, humanism, all of these godless worldviews are a foundation of sand. When the rain comes, sand will not stand! This is why Jesus provides us with another option. A better option. A stronger option. A saving option - His Word

Matthew 7:24 CSB

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Jesus’ Word is a rock solid foundation. This means that we must build our lives on the rock solid foundation of God’s Word. This means that South Gate Baptist Church must be build on the rock solid foundation of God’s Word. We find our hope and life in God’s Word. Hebrews 10 says to hold on to the confession of our hope - what does that word confession mean? To confess is to speak the truth. Kids, say that you didn’t clean your room, or students, say that you went to a place you know you aren’t allowed to go to, and your parents come to you and ask, “Do you have something to confess?” What are they asking for? Do you have something to admit. To you have something true to tell us? Confession here means what we believe - AW Tozer once shared, “What we think about God is the single most important thing about us.” What do you believe about God? There is a word for this called theology or the study of God. Some believe that this is boring or not important. At South Gate this isn’t an option because it’s not biblical. We must know what we believe. We must stand on what Scripture says.

What happens when we do this?

Non-Believers will think you’re backward

Lukewarm Believers will think you’re too bold

Jesus says you’re blessed

There is hope in God’s Word but this hope does us no good if we believe that we know better than Scripture. If we believe that Scripture is just there to help us out occasionally. If we believe that Scripture is fully of advice but not instruction for us to apply.

Luke 11:28 CSB

28 He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

We stand on Scripture because Scripture is our ultimate authority. This means that there will be times that we read something in God’s Word that we might not like - has that ever happened to you? If you can’t think of a time, let me give you an example: Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Does anyone “like” that verse? That verse is convicting! But we submit to it. We believe it. Not because it makes us feel good, but because it’s God’s Word! There are many worldviews and belief systems that disagree with Romans 3:23, but even if 8 billion people disagree and only 8 people agree, God’s Word is still our authority. It is still right. It is still God-breathed!

Alistair Begg shares it like this, “If you only believe the parts of the Bible that you like, and leave aside the parts that you don’t like, you don’t believe the Bible. You believe yourself. You are now the authority, not the Bible.” There is a part in all of us that loves authority. Craves it. This is why we must submit to Scripture and stand on it as a congregation. This is why we need one another to help us and to correct us and to hold us accountable because we’re prone to wander and tempted to forget. Next week we’ll begin the new year in Titus - Titus is full of difficult things for many in our world to accept, and even for some who attend church. The reason that we have to conform to what the Bible says isn’t because of a pastor or because of a group of people, it’s because Scripture is God-breathed and fully authoritative and sufficient. Whenever we realize this, there is such a freedom and a joy because Scripture provides us with hope that this world can’t touch. Earlier in Hebrews, we find this truth

Hebrews 6:19–20 CSB

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Our hope is grounded in the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of Jesus Christ. We can call Jesus our heavenly anchor who keeps us secure but not tied to the ground… we’re tied to heaven. He literally lifts us up. This is the hope that the Christian has! Think of what an anchor did for these people 2000 years ago - it provided safety. No one would dare go out on the sea without an anchor because there could come a storm and it wouldn’t matter if you had the best captain, the best crew, the best compass, the best craftsman, without that anchor you would have no hope because your hope lives and dies with your anchor. Why this example? Christian, your hope lives an dies with Christ. And that’s great news, because verse 23 reminds us that our God is faithful. He is alive. He gives us hope.

Scripture provides us with security. How dare we think that we know better than He. How dare denominations and churches and so called pastors distort Scripture and lead people down the slippery slope of theological liberalism that says that the Bible isn’t true. Jesus isn’t the only way. We can do church however WE think we should because WE know best. Friends, this is not the way! Disregarding Scripture is a stance that might lead to celebration from some on earth, but it will lead to separation from God for eternity. As we enter a new year and a new season at South Gate, we must continue as we have done for years to stand boldly and unashamedly on God’s Word, regardless of how unpopular that decision is and regardless of how difficult that is for us.

The reason why we do this is because Jesus is faithful. Whenever we say that He is faithful, we don’t mean that He usually comes through. We don’t mean that He is kind of reliable. We don’t mean that He has a 99% success rate. When the Bible says that He is faithful, it means that He comes through with a 100% success rate. With perfection. One of my favorite and most encouraging verses in the Bible is John 6:37

John 6:37 CSB

37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.

What does this mean? Once you belong to Jesus, you’re secure. He is your Living Hope! We must understand this and share this truth: Your salvation is not dependent upon your grip on Jesus, but His grip on you. He will never cast you out. He will hold you fast. Therefore, we stand confidently on Scripture, regardless of the cost.

Worship Well (24-25)

Whenever we think of worship, we often think of singing songs. This isn’t wrong, but it’s not a complete picture! Worship includes everything that we do as a body of believers. Worship includes the preaching of God’s Word. It includes prayer. It includes fellowships. It includes gathering together as a body. Do we worship outside of this gathering? Absolutely! Do we need to gather together to worship? Absolutely! Sadly, there has been a growing movement in recent days that has said this: Going to Church doesn’t matter. In other words, I can be a lone-ranger Christian and be just fine. Now, there have always been reasons to stay away from church. The early church had many reasons to not physically gather together. Life and death persecution, being ostracized from society, maybe going back to a previous religion. Today we see many reasons people give for why they stop coming to church.

I’m too busy

I’m not getting anything out of it

I can do this by myself

I don’t want to submit to Biblical authority

Did you know that to be a “regular” churchgoer, you come to church 3 times every 2 months. That’s 18 times a year. That’s barely 1/3 of the time. That’s considered being a “regular!” In a Post-Covid world, that’s what is normal nowadays and this might sound harsh, but it’s said boldly in love, a chief, not the main or only, but one of them, reason people have stopped coming as frequently as they used to before COVID is laziness. We think there are better things. We’ve fallen out of the habit. We don’t think it matters. On the authority of the Bible, let me tell you, coming to church matters. The picture painted in Scripture is NEVER individuals and families doing things by theirselves. The picture in Scripture is Christians doing life together as a body. Michael Kruger shared this, “Faith is one of those things that you cannot do alone. Many try. Maybe they have had bad experiences in church or perhaps they don’t see why that commitment is necessary. But we do need each other to stir up one another to love and good works.” We cannot provoke love and good works by ourselves being isolated inside our own silo.

Encouragement cannot take place in isolation! We need to stoke the fire inside one another and help us stay on the right track - we need to be on a team with teammates who will help encourage, push, rebuke, and love us and whom we can encourage, push, rebuke, and love as well! Maybe you’re here at South Gate and you had a bad experience at a previous church. Maybe you’re here and you’ve never been plugged into a church at all. Maybe you’re wondering why coming to church matters so much because you think that you can consume church elsewhere throughout the week… that might be true, but you know what you can’t do on Monday morning podcast or Thursday night watching a YouTube preacher? You can’t contribute alongside your church family.

Church isn’t primarily about consuming… it’s primarily about contributing. This is why Hebrews 10:24-25 is so important because it says to consider one another for the purpose of love and good works. This is the attitude of Jesus in Philippians 2 as He humbled Himself, this is what we must do

Philippians 2:4 CSB

4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.

We contribute together. We work together. We encourage each other. We love each other. Not because it’s always easy… but because this is what the church exists to do! There were some 2000 years ago who stopped coming to church habitually. This isn’t saying that missing church once means you’re a cosmic failure! That’s not the heart of the passage and it’s not the heart of your pastor either! But let me share with you what I’ve seen over and over. Church is prioritized only when it’s convenient. Put it back in 1st century terms - the Roman Gladiator games were going on and there was a showdown between 2 undefeated heavyweight champions on the Lord’s Day and Scott and Brown decide they’re going to go and watch this match! That’s missing once. A few months later, they go again. Then a few weeks they go again. And then they purchase season tickets and are gone every Sunday from May through August to watch the biggest athletic event in the empire, and before they realize it, they don’t miss worshiping with their faith family… in fact, they don’t really think they have a role to play in that family.

As your pastor, as your shepherd, let me say this in love, you are missed when you are gone. Maybe you think that no one notices. Your Life Group does. Maybe you’re not in a Life Group… the people who sit around you in service miss you. Maybe you move around… your pastor misses seeing your face. Your neighbor misses hearing you sing. Because your presence encourages those around you and your voice encourages your pastor. We need one another.

As we look at this passage, we see instructions for the local church. Instructions for South Gate Baptist Church today, tomorrow, in 2025, and until Christ calls us home! As we think about these things, about drawing near through faith in Christ, standing firm on Scripture through our anchor, Jesus Christ, and worshiping well as a faith family and prioritizing this gathering, we can summarize our function and our mission into 1 phrase

We Exist to: Exalt our Savior and Engage our Society

Whenever people ask what South Gate is about, this is our Biblical answer. We are made by Jesus, for Jesus, so our main purpose is to exalt our Savior. This means that everything that is said, sung, and done must be to glorify Jesus. This is why we stand on Scripture, not society. This is why we structure our worship services and our church on what the Bible says, not what is popular or how businesses are structured. Because we exist individually and corporately to exalt our Savior. Think of the cross, the vertical part that is larger than the horizontal part. The main thing that the church exists to do is to exalt Jesus. That’s what you are saved to do - to glorify Jesus.

1 Corinthians 10:31 CSB

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

This is our purpose and as we enter a new year and a new season, this is going to be our reminder, our expression, our mission.

But every local church, just like every Christian, exists in a community. God has given each of us a sphere of influence. What we’re tempted to do is to compartmentalize our lives and say that this is my church box, and this is my work box, and this is my family box, and this is my friend box, and this is my school box and I can exalt Jesus on Sunday at church, but then I am going to live and act and think differently at home, school, work, and the lake. In other words, I’ll let society influence me instead of influencing society with Jesus. The reason that God doesn’t take you to heaven after He saves you is because He has a mission for you and I here on earth… and that mission is to share His Gospel with those around us and to let His light shine through us

Matthew 5:16 CSB

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

This is what we’re about at South Gate. We must be about these two things - Exalting our Savior and Engaging our Society. How can we do these things? Hebrews 10:19-25 gives us a the template. Trusting in Jesus. Worshiping Jesus. Standing on His Word. Encouraging one another. Doing good inside and outside our gathering. Loving one another.

Let us be a church in 2025 that does these 3 things and grows in these 3 areas:

Draw Near to God through Jesus

Devote Ourselves to God’s Word

Determine to Encourage One Another

There’s a place for you to plug in and serve here at South Gate. The body needs you and you need the body! If we are going to stand firm in a sea of confusion, we must continue building our foundation on the rock solid Word of God and as we do this, Jesus will continue to do what He promised 2000 years ago and BUILD HIS CHURCH. All of my hope is in Jesus. All of my eggs are in His basket. As we enter a new year, and as we prepare to pray, let’s ask Jesus to help us be about HIS business as individuals and as a church. Let’s enter a new year with open hands, willing to do what God would have us do. Let’s commit together, this morning, to be a people who desire to exalt Jesus and grow in our walk with Him and let’s commit to be a people who desire to see our community come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

If you are here and you don’t know this Jesus, you will not find security until you bend the knee. If you’re trying to maintain control and just give Jesus the scraps, you will not find security. Lay it down today! South Gate family, let’s rally together because our need is great inside this building and especially outside of it, but our Savior is greater! Let’s be a bold people for the glory of our God and the good of our community and for our ultimate joy in Jesus!