8th Anniversary Service

Thomas Herringshaw - Sunday, Sept 7 2025

Historical Trend: Harvard —> Yale —> Princeton —> Westminster (Philadelphia)

Drifting within churches, seminaries and denominations

Why does the drift happen over time —> by one small decision after another

This world is under Satan’s influence today

Has God really said?

Drift can occur within the time of one generation

Judges 2:6–12 (LSB) — 6 Then Joshua sent the people away, and the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who saw all the great work of Yahweh which He had done for Israel. 8 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of 110. 9 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know Yahweh or even the work which He had done for Israel. 11 Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh and served the Baals, 12 and they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked Yahweh to anger.

Example of the Divided Kingdom under

Judah: 8 godly kings, 12 ungodly

Israel: all abandoned Yahweh

How Satan attacks the church

be conformed to the culture

persecute the church

Source of our Hope to remain as a faithful church in this age.

Jesus’ Promise given to the church

Matthew 16:13–20 (LSB) — 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock (confession of Peter: Jesus is the Messiah, Son of the living God) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Universal church will never crumble, but various local

Jude 3–4 (LSB) — 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:13–15 (LSB) — 13 Hold to the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. 15 You are aware of this: that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

Romans 12:1–2 (LSB) — 1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.

5 of the 7 Asian churches were drifting from their first love

drift starts when sins of omission happen

The leaders of the church, seminary, denomination are responsibility

How does Ambassador hope to remain faithful as a church?

one degree of deviation where no correction occurs is essential to remain on course

What are our core values that help the elders at ABF to remain on

Worship: Purpose of the Church -

Matthew 22:36–40 (LSB) — 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

We are to love God with our whole being

Idolatry occurs when we prioritize people over God.

Church as Ephesus had left their first love

Revelation 2:2-5 - 2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot bear with those who are evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, you also have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first. But if not, I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place, unless you repent.

Worship:

appreciation - ascribing praise, thanks to God for His character, provision

adoration - place God highest in our thoughts

affection - loving God from the heart

subjection - submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Christ, even to death

Word - Foundation of the Church - Jesus is our cornerstone; prophets and apostle’s teachings are our foundation.

Joshua 1:7–8 (LSB) — 7 “Only be strong and very courageous to be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be prosperous wherever you go. 8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful, and then you will be prosperous.

Psalm 1:1–6 — 1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not rise in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

John 17:17–19 (LSB) — 17 “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. 19 “For their sake I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

Romans 1:16 (LSB) — 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

JC Ryle: Nothing more useless that a church without the gospel

Walk - walk in obedience, grow in Christlikeness

Mission of the Church: make Jesus known where He is not known

Are you growing in obedience, not simply head knowledge

How do we

We walk in fellowship

Hebrews 3:12–13 — 12 See to it brothers, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Grow in Walking; don’t stop growing; never arrived!

Fulfill the one anothers

Lone Ranger is a ranger in danger

Proverbs 18:1 (LSB) — 1 He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He breaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.

Witness - every single believer is commanded to be a gospel proclaimer

Stephen is martyred, many believers leave Jerusalem, who went about sharing the gospel (not the apostles)

Acts 8:1–4 (LSB) — 1 Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he was delivering them into prison. 4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the word.